Ground Beef Stroganoff

My MIL makes a dish similar to this but instead of bugging her for the recipe AGAIN, I decided to try and recreate it from what I could remember. I love the tang i-ness the mustard brings to the dish and the sour cream really completes the recipe . A great comfort meal!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 T. butter

1 onion, diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

           

3 T. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1/4 cup light sour cream

1- 16 oz. bag of noodles (any kind would be good, even egg noodles)

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble ground beef into the hot skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir beef until completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes.  Transfer beef to a separate dish.

Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in butter until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir flour into onion mixture; cook and stir until flour is browned, about 1 minute. Return beef to the skillet; stir. Pour beef broth over the mixture in the skillet; bring to a boil. Stir Worcestershire sauce and mustard through the mixture.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a simmer until the consistency is gravy-like.

Stir sour cream through the beef mixture and heat until warmed.  Boil noodles in a large pot of water until al dente. Serve stroganoff over noodles.

Pasta e Fagioli

The temperature outside dropped the other day and the rains came and I thought this would be the perfect soup to make. It's mild and filling and my kids love it so that makes me love it!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2- 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1- 15 ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1- 15 ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1- 12 ounce can v-8 juice
1 T. white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 lb. ditali pasta (or small penne or small macaroni)

DIRECTIONS
Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except the pasta and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat.  Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente.  Drain.

Add the pasta to the large pot of soup.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more and serve.

Serves 10
*If you're not planning on finishing off the soup in one meal you may want to keep the noodles separate from the soup and just combine into the individual bowls.  As the soup sets, the noodles will absorb the liquid and make your soup less....soupy. So either keep the noodles separate or if reheating the next day plan to add some additional liquid such as v-8.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

There are a lot of great Cafe Rio Pork Salad recipes floating around out there. This is the recipe I've always used and I love it.  The last couple of times I've been to Cafe Rio I've been so disappointed with my meal.  It seems like they either skimp on the meat, it's been super fatty, or the flavor just seems off.  Whatever the case may be, we sure enjoy making this meal at home!

INGREDIENTS
1 Pork Loin or Pork Roast
1 1/2 cans coke (no diet or generic brand substitutions)
1 cup sugar
1- 7 oz. can Chipotle Chilies in ADOBO sauce (since you use the sauce, not the chilies, it is important that you get the chilies in adobo sauce)
1 tsp. dry ground mustard (heaping)
1 tsp. cumin (heaping)
1 tsp. minced garlic

DIRECTIONS
Remove chilies from the can of Adobo Sauce and discard chilies. Rinse can of adobo sauce with coke to get all the sauce out.  Pour sauce and coke into a blender.  Add remaining ingredients (except pork) in the blender. Blend until well mixed.  Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce over it.

Cook in crock pot on low for 7-9 hours or until it pulls apart with a fork.

Salad ingredients: Lettuce, tortillas, pork, pinto beans, rice, dressing, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. 

DRESSING

INGREDIENTS
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 tomatillos
2 serano peppers with seeds removed
1 tsp. lime juice
1 garlic clove

DIRECTIONS
Blend all together in blender. Let sit in refrigerator to thicken.

RICE

INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice
2 cups water
3 cubes chicken boullion
1/2 tsp. dried onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 T. oil

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients and cook in a rice cooker.  Add juice of 1/2 lime and mix well.