Red Curry Beef

One of the best curry dishes I’ve tasted outside of an authentic meal.  Don’t be afraid of the pungent aromas of the fish sauce.  It has a very strong unique smell, but tastes like heaven when it has time to incorporate with the dish and mellow out, and a necessary ingredient for the dish.

2 Pd. Cubed beef
1 lg. Onion, minced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. Fish Sauce
15 oz. Coconut Milk
2 C. Baby Spinach, rough chopped
1 C. Beef Broth
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. Red Curry Paste
2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
Fresh Basil leaves, chopped

In a crockpot, combine broth, fish sauce, coconut milk, brown sugar, curry and lime. In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Cook beef in batches until browned. Place in slow cooker. Saute onions and garlic in skillet until translucent and tender adding more oil if necessary. Place in the crockpot. Stir to evenly coat the beef with the liquid mixture. Cook on low for about 8 hours or until the beef is tender. Add spinach. Cook about another hour until spinach is wilted. Serve with jasmine rice. Sprinkle with basil if desired.

Citrus Pulled Pork

Nice easy weeknight meal that’s ready when you are.  Minimal prep and with the gallon baggie, cleanup is fast.  Before refrigerating the filled baggie overnight, I place it in a large bowl.  If the bag happens to leak, the bowl will catch it and will save you a cleanup.

 

2 Pd. Boneless Pork shoulder

4 tsp. Oregano, dried

2 tsp. Cumin

1 Onion, chopped

4 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 Lg. Orange

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

In a large gallon ziplock plastic baggie, combine the oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, oil and jalapeno.  Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into the bag.  Add the oranges halves as well into the bag.  Cut the pork shoulder into 2 or 3 large pieces and season with salt and pepper.  Add the pork to the bag and rub the mixture to thoroughly coat.  Seal tightly and refrigerate 6 – 24 hours.  Place pork and any accumulated juices into a slow cooker.  Arrange orange halves on top of pork.  Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours until meat is very tender.  Remove pork to platter to cool slightly.  Discard orange halves.  Transfer the cooked onions and juices to a blender and puree into a sauce.  Return sauce to slow cooker.  Shred pork and return to slow cooker.  Adjust all seasonings.  Heat cooker to high and let pork simmer for about 30 minutes or until hot.  Serve with tacos, as a side over rice or as a filling for quesadillas.

Glazed Kielbasa

Nice appetizer to serve at gatherings or parties.  If you do not want to include the wine, just substitute additional apple juice. 



1 pd  Kielbasa, ½ “ diagonal sliced

1 C. White Wine

¼ C. light Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

½ C. Apple Juice

Place kielbasa in large skillet.  Add wine and heat to medium heat.  Simmer until almost all of the wine has evaporated, stirring occasionally.  Add brown sugar, mustard and apple juice.  Simmer until syrupy.  Can transfer to a crock pot to keep warm until ready to serve. 

Spicy Sweet Meatballs

These are great meatballs whether you make them as an appetizer, for a party or for dinner.  Vary the size of the meatball for each occasion.  We have made them smaller when we have had them for a party, and bigger when we made them for dinner.  Try them over rice with some steamed broccoli or asparagus on the side.  Also great on a hoagie with some sauted strips of onions and peppers covered in provolone cheese.

 

Meatballs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ C. Breadcrumbs

1 Lg. Onion, minced

¼ C. Milk

1 Lb. Pork Sausage

1 Lb. Ground Beef

Sauce

16 Oz. Apple Jelly

2/3 C. Spicy Brown Mustard

2/3 C. Apple Juice

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Hot Sauce                                                                                                                   

In a crockpot, combine all ingredients.  Heat on high until jelly melts and sauce is smooth.  Meanwhile, in bowl, combine eggs, bread crumbs, onion, milk, sausage and beef.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well until ingredients are combined.  Shape into meatballs.  Cook in a skillet until browned on all sides but not cooked through.  Add meatballs to sauce in crockpot.  Cook on high for 5 – 7 hours or until meatballs are cooked through depending on size of meatball. 

Mexican Beef

This recipe can be made into many different dishes.  We usually eat the beef in tacos and then with the leftovers have enchiladas or quesadillas.   The beef is also excellent as a topping for nachos.  The chipotles can be overwhelming, so vary the amount depending on your taste.  This dish is also excellent using chicken instead of the beef, just adjust your cooking times down.

 

3 Pd. Beef chuck roast, trimmed
14 Oz. Tomatoes, Diced
2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chipotle chilies in Adobe Sauce, minced


Cut beef into 4 pieces. Rub beef with the dry spices. In a crockpot, add the tomatoes and chipotles. Mix well. Add beef to crockpot, along with any remaining spices. Spoon some of the tomatoes on top of beef. Cook on high for 8 – 10 hours until beef is tender. Remove beef to a platter and shred. Return beef to sauce and mix well.