Nebraska Beef Buns

Nebraska Beef Buns

Bierocks

(Beef and Cabbage Buns With Cheese)

Makes 12 Bierocks

This is a recipe given to me by a friend.  I have not made it yet but plan to do so as I am expecting company.  This will fill the bill when we are out touring and return home for a quick meal.

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Filling:

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 pounds 90%  lean ground beef

Salt and pepper

1 onion chopped fine

1/2 small head cabbage, cored and chopped fine (4 cups)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

8 ounces Colby Jack cheese shredded, 2 cups

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Dough:

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup water

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

31/2-33/4 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon rapid rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, slightly beaten, plus i large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

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For the filling:  Heat 2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teasppon pepper and cook, breaking u pieces with spoon, until liquid evaporates and meat begins to sizzle, 10 to 15 minutes.  Drain meat in colander and set aside.

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Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now empty Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, just until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.  Stir in drained beef, cabbage and chicken broth.  Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes.  Uncover and continue to cook until liquid evaporates and mixture begins to sizzle, 5 to 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool 15 minutes.  Stir in Colby Jack cheese and let cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate until ready to assemble bierocks.

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For The Dough:   Meanwhile grease large bowl.  Combine milk, water, butter and sugar in 2 cup liquid measuring cup.  Microwave until temperature registers 110 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes.  Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix 3 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  With mixer running, slowly add milk mixture and single beaten egg until incorporated and dough comes together, about 3 minutes.  Increase speed to medium-low and continue to mix until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 minutes.  If after 4 minutes dough looks wet, add remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom.  Transfer dough to greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size 50 to 60 minutes.

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 Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured counter and divide into 12 equal portions.  Form dough pieces into balls, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.

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 Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep remaining balls covered with plastic), roll out into 51/2 inch round with rolling pin.  Transfer 1/2 cup lightly packed filling to center of round.   Use hands to press filling into compact mound.  Stretch dough over filling and pinch edges to form bun.  Arrange 6 bierocks, seam side down on each prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart.  Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

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Discard plastic, brush bierocks with egg wash, and bake until golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.  Transfer sheets to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.  Serve.

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To Make Ahead  Baked, cooled bierocks can be tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, placed in zipper-lock bag and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.  To reheat adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place foil wrapped bierocks directly on the oven rack until heated through, about 10 minutes if refrigerated or 60 minutes if frozen.

Cabbage Roll Soup

My sister Mary is noted as a great cook.  She lives on a small farm and raises much of her food plus a brood of chickens which are free range.  It just doesn't get much better living and eating than that.  Her canned goods look like blue ribbon winners at the County Fair.  Mary is sharing this recipe.  My family has been talking about her soup and the recipe!  So I would like to share it.

Ingredients:

1 lb  of sausage
1 lb of ground beef
2 large onions diced
2 cloves of garlic    

1 1/2 cups of  bell pepper diced
28 oz can of tomato sauce
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 small head of cabbage diced 
1 qt. of water
1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
1/4 to1/3 cup of sugar, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

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Directions:

In a large skillet brown beef and sausage and add onions and bell pepper and saute, pour into large soup pot skimming fat, add all other ingredients, cover pot and cook over medium heat for approximately 40 minutes . If needed add more water.  

Best Winter Soup

This recipe I found on the blog Healthy Living.  Today it is in my stockpot.

 The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Riff on Alton Brown's Best Winter Vegetable Soup

Cooking time:  about 2+ hours

Makes 6 1/2+ quarts of soup 

This recipe is an "enlightened and enriched" riff off of Alton Brown's soup.

Ingredients:

8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons of fresh sage, chopped
28 ounces of whole tomatoes in tomato puree or juice (next time, I'm using chopped tomatoes)
2 ½ quarts of low-sodium vegetable broth
3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce  (Alton says the soy adds Umami)
2” X 2” skinny square of parmesan rind  (TOTALLY OPTIONAL!!) It stayed intact and we discarded it after cooking.
1 pound, 2 ounces of pre-cut butternut squash cubes (the size of TJ's pre-packaged cut-up squash)
10 ounces of chopped curly kale, stems removed
2 cans (15 ounce ea.) no-salt Great Northern beans---DO NOT DRAIN!
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. (Alton says the vinegar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes)

• ***

Directions:
Use a large 8 quart soup pot.  Heat on high and sear and brown the mushrooms, until tender.  Only add a little water or broth if they start to stick.  Remove them from the pot, to add back in later.

Lower heat and sweat onions, carrots, and celery over low heat for 30 minutes, at least.  I like to cover the pot, and stir occasionally, checking to see if they are getting too dry, and need a little water to deglaze the pan. They’ll be very soft.

Add in garlic, rosemary, and sage

Add the tomatoes in their juice, and mix with a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes.  Cook for about  5 minutes, to blend everything together.   (Note: next time I'm using chopped tomatoes)

Increase the heat, and add the vegetable broth to the pot.  Mix in soy sauce and drop in the parmesan rind. Heat just until boiling.

Lower heat to a simmer and add the squash and kale.   Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Now, add the mushrooms back in, and the 2 undrained cans of Great Northern beans to help thicken the soup with their starch.  Mix well.  Then add the 2 TSP of red wine vinegar to cut the acidity from the tomatoes.

Heat through.


Alton says this is the best soup he has ever made.


Options:  Consider adding some orzo or another whole grain small-sized pasta into the soup.
Serve with a salad and crusty grainy bread.
Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Baked Squash

Stuffed Baked Squash

Cut two acorn squash into halves: remove seeds.   Rub flesh with butter and season with salt.  Place halves in a baking dish cut side down.  Fill dish with 1/4 inch water.  Bake at 350 about 1 hour or until tender.

Filling:

1 cup dry lentils

2 3/4 cup nonfat chicken broth, divided use

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sage, crushed

1/4 teaspoon thyme, crushed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish, optional

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Directions:

Bake squash until tender at 350 for about 1 hour.  

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While the squash are baking make the stuffing.  Cook the lentils in 2 1/2 cups of the broth. First bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until done, about 50 minutes.  Drain any excess liquid.

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Cook the celery, carrots, mushrooms, shallots, garlic and parsley in the remaining 1/4 cup of broth, covered, over medium heat, until the vegetables are tender about 20 minutes. 

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Combine the cooked vegetable mixture with lentils.  Add the seasonings and olive oil and mix thoroughly.  Stuff each seasoned squash half with 3/4 cup of the stuffing.  Return stuffed squash halves to oven to reheat up to 15 minutes.

How To Cook With WIne

How to Cook with Wine

Flavor Splash from the Bottle

We like to use wine in slow cooking to add richness to a dish, and adding a splash of wine at the end can enhance the flavor even more. But how do you know which wine to cook with? Here are some guidelines to get you stirring and sipping your way to a delicious meal. The Drink It First Rule Only cook with a wine that you would happily drink by itself (in fact, go ahead and do that while you’re cooking!). Much of the alcohol evaporates while cooking, but the flavors remain. Any wine marketed specifically for cooking (we’re looking at you, cooking sherry) is usually horrible and should be avoided. No Generic Stuff Some recipes generically call for “dry white wine” and “dry red wine.” What to do? For white wine, use sauvignon blanc or Sancerre. Fresh and herbal with just the right amount of acidity, these wines work wonders in any dish. For red wine, pair the heartiness of the dish with the heartiness of the wine. A thick, flavorful stew needs a correspondingly big-bodied wine, such as shiraz, zinfandel, or a red from the south of Spain, Italy or France. A light dish calls for a light red like pinot noir orsangiovese. Fortified to the Rescue Fortified wines like Port, Madeira, and nutty Sherries like amontilladoand oloroso all pack a big flavor punch. Bonus: once opened, they can be used for several months. Port’s rich, sweet flavor pairs well with meaty casseroles; Sherry’s roasted nut flavors are a boon to soups; and Madeira’s caramel fruitiness works wonders in Mediterranean sautés.

Sesame-Ginger Steamed Broccoli

Sesame-Ginger Steamed Broccoli

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

No steamer basket required for this recipe. A modest amount of liquid in a standard skillet steams the broccoli to perfection.

• 1 lb. broccoli, cut into medium florets (6 cups loosely packed)
• 2 Tbs. mirin or sake
• 1 Tbs. tamari
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds

Place broccoli, mirin, tamari, ginger, oil, and 1/4 cup water in large (2- to 3-qt.) skillet. Cover, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Steam 4 minutes, or until broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender. Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds.

Mexican Rice

Mexican Rice

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

For extra protein in this quick side dish, stir in a can of rinsed, drained black beans just before serving.

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 cup instant brown rice
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 8 green onions, chopped (½ cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add corn, peas, green onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano, and sauté 1 minute.

2. Spoon tomato paste in 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to make 2 cups, and stir to combine. Pour tomato paste mixture into rice, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and fluff with fork just before serving.

Sweet Curry Soup

I have become a Penzy Spice convert.  If you think your spices are pure of flavor, try Penzy Spices which are also sold online as well as in a Penzy Store.  The spices have such depth of flavor.

Sweet Curry Soup

By Jenny Beaujean in Penzey's Spices 

• 1 medium onion large dice
• 2 stalks celery, medium dice
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 large parsnip, small cubes
• 1 cup small cubes rutabaga (about 1/3 of a large rutabaga)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 box of chicken stock,  plus water as needed
• handful of brown rice
• can of chick peas
• can of diced tomatoes
• ¼ large head cabbage, shredded
• Sweet Curry Powder, Penzey’s
• Arizona Dreaming, Penzey’s
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

NOTE:  amounts are all guesstimates. I make most of my soups without a recipe…and the veggies that end up in the pot depend on what was in the farm share, or my fridge!  This week was a lot of different veggies!

1. Heat olive oil in pot, sauté onion, celery a few minutes over medium heat. 
2. Add garlic, carrots, parsnip, rutabaga, sweet potatoes stirring and cook for a few minutes more.
3. Add chicken stock, and water if needed, to cover vegetables. Add rice, and season with salt and pepper.
4. After simmering about 20 minutes, add sweet curry powder and Arizona Dreaming. (I probably used a tablespoon of curry powder, and teaspoon of Arizona Dreaming.) As well as chick peas and tomatoes. 
5. Cook at least another 20 minutes.
6. If the soup is getting too thick, add more water or stock. Simmer up to two hours on low heat.
7. About a half hour before serving, add shredded cabbage. 
8. Just before serving stir in lemon juice. 

NOTE:  I also sometimes start by cooking strips of chicken, pork, beef, or even slices of chicken apple sausage in pot; remove and set aside. After removing seared meat from pot, proceed with recipe above… Add meat back to pot when adding shredded cabbage.

Sometimes, I use chopped kale, adding at the same time as the cabbage, it makes the soup very colorful!