B is For: Beef...Sometimes

I have been on a quest to make beef less of an issue, by adding some vegetarian options to our meals. I was not a big beef eater when until I would visit my doctor. He always commented on my being anemic. Instead of prescribing iron pills or dark, leafy greens, he told me I needed eat more beef.  Overnight, I traded my chicken breasts for steak.

Then came burgers. I dream of different ways to dress a burger. I look up the online menus of food trucks that roam the streets of Los Angeles, just to see what they are slapping on a bun. One episode of "Food Wars" had me at hello. Grill 'Em All battled it out with Baby's Badass Burgers.

Yep, I love beef, but in my mind, I'm all vegetarian.

Damn, I Need a Cheeseburger

I have one thing to say. I love Thanksgiving. I spent two days and night in the kitchen trying to make a meal for just four people. Two of them children. This did not make a difference, as they seemed to eat the adults under the table. I love dressing. I love yams. I did three proteins this year: beef roast, barbecued chicken wings, and a turkey. I wanted mashed potatoes and hubby wanted potato salad. Right now, they are both taking up an amazing amount of space in my fridge.

My secret shames this Thanksgiving were: canned cranberry sauce and yams that tasted as if they had been dipped in heavy olive oil. There was no sweetness to the yams, though I added both brown and white sugar. There was no identifiable flavor and I promise you, olive oil did not make it into the bowl when I whipped them. I called myself condensing everything to make space, attempting to eat through this food before next week. This ain't happening.

All I can think is 'Damn' I need a cheeseburger.'

Leftover Roast Beef, Make a Quesadilla

I love roast beef, but invariably there is always  a bit leftover. I could make soup, sandwiches, or hash, but I love cheese. I decided quesadillas for dinner would be the solution and we all know how easy they are.


Serves 3

You'll need:

Leftover roast beef, about 1 cup, shredded or chopped

1/2 c black beans(mashed)

1 c cheese (I had cheddar and mozzarella left over)

6 flour tortillas ( I had soft taco size)

Garnishes: Sour cream, salsa, and green onions

Mix the first three ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Heat a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. Add a spray of canola oil to the pan and place one tortilla on the pan, followed by one-third of the filling. Top it with the other tortilla and allow the bottom tortilla to brown slightly. Here is the tricky part, the flip. I had a mini disaster with one of them, so I took the rest and after toasting on one side, placed them in the microwave to finish melting the cheese. Just as good.


Top with sour cream, salsa, and green onions and enjoy.

Gyudon(Beef Bowl), Because I Am Nowhere Near a Yoshinoya

 4 Servings


I had a craving for Yoshinoya's beef bowl.  A 50 mile drive for this is not warranted in today's economy. I researched how to make my own Japanese bowl of rice and yummy flavored beef.  Unfortunately, I had almost none of the ingredients. No dashi, no mirin, no red ginger, and no sake.


Here is what I had:

• 1 pound thinly sliced top sirloin( I froze it before attempting to slice)
• 1  large onion, sliced thinly
• 1 1/3 cups beef broth to which I added 2 Table of sugar and 3 T of balsamic vinegar. (my dashi)
  
• 4-5 T soy sauce
• 4 cups white rice cooked ( I miss my rice cooker, it is in storage after a cross country trek)
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced(not in the recipe, but I love garlic)
• black pepper
  

In all honesty, after slicing the beef, I marinated it in 2 T soy sauce and some garlic powder for a couple of hours. This was all by feel.

The onions were brought to a simmer in a 2 quart saucepan filled with the beef broth, sugar, and balsamic.  I then added the additional soy sauce. Once this came to a boil I got ready to add the beef and sliced garlic. I did this to order so as to not crowd the saucepan and bring the temperature down. This ensured the raw beef cooked quickly.  I ladled the beef over 4 individual bowls of white rice. The pepper is personal..some of us had it, some didn't. You know I had it.

Loved it. Next time, I want to go authentic. It was okay for a recipe on the fly.