beef Archives - VeggieConverter

Leaky Cauldron Guinness Beef Stew

February 9, 2018 By Kristi

We took an amazing family trip to Universal and Disney during the fall and something unexpected happened in Diagon Alley. I fell in love with a bowl of beef stew, Guinness Beef Stew. The Leaky Cauldron was my favorite restaurant that we visited on that trip. And we visited some great ones!

At the other Universal restaurant---The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade---the food and ambiance was awesome, but with two kids and sore feet, I didn't like how they won't let you sit down until you have your food. So, the girls and I just had to stand and wait for Mr. Meaty to come through the line instead of getting a few extra minutes to relax.

At Disney, I loved the look and the princesses at Akershus, but the food was not great. Lunch at the Beast's Castle, Be Our Guest, was amazing and the food was good so that was a definite winner.

The best Disney restaurants we experienced were at Animal Kingdom. Tusker House was our character experience and it was super fun and the food was great. It was a great mix of African-inspired foods and the buffet presentation made it easy for everyone to get something they liked. We got to try a ton of new-to-us dishes. And we met Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy. Win!

Our other character experience buffet was also fun. We got to see Alice in Wonderland characters, including an amazing Mad Hatter as well as Winnie the Pooh. And the breakfast buffet was pretty darn good at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

Satu'li Canteen was one of the few places that we just stumbled into. We went to Disney in September, when they do the free Disney Dining Plan. So we had most of our meals planned six months in advance. Crazy, right? But, after going through the super awesome Avatar rides, we were hungry for brunch and saw the Satu'li Canteen had some great vegetarian options for me. So, we popped in and split two meals among the five of us (my mom joined us on this trip). We got a tofu bowl and a beef bowl and both were tasty.

The one restaurant we were disappointed in was Ohana. We stayed at the Polynesian and were excited about the Hawaiian dinner at the hotel's restaurant, but the Brazilian-steakhouse style food (they bring various meats around and ask if you're ready for refills, but it's just beef, chicken and shrimp) was dull. And the service wasn't particularly friendly or exciting. The veggies and the much-lauded bread pudding were the only items I enjoyed and those weren't spectacular. I'd skip this one unless you're heading to the morning character experience with Lilo and Stitch.

Another pop in restaurant we went to was the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen. We shared a few things among the five of us here, too. For some reason this restaurant wasn't busy at all. But the atmosphere was fun and the food was great!

But, back to the point. We had a great trip and, overall, loved the restaurants that we experienced. Of those, The Leaky Cauldron was the best, in my opinion. Sure, it didn't have Daisy Duck. But it had that great Harry Potter English pub feel, amazing food and great service. I had the Guinness Beef Stew, the girls and Mom and loved their fish and chips. Mr. Meaty got the Cottage Pie.

And, we went for breakfast another day and had full English breakfasts, which were amazing, too. But the Guinness Beef Stew was so tasty that I've been dreaming of making it myself ever since. And, as luck would have it, Mom got us a great Harry Potter Cookbook for Christmas and there's a Guinness Beef Stew recipe inside! So, finally, here it is. And my, oh my, does it live up to my memory.

Both kids went in for seconds or even thirds. I declared it the best beef stew we'd ever made. Tall Fry declared it the best STEW we'd ever made, no beef qualifier required. The broth is rich and somehow creamy and the vegetables come out perfectly cooked: tender, but not mushy. This is the best beef stew ever. Enjoy.

Guinness Beef Stew

Adapted from Harry Potter Cookbook

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as necessary
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons flour
14 ounces chicken broth (plus more to adjust consistency, if desired)
1/2 cup Guinness (or substitute Mexican Coke, if desired)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped prunes
1 teaspoon ground sage
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or 1 tablespoon dry)

Dutch Oven Method

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add the meat in batch and sear on both sides over high heat for 4-5 minutes until crusty brown. Transfer each batch of meat to a plate.

Once the meat is done, add more oil to the pot if necessary.

Add onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened. Scrape up the browned bits, fond, from the bottom of the pot as you cook.

Add flour and stir until combined.

Pour in broth and Guinness (or Coke) and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbling.

Add the meat and any juices back to the pot.

Add tomato paste, chopped prunes, sage, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and parsley.

Simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken broth or water as necessary to keep the Guinness beef stew from drying or burning. (We added about another cup of broth.)

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Method

Turn the saute function on medium in your instant pot. When the screen reads HOT, add the oil. Sear the meat on all sides.

Set meat aside. Add onions, adding more oil if needed. Saute onions until softened.

Return meat to instant pot.

Add remaining ingredients.

Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and let pressure naturally release.

Save Print

Guinness Beef Stew: Our Universal and Disney Dining Experience

Author: Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as necessary
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons flour
14 ounces chicken broth (plus more to adjust consistency, if desired)
1/2 cup Guinness (or substitute Mexican Coke, if desired)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped prunes
1 teaspoon ground sage
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or 1 tablespoon dry)

Method

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add the meat in batch and sear on both sides over high heat for 4-5 minutes until crusty brown. Transfer each batch of meat to a plate.
Once meat is done, add more oil to the pot if necessary.
Add onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened. Scrape up the browned bits, fond, from the bottom of the pot as you cook.
Add flour and stir until combined.
Pour in broth and Guinness (or Coke) and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbling.
Add the meat and any juices back to the pot.
Add tomato paste, chopped prunes, sage, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and parsley.
Simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken broth or water as necessary to keep the stew from drying or burning. (We added about another cup of broth.)

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

June 6, 2017 By Kristi

Holy cow this dish was one of my better ideas. Beef and Chinese Green Beans popped into my head one recent weeknight when the kids and I were pondering what to make for dinner. We were kind of tired of our usual weeknight meals (Broccoli Beef, Curry Chicken, Fried Rice, some-kinda-noodles). I'd picked up some fresh green beans and decided to try something with that and that's when my favorite green beans dish popped into my head: Chinese Green Beans.

And then I thought, hey man, sometimes when I order that at our favorite local Chinese restaurant, I have them add braised bean curd and it's delicious (which, if you're vegetarian or vegan or just like tofu, you should totally do at home, it really is delicious!).

Since I've been trying to eat a little more meat and stir fried beef is one of the few meats I actually think tastes pretty good, I opted to add in beef to the recipe and double the sauce.

Holy moly I am not sorry I tried this little experiment. Not sorry one bit.

The kids and Mr. Meaty and I all LOVED it. So much so that we've already had it again since then. AND tried the same thing with broccoli instead of beans and that was yummy, too!

Part of the yumminess may just be locked into that gorgeous iron skillet you see in the photograph. It was my grandmother's skillet so it has decades of seasoning locked into it and a lot of love-through-cooking, too. It makes me smile every time I use it.

If you've been considering switching to cast iron cookware, I highly recommend it. A properly seasoned one is a nontoxic nonstick dream.

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients

SAUCE

1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon Mirin or sherry
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger (ground)
1 teaspoon nut butter (I used almond-cashew)
dash of hot sauce
dash of molasses

OTHER

1/4 cup bacon grease or coconut oil for frying, divided
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced red onion (or 1 tablespoon dry minced onion)
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound stir fry beef, thinly sliced
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

Method

Mix sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons grease or oil over medium heat in a wok or iron skillet.

Add beef, sear on one side and add about half of the sauce. Stir fry until done (about 10 minutes).

Remove beef.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry green beans for about 7 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Remove green beans.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry red onion for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add garlic, hot sauce and chili flakes and heat an additional minute.

Add green beans, beef, and remaining sauce and toss. Serve hot over rice or cauliflower rice.

Save Print

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

Author: Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Ingredients
sauce:
1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon Mirin or sherry
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger (ground)
1 teaspoon nut butter (I used almond-cashew)
dash of hot sauce
dash of molasses
other:
1/4 cup bacon grease or coconut oil for frying, divided
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced red onion (or 1 tablespoon dry minced onion)
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound stir fry beef, thinly sliced
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

Method

Mix sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons grease or oil over medium heat in a wok or iron skillet.
Add beef, sear on one side and add about half of the sauce. Stir fry until done (about 10 minutes).
Remove beef.
Add 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry green beans for about 7 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Remove green beans.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry red onion for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add garlic, hot sauce and chili flakes and heat an additional minute.
Add green beans, beef and remaining sauce and toss. Serve hot over rice or cauliflower rice.

Paleo Mongolian Beef

August 16, 2016 By Kristi

One of the few meaty Chinese dishes I've tried at restaurants and really liked is Mongolian Beef. But I always add veggies to it because it's so boring otherwise. Making at home means I can add whatever veggies I want so I tracked down a recipe and tinkered with it to make it in my clay pot cooker.

So, in addition to swapping a crockpot for a clay pot, I used arrowroot instead of corn starch, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce (and half the amount), coconut sugar instead of brown sugar (also halved), nixed the carrots and added water chestnuts and mushrooms. Now that I've got the recipe down, I'll experiment with extra veggies like snow peas next go-around.

Clay Pot Mongolian Beef

Adapted from Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds steak, cut into strips
1/4 cups arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 teaspoons mince garlic
1/3 cup coconut aminos
3/4 cups water
3/4 cups coconut sugar
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
6 ounces water chestnuts
1 cup grated carrots
green onions, for garnish

Method
Cut steak into thin strips. In a ziploc bag add steak pieces and arrowroot powder. Shake to coat.
Add avocado oil, minced garlic, coconut aminos water, coconut sugar, carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts to clay pot or slow cooker. Stir ingredients. Add coated flank steak and stir again until coated in the sauce.

Set the clay pot on stew and cook for 2 hours.
In slow cooker, cook for high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours. Garnish with green onions. Serve over rice if desired.

Results

Wowza. This dish is so easy and absolutely delicious. Everyone, (myself, Mr. Meaty and the kiddos) loved it and had at least seconds. This is a definite repeat. We'll add snow peas for sure next time (because we love them), but it's great as is, too. Broccoli would also be yummy. This would be really easy to make quickly on the stovetop, too. Just follow the directions up until the clay pot and stir fry in a pan or wok for about 10-15 minutes.

Save Print

Paleo Mongolian Beef

Author: Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds steak, cut into strips
¼ cups arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons avocado oil
½ teaspoons mince garlic
1/3 cup coconut aminos
¾ cups water
¾ cups coconut sugar
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
6 ounces water chestnuts
1 cup grated carrots
green onions, for garnish

Method

Cut steak into thin strips. In a ziploc bag add steak pieces and arrowroot powder. Shake to coat.
Add avocado oil, minced garlic, coconut aminos water, coconut sugar, carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts to clay pot or slow cooker. Stir ingredients. Add coated flank steak and stir again until coated in the sauce.
Set the clay pot on stew and cook for 2 hours.
In slow cooker, cook for high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours. Garnish with green onions. Serve over rice if desired.

Paleo Fajitas

March 31, 2016 By Kristi

We love Mexican food. The whole family can eat together really easily with something like fajitas. We make a big base of fajita veggies and then, if anyone wants meat, we add that in. It makes eating with vegetarians, meat-eaters and kids really simple. This paleo fajitas recipe is our new favorite and it's super simple.

Paleo Fajitas

Serves 4

Ingredients

MARINADE

2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Black pepper
Fresh cilantro

MEAT (optional)

1 pound steak or chicken, cut into strips

VEGETABLES

2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced
2 small onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Salt to taste

Method

Mix up ingredients of marinade in a refrigerator dish and add meat if desired, let sit for 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare vegetables and add to an iron skillet. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes. If desired, cook meat and marinade in another skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet (add marinade if you're not using meat). Serve separately or stir in meat if desired (we don't do this in our family since everyone wants something a little different).

I use avocado oil in the part that goes in the oven because it's tastier with Mexican flavors than coconut oil (in my opinion) and it has a higher smoke point than olive oil. Win.

We absolutely love this recipe. It's super simple and we can all pick and choose what we want to put in our fajitas or fajita bowls. I eat my paleo fajitas with just the veggies or veggies and meat. You can also serve over rice or cauliflower rice. Those who can have them can add corn tortillas and whatever other fixings they choose. The veggies are great on their own or with the marinated meat.

Save Print

Paleo Fajitas

Author: Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Ingredients

MARINADE
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Black pepper
Fresh cilantro
MEAT (optional)
1 pound steak or chicken, cut into strips
VEGETABLES
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced
2 small onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Salt to taste

Method

Mix up ingredients of marinade in a refrigerator dish and add meat if desired, let sit for 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare vegetables and add to an iron skillet. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes. If desired, cook meat and marinade in another skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet (add marinade if you're not using meat). Serve separately or stir in meat if desired (we don't do this in our family since everyone wants something a little different).

Love it? Pin it, please!

Paleo Broccoli Beef

February 18, 2016 By Kristi

Chinese food is my gateway drug. As you may know, I spent 25+ years as a strict vegetarian. Health issues and food intolerances led me to start eating a little meat as I'm unable to eat grains and dairy. Chinese food brings me a perfect solution. Lots of veggies with a smaller amount of meat are not only possible, but also super tasty. So it was that I made a list of foods to try this month and about a third are Chinese dishes. Yum. Broccoli beef is now a family favorite.

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Adapted from Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (VEGAN substitute: 4 portabella mushrooms, sliced into thin strips)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 1 head)
½ cup bone broth
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coconut aminos
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
salt to taste

Method

Warm the coconut oil in a cast-iron skillet over a medium heat, and stir-fry the beef until well cooked, about 6 minutes. Remove the beef from the skillet.

In the same skillet, cook the onions, broccoli until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Return the beef to the skillet.

In a small bowl, combine the bone broth, the coconut aminos, the ginger, the minced garlic and the sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add this mixture to the pan. Cook everything for 2 to 3 minutes, and then remove from the heat.

Wow. This is seriously incredible. It's so simple and so delicious. I'm planning to add a schoch more crunch next time around (probably water chestnuts), but the flavor is absolutely amazing.

Save Print

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Author: Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (VEGAN SUBSTITUTE: 4 portabella mushrooms, sliced into thin strips)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 1 head)
½ cup bone broth
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coconut aminos
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
salt to taste

Method

Warm the coconut oil in a cast-iron skillet over a medium heat, and stir-fry the beef until well cooked, about 6 minutes. Remove the beef from the skillet.
In the same skillet, cook the onions, broccoli until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Return the beef to the skillet.
In a small bowl, combine the bone broth, the coconut aminos, the ginger, the minced garlic and the sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add this mixture to the pan. Cook everything for 2 to 3 minutes, and then remove from the heat.

Love it? Pin it, please!

Meat Sauce over Gluten-Free Pasta

December 24, 2015 By Kristi

Our family holiday meal tradition is a little different. Since my sister and I both chose to be vegetarians throughout much of our youth, Mom made a mean cheese lasagna for Christmas dinner. Now, I can't eat traditional pasta but I do eat a little more meat. So this year, for Christmas Eve dinner, we're having grass-fed meat sauce over gluten-free pasta. For Christmas Day, I'm hoping to perfect zucchini "lasagna" to complete our Italian holiday meal tradition. What is your Christmas dinner tradition?

The noodles we used are ancient grain elbows I received from TruRoots in exchange for my honest opinion. And, I absolutely loved them! These are by far my fave gluten-free noodles so far. And the sauce, of course, I adapted from my favorite recipe creator, Alton Brown. I hope you love it as much as we do! The kids thought the sauce was a little too rich and meaty so we'd add more tomatoes for them next time. But Mr. Meaty and I both loved it!

Meat Sauce over Gluten-Free Pasta

Adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients

6 ounces thick sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 whole cloves
1 whole star anise pod
7 cloves garlic, 5 minced and 2 sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces coarsely ground beef chuck (we get ours in Atlanta at Carlton Farms)
1 1/4 cups white wine, divided
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups beef broth (I use this recipe, but with beef soup bones instead)
4 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

ancient grain elbows

Method

For the meat sauce:
Place an 8-quart Dutch oven (I used my cast iron combo cooker, it was a little tight, but it worked) over low heat and add the bacon. Cook slowly until the bacon is crispy and has rendered its fat, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan for another use. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Place the clove and star anise into a small spice bag, add to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions caramelize, 45 to 60 minutes. Add the 5 cloves of minced garlic to the pan and continue to cook over low heat approximately 30 minutes. Remove the spice bag from the pot. We used an old silk tea bag for our spice bag. Or you can get one of these sets of spice bags.

Meanwhile, place a wide 4-quart saute pan, over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and once it shimmers, add the beef chuck and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a colander to drain. Return the pan to high heat, add 1/2 cup of the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Transfer these bits and any remaining wine to the Dutch oven along with the meat.

Add another 1/2 cup of the wine, evaporated milk, beef broth, and mushrooms to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours.

Once the sauce has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours, place the 4-quart saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once it shimmers, add the 2 cloves of sliced garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, and marjoram and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, approximately 30 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine, tomato paste, ketchup, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high; add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the tomato mixture to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing the pasta.

For the pasta:

Bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Carefully add the pasta, stirring quickly to separate. Cover and return to a boil, being careful that the water does not boil over. Once boiling again, uncover and continue to cook until slightly less than al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Transfer pasta and sauce to a serving bowl or individual bowls, top with parmesan and serve.

Instant Pot Method

Cook the bacon and garlic using the saute function or on the stovetop.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.

Allow pressure to release naturally.

: Onions

: Caramelizing

: Beef

: Starting the tomatoes

: Finished tomatoes

: Beef ‘gravy’

: Combine the sauces

: Combined sauces

: Completed meat sauce

Love it? Pin it, please!

Save Print

Meat Sauce over Gluten-Free Pasta

Author: Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Ingredients

Ingredients:
6 ounces thick sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 whole cloves
1 whole star anise pod
7 cloves garlic, 5 minced and 2 sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces coarsely ground beef chuck (we get ours in Atlanta at Carlton Farms)
1 1/4 cups white wine, divided
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups beef broth
4 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
ancient grain elbows

Method

For the meat sauce:
Place an 8-quart Dutch oven (I used my cast iron combo cooker, it was a little tight, but it worked) over low heat and add the bacon. Cook slowly until the bacon is crispy and has rendered its fat, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan for another use. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Place the clove and star anise into a small spice bag, add to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions caramelize, 45 to 60 minutes. Add the 5 cloves of minced garlic to the pan and continue to cook over low heat approximately 30 minutes. Remove the spice bag from the pot. We used an old silk tea bag for our spice bag. Or you can get one of these sets of spice bags.
Meanwhile, place a wide 4-quart saute pan, over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and once it shimmers, add the beef chuck and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a colander to drain. Return the pan to high heat, add 1/2 cup of the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Transfer these bits and any remaining wine to the Dutch oven along with the meat.
Add another 1/2 cup of the wine, evaporated milk, beef broth, and mushrooms to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours.
Once the sauce has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours, place the 4-quart saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once it shimmers, add the 2 cloves of sliced garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, and marjoram and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, approximately 30 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine, tomato paste, ketchup, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high; add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the tomato mixture to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing the pasta.
For the pasta:
Bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Carefully add the pasta, stirring quickly to separate. Cover and return to a boil, being careful that the water does not boil over. Once boiling again, uncover and continue to cook until slightly less than al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander.
Transfer pasta and sauce to a serving bowl or individual bowls, top with parmesan and serve.

Cheeseburger Cauliflower #vegetarian #whole food : This Week's Cravings {summer grilling and vegetable recipes}

August 13, 2012 By Kristi

Today's This Week's Cravings theme is SUMMER VEGETABLE RECIPES AND SUMMER GRILLING and I'm sharing my Vegetarian Cheeseburger Cauliflower.

'Cheeseburger' Cauliflower

Ingredients

6 cups Meat Substitute Crumbles
5 ¾ cups cook Cauliflower Florets, Frozen
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
⅛ teaspoons Salt
⅛ teaspoons Black Pepper
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Don’t forget to enter to win one of the beautiful back-to-school kitchen prep prizes over at my Back to School Giveaway

The Results

Incredible! I love how simple and delicious this dish is. It really highlights the fresh, seasonal cauliflower.

Please Grab Our Button

My This Week's Cravings co-hostesses are: Tina at Moms Crazy Cooking and Nicole at The Daily Dish. As hostesses, we will try our hardest to visit as many of the links we can. We all enjoy your links and look forward to gathering recipes each week.The party has a few SIMPLE RULES and all of the themes for the entire year are list here on the THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS tabat Moms Crazy Cooking. Plan ahead, check out the weeks you want to make sure to link up or just browse them to see what's going on.

If you are a regular link-up we're excited to see what you made this week. If you are new please read and follow the simple rules, so that everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to follow the theme, your post will be deleted. Please don't feel hurt, just come back and link up a recipe that follows the theme. Thanks a million, we look forward to blogging with you!

The LINKY PARTY is open ALL Week!

PLEASE do not link more then 3 recipes per week.

This week's theme is: SUMMER VEGETABLES/GRILLING

Please only link recipes with our theme!

This week's theme is: SUMMER VEGETABLES/GRILLING

Please only link recipes with our theme!

This post is shared at My Meatless Mondays, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Cravings, ·Homemaker Monday.·Mingle Monday, Mangia Monday, Made By You Mondays and Monday Mania.

Vegan 'Meat and Potatoes' {vegan, whole food}: This Week's Cravings {Manly Meals}

June 11, 2012 By Kristi

Today's This Week's Cravings theme is MANLY MEALS FOR FATHER'S DAY and I'm sharing one of our new favorites: Vegan "Meat and Potatoes"--a portabello mushroom "steak" with sides of protein-packed quinoa and oniony spinach. I'm a huge fan of this method of cooking portabello mushrooms. I've never really been a fan of the stuffed mushroom cap meals, though I've tried to like them. This "steak" is an excellent remedy. And, cutting out the ribby membrane of the mushroom seems to be a huge key in making the texture and taste of the mushroom more palatable and "steaky."

Please Grab Our Button

This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"
Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

6/18/2012: INTERNATIONAL FOODS

6/25/2012: Summer Berry Recipes (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries)

7/2/2012: July 4th (Red, White & Blue)

7/9/2012: FRIED FOODS

The LINKY PARTY is open ALL Week!

PLEASE do not link more then 3 recipes per week.

This week's theme is: MANLY MEALS

Please only link recipes with our theme!

This week's theme is: MANLY MEALS

Please only link recipes with our theme!

This post is shared at·Mouthwatering Mondays, My Meatless Mondays, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Cravings, Just Another Meatless Monday,·Homemaker Monday.·Meatless Mondays,·Mingle Monday, Mangia Monday, Made By You Mondays and Monday Mania.

Sweet and Spicy Vidalia Chipotle Burgers {Vegetarian, Whole Food}: This Week's Cravings {Cheeseburgers}

May 28, 2012 By Kristi

Today's This Week's Cravings theme is CHEESEBURGERS and I'm sharing Sweet and Spicy Vidalia Chipotle Burgers. These tasty veggie burgers are filled with quinoa and grilled Vidalia onions and then topped with a yogurt cheese-Chipotle pepper blend. Yum.

Please Grab Our Button

This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"
Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

June 4: Breakfast Breads (Doughnuts, Muffins, Biscuits & Coffee Cakes)

June 11: MAN-ly Meals (for Father's Day)

June 18: INTERNATIONAL FOODS

June 25: Summer Berry Recipes (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries)

The LINKY PARTY is open ALL Week!

PLEASE do not link more then 3 recipes per week.

This week's theme is: CHEESEBURGERS

Please only link recipes with our theme!

This week's theme is: CHEESEBURGERS

Please only link recipes with our theme!

Simple 'Meaty' Spaghetti Sauce {Vegan}: This Week's Cravings {Healthy Meals and Snacks}

January 2, 2012 By Kristi

Happy New Year! Today's This Week's Cravings theme is HEALTHY MEALS and SNACKS and I'm sharing my

Simple 'Meaty' Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups Marinara Sauce
1 cup Meat Substitute Crumbles
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

The Results
This recipe is one of our all-time favorite quick meals for our family. I love the simplicity and the healthiness of this sauce. It's great to whip up in a jiffy or pull out of the freezer for a quick, healthy meal.

Please Grab Our Button

My This Week's Cravings co-hostesses are: Tina at Moms Crazy Cooking, Angie at Big Bear's Wife and Nicole at The Daily Dish. As hostesses, we will try our hardest to visit as many of the links we can. We all enjoy your links and look forward to gathering recipes each week.The party has a few SIMPLE RULES and all of the themes for the entire year are list here on the THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS tab at Moms Crazy Cooking. Plan ahead, check out the weeks you want to make sure to link up or just browse them to see what's going on.

This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"

Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

January 9: COMFORT FOOD: Soups & Casseroles
January 16: CHEESE LOVER DAY... YUMMY Cheese recipes
January 23: Homemade Pies
January 30: Recipe from Your Favorite COOKBOOK

The LINKY PARTY is open ALL Week!

PLEASE do not link more then 3 recipes per week.

This week's theme is: HEALTHY MEALS AND SNACKS

Please only link recipes with our theme!

This week's theme is: HEALTHY MEALS AND SNACKS

Please only link recipes with our theme!

Leaky Cauldron Guinness Beef Stew

Guinness Beef Stew

Ingredients

Dutch Oven Method

Instant Pot Method

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

Ingredients

Method

Paleo Mongolian Beef

Clay Pot Mongolian Beef

Paleo Fajitas

Paleo Fajitas

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Meat Sauce over Gluten-Free Pasta

Meat Sauce over Gluten-Free Pasta

Ingredients

Method

Instant Pot Method

Cheeseburger Cauliflower #vegetarian #whole food : This Week's Cravings {summer grilling and vegetable recipes}

'Cheeseburger' Cauliflower

Ingredients

Don’t forget to enter to win one of the beautiful back-to-school kitchen prep prizes over at my Back to School Giveaway

Vegan 'Meat and Potatoes' {vegan, whole food}: This Week's Cravings {Manly Meals}

Sweet and Spicy Vidalia Chipotle Burgers {Vegetarian, Whole Food}: This Week's Cravings {Cheeseburgers}

Simple 'Meaty' Spaghetti Sauce {Vegan}: This Week's Cravings {Healthy Meals and Snacks}

Simple 'Meaty' Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

On Facebook

On Pinterest

On Instagram

Guinness Beef Stew

Ingredients

Dutch Oven Method

Instant Pot Method

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

Ingredients

Method

Clay Pot Mongolian Beef

Paleo Fajitas

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Meat Sauce over Gluten-Free Pasta

Ingredients

Method

Instant Pot Method

'Cheeseburger' Cauliflower

Ingredients

**Don’t forget to enter to win one of the beautiful back-to-school kitchen prep prizes over at my Back to School Giveaway**

Simple 'Meaty' Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

On Facebook

Get Social

On Pinterest

On Instagram

Popular Posts

Don’t forget to enter to win one of the beautiful back-to-school kitchen prep prizes over at my Back to School Giveaway