I'm now grinding my own ground beef!

If you read my post regarding Deli Turkey you will remember the by-products and fillers that go into this so called 'meat.'  During my research online to see exactly what by-products and fillers consist of, which is a very long list, I ran across what exactly goes into 'pink slime.'  After my research I decided I wanted no more deli meat that only contains 16% meat and I wanted no more ground beef that contained 'slime.'  If you haven't read my Deli story, scan down 3 or 4 posts and read what happened.  If you want more info regarding what is contained in by-products, fillers and pink slime simply google them. 

Now for what I did.  I bought my own meat grinder.  I went online and read up on several brands and found one called 'Back to Basics' and love it.  I found sirloin tip roast on sale for $3.99, bought 2 lbs. and ground my own lean ground beef.  I made a burger patty from my freshly ground beef and you won't believe the difference in taste.  No fillers!  All beef taste!  I also talked to the meat man at the grocery store about how and what to buy for grinding.  He educated me on picking out my beef and even pork.  He even gave me tips on how to use the pork to make my own sausage.  You buy Boston Butt when its on sale, cut into strips eliminating as much fat as you want.  Add your seasonings and then take a small piece, fry it up to check your fat content and taste.  This allows you to add more fat and/or more seasonings.  Yep, I'm gonna make my own sausage too.

Read my Deli article and then do your own research.  Hopefully if enough people raise enough noise we can get our meats cleaned up.

Ground Beef Potato Soup

Another one for the book.  I don't normally make soups during the summer but it's been raining so I thought that would be a good excuse to play around with a good soup recipe.  This one can be made in a slow cooker or on top of the stove.  Either way it's simple to make.  Watch for this one this winter when Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef comes out. 

Ground Beef Pie

BOY is this a good one!  I decided to make it in 2 layers using a regular pie shell for the base.  It's not only good but it's also one that you can easily change to fit your own taste.  But...you'll have to wait until Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef comes out this winter.  As always, don't forget to order your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts which can be ordered through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books A Million.

Ground Beef/Hashbrown Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can corn, drained (optional)
1 cup shredded cheese
Tater Tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown beef and onions together and drain.  Spray a 9 x 13 dish with non-stick spray.  Spread beef mixture in bottom of dish.  Spoon soup over meat mixture.  Sprinkle evenly with corn and cheese.  Place a layer of tater tots over cheese.  Bake 45 minutes or until tater tots are golden brown. 

Comments:  I've seen this recipe by many names.  When I decided to give it a try I made changes tofit my own taste.  I used a blend of onions and green bell peppers, Tater Tot 'tops' instead of full size tater tots and a blend of cheese combining white and colby.  It was delicious!

Nutritional Info for recipe above.

·         Servings Per Recipe: 6
·         Amount Per Serving
·         Calories: 452.1
·         Total Fat: 28.9 g
·         Cholesterol: 74.4 mg
·         Sodium: 898.8 mg
·         Total Carbs: 25.9 g
·         Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
·         Protein: 20.9 g

Nutritional Info using ground turkey & low fat cheese
·         Servings Per Recipe: 6
·         Amount Per Serving
·         Calories: 321.1
·         Total Fat: 14.0 g
·         Cholesterol: 57.3 mg
·         Sodium: 749.2 mg
·         Total Carbs: 25.9 g
·         Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
·         Protein: 22.6 g

Nutritional Info using ground beef, lowfat cheese and shredded potatoes instead of tater tots

·         Servings Per Recipe: 6 ·         Amount Per Serving ·         Calories: 290.0·         Total Fat: 13.3 g·         Cholesterol: 57.3 mg·         Sodium: 664.8 mg ·         Total Carbs: 21.7 g ·         Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g·         Protein: 22.1 g

This is the perfect example in the nutritional changes that are made simply by just changing a couple of ingredients.  Changing from the ground beef to ground turkey, using the lowfat cheese and shredded potatoes instead of tater tots doesn't damage the taste of this dish at all.

Ground Beef Dirty Rice with Shrimp

I had found a Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp recipe that I wanted to try but when I went to cook my rice I discovered I didn't have enough brown rice to complete the dish.  That's when I spotted the Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice.  The original recipe called for onions and bell pepper but when I read the ingredients on the Vigo package I discovered they were already included.  As I did what I tell everyone else to do 'Think With Your Taste Buds' I decided my version of the original recipe would work perfectly.  Well it was almost perfect.  When I tasted my dish I noticed a flavor that was missing.  Since it's made with ground beef instead of sausage I knew exactly what that ingredient was - SAGE!  After adding that last ingredient I had a really delicious Dirty Rice with Shrimp.  One of my food testers was sure I had slipped sausage in instead of ground beef because he could taste the sage.  The only thing he suggested was to add more red pepper flakes to heat it up a bit more.  For me it was perfect.  Find my recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet.

Quick n' Eazy Dinner Ideas to Help Alleviate Stress

Quick n’ Easy Dinner Ideas to Help Alleviate Stress - by Guest Author Brett H.

The demands of work alone are enough to drain people of all of their energy. The demands of cleaning the house, taking care of kids, and cooking can seem very overwhelming sometimes. Preparing dinner, in particular, can be a stressful activity after a long day. Many parents could definitely use some help in the kitchen. Here are some easy dinner ideas for starters.

   

1.      Stick with the Staples

Hamburgers and mac n’ cheese are the favorite dishes of most families. Unfortunately, you can’t serve these dishes every day for dinner. Luckily, there are some basic changes you can make to these meals to make them taste new and different, so your family never gets tired of them.

The local butchery and grocery store always have hamburger meat available for pick-up. In lieu of hamburgers, you can use hamburger meat to make dishes like Hamburger meatballs. This meal is rich in protein and super easy to make. Just add some eggs and seasoning to your ground beef and you’re set. This meal will take about 45 minutes to prepare. Try topping the meatballs with an interesting sauce like cranberry.

There are plenty of ways you can transform plain mac and cheese into something that will give your taste buds a jolt. Try mixing in some lobster to make macaroni and cheese classier. If you don’t have much time to experiment with different ingredients, don’t be afraid to fall back on a simple macaroni and cheese recipe to cut down how much time you have to spend in the kitchen.

2.      Use Small and Handy Appliances

Cooking equipment that saves you time is definitely a sound investment. Try a crock-pot. Slow-cooked meals are a sure-fire winner when it comes to taste, and easy beef stew is no exception. To make this dish, throw in a variety of vegetables, enhance the flavor using wines or sauces and spices, let the ingredients sit for eight hours while you’re away from home, and a delicious stew will be ready at dinnertime. You don’t have to limit yourself to making stews in a crock-pot. You can make family favorites like Texas Chili as well.

Another practical cooking aid is the panini grill. Just make a quick stop at your favorite baker’s shop, grab some fresh Italian bread, smear it with butter, stuff in some succulent ingredients, then grill your sandwich. It is as easy as 1-2-3, and hot sandwiches are ready in about ten minutes with a panini grill! If you’re tired of ordinary sandwiches, look into recipes online. The Food Network has excellent panini meal ideas like the eggplant-mozzarella panini.

Don’t think of eating at home as another ordeal. Just do yourself some favors to help eliminate the time you have to spend in the kitchen. If you follow the tips above, you will, without a doubt, soon be sitting eagerly down to dinner with the whole family, and you won’t feel worn out from cooking at all.