Spiced Meat Rolls

I got bored with a basic burger so I decided to do a little experimenting with ground beef.  I came up with a spiced meat roll that has a green onion in its center.  I wasn’t sure how this would come out but I was very pleased with the way they came out.  Serve these over some Turmeric rice and peas.

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef

½ red pepper, chopped

½ chili pepper, chopped

¼ red onion, chopped

2 tbsp. All Purpose Spice

Salt and pepper

4 green onions

1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients and form around the green onion.  This needs to be done gently.  Place the oil in a medium hot skillet and brown meat on all sides.  Cook to your desired doneness.

Osso Bucco

This is one of my favorite meals but I have never attempted to make this delicious dish.  I used beef shanks instead of the more traditional veal shanks and I substituted chicken broth for beef broth simple because I didn’t have any beef broth.  Remember this is not traditional, this is my take on the dish.  Enjoy

Ingredients:

2 beef shanks

1 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

½ red pepper, chopped

1 chili pepper, chopped

1 stack of celery, chopped

4 unpeeled carrots, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

1tbsp. dried oregano

½ cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Heat a stock pot over medium heat.  Season the shanks with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour shaking off any excess.  Place the shanks in the pot and brown on both sides.  Remove to plate.

Add the onion, peppers, and celery and cook until the onions start to soften.  Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often.  Add the garlic, salt and pepper, and oregano stir to combine.

Add the white wine, stir and allow to cook for a few minutes.  Add the chicken broth, stir, return the shanks to the pot and cover.  Place the pot in a 375 oven and cook for about 2.5 hours.

When the shank meat starts to fall off the bone remove the shanks to a cutting board and allow to rest.  Take the pot out of the oven and place uncovered over a medium high burner.  Reduce the mixture in half making sure you stir often.

Remove the meat from the shanks and cut in small pieces.  Place the meat into the vegetable mixture and stir.  Serve over creamed orzo.

Wheat Orzo, Creamed

This is my easy substitute for Risotto.  I love risotto but I don’t like the time and care it takes to make it.  I find that orzo can give you the same rich texture of the risotto in a lot less time and effort.

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat orzo

3 cups chicken stock, 1 cup reserved

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

Ground pepper

Directions:

In a medium pot over medium high heat place the orzo and 2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to simmer.  When all the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is soft but chewy place the orzo in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in a little of the reserved chicken stock stirring until it is absorbed.. Continue to do this until the orzo is aldente. Season the orzo with the pepper   Add the butter and Parmesan cheese stirring until you have a creamy texture.  Remove from heat and serve.

Our Weekly Menu 2/3/13

 

Today is Super Bowl Sunday.  Going to be hard to eat healthy today, but we will make it up the rest of the week.  I started a 90 day weight loss challenge on January 1 and I have lost 10 pounds so far.  I am trying to plan meals that are balanced and full of fresh ingredients.  Enjoy the game and your week.

Sunday:

Cheese quesadilla, nachos with salsa and guacamole

Monday:

Chicken medallions with Swiss chard and Julianne beets

Tuesday:

Ground beef Kabobs with red lentil and vegetables

Wednesday:

Cabbage soup

Thursday:

Oso Buco over orzo

Friday: 

Left overs

Saturday:

Spaghetti squash with ground turkey red sauce and sautéed zucchini

Our Weekly Menu 1/20/13

Our Weekly Menu 1/20/13

Better late than never with the menu for the week, I think we have been enjoying the long weekend a little too much.  The weather in Southern California is spring like and we love it.  We endured, for us, winter for the last couple of weeks.  It actually hit 29 one morning.  I know, that’s not cold to a lot of you but to us Southern Californians that is really cold.  After 23 years in California my blood has thinned and I cannot stand the cold weather any more.

Sunday:

Pasta and Meatballs

Monday:

Chicken Burritos

Tuesday:

Roasted whole chicken with red lentils and sauteed vegetables

Wednesday:

Crock pot beef stew

Thursday:

Teriyaki chicken with brown fried rice with vegetables

Friday: 

Homemade pizza

Saturday:

Lamb chops with wild rice and tzatziki (Greek cucumber salad)

Vegetable Casserole (with a little peperoni)

 

How do you get a 5 year old to eat a vegetable casserole?  Decorate the top with pepperoni in the image of a face.  Boy did he eat it and so did everyone else.  I really didn’t know what to cook tonight except I knew I would cook up the beet greens and spinach I have.  From that this casserole came to life.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ yellow onion, sliced

¾ red pepper, sliced in thin strips

¾ yellow pepper, sliced in thin strips

½ Anaheim pepper, sliced in thin strips

2 medium zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

Oregano, basil, garlic powder to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Greens from 3 beets

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Pepperoni to decorate the top (optional)

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and all peppers, saute for a few minutes, season with oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook until warm.  Remove to a bowl.

Add the beet greens and spinach to the skillet and saute for two minutes.  Add back the vegetable mixture and the black beans.  Combine and let cook for 1 minute.  Top the vegetables with mozzarella cheese and the pepperoni if you’re going to use it.

Cook until the cheese begins to brown, remove from the oven and let cool before serving.  Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Our Weekly Menu 1/13/13

I need everyone’s help with Tuesday, I want a dish centered on sautéed spinach and beet greens, and can you give me a great suggestion.  I am working on a number of new recipes but am not ready to publish yet.  I love experimenting.  My wife, Lynda told me that my Mediterranean meat rolls where so much better this time around.  It’s great to have a critic at your side that wants your work to get better, boy do I love my wife, my friend, my companion for life.  I am a lucky guy.

Sunday:

Mediterranean meat rolls over vegetable capellini (still perfecting the dish)

Monday:

Chicken sausage over green lentils and roasted vegetables

Tuesday:

Something vegetarian centered on sautéed spinach and beet greens help me out with suggestions.

Wednesday:

Turkey chili

Thursday:

Grilled chicken breast with Kale chips and green beans almandine

Friday: 

Lynda’s famous meat loaf with mashed potatoes and peas

Saturday:

Roasted whole rosemary chicken with roasted potato and carrot