Sauerkraut Beef Stew

 

We somehow found ourselves with a can of sauerkraut, and I'd been trying to figure out what to do with it. For some strange reason, I began to imagine it with beef. Just to make sure I wasn't totally crazy, I did some google searches to see if such recipes exist, not that I actually follow recipes...

The recipes I found, and there are many, weren't at all kosher. They also required "slow-cookers" which I don't have. But at last I got some reassurance that people do cook beef with canned sauerkraut. Then I asked in a facebook group that prides itself on "real world" recipes, not those awfully complicated ones. Some nice people answered. They gave recipes/cooking ideas that also use "slow-cookers" or "cover well and bake in the oven," which I didn't feel like doing. I generally simmer beef on the stove for a few hours.

Now, to be honest, we haven't eaten it yet, but it looks and smells delicious. 

Ingredients:

kilo plus of the least expensive frozen beef in the store, onion, celeriac, a few carrots, a couple of tomatoes, a can of sauerkraut, a bit of oil, coarse ground black pepper and a couple cups of water. 

Directions:

1. thaw beef
2. soak beef or awhile in water, and then throw out the water
3. put beef in pot with some oil, high heat
4. add the onions, and then turn the beef over so it browns a bit all around
5. add vegetables, sauerkraut, water and pepper, then cover
6. as soon as it starts to boil, turn down heat to slow simmer
7. simmer for at least two hours

That's it!

I plan on serving it with potatoes, cooked vegetables and salad.

Beer and Coffee Beef, Perfectly Delicious and Easy to Make

You may remember that I wasn't happy with the Malka "Stout" beer I had bought and even wrote that I saw it as the perfect addition to beef. Davka, that morning I had perked my coffee, and had some leftover, since the percolator is larger than even I need for my morning fix. So, I decided to google "beer, beef, coffee" to see if there were recipes or suggestions. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't going to actually follow a recipe; I just wanted to know if people cook their beef in those two delicious liquids. Apparently there is a whole genre of beef cooked in beer and coffee, so I got cooking!

Ingredients:
beef, one of the least expensive cuts from the freezer section
onion
fresh garlic
carrots
vegetable oil
stout beer* (any strong black beer would do)
strong coffee*

Directions:

1. soak beef in water for at least half hour, and then spill it in the sink
2. add vegetable oil to beef in pan
3. place on high flame to sear
4. turn over to sear all over
5. add cut onion and garlic
6. turn to expose garlic to hot oil
7. cut carrots, large-not small, and add to pot
8. pour in coffee and beer
9. add water** if liquid doesn't reach at least half way up
10. cover, cook on high flame until it reaches a boil, then lower flame to simmer.
11. Check periodically to see that there still is liquid. Add if necessary. 
12. Cook for at least an hour and a half, usually better if more. 

That's it. Beer and Coffee Beef is very easy to make. Don't be afraid to be creative. Potatoes or other long-cooking vegetables can be added to the carrots. Enjoy!

Tell me in the comments about how yours comes out or if you've ever made any beef dish that is similar.

*At least a half a cup of each, though even less would be ok; you can add water if there doesn't seem to be enough liquid.
**Most of the recipes I saw on google included tomato paste, so if you're afraid there won't be enough flavor/liquid from the beer and coffee you can add that or even tomato juice.

Black Beer Beef, So Simple

From the same person who brought the orange juice I used for cooking the easy to cook Turkey Wings, I got some non-alcoholic black beer, which also needs to be used up. So, I decided to cook  it with the chunk of beef, which has been waiting in the freezer.

After thawing the beef and soaking it in water a bit, I did my usual stage one, adding it with some cooking oil* in a pot along with onion and fresh garlic. Then I added the beer, till it reached about a third way up the beef, a few peppercorns and covered. When it reached a boil, I lowered the flame so it would simmer a couple of hours.

That's it. It's that easy.

My plan is to serve it on the Eve of Simchat Torah, since it has a "gravy" and can stay safely on the platta, Shabbat/Holiday electric heater, until we're ready to eat. Other dishes are riskier.

*cooking oil, I cook with soy oil, even though many people nowadays prefer canola or olive oil or one of the many others available. Cook with whichever you prefer and can easily buy.

Easy and Healthy No Sugar Beef

If you check recipes in books and online for cooking beef, you'll see that so many require sugar, whether from jam, sweetened sauces, wines, juice or just plain sugar. You can cook a piece of inexpensive beef without any sweetener at all.

I buy an inexpensive cut of beef from the freezer section of the supermarket. I'm fussier about the price than the name of the cut. First, after thawing, I soak it in water to rid it of whatever salts and blood I can get out of it. Actually I use the pot for this, since health/hygiene experts say it's important to keep raw meat/fish/poultry off of eating and food prep surfaces.

Ingredients:
Beef, vegetable oil, onion, garlic, peppercorns, tomatoes or canned tomatoes preferably diced/chopped without added sugar or salt

Instructions:

• Cut up a large onion and some fresh garlic; store in a bowl on the side.  
• Cut about a pound of tomatoes or get a can/jar of diced or crushed tomatoes without added sugar; store in a bowl on the side.  
• Add a bit of oil in the cooking pot, (which should have a good cover)
• Turn on the heat and then add the beef. 
• Keep turning the beef so the outside looks cooked. 
• Add onions and garlic; continue turning for a few minutes.
• Then add the tomatoes and peppercorns, cover and lower the heat a bit.
• Let it cook for a couple of hours, checking periodically to make sure there's enough liquid. You may need to add some water.

That's it! Very no fuss and extremely healthy. No added sugar or salt is necessary. You can serve it with rice, pasta, vegetables, salad or whatever you like.

So, Instead of Buying a Can of Crushed Tomatoes...

All I wanted was some simple, NO ADDITIVES Tomato Paste for the beef I had planned on making. I couldn't find any, so I checked out the plain Crushed Tomatoes:

Even though the label said "No Preservatives," I saw all sorts of non-tomato items in the ingredients. I finally gave up. Guess what I did.

I bought about the same weight tomatos as the can had, for about the same money, and I "crushed" them in the food processor.  

OK, I must admit that it did give me the chore of  cleaning the food processor, but at least I know what I'm going to be serving tonight. There is just onion, fresh garlic, peppercorns, some dehydrated parsley, please forgive me for not using fresh, and a bit of oil along with the beef.

It smelled good when cooking. And this time, to reduce calories, no wine. And I don't put in jam or any other sweetener. The tomatoes and onions are sweet enough. And it's all so simple to make.

Stove Top Passover Cooking, Good All Year, Too

On Passover I have to cook my chicken and beef on top of the stove, because I don't kasher the oven for Pesach. I do have a small Passover oven which I keep parve for all the baked vegetable dishes etc. At this point in life, I'm not in the market to buy one of those ovens for chicken. First, there's no room and second I look at my life/age and say:

"For  just a few weeks use, it really isn't worth it."

also:

"We've survived so long without one, we will survive ad me'ah vi'esrim until 120 perfectly well fed, too."

The CPA daughter in me looked at my 60th birthday as

"OK, now you've hit the halfway point in the  me'ah vi'esrim 120. Oops!"

So, yesterday I did the messy cooking, the fleishig/meat stuff for the last of Passover, 5776, 2016. And here are some photos and instructions aka recipes. And why do I call these "instructions?" That's because one isn't to OCD trying to measure and count and follow exactly. I never know how long it will take to cook or how much exactly of anything I will add etc.

Chicken "Bottoms" with Parsley, Carrots, Onions and a Dash of Wine

In Israel, the bottom part of a chicken is the favorite, and I bought a couple of packages for the holiday. When cooking stovetop, it is best not to make too much at once. Four rather zaftig bottoms fit perfectly in this low pan. They were joined as you can see by carrots, onions, parsley, pepper, paprika and the wine that Eliyahu Hanavi didn't drink. Any wine can be used or nonne, too. I cooked it covered on a low flame until when poked and prodded it seemed completely cooked.

Beef Braised with Onions, Garlic and Ripe Tomatoes 

First I seared the beef in hot olive oil with the chunks of onion and garlic. Then I added the gorgeous red tomatoes and about a half a cup of sweet wine. I lowered the flame and covered it.  I also added about half a cup of water, nothing else. I let it stew for a couple of hours. You may need a bit more liquid, but my pot is a good one.

Two Baby Chickens with with Parsley, Carrots and Onions

Rami Levy was selling these tiny chickens on Tuesday when I was working. I wish I had bought lots more, but there's a limit as to how many I can carry. They fit perfectly in the pot side-by-side, and were cooked the same way as the "bottoms."

These recipes are easy, healthy and good all year round. And, of course, they are strictly kosher!!

Simple Low Carb* Beef

A few days ago my husband messaged me reminding me that I had some old tomatoes in the fridge that should have been used/eaten a couple of weeks ago. I told him not to worry. I had a plan!

Since they weren't moldy, I knew they'd be perfect for cooking, and there was a nice piece of beef in the freezer waiting for them. On Thursday they "married."

Here's the recipe, and unlike many beef recipes, there's no sugary jam or wine or juice involved. That's why I call it "Low Carb*."

Ingredients:

• beef (I always buy the least expensive and look for a piece that has little fat on it.)
• a bunch of halved overripe tomatoes or any tomatoes, as long as they're juicy and red.
• a large onion cut in large pieces
• a few pieces of fresh garlic
• a few peppercorns 
• a spoon or two of oil; honestly, I never measure
• water to prevent burning

Instructions:

1. heat oil, onion and garlic on high flame
2. then add the beef to sear and seal in juices 
3. keep turning over the beef until nothing looks raw on the outside
4. add tomatoes and peppercorns 
5. then lower heat and cover
6. cook for at least 90 minutes; add water if necessary to prevent burning

And that's it! This is such an easy and healthy recipe, and it has no extra calories at all and no sugar, too. And it was absolutely delicious. I served it with two types of cooked vegetables, salad and mujadarrah/majadra, which is a rice-lentils dish.

*carb=carbohydrates

Beef in Beer, Great Success!

I admit that I haven't been posting many recipes of late. That's because I cook the same foods with little innovation. Most of the new things I've eaten have been in restaurants. It would be better for my budget if I cooked more and ate out less frequently.

As part of my pre-Passover "finishing what's in the freezer," I discovered a nice piece of beef. I must admit that I buy the "specials," the cheapest beef Rami Levy sells. I look carefully to find one with the least fat, and I'm pretty pleased with my cooking experiments.

Last Friday I tried something new.

After thawing and braising the beef in the usual soy oil, onion and garlic I quartered the softest tomato in the refrigerator and placed it on top. To that I added the last few drops of a sparkling wine that had lost its sparkle.

Then I searched the fridge for more goodies and discovered the beer, which had been sitting there unopened for months. To be perfectly honest, I had bought it in the summer, as part of a "six pack" when relatives were going to have dinner at my daughters. I took the unopened bottles home, brought them back to my daughter's for our Chanukah party and again returned (fewer) bottles to my refrigerator. This was the last one. Just to be safe, I googled "beef beer" to make sure I wasn't crazy. Yes, people do cook them together.

After that liquid addition, I added peppercorns and carrots and then covered it for a couple of hours of low heat cooking. I served it on Friday night. My husband and our guest were very happy with the flavor and texture. My husband who normally does not drink never drinks beer was only told of its addition after he had given is praise of the dish.

This Beef in Beer is easy to prepare and totally delicious.