Ground Beef Garden Saute Food

MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meat loaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.

ASIAN GROUND BEEF AND PEPPER SAUTE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the ground beef until evenly browned. Drain, and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, parsley, garlic and ginger. Season with red pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until tender.
• Return the beef to the skillet. Mix in the beef stock, soy sauce, chile paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook and stir until thickened and heated through. Serve over the cooked rice.

GROUND BEEF GARDEN SAUTE

Steps:

• Spread almonds in a shallow pan and toast in a 350° oven for about 6 minutes, or until golden; set aside.
• Crumble beef into a wide frying pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until browned; add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft; add green beans (or zucchini or pea pods) and cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 3-5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs slightly; then beat in 1 tablespoon soy, ginger, mustard and pepper.
• Pour egg mixture over meat and cook until egg is set to your liking, lifting and turning mixture to cook it evenly.
• Top with almonds; pass additional soy at the table.

REAL MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
• Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
• For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

TOMATO SAUCE WITH GROUND BEEF (AND VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan; add onion; sauté over low heat, stirring, until tender and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, sauté 1 minute.
• Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a skillet, stirring to crumble meat; drain off fat; add the onion mixture.
• OPTIONAL: now is when you would add the mushrooms, vegetables or red wine.
• Sauté until tender or until the wine is reduced by half.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, 1 tsp salt, the basil, oregano, pepper and bay leaf.
• Heat over medium-low heat to simmering.
• Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened and flavourful, about 1 hour 15 minutes.