beef

Dining Outside the Home: Turkish Bar and Grill in Altamonte Springs, Florida 

Behold a rich menu of Turkish cuisine. Imagine this, take your hands and gently tear the sesame-laden puffed homemade bread. Feel the air deflate like a balloon as you dredge it across a plate of authentic hummus prepared with classic ingredients like olive oil and tahini. Next, the main course is a buffet of chile-infused chicken, garlic lamb and beef gyro strips plus grilled vegetables over sweet sticky rice. The platter is drizzled with enough melted butter to make your eyes roll back in satisfaction. All the flavors culminate with a sweet, nutty finale of homemade layered baklava dessert drenched in a syrup of natural honey. Pure and simple gratification. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Hot Dog Coney Island Sauce! Sometimes it’s a treat to dress up an ordinary grilled hot dog with a thick tangy coney sauce bursting with flavor. Now you can make your own secret sauce to keep on hand for that weekend picnic…or any time. 
HOT DOG CONEY ISLAND SAUCE
Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons butter

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups catsup

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon basil, crushed
Instructions:

In a large sauce pan, lightly brown the onion and garlic in butter. Remove from heat. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Return to heat and cook on medium until the beef is crumbled and cooked. Cover and simmer on low setting for one hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with grated cheese, green onion snips, and mustard. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter T

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Tiki Tacos! There was a time I could eat a dozen tacos at one sitting. Seriously. I was 20 years old, worked two full time jobs and road my bicycle everywhere! Nowadays, I show a little more restraint and stop after two tacos. But it’s still one of my favorite meals. Sometimes I use corn tortilla shells and other times I use flour. The shell determines which spices to use. Today it’s flour tortillas. 
TIKI TACOS
Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

8 flour tortillas

1/4 cup butter, melted

Lettuce, torn

Tomato, chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, sliced

1/2 cup prepared salsa
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium skillet, brown ground beef. Drain. Stir in garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Brush one side of tortillas with butter. Spoon about 1/4 cup of meat mixture onto center of unbuttered sides. Fold in half; place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and meat is distributed evenly between them. Bake in the oven about 15 minutes or until tortilla shells are crisp. Remove from oven and serve with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Spoon salsa over too and garnish with jalapeño pepper slices. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Loco Moco! Living up to its name, this breakfast food is actually one of Hawaii’s local favorites. The serving size is so generous you might think it’s way too much for breakfast. I didn’t eat the rest of the day after trying it at a local restaurant there. However, when you prepare it at home, you have more control over serving sizes as well as the time of day for this meal. Basically, it is composed of four layers. The bottom is fried rice, the middle is a beef patty, the next is an egg over easy. And the top layer is a ladle of gravy. Don’t knock it till you try it!

LOCO MOCO
Ingredients for Rice Layer:

1 cup prepared brown rice

1 strips bacon, crisp and crumbled 

1 sausage patty, crumbed*

2 ounces smoked sausage, 

cut-up

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons onion, cut-up

*Hawaiians favor SPAM. 
Instructions for Rice Layer:

In large skillet add sesame oil and sauté onions. Add remaining ingredients. Stir fry to blend flavors. Set aside. 
Ingredients for Beef Patty Layer:

4 1/4-pound beef patties 

1 can beef consommé 

Dash of pepper
Instructions for Beef Patty Layer:

Cook beef in consommé until tender. I did this the day before in my slow-cooker. It’s worth the effort! Save the broth for turning into gravy. 
Ingredients for Egg Layer:

4 fresh eggs
Instructions for Egg Layer:

Cook on stove to make eggs over-easy (or sunny-side up) so the yolks are still runny. 
Ingredients for Gravy Layer:

1 cup beef consommé*

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

*Add water if necessary to make one cup of liquid. 
Instructions for Gravy Layer:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour to the butter and stir to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the consommé juices and stir until thickened. 
Now serve by assembling the layers in a shallow bowl: rice, beef, egg, and gravy. Loco Moco!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking featuring a Happy Hobo Picnic! The best thing about this recipe is ANY combination of meat and vegetables can be used! No more picky eaters. Everyone chooses the vegetables they favor that appeal to their personal taste buds. And clean-up is a snap leaving more time for outdoor fun!
HAPPY HOBO PICNIC
Ingredients:

2 pounds of beef tips, marinated 

1 onion, sliced

4 new red potatoes, sliced

1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut up

2 ears of corn, cut into thirds

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence 

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

Dash black pepper

6 tablespoons butter, sliced
Beef Tip Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup garlic wine vinegarette 

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over beef tips. Cover. Allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove tips and discard marinade. 
Instructions for Hobo Packets:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Prepare foil packets for single serving. Layer beef, onion, carrots, corn, and potatoes. Season with spices to taste. Place 1 tablespoon of sliced butter in each packet. Wrap foil around food and seal tightly. Grill 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Carefully open each packet and serve. Caution: Steam will escape packets when opened. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Beef au Jus!

Talk about a no-brainer.  This is a great meal when you have no time.  I pop a frozen beef roast into my Le Creuset covered roaster first thing in the morning and let it slow cook all day long.  By the time I return, the mouth-watering aroma greets me at the door.  Then all I have to do is add peeled potatoes, baby carrots, and some red wine.  A nice French Bordeaux adds richness and balance.  Go ahead and pour a glass for yourself and relax!  An hour later, dinner is served. Bon Appétit!
BEEF AU JUS
Ingredients:
3 lb. Beef Roast
1 can Beef Consommé 
Herbs de Provence
4 Idaho Potatoes 
1 lb. bag of Baby Carrots
1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms 
1 cup Dry Red Wine
Directions:
Put frozen beef roast, herbs de Provence seasoning, and one can of beef consommé into a covered roaster. Set oven to 285 °.  Let it slow cook for 6-8 hours.  The meat will be juicy and fork-tender.  Add peeled and cut-up potatoes, baby carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Pour one cup of dry red wine over all. Cover.  Bake for one hour, or until tender.   Serve with crusty bread and dip into the “au jus”.  It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to drink it!
***Option:  The potatoes may be mashed with butter and milk.  Leave a few lumps for texture.  Top with “au jus”.