Recipe #7: Tender Beef and Sweet Potato Saute

I remember when I first read this recipe I was like cumin, beef and cinnamon? I'm intrigued... with sweet potatoes? Must make this... Glad I did! This is my second time making this recipe and although it was definitely delicious this time, I have fonder memories of it from the first time around. I think perhaps that I let the beef brown much longer the first time which allowed the butter that everything else was sauteed in to have stronger flavour and a darker colour on the sauce. Either way, love me a little Cuban flavour with beef and sweet potatoes! You can eat this by itself or on top of rice/couscous. This picture shows it on its own, but I did mix up some quinoa to eat with leftovers. Might have snuck in a red pepper that was looking for a good home before it went to the bad side when I tossed in the green pepper. More veggies, yes please! I was a bit lazy too and didn't chop the sweet potato up smaller, but I've made a note for next time.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless beef sirloin or other grilling steak
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter, divided
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cups diced sweeet potato (about 1; peeled if desired)
3/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth or stock
2 tbsp all-purpose flour [gluten-free for me!]
1 1/2 cups milk
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

1. Trim off fat from beef and cut across the grain into thin strips [since this is my second time making this, I actually cut into strips and then smaller pieces - just makes it easier for lunches!]. In a bowl, sprinkle beef with cumin, cinnamon and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat. Brown beef srips in three batchs, adding more of the butter as necessary; transfer into a clean bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining butter in skillet; add onoin and swet potato and saute for about 3 minutes or until onion is softened. Add beef broth, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, scarping up browned bits. Whisk flour into milk and graudally stir into skillet; bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 5 min or until sweet potatoes are almost tender.
3. Stir in green pepper. Simmer, stirring often, for 3 min or until green pepper is tender-crisp and sauce has thickened. Stir in beef with accumulated juices and tomato paste; simmer for 2 min or until beef is hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

[Options for the "adventurous" that I did not use, but maybe next time: Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper with beef. Stir in 1/4 cup each of raisins and sliced green olives and 1 tbsp drained capers with green pepper. Really I would maybe do the cayenne pepper and raisins... olives and capers are not for me! But maybe you?]

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #6: Shepherd's Pie, with a Twist

I have no grand illusions.  I know that my mother makes the best shepherd's pie in the world. The kind of shepherd's pie that when you eat it, you know you've come home and everything is going to be okay. To me, shepherd's pie was comfort food before I knew what comfort food was - tied with homemade macaroni and cheese that oozes excessive cheesiness. I don't even know the recipe for my mom's shepherd's pie which I am sure is the same recipe that her mom used - some day I'll ask for it. But if I ask her for the recipe, does that mean that I can't ask her to make it for me when I come home? I'd rather not tempt fate.

With this in mind, I did set out to make the second best shepherd's pie in the world. In my beautiful new casserole dish from my parents. I recently made a beautiful Beef in Pomegranate Juice (http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/01/beef-in-pomegranate-sauce.html) that was divine and made cups of delicious pomegranate beef gravy that I could not begin to even think about throwing out. But what does one do with beef gravy? Google it. And google suggests - make shepherd's pie!

To start, I tossed a bag of mini potatoes in boiling water. As the potatoes were boiling, I cooked up a package of lean ground beef until it was well cooked and added the sweet pomegranate gravy that I had defrosted. Set aside. I sprayed the brand new casserole dish that I got for Christmas contemplated vegetables while the potatoes were still boiling. I had a bundle of asparagus that I cooked in the microwave on a plate, but was missing something so I grabbed a package of Green Giant brussel sprouts from the freezer and cooked them up.

I layered the pomegranate ground beef on the bottom, asparagus pieces and brussel sprout halves in the middle with mashed potatoes (and a little bit of butter) on top. Might have topped the whole things off with some shredded white old cheddar... Bake at 375F for about half an hour or until it smells like goodness when you open the oven/gravy is bubbling up from the bottom layer. Perfection.

These flavour combinations will definitely be making an appearance in my casserole dish in the future!

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely  xoxo