Monday, July 19, 2010

Goulash

Phil has asked me several times to find a good recipe for this. I've kept my eye out but haven't run across one until now. This one was really good and I'll be making it again when Phil comes home. Hopefully it matches up with his expectations. It's a nice budget friendly meal since it makes a lot with a little.
We didn't use parsley. We've had a really dry summer here and my herbs just haven't grown the way I wanted.
 1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Large Onion, Chopped
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 pound Ground Beef
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or 1/2 Teaspoon Table Salt)
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
2 cans Diced Tomatoes (14.5 Oz), Zesty-style Works Great
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (or 1/4 Teaspoon Table Salt), Or To Taste
¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
8 ounces, weight Macaroni Or Your Favorite Pasta Shape
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley

Fill a pot with some water for the pasta; cover, and set over high heat. Start heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the ground beef, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; cook until fully browned. Drain.
While still over medium heat, add the bell pepper, chili powder, paprika, and tomato paste to the ground beef and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, then stir to combine. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer.
When the meat mixture has come to a full simmer, add a good amount of salt to the boiling water. Add the pasta, then stir to combine. Cook the pasta for two minutes less than the shortest cooking time listed on the box. You want it undercooked. While the pasta is cooking, stir the meat mixture periodically.
Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the meat mixture, then stir to combine. Allow the pasta and meat mixture to simmer together for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the pasta is as done as you like it. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Add the parsley and stir to combine. If desired, serve with some cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Lemonade and Pink Lemonade

These are Joshua's recipes from the lemonade for his lemonade stand. Both were perfect and we had lots of compliments!

The Best Lemonade
1 1/2c sugar
8c water
1 1/2c lemon juice


Old Fashioned Pink Lemonade
2c sugar
9c water
2c lemon juice

1c cranberry juice (we used cranberry/raspberry and it was even better!)

With both of these recipes we just mixed everything together in a jug and let it set for a while. Then we made sure to stir it up before serving.

Banana "Ice Cream"

Easiest Recipe Ever! This is the first recipe that I've found that sounds too good to be true that was actually as good as I expected! It does melt quickly so blend at the last minute. If you're a gluten like me you'll enjoy this with some chocolate sauce on top. It's like having ice cream but without so much guilt! It will be returning to my kitchen this summer for sure!

3 bananas (but I used more for the 3 of us)

Peel the bananas and cut them into 1/2″ slices.
Place them on a plate and freeze overnight.
Let bananas sit for about 5 minutes so it’s easier to get them off the plate.
Slide them in a blender and puree until smooth. This took me a while, but be patient!
Serve immediately and enjoy!