Hamburger Soup

Photo from Melissa's 
Southern Style Kitchen

It's soup season! Yipee! I love soups and I especially love vegetable types of soups. 

This is a solid recipe. Easy to throw together and most of the ingredients you may already have. I didn't use a couple of the options they have in the ingredient list because well, you'll see. 

Garlic - I forgot to add it. 

Corn with bell peppers - Nope. Not gonna happen. I just used regular frozen corn. 

Potatoes - for some reason, I wasn't interested in adding the potatoes to the soup. 

Overall, I'd make this again. It was yummy.

Hamburger Soup

Recipe from Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen

Serves 8

• 1 medium sweet onion diced
• 1 rib celery thinly sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (Chili ready OR Italian seasoned)
• 1 14 oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed
• 1 11 oz can corn with bell peppers well drained
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen petite peas
• 1 cup cut green beans
• 6 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce (Or 1/2 cup ketchup)
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt OR table salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 large bay leaf
• 4 medium russet potatoes bite size cubes
• chopped celery leaves or Italian parsley

In a 6 quart Dutch oven or similar heavy bottomed pot, cook onion and celery in a couple of drizzles of olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add garlic cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

To the pot add ground beef. Cook until no pink remains, then drain excess fat from pan.

To the pot add tomatoes, beans, corn, carrots, peas, green beans, beef broth, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Mix until fully combined.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium high and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

Add potatoes. Mix well. Cover with lid slightly offset and simmer on medium low for 20 minutes or just until potatoes are fork tender.

Remove bay leaf add chopped celery leaf or parsley and serve immediately. (Cool and freeze for up to 2 months.)

Quick and Easy Meatloaf

 Meatloaf was not a common meal in our house growing up. I've heard so many friends tell me stories about how meatloaf was their "Tuesday night" dinner, almost every week. My only recollection of meatloaf was a "Mexican" meatloaf that mom made. She hated it, where as Dad and I loved it. We never had it a second time. In fact, Mom said she lost the recipe. It was only after she died I found the recipe in her gray tin box. 

I am a big fan of meatballs, so I figured meatloaf was kinda the same thing, just in a loaf. And I am correct in thinking that. This recipe was good. I'm not sure I'm a fan of oats as the "bread" part of meatloaf. It gave it a weird texture, but it wasn't horrible. 

I think the "weird" texture was me over working the meat when mixing it. 

I also HIGHLE recommend the recommendation to not cook this in a loaf pan. I did and she's not wrong about all the grease coming to the top. And that weird gray hamburger gunk that sometimes shows up. I moved it to a wire rack over a cookie sheet about half way through. 

Because I moved it, I lost almost all the "bbq" topping. So I just whipped out the sweet baby rays and put it on top. 

Quick and Easy Meatloaf

Recipe from Harbour Breeze Home

Serves 8

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup oatmeal
• salt and pepper to taste
• For the sauce:
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Mix all meatloaf ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Use a large spoon for mixing, and if you aren’t too squeamish, wash your hands well and mix it together well with your hands.

Press meatloaf mixture firmly into a loaf pan.

Turn formed meatloaf onto a parchment paper lined baking pan with sides. Rather than baking meatloaf in a loaf pan (where the grease sits in a pool on the top ~ Yuck!), try this trick: Flip the packed meatloaf from the loaf pan onto a large pan with sides which has been lined with parchment paper.

(“Whack it!” firmly on the bottom, til it slides out of the loaf pan.)

With this method, the grease will then run out onto the pan as it bakes. It works like a charm!

Mix the barbecue sauce ingredients together in another bowl and pour over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until completely done (and not pink) in the center.

Greek Meatballs

Photo from Gimme
Some Oven

I like meatballs and rarely make them. I've been purposely picking some of those recipes because I think they are a good solid protein meal. 

These were good. I wouldn't use as much Panko breadcrumbs as this asks for. It was a little too much bread for me in my meatball. 

I didn't change anything in this recipe and I think it turned out great. I'd make it again. 

Greek Meatballs

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Makes 30 meatballs

• 1 c Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 c milk
• 2 pounds ground beef or lamb (or a 50/50 mix of both)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 2 scallions (both white and green parts), minced
• 1/3 c fresh mint or cilantro
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• zest of 1 lemon

TAHINI YOGURT SAUCE:

• 1 c full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c tahini
• 1/4 c freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Make the panade. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Panko and milk until combined. Set the mixture aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.

Mix the meatballs. Once the Panko mixture has finished soaking, add the ground beef (or lamb), garlic, eggs, scallions and mint to the bowl. Sprinkle the oregano, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and lemon zest evenly on top. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until evenly combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture.

Prep the oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Form the meatballs. Form the mixture into 1.5-tablespoon balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet. (I recommend greasing your hands with a bit of olive oil to prevent the meatballs from sticking.)

Bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through. Remove pan from the oven.

Make the yogurt sauce. While the meatballs are baking, whisk together the yogurt sauce ingredients until combined. If you prefer a thinner sauce, whisk in a few tablespoons of water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Serve. Serve the meatballs warm with the yogurt sauce however you please and enjoy!

Sour Cream & Dill Cucumbers

Photo from Just a Pinch

I bought a bag of Persian cucumbers. It's a big bag. It was a great deal and I couldn't resist. I then had to figure out how to eat all of them.

This recipe was perfect for this. I paired it with Greek Meatballs. I'll be making this recipe again for sure. 

Sour Cream & Dill Cucumbers

Recipe from Just a Pinch

Serves 6-8

• 4 large cucumbers
• cold water
• 1 sm onion, grated
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/4 c real mayo
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 - 3 Tbsp dill
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• cayenne pepper

Peel and slice cucumbers.

In a bowl, sprinkle cucumbers with salt and pour in cold water until cucumbers are just covered. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While cucumbers are chilling, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl; mix well.

After 30 minutes, drain cucumbers very well. Carefully combine cucumbers and sour cream mixture. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Overnight Oats

Overnight oats have been all the rage for a couple of years now. I never much cared to even try them because, well, I wasn't really watching what I was eating. Now, I am and figured I might as well try it. 

I put out on FB to my friends to send me their favorite recipes. I got several, but decided to try this one first. 

I think I'm not a fan. I think I like my oats warm not cold. I'm not done with this idea yet though. I have a few more recipes to try. But this recipe is not for me.

Overnight Oats

Recipe from Once Upon a Chef

Makes 1

FOR THE OATS:

• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup milk (any kind except coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1½ teaspoons chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Pinch cinnamon
• Pinch salt

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• Fresh or dried fruit
• Nuts/seeds
• Granola
• Shredded or toasted coconut
• Nut butter
• Apple butter or pumpkin butter
• Honey or maple syrup
• Cinnamon or nutmeg

In a small jar or airtight container, add the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds (if using), maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir well to ensure everything is mixed evenly.

Seal the jar/container and place it in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to allow the oats to soak up the liquid and soften.

In the morning, stir the mixture. If it seems too thick, add a splash of milk to reach your desired consistency. Top with your favorite optional toppings and enjoy.

MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS

The overnight oats can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Go ahead and make a big batch so you’ve got a delicious make-ahead breakfast on hand.

Beef Fried Rice

I love fried rice. There was a Chinese Restaurant by my house in Redmond and it made the BEST fried rice. I've never found another like it. 

Ordering rice through a Chinese restaurant is always hit or miss with me. Sometimes it lacks flavor. I'd been craving fried rice and didn't want to order it. I figured it couldn't be that hard to make, so I tracked down a recipe. 

This was a solid recipe. I doubled the sauce because I want to make sure it covered the rice. Turns out I didn't need to. The sauce was too much. I had to add more rice. 

If you don't have Dark Soy Sauce you can substitute it with regular soy sauce (low sodium is best) or beef stock. 

Beef Fried Rice

Recipe from My Incredible Recipes

Serves 4

• 2 T dark soy sauce
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 8 ounces sirloin steak cut into 1/4th inch strips
• 1/2 c small diced onion
• 1 c frozen peas and carrots
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 3 c cooked and cooled rice
• thinly sliced scallions for garnish optional

In a small bowl stir together the dark soy, soy, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add 1/4th of the oil to the pan and add the beef, sear the steak getting a char on it, cooking it until just done, 3-5 minutes.

Place the beef on a plate and set aside.

Add 1/4th of the oil to the skillet and sauté the onion until softened and starting to brown, 2 minutes.

Add the peas and carrots, until slightly softened for 3 minutes.

Add the cooked veggies to the plate with the beef.

Add 1/4th of the oil to the pan and scramble the egg, stirring occasionally until cooked, about 1 minute, add to the plate with the beef and veggies.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the rice. Let it sit for about 2 minutes to get a slight char, stir it around and add the cooked beef, veggies, and egg back to the pan, stir to combine.

Add the sauce and stir to coat everything.

Continue to cook for about 3 more minutes so everything warms through and the flavors can blend.

Serve immediately with a garnish of optional scallions.

ENJOY!

Teriyaki Ground Beef Casserole

Photo from Life in the
Loft house

Last night was book club night and my host. I always like to try a new recipe for the book club ladies. Mostly they work out. Occasionally, I'm not a fan of the meal. 

This is one of those meals. It was OK, but not great. Since I've been on metformin I've noticed that things taste really salty to me. In this case, I had to swap the low sodium soy with tamari because Sherrie's GF Girl. I hadn't considered that tamari is way saltier than low sodium soy and, well, it just tasted too salty to me. 

The ladies said they liked it, so I'm sure it was fine. Just not my thing. 

The other part of this are the frozen stir fry veggies. Blech. I should have gone with my gut and bought fresh veggies and roasted them. It would have been way better. In the end, I figured if I do that, and use low sodium soy this recipe may be a winner. It was a lot like stir fried rice, which I like. 

Teriyaki Ground Beef Casserole

Recipe from Life in the Loft House

Serves 6

• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 bag (12 ounces) refrigerated stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc.)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups cooked rice

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the lid and cook for one minute once boiling.

Stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once the sauce is boiling, add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.

Place all the veggies evenly in the prepared baking dish. Pour 3/4 cup of the sauce evenly over the veggies. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and crumble until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease. Set aside.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Carefully remove the foil. Pour the cooked ground beef and the cooked rice evenly over the veggies.

Pour most of the remaining sauce all over the top (reserving a bit to drizzle over the top when serving). Gently toss everything together until combined.

Return to the oven and cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until everything is heated through. Remove from the oven and let it stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with remaining sauce. Enjoy!

Crack Potatoes

Photo from Love from the Oven

The Niece and her wifey were here for a couple of days. When they're in town, I make ribs. I wanted to make something other than Mom's Macaroni salad because Sherrie is GF Girl and she misses out on a side if I make pasta. 

This recipe was delicious. Super easy and super flavorful. The cream cheese adds a nice little tang along with the sour cream.

I halved this recipe because serving 12 is WAY too much for our little group. Halving it I still had enough left overs to send some home with Sherrie and a serving for myself. 

Crack Potatoes

Recipe from Love from the Oven

Serves 12

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 ounces ranch dressing powdered mix two 1 oz packages
• 3 c cheddar cheese grated and divided
• 1 pound bacon cooked, chopped and divided
• 30 ounces shredded hash brown potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Prepare a 9X13 inch baking dish by spraying the bottom and sides with non-stick spray.

Using a very large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry ranch dressing mix.

Stir in 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese and about half of the chopped bacon. Add in the hashbrown potatoes and stir to mix well.

Place mixture into prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove baking dish from the oven and sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and the remaining bacon. Return dish to the oven and continue baking, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and serve.