Sometimes it is easier to make bulk food for when your busy during the week. This is best with things that get better as the flavors have time to mingle.
Well the other day I cooked a non spicy roast beef in mushroom sauce, but I still wanted Carne Guisada. Well I have upped my game and worked out a recipe that I think will do. After much research I just winged it, which is kind of my style. It was a great meal prep and made some flexable meal options.
Tacos Carne Guisada
Carne Guisada con arrozz
Torta Carne Guisada
1# Beef cut into chunks
1 White Onion
Garlic to taste.
1 Bell pepper
Jalapenos to taste
3 chilpoltle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp flour to thicken.
1 tbsp beef bouillon (Knorr caldo de res)
water about a cup.
It is as “simple” as a beef stew can be. Make up about 1 cup of beef bouillon and add one tablespoon of flour and make a light slury. Cut up the vegatables into bite size pices. Leave the seeds in the Jalapeno and chipoltle peppers. Lightly flour the meat with one of the tablespoons of flour or corn starch. Brown the meat in a heavy skillet and then add the vegatables. Toast the spices in the meat and vegatables to bloom, once the vegatables have slightly softened. Add the slurry once the spices are fragrent and simmer until meat is thender and the sauce is thickened about an hour.
I love tomatillo salsa, and make big batches any time tomatillos are on sale. I picked up about 3 pounds at 49 kong cents a pound. Time to make the donut sauce. Yes, like Ethel and Franks Red Hot, it goes on everything!
about 3# of Tomatillos
4ish fresh Jalapenos
1 white onion
Garlic to taste
Juice of 3 limes
Cumin
Mexican Oregano
fresh cilantro if you remember it at the store.
Chop up the onions, garlic, and jalapenos and add in the lime juice and let the acidity of the juice cook the onions and garlic while you do the tomatillos. I added the oregano, cumin, and dried cilantro at this time as well. I forgot the fresh cilantro at the store. The longer this can sit at room temp the better to smooth the onion and garlic flavors. They get cooked almost like ceviche which mellows their flavors.
Husk and wash the tomatillos. spread on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until slightly tender. I did this under the broiler so I could get the roasted look on the skins. I also cut them into uniform sized pieces.
Once the tomatillos are slightly tender I blend it all together. I had to use my sous-vide bin in order to have a big enough container to stick blend it all at once. I then jar it up in pint jars and “steam can” it in my insta-pot. WARNING: this is an untested method. I suspect my instapot is not hot enough for true canning so in the fridge it went when done. I don’t expect it to last more that a month anyhow. The cooking in the jars does smooth the flavor further. I did hold back one jar “raw” as it has a stronger bite.
It goes on everything and allow me to cook easy meals too. I even used some of the savory mixture to top some nachos before adding the green sauce ontop.
I have been craving carne guisada, but do not always want to eat spicier food. HEB my local grocery made the decision easy for me by putting shoulder roast on sale for $2.47/lb. Game on. Nothing like discount roast beef. I like to use KISS or Keep it simple stupid and took a approximately 3 pound roast and cooked it with minimal ingredients. Trimmed off some fat and about 1 pound of meat to keep back for stir fry later.
Modelo Especial
onion soup mix
canned mushrooms
salt
black pepper
2tbsp All purpose flour
2tbsp butter
about 2 lbs of shoulder roast.
Let the meat rest covered until it gets to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375 freedom units or 190 world units. Heat a heavy cast iron dutch oven medium hign and brown the meat in a bit of oil. coat browned meat with salt and pepper.
Add the package of onion soup mix, and the beer. Cover and place in the oven for about 20 minutes for each pound of meat, but mine went for 55 minutes at 2.2 pounds. Note the beer and soup was about 1 inch deep in the pan and helps prevent drying out the meat. I turned it over once during cooking at about halftime.
Make a light roux with the butter and flour. Once the meat was 130-140 degrees on the meat thermometer. Pull it out to rest for 20 minutes. While it rests, put the roux and the canned mushrooms in the beer and onion soup left in the dutch oven to make gravy. Simmer until it is as thick as you like.
I portioned it out as my normal weekly meal prep one for me one to share with my parents, and a plate to eat right away.
Refrigerated pie crust have made meal prep with multiple flavors of quiche a quick and easy task. Todays flavors were bacon, cheedar, and mushroom or mushroom, zucchini, and three cheese blend. I also got a side of extra pre-cooked bacon as a bonus.
If your using the oven anyway you can just cook bacon in the oven as well to make it easier. If you remember the tin foil on the sheet pans you can make it super easy. It is as easy as 45 minutes on 400 turning after about 30 minutes.
I always cook one with meat and one with all veggies to off set the richness. I did not have any frozen spinach which is my go to, but I did have zucchini and mushrooms, and did some spring onions for a savory addition.
I get spoiled that my friends travel for work, as they give me stuff they don’t want to waste in their fridge. I was given a three cheese to blend and worked it into the quiche. Of course, it may have been a bit too rich, but the blend is delicious.
Just roll out the refrigerated pie crust. Fill them with fillings. Mix the fillings before adding the eggs. A mixture of eggs and half and half and salt and pepper. I use a dozen eggs and 1 cup of half and half for two crust.
I admit it. I am normally lazy and make kraut with vinegar, but sometimes you have to do it right. Fermentation is the only way, but it takes patience.
It is just three simple ingredients. Cabbage, salt, and caraway of fennel seeds. I went with the fennel this time as i was out of caraway seeds. Fennel gives a slightly different flavor which is less sweet and a bit more earthy.
The process is simple you mix the ingredients and mash the cabbage slightly so the salt draws out the moisture to create a brine that protects the frementation from oxygen. The ininal fermentation is done open for about a week to ensure the lactobacillus is present. Unless you can use organic cabbage which should have it naturally. The jars are keept half full to ensure minimal surface area.
Once the initial fermentation begines the jars can be combined and a vacuum applied to ensure the brine covers the cabbage and anaerobic fermentation can proceed. This also helps to prevent mold and fungus from creating off flavors. After an aditional week it will have fermented enough to use or move to the fridge for long term storage.
The final product can be simmered with beer and brats and served with a side of skillet potatoes.
I will say it again. I like butternut squash, and cannot always eat soup. I prefer to make it into mash as a starch replacement. I also do not cook it with the typical sweet desert like covered in brown sugar. I think it is why I do it instead of “sweet potato” mash. It has a much better flavor cooked with savory spices. It can also be done with a spicy curry flavor depending on what it is being served with.
1 butternut squash
1/2 onion
Garlic to taste
fresh ginger to taste
cinnamon
Cumin
paprika
olive oil
Cube butternut squash, and onion. Rough chop garlic and ginger. Add to vacuum bags. I portioned it into 300g bags with 1/4 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 of a cinnamon stick and 2 tablespoons of Olive oil. It was too much oil and one tablespoon would be enough. Toss in the bags to coat before sealing and then 3 hours at 185 degrees in the Sous Vide while other things are being done. It was really tender at the 2 hour mark but i got distracted.
I love butternut squash and started making soup in the instapot, so it was a no brainier. Of course it took me several tasty attempts to make one I love. I started from the allrecipes.com version and mixed in some coconut milk ideas from evolving table. I don’t really do vegan, but can enjoy some flavor changes. I mostly always garnish with Parmesan cheese and basil or jalapenos. This soup makes an awesome meal prep and is very hearty.
The winner
This one is the right mix of texture creaminess and retains the flavor of the butternut squash. It does make a bunch, a bit over 8 pints as seen. 5 pint jars, 3 pint bowls and one bowl to eat right away.
Set the instapot to “saute” and soften the onions and garlic. Toss in the squash, water, Caldo de pollo, and spices into the instapot and stir. Cook on “Soup” setting on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before doing a quick release and then stick blend adding coconut milk. Add any extra salt at this time if needed, and brown sugar if extra sweetness is desired. If a vegan soup is desired chicken base (Caldo de pollo) can be skipped or vegetable base/stock used.
Runner up
The runner up based on Butternut Squash soup II used a bit of carrot along with onion and garlic powder. It was a bit sweeter and the carrot changed the color and texture of the soup. I did also use yogurt instead of the coconut milk.
You can see the final color is a bit more orange and the ginger did add a bit more heat. I of course garnished with fresh jalapenos, so it was not too noticeable. The yogurt was nice addition, but did not make as smooth of a soup.
First attempt.
The first attempt based on the allrecipes version was good but it called for too much water/stock and had to be thickened with instant mashed potatoes which dulled the butternut flavor. you can see the color is more subdued too due to the thickening.
Cold front came though with rain and temperature dropped. Makes for a great day to make soup and get a little meal prep out of the way. I have been using the Instapot a lot to make larger meals that I can share or store for lazy days.
Potato and Leek soup.
I really like potato and leak soup, and it is very filling when the weather is cool. You can even air fry the skins from the peeled potatoes to make a crispy garnish for the top. The best part is one bundle of leaks and a few potatoes makes a lot of meals for later.
1 bundle of leeks about 3 stalks or 4 cups chopped.
4 cups of diced potatoes.
one handful of garlic cloves.
6 cups of water
1 cup of half and half.
chicken base.
Add oil to the instapot and start saute mode. Once hot add the Leeks and Garlic and soften slightly. Add potatoes toss in 4 cups water and chicken base ( you can skip this and just add water but may have to add salt, for vegetarian version) run “soup” setting for 10 minutes. Once complete blend with stick blender until smooth and add half and half and/or water to desired consistency.
Chicken and Dumplings.
The instapot makes a quick and easy stock and is a great base for many types of soups. Some chicken things and aromatics makes a quick stock that can be turned into dumplings. I do a simple flour and stock dumpling with no leavening agent. I sometimes cheat and use canned biscuits, but today I rolled out some true dumplings.
1 pound of chicken parts. I prefer thighs, but legs can also be used. Dark meat is best.
1 onion chopped into desired sizes. I do big chunks.
Garlic to taste more is better.
slices of ginger ( that can be easily fished out later)
2 bay leaves.
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon of cumin if desired.
Carrots cut into bite size pieces but uniform in size.
Add Oil to Instapot and heat on saute setting. Add chicken in a single layer and brown lightly to improve stock color, once oil is hot. Turn chicken and cycle through all pieces to ensure uniform color. I leave the skin on until later, but it can be remove before browning, but beware sticking if you do.
Once the chicken is browned add Onions, garlic and spices with all chicken. Add water to cover and cook on pressure cooking setting for approximately 15 minutes. Once this is done release pressure and remove chicken from stock. Remove the bones and skin from the chicken and shred in to bite size pieces. Remove the Ginger and bay leaves, and if you were fancy and used a cheese cloth bouquet garni remove it at this time. Add the chicken chunks back to the pot and make dumplings.
I make simple dumplings with 1 cup of flour a touch of salt, ground pepper, and about 1/2 cup of the stock form the pot. Rolled out on a floured surface. and then cut into squares. Work the dough as little as possible to keep the texture smooth. You can also use canned biscuits cut in to small pieces. Some people add baking powder to get a bit of leavening for lighter dumplings. I prefer the slightly chewy like “al dente” pasta that the simple dumplings provide.
Finally put the instapot on saute one more time add the carrots. This will bring the stock to a boil and cook the carrots for about 5 minutes until the are the desired level of tenderness. Once the carrots are done add the dumplings and cook at a rolling boil until the dumplings float. Remembering to stir to prevent them from sticking to each other or the bottom. You can also add a slurry or other thickening agent if the flour on the dumplings does not thicken the soup as desired.
Living in Texas has only positives. One is that the holiday season always see pork shoulders on sale less than a kongbuck a pound, $0.99 for today’s. The things you can do with a whole shoulder is great, pulled pork, roast etc. However, being just one in my household, I break them down for smaller meals.
Roast Pork
Always tastier than tenderloin as the shoulder has a bit more fat. You can also crust up the skin for a texture change. The best part you can meal prep some of the roast into the freezer.
Share.
Pork stock.
Ready Insta pot
Once broken down the pork shank bone makes for a great pork stock. Add some aromatics and some root vegetables and there is a great base for other dishes.
Pork Miso Ramen
Sometimes Instant Ramen will not do. Since I had Stock I made some Ramen Noodles and then added the pork stock and the “Gate” on top and presto.
I did a quck meal prep with Spaghetti with meat and mushrooms. This is an easy dish that gets better as it simmers or the ingredients get to sit together in the fridge. It also freezes pretty well. Best if cooked in one pot to ensure easy cleanup.
Ingredients.
1 pound of ground beef
1 whole onion chopped
1 diced carrot or about 1 tablespoon of sugar if you prefer.
Garlic as much as you like
2 cans of tomato sauce
2 cans of roasted tomatoes
2 cans of sliced mushrooms or fresh if you have them.
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 tablespoon Italian Sesoning blend (Thyme, basail, Oregano)
loadded with all the things.
Cooking instructions:
It is a simple brown and simmer. Brown the ground beef with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Skim excess grease, and then add the Onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic during the last bit of onion cooking and cook garlic slightly. Add the dry seasonings so the oil and heat can activate them. Add the diced carrots, which I use as a replacement seasoning for raw sugar and to add a bit of texture. The sweetness is used to cut the acidity of the tomato based sauce. Finally add the Tomato sauce and canned tomatoes. and simmer for at least 45 minutes util carrots are very tender but firm.
simmering the spaghetti
Stop cooked pasta.
This is a restaurant trick that helps make mid week dining quick and easy. Cook the noodles per package instructions reducing time to ensure “al dente” cooking, and then drain and dunk in cold water bath. This stops the cooking and removes the starch that causing sticking. The pasta can then be portions in containers or plastic bags.
I worked in a restaurant that stop cooked its pasta for dishes. It was portioned into bags and stored in the cold box, and microwaved until steaming as needed. The sauce was added just prior to serving guest. It makes for consistent pasta quality and texture on a busy serving line. It can also be kept in bags in a Sous Vide bath if service is that busy for that dish. Since this was not a restaurant specializing in pasta dishes . it allowed it to serve consistent pasta dishes without having to waste kitchen space for pasta cooking pot.
