Beef and Cheese Cannelloni

This recipe started because I saw a box of oven ready cannelloni at Migros.  I`d never had it before (and while the box said to fill it with salmon, which I had no interest in), it looked like fun. I hadn`t yet chosen as for who: fun noodles for the kids, or a new dish for us. Well, I didn`t have enough fish sauce to create the bao I wanted to tonight, so made this instead.  I know there are tons of different ways to make it. Mine turned out kind of like lasagna, but without all the layers of noodles. We both thought it was quite good and have leftovers for the next few days for lunch :)

What you need:

Box of oven ready cannelloni
ground beef - I used 350 g
250 g ricotta cheese
basil
1 medium onion
1 tsp minced garlic or 2 cloves chopped
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
150 g fresh mozzarella (or grated)
1 large jar pasta sauce (about 2 1/2 cups)
butter for greasing.




First, dice the onion and saute it in a little olive oil. Let cook for a few minutes until the onion is softened.

Add the garlic and stir for about 45 seconds.

Add the beef. Mix until cooked.

Add 1 cup of pasta sauce, stir and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Add about 1 tsp of basil (I used dried).

Remove from heat.

Put in a medium mixing bowl and add the ricotta cheese.  When thoroughly mixed, add 1/4 cup of Asiago cheese.

Butter the bottom of a baking dish and turn the oven to 200 C. No need to add sauce to the bottom of the pan with the butter.

Carefully fill the cannelloni. I`m sure there is a proper way to do it, but I just held them in one hand and spooned the mixture in with the other, using the end of the spoon to push it through to the other end.

Lay them in the baking dish and then cover with the other 1 to 1/2 cups of sauce (depending on how big your dish is).

Slice (or use grated) the mozzarella cheese and lay on top. Add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the grated Asiago.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is browned.

Enjoy!

Bibimbap - mixed rice

I think this is one of my favorite things to make. I haven`t made it exactly like I have seen recipes online, mainly because the first time I made it, I didn`t have time to look for the special ingredients, and since I really enjoyed it, I haven`t bothered to look. I will get around to it though eventually, don`t worry.

Traditionally, this is served with beef. The first time, we did have beef. I made it again with pork, then chicken, and then again with beef.  Beef is definitely my favorite, but the others were good as well. I also started with some of the vegetables mentioned in my original recipe. I have now moved on to making it with whatever I happen to have on hand.
You can use:
bean sprouts (mungsprossen)
zucchini
yellow squash
mushrooms
carrots
onion
bell pepper
spinach
cucumber

What you need:

This will vary with what vegetables you like, choose 3 or 4 from the list above.

Beef, chicken or pork. Shrimp if you like (I used 300 g of beef, and it is enough for 3 small or 2 good sized servings)
Rice - I used basmati as that is what I had, but use your favorite. I use 1/3 to 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving
eggs - 1 for each person

Marinade ingredients
1 Tbls soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine - I have used dry sherry and sake for this, both taste good
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbls chopped green onion (scallion)

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough for your meat. Add the meat and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. I do this part whenever I have time during the day so that it is ready when I am.

Cook your rice so that it is ready.

Begin cooking your vegetables. Slice them into thin strips and cook one group at a time with a little olive or sesame oil.

Cook your meat in a separate pan. No need for oil in this one.

As I cooked my vegetables, I lined them up on a plate to keep them separate.

When you have everything cooked, cook your eggs. You want them sunny side up, so a little bit runny. Each person will get an egg on top of their bowl.

First, add your rice

Then your vegetables and meat

Finally your egg, and some finely chopped green onions.

My husband likes to add Sriracha

 

If you have a stone bowl, perhaps a dutch oven, and want to serve family style, you can heat the bowl and then add the rice so that it gets a bit of a crunch. Add your vegetables and meats. Right before serving you can mix it up.

Or, you can do like I did and use regular bowls and let everyone mix their own. The last time I made this, as I was using different vegetables for different people, I put one set in one pan and the other in another and just mixed everything as I cooked. I did cook the meat separately though.

It was faster, but doesn`t look quite as nice. Still tastes great though!

Enjoy, however you decide to make it :-)

Pepper beef with mashed potatoes (Rindfleischpfeffer mit frischem Kartoffelstock)

Wow. This dish was incredible.  All of you who have a large fridge...make this soon...those without...wait til the temperatures are in the 40s and keep it outside.  This dish, you keep in the fridge for a week. That`s right, 7 days (6-8 recommended).  This is definitely an Autumn dish, and while Summer seems to have hidden from us, Fall will be here and you must try this.  It reminded me a lot of my mom`s steak and mushroom pie, though this was served in a lipped dish with mashed potatoes on the side.

Our teacher had prepared the dish a head of time, as obviously we weren`t going to be in class for an entire week, so we got to see the results and learn how to make it. Kind of like the time elapsed cooking shows...I wish my kitchen would do that by itself sometimes.

This is the second installment of the August cooking class, there will be one more, on a marinade/dip recipe -my shocking discovery on how a bowl full of chili peppers did not cause me to turn into a dragon and breathe fire.

What you need:

Beef ragout - stew meat, but cut it into smaller pieces,  at least 500 g
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
celeriac, peeled and chopped
red wine, enough to cover the meat
1/3 - 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
gravy thickening agent (bratensauce)
3 or 4 bay leaves
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp green peppercorns
1 tsp whole cloves
mushrooms
grapes or pineapple, whichever you prefer
optional: 1 finely sliced leek

For the potatoes
peeled potatoes, 500 g, steamed until tender
1/3 cup milk, may use more
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
butter


Peel all your vegetables and dice up the beef.  Slice and put your veggies in a bowl

Add the beef and bay leaves

Add the rosemary

 Add crushed white peppercorns. You can put them on the counter and hit them with the bottom of a frying pan

Add black peppercorns and a few crushed garlic cloves

Add the red wine, enough to cover the beef

mix

Add the red wine vinegar and put it the fridge for between 4-7 days.  I think the longer the better, if you have the room.  You need to mix it up once per day, so there should not be any worry that you will think it is forgotten leftovers and just toss it away :)

This is the difference between the one we made on the left, and the one that had sat in the fridge, on the right.  (There are also sliced leeks in the one on the right, feel free to add them if you would like)

mine after 6 days in the fridge

Next, using a sieve if you have one, scoop out the meat and put it in a hot frying pan to sear it. 

Remove the meat and put the sauce, without vegetables on the stove. Add a gravy thickener (see below). Bring to a simmer and add the beef. 

Add sliced mushrooms and whole grapes or pineapple chunks. Simmer for 1.5 hours, until the beef is tender. You may need a little longer or a little less depending on the size of the beef chunks. 

Just before serving, mix about 1/4 cup of cream into the mixture. 

I added pineapple to mine instead of grapes. I also did half beef and half pork. It just melted in your mouth it was so tender. 

For the potatoes:

Peel them and then steam then until they are tender

Using your massive kitchen grinder...
yes, well, as most of us are not lucky enough to have the massive amount of room this requires, you can use a small mixer or a potato masher

Put the milk in a large saucepan. You can always add more milk, but you can`t take it away, so start out easy.  Warm it up and add some freshly grated nutmeg, if you have it, otherwise from the jar is fine. Add a dollop of butter, let it melt and then add the potatoes.  Mix well

Plate and serve immediately.  Enjoy!