Goulash!

We have lived in Iowa for seven years now and, until now, I haven't made goulash. I *love* goulash. So why haven't I made it? Because my dear husband said he didn't like it. My dear husband who claims not to be picky. Yeah. I made it while we lived in Utah because he worked 6pm to 6am and rarely had time to eat anything more than a bag of chips. He's been on days since we moved, so I try to accommodate. But, enough was enough!

I never liked goulash as a kid. What my mom called goulash, anyway. Macaroni and hamburger with stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. I loved my mom, don't get me wrong, but cooking wasn't her thing. She hated cooking, but did it because she was wife and mom, and she considered it her job not to let us starve. I learned to cook early in self defense!

My goulash starts a bit differently than most. I found a recipe online about fifteen years ago that had you cook the pasta in tomato juice rather than water. Makes ALL the difference! I lost that recipe long ago, but remember that part. This way, the tomato flavor is IN the macaroni, not just on it. The flavor is much richer. This makes a big pot, so feel free to halve it!

Oh, and Mr I Don't Like Goulash? Ate two helpings.

Goulash

2 lbs lean ground beef

16 oz uncooked macaroni

1 can corn, drained (frozen may be used, thaw first)

1 large can tomatoes (stewed, diced, whole, whatever you like), undrained

46 oz tomato juice (V8 may be used if you like)

1 large onion, chopped

2 T paprika

1 t salt

1 t black pepper

1/2 t garlic powder (NOT garlic salt!)

1/2 t onion powder (NOT onion salt!)

In a large skillet, cook beef and onions. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat tomato juice and macaroni over medium high heat. Add tomatoes, corn, and seasonings. Stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The macaroni will absorb most of the juice as it cooks.

When the pasta is tender, add the beef and onions. Turn heat to medium low, stirring often, until beef and onions are hot.

Serve with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top.

Taco Bake

So, it's winter and the local grocery stores have ground beef on sale. For the last 2-3 weeks! Move on, we all have enough hamburger! *sigh*

Me being cheap, have had to get creative with the menu because you can only eat so much meatloaf, tacos, and hamburgers. I had a bag of tortilla chips left from the last time we had tacos and I made pico. I certainly had the ground beef. And I always have taco seasoning, sour cream, cheese and onions...hmmm...

I made it without the refried beans because, genius me, I didn't think about them until the casserole was in the oven. If you don't like refried beans, you can use a can of drained black beans or red beans or pinto beans. Or you can just leave the beans out altogether, but they would bulk it up a bit.

Now, as usual, I made enough for an army, but food doesn't last long here. I used a huge 10x14" baking dish. We have leftovers, but not as many as you might think! And they'll be gone by the weekend. If you don't have a houseful of big eaters like I do, you can easily halve the recipe. I don't recommend freezing this because of the tortilla chips, but if you used torn corn tortillas instead, in the one you freeze, it should work...it just won't have the crunch 

If you like it hotter, add some peppers, milder, use canned diced tomatoes rather than the Rotel.

Taco Bake

2 lbs ground beef (80-85% lean)

1 chopped onion

2 cans Rotel, undrained

1 C. sour cream

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

1 packet taco seasoning

1 15 oz can refried beans

3 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1 large bag tortilla chips

Heat oven to 350°.

Cook meat and onions till onions are soft and meat is no longer pink. Drain and return to skillet.

Stir in Rotel, sour cream, taco seasoning, olives, and beans. Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes.

Coarsely crush half the chips into the bottom of a 10x14" baking dish. Spoon half the meat mixture over the chips. Sprinkle half the cheese over the meat. Repeat layers, making sure the cheese is the last layer added.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Spicy Bowties and Sausage

It was a busy day today, so for dinner, I wanted something quick that I had all the ingredients for.   Didn't do too bad!  The sauce wasn't too heavy and it had just enough spice.
Think this is going to be a short entry because I'm just too pooped to pop.

Spicy Bowties with Sausage

1 pound. Italian sausage
1 small onion,  chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
16 oz. Bowtie pasta, cooked and drained
2 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 C. Heavy cream
1 T red pepper flakes

In a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is no longer pink.  Drain
Add pepper flakes, tomatoes, and cream.  Heat. to boiling, reduce to medium and simmer until thickened. Pour over pasta and toss to coat.

Sausage and Pepperoni Pasta Bake

I picked up some ground sausage intending to make biscuits and gravy for breakfast over the weekend, but everyone slept late and it never happened.  The sausage was thawed, so I needed to use it, which is where dinner tonight came from.

I may post a carrot cake recipe tonight or tomorrow, depending on whether or not I still feel like making it later =P.  I bought a 2 pound bag of carrots the other day and I need to use them before they're all fed to the dogs.  Yes, my dogs love carrots and, after finding out that they were not only good for them as food, but that they helped keep their teeth clean, too, I give them as treats every other day or so.  But, I do want to make that cake...

The pepperoni is optional, I just had a opened pack in the fridge and wanted to use it up.  I used my quick spaghetti sauce, which is a can or jar of store bought sauce with diced tomatoes and tomato sauce added, then I add the spices, wine, and olive oil.  If you have a sauce you like as is, you can omit all the rest.

Sausage and Pepperoni Pasta Bake

1 pound ground sausage, browned, drained, and rinsed
3 oz. sliced pepperoni
16 oz. penne pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can-16 oz- diced tomatoes
1 can-16 oz- tomato sauce
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1 t. dry minced onion
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. dried Italian seasoning
1 T. olive oil
1/4 C. red wine
2 C. shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 350

In a large sauce pan, combine the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, all spices and seasonings, the oil and wine.  Mix well and simmer over medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta and sausage.  Drain both and mix into the sauce along with the pepperoni.  Mix well.

Pour into a large casserole dish (I use a 10x14" pan), top with mozzarella and bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is nice and hot.

Tacos

When we were at the store yesterday, they had cilantro on sale.  My husband saw it, grabbed two bunches, turned to me grinning, and said, "Pico!"  *sigh*  So, last night I made him his pico de gallo.  He would live on that stuff if I were willing to make it all the time.  I keep saying that I need to get one of those little chopper things.  You know, where you put the item to be chopped in a little container, or on the counter, and smack the plunger thingy down and blades go down and chop the item?  My mom had one years ago and it was handy.  She mostly used it t chop pecans for pecan pies, but it would save me a LOT of time in pico!  Like I said, I keep saying it but just haven't gotten around to getting one.  So I dice everything by hand.

Since hubby had to have pico, we had to have tacos for dinner tonight.  I'm not posting a recipe for tacos, however, because, really, who needs one?  Seasoned meat, veggies of your choice, salsa, sour cream, pico, and/or refried beans, all on tortillas or crunchy shells, or even in a taco salad (which here means crushed tortilla chips).  Pico isn't difficult, but I started out with someone's recipe and ended up with my own.  Which is how most of the things I make came to be.

Today would have been a better day for chili or stew than tacos, but I guess if you use enough pico or salsa, it could warm you up too!  At the present time in northeast Iowa, it's slushing.  That glopy, nasty rain/snow mix that feels like someone it dribbling a Slurpee from the sky.  And someone said something about Spring?  Seriously??  What planet are they on?  *sigh*

 

Pico de Gallo
This should be made the day before it is to be use...or at least in the morning before evening use.  That gives the flavors time to mingle.

5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (you can use the jar stuff)
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 - 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (jar stuff is ok, use 5-6 slices)
juice of 1 lime

mix all the chopped and minced ingredients in a bowl (one large enough to allow you to shake it up) with a lid.  Roll the lime on the counter until it softens up, cut it in half, and squeeze all the juice that you can out of it, onto the pico.
Mix everything up very well and chill overnight, or at least all day, shaking the bowl once in a while to make sure the flavors are well mixed.

This last picture is after it was decimated at dinner.