Basil Steak Marinade

adapted from SteakMarinade.org

It's the height of summer and all of my herbs are overflowing right now. So I've been trying to use fresh herbs as often as possible. This basil marinade was amazing! So much flavor and easy to put together.

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped into little pieces

1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup minced scallions

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

4 steaks

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Pour over steaks and let the meat marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours.

Greek Burgers

adapted from Food-o del Mundo

I love Greek food. The flavors manage to balance sharp and creamy, salty and sweet in a way that is marvelous. So when I saw this recipe for Greek style hamburgers, I just had to try it. They were wonderful, needing very little garnish except for a slice of tomato and Tzatziki sauce.

Hamburger patties

17 oz ground pork (500 mg)

1 egg

1/2 cup of bread crumbs (or oats)

1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup minced Kalamata olives

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Tzatziki sauce

1 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 finely chopped cucumber

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1-2 tsp dill

Hamburger buns

Tomato slices (for garnish)

Mix hamburger ingredients together well. Gently form 1/2 inch thick patties (1.25 cm), trying not to overwork the meat. Using a grill is optimal, but if that isn't available, just use a frying pan on the stove. Heat the stove very hot. Place the patty on the pan and let it sit. Do not push down on the burger, it lets all of the juices out. Fry on a hot stove, 7-9 minutes each side. Take off the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Prepare the Tzatziki sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Put the patty on a bun, with a layer of sauce and a tomato and enjoy!

Basil Chili

It's been cold since we moved to Austria. And I finally got a pot big enough to make soup in. So in celebration I made Ben and I a bowl of chili. And it was good.

Serves 4-6

1-2 tsp oil

2 medium onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, diced

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups kidney beans

1 cup corn

1 cup mushrooms

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

cheese (to garnish)

Saute garlic and onion in oil until starting to soften. Then add carrots and mushrooms and saute until carrots are starting to soften. Then add ground beef, stir occasionally until browned. Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn, chili powder, cayenne powder, half of the bunch of basil and beef broth. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve warm with cheese and fresh basil on top.

Black Bean and Garlic Meatballs

adapted from Vanilla Kitchen

These meatballs turned out to be a great dinner with a light asian twist.

Meatballs
3/4 lb ground pork
1/2 cup grated white onion
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 tsp dried ginger (2 tsp fresh grated ginger)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup oatmeal or breadcrumbs

Garlic-Honey Black Bean Sauce
2 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce
4-5 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine meatball ingredients in a bowl, mix well and form balls about the size of a walnut. In a large frying pan, brown the meatballs and transfer them to a casserole dish and bake them for about 15 minutes. (Or until cooked through)
Now take the frying pan (without cleaning it) and start preparing the gravy. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix them together. Then transfer them to the frying pan and stir frequently until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Once the meatballs are done baking, pour the sauce on top and garnish with green onion.
Serve with rice and vegetables.

Borscht (Beetroot Stew)

from Mandi

No offense to the Slavic language, but I think the word Borscht sounds pretty awful. So when my friend Mandi recommended this recipe, I was a bit nervous to try it out. In the end I was pleasantly surprised! I loved how in spite of how simple the ingredients were the taste was really rich and delicious. I used beef in my soup, but I think it would be great vegetarian as well.

8-10 beets, chopped into smallish pieces

2-3 carrots, chopped into larger pieces

3-4 potatoes, chopped into larger pieces

1/2 lb of ground beef or pork (meat chunks would also be good)

1 large onion, diced

1 cup diced cabbage

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

4-6 cups of stock or water

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp rosemary

salt

Sour cream

Saute meat with onion and garlic and spices. Once cooked through, drain grease and add in beets and saute for several minutes. Then add carrot and potato pieces, saute for several minutes and throw the whole mixture into a large soup pot. Add cabbage, bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Ants Climbing on Branches

Adapted from First Look, Then Cook

After bingeing during Christmas I was feeling very lethargic and unhealthy and I wanted to try a few recipes that tasted good but were still fairly light. This is the carb friendly version to the Chinese food "Ants climbing on Trees" which is ground pork with thin noodles. Here the noodles are replaced with green beans, making it much lower in calories while still being delicious.

1 lb green beans

1/2 lb lean ground pork

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1 medium onion

1-2 chilies

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped cashews

Heat oil and saute garlic, onion, spices together for a few minutes until fragrant. Then add pork and brown, then add beans and red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes until the beans are beginning to soften. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and whisk together until smooth. Stir broth mix into pork and cook until thickened. Top with cashews and serve with rice.

Karelian Stew

from Mandi

Karelian stew (Karjalanpaisti) is a traditional meat stew from Karelia, the eastern part of Finland where Ben's mother is originally from. It is hearty and uses tasty root vegetables found in Scandinavia. I would love to try this in a dutch oven sometime, it seems like perfect camp food.

Serves 4

1-2 lbs of beef, pork or lamb chunks

1 Tbsp butter

1 rutabaga, chopped

3-5 carrots, chopped

4 small onions, chopped roughly

4-5 cups water or beef broth (enough to cover food in the pot)

15 peppercorns

4 bay leaves

salt to taste

6-8 potatoes

Heat the oven to 275 F. Wash and chop all vegetables except potatoes (set them aside). Brown the meat in the butter in a sauce pan and layer meat cubes, onions, and vegetables in a lidded casserole dish. Pour water or beef broth over the meat and cover.

Bake in the oven, stirring occasionally until meat is tender (about 5 hours). While the stew is in the oven, boil the potatoes. Once 5 hours is up, take out the stew, remove bay leaves and peppercorns and serve over boiled potatoes.

Meat and Potato Pie

Adapted from Have Spork Will Travel

This is serious comfort food. Like a chicken pot pie made for a mountain man. I would love to try it with chunks of beef rather than mincemeat, but for the time being it will have to do.

1 lb beef

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups carrots

1 cup peas

1 cup corn

1 can mushrooms

1 can cream mushroom soup + 1 can of water

1/2 cup milk

pie crust (two, for top and bottom)

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Saute beef onion, garlic, spices, carrots in a large pot until soft. Drain excess fat. Then add potatoes, soup, peas, corn, mushrooms and milk. Simmer on low for 30 min until the liquid is reduced. Then spoon the mixture into the crust, seal edges and bake 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Mom's Vegetable Soup

from Mom

This is a soup that my family grew up on. It is cheap and easy to make and has lots of lovely vegetables that moms love. It is perfect with a big hunk of fresh corn bread.

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups sliced carrots

1 lb ground beef

2 cups tomato juice

6 cups beef broth

2 cups potatoes, diced

1 cup peas

1 cup corn

In a large soup pot, saute the onion, garlic and carrot with the ground beef until beef is cooked through. Drain grease and add the tomato juice and beef broth along with the potatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the peas and corn and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Spicy Asian Shredded Pork

adapted from Savour Fare

I made this as a side to a vegetable stir fry, and it was amazing. Slow cooking meat really allows you to capture intense flavor, and it is so easy a child could do it!

2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into smaller pieces

2 bell peppers, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

sesame seeds to garnish

Sauce:

2 cups teriyaki sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Place pork, peppers, garlic, onion into a large pot (or crockpot). Mix together sauce and turn the heat on low for 8-12 hours. Be sure that liquid is always covering the meat so it doesn't get dried out. Once done, pull the pork apart with forks and serve.

Greek Nachos

from Not Without Salt

This fabulous idea was seen on Tastespotting and it combined my love of finger foods, easy prep meals and the wonderful Greek flavors that burst in your mouth. It turned out great, and Ben wanted to make it again the next night. Success!

4-5 pitas, cut into triangles and lightly toasted (pita chips would also work)

1 lb ground lamb (I used beef... it was fine)

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp mint

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp lemon pepper

4-5 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 cucumber, diced

8 oz Feta (about 225 grams)

1 jar olives

Pepperoncinis, diced

Tzatziki Sauce (Greek yogurt sauce)

parsley to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Put the pita chips on a large baking sheet (baking paper underneath for easy cleanup) and bake in the oven with a little oil and salt drizzled on top. You just want to make them a bit crispy so only a few minutes should do the trick.

In a large skillet combine lamb, onion, garlic and spices and cook until meat is cooked through. Drain grease and pour on top of toasted pita triangles. Add tomatoes, cucumber, feta, olives and pepperoncinis on top and bake for 10 minutes until warmed through.

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with Tzatziki sauce or hummus on the side.

Kaaliruoka (Cabbage Meal)

from my Finnish Mother in Law, Ulla

This is a dinner that Ben remembers from his childhood. It is so filling and simple, I can see her whipping this up for her 8 hungry kids after a long day teaching ballet. Thanks for the idea Ulla!

1 lb ground beef

1/2 white cabbage, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 medium onion, minced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2-3 cups rice

1 beef bullion cube

1 Tbsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice (enough for about 3-4 cups... this isn't an exact science) with beef broth or a beef bullion cube. Brown hamburger along with the onion and garlic in a large pot. Drain grease and return to pot along with the chopped cabbage, and parsley. Cook for a couple of minutes until the cabbage starts to soften. Stir in cooked rice along with salt, pepper and brown sugar. Serve (it was great with tomatoes!)

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

I LOVE slow cooker recipes. They are impossible to screw up and people think you are just amazing in the kitchen. If they only knew how easy it was, they wouldn't be so impressed! For the Fourth of July, we wanted to make something uniquely American and this was just the ticket. The sandwiches were so good, juicy and delicious.

I made my own sauce because it is hard to find good BBQ sauce in Finland. But feel free to experiment with different flavors of the bottled kind.

Pork

3-4 lbs pork (could easily switch to beef or chicken)

3-4 cups (about 25-30 ounces) BBQ sauce (homemade or bottled, it doesn't matter. You just need enough to mostly cover the pork)

1 medium onion, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced

salt and pepper to taste

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp chili powder

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cayenne powder

Also needed:

Buns, pickles, coleslaw and some people like mustard...

Combine all sauce ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes in a pan until sauce is thickened. If using a bottled sauce, skip this step.

Put the Barbeque sauce in a deep pot (or crockpot) and add the minced onion and garlic, salt and pepper. Put in the pork and be sure that it is mostly covered with sauce or those bits will be dry. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (overnight) or 4-5 hours on high. Scoop off excess fat, and shred the beef. Add a little water or extra sauce if it looks dry. Put the lid back on and cook on low for an additional 1-2 hours. Stir occasionally. Serve warm on split buns and let the compliments roll on in.

Yakitori Burgers

adapted from A Good Appetite

This is a delicious Japanese twist on hamburgers, and turned out beautifully.

Burger Patties:

225 grams ground pork (or turkey or other ground meat)

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1/2 onion

1/2 tsp honey

1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 egg

1/4 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Glaze:

1/4 cup Mirin, or pineapple juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 T brown sugar

2 tsp ginger

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp cold water

hamburger buns

pineapple rings (reserve juices)

1 medium onion, cut into rings

1/4 cup mayonnaise

lettuce

chili sauce

In a small saucepan, bring the Mirin, soy sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, ginger, and lemon juice to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and cold water together to dissolve the cornstarch. Stir into the boiling mixture. Let boil for about 15 minutes until thickened. Set aside to cool.

Mix all burger ingredients together with your hands and form into patties. Grill over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side. Brush with glaze and flip. Grill for 2 more minutes each side, adding glaze to both sides.

When the burgers have about 5 minutes left, fry the onions on the grill and brush them with glaze. Cook until soft.

Mix mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp glaze. Put together burgers on a bun with mayonnaise mix, lettuce, onions, a pineapple ring, and chili sauce.

Mongolian Beef

adapted from Foodie Bride

This is a take on the popular Chinese restaurant favorite. It was easy to put together, and had a light spicy flavor. Next time I would probably add some fresh chilies to make it a little hotter, but as is this dinner is a crowd pleaser.

1 lb flank steak, sliced thinly
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tsp oil, divided
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 cup water
1cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar (measured, not packed)
2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used 1 tsp chili powder)

Garnish with sesame seeds or sliced green onion

Pat steak slices dry and add to a bowl with cornstarch. Toss to coat and shake off excess starch.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant. Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and pepper flakes. cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl.

Turn the heat to high and add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the beef strips and cook until browned on all sides. Pour the sauce back into the wok and stir for several minutes, then remove from heat. Serve with rice and vegetables, garnish and enjoy!

Polynesian Style Meatballs

adapted from Don't Forget Delicious

Ok, I know this is my third meatball recipe, but for some reason (pregnancy?) I have been really craving meat lately... These meatballs may be my all-time favorite, the flavor was spicy and unique and they were a cinch to put together.

1 lb ground pork

1 egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs (or quick oats)

1-3 tsp chili sauce (depending on how much heat you like)

3/4 tsp fresh ginger root, grated

2 tsp mustard

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz pineapple chunks, plus juice

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together pork, egg, oats, chili sauce, ginger root, mustard, soy sauce and salt. Roll into balls and brown them in a frying pan on the stove. Once browned, put in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes (or until cooked all the way through)

In the same frying pan, heat the pineapple + juice and onion until just boiling. Add in the bell pepper, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine vinegar, brown sugar, stock and cornstarch and mix together. Add to the pineapple mixture and stir to combine. Boil for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Add meatballs back into the pan and toss to coat. Serve over hot rice.

Spicy Sloppy Joes

This is one of those childhood classics that I remember as a child. They are cheap, easy and liked by kids everywhere. As an adult I prefer my Joe a little spicier, but feel free to ease up on the heat according to the tastes of your guests.

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
1-2 Tbsp spicy mustard
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup (or tomato sauce)
dash of chili (adjust to your tastes)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
sandwich buns

Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, then add beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and sugar to beef mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, then scoop into sandwiches and serve.

Rachel Sandwiches

Ben is a real sauerkraut man, so this is one of his favorite sandwiches.
Pickles on the side are a must!

Rye Bread (we used whole wheat this time, but Rye is proper.)
Pastrami
Swiss Cheese
Sauerkraut
Thousand Island Dressing
Mustard
Pickles

Lay the bread open faced on a cookie sheet. On one half of the sandwich, place meat and cheese, on the other put sauerkraut and mustard. Toast in the oven until crunchy, then put a layer of Thousand Island in the middle and enjoy.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf

From my old roommate, Stacy

This is for people who hate meatloaf.
I was one such person, until my domestically inclined roommate Stacy showed me the way. It is so good, sweet and spicy, I couldn't believe it. The whole dorm room looked forward to her meatloaf and the day of we made it a rule that we could only listen to Meatloaf on meatloaf day in preparation for the occasion. So get your 80's CD's ready.

1 (12 oz) jar red currant jelly
1 (12 oz) jar chili sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup ketchup

To prepare sauce, combine red currant jelly and chili sauce in a sauce pan. Heat until jelly is melted and well blended.
For meatloaf, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, chopped onions, salt, pepper, egg and ketchup mold into a 5x9 loaf pan. Pour half of sauce over meatloaf and bake for 1 hour at 400. Heat remaining sauce and serve with meatloaf.


*Must also play meatloaf CD

Garlic Steak Salad

Garlic Steak Rub from Sister's Cafe

Mmmmm, something about making a baby has me craving red meat. This is a cinch to put together and feels hearty and healthy at the same time.

Steak Garlic Rub:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic

Salad:

1 large bunch of leafy greens

cherry tomatoes

mushrooms

1/2 purple onion

crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the garlic rub and marinade steak for at least 1/2 hour. In the meantime, assemble salad, dressing and cook rice. Prepare a hot griddle with a glug of olive oil and smack that meat down, about 1 1/2 minutes each side (for medium rare, depending on the steak thickness) longer if you want it well done. Serve on the salad with rice on the side. Delicious.