BEEF AND BLACK BEAN CHILI and BEEF CHEEKS STEW WITH CARIBBEAN SPICES and FLEMISH BEEF STEW and MARINATED FLANK STEAK and STEAK PITAS and VAMPIRE STEAK

Although a hearty steak has become our oldest childs meal of choice, I don't often serve beef for dinner.
However, whether for friends, a dinner party, overnight guests, family, at home or while on vacation, beef seems to have been a frequent feature at our table lately. My husband even served marrow bone with crusty bread at a recent dinner party.
I also, have experimented with cuts of the cow I have never tried before, as well as followed more familiar recipes.

BEEF AND BLACK BEAN CHILI

1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
3/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoons smoked paprika
green onions and grated cheddar cheese to garnish

In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, pepper and garlic over medium heat until browned.
Drain fat. Transfer meat mixture to a slow cooker. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin and paprika.
Cover and cook on high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
Garnish with green onions and cheese as desired
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, December 2012
www.bhg.com/recipes/‎

BEEF CHEEKS STEW WITH CARIBBEAN SPICES

2 1/2 pounds beef cheeks, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 garlic cloves (2 chopped and 4 whole)
pinch nutmeg
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cassareep (or substitute 1 tablespoon molasses, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar, juice of 1 lime)
2 sprigs parsley
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece of ginger, finely diced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups beef stock
4 bay leaves

Marinate meat for 8 hours or overnight in cider vinegar, 1 chopped garlic clove, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of oil.
Heat pan over high heat. Add remaining oil and brown sugar. When sugar caramelizes, after about 3 minutes, add the beef and the cassareep. Cook meat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add parsley, scallions, onions, shallots and remaining garlic. Saute until onions begin to brown, 5 to 10 minutes, then add ginger, thyme, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper.
Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, then add enough stock to cover the meat. Add bay leaves and lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
Remove herb sprigs and bay leaves before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Wall Street Journal, September 2012
online.wsj.com/public/page/magazine-food.html‎

FLEMISH BEEF STEW

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds flank steak, cut into cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups diced onions
1/2 cup flour
Three 12-ounce cans of beer
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
chopped parsley, for garnish

In a heavy pot or enameled casserole dish, melt the butter. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add it to the dish (add in batches if needed).
Cook over moderate heat until lightly browned. Transfer meat to a bowl. Add the onions to the casserole dish, cover and cook over low heat, stirring, until browned, 8 minutes. Stir in the flour until the onions are well-coated, then slowly add the beer. Return the meat to the casserole along with any accumulated juices. Add the thyme and bay leaves, cover and simmer over low heat, stirring until the beef is tender, 2 hours.
Uncover and transfer the meat to a bowl. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat until thickened slightly. Discard the bay leaves. Return the meat to the casserole and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, October 2011
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

MARINATED FLANK STEAK

6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 2 pound flank steak
salt

Combine greeen onions, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, olive oil, brown sugar, hot pepper sauce and toasted sesame oil, in a large resealable plastic bag and mix well. Add steak, seal bag, pressing out excess air. Turn steak to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.
Heat grill to high. Remove steak from bag, season both sides lightly with salt. Grill steak until well browned, about 6 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2012

www.bonappetit.com/recipes‎

STEAK PITAS

1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 onions, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds of filet mignon, cut crosswise into 4 even pieces
4 plain pitas
handful of spinach leaves

Heat a grill to medium.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, horseradish and garlic.
Lightly brush the onions with olive oil, place them on the grill. Season with salt and pepper, cover the grill and cook, carefully turning once, until softened and lightly charred, about 5 minutes, transfer to a bowl.
Pat the beef dry and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing crosswise.
Grill the pitas, turning once, until just warmed through but not crisp, about 1 minute.
Slice the pitas in half, spread the insides with 2 generous teaspoons of horseradish sauce, then stuff with the spinach, sliced meat and grilled onions. Finish with a dollop of the remainig sauce and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine, June 2011
www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search‎

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

MEATBALLS
3 pounds ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
GRAVY
4 tablespoons flour
2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef consommé
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Place a large nonstick frying pan on medium-high heat. While pan is heating, thoroughly mix together ground beef, diced onion, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Form mixutre into 1 inch meatballs. Brown meatballs on all sides, in batches if necessary. Use a slotted spoon to remove browned meatballs to heatproof plate, leaving drippings in pan.
Sprinkle flour over drippings and whisk until combined. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or just until flour turns light golden brown. Slowly whisk in consommé and Worcestershire. Add milk, salt and pepper while whisking constantly. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or just until gravy starts to thicken. Add meatballs back to pan along with any accumulated juices, gently toss to coat meatballs. Lower heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or just until meatballs are cooked through.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Dining Guide, June 2013
www.nwaonline.com/dining/‎

VAMPIRE STEAK

4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 (1 1/2 pound) flank steak, trimmed
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika and tarragon. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak, rub juice mixture evenly over both sides.
Cover, refrigerate for an hour.
Heat grill to high heat.
Sprinkle both sides of steak evenly with salt and pepper. Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray, grill 6 minues on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill, let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak across grain into slices.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, July 2012
www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/‎

SPICED CHICKPEAS WITH YOGURT AND CRUNCHY PITA and TANGY CHICKPEA AND BULGUR SOUP

I love, love, love to read, and can be found with some kind of written material every spare moment I have.
"Jasmine and Fire" is a fascinating and delicious book about the authors year in Lebanon - her attempt to discover where she felt most at home and had the fullest sense of belonging, frequently through the lens of food - which I strongly relate to. After finishing this book, I also have a deep desire to visit Lebanon and eat my way around the country.
Salma mentioned a longing for both places in her life, America and Lebanon, and that she felt a "need to find a way to bring together the places and people that give my life meaning".
I have often thought the most perfect scenario would be to pull my two countries, New Zealand and America, closer together, perhaps even join them with a bridge.
I acutely miss my distant family and friends during the big events such as Christmas or birthdays, and I also miss sharing the ordinary activities, calling in for a cup of coffee or gathering for a casual Sunday dinner. It has been even harder since having kids, but I definitely have an amazing life, and attempt to focus on the positive. I'm very thankful that while I live here in Northwest Arkansas - it is an incredible town with awe inspiring people and a fabulous sense of community, we are able to spend time in New Zealand, and I love and appreciate that my children have a foot in two cultures.

TISS'YE
(SPICED CHICKPEAS WITH YOGURT AND CRUNCHY PITA)

3 1/2 cups boiled chickpeas (canned is fine, rinsed and drained)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups plain yogurt
1 tablespoon tahini
2 pita breads
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup pine nuts
pinch of paprika

In a pot, heat the chickpeas in water (to cover) over medium heat, then lower heat to a simmer.
Meanwhile, mix garlic with 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then gradually drizzle in the lemon juice and keep mixing until you have a creamy paste. Stir mixture into yogurt, mix in the tahini, and set aside.
Tear the pita into pieces, heat the oil and fry or toast in the oven.
Drain chickpeas, place them in a bowl, and sprinkle with cumin and salt to taste.
A few minutes before you are ready to serve the dish, heat butter over medium heat and saute pine nuts until browned, being careful not to blacken them.
In a deep sided serving dish, place one layer of the bread pieces, followed by a layer of the chickpeas, and alternate layers until you run out of ingredients. Ladle the yogurt over the top. Sprinkle the pinenuts in their butter over top and add a pinch of paprika.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!


ZINGOL
(TANGY CHICKPEA AND BULGUR SOUP)

1 cup flour
1 cup coarse bulgur
2 small onions, minced and divided
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup chickpeas (I used canned)
juice of one lemon plus lemon quarters for serving
1/2 teaspoon sumac (I substituted paprika)

Combine flour, bulgur, 1 minced onion, marjoram, mint, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water in a mixing bowl until well blended (I had to add more water). Using palms, form mixture into small balls the size of grapes.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the remaining onion until soft and translucent, then add the garlic. After 1 minute, add the chickpeas, then the bulgur balls. Add water to cover, and let boil until broth thickens.
If some of the balls dissolve, that's fine, it will give the soup a more porridge-like texture. Stir in the lemon juice, season with additional salt to taste, and sprinkle with sumac (or paprika).
Serve with lemon quarters on the side.
Enjoy!

Recipes adapted from Jasmine and Fire, Salma Abdelnour, 2012