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Category Archives: Main Entrees


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Market Street Meat Loaf

I had meatloaf for the first time last semester. We made it in my food science lab and I was pretty disgusted by the process of kneading the raw meat for 5 minutes, but I was surprised by how good the end product tasted! I asked Mike to buy me the book the recipe came from for Christmas, and he delivered.

If you have a food processor, I highly recommend that you use it. I spent so much time finely chopping the ingredients until I remembered I had purchased a Cuisinart food processor during Black Friday. Unfortunately, I was already half way through the prep work, but the other half only took 30 seconds.

Don’t let the length of the recipe deter you from making it! It really doesn’t take that long, especially if you have a food processor.

Market Street Meat Loaf
serves 8 – 10
from The New Basics Cookbook

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 pounds lean ground beef chuck
12 ounces sausage meat (not fennel-flavored Italian sausage)
3/4 cup fine fresh bread crumbs, toasted

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the onion, scallions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the moisture from the vegetables has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hour.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  3. Combine the salt, black and white pepper, cayenne, cumin, nutmeg and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat well. Add the ketchup and half-and-half. Blend thoroughly.
  4. Add the chuck, sausage, and bread crumbs to the egg mixture. Then add the chilled vegetables and mix throughly with your hands, kneading for 5 minutes.
  5. With damp hands, form the mixture into an oval about 17 x 4 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches, resembling a long loaf of bread.
  6. Place the loaf in a baking dish and place this dish inside a larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
  7. Place the pan in the oven and bake 35 – 40 minutes.
  8. Remove the baking dish from the water bath, and let the meat loaf rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.


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Szechaun Shrimp

I make a large variety of food here at school, but I don’t really make a lot of seafood. I decided to give shrimp a spin and I love love love this dish. It’s so incredibly easy and it’s surprisingly good with a really full flavor profile. Try it out! If you really like spicy foods (like me), toss in a little more red pepper flakes! I think I ended up accidentally dumping in 2 – 3 tablespoons and it was SO good.

Szechuan Shrimp
serves 4

4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces large shrimp, cooked and tails removed

  1. Combine water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, red pepper flakes and ginger in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in green onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add shrimp and cook for 30 seconds, stirring often.
  4. Pour sauce on top and mix thoroughly with the shrimp. Cook until the sauce is thick and bubbly.
  5. Serve over white rice and enjoy!


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Stuffed Bell Peppers – with Venison!

These stuffed bell peppers went from good to great with the addition of venison! Mike got a deer this year and we have so much venison now! Though there are a lot of venison recipes out there, I’ve been trying to think of ways to incorporate it into unexpected places. The ground venison is perfect for that since it is easy to cook with! I’ve already put it into pasta sauce and now I’ve tried it in stuffed peppers, too! Both had really tasty results.

Stuffed Bell Peppers
serves 2

1 cup cooked white or brown rice
2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
1/2 pound ground venison
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Place the peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 25 to 30 minutes or until tender and skin starts to brown.
  3. While the peppers are roasting, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the green onions, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in ground venison and cook until browned.
  4. Spoon in the cooked rice, tomatoes, and the remainder of the green onions and stir until heated through. Remove from heat, mix in the feta cheese, and spoon the mixture into the pepper halves.
  5. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.


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Sweet and Sour Pork

I originally made this dish in my Food Science lab during fall semester using seitan, a meat substitute. The entire lab was really interesting, since it was based on using meat-substitutes. We used tofu, seitan, tempeh, and beans to make a huge variety of delicious dishes. This one was my favorite, and I decided to recreate it at home. While I enjoyed the seitan, I opted to use pork, since that was what I had on hand. Since then, I have also made this dish with chicken – both are very good!

Sweet and Sour Pork
serves 4

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound pork chops, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bell pepper, cut in strips
1 large onion, chopped
1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks with juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
  2. Stir in the pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir until thickened. Mix in pineapple chunks just before serving.
  3. Serve with white or brown rice.


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Sauerbraten and Spaetzle

I stumbled across this recipe in the October issue of Food Network magazine. I’ve never had sauerbraten or spaetzle before, so I decided to give it a try since I love eating new things. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I made it for myself, Mike and my friend Ashley and I think we all agreed that the meal was not just good, it was wonderful.

Though the recipe was time-consuming, I have no regrets making it. I would suggest that you prep the meat on a Thursday night so that you can cook it Sunday. I prepped it on Friday and made it Monday and between classes and meetings, I was stressed out about this meal! One bite of it completely calmed me down and made me realize that it was worth every minute I put into it, though!

Sauerbraten and Spaetzle

Sauerbraten
serves 4 – 6

3 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 large onions, cut into large chunks
5 cloves garlic; 3 crushed, 2 chopped
10 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon juniper berries (spice aisle)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 3-4 pound boneless beef top chuck roast
Kosher salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon crushed gingersnap cookies
Freshly ground pepper
Sour cream and fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Spaetzle, for serving

  1. Combine 2 cups broth, wine, vinegar, 1 chopped onion, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns, and cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Place the beef in a large resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 3 days, turning daily.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Season with kosher salt on all sides. Strain the marinade, discarding the solids.
  3. Heat a large ovenproof pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, 10 – 12 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add carrots, celery and remaining onion to the pot and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and chopped thyme and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and cook 2 minutes. Stir in strained marinade and remaining 1 cup beef broth and bring to a simmer.
  4. Return meat to pot, cover and cook in the oven until tender , 2 hours and 3o minutes.
  5. Remove meat and transfer to a plate. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in gingersnaps and simmer until thickened; season with salt and pepper.
  6. Thinly slice the meat and serve with spaetzle, the vegetables, and sauce. Garnish with parsley and sour cream, if desired.

Spaetzle

Spaetzle
serves 4 – 6

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons melted
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

  1. Mix flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Gradually stir in up to 1 cup water to make a smooth dough. Beat with a wooden spoon until bubbles form and then stir in melted butter.
  2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Place about 1 cup of dough in a colander with large holes. Using a rubber spatula, push dough through the holes and into the boiling water. Cook for about 1 minute after the spaetzle float to the surface and then transfer with a slotted spoon to another colander. Repeat with remaining dough. Rinse spaetzle with cold water if not serving immediately.
  3. Before serving, sauté the spaetzle in a skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until warmed through. Season with pepper and garnish with parsley.

Tip: I used a metal colander that was part of my large stock pot to do this. Mike and I found that it was easier to push the dough through a metal colander versus a plastic one. We also used a wooden spoon on the metal since it was sturdier than a rubber spatula.


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Slow Cooker Ribs

This is such a great meal to make in the slow cooker. You toss it into the pot before you leave for work or class and come home at night to one of the best smelling things in the world. On top of that, these are fall-off-the-bone tender. Who can pass up tender, easy, delicious ribs? I know I can’t!

Slow Cooker Ribs

Slow Cooker Ribs
adapted from allrecipes.com

4 pounds pork baby back ribs
salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original)
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan. Brown in oven 15 minutes on each side and drain fat.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix together the BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Place ribs in slow cooker, pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.
  4. Cover, and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.


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Vietnamese Lemongrass Green Beans and Tofu

I made this mid-summer and never got around to posting it, so I figured I would do it now. I had gone to the farmers’ market and gotten 2 pounds of green beans, with no idea what I wanted to use them for. They sat in my fridge for days before I decided to hit the internet. I scoured it for dishes that contained ingredients that I have never used before and stumbled across this one on Herbivoracious. I decided to give it a try. Mike and I both liked it a lot (he liked it more than I did) but it was just too much work! I don’t think I’ll be making this again any time soon since I simply don’t have the time to do this, but I will probably try it again next summer.

Lemongrass green beans and tofu

Vietnamese Lemongrass Green Beans and Tofu
from Herbivoracious

1 pound extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger (a microplane is ideal for this)
2 stalks of lemongrass (prepared as described below)
fresh chili peppers of your choice, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
salt
black pepper

Chilis, lemon grass, ginger, garlic

  1. In a large skillet or wok over maximum heat, fry the tofu in about half of the oil until it is crispy and brown, stirring occasionally. Remove to paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.
    Tofu
  2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, along with the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilis. Fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the green beans and toss thoroughly. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until somewhat tender and nice brown spots are developing. If necessary, you can add a bit of water and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam them. (Or pre-microwave for 3-4 minutes first – this can be a really helpful technique).
    Green beans
  3. Add the tofu back in, along with the soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir, taste and make any final seasoning adjustments, and serve.
    Green beans and tofu

To prepare lemongrass:

  1. Remove the tough outer leaves and discard.
  2. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut off the bulb end and discard.
  3. Make thin slices up the stalk starting from the bulb end, and stopping before you cut the last 1/3. Discard the top of the talk.


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Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

I love slow cookers. They’re a life saver for me. I can throw everything into the pot with almost no prep work at all and come home to a delicious, hot meal. This dish is great. It’s easy, doesn’t have too many ingredients, and it is good. The kielbasa gets cooked down to a melt-in-your mouth texture and the beer, honey dijon mustard, and sauerkraut flavors come together beautifully.

Slow cooker kielbasa and sauerkraut

Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

2 pounds kielbasa
2 small onions, sliced
1 small apple, chopped
2 14-ounce cans sauerkraut, drained
1 12 fluid ounces can or bottle of beer (I used Sam Adams)
1/4 cup  honey Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon caraway seeds

  1. Brown the kielbasa in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Transfer browned kielbasa into slow cooker.
  2. Saute onions in the skillet until browned and transfer into the slow cooker.
  3. Add the apple, sauerkraut, beer, mustard, and caraway seeds into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
  4. Cook on low for 6 hours until meat is tender.


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Yakisoba Chicken

Yes, I am still alive, although my lack of posts contradicts this fact… Looking back though, I can’t really remember what I’ve eaten. That’s probably because I haven’t eaten any substantial meals. The reason? Well, school started and, as always, I am way too busy aaaaaaand – Mike and I got a puppy!

His name is Ripley and although he is the most time-consuming thing in my life, I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

To make up for lost time, I present to you Yakisoba Chicken. I had a package of soba noodles leftover and I had no idea what to do with them. I went to allrecipes.com and searched by ingredient and this recipe sounded too good to pass up.

Yakisoba chicken

Yakisoba Chicken
from allrecipes.com

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons chile paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 n, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths
1/2 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
8 ounces soba noodles, cooked and drained

  1. In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry an additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove mixture from pan, set aside and keep warm.
  2. In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy!


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Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper Cayenne Sauce

One of my favorite things to do is cook for my friends. I think I get this from my mom who is always finding a reason to throw elaborate dinner parties. I honestly hope that I can one day host parties that impress as many people as she can.

I made this for Mike and a couple of our friends one night for dinner and served it with some crumb-topped rhubarb for dessert.

This dish was very easy to make and so good! People who have a lower spice tolerance won’t find it too spicy and if you can handle the heat, then bring on the cayenne!

Red Bell Peppers

Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper Cayenne Sauce
adapted from allrecipes.com

12 ounces fettuccine
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 red bell peppers, julienned
1 large onion, sliced
3 gloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or adjust to taste)
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup fat free sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Fettucine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions and drain.
  2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook bell peppers and onions for 1 – 2 minutes. Add garlic and cayenne and cook for 3 more minutes.
  3. Stir in broth and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and stir in Parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in sour cream until smooth.
  4. Toss pasta with sauce and serve immediately.