All Around Beef Ragu - Food Allergy Friendly

         Hello Frugalista Moms!  It's crazy Tuesday once again.  You know that day of the week when everyone in the family is rushing from one activity to the next. Child #2 has this at 4 pm while Child #1 needs to be there at 5:30 pm, pick up Child #3 at.... and so on. 

         Pre-food allergy diagnosis, this is the day wherein the fastfood drive thru window is my best friend.   A lot has changed though.  With a little planning and sometimes the help of my new BFF (the slowcooker),  I can have dinner, snack and even next day the children's lunch covered. 

         One of my ever reliable recipes is this easy Beef Ragu.  This basic recipe is so versatile, a bunch of new dishes can be made from just a big pot of it such as:
           1. Serve on top of your favorite pasta  for Pasta & Meat Sauce
           2. Add some rinsed canned beans and chili powder - Easy Chili n Beans
           3. On top of corn chips and shredded Daiya cheddar style cheese  - Nachos
           4. With some rolls (gluten free of course!) - Sloppy Joe sliders
           5. On top of pizza crust  - Easy Meat Pizza

          Feel free to double the recipe too.  It freezes quite well. A great use for all those ground meat you bought on sale.  Plus you'll also have something waiting in the freezer for busy days such as my crazy Tuesday.  Wink.. wink... I always have some of these in 1 cup containers that I serve as a hearty dip for my growing happy eaters. 

        Happy cooking!

- Roz

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp garlic minced
1/2 cup onions chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbs course sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbs fresh basil chopped

1. In a big pot, heat olive oil and brown the meat.
2. Once the ground beef has browned, add the garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, rosemary and tomatoes. Mix well and bring to a boil.
3. Season with 1 1/2  Tbs salt and ground pepper. 
4. Simmer for 30 - 90 minutes.  The longer you simmer it, the more flavorful it gets.  Mix every 10 minutes to prevent the sticking.
5. After your preferred simmering time, taste to make sure if you need the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt. Some canned crushed tomatoes have added salt.  The once I used only contains tomatoes that's why I need the extra 1/2 tsp.   Also, take note that I have used course salt in the recipe. 
6. Turn off heat, stir in the fresh basil and serve over pasta, rice and even steamed veggies. 

Quick tip:
     
       This recipe can easily be made in the crock pot. Just brown the meat before putting it in a slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients except the fresh basil. Season with 1 1/2 Tbs of salt instead of the mentioned 2 Tbs.  Mix in the basil just before serving.

Chinese Five Spice Beef Stew

       The flu bug has visited our home again.  Can you believe it is the second time all four kiddos have on and off fever for 2 weeks?  When I brought them to the doctor, they were tested positive for flu and this time a different strain.  Are you kidding me?   They were just sick last month! 

 

         Oh well, I now agree with the news that this winter's flu season is one of the worst we had.  Whether one had a flu shot or not, many were not spared.  Thank God none of my children have pneumonia.

 

          Since each child had to be off from school for about 7 days and yes, I was stuck with cracky, I want mommy babies, I rely on recipes that are easy to prepare and can be kept warm until someone is ready to eat. 

 

         One of our family's favorites is this delicious Chinese Five Spice Beef Stew.  This dish gets better the longer it simmers. In fact, I like it the day after I prepared it.  It also freezes well so feel free to make the entire batch.  Though my children love this over rice, you can also have it on top of mashed cauliflower, nachos and even use it as a sloppy joe with a twist.   The best part is you can also use your trusted crock pot to make this which means, you'll save more time. Isn't that great?       

 

          So whether you have sick children like me, expecting some company over the weekend or simply short on time to cook, this hearty and versatile dish will surely be a big help.  Give it a try and let me know how it turned out.    

        

Ingredients:
2 Tbs Bacon grease
3 lbs ground beef
1 Tbs garlic minced
1/2 cup onions chopped
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 pcs star anise
3 pcs bay leaf
1 3 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp cloves
1 Tbs sea salt
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 Tbs Sriracha or hot sauce
2 cups potatoes diced
1 lbs frozen peas
2 cups water
1/2 cup red bell pepper diced

1. In a big dutch oven or heavy pan, brown the ground beef in bacon grease.
2. Once the meat has browned, add the garlic and onions and sautee for 4 minutes.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, star anise, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, chinese 5 spice powder and 1/2 Tbs of salt. 
4. Bring to boil and simmer for at least 45 minutes or until the sauce is reduced in half.  The longer you simmer it, the more flavorful it gets.
5. Add the potatoes, peas and bell pepper. 
6. When the potatoes are soft, check if you need to add the remaining 1/2 Tbs of salt. 
7. Stir in the sriracha or hot sauce. 
8. Turn off heat, remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. 
9. Serve over steamed rice or cooked rice noodles. 

Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe can be made with a slow cooker.  After browning the meat, transfer it to a crockpot, add the remaining ingredients except for sriracha and reduce the water to just 1 cup.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Stir in the sriracha just before serving. 

-Roz