New Ground

Over the past two weeks, I have discovered two wonderful new recipes using ground beef.

The first one is a Thai recipe. I don't tend to think of ground beef being used in Thai food, but this recipe really works.

The second one is a Greek inspired recipe. It is a fun salty and sweet combination using a spice pairing of cayenne pepper and cinnamon. The dusting of confectioners' sugar on top might seem odd, but it is delicious!

Try them yourself and let me know what you think!

Thai Beef with Chilies and Basil over Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup jasmine rice
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
coarse salt
2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 long hot pepper or red jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced into 2 inch matchsticks
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves
lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

When rice is almost done, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Heat a cast-iron skillet or wok over high. Add oil and heat; add garlic and half the chiles. Cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon until completely browned, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and cook 30 seconds. Add basil and remaining chiles and stir to combine. Serve beef over coconut rice with lime wedges.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe.

Notes: There is no need to add salt to the beef mixture. The fish sauce/soy sauce mixture is plenty salty enough. In fact, I would recommend using low sodium soy sauce. The lime wedges squeezed on top adds a very nice touch. The coconut rice also adds a very subtle flavor to the meal.

Also, I am kind of a slow vegetable chopper (at least it always seems to take forever), so I didn't wait until the rice was almost done--as the recipe suggests--before working on the rest of the recipe. I proceeded to the rest of the recipe as soon as the rice was simmering.

In the magazine, it was also suggested that if you don't want to use ground beef, you could use any of the following ground meats: pork, lamb, turkey, or chicken.

I first saw this on the Everyday Food PBS cooking show. It was also in my Everyday Food monthly subscription. It can also be found on the Martha Stewart website.




Ground Beef Pie

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons olive oil (see note below)
1 onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 pound ground beef
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
5 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
8 phyllo sheets, thawed
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onoin until translucent; about 4 minutes. Add beef, cayenne, cinnamon, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until beef is browned, about 10 minutes. Add almonds and parsley; cook 3 minutes more. Let cool slightly.

In a bowl, season eggs with salt and pepper; add milk, and whisk to combine. Fold into beef mixture.

Lay 1 phyllo sheet on a clean work surface. Brush lightly with oil; lay another sheet on top, staggering corners. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets and oil, rotating sheets slightly each time. Gently place dough in an 8 inch pie plate; fill with mixture. Fold edges over top. Brush with oil. Bake until golden brown and filling is set, 20-25 minutes. Dust top with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Serve hot, sliced into wedges.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe.

Notes: This has a fantastic flavor. None of the flavorings are overwhelming--there is a wonderful lemon undertone, the cayenne pepper gives it a small kick, but it isn't overpowering. The cinnamon is very understated and the powdered sugar on top is the icing on the cake!

Oh, and I used Pam cooking spray instead of olive oil on most of the layers of phyllo dough. When I brushed olive oil onto the first layer, it was so hard to keep the phyllo from breaking up. So, I sprayed the rest of the layers with Pam and then brushed olive oil on top of the phyllo once I had folded it over the beef mixture. It was a lot easier, it still tasted great, and it saved me some calories!

Again, I first saw this on the Everyday Food PBS cooking show. It can also be found on the Martha Stewart website. It's a great show (on KUED Channel 7 at 3 p.m. every Saturday, if you're interested--Utah).