RECIPE: Dan the Man's Vegetable Beef Soup Italiano

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE
Open A Bar 2 Ranch
Lyman, Nebraska

December 7, 2010

Dan the Man makes dinner!


...and it wasn't even Tuna Wiggle, Frozen Pizza
or Heated Refried Beans from a can on Flour Tortillas!


Dan the Man "WOWS" the Country Chicken Girl by actually making dinner on Tuesday night. He made Vegetable Beef Soup Italiano from a recipe he found on-line @ Cooks.com.

Dan the Man said he was tired of his Country Chicken Girl never fixing anything with the meaty beef shanks that they had accumulating in their freezer. His momma fixes them and makes some mighty fine vittles with them. He was out to show his little Country Chicken Girl that the beef shanks were quite tasty and worth her time to start incorporating into their daily meals.

Dan the Man's Vegetable Beef Soup Italiano
(actually maybe it should be called Goulash, not Soup...)

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP ITALIANO

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1618,150164-244192,00.html Content Copyright © 2010 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 1/2 lb. beef cubes 1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes 1 (16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes 1 med. size onion, diced Carrots, diced Celery, diced Potatoes, diced Turnip, diced Cabbage, diced Salt and pepper, pinch Pinch parsley and thyme Pinch pot herb Olive oil Small egg noodles (pastine) 1 soup bone In a large soup pot on medium heat, put in 2 tablespoons olive oil (diced beef cubes and saute along with soup bone. Next fill pot about 1/3 or more with water and add all diced vegetables and simmer for 1/2 hour. A film will appear on the surface. Remove film and add stewed tomatoes and whole tomatoes. Add parsley, salt, pepper, thyme, pot herb. Raise heat to medium and cook 1 1/2 hours. Reduce heat. Add egg noodles (Pastine) and 1 package mixed vegetables. Cook 1 hour longer (total cooking time 3 hours). Makes 12 to 15 servings (Thatsa Niza Soupa!)

Dan the Man made a few changes which included not using any turnip and using thick homemade style egg pasta instead of the small egg noodles (pastine).
How was a rugged ranch man suppose to know that pastine pasta referred to tiny soup pasta? Country Chicken Girl didn't even know that until she wrote this post and googled "pastine." Here is what she found on pastine pasta.
What is Pastine Pasta?
I imagine the soup would have been more "brothy" if the correct noodle would have been used, but everyone agreed it was still delicious.



What was left after Dan the Man, the Country Chicken Girl and Sky-man
filled their tummies!

Here is the link if you would like to print the recipe: Vegetable Beef Soup Italiano

And now a word from our sponsor the
OPEN A BAR 2 RANCH
Wouldn't you like to surprise and amaze your family too with this down home, yummy in your tummy recipe?

Well, you can!

OPEN A BAR 2 RANCH
will be selling these unbelievable meaty beef shanks at the
Scottsbluff Winter Farmers Market
or you can call them direct and come pick some up right at the ranch.
Dan the Man and the Country Chicken Girl always have their door open.
Fix your little buck-a-roos some hearty soup tonight!


Here is a picture of Dan the Man when he won
the 2004 Bobby Crocker Cookoff!!

RECIPE: Mesquite Steak over Pasta

Who remembers the "Decluttering the Pantry" posts from the beginning of this year? If you missed it, don't worry, you didn't miss much, unless you like to see what people have in their pantries. You know some people are like that, they enjoy looking at other people's stuff. I know this for a fact because I happen to be one of those people. I love seeing other people's organizational skills and ideas. I also have a very good friend of mine who loves to see other people's stuff! I won't mention any names, but I can remember on numerous occasions when I have been with this person, she has opened closet doors in other people's house just to see what was in there! Hee, hee. Is that wrong? Please forgive her and me for being snoopy. Inquiring minds just want to know!

Anyway, the only reason I brought this whole thing up was because of something that I have had in my pantry since last summer, as in July of 2009! Here is the post to prove it.

Decluttering the Pantry, Day Three

When you look at it scroll down to the part where you see this:



There's that pasta that I bought at a Farmer's Market in Ft. Collins over a year ago! I explained in my post that these were impulse buys that I thought sounded delicious at the time but haven't figured out what to do with yet.

Well guess what? You'll be so proud of me! I finally used the Black Bean Veracruz Fettuccine! Can you believe it? Who says fresh pasta doesn't last forever! LOL I have also cooked the Four Peppercorn Linguine, used that about a month ago with a chicken dish. It was yummy, but that's not what I'm writing about. I still have to use the Sweet Potato Orzo yet, but that will be some day later. BTW Andrea, if you are reading this lil' Miss Fork Fingers Chopsticks, do you have any wise words of wisdom about Orzo??? And Andrea, have you ever tried any of Pappardelle's Pasta? It is simply divine!

Anyway...

Here's the recipe I made up.

Open A Bar 2 Ranch Mesquite Steak over Pasta

Open A Bar 2 Ranch Mesquite Steak over Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. "Open A Bar 2 Ranch" Mesquite Marinated Round Steak (I'll talk about substitutions for the steak at the end of the recipe since I know not all of you are able to purchase some of our most delightful all-natural beef.)
• medium size onion, sliced and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• olive oil
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons butter
  
• 16 oz. Pappardelle's Black Bean Veracruz Fettuccine (although plain fettuccine will do.)
• 2 teaspoons (or more if you like) cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Ground Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper

Directions

1. Pour two tablespoons or so of olive oil into a large dutch oven over medium/high heat.
2. When the oil is hot, brown the steak on both sides until desired doneness. I recommend medium rare. Remove steak to a cutting board and allow to rest.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the dutch oven and saute the onions and garlic in the butter until the onions begin to soften slightly.
4. Add the white wine to the pan with the onions and deglaze the brown bits left from the steak.
5. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and let the wine reduce a bit, say 10 minutes or so.
6. Start the pasta in a separate pot while the wine is reducing.
7. After the wine has reduced add the cream, cumin, paprika, ground pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Let this cook until thoroughly heated and then simmer to thicken a bit while the pasta is cooking.
8. If you want a thicker sauce, combine 1 teaspoon corn starch with 2 tablespoons of white wine in a small bowl and stir to dissolve. Remove the pan from the heat before adding this thickener, stir it in, then put it back on the heat.
   
9. Cut the steak into thin strips.
10. Drain the pasta.
11. To serve, place the pasta on the plate, top the pasta with several strips of steak and pour the sauce over it all.

Oh la, la! This is so good!! The picture does not do this dish justice.

Okay, now for those of you who don't have access to our delicious all-natural beef... First of all, let me say how terribly sorry I am that you aren't able to get it. For those of you who live locally and would like to try this recipe, we will have the marinated mesquite round steak for sale at the Scottsbluff Winter Farmers Markets while supplies last. Let me know if you need the dates and location for the Winter Markets.

But back to those of you who aren't able to get your hands on some of the marinated mesquite round steak... You could use almost any steak for this, say sirloin, ribeye, new york strip, tenderloin... You can pan-fry the steak as I did in the recipe or you can grill it. Also if I were making this with something other than our marinated mesquite steak, I think I would try to find some mesquite flavored rub or marinade and use that on the steak before I cooked it.

ENJOY!

RECIPE: Fried Tacos!!

The other night I made my standard tacos for dinner. I love making them because they are quick and easy. They are also comfort food for me because they are just like the tacos that are served at one of my favorite childhood (and adulthood) restaurants, TACO TOWN! Everyone who lives around here knows Taco Town and most everyone I know loves it. It has been a family owned restaurant in Scottsbluff for many, many years. I don't know when they first opened, but when we were kids living in Scottsbluff, my mother use to take us there every Friday night as a treat. That was some 36 years ago when Taco Town was located on Avenue I in an old gas station. It has since moved to a larger building which they built on 27th Street. Taco Town was also the last place I spent time with my mother before she passed away. I had been back home for something and we ate there for lunch before I had to head back to Rapid City. A few months later she suffered a massive heart attack and passed away at the age of 46.

Taco Town is one of those establishments that everyone misses when they move away from the area. I missed it dearly when I moved away and it was one of the first places I ate when we moved back to the area. I have also taken enchiladas from Taco Town to friends many miles away from Scottsbluff. Generally if you are visiting someone who grew up around here, they ask you to bring enchiladas from Taco Town! When we first moved back here I couldn't wait to introduce Dan the Man to Taco Town. At first he wasn't that impressed and I thought he was crazy. But now he likes it and his favorite is the combination plate. Personally I like to get a taco and an enchilada. I don't get beans or rice, because Dan the Man usually gets full and I help him eat his beans and rice!

So, back to the tacos. I never really thought about posting my taco recipe because I didn't think that they were all that special. But the more I thought about the people who have never experienced Taco Town and their tacos the more I felt so sorry for these lost souls! To have lived without eating these tacos would be a tragedy! So without further ado, there is the recipe!

FRIED TACOS (my take on Taco Town tacos)

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (preferably Open A Bar 2 Ranch beef!)
1 chopped onion
2 teaspoons cumin (more if you like, and I like lots so I just pour some in there)
1 teaspoon salt
Flour tortillas
Oil for frying
Shredded Lettuce
Shredded Cheese
Chopped Tomatoes
Salsa
Sour Cream

Directions

1. Brown your ground beef with the onions and season with the cumin and salt. Drain beef. Note: If you use Open A Bar 2 Ranch Beef, which is wonderfully lean you don't need to drain it. But if you use that stuff from the grocery store, you'd better drain that artery clogging fat.
2. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in an electric skillet. Sometimes I use Crisco shortening, sometimes I use canola oil. I set the skillet on 350 degrees.
3. When oil is hot, take your tortilla and add about 1/4 cup of beef. Don't fill it too full, or you'll have a mess. Trust me! Fold the tortilla in half and hold at the top. (I think that Taco Town places toothpicks in the top of the tortilla to keep the taco closed while frying, but I don't.) Carefully place the taco in the oil for a few seconds until the fold starts to take shape. Then carefully place the taco on it's side in the oil. Be careful not to burn your fingers. You know what? You can use tongs if you want, then you won't burn your fingers. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Sometimes you have to hold the taco closed so the side doesn't flip open. When the tortilla is light golden brown on that side, flip it over to brown the other side.
4. When the taco is light golden brown, remove it with tongs. Drain the oil from the taco and then place it on a cookie sheet that is lined with paper towels. Make sure to place one end of the taco on the rim of the cookie sheet so that it sits at an angel allowing more oil to drain. Keep tacos warm in a 200 degree oven while you are frying the rest of the tacos.
5. Put what ever you want on your taco and ENJOY!!

You can also make these tacos with corn tortillas, but this is a whole different story for another time.

Hope you like them as well as we do and if you have Taco Town memories or whatever, share them with us!! Does Taco Town have a fan page on Facebook? They should, that's for sure!

RECIPE: Mushroom Beef over Noodles

Here is an easy-peasy dish for you that you can throw together in no time! I love making dinner in the crock pot when I know I'm going to have a very busy day. I use my crock pot several times during the week and also year round. It's not just for cold weather cooking. One thing that is great about using it in the summer time is that it doesn't heat up your whole kitchen like the oven does.

MUSHROOM BEEF OVER NOODLES

Ingredients

2 lbs. stew meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 or 2 cans slices mushrooms (depends on how many you like!)
1 cup water
2 rounded teaspoons beef bouillon (or 2 cubes)
2 tablespoons dried chopped onions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 package wide noodles

Directions

Place the stew meat in the crock pot. The meat can be frozen or not. Mix the rest of the ingredients, except for the noodles, in a bowl. Pour over the meat and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Stir a few times during the last hours. When it is ready, cook your noodles according to the instructions on the package. While the noodles are cooking turn the crock pot to high. Mix together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of cold water. Pour into crock pot and stir. This should thicken it. Drain noodles when done and serve beef and sauce over noodles.




Feel free to experiment with this recipe. You can use different soups and different spices. I always mix things up and end up using what I have in the pantry.

Oh, and if you haven't discovered crock pot lines... Saddle up your pony and git right to town and buy some. They are wonderful!! Praise to the intelligent woman who invented these babies! You can find them in the plastic wrap isle. I love these things more than chocolate! Well... maybe.

My First Official Giveaway!! Whoo Hoo!

Okay peeps! Here it is my first "official" giveaway!!

Who wants a beautiful and functional "Emerilware" Cast Iron 10" Square Grill Pan along with a "Sassy Cook'n Hot Chicks" Oven Mitt and Potholders Set?

I am so excited for my first "official" giveaway sponsored by Cookware.com, a part of CSN Stores!

I tried to think of something that everyone could use. I recently purchased one of these square cast iron grill pans and absolutely love it! They are perfect for grilling steaks indoors when the weather outside is not conducive to grilling. And I also chose something that would be appropriate for the Country Chicken Girl, the "Sassy Cook'n Hot Chicks" Oven Mitt and Potholders Set, which are just adorable. I want a set myself!

I'll tell you how to enter the giveaway at the end of the post, but first of all let me introduce you to these fantastic prizes!

First the skillet... oooo, ahhhh, it's so beautiful! Click on the link below the picture for a better view and details! Just remember to hit your browsers back button to return to the blog. Ya'll come back now, ya hear, because there's more!

Emerilware Cast Iron 10" Square Grill Pan

Second prize is the most adorable chicken print oven mitt and potholder set. "Pluck Yourself Out of Your Daily Routine and Whip Up Something Fresh! This delightful print features stylish black and white polka dotted chickens strutting about with white eggs on a yellow background." How fitting for the Country Chicken Girl or anyone who reads this blog. You'll have to click on the link below to see these. Go ahead, I'll wait until you get back.

Sassy Cook'n Hot Chicks Oven Mitt and Potholders Set

Just the other night I grilled up some steaks on my grill pan. They were so delicious I wish you would have been here to share. I love this grill pan because cast iron really knows how to treat a steak like it should be treated. It isn't hard to cook restaurant quality steaks at home with the right pan and the right steak. The most important rule is to not over cook your steak!!! For a medium rare steak, you need to cook it for about 2 minutes on each side for a thin steak, or 3 to 4 minutes on each side for a thick steak over medium-high heat. Also make sure your skillet is nice and hot before you put the steak on. I like to coat mine with butter before I put the steaks on!

These delicious looking steaks were some of our Burgundy Mushroom marinated round steaks! Oh my, so incredibly tender and flavorful! Who knew round steak could be so tender! Seriously! I can't begin to tell you what a savory, delectable piece of heaven this steak was. Notice that I also grilled a significant amount of mushrooms and onions to top it all off with!

The skillet in action!

Too bad you can't smell this!

Hold on to your horses, this is the best steak there ever was!
Does anyone else out there love grilled mushrooms and onions as much as I do?

Yummmm...

Who all wants steak for dinner now? I know I do!

But wait that's not all...

You too can experience these scrumptious steaks in your own home (if you live local that is, or come for a visit!) We, meaning our family run business Open A Bar 2 Ranch, LLC have four different kinds of marinated steaks to offer. We have Mesquite Round Steak and Burgundy Mushroom Round Steak along with Mesquite Sirloin Steak and Beef Mushroom Sirloin Steak. If you are interested you can see our price list by clicking on the link below. (Local delivery can be arranged.)

OPEN A BAR 2 RANCH ALL-NATURAL BEEF


Okay, now lets get back to the giveaway. I can tell you are just dying to enter! All that you need to do is tell me your favorite cut of steak in the "comment" section. Could be sirloin, ribeye, t-bone, new york strip... you name it. Maybe you don't like steak? Well then you can say that too and I promise it won't disqualify you from the giveaway. You will also need to leave your first name and your last initial.

You don't need to "sign-in" to leave a comment. You can do it by commenting as "Anonymous" but you'll need to include your first name and last initial in your comment! Got it? Hope it isn't too confusing. If you just can't figure it out, you can email me at kathi@openabar2ranch.com and I'll see if I can walk you through it. IMPORTANT: Please don't leave your comments on Facebook! Those comments will NOT be entered.

You can only enter once and that rule will be strictly enforced. Anyone caught entering more than once will receive a mean nasty rooster AKA Whitey as their "prize!"

You have until noon on April 2nd to enter, so a whole week. The winner will be determined by a "draw of the hat." I will announce the winner on the evening of April 2nd. You will need to check the post and contact me if you are the winner so I can get your information so the prizes can be sent to you. Let's see, what have I missed? Can't think of anything...

Please tell all your friends and tell them to enter! Men you can enter too, these would make wonderful gifts for that special lady in your life. Mother's Day is coming up, enter and see if you can't win this for yo' mama!

A huge thank you goes out to Cookware.com, a part of CSN Stores for sponsoring this giveaway. Please visit their site. CSN Stores has everything you need to design your perfect kitchen including track lighting to accent your countertops and pot racks to show off your cookware.



Okay now enter!!

RECIPE: Open A Bar 2 Ranch Steak Sandwich

Okay people, are you ready for this?

I think I have just stumbled upon a new family favorite using the most unlikely character!

That would be the lonely, much under appreciated, often misunderstood cube steak.

That's right... I said CUBE STEAK!

One of my missions in life is to find tasty recipes for cube steak. I never really knew what to do with cube steak besides chicken fried steak, and that can get old. You can't eat chicken fried steak every time you want to serve cube steak! And when you have a freezer full of beef, it seems like the lonely cube steak always gets pushed to the side, while you reach for the more popular ribeye, t-bone, New York strip or sirloin. Then when those cuts are all gone, you have several cube steaks staring you in the eye that you have to do something with. Do I hear any "amens" out there?

So get out to that freezer and grab a cube steak. You are going to love this!

What, you don't have cube steak in the freezer? I'm so sorry... you should buy a 1/2 a beef from the Open A Bar 2 Ranch! or saddle up your pony and get yourself to town and buy some. Make sure you buy cube steak that has been tenderized!

OPEN A BAR 2 RANCH STEAK SANDWICH

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 large bell pepper, sliced

1 stick Butter

2 lbs cube steak (tenderized)

2 tsp. Mrs. Dash onion & herb

1 tsp. Seasoned salt

1 tsp. Lemon pepper

1 tsp. black pepper

(note: you don't have to use all these seasonings and you can make substitutions and use what ever you like)

1/2 cup cooking Sherry

1/4 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

4 deli rolls

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cast iron works best, saute the onions, mushrooms and green pepper in 1/4 cup of butter until soft and light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Cut cube steak into 1/2 strips, cut against the grain. Mix with the seasonings.
3. Add 2 Tbs of butter to the skillet and melt on high heat. When the pan is hot and the butter is starting to turn brown add the meat in a single layer and allow to brown. Doesn't take too long. Flip to other side and brown that side as well. Place on a plate and continue cooking the rest of the meat in batches, adding 1 Tbs of butter with each batch.
4. Return the meat and mushrooms, onions and green pepper to the skillet. Add the sherry and teriyaki sauce to the skillet and cook on medium (just above a simmer) until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Meanwhile butter both sides of the rolls and toast on a griddle or skillet until nice and browned. Do not skip this step. I repeat, please do not skip this step. It adds so much to your sandwich!
6. Okay time to assemble. Place meat on bottom of bun, top with shredded cheese and melt under the boiler. Watch it so you don't burn the cheese. Pour a little of the pan juices on the sandwich and top with bun.
7. Enjoy.... Yummmmmm, so tender and juicy.

You can thank me in the comments section! Just joking, but I really do think you are going to love this sandwich. My family loved it and I can't wait to make it again.

Feel free to experiment with this recipe and try what ever floats your boat! Leave comments and let me know what changes you made. I will be offering this recipe at the Farmers Market this summer you can bet your bottom dollar on that.

Sensational Slow-cooked Roast with Onion-Mushroom Sauce

Sensational Slow-cooked Roast with Onion-Mushroom Sauce

The other night I made the best roast I have ever made in my life! I'm not trying to brag or be prideful, I just want you to know that it was so absolutely delicious, that I want to make it over and over again.

Let me tell you how I feel about beef.

First of all, I love roast, but only if it is tender, juicy and flavorful. If roast is cooked to my stringent specifications, I like it better than steak. Unless the steak is grilled properly and is fork tender with an out-of-this-world rub. Those kind of steaks don't come around very often.

I usually prepared my roasts in the crock pot. They are my "go to" meals when I'm going to be gone most of the day and want an easy-to-serve meal. Sometimes my roast are tender and juicy, sometimes they are not so tender and juicy. I know they would be better if I took the time to brown them in oil before I put them in the crock pot, but that doesn't always happen. Actually, it hardly ever happens.

The main reason for this laziness concerning the browning of the roast is because I hardly ever think far enough in advance to get the roast out of the freezer and thaw it before it is time to cook it. I would say that 80% of all my roasts are thrown in a crock pot, fully frozen and left to their own mercy in the crock pot.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't throw them in there without any devices. I usually throw in something, like a can of cream of mushroom soup, a package of onion soup mix, etc. Then after the roast is cooked, I pour the left over juices on the roast for flavor.

But let me tell you, I simply adore sauces. Any kind of sauce. Sauce just adds such dimension to any dish. Let's consider a few...

Cheese sauce... who can eat broccoli or cauliflower without cheese sauce?

Vanilla sauce... oh my goodness, add to any dessert and you make it a dessert you'll never forget.

Fudge sauce... now I'm drooling.

Marinara sauce... what's pasta without marinara sauce? Naked, that's what!

I could go on and on, but I won't. I can't spend all morning on this computer! The house needs to be cleaned.

Anyway, sauce is boss! Especially homemade sauce. I know you can buy sauces at the store, but please don't. You don't know what you are missing if you have not made sauce, any kind of sauce, from scratch.

Okay, back to the roast beef. Have you guessed that a sauce is involved?

Here goes the recipe.

Sensational Slow-cooked Roast with Onion-Mushroom Sauce

I used an English Cut Roast, but you can use what ever you want to. I don't see why any kind of roast wouldn't work.

Place the roast in the crock pot. Frozen or thawed, doesn't matter.

Have you tried the new, well not so new, crock pot liners??? If you haven't, saddle up your horse, git to town and buy yourself some. You can find them in the plastic wrap and foil isle. I do not use my crock pot without them anymore. Talk about easy cleaning!!!! They make me so happy!

Back to the recipe, sorry, but you really do need to know about those liners.

Dump 1 can of cream of mushroom soup on top of the roast. Dump 1 package of onion soup mix on top of the soup. Dump 1/2 cup of water over that. Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Remove roast from crock pot and place on the cutting board to rest.

In a large skillet, I use a cast iron skillet, saute 2 cups of sliced mushrooms in 1/4 cup of melted butter. When the mushrooms are beginning to turn a golden brown, add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and saute for a few more minutes until the garlic is lightly browned. Be careful not to burn it!

Remove the mushrooms and garlic from pan and set aside. Carefully dump the juice from the crock pot into the pan. Make sure to get all the stuff that might be stuck to the bottom. You need about 2 1/2 cups of liquid, so you may need to add a little water. Bring this to a boil and add 1/2 cup of red wine or cooking sherry. Allow this to reduce and then add the mushrooms. Combine 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Add to sauce to thicken it. Mmmmmm... I can smell it just by thinking about it.

Slice your roast and serve with the sauce. We even poured the sauce over our garlic mashed potatoes.

I think that the onion soup mix makes this sauce.

Give it a try and tell me what you think!!

Sorry I didn't do this in true recipe form, but I figured there wasn't that many ingredients that you couldn't just write them down yourself. I'll try to get this in recipe form and when I do I will post it.