BBQ Brisket and Bean Skillet Nachos – Yee Haw, Y’all!

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Today is National Tortilla Chip Day! My appetite just couldn’t wait for National Nacho Day to roll around on November 6^th before sharing my recipe for hot, hearty and “yippee-yee-haw” yummy Cowboy BBQ Brisket & Bean Skillet Nachos. Thousands have actually devoured this recipe, I developed it on behalf of Litehouse Foods to feed thousands of hungry expo carousers at the Produce Marketing Association’s “Fresh Summit” in Atlanta back in October. The line to get my grub was huge!

Most “skillet” nachos I’ve tasted have been limp, lame and ready to be put out to pasture, the result of wet and dry ingredients loitering too long. However, this isn’t my first nacho rodeo and I revealed a nacho hack I’d been hiding – to keep the saddle off the horse until it’s time to ride! What I mean by this is to cook up toppings in cast-iron cookware and then slop atop tortilla chips right before serving, the result passes muster with this Sheriff of Sogginess. Just imagine a platter with crisp, crunchy chips on the bottom and a hella ooey, gooey heaven on top! Don’t just imagine, try it!

Grab you some barbeque brisket, roasted corn, pinto beans and seasonings – you’ll be wrangled those ingredients up stove top in a skillet at then smothering with a heaping helping of cheddar cheese and jalapenos. I love using the center cut portion of brisket for this recipe because it is actually considered a lean cut of beef (that surprises a lot of folks) and just tastes so down home delicious. When ready to feed your hungry hombres, pile chips on a plate, cover with a generous pile of brisket and bean topping, and dollop with sour cream, guacamole, salsa or whatever scoots your boot!

These skillet nachos are perfect for a party, patio snack or last-minute meal solution with leftovers Any remaining topping from my Cowboy BBQ Brisket & Bean Skillet Nacho can be served over baked potatoes, wrapped taco style in tortillas or scrambled with eggs. And, feel free to swap out the chopped up brisket for equal proportions of lightly seasoned ground beef or shredded chuck roast — you can’t go wrong!

If this inspired by Texas recipe isn’t your style, how about some English pea and asparagus packed Skinny Garden Guacamole?

CowboYUM! BBQ Brisket Skillet Nachos #Beef #BeefLovingTexans #LivingLitehouse

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So, how are your dipping, dunking or topping your tortilla chips today? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

BBQ Brisket and Bean Skillet Nachos

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Believe in the legend of leftovers! My BBQ Brisket & Bean nachos are a right easy way to feed a hungry crowd and use up extra beef from last night's dinner!

Course: Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, Southern, Southwestern

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup frozen corn kerals, thawed
1 1 pound precooked, pre-sliced brisket
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoe, with juice
1/2 cup spicy BBQ sauce
12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium jalapenos, cut into rings
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 16-ounce bag tortilla chips
garnishes: avacado, salsa, sour cream, etc

Instructions

Add olive oil to 12-inch cast iron skillet and bring to medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and thawed corn and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until kernels start lightly browning.
Coarsely chop brisket add to hot skillet along with beans, tomatoes and barbeque sauce. Stir until combined and heated through.
Top mixture with cheddar cheese and jalapeno rings. Place lid on skillet and simmer a few minutes until cheese melts.
To serve, pile tortilla chips on a plate (individual or family-style), spoon on brisket and bean topping, sprinkle with cilantro and add additional garnishes of your choice.

Surf & Turf Recipes for a Delicious Date Night

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Ever find it hard to decide between serving seafood or steak when making a romantic dinner or special date night? I say, why deny – the marriage of meaty, mouthwatering steaks with delicate, succulent seafood is a bond that shouldn’t be broken. In fact, I’m pretty sure SURF AND TURF are those three little words your significant other wants to hear on Valentine’s Day. And, maybe “I LOVE YOU” later! Here are a few favorites from my personal recipe collection and from friends at Cooking Light and Texas Beef Council. Pair up one from the beef list and one from the seafood list for a memorable meal your love will LOVE!

FAVORITE STEAK RECIPES FOR DATE NIGHT:

Spice-Crusted Tenderloin Steaks – I don’t know how many times I’ve made this insanely good beef recipe – you just can’t go wrong with tenderloin. Slice up your beef into filet steaks (or ask the butcher) and get grilling. If it’s still cold outside, this simple recipe works well on an indoor grill pan like this one XOXOX.

Pomegranate Steak with Quinoa – The additional of an ancient grain makes this strip steak super well balanced!

Pan-Seared Strip Steak – Smoky, savory and seemingly sinful, this recipe is made with a strip steak which is actually quite lean. I’d be inclined to sprinkle some blue cheese on top for an umami one-two!

Mojo Flat Iron Steak – Flat iron is a very tender cut of beef, slice thin and serve with some grilled shrimp for a tasty tropics-inspired treat!

FAVORITE SEAFOOD RECIPES FOR DATE NIGHT:

Cumin-Dusted Seared Sea Scallops – My simple recipe for scallops is super flavorful and can be made in mere minutes while steaks are resting!

Crab-Stuffed Lobster with Citrus Vinaigrette – I went coastal crazy when I tried this — this easy lobster (and crab!) recipe is so easy and elegant plated as a side dish with the perfect steak.

Sauteed Creole Shrimp – I originally made these quick Cajun-inspired shrimp to toss on a salad but found a few strategically placed atop a steak are spicy magic!

Lemon Grilled Bay Shrimp – Let shrimp soak up flavors in a 10-minute pre grill marinade of lemon juice, garlic and simple spices. I serve with the wedges, it looks so lovely!

3 Words Your Love Wants to Hear #SurfAndTurf Beef & Seafood #recipes @beeflovingtexans @cl_blogger

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So what are your dinner plans for Valentine’s Day? Do you love beef and seafood — are you more surf or more turf when it comes to life? Please share in the comments below — XOXO, Jennifer

Best Ever Super Secret Chili Recipe + Beef Browning Tip

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

I hope you have a big spoon at the ready, my recipe for Best-Ever Beef Chili is, well, THE BEST! With freezing temperatures and heated football bowl games going down, this big pot of spicy, rich and blissfully beefy chili is what to serve by the mug, bowl or trough.

I typically make chili by breaking down a roast into bite-sized chunks, my kitchen stampeded causing Southwestern Steak Chili is a family favorite. However, the kids love ground beef (and so does my food budget) and requested a chili made with their favorite food group — hamburger meat!

Won’t lie, I was a little worried that the ground beef would come out dry and the beefy taste might get downed out by bold chili spices. After reading an article in Cooks Illustrated on achieving “better browning through science,” I knew I had to try their technique of using a baking solution on meat to enable proteins to attract more water and hold onto it during cooking and also create a higher pH level to speed up the desirable Maillard reaction (basically, the harbinger of caramelization). My dad reported success using this method to keep steaks juicy and tender, and I hoped this easy hack would help improve the taste and texture of my chili’s ground beef.

So, how does this baking soda beef hack work? Typically, when ground beef is cooked on the stove top, so much water and liquid is expelled that the beef chunks just end up steaming in their own juices — very little actually browning happens. When cooked to the point of most water evaporating, the batch of beef will be unpleasantly overdone. However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking , beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better. I tried it myself with 80/20 Chuck Ground Beef and I must say, I was impressed! The ground beef cooked “as-is” was almost immediately was sitting in a pool of liquids (as you can see from the picture) and when taste-tested seemed a little rubbery and bland.

However, the baking soda treated beef immediately started to brown in the pot. And, while there was still a fair deal of liquid released, it was noticely less so than the previous batch (Cook’s illustrated said about 10% less liquid, I felt like maybe even a little more). More noticeable though, was the taste – the baking-soda treated batch had a richer, more complex caramelized flavor and was markedly juicier. In fact, the cooked beef was so yummy; I worried about taste-testing my way through the whole pile before I even started the rest of the chili!

So, my final recommendation on this “baking soda treatment” is definitely try it and see what you think! It does take little bit of pre-planning because you have to let the solution sit on the meat for 20 minutes, but you can have that going while you prep the other ingredients.

So, here is my Best Ever Ground Beef Chili recipe, – every spoon is a mouthful of meaty goodness. It’s rich and spicy, without being too heavy or too “hot” for kids – I think you’ll really like it. But, feel free to use this baking soda technique with any beef chili recipe!

Best Ever Secret Beef Chil + Other Recipes to Warm Winter @ModeStories

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If you’re looking for other delicious chili recipes, check out this collection I curated for Mode! And, also head over to the Texas Beef Council for more inspiration.

Do tell, do you put beans in your chili? Do you like spicy or mild? What toppings do you put on top? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Super-Secret Ground Beef Chili Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Total Time

2 hrs 25 mins

Course: Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American, Southwestern

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds 80 percent lean Ground Beef Chuck
2 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
14.5 ounce can beef broth
14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
15 ounce can pinto beans with liquid
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Instructions

Add ground beef to bowl and drizzle with solution of 2 tablespoons water and ¾ teaspoon baking soda. Gently break apart beef with hands to distribute, but do not over knead (causes toughness). Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large Dutch oven pot over medium high. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring as needed. Mix in garlic and cook for another minute.
Add treated ground beef to pot and cook, while stirring and breaking up into chunks. Brown beef for approximately 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink.
Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and salt to beef mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices begin to bloom and become fragrant, about 2 minutes.
To pot of beef, add finely crushed tortilla chips, beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans with liquid, and sugar. Bring to a boil and then put lid on Dutch oven and transfer to a 275 F degree oven for approximately 1 to 2 hours, or until flavors have developed and sauce is thickened. .
Remove from oven and let cool, uncovered for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, to taste.
Serve with rice or tortilla chips and other toppings of choice including cheese, avocado, red onion, cilantro, etc

No Beef with Beef! Black Garlic and Steak Curry

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

Do not mess with my beef. People have been eating red meat since the dawn of time and lived to tell about it. In fact, beef and other red eats fueled their bodies with some pretty dam good nutrients to help them conquer and recover from the day. I say this in the light of all the “red meat causes” cancer hullaballoo in the media this past week.

That is such media hype. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer itself was divided on whether or not to finger point red meat (beef, lamb, pork, etc) as a “probable” source of cancer. Most scientists agree that it is unrealistic to isolate a single food as a cause of cancer from a complex dietary pattern further complicated by lifestyle and environmental factors.

You can read the beef industry’s response in this press release, Science Does Not Support International Agency Opinion on Red Meat and Cancer.

I’m still also a little riled up about the governmental recommendations for the 2015 Governmental Dietary Guidelines. They are minimizing the importance of animal-based protein and pushing plant-based — all without sound scientific study. I won’t delve back into the whole can of worms here but I did in a recent blog post. However, I will reiterate that after 30 years of the government telling us what to eat by way of the Food Pyramid and MyPlate, Americans are fatter and sicker than ever. You can find out more about this and demand better science behind the guidelines here.

So, I’m going to keep on eating beef.Just try and stop me! Here’s a new favorite weeknight recipe I’ve been making the family. It uses one of my favorite cuts of beef – top sirloin steak. Sirloin is just such a versatile cut of beef – it’s not too pricey, it’s lean without being tough, and perfect for a range of cooking methods including grilling, pan searing and stir-frying.

This recipe for Black Garlic, Beef and Bean Curry is amazing. The secret ingredient is Black Garlic, a new-to-me ingredient that you can find in your produce section or Friedas.com. It’s soft and mellow and packed with umami wonderfulness – it’s been fermented in soy sauce and aged. You HAVE to try this and also need to discover over friends favorite finds this week at Happy Fit Mama’s High Five Friday!

No Beef with Beef! Black Garlic & Steak Curry #TxBeef #Friedas #NutritionMatters

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So, do you have any concerns over eating red meat? How many times a week do you eat beef? Are you sick of media hype over every single thing in the world? Please share in the comments below — XOXO, Jennifer

Black Garlic, Beef and Bean Curry

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Put a little "black magic" into your weeknight dinner with this easy skillet meal that features black garlic fermented and aged to amazing umami perfection.

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

8 ounces dry gluten-free black bean spaghetti or buckwheat soba noodles
8 cloves black garlic (1/2 head), smashed or sub regular garlic
1 lb sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup water
1 lb French green beans
1 pint button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
1 14 to 15-oz can lite coconut milk
Sriracha to taste

Instructions

Bring large pot of water to boil and boil noodles according to product directions. Drain and set aside.
Lightly coat large skillet with oil and quickly cook sirloin strips with black garlic for approximately 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan while still somewhat pink in the center. Set aside; this will be stirred back in when recipe is finished.
Add mushrooms, green beans and ¼ cup of water to skillet, cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Take lid off and add curry paste, soy sauce, fish sauce and coconut milk. Stir to blend.
Add drained noodles to skillet and stir until evenly coated. Cook until sauce is reduced, about 3 – 5 minutes. Stir cooked beef into recipe. Add Sriracha sauce, to taste, for desired level of hotness.

YOU Can Help Change Dietary Guidelines + Low Carb Beef Dinners

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

First of all, God bless America, land of the free. That being said, I feel free to state my opinion that I don’t like where the nutritional guidance dished up by the U.S. government, by way of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking us. For 30 years we have all dutifully listened to these recommendations about what to eat, first with the Food Pyramid and, more recently, with MyPlate and soon with updated 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

Things are always changing, and I’m really questioning the quality of science all this hootenanny – and I’m not the only one, right now we can all sign a petition to demand that quality science determine the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

You butter believe it! Funny, but for realz.

Remember how butter was the bad guy over margarine? Oops. Eggs are not awesome, no wait – we decided eggs are okay after all. How about the mandate to eat low fat, fat is making you fat, saturated fats are completely evil – a federal finger shaking that made most Americans run out and load up on overly process foods full of sugar and starchy carbs instead. Obesity and diabetes jumped through the roof. Apparently the science on that study was questionable. Oops.

Most recently the Advisory Council contributing to the upcoming 2015 Dietary Guidelines is pushing a dietary pattern that is higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods, citing sustainability, environmental impact and lower saturated fat. You can read their recommendations for yourself, I don’t like them.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE plant-based foods. I can’t imagine going a day, even a meal, without Mother Nature’s bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables and grains. Heck, I’ll make a dinner that features plant-based protein every once in a while because I just love variety. But, don’t go messing with my butter, my beef, my full-fat Greek yogurt. You’re really going to piss me off.

See this picture to the left? I’m not obese. I eat butter, beef, eggs, a rainbow of whole foods and a low-carb diet in general. I was even having a quote-unquote fat day, that morning. Guess what, I also exercise, care about my health and fitness and I don’t like the government telling me what to do. Thirty years of federal nutrition “guidance” has made us fatter and sicker, lets take a stand and do something about it because #NutritionMatters.

Of course, all these federal guidelines must be well-intentioned, although woefully misguided. Who would purposely want to create a population where obesity rates have doubled over the last 30 years and are projected to rise to 50 percent by 2030, according to The Trust for American’s Health Report. Yup, that’s right ONE HALF of Americans will not just be pleasantly plump, but will be medically obese. The upsurge in obesity rates is equally as staggering with our kids. We are in a major health crisis here in the USA.

In a nutshell, it’s time for all of us to look beyond MyPlate and begin demanding dietary guidelines based on quality science that encompasses a range of different approaches. We also need dietary guidelines that eliminate the one-size-fits-all eating plan and focuses on the needs of a very diverse group of people. Newer, better, and more credible science needs to be backing up our food choices, we shouldn’t just be eating “what we’re told” without better proof. Rising rates obesity, diabetes and other health concerns isn’t the proof I’m looking for.

You can help shakeup the status quo and demanding scientific scrutiny in our dietary guidelines by signing this Change.org petition — in the process you may save millions of lives. I signed because I care about what I eat, what my family eats and the health and well-being of American’s in general.

Also, in the name of wholesome family meals that WON’T make you fat or unhealthy, I’ve rounded up a week of my favorite Low-Carb Beef Dinners. I enjoy all of these on a regular basis with a nice side of roasted veggies or a big green salad.

Recipes from top, moving clockwise:

30 years of nutrition guidance has made us fatter and sicker. Let’s change that: https://ooh.li/b7f1351 #NutritionMatters #ad

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What are you doing to help your health? Do you think it is sometimes confusing to know what IS and what ISN’T healthy to eat? Please share you thoughts in the comments below and please consider signing the petition to demand that quality science determine the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Thank you, XOXO — Jennifer

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Tag Archives: beef

BBQ Brisket and Bean Skillet Nachos – Yee Haw, Y’all!

Surf & Turf Recipes for a Delicious Date Night

Best Ever Super Secret Chili Recipe + Beef Browning Tip

No Beef with Beef! Black Garlic and Steak Curry

YOU Can Help Change Dietary Guidelines + Low Carb Beef Dinners