Hamburger Chop Suey

This "budget cuisine" dish was invented by one of our mothers back in the 1970s. Bean sprouts were not readily available in many Canadian grocery stores in those days, so being an inventive cook, she substituted shredded cabbage for bean sprouts. Of course, it tastes equally delicious with actual FRESH bean sprouts or a combination of the two. Just whatever you do, avoid the canned bean sprouts. They are very high in sodium, taste terrible (like the inside of the can) and have the texture of mush. Not to mention, they're expensive as all get out. 

Cabbage has the advantage of being readily available, inexpensive and it stores well over a period of time.




Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup

2 stalks celery –finely chopped

2 tsp minced fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger powder

2 cloves garlic – or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)

1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef (or use a combination of ground beef and ground pork)

2 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp soy sauce – we used sodium reduced

2 Tbsp corn starch

2 cup beef stock

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Water chestnuts – 1 small can, rinsed and drained (optional)

Bean sprouts – 3 large handfuls or substitute with finely shredded cabbage (about 6 cups)

Other additions you might enjoy:

Mushrooms,

Green or red pepper

Shredded carrots

Shredded zucchini 

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until it is brown, breaking up the larger chunks.
2. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. If using fresh ginger and garlic, add it now and cook for another minute or two.
3. Stir in the molasses and soy sauce and half (1 cup) of the stock.. If using dried garlic and ginger, stir it in with the beef broth, then add to the cooked ground beef. If using shredded cabbage, add it now and allow to cook for a minute or so to soften.
4. Dissolve the cornstarch in remaining stock and add to the pan. Stir and cook until thickened.
5. If using the water chestnuts and bean sprouts, add them now and cook for another minutes The bean sprouts should maintain some crunch.
6. Spoon over rice and serve.

 

Tummy filling Hamburger Soup

We did this as a demonstration soup at the NBEX on Tuesday. It's a delicious, basic soup that is very flexible in terms of ingredients. Use what you have on hand, take the opportunity to clean out those dribs and drabs in the fridge.  We use lentils in it, along with soaked dried beans, to make the meat go farther. Lentils are an excellent source of protein and iron and really do go well in meat dishes. 

Feel free to experiment with this recipe. It has a hundred different variations. Check the "tips" section at the bottom for some ideas on how to make this your own favourite comfort food. 



Ingredients: 

2 Tbsp oil

1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef (or use a combination of ground beef and ground pork)

1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup

2 stalks celery –finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic – or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)

1 bay leaf

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 can (796 ml—28 oz) diced tomatoes — can also use fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 cup of tomato sauce or puree

1/4 cup dried green lentils (can also use red)

3-1/2  cup beef stock  (cube/stock pot/ boxed is fine)

1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning, or basil. Alternatively, you can use fresh

Salt to taste

Other additions you might enjoy:

Mushrooms

Pasta (cook separately, put in bowl and top with hot soup)

Rice  or barley 

Diced green, red, yellow or orange sweet peppers. 

Shredded zucchini -- add at the end

Shredded cabbage

Barley

Parmesan cheese rind (for flavour — remove before serving) 

Dried shitake mushrooms (for flavour — remove before serving)

Directions:

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Break up ground beef and scramble fry until it is brown. Drain any excess fat and liquids.

2. Add celery, onion, carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic.

3. Add lentils, bay leaf, pinch of red pepper flakes, tomato sauce (or puree), canned tomatoes including liquid and beef broth. If using dried herbs and spices, add them now.

4. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook on a low heat until everything is tender. Depending on the ingredients and their size, this could be 20 minutes to 45 minutes.

5. If using fresh herbs, add them now. Stir and taste. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

6. Serve with garlic bread, warmed rolls or topped with Parmesan cheese.







Tips:

• Cook a small pasta like macaroni, stars, alphabets, orzo in a separate pot and add hot soup on top. This keeps the pasta from getting mushy if there's leftovers
• Finely slice fresh spinach leaves and put into the bowl. Top with hot soup. The heat will wilt the spinach without it getting slimy. Also means that the soup will keep better in the fridge

 

 

Carrot and Lentil Soup

This is a recipe we adapted from BBC's Good Food. We've made this version vegan because we are demonstrating it at the NBEX tonight.Chicken stock could be used to replace the vegetable stock.

Unless you're a real cumin lover, consider cutting the cumin in half for this recipe. We found that the flavour "bloomed" when the soup sat for a bit. The soup is quite thick, so be prepared to thin it out with a little additional stock.


Makes 2.5 litres or about 7 generous servings 

Ingredients:  

• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250 ml - 1 cup onion, diced finely
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 600g carrots, washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel) – about 8-10 carrots
• 200 g split red lentils – about a cup
• 2 litre – 8 cups vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• plain yogurt to serve 

Directions: 

1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside.
2. Add the oil, onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
3. Add carrots, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened. Add the nutmeg.
4. Whizz the soup with a stick blender until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).
5. Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads