Azoresgal~Life on an Island

This Korean Beef is salty, sweet, crispy and a bit spicy. It's an umami-bomb, delicious and very easy to make!  One pan,ground beef and a simple sauce and dinner is on the table in no time. Not gonna lie, I would eat this for breakfast, it's so good you guys! I hope you try it! For Sauce: 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 4 cloves garlic finely minced or grated 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons brown sugar ( I used a 1/4 cup, 4 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon ginger root grated ( I didn't have any) 1 teaspoon Sriracha or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, or more to taste 500 grams ground beef 3 green onions sliced, green and white parts separated 4 eggs 4 teaspoons butter 1 ½ cups cooked rice ( I used jasmine rice) sesame seeds optional, for garnish Instructions Whisk together the sauce ingredients, set aside. Place a large pan over medium high heat on the stove. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking the meat up as it...

We just changed our clocks back an hour, the days are now shorter, and the nights a little cooler, so around here we are now in comfort food mode.  Enter this really simple and delicious one-pot meat sauce, Beef Ragu.   The ragu cooks low and slow, all the flavours marry, and the beef ends up fork tender. Making it perfect  for being served with your favourite pasta( I made fresh pappardelle ), or over creamy polenta. I don't think it's something you would make after rushing back from a long day at  work, but instead make it for a lazy weekend at home, it just ticks off all the boxes for comfort food! Beef Ragu Approximately 3 pounds (1.35kg) Beef brisket, or similar cut of meat (slow cooking) 5 Tbsp olive oil 2 small onions, finely diced 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 cup of celery, finely diced (4-5 stalks) 1 cup Carrot, finely diced (1-2 medium carrots) 2 cups (500ml) red wine, divided 3 cups (750ml) beef stock/broth 1 28oz (800g) can of ...

I’ve made this dish several times and it’s one of our favorite things to eat when we light up the grill. The salty-sweet marinade is delicious, it helps to tenderize the meat but also infuses it with wonderful  flavor.  The sugar in the marinade will caramelize a little when grilled, so you must watch the ribs, so they don´t burn. If you really  don´t feel like grilling, not a problem, you can pan fry them, in a nice hot fry pan. These are finger licking good, and will gone in no time at all ! 1/2 cup soy sauce 3 1/2 tablespoons  sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 cloves garlic, pressed/ minced 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced 1 kilo//2 pounds short ribs In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, pepper, garlic and green onions. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine soy sauce mixture and short ribs; marinate overnight, turning the bag occasionally. ...

I returned from Lisbon, with a suitcase full of wonderful ingredients that I bought at an Asian Market. I started thinking of ways to use some of them. Lettuce wraps were one of the first things that came to mind. I am so happy I made these. They were loaded with flavor and are the perfect combination of savory, spicy and crunchy that I just love. Plus they’re easy, made in one pan and  require very little cleanup. Little clean up is always a great thing in my books ! The sauce I added from another recipe, it just gave it a little kick. Mr.G and I had these for lunch and the kids had them for dinner. I actually added rice noodles to the leftover pork mixture, the kids loved it, and requested I make them again, real soon ! 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 pound ground beef ( I used pork) 2 tsps ginger finely grated 2 scallions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 1/4 cup chopped peanuts ( I...

This is such a great sandwich, a favorite at our house. Steak, onions, peppers and cheese a winning combination in my books ! After making this atleast once, you can certainly eyeball everything, and add mushrooms or hot peppers. Wrapping them, and baking them a little bit just takes them over the top ! I really hope you give them a try ! 700 grams boneless steak 3 tablespoons vegetable oil/ or butter or more 1 very large onion, halved and sliced 2 large green bell pepper, cut in strips 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoon Worcestershire  sauce 4 to 6 soft bread rolls 500 grams cheese, grated ( a good melting kind) To make the steak easier to slice, set it in the freezer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove the steak from the freezer and cut it into very thin slices, and set it aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and peppers and sauté over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, s...

This is a simple recipe to make your own fajita seasoning mix. I just like the fact that I know what it is I am cooking with, and it is also much cheaper then the store-bought packets ! I usually triple the amounts, just makes for a larger batch. If you find 1 Tablespoon of the mix, is not enough, by all means use more ! 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon white sugar 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl or add directly to a little jar or storage container. Give it a good shake, and store. To Use :  Mix 1 TABLESPOON  with 1/4 cup oil or olive oil  and juice of 1 lime. Add thin strips of beef or chicken or shrimp and let marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

My kids absolutly love this salad, it may have something to do with the....  uhmmmm  Doritos !  They cannot stop eating it, especially our oldest who is eating us out of a home  a growing teenage boy ! It is really easy to put together, and after you make it once or twice, you just end up eyeballing everything. You can really make this salad as large or as small as you like, and mix and match any ingredients. The only important thing, is to add the chips last, as they go soft after awhile. If by any chance you have leftovers, never happens around here, the salad goes soggy.  No one likes a soggy salad, unless of course you are Mr. G, who will eat just about any kind of leftover ! Ingredients: 500grams ground beef 1 head  lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces 1 packet (1oz/28g) taco seasoning or 3 tablespoons of this 1 medium tomato, diced 1 large bag of Doritos (crushed in the bag)  bottle of Catalina dressing/ homemade 1 1/2 cups...

This has been such a life saver in my kitchen ! It gets dinner on the table really quick, for those super rushed nights. I love that I know whats in the mix...as opposed to a mix that you could buy. It makes a simple, yummy chili, that my kids really love ! We use 2 tablespoons of mix, and I find it has just enough spice. If you want to leave out the chili flakes, go right ahead ! Chili Seasoning Mix 4 tablespoons of chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons paprika 2 tablespoons ground cumin 3 teaspoons  salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 1/4 cup of flour In a medium container ( I just use a jar), combine chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika, ground cumin, salt, black pepper and the flour.  Give it all a really good shake, and store. ***** to use 2 Tablespoo...

These meatballs are very delicate and moist. Very easy to make and quick, and the best part is you know exactly what went into them. I get my butcher to grind half beef, half pork, for these. I found these in my Ina Garten cookbook, they are a hit. The sauce is also out of this world. I will post that next !  Meatballs : found here  ( I did not use the dry bread crumbs, or the nutmeg)  Ingredients   500 grams ground beef veal 500 grams ground pork 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons  salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 extra-large egg, beaten 3/4 of a cup warm water Vegetable oil Olive oil In the food processor, pulse the slices of bread, and parsley and garlic gloves. Then pulse the Parmesan cheese.   Place the ground meats,  bread crumbs, parsley, Parmes...

 If  " Cooking is love made visible ", than this is one big plate of love. Homemade meatballs and sauce, served with homemade pasta ! I will not lie, I was in the kitchen all day, preparing this meal, but it was so worth it ! I will write up all the recipes as individual posts, so as not to make it one huge long mess. xo, Diana

These are one of our favorites at our house, during the summer. Very simple. Very yummy. Only 3 ingredients ! Topped with these onions , oh man, sooooooo good !   Easy Burgers 1 kilo ground beef or 500g. beef + 500g ground pork( I like using the 2 meats) 1 package of Onion Soup (dry mix), Knorr or Maggi 1/2 cup (250ml) water In a bowl mix everything together, earlier in the day is better, but no harm done if you can't. Form into 8 patties, and grill over hot coals. Serve with favorite toppings, ( our favorite topping )  and enjoy. ****if you decide to make the onions, you may use white, instead of red onions. xo, Diana

This is a simple and quick easy meatloaf recipe you can put together, and get into the oven, in about ten minutes. This is real comfort food, served with some mashed potatoes . 2 eggs, 1 cup water, 1 kilo ground beef, 2 bags of modelo croutons ( if you don't live on an island use stuffing mix ) for the topping, equal parts brown sugar & ketchup ( 1/4 cup each is good) add meat, eggs water, and croutons into a bowl ( CRUSH THE CROUTONS FIRST ....I will next time ) give it a good mix, taste for salt and pepper take equal parts brown sugar and ketchup mix them up glaze top of meatloaf bake @ 190º for about 60 minutes Quick Meatloaf Ingredients 1 kilo/2 lb. lean ground beef 1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken ( I use 2 bags of croutons, because we don't have this here) 1 cup water 2 eggs beaten salt and pepper to taste equal parts brown sugar and ketchup Instructions Heat oven to  190º/375* Place meat, stuffin...

There is a crispness in the air, autumn is finally here. I have to confess, it is probably my favorite season, with it comes sweaters, scarfs, hats, warm drinks and comfort food.  Something about this time of year, that at the end of the day, you want to eat something warm, and filling. Cottage pie is exactly that, also known as Shepherds Pie, if made with minced lamb. It´s quick to put together, and very versatile, as you can add other vegetables. The mash for the topping I made from scratch, but you could use instant mash potatoes, if you like. Hope you give it a try. a bag of veggies,6 potatoes, 1 packet onion soup mix, 1 kilo ground lean beef ( not seen, bag of shredded cheese) first start with the mash, dice potatoes and boil in salted water drain, add butter and milk and mash them up next, brown the meat in some olive oil and garlic if you wish add the onion soup mix, the veggies, and the milk, return to heat, and cook till thickened turn meat mi...