Ladies and Gentlemen . . .

We have TWO winners! That's right - not one Beef Month recipe contest winner, but two!












We have a very scientific method for picking winners when I have a blog contest . . . I write each name on a little piece of paper, put the paper in a bowl, and hold it up in the air for Ken to draw out a name (or two). So congratulations Megan and Erin - you will both receive a copy of The Healthy Beef Cookbook! (Erin - please e-mail me your address . . . Megan - I'll deliver yours)

Make sure to stock up on beef - you'll need it when you see all the healthful, delicious recipes in your new cookbook!

Final Beef Recipes

If you're looking for a new way to use ground beef, look no further! Three of the last four 'May is Beef Month' entries I received are tried and true, family favorite ground beef recipes. The contest is now closed, which means it's time for me to enlist help and draw for a winner . . . which will be announced by the end of the week!

In the meantime, enjoy these great beef recipes:

Dawn entered Green Onion Casserole

1 lb. ground beef, browned
Add: 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 clove garlic
16 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
oregano and parsley, to taste
Simmer 15 minutes

Mix together: 1 cup sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese
6 green onions, chopped

Cook 8 oz. noodles as directed on package.

In a baking dish, layer - noodles, meat, sour cream/cheese,
& repeat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

. . . and Italian Beef

5 lb. boneless chuck roast
2 tbsp. basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. salt
5-6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups water

Place roast in a heavy pan. Add spices and water. Cook on low for 3 hours (or until done). Alternatively, can be prepared in Crock Pot on low for approximately 8 hours.

7-Layer Casserole comes from the recipe files of Lee Ann

1 cup uncooked rice
1 16 oz can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp seasoned pepper
1 beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup boiling water
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper, optional
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbls bacon bits

In 2 quart casserole, layer in the following order:

Rice mixed well with corn, half the salt and pepper, bouillon cube and boiling water
Half of tomato sauce that has been mixed with Worcestershire sauce and Italian seasoning
Chopped onion and green pepper
Uncooked ground beef and remaining salt and pepper
Remaining tomato sauce mixture

Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes

And last but not least, Angie's Swedish Meatballs

2 lbs hamburger
2/3 cups rice
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk

Mix all together and shape into balls (I usually make them about the size of a golf ball or a little bigger -- using a scoop like from Pampered Chef)

Sauce

1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 cup catsup
1 cup water

Bring sauce to boil, pour into baking dish (9x13). Add meatballs. Cover. Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees

Beef Month Contest - still time to enter!

The "May is Beef Month" contest entries I have received so far include:

Melanie entered The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

Erin entered Sesame Flank Steak

Sarah entered her mom's vegetable (with beef!) soup

Bethany entered "Haystacks"

1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg fridge biscuits
1-2 pkgs shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and drain grease. Return to skillet and add cream of mushroom soup. Mix in well. In a greased 9x9 pan, lay out biscuits to cover bottom and halfway up sides of pan. Pour in beef and soup mixture. Cover completely with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is slightly golden and biscuits have started to brown on edges(about 20 minutes).

My mother-in-law does this in a muffin tin. It looks really neat, but takes longer. I didn't have a muffin tin when I started doing this, so I had to modify! Now we call it a haypile!

E-mailed recipes include -

Megan's Kraut Burgers:

Filling:
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 head of cabbage (shredded)
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add cabbage, salt and pepper. Cook until cabbage is tender. Set aside while you make the dough.

Dough:
2 C. warm water
1 tsp salt
1/3 C. oil
1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
2 packages yeast
6 1/2 - 7 1/2 C. flour

Beat together water, salt, oil and sugar - add egg and then yeast, let dissolve. Add flour and knead until smooth. Put in an oiled bowl and let rise until double in size.

Once risen, pull off a small amount of dough and roll out. Add meat mixture and form the dough around it. Put the seam side down on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (approx. 20 minutes). These freeze really well.

If you have left over dough, make cinnamon rolls! Roll out into a rectangle. Butter the top liberally and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Roll, cut, and bake at 350 degrees.


Gary's Mustard Roast Beef

1/4 cup apricot preserves
2-4 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2-3teaspoons reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon crushed black or mixed peppercorns
1 boneless beef sirloin tip roast, fat trimmed (about 2 pounds)

Mix all ingredients except beef in bowl. Spread on meat. Place meat on rack in roasting pan. Roast at 350 degrees to 140 degrees for medium or 160 degrees for well-done....30 to 45 minutes. The spicy coating makes this roast beef extra juicy and flavorful. 8 servings


And this entry, from my mom (this makes me smile, so I included the whole e-mail):

Here is my recipe. Wish I knew how to post it on your blog - another lesson needed!

Barista Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground round
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
¼ c minced onion
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
5 T soy sauce
5 T honey
1 1/2 t freshly grated ginger
For a spicier burger add ¼ t of Emeril’s Essence or Bayou Blast

1. Preheat a grill. In a large bowl, blend the ground round, ground chuck, onion, garlic, soy sauce, honey, Emeril's Essence and ginger.

2. Shape the mixture into six patties. Grill to taste. Serve on sourdough buns with lettuce, tomato and onion.

These are just the best hamburgers ever. Since I already own the [Healthy Beef] cookbook I’m sharing it just because I love the recipe.

Thanks to my wonderful daughter for the cookbook and the Best Food Writing 2005 - where I got this recipe to begin with.

If you Google "barista burger" you can get the article and the recipe in case you lose things like I do.

(Like most people in her generation, learning to use new technology is sometimes a challenge . . . but I'm pretty impressed that my mom has caught on to the ubiquitous use of Google! Oh, and the barista burgers - it's definitely worth your time to read the story behind the burgers - and try them for yourself!)

Need to Be(ef) Inspired?

Aren't the new BEEF ads awesome? They definitely inspire me to cook a steak. I hope they will inspire you to enter a recipe in my Beef Month recipe contest, which ends Friday. I'm giving away a copy of The Healthy Beef Cookbook . . . just leave a comment or e-mail me at kenzie[dot]d[at]gmail[dot]com to share your favorite beef recipe and you'll be entered to win. Even if you recipe is very simple - as in "put steak on grill, cook until medium" simple - that is fine, go ahead and enter! The Healthy Beef Cookbook is definitely worth the few minutes it will take you to post a comment or send an e-mail!

May is Beef Month!

And what a better way to celebrate than to give away a copy of the Healthy Beef Cookbook?














All you have to do to enter is post a comment (or e-mail me at kenzie[dot]d[at]gmail[dot]com) with your favorite beef recipe. Entries are due Friday, May 23 at 5:00 p.m.

For more information on Beef Month, visit the Missouri Beef Industry Council's blog, and then grill a steak or burger and celebrate Beef Month!

The Show Me Spring Contest Winner . . .

. . . is Melanie of My Kitchen Cafe! Congratulations, Melanie - and thanks for sharing your Pasta Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Spinach and Bacon. It looks great and I can't wait to try it. Melanie's name was randomly drawn from all the entries. If you entered and didn't win - don't worry, you'll have another chance . . . watch for the announcement of a new contest soon!


(Melanie - e-mail me at kenzie(dot)d(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll get your package of Missouri goodies on its way)

More recipe entries

More recipes for the Show Me Spring recipe contest:

Sheri submitted four recipes:

Lemon Cake
1 lemon cake mix
1 pkg. lemon jello
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup Crisco oil
4 whole eggs

Beat all ingredients in one bowl until throughly blended. Pour into a well greased and floured bundt pan. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until it springs back when lightly touched. Toward the end of baking time, mix 1/2 cup lemon juice (or juice of 2 lemons) with approximately 2 cups powdered sugar. You want this thin enough to easily soak into the cake. When the cake is done baking, pour the lemon sugar mixture over the hot cake. Let the cake stand in the pan for at least 4 hours. You may have to loosen sides and around tube. Turn out on plate. You can sprinkle cake with powdered sugar or mix a glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar. This cake is moist, tangy, and delicious!

Fruit Salsa
Chop 2 red apples, 2 Granny Smith apples (or other green apple), 2 oranges, 2 pears, 6 kiwi, and one quart or more strawberries. I chop them with my Pampered Chef chopper so they're not too fine but not too large. Mix all fruit in large bowl. Stir 3 tablespoons apple jelly and 1 tablespoon brown sugar into the fruit. If you prefer it sweeter, add a little more brown sugar. Serve with gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, cinnamon or plain graham crackers, or strips of baked pie pastry.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Using a blender, combine 1/3 cup raspberry vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup vegetable oil and blend well. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve salad.

For salad, combine 10 oz. baby spinach, 1 pint sliced strawberries, and 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds. Add dressing at serving time.

Sopapilla Cheesecake
For those of you who might not be familiar with sopapilla, it is a Mexican dessert that is a puffy deep-fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and served with butter and honey.
2 cans crescent rolls
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed and smooth. Layer one can crescent rolls, do not separate, on the bottom of a greased 9 X 13 in. baking dish. Spread cream cheese mixture over the crescent roll crust. Layer the second can of rolls over the top. (Hint: I found the easiest way to do this was to place the rolls between two pieces of waxed paper and roll with my rolling pin. I take off the top piece of waxed paper, flip the crust on to the filling, and remove the second piece of waxed paper.) Melt one stick of butter and pour over the top crust. Combine 3/4 cup sugar with cinnamon to taste and sprinkle over the melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Marie submitted Bob's Barbecue Sauce

1 gal. catsup 1 tsp. seasoned pepper (I just use coarse ground)
2 cups brown sugar 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 c. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup barbecue spice (tones or other barbecue spice)

Mix well and store in container in refrigerator. Keeps well for use during the summer.

Show Me Spring recipe entries

Here are the Show Me Spring recipe contest entries so far:

Sarah entered her version of "Julie's Zesty Pasta," inspired by Madison's Restaurant
Bethany entered "The Easiest Cheesecake Ever!" and "Easy Pasta Salad" and a zucchini recipe
Megan entered "Irresistible Popcorn"
Melanie entered "Pasta Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Spinach and Bacon"
Lane entered "Portobello Chicken and Chives"
(These recipes - or links to the recipes - are in the comments section of the original contest post)

In addition, these entries were e-mailed to me:

From Lacey: Parmesan Zucchini Pasta
1 lb bacon
1 medium - large zucchini
1 lb pasta (bow tie or penne is best)
1 can diced tomato (any flavor but garlic would be good)
2 tablespoons garlic
Juice of 1 Lemon
Parmesan Cheese to taste

1. Fry bacon until crispy. Set aside to cool.
2. Sauté Zucchini and garlic in 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings
until tender.
3. Meanwhile cook pasta following directions on box.
4. When bacon is cool enough crumble in bite sized pieces.
5. When pasta is tender add bacon, sautéed zucchini and garlic, and
diced tomatoes.
6. Juice lemon over top of mixture
7. Top with Parmesan cheese.

This recipe makes a HUGE amount of pasta. Great for large family dinners.

From Gary: SPRING CARIBBEAN SALAD

1. Mix of iceberg, romaine lettuce, and spinach.
2. Put bite-size chunks of pineapple on the salad.
3. Garnish with walnuts and shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
4. Drizzle Poppyseed Dressing over the entire salad.
For a meal, add bite-size portions of grilled or fried chicken breast.

From Lee Ann: Cheesy Corn Spread

12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 12 oz can of mexicorn

Bring cheese to room temperature. In large bowl, crumble cheese with fork into small bits. Mix in remaining ingredients, except corn, until well blended. Stir in corn. Cover and chill for several hours. Serve with crackers.

The contest is open until April 28 - so keep sharing your recipes!

Show Me Spring Recipe Contest

I'm looking for some new spring recipes . . . do you have a good one? If so, share it with me and you could win a collection of great Missouri food products, including:

Cowboy Boyd's Pasta Sauce
Cowboy Boyd's Steak Sauce
Wind & Willow Roasted Corn Chowder Soup Mix
Wind & Willow Country Pecan Cheeseball & Appetizer Mix
Wind & Willow Blue Cheese Cheeseball & Appetizer Mix
Wind & Willow Spinach Artichoke Cheeseball & Appetizer Mix
The Merry Mixers Decadent Chocolate Cobbler
US Wellness Meats All Purpose Seasoning Salt
Forever Herbs Spring Garden Dip Mix
The Smashed Chefs Smashy Parmesan Garlic Dipping Mix

These are some of my favorite Missouri products - and most of the companies are AgriMissouri members (however, I am providing all the products for the prize - this isn't sponsored by AgriMissouri or any of the companies above . . . I just want to share some of The Show-Me State's great products)

Here are the rules:
1. Submit your favorite spring recipe to me by 5:00 p.m. CST on Monday, April 28.
2. Submit recipe by these methods:
A. Post a comment - either post a link to the recipe on your blog - or post the whole recipe in the comment (if you don't have a blog and your recipe is short!)
B. E-mail me the recipe at kenzie.d [at] gmail [dot] com
C. Include a picture if you can, but it's not required
3. To enter, you must be a resident of the USA.
4. One winner will be randomly drawn from all entries.

I can't wait to see your favorite spring recipe!