ChezCindy: Casey's Ketchup Steak

Please enjoy my original post from a year ago, at the close of this update.  Today, I am offering some additional helpful tips to making the ketchup steak. 

Because this dish is made with an inexpensive cut of round steak, it is important to really pound the steak to yield a fork-tender outcome.  In the picture below, you can see the thickness of the meat starting out, and how thin it becomes by pounding it.  After cutting the steak into individual portion sizes, I place a piece of steak in a zip-lock plastic bag; using a meat mallet, I pound it until it is half of the original the thickness. 

Use more onions than you think should be necessary.  The recipe calls for 2 large soft-ball size onions.  Cut them very thin.  The onions cook down to actually melt into the sauce, helping to thicken it. 

 

Take the time to brown the meat in the butter, creating great color and delicious bits of goodness that will add to the final flavor of the sauce.  The kitchen will smell wonderful like brown-butter beef. 

 

The final results are like no other dish I have ever eaten.  Families from all backgrounds find it to be comfort food like no other.  The ketchup thickens, the onions melt, and the steak is fork-tender.  It is best served with mashed potatoes.  And, it is great the next day as left-overs. 

I hope you enjoy and join in the annual tradition of making Casey's Ketchup Steak.


My Original Post:
February 3, 1922, my dad, Casey, was born.  He was a cook in the US Navy during World War 2.  The story goes that my dad made up this recipe for the sailors on board his ship and everyone loved it, including the Captain.  When the Captain came to the kitchen to tell the cooks how much he enjoyed the meal, he wanted to know what it was called.  Being the quick thinker my dad was, he stated "Greek Steak" which made the meal sound even more exotic.  After the war, as a married man with 6 kids, my dad did some of the cooking relating back to his experience as a cook in the Navy.  When he made this meal, we all thought is was pretty special.  For kids to have steak, a rarity for us, and ketchup!  How much better could it get?  Forget the exotic name.  We called it Ketchup Steak. 
Now that my dad has passed away, the family has begun a tradition to make Ketchup Steak on or around his birthday.  Even though many of us are not in the same town any longer, it is a way for us to come together and pay homage to our dad. 
It is a simple recipe with just 4 ingredients.  Traditionally we serve it with mashed potatoes and a vegetable, (corn is the family favorite).  Enjoy.

Casey's Ketchup Steak
1 1/2 pounds of round steak
2 large onions (softball size)
20 oz ketchup
10 oz water
3 T butter
black pepper to season

Cut the steak into portion size pieces.  Pound each piece to tenderize.  Slice the onions into thin slices.
In a large straight-sided skillet, on medium heat, add the butter to melt.  Add the steak pieces to begin browning,- can be done in 2 batches to avoid over crowding the pan.  Once the steak is browned on both sides, add the sliced onions.  Continue browning the steak, moving the onions around, until the onions have wilted.  Add the ketchup, water, and sprinkle with black pepper to taste.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Lower the heat to barely a simmer.  Cover the pan.  Simmer for 2 hours.  The steak should be fork-tender and the onions almost melt into the sauce.  The sauce will have thickened.  Serve over mashed potatoes. 

ChezCindy: Crazy Good Blueberry Scones!

I first made these blueberry scones a couple of years ago, and not again since.  My notes reflected that they were "Excellent!".  Making them again this morning, they have been upgraded to "Crazy Good!".  If there can be a scale of measurement for how delicious food is, in my version, Crazy Good exceeds Excellent. 

To make things even more enticing, this is the easiest scone recipe you will ever make.  There is no rolling out of the dough.  Why did I wait 2 years to make these again???  Once the dough is made, you simply scoop out 1/2 cups and drop onto a baking sheet.  Less mess to clean up than rolling out dough.  I like that. 

Winter is the perfect time to make scones.  Scone ingredients need to start out cold and stay cold.  Key steps are to use cold butter straight from the refrigerator, or even slightly frozen from the freezer.  I used frozen blueberries, which made the dough extra cold.  Keeping the butter cold, once incorporated into the dough, gives the scones the desired flakiness.  This applies to the dough waiting to be baked, while those in the oven finish baking.  I use 4 baking trays; 2 in the oven and 2 waiting to go into the oven.  Winter helps with this process because I can keep my waiting trays outside (if it is not snowing) or in the garage to stay cold.  Sounds a bit crazy, but do what you can to keep the waiting dough away from the heat of the oven. 

When scooping out the dough, place each mound of dough onto the baking sheet with enough space to spread without touching each other.  Allowing space between the unbaked scones will yield a crisp edge and a soft interior. 

Serve the scones warm from the oven, drizzled with honey or butter.  If you have left-over scones, warm them slightly in the oven to resume some of the crispness.  A cold scone will be more soft and cakey.  Not bad, just different than warm from the oven. 

Blueberry Oat Scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 3/4 cups half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking trays with parchment paper. 
Working in a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir to combine.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces; add to the bowl.  Blend until the mixture resembles a rocky road with pieces of butter the size of peas.  Add the oats and blueberries, stirring just to combine.  (If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before adding to the dough.)  While the mixer is running, add the half and half and vanilla, mixing just until the dough comes together.  The dough will be very thick and wet. 

Using a 1/2-cup measuring cup, scoop out the dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets in slightly rounded mounds, allowing ample space between each scone.  Sprinkle each scone top with a bit of raw oats and sugar. 

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.  Rotate the baking sheets for even baking, and bake for another 11 minutes.  Remove from the oven; slide the parchment paper off the baking trays to cool the scones.  Repeat with remaining dough. 

ChezCindy: Carrot Parsnip Soup

  

Carrots can generally be found in vegetable bins in most homes.  Underappreciated and not really thought of as the star ingredient.  Perhaps maybe with carrot cake.  No argument there.   Always yummy and delicious. But I was looking for more ways to enjoy carrots for lunch and dinner.


Carrots are inexpensive, super healthy, and delicious.  I prefer them cooked as opposed to eating them raw.  Cooking highlights the flavor of carrots, and they need little adornment.  I enjoy them roasted with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Always easy and quick as a side dish for dinner. 

 

This carrot soup recipe turned out to be a perfect winter soup.  Its bright orange color is sunny even on the grayest winter day. Great texture, creamy without using any cream; with a subtle sweetness brought out by addition of parsnips.    

Carrot Parsnip Soup

2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound carrots
3/4 pound parsnips

1 cup water
3 cups unsalted vegetable stock, divided
2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy bottom soup pan.  Add the chopped onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring over medium heat until soft.  

Peel the carrots and parsnips.  Cut into 1/2-inch pieces adding to the pan with the onions.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stirring to combine.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.  Add in 1 cup of water, continuing to cook for 15 minutes.  Once the vegetables are mostly tender, add 2 cups stock, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat, cooling for 10 minutes.

Transfer the cooled carrot mixture to a blender or food processor, (or use an immersion blender) puree until smooth.  Return the pureed soup to the pan.  Taste for seasoning, adding the white pepper and more salt if necessary.  Add the remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to thin the soup until you reach the preferred consistency.  Serve hot. 

ChezCindy: Winter Root Vegetables - Turnips!

Up until a few weeks ago, I don't think I had ever eaten a turnip.  To be really honest, only in the last few years have I understood which vegetable was a turnip and which were parsnips.  Parsnips look like carrots and turnips are round, purple and white in color.  Parsnips are cousins to carrots and turnips are in the same family as radishes. 

 

Winter brings on the opportunity or challenge to try different seasonal vegetables.  Food magazines and newspaper articles feature recipes that inspire to go beyond carrots.  Thus, my inspiration to try roasted turnips.  To my great surprise, the texture was creamy and the flavor sweet.  I decided to partner them with sliced butternut squash, cut from the long neck of the squash, roasted with fresh thyme. 

Consider using turnips when making a vegetable soup or beef stew. Simply peel, cut into small cubes, and add as you would potatoes and carrots.  Purchase smaller turnips as opposed to those larger in size, as the large older turnips are hotter in taste. 

Roasted Turnips and Butternut Squash with Fresh Thyme
1-pound turnips
1-pound butternut squash
4-5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Peel the turnips and squash.  Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Place the sliced vegetables and thyme sprigs into a medium bowl.  Add the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat the sliced vegetables. 

Place the sliced vegetables onto a heavy baking sheet, laying them in a single layer.  Sprinkle the thyme sprigs over the slices.  Place baking tray in the oven, roasting for about 20 minutes.  Halfway through roasting time, turn over each slice to brown the other side.  Remove from oven.  Serve warm. 

ChezCindy: Rosemary Herb Salt & Rosemary Oil

When I recently made Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti , I took some time to reacquaint myself with Chef Michael Chiarello's Tra Vigne cookbook.  One of the things I like about his cookbooks is along with the featured recipes, he always provides side notes on "Chef's Tips", "Entertaining Notes", or "Wine Notes", that are helpful and educational.  I discovered a Chef's Tip for frying rosemary.  

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs.  Smelling it makes me smile.  My outdoor rosemary shrubs usually last throughout the winter, maybe getting just a bit brown.  I take great pleasure in walking out my backdoor, trudging through the snow to snip off a stem or two of rosemary.  When I saw this tip for frying rosemary, I had to make it.  Chef's instructions were to deep fry it.  I did not want to drag out my deep fryer just to fry a sprig of rosemary.  So I improvised.  I took a shallow saute pan; poured in about a cup of olive oil.  I heated the olive oil and gently added the sprigs of rosemary.  They sizzled right away.  I let them sizzle in the olive oil for about 60 seconds.  When most of the sizzling subsided, I removed them to drain on a paper towel.

Once they were cool, Chef Chiarello's notes explained that the crisp rosemary could be added to salt and other spices to make a seasoned salt.  But now what to do with the olive oil.  I hated to waste it.  I then realized that I had made rosemary flavored olive oil.  I strained it into a jar and have been using it in my cooking this week. 

So now you are asking yourself, what would I do with rosemary salt and rosemary olive oil?  The first thing I made was popcorn.  Once popped, in place of butter, I drizzled the rosemary olive oil over the popcorn and sprinkled with the seasoned rosemary salt.  

Next day, I sautéed chicken breasts in the rosemary olive oil.  They came out beautifully browned and with just a hint of rosemary.  They were delicious in a chicken sandwich. 

The oil or the salt would be wonderful with beef or lamb.  I would love to grill a steak and finish it with a sprinkle of the rosemary salt and a drizzle of rosemary oil.  That would be beautiful.  Or use the salt and oil with roasted or baked potatoes.  A drizzle of oil on grilled or toasted bread would be nice with melted cheese and honey.   

If you decide to make the fried rosemary, rosemary salt and olive oil, be sure to use them within a week's time.  These are not meant to be stored for long term use.  Honestly, I can think of so many ways to use these.  Eggs, cheese, grains, pastas, any savory food really. 

Fried Rosemary
3 small sprigs of rosemary
1 cup olive oil

Place the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the sprigs of rosemary for 60 seconds.  Remove to a paper towel to drain. 

Rosemary Olive Oil
Once the oil from the fried rosemary has cooled, pour through a funnel into a bottle or jar.  Use within 1 week. 


Rosemary Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon fried rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Place the fried rosemary onto a paper towel.  Gather the paper towel to close the rosemary within; rub the paper towel to crunch the rosemary into small bits.  Remove the stems.  Place 1 teaspoon of rosemary leaves into a small jar or bowl.  Add the kosher salt.  Shake or stir to combine. 

ChezCindy: Cut-out Cookies



Holidays often bring forward the tradition of baking cookies, certainly at Christmas.  But for me, Valentine's Day has always meant making cut-out cookies.  I'm sure this stems from family times in the kitchen with my mother.  She had a large collection of cookie cutters.  I have early memories of rolling out cookie dough, stamping in the cookie cutter to create the shaped cookies.  

I also have a happy memory from my early teenage years of baking my own cut-out cookies.  Generally, any cookie dough that is used for cut-outs calls for refrigerating the dough before rolling it out.  That step didn't sit well with me.  I wanted to complete the process without having to wait 30-60 minutes for the dough to chill.  So I set out looking through all of my mother's cookbooks for a cut-out cookie recipe that could be used straight away.  I find it interesting that the young age of 13 marks the beginning of when I began researching recipes!

The recipe used here for these heart shaped cut-outs is the one I found at that early age.  It is a basic sugar cookie that rolls out well.  The scraps come together easily to roll out for a second pass.  And, it makes a delicious soft sugar cookie.   

Sugar Cookie Cut-outs 

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line sheet trays with parchment paper, set aside.

Working with a stand mixer or with a large bowl mixing by hand, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, blending well. 

Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Stamp out with the cookie cutter shapes as desired.  Place the cookies onto the parchment lined sheet trays.  Gather the scraps together into a ball and roll out for a second pass.  Continue until all dough has been cut into desired shapes. 

Bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Slide the parchment paper, with the cookies in place, from the baking sheets.  Cool before frosting.   

ChezCindy: Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

This recipe is influenced by the late chef Michael Chiarello. Chef of the celebrated Tra Vigne restaurant and Restaurant Bottega, featuring fresh California ingredients.  I came upon this recipe in the Tra Vigne Cookbook and was amazed at how delicious this meatless recipe is.

The recipe uses spaghetti squash along with spaghetti noodles. To paraphrase comments in the cookbook, I would like to tell you to eat this because it is full of great nutrition, but really, eat it because it tastes great!

The recipe uses Parmesan cheese and adds a bit of spice to his tomato sauce by incorporating cooked, mashed jalapeno pepper into it. I skipped the heat of the jalapeno and used goat cheese in my sauce. This comfort meal is satisfying and delicious.  Check out another post featuring recipes from Tra Vigne cookbook, rosemary herb salt.

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 spaghetti squash, about 2 pounds
1/2 pound thin spaghetti pasta
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 cups tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half, scoop out and discard the fibers and seeds. Season the cut side of the squash with olive oil, salt & pepper. Place cut side down onto a rimmed baking sheet. Add 1 cup of water to the pan to help steam the squash.

Bake the squash until tender, 45-55 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  When cool enough to handle, scrape the squash out of the shells in long strands into a large bowl.  Season with salt, pepper and butter.  Set aside. 

Prepare the pasta as directed on package.  When the pasta is done, drain; add to the bowl with the squash.  Toss well, but gently.

Warm the tomato sauce, either your homemade or favorite jar.  Stir in the crumbled goat cheese to the warmed sauce.  Add enough sauce to the spaghetti to coat as desired.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.