Umami Beef & Potatoes

You guys didn't think this blog would die did you? I did. GG and I have gotten so busy that food blogging became a thing of the past. But tonight, I thought, why not refresh this old blog of ours, even if it's with a recipe of a simple dish that I concocted over 10 years ago. And so, The Red Gingham lives on!

Light & Easy Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is one of those comfort foods that'll warm your soul but could really stick to your ribs at the same time. Anyone who loves meat and potatoes will enjoy Shepherd's Pie because it's essentially ground meat and some mixed veggies topped with a layer of mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown on top. My family loves Shepherd's Pie but since I'm on a quest to shed some weight, I thought, why not make a lighter and healthier version that everyone will still enjoy?

VG's "Shanghai Angus Steak" (Panda Express copycat recipe)

I have been a big fan of Panda Express since I first ate there many years ago. For those of you not familiar with Panda Express, it is an American restaurant chain serving fast, casual Chinese cuisine. It's actually considered to be American Chinese cuisine as their dishes are created to appeal to non-Asian palates and frequently use sweeter, thicker sauces. 

Pepper Steak

It's colorful bell pepper season! I love bell peppers of all colors and especially love that red and yellow peppers are so cheap and affordable right now so I've been buying them left and right and cooking them in all kinds of stir fry's. Tonight, I made pepper steak for dinner. It's a quick and easy stir fry that is great for a weeknight meal.

Beef Sukiyaki (Japanese hot pot)

Sometimes I'm amazed at just how much comfort one simple dish can bring to me. Tonight's dinner, Sukiyaki, did just that.

Classic Meatloaf

From what I've heard, meatloaf has a bit of a bad rep even though it's considered to be a quintessential American comfort food. Apparently, school cafeteria meatloaf with its mysterious lump of meat submerged in some runny brown sauce has some people scarred for life. I wish I could relate but I really can't because I wasn't raised in the American public school system and had never actually tasted meatloaf until I was in my late twenties.

Paula Deen's Old-Time Beef Stew

Beef stew is somewhat new to our dinner table. I never used to cook it "BMVG" (Before Mr. VG) because we used to eat Asian food much more frequently. But since he came along and is the epitome of a meat and potatoes guy, beef stew had to make its appearance somehow. Over the years, I've tried several beef stew recipes ranging from extremely easy to not-so-easy.

Asian Pot Roast

With the arrival of fall and cooler weather, I find myself craving lots of warm comfort foods such as pot roast. The last time I made pot roast was probably several months ago so when my son came grocery shopping with me last week and saw chuck roast on sale, he asked me to make it for one of our "meat night" dinners. I granted his request but instead of the usual, traditional American version, I gave this one an Asian twist. 

Korean BBQ Burgers with Kimchi Mayonnaise

Today was another scorcher and when the temps are in the triple digits, I absolutely can't stand going out. I'm just super intolerant of sweltering hot weather...always have been, always will be. But I had a very bare refrigerator and pantry to contend with and I really needed to go grocery shopping. My daughter happily offered to tag along so we drove to two different stores (Asian and American) just to be able to get all the ingredients I need for the week.

Classic Bistek

Another classic Filipino beef dish.  This is how my mom's bistek tasted, so this is what I am imparting to all of you.

  

Classic Meatballs with Homemade "BBQ" Sauce

Today's post is special in my eyes. Why? Because it's our first beef post. Yes, FIRST ONE EVER after almost three months of blogging and more than three dozen recipes. I've even mentioned it to Gingham Girl (on more than one occasion) that we seriously need to post a beef recipe but it just never happened until now. I'm guessing that, like me, she's not a big red meat eater herself.