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Sunday, May 6, 2018

Week 18 Recipe

This week I tried a recipe from an old cookbook, The More with Less Cookbook, stuck in the middle of the cookbook shelf, surrounded by cookbooks I actually use on occasion.  I am sure I have looked at it at some time in the past few years but I don't remember when. I remember buying it when the older sons were very young and we were very, very broke. The book focused on consuming the easiest renewable resources for the majority of the meals, so the main ingredients in most of the recipes were either eggs or plant based items.

I have no clue what prompted me to look at it tonight other than the fact that I had about 6 pounds of ground chuck in the refrigerator that needed to be used or processed tonight, and I remembered that I could get the beginnings of several more meals prepped if I used the cookbook as a guide. (OK, just browned beef with onions and garlic in zippies for the freezer.) All I was really looking for was an approximate portion for a few recipes, knowing I could write the recipe name on the outside of the freezer bag, eliminating a little work and also guess work when I decided to actually cook.

I started looking through the book and instead of thumbing through the recipes, I found myself reading the commentary and also the little asides written throughout the book. About 2 hours later, I realized it was nearly 8 o'clock and I had done nothing toward getting our dinner made, much less coming up with some rudimentary meal plan. I had to change tacks and get something cooked. The possible recipes and freezer cooking could wait until after supper.

Step one was to find a quick recipe that would be stove top to table in less than 25 minutes and it had to be something I had every single item at the ready. After looking at about 5 recipes I hit pay dirt with kima. According to the recipe kima is a Pakistani entree, which is really just a stew with Southern Asian flavors. It sounded quick, easy and best of all, was made in one pan.

Kima

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground chuck (I used maybe 3/4)
1 tablespoon curry powder (I confess I used 1 tablespoon regular and 1 teaspoon hot curry powder)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes cubed
2 cans petite cut tomatoes
frozen green beans or green peas (I am not telling you an amount. You know how much your family will eat. I used a small bag (12 oz) of frozen green beans.

In a large pan, wilt the onions in the butter. Add the garlic and stir a few seconds, the add the ground chuck and cook until it is browned, stirring often. Though it did not call for draining the fat off the cooked beef I have to, so I did. Stir in the spices and cook a little more than add the potatoes followed by the undrained tomatoes. Cook until the potatoes are about half done. If you need more liquid add about a half cup more before adding the frozen beans or peas. Cook until the beans/peas are done and serve on rice. (So thankful I always have a box of brown rice minute rice in the pantry)

This was quite tasty, and unbelievably easy. TheHub and I both ate it with enough left over for both of us to eat another night this week. Next time I  make this again, and will probably add another potato, more green beans and leave off the beef for a vegetarian meal. With a green salad to go along with it and the meal would be perfect. Of course I will make it another time with beef in it also.

Give it a try, you might like it!





32 comments:

  1. That does sound good except for the hot curry. years ago, I made spaghetti with lots/pounds of ground beef until I decided to cut back on the beef for health and economy. I found that putting one patty or 1 egg-sized piece of ground beef made it taste like there was lots of beef. You hit the jackpot on this recipe--quick, easy, and one pan.

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    1. I cut back on ground chuck in just about everything I make years ago also. I do punch things up with a lot of grated veggies. I am a threat to add grated zucchini or grated carrots to anything that has browned ground beef or turkey as a base.

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  2. I really, really like South Asian flavours. And most of them improve with keeping. And are incredibly flexible. The best kind of recipe.

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    1. Yes it is! I don't do well with rigid recipes/cooking.

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  3. Looks good! I have never cooked with curry powder. What kind do you use?

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    1. The curry powder is just the garden variety Badia (found on the ethnic food aisle at ThePig here) I buy the hot curry at Penzy's.

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  4. So yummy looking. Hubs would not like the curry flavor but my girls would love the veg version.

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    1. It was good and I think I would love just the veggie version, but I might throw in some carrots to add a little more volume to it.

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  5. My son makes something very similar to this and it's quite good. However, in deference to me, he leaves out the hot curry powder. :)

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    1. That is the nicest thing about dishes. You car alter seasonings to fit personal tastes. I would have liked it hotter but TheHub likes less heat than I do. It was still good.

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  6. I remember checking that cookbook out of the library years ago, and spending the next two weeks studying it. The commentaries really struck me, and helped form my family meal time attitudes.

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    1. My future DIL was here while I was cooking and she looked through the book reading some of the commentary. After she left I found it is available on Amazon, so I ordered a copy as another wedding gift for them.

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  7. Replies
    1. It was really good. Plus I have enough left over so I won't have to cook one night this week. Double win!

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  8. Just that combination of spices makes my mouth water - I swear you could rub them into cardboard and I would eat it!

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    1. It was very tasty, but I will use fresh ginger next time. I am not a big fan of powdered ginger except in gingerbread cookies.

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  9. Your version of keema looks very appetizing! Keema means minced/ground meat - this curry is often made with lamb instead of beef and green peas is what is usually used. To me, a vegetarian version won't be keema, since it won't have meat; it'll be just a vegetable curry. :)

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    1. Nice bit of info. I had no idea what the name meant, and when I make the veggie variety I might call it Non-Kima!

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  10. Yummy, tasty and healthy dish!

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  11. I love one pot cooking, which is one of the reasons we eat curries of all descriptions quite regularly. We don't have beef curries as often as chicken, the beef gets made into bolonaise or "mexican"
    I have to remember this one

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    1. I love one pot meals too! They are easy to cook, serve and eat, and clean up is a breeze!

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  12. I have this cook book and can just sit and read it, too. Love it!

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  13. I have had it so long not only are both covers gone but it is missing several pages from both the front and back. All the recipes are still intact though.

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  14. Oh I love easy one pan recipes like this one. And I have everything on hand except for the meat!

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  15. Love curry. As in, LOVE! So I'd use some hot curry, too. This looks really good -- thanks.

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  16. Sounds good. And like a hearty dish. Kima is new to me. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. It was new to me too, but it will be my friend now!

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  17. Ooh! I've got most of those things... Can I get it cooked for tonight?! Maybe...

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