Stuffed Pepper with Beef and Brown Rice

The South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors met again at Bethel Church. For this meeting, Stella and Minoo were not able to make it and Marian was in charged of the kitchen. Perhaps, it was during the spring break, not many turned up for this kitchen. There were four seniors and four volunteers.

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Marian prepared four recipes for this kitchen. The above is Stuffed Pepper with Beef and Brown Rice. Bell peppers are in season and they are cheap. Bell pepper is also known as sweet pepper or capsicum. The green one is more pungent, that’s why Marian used the red, yellow and orange ones which are sweeter. Due to the shape and hollow nature of the bell pepper, it is great to be used as a container for stuffing.

Bell pepper is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is high in dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Potassium, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, folate, Manganese, Magnesium and Pantothenic Acid. Bell pepper is ideal for maintaining optimum health and weight loss.

Ingredients

  • 6 red or yellow or orange peppers
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
  • 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

  • 1 can dice tomato
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • pinch of cayenne pepper

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Lazy Day Cooking

Serves 6

You may substitute brown rice with 2 cups of quinoa. The orange juice can be substituted with lemon juice.

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Pastel de Papa (Argentinean Potato Pie)

In the South Arm Community Kitchen, Minoo demonstrated this Pastel de Papa dish, especially for Emily. Emily had requested recipes for potatoes as her son loves potatoes. Unfortunately, on the day of the demonstration, Emily called in sick at the last minute. So, Emily, you can check in here for the recipe.

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I like the name Pastel de Papa. Sounds like Papa’s Pie. Actually it means just Potato Pie in Spanish. This is really similar to Shepherd’s Pie in that it is covered with mashed potatoes.

Pastel de Papa is a popular Argentina food. It is also known as Chilean potato pie which is a staple in that country. It’s a hearty country food and simple to make. This is a great dish for potluck party.

Ingredients

  • 10 to 12 potatoes, peel and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 medium onions, dice
  • 2 tablespoons oils
  • 2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
  • a large can of diced tomatoes
  • 3 or four eggs
  • 1/2 cup green pitted olives
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • paprika, salt and pepper to taste
  • chili flakes to taste, optional
  • freshly chopped cilantro, optional
  • few pinches of ground nutmeg

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Source: Minoo

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Orange Beef Stir Fry

Marian also prepared another stir fry dish for the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors. It is an Orange Beef Stir Fry.

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This citrus beef stir fry is also another west meets east recipe. The use of oranges in stir fry is not very Chinesey.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups slice flank steak
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • orange segments from 2 oranges
  • 2 green onions, cut into 1-inch length
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • sesame seeds (optional)

Marinates

  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ginger powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoons ground pepper

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Source: Marian

Serves 4

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Beef Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Sauce on Pasta

The main dish for the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors was Beef Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Sauce on Pasta. We also made a Pesto Sauce with Walnut to go with the pasta which I will blog later.

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The difference in this meatball recipe is the incorporation of ground turkey. The lean ground turkey makes these meatballs more healthy. Turkey meat has fewer calories, less fat, less cholesterol, but high in protein compared with other meat.

Most of the fats in turkey is within the skin and most of the fat within the meat is the dark meat. The white meat with skin removed is a good food source for people on low fat diet.

The turkey meat fiber is easier to digest than other types of meat, which makes it a good choice for individual who may have digestive problems.

Turkey is an excellent source of several important vitamins and nutrients such as iron, niacin, zinc, potassium, and B vitamins.

The Canada food guide recommends 2 to 3 servings of meat, fish or poultry per day for individual 50 years and up. A serving of any type of cooked meat is equal to 3 ounces and is about the size of a deck of cards.

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1/2 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup dry whole wheat bread crumbs

Yields 4 servings

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 can plum tomatoes
  • 1 can tomato puree
  • 1 medium sized onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • grated Parmesan cheese
  • pinch of sugar

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Yields 6 to 8 servings

Source: unknown via Marian

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Venezuelan Cuisine: Beef Meatballs (Carne Albondigas)

Typically, shredded beef is served in the Pabellon Criollo, Venezuelan’s national dish. However, Maria substituted the shredded beef with beef meatballs.

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Maria made giant beef meatballs, almost the size of golf ball. These Carne Albondigas is great and it can be served with spaghetti or in a sub too.

Ingredients

  • 1 kilogram ground beef
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, finely diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 large can crushed tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, more or less
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Worcestershire sauce to taste, optional
  • 1 carrot, finely grated
  • 1 or 2 beef bouillon, optional
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
  • oil for frying

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Source: Maria

Prep time: 30 minutes;  Cook time: 40 minutes;  Serve 8 to 10

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Filipino Cuisine: Beef Steak

Marian from Philippines demonstrated 3 Filipino recipes in the Caring Place Community Kitchen. Marian used to own a restaurant which specializes on grill items in Philippines before she moved to Canada. We are so glad to learn from her.

The first item is Filipino Style Beef Steak. According to Marian, this is a popular home cook dish. The caramelized onions add sweetness to this beefy dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sliced beef sirloin tip
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (she used a Filipino brand with a pineapple logo which is sweeter)
  • 1 lemon or calamansi
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  • salt to taste

Source: Marian

Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Serves 4 to 6

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Roast Prime Rib with Dijon and Thyme

Ben was hinting me that he does not have prime rib at home for a long time. So, I went out to buy a prime rib for dinner. I got a small one which weighs only about 2.5 pounds for our family of four.

Coincidently, I just saw a roast prime rib recipe in the Province paper at the Gourmet’s Guide by Eric Akis. So, I adapted the recipe with the ingredients I have in my pantry.

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Ingredients

  • 2.5 pounds prime rib roast
  • 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
  • coarse sea salt to taste
  • coarsely ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups beef stock

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Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: depends on the size and doneness; Serves 4.

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Spinach Beef Soup

Besides the Creamy Seafood Udon, Lorna also made a Spinach Beef Soup in the Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen. This is a simple and quick soup that can be served in 30 minutes.

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Ingredients

  • 1 bunch spinach, washed and drain
  • 1 can chicken stock
  • 1 can whole kernel corn
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 pound lean ground beef, marinate with salt, pepper, corn starch and 1 egg for 30 minutes

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Source: Lorna

Prep time: 10 minutes;  Cook time: 20 minutes;   Serve 4

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Hamburger Stroganoff

Charlene prepared this recipe with extra-lean ground beef instead of sirloin strips which makes this comforting dish a bit more affordable and a bit lower in fat. When choosing recipes for the Seniors Cooking Club, Charlene always look out for low fat, low sodium, low sugar and low budget recipes. In fact, we should all adopt such healthy factors.

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Stroganoff is usually served over noodles but it is also delicious served over rice, or on toast for a simple dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sherry, optional
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (we substituted with soy sauce)
  • 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream (or full fat plain yogurt)

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Frances and Helmut paired up to make this comforting Hamburger Stroganoff.

Prep time: 20 mins; Cook time: 35 to 40 minutes; Serves 4 to 6.

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Korean Cuisine: Bulgogi

Julia is a ESL student in Peace Mnenonite Church and she is a member of the community kitchen at that location. Julia made two very popular Korean dishes at the Peace Mnenonite Church Community Kitchen and Minoo invited her to do the same at the Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen. We are so glad to have her. Julia invited her Korean friend, Michelle to be her interpreter.  Michelle is an intern pastor in the Peace Mnenonite Church. Not only that Julia brought along an interpreter, she also invited her ESL teacher, Mona to come along.

Julia learned her Korean cooking skills not only from her mom but she also attended a Korean cooking school for a year. She is a perfectionist in the kitchen.

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Bulgogi is a popular Korean dish made with thinly sliced beef. This dish is best served with rice and lettuce or seaweed.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds rib eye beef (ask the butcher to thinly slice for you)
  • 3 small onions (grate one to marinate the beef while two thinly slice)
  • 1 bunch (about 5) green onions, cut into 1-inch strips
  • 1/4 pear
  • 10 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 5 pieces of pyogo mushroom, slice

Seasonings:

  • about 1/2 cup Korean BBQ sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

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This recipe serves 10.

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