Beef Mushroom Meatballs with Maple Dijon Sauce

Recipe and photo by Laureen of Fox in the Kitchen.

Prep Time: 20 mins. | Cook Time: 40 mins. | Makes: 24 meatballs.

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
1/2 lb mushrooms, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 extra-large egg
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 lb extra lean ground beef
Sauce
1/4 Cup maple syrup
1/4 Cup dijon mustard
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Garnish (Optional)
sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

Method

Meatballs
1. In a thick-bottomed skillet over medium heat, sauté chopped onions in a small amount of cooking oil along with a pinch of salt (the salt helps to release the onions sweet juices). Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the onions are deeply golden, brown, and caramelized (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking pan with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl mix chopped mushrooms with oil. Layer mushrooms evenly on prepared baking pan.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and reduced in size. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Process in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed. Set aside.
5. Turn oven temperature down to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. In a small bowl, or mortar and pestle, combine spices.
7. In large bowl, lightly beat egg. Add cooled onions, roasted mushrooms, spice mixture and tomato paste. Stir until blended. Add ground beef, stir until combined.
8. Form into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on prepared pan. Recipe makes about 24 meatballs.
9. Bake for 20 minutes, or until meatballs are nicely browned and cooked through. For even cooking, spin the pan after 10 minutes.
10. While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce.
Sauce
1. In a small saucepan, combine syrup, mustard, oil and vinegar, whisk to blend. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced to a glaze-like consistency. Remove from heat.
Note: Be careful when stirring, as the hot liquid bubbles up, sputters and splashes.
Serving
1. Once finished cooking, arrange meatballs on a serving plate, top each one with a dollop of sauce, insert fancy toothpicks, sprinkle plated meatballs with chopped fresh rosemary, and serve warm, as appetizers.

Beef Bourguignon

What could be classier – or easier – than serving classic Beef Bourguignon when you host your next soirée? Serve this recipe with mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice.

Prep Time: 25 mins. | Cook Time: 2 hrs. 30 mins. | Serves: 6
Tip: With this dish, you’re free to enjoy the company as dinner slowly simmers in the kitchen. In fact, you can even make the stew the day before and simply reheat it in the slow cooker, oven or microwave. And here’s the big bonus – stew actually tastes better when made the day ahead. Slow Cooker: After Step 2, transfer meat to 24-cup (6 L) slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, adding reserved bacon, onions and mushrooms in final hour.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, diced 4
2 medium onions, sliced lengthwise 2
8 oz fresh mushrooms, halved 250 g
2 lb Stewing Beef Cubes 1 kg
3 tbsp all-purpose flour 45 mL
3 cloves garlic, minced 3
1½ cups EACH red wine and beef stock 375 mL
1 bay leaf 1
1 tsp dried thyme 5 mL
1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper 2 mL

Method

  1. Pan-fry bacon in Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove bacon and set aside. Sauté onions and mushrooms in bacon fat until just browned. Remove vegetables and set aside.
  2. Brown beef, in batches and adding some vegetable oil if necessary. Sprinkle flour over meat. Add garlic, wine, broth, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.
  3. Cook,  covered in 325°F (160°C) oven for 2 hours. Add reserved bacon, onions and mushrooms; cook for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving
Calories: 357
Protein: 38 g
Fat: 18 g
Carbohydrates: 9 g

Canadian-Beef-Logo

Beef and Mushroom Tortilla Pie

This version uses mushrooms and beef for the meat layer alternating with layers of beans, salsa and cheese. It’s definitely a meal in a slice.

Recipe and photo by eat. live. travel. write.

Prep Time: 40 mins. | Cook Time: 45 mins. | Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

For the meat:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb mushrooms (I used crimini and shiitake)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
For the beans: 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
To assemble:
1 ½ cups salsa
12 6-inch corn tortillas
200g shredded cheddar cheese
To serve:
Sour cream
Salsa
Avocado slices

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
To cook the beef and mushrooms:
  1. Place the mushrooms in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
  2. Pulse until they are finely chopped.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the shallots and garlic and cook sauté until they start to soften but not brown.
  5. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they start to brown (at this point you might want to drain any excess liquid or you can lower the heat and continue to cook until the liquid is mostly cooked off).
  6. Add the beef, mix to combine well with the mushroom mixture and cook until the beef is browned.
  7. Stir in the coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes and season with salt, to taste.
  8. Set aside.
To cook the beans:
  1. In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the shallot and garlic until they just start to soften.
  2. Add the drained beans and cook over medium heat until they are soft enough to mash.
  3. Stir in the cumin and coriander then use a potato masher or the back of a soup ladle to gently crush the beans. You can leave some whole so the texture is not completely smooth.
To assemble:
  1. Cover the bottom of a deep round baking dish (9-inches/ 23cm in diameter with a capacity of 2L) with about ¼ cup of the salsa.
  2. Top with 2 corn tortillas – you will have to cut them to fit the shape of the dish so the bottom is completely covered.
  3. Top with about 1/3 of the beef and mushroom mixture, then ¼ cup of the salsa then scatter about ¼ of the cheese.
  4. Layer on 2 corn tortillas, cut to fit the dish, then top with 1/3 of the bean mixture, then ¼ cup salsa and more cheese.
  5. Continue to layer the tortillas, beef and beans until you have used up all the ingredients. Make sure the top of the pie is just salsa and cheese on a tortilla layer.
  6. Depending on the size of your dish, you will get 2-3 layers each of beef/ mushrooms and beans.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, then broil on high for 3-5 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown and bubbling.
  8. Serve slices with a dollop of sour cream and some extra salsa and fresh avocado slices

Beef and Mushrooms Samosas

Charmian of The Messy Baker put the Blend & Extend method to good use in these party favourites. Her recipe for Beef and Mushroom Samosas would be a hit at any get-together. Try them yourself at home!

Recipe and photo by Charmian Christie of The Messy Baker.

Prep Time: 45 mins. | Cook Time: 25 mins. | Makes: 16 samosas.

Ingredients

Filling
1/2 pound mushrooms
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Wrapping
1 454 g package phyllo, defrosted
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

Method

Filling
1. Place the mushrooms in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until the mushrooms resemble couscous, about 10 pulses. If you don’t have a food processor, mince by hand with a knife. Transfer the minced mushroom to a large bowl and mix with the ground beef.
2. Peel and quarter the onion before placing it in the food processor. Pulse until minced. Alternatively, the onion can be minced by hand.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, salt and dried chilli flakes. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to ensure the spices are well distributed.
4. Add the mushroom/beef combination and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink.
5. Place the beef mixture in a sieve and allow to drain five minutes to remove excess liquid. Too much moisture in the filling can cause the samosas to burst while cooking. Transfer the strained mixture to a large bowl, stir in the lemon juice, peas, corn and cilantro. Allow to cool. The filling can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Wrapping 
1. When you’re ready to wrap the filling, preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Unwrap the phyllo and it lay flat. Cover it with a slightly damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Remove one sheet, and brush lightly with oil using a pastry brush. Fold in thirds lengthwise so you have a long, narrow strip three layers thick. Place 1/4 cup filling  at the bottom of the phyllo strip, about 1/2 inch from the left edge. Fold the bottom right corner over the filling to form a triangle. Fold the filling up the sheet of phyllo, maintaining the triangle form. Place on a baking sheet, brush with more oil and sprinkle with black sesame seeds, if using. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot as is or with tamarind sauce.

Beef and Mushroom Kofta

By using half the meat and substituting in a mix of chopped mushrooms you add more nutrients and a great woodsy flavour. I highly recommend using a variety of types since each one adds a unique flavour and texture.

Recipe and photo by The Tasty Gardener.

Prep Time: 15 mins. | Cook Time: 10 mins.
Tip: If using wooden bamboo skewers make sure you soak them in water for several hours or over night.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat BBQ to medium high heat.
2. Using your hands blend together all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Take a golf ball size amount and flatten in the palm of your hand.
4. Place a BBQ skewer in the middle of the patty and carefully fold the meat around the skewer pressing to secure. Repeat with remaining meat.
5. Place on preheated grill and cook 5-10 minutes, turning frequently until meat has cooked through.
6. Remove from grill and serve.