Mexican-Style Beef with Cabbage Soup

Mexican-Style Beef and Cabbage Soup

I have this awesome foodie friend named Adam. Adam J. Holland is his name and he cooks some crazy good food and shares it with the world on his website The Unorthodox Epicure. Not only is he talented food-wise, he is also a talented and witty writer. Do pop over to his blog at some point and check him out.

Now, on to this fabulous soup that I “stole” from Adam. His version of this recipe is not a soup, but since I am a soup fanatic I just had to transform it into one. I added a few other tweaks, but the base recipe is fabulous on its own. My family LOVED this soup, and the hubs declared it a soup that I MUST make again! How’s that for a complement? He tends to be wary whenever I spring something “different” on him. I am very happy to have a new soup to add into the rotation! After I took my photos my husband decided to crush up some tortilla chips and add it to the soup. It was a GREAT idea! It complemented the soup very nicely.

OH! And to those of you who celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, I wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day filled with Love and Food! ❤

Mexican-Style Beef with Cabbage Soup
Adapted from Mexican-Style Beef with Cabbage at The Unorthodox Epicure

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 jalapeño, chopped (I used my dehydrated jalapeños)
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon chile powder (I used Ancho)
Lots of ground black pepper and a wee bit of salt, to taste
3 cups beef stock, preferably homemade
2 cups shredded cabbage or chopped (I used my Ninja processor)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
Tortilla chips, for garnish (optional)

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.

Making the Soup Base

Add the garlic, jalapeño, tomatoes, tomato paste, chile powder, and ground black pepper and salt. Stir and cook for about 7 more minutes.

Browning the Ground Beef

Add the ground beef to the pot, breaking it up with your spatula. Cook until the beef is no longer pink.

Beef and Cabbage Soup Ready for Stirring and Simmering

Add the beef stock, cabbage, cilantro, and lime juice. Bring up to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes more.  Serve in bowls and garnish with tortilla chips (optional).

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

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Asian Style Cube Steak

Asian Style Cube Steak

I’ve been hard-pressed to come up with new dinner ideas for all the packages of tenderized top round (aka cube steak) we have in our freezer. After I spied a new Teriyaki sauce that had sesame seeds in it at the store, I decided to buy it and figured the steak could be dressed up with it for an Asian flair. Throw in some onions, carrots, and sugar snap peas and voila! A perfect meal to serve over a bed of rice. I got two thumbs up from the family for this one!

Asian Style Cube Steak

1 pound tenderized top round
Salt or Mrs. Dash
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 to 1 cup sliced onions
1 3/4 cup beef broth, homemade or low sodium
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds
8 ounces baby carrots
8 ounces sugar snap peas
3/4 cup uncooked rice

Cube Steaks and Teriyaki Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the cube steak into serving portions then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge the steaks through the flour, pressing in firmly to stick. Reserve the leftover flour.

 

Cube Steaks and Onions

Heat about 1/8 inch of oil in an oven-proof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the steaks on one side for about five minutes, the carefully flip over. Add the sliced onions, then cook the steak and onions for about another five minutes. Add the reserved flour to the pan, stirring into the oil as best you can around the steaks.

In a large measuring cup, add the beef broth, then add the Teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds (I used Soy Vay brand) to the 2-cup mark and whisk to incorporate. (If you can’t find that brand of sauce, simply add about a tablespoon of sesame seeds to any Teriyaki sauce.) Pour the mixture over the steak an onions.

Carrots Added to the Pot

Add the baby carrots around the steaks. Cover with an oven-proof lid, and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Carefully remove lid, stir in the snap peas, then cook covered for an additional 15 minutes.

Snap Peas Added to the Pot

While the steak is in the oven, you can cook the rice according to package directions and keep warm until serving time. When the steaks and vegetables are done, serve over the rice with plenty of sauce.