How you doin’? Sometimes an Instant Pot is the right decision and other times your Slow Cooker is the way to go. This Bunkhouse Beefy Pot Roast recipe is one of those perfect fall/winter recipes… a great idea for any night of the week, and so easy in your One-Pot Slow Cooker.
 
The secret to this recipe is to incorporate a little Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning Mix for extra delicious flavor in every bite.
 
Pot roast is an all-American beef dish made by slow cooking a cut of beef in moist heat. Cuts such as chuck steak, bottom round, short ribs and 7-bone roast are preferred for this technique. While the toughness of their fibers makes such cuts of meat unsuitable for oven roasting, slow cooking tenderizes them, while the beef imparts some of its flavor to the water or wine.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  8 hours
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients 
4 pounds beef roast
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup cheap red wine
1-1/2 pounds new potatoes cut in halves
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 seasoning packet or 3 tablespoons Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning,
 
Directions (that couldn’t be easier)

1. Place the beef roast in the bowl of a slow cooker. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix over the roast and rub it in well.
2. Pour the beef broth and wine around the roast.
3. Set the slow cooker/crockpot to LOW and cook for 6 HOURS.
4. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for another 2 HOURS.
5. Slice and serve hot with potatoes and carrots.

ChefSecret:  You can use any spice mixture to add flavor. Make it a south of the border flavor, barbecue or even Asian in profile.

Quip of the Day:  Three workers were having lunch on a bridge. They were each discussing what they had for lunch.
 
Sam had a ham and cheese sandwich: “Man if my wife packs ham and cheese one more time this week I am jumping off this bridge.
 
Tony had roast beef: “Me too man, I’m sick of roast beef. If I get this one more time this month I’m jumping off.”
 
Carl had meatballs. “Cripes, I’m sick of meatballs. If I get this one more time I’m jumping too.”
 
The next day the workers were eating lunch again. Sam unpacks his and is happy to see a tuna sandwich. Tony also is excited to see a turkey sandwich. Carl unpacks a meatball sub, cries in dismay, and leaps from the bridge to his death.
 
“Oh my god!!!” yells Sam. “What the hell was Carl thinking?” “I don’t know, he packs his own lunch!”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #PotRoast #SlowCooker #CrockPot #Dinner #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                                                  ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? Grilled steak is one of summer’s most effortless meals, and my recipe has the perfect balance of smoky char and herbal brightness. I marinate a tri-tip in tamari, toasted whole coriander and cumin and lots of lime. I like the rich, fermented soy and earthy cumin combination that brings out the savory meatiness defining this cut of steak. The acid from the lime brightens things up and tenderizes the meat so it cooks up juicy with a buttery texture.
 
I also grind up some of the toasted coriander and cumin seeds to make a rub for the steaks. On the grill, the tamari and spices char up, creating a lovely crust on the steak. It seals in the meat’s juices and flavor, but it also adds some great texture and a warm counterpoint to the chimichurri.
 
My chimichurri is made with cilantro, garlic, shallots, fresh red jalapeño, lime and a little honey. It’s a departure from the classic Argentinian recipe, but it’s got all the herb-acid-heat you’d expect, and it adds the perfect touch of super zippy and refreshing flavors.
 
Prep Time:  10-15 minutes
Marinade time:  4-12 hours
Grilled time: 25-30 minutes
Dwell time:  10 minutes
 
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the steak
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds prime tri-tip
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil, for brushing
 
For the lime chimichurri
1-1/2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro,
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 stemmed, seeded, and minced red jalapeño
1 tablespoon grated or pressed garlic
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
 
Directions

1. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute. Let cool.
2. Transfer half of the seeds to a spice grinder and grind into a coarse powder. Set it aside.

To marinate the steak

1. In a shallow dish, whisk together the remaining whole, toasted seeds, lime juice, tamari and olive oil.
2. Pat the tri-tip dry with paper towels and place it in the marinade, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate it in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours, turning 1 to 3 times.
3. When ready to grill, remove the steak from the marinade, pat it dry, and wipe off any seeds.
4. Let it come up to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
5. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Generously season all sides of the steak with salt and black pepper, then rub in the reserved ground spices. Lightly brush all sides of the steak with peanut oil.
6. Grill the steak for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until well charred, then move the steak to indirect heat. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the thickest part of the steak reaches 125º on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and tent it with aluminum foil for 10 minutes.

To make the chimichurri

1. In a small bowl, stir together the cilantro, shallots, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, honey and olive oil.
2. Season again with salt and black pepper.
3. To serve, cut the steak against the grain into ¾”-thick slices. Top with chimichurri and enjoy!

ChefSecret:  This steak recipe makes one of the best steak salads with sliced grape tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and torn lettuce.  Use the leftover chimichurri marinade as a salad dressing.  Be sure to boil the dressing and cool it before reusing.

Quip of the Day:  Q. Which hand do you use to cut your steak?  A. Neither, you use a knife.
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #Dinner #TriTip #Cumin #Chimichurri #GrilledTriTip #CutAgainstTheGrain #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? Summertime is grillin’ time and there is nothing quite as wonderful as a beautifully grilled, flame-kissed ribeye steak.
 
Why is it that many of the simplest dishes are the most feared? This is especially true if the goal of the dish is to transform a single ingredient, like poached eggs, whipped cream or, yes, even a grilled steak. All these dishes lean on unique techniques and the right timing, which can feel mysterious until you’ve gotten the hang of it.
 
Grilled steak can be even more intimidating because there’s a grill, fire and the expense of a great piece of meat involved. A really nice cut of steak can cost big bucks.
 
To my taste there’s really no substitute for the flavor you get from grilling steak. And once you get the hang of it, grilled steak is one of the quickest, easiest meals around. It’s practically a convenience food. It’s also one of the most satisfying dinners to make. Nothing beats the primal joy that comes with pulling a perfectly seared, tender, juicy ribeye off the grill. So, here are couple of my tips to turn you into a grilling professional.
 
Temper time:  1 hour before grilling
Prep time:  5 minutes
Grill time:  10 to 12 minutes
Rest time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 serving
 
Ingredients 
1-1/2- to 2-inch thick ribeye steak
Salt and pepper to taste
More to learn in the ChefSecret below
 
Directions

1. Remove the steak from the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking. Getting the steak up to room temperature will help it cook more evenly and sear more quickly, so you don’t overcook it.
2. Lightly score the fat cap.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to high.
4. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel. Drying the steak before it goes on the grill will help it sear, giving you great, even grill marks.
5. Season generously with salt, but don’t use the pepper until after the meat is cooked so it won’t burn.
6. Place the steak on the grill directly over the hot coals and cook with the lid off, so the top of the steak doesn’t overcook; cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Turn it (don’t flip it) 90 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes. Turning the steak will give you nice, crosshatched grill marks.
8. Now, flip the steak over and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes, repeating the turn for cross-hatching.
9. Remove the steak from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 120⁰ F on an instant-read thermometer.
10. Allow the ribeye to rest on a cutting board, tented in foil, for another 5 to 7 minutes. This helps the meat reabsorb the juices and will also raise the temperature by about 10⁰ F.
11. Slice the steak against the grain.
12. Season it with a pinch of salt and pepper.

ChefSecret:  You can substitute the salt and pepper with Montreal Seasoning for a well-rounded flavor. I like to glaze the ribeye with balsamic vinegar when I take it out of the refrigerator for perfect grill marks and a touch of sweetness.

Quip of the Day:  I’ve got beef with anyone who doesn’t appreciate a good ribeye steak.
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Entree #Dinner #Grill #SteakOnTheGrill #Ribeye #FlameKissed #DontFearTheFlame #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                           ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? I love messy, exotic-sounding foods so I look for appetizing ideas and add my own spin on them.
 
Picadillos are a favorite in the Philippines and some Latin American countries. Lot of ingredients produce lots of flavor thrills. Its popularity is based on a satisfying mélange of flavor and textures. With hearty ground beef, juicy chunks of tomatoes, peanuts, olives and sweet, rum-pumped raisins, there’s a little different flavor and texture in every single bite. Spicy chorizo adds a modest heat level, and a warm blend of spices—cinnamon, cloves, cumin and nutmeg—gives the whole thing a deep, well-rounded flavor. The only thing left is to garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve in corn tortillas or atop your favorite rice.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups medium diced sweet yellow onions
3 ounces diced Spanish hard chorizo
6 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
1 pound 80/20 ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground  black pepper or to taste
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed drained and
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
2/3 cup plump raisins soaked in 1/3 cup rum
2/3 cup pimento stuffed olives
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
6-8 corn warmed tortillas, for serving
 
Directions

1. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions, chorizo and garlic. Cook until the onions are softened and slightly translucent, stirring to prevent burning, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef to the hot pan.
3. Season with salt and black pepper and cook, breaking the beef up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes.
4. Squeeze the tomatoes with your hands and add the crushed tomatoes, red wine and balsamic vinegars, cinnamon, cumin, bay leaves, cloves and nutmeg and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened.
5. Remove the lid and stir in the peanuts, raisins and olives. Cook for 15 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve hot with warm corn tortillas.

ChefSecret:  Potatoes, peas and carrots are also popular ingredients. Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Quip of the Day:  Q: What do you call a peanut riddle that is easy to crack? A: A brittle… a peanut brittle.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected].  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #Dinner #PeanutPicadillo #Chorizo #Beef #RumRaisins #Peanuts #NPB #NationalPeanutBoard #Olives #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                        ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? In my last book I talked about the importance to mankind of food and drink to culture.

“The Anthropology of Man Can Be Traced More Accurately Through the Foods & Beverages Of Time Rather Than Just The Richness Of Art, The Prose Of Literature, The Rhythm Of Music Or The Structure Of Architecture.”
 
Well, listen up… an ancient scroll from almost 2,000 years ago has finally been decoded. Quite the step up from the bits of hieroglyphics we ‘learned’ in high school Ancient Egypt classes, this task needed the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to be worked out.
 
The Herculaneum papyri are made up of about 1,800 scrolls and ended up buried in ash after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. These scrolls were excavated from an ancient Roman villa, but it’s been an absolute slog trying to unroll and read them. So, the Vesuvius Challenge was set up in March 2023 to try and decode them, offering a mega prize pot of $1million to crack the code. Papyrologists (yes, they’re a real thing) worked with the contest, believing the Roman scroll contains ‘never-before-seen text from antiquity’. Might it be politics, religion, pros, poetry or maybe something else?
 
Three students managed to read 15 columns in a scroll, helped out by AI-powered coding machines. Youssef Nader in Germany, Luke Farritor in the US, and Julian Schilliger in Switzerland will get to share the $700,000 prize money after managing to read over 2,000 letters.
 
Nat Friedman is one of the challenge’s organizers and TIME reports that after printing out the winning submission he said: “All this has been in this dreamlike digital world in my imagination before. Seeing it on paper, rolling it up, it just made it so tangible.”
 
This winning submission totals four passages, each of 140 characters. TIME explains: “With at least 85% of the characters in each of those passages recoverable by professional papyrologists. It also contains a further 11 columns of text.”
 
The text in question is a piece of Epicurean philosophy on the subject of cuisine pleasure… that’s right, Epicurean philosophy! The winning submission shows ancient Greek letters on a large patch of scroll, and the author seems to be discussing the question: are things that are scarce more pleasurable as a result?
 
The scrolls were excavated from an ancient Roman villa, Herculaneum.
The author, whose identity is unconfirmed, doesn’t think so: “As too in the case of food, we do not right away believe things that are scarce to be absolutely more pleasant than those which are abundant,” one passage from the scroll reads.

In the final section of the scroll, the author appears to criticize his intellectual adversaries, who 'have nothing to say about pleasure, either in general or in particular, when it is a question of definition'.
 
Professor Alice Roberts dubbed this discovery ‘the archaeological discovery of my lifetime’. Although, there is yet a whole load to be discovered with the combined efforts of the Vesuvius Challenge resulting in about five percent of one scroll being read. And the contest confirmed on X: "In 2024, our goal is to from reading a few passages of text to entire scrolls, and we're announcing a new $100,000 grand prize for the first team that is able to read at least 90% of all four scrolls that we have scanned."
 
So, what might they have discovered—a recipe for spiced, Roman-Style Meat Balls?
 
                         Roman Meatballs with Pompeiian Tomato Sauce
 
Prep time:  25 minutes
Cook time:  40 minutes
Total time:  1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients 
For the meatballs
1/2-pound lean ground beef
1/2-pound ground pork
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
4 cloves minced garlic
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil (for browning the meatballs)

For the sauce
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 medium finely diced yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, whole
1-28-ounce can of San Marzano Italian-style tomatoes (imported from Italy)
1-28-ounce can of tomato purée
3 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley
2 teaspoons dried thyme
kosher salt to own taste
fresh ground black pepper to own taste
 
Accompaniments
1-pound dried spaghetti
extra chopped parsley for serving
 
Fresh basil
 
added options
red pepper flakes for serving
grated Pecorino Romano

Directions
To make the meatballs

1. Preheat your oven to 250°.
2. Combine lean ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, four cloves minced garlic, eggs, salt and black pepper.
3. Form the meat into 2” balls and brown in olive oil until done, about 10 minutes. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
4. Place a serving platter in the pre-heated oven.

To make the sauce

1. In a frying pan, add the olive oil, onions and the four whole garlic cloves. Stir often over medium heat until onions are golden.
2. Remove garlic cloves and discard.
3. Drain the Italian-style canned tomatoes, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid. Place the liquid from the canned Italian-style tomatoes and the tomato purée in the blender for about 10 seconds.
4. Add the cooked onions, drained tomatoes and blended tomato purée to a sauce pot; cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
5. Season the Marinara sauce with fresh parsley, dried thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper and stir the sauce well; simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring the sauce a few times.
6. Boil 1-pound of pasta according to the package directions for al dente cooked pasta.
7. Drain the pasta once done. Do not rinse the pasta.

 
To put it all together

1. Pull the heated serving platter out of the oven.
2. Pour the drained spaghetti onto the heated platter, top with the cooked meatballs and then cover with the sauce.
3. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and lots of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

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Chefs Secret:  No need to add olive oil to the drained pasta… you’ll just end up with unnecessarily oily pasta.
Quip of the Day:  After a long day of conquering, Julius Caesar liked to unwind with a nice Roman-ade.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Entree #RomanMeatballs #SpaghettiAndMeatballs #PompeiianTomatoSauce #HerculaneumPapyri #Dinner #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024