Easy Pasta Sauce

I came home late and needed to make something filling and quick with little ingredients.  This sauce is actually really delicious!

Categories:  Pasta, Tomatoes, Ground Beef

Frenchman Rating:  7/10,  "It was simple, so it gets a simple grade."

Ingredients

• 1 small can tomato paste
• 3 large tomatoes, sliced in half and then gutted- guts to the side; the rest choppped thin.
• 3/4  cup water
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 300 grams 'steak haché' or ground beef
• salt/pepper
• 1 tablespoon herbes de provence

Instructions

1. Begin by heating a small amount of oil in a pan and sautéeing the garlic/onions.  After about a minute, toss in the ground beef.  Good for a few minutes, stirring often.
2. Add in the tomato guts and 1/2 the water.  Stir.
3. Add in the tomato paste, rest of water, herbs.  Stir, cover and cook medium-low for 5 minutes.
4. Toss in the sliced tomatoes and salt/pepper to taste.  Stir, cover and cook over low simmer for 10 minutes or ready to serve.

Homestyle Chili

Sometimes the Southern blood start boiling and I need a little pick-me-up.  Chili is a warm dish that heats up your insides when the weather turns rotten.  Mine is a spicy, EASY, French-ish version.. I serve it with cornbread.  Ah-men.

Category: Stews, Ground Beef


Frenchman Rating/Comments:  8.5/10, "Really well done, a nice chili with not too much complications.  Loved the flavor of the green pepper in the chili."

Cost per Serving: €1.50 a serving, this recipes makes around 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 large can red beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 nice tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium can 'stewed tomatoes'
• 1 green hot pepper (serrano or jalapeno, depending on your guts)
• 2 tablespoons 'Raz Hanout', a spicy mix that can be bought in spice shops in Guillotière
• 1 tablespoon 'Garam Mazala'
• 300 grams steak haché (I just defrost frozen patties)

Equipment

• Simply, 8 qt stock pot 

Instructions

1. Begin by chopping the onion and heating up a bit of oil in the stock pot.  Toss in the onions and garlic and meat, cook until brown then pour in the stewed tomatoes.
2. Allow to simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables, the green peppers, the red beans and the fresh tomatoes.  Salt and pepper, as well as add the seasoning.  Stir around.
4. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes.  Bring up to medium-high for the last 5 minutes.  Adjust seasonings if needed.
5. Serve with garnishes if desired; I served with cornbread, chopped cheese, yogurt sauce and fresh onions.

Taco à la France

Tacos, a thing I used to eat.. well.. a lot in the US.  Here in France it's a little bit of a different thing... but hey, still absolutely delicious!  I present, to all expatriates suffering, the 'Taco a la France'

Category:  Dinner, Complete Meal, American, Good for Dinner Parties


Frenchman Rating: 9.5/10, "Amazingly delicious, the 'native american flatbread' was like a chalupa, the ingredients meshed really well.. and the yogurt tasted really good!"

Cost per Serving:  Around €2.50 a serving (2-3 tacos), if bread is made at home, and €3.50 if tortillas were bought.

Ingredients

• Either 'Lavish Flatbread' available from Bhadourian or tortillas (available in Marche U near the 2eme) or 'native american fry bread'
• 2 medium roma tomatoes
• 1/2 sac mache lettuce or butter lettuce or romaine lettuce chopped thin
• 1 medium to large onion (sliced in rings)
• 1 medium green pepper
• 3-4 frozen steak hache patties, defrosted, set aside  (or 400 gr hamburger meat)
• 1 packet taco seasoning, or 'tex mex' seasoning (available at Carrefour in Part-Dieu) or homemade taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups shredded emmenthal
• 1/2 cup yogurt OR creme fraiche 

Equipment

• One medium skillet
• One small skillet
• Vegetable or Olive oil

Directions

1. Begin by chopping/cutting all cold ingredients and setting aside.
• Chop the tomatoes in small cubes
• Chop lettuce in thin strips
• Slice onions into thin rings
• Slice green pepper into thin strips
• Shred emmenthal, if not preshredded
2. Place ingredients not for immediate use in fridge (tomatoes, lettuce and cheese)
3. Heat up a small skillet over medium-high heat and add in 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil; heat the larger skillet after the first skillet is hot.
4. Once the small skillet is hot, toss in the onions and peppers; add a dash of salt and a 1/2 tablespoon of the taco seasoning- cook rapidly, tossing and turning.  Turn heat to medium after about 2 minutes.
5. Add the ground beef to the larger skillet, sans oil, and stir fry until browned.. usually about 2 minutes.  Add the 1/2 cup water and seasonings, and allow to bubble and boil for 3 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low.
6. Let both skillets cook over a medium to medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes.. watching to ensure it does not burn.
7. Turn the heat down after 4 minutes, to a low heat, cover.
8. If using yogurt, mix the yogurt with about 1/2 tsp salt.  It should be 'yaourt nature' which is the natural flavor.  If using creme fraiche, add 1/2 tsp salt to every cup.  Set aside.
9. Serve all parts separate, to be made alone.. you can serve the meat directly at the stove.. keeps it warm.  I usually start with the cheese, layer some meat, add the sauce, vegetables... and enjoy.

Finished Product.. so delicious!

Happy with Taco Night!