Last weekend I had friends over for dinner. The morning of the dinner, I ventured out to my local farmers market and bought some smoked trout and a spice mix from the Star Prairie Trout Farm vendor. I mixed the trout with some cream cheese, sour cream, and the spice mix that came with it and it turned into a pretty fantastic dip.
The menu for the night consisted of the following:
Smoked Trout Dip with Honey Wheat Crackers
Mixed Greens Salad with a Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette
Spiced Ground Beef with Caramelized Onions
Sweet Potato and Beef Coconut Curry
Mango, Tamarind, and Green Chili Chutney
Basmati Rice with Peas
Lemon Tart
Here is the recipe for the star of the night:
Spiced Ground Beef with Caramelized Onions
(serves 4)
Ingredients
Lean Ground Beef – 1 1/2 lbs
Minced Garlic – 2 1/2 TBSPN
Minched Ginger – 1 TBSPN
Full Fat Yogurt – 1 Cup, whipped
Red Onions – 3 medium sized, sliced lengthwise
Ground Coriander – 1 1/2 TSPN
Ground Cumin – 2 TSPN
Garam Masala – 1 TSPN
Ground Cloves – 1/4 TSPN
Salt – 1 TSPN
Black Pepper – 1/2 TSPN
Jalapeno Pepper – 1, medium sized, chopped
Olive Oil – 4 TBSPN
Butter – 2 TBSPN
Balsamic Vinegar – 1 1/2 TBSPN
Sugar – 3/4 TSPN
Recipe
1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a deep pan and add the sliced onions. Stir to coat the onions evenly with the olive oil and butter mixture. On medium low heat, let cook for twenty, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and lower the heat. Stir it to distribute it evenly and then let the onions cook for at least ten minutes before you stir again. Transfer the caramelized onions to a bowl.
2. Add some balsamic vinegar to the pan and deglaze it. Add the ground beef to the pan, along with the garlic, ginger, and salt. Stir well for two to three minutes.
3. Add the dry spices and the jalapeno pepper. Stir well. Add the yogurt and stir it into the ground beef. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook on medium low heat until there is no liquid left in the pan – about twenty minutes.
4. Turn the heat to low and add the caramelized onions to the pan and stir. Let cook for about five minutes and then turn the heat off. Garnish with peppers and cilantro and serve with basmati rice and/or naan.