January 14, 2013 | Beans & Grains, Meat & Poultry, One Dish Meals
Food bloggers as a group sometimes get carried away with our own creations. We invent dishes, whip up cocktails, and post recipes designed to engage our readers. In that process, we sometimes forget simplicity – and just how great something simple can be. As I was digging through the meat freezer this past week I found a sirloin steak from my friends at Sun Prairie Beef. They are sponsors of my blog (although I was a fan long before that) and they’ve asked me to create some dishes with the cuts of meat they generously shared with me.
Now that wonderful grass fed beef that they sell could have easily just been seasoned and grilled for a perfect steak. But I wanted something more comforting, something like a casserole, and frankly I didn’t want to brave the 8 degree temperature outside to grill a steak anyway. Casseroles often aren’t pretty – but they are easy, they are satisfying, and they are generally made in one dish making cleanup a snap. I came up with this easy casserole after staring down a couple of peppers that weren’t going to last much longer. But as in most dishes like this, feel free to improvise with your own choice of vegetables. If you’re in my neck of the woods, I sure hope you’re staying warm!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean beef sirloin, preferably grass fed
- salt and pepper
- 2 yellow or orange peppers, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 2 cups water
- 2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2-3 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (or cheddar)
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. While oil is heating, slice meat thinly across the grain into 1 inch pieces. Season meat with salt and pepper and saute until it starts to brown. Add peppers and onions and cook until just barely soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, rice, water and seasonings, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until rice is tender, adding a bit more water if needed and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cheese before serving. Enjoy with warm, crusty bread.
Post sponsored by Sun Prairie Beef
I totally agree with you. We bloggers do sometimes get a bit carried away which makes simple goodness like this all the better.