Hamburgers, Waldorf Salad, and Delicious Beef Recipes

Hamburgers:
I like to use lean beef for my burgers but DH said he HATES how dry they are. A friend of mine added shredded veggies to her meatloaf (way before Mrs. Seinfeld did it), so for some reason I added shredded carrots to the ground beef for our burgers once. DH thought it was GREAT! He said they were fantastic and moist and delicious, and he would eat hamburgers again, Sam I Am, if only we always put shredded carrots in them. Well, of course! How could I resist, especially when he makes them! He shreds the carrots finely and throws them in with the very lean organic ground beef I buy, forms them into patties, then sautes them up. He plays around with it; he's made them like meatloaf by adding egg and bread crumbs but I didn't like that so much, so we're back to just beef and carrots. The ratio is...whatever. About a cup of carrots to a pound of beef, I'd guess? We serve them on whole wheat buns and I buy the lowest fat oven fries I can find. (I checked the labels and there is a big difference; I find steak fries to be lower in fat than other varieties.)
Waldorf Salad:
We ate waldorf salad at an organic restaurant once on Earth Day and it was yummy! They didn't use mayo; they used plain yogurt flavored with cinnamon and honey. I loved it so much I had to try to replicate it! We chop up apples (one red, one granny smith), banana, pear, celery, and walnuts, then add raisins and the dressing. I eyeball the dressing, maybe 3/4 of a small container of plain yogurt, about a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon or 2 of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Delish!
Delicious Beef and Potatoes:
I have this one already typed up so I'll cut and paste here: (I may have posted this already?)
I made this instead of the slow cooker beef stew I had originally planned. (It got way to late to try to cook something in the slow cooker- I needed something fast.) I had the ingredients for beef stew, but not the time so this is what I came up with. The beef was really tender and yummy. The younger two watched me and were just amazed that “Mommy was making up a recipe”. It turned out really well; everyone liked it, which is a rarity in this house! While we were eating I asked the kids what we should call it. The little ones were coming up with these long names that listed most of the ingredients; when I asked The Eldest what we should call it she said “Delicious”, so we compromised on Delicious Beef and Potatoes.

1 package organic beef (sirloin) for kabobs (apx. 1 pound) cut into bite sized pieces
24 oz bag baby dutch yellow potatoes, washed, trimmed, and sliced
(apx ¼ inch thick or less)
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 sweet onion, diced (I like a large dice for onions)
1 teaspoon minced jarred garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Canola oil

Prep onions and potatoes; cut beef into bite sized pieces. Salt and pepper the potatoes and beef. Heat a large sauté pan until very hot. Add canola oil (roughly 1 tbs) then onions; sauté until almost translucent; add garlic and sauté another minute, then add beef. Cook, turning beef, until it is seared and brown on all sides. Push the beef, onions, and garlic to the sides of the pan; add another tablespoon of canola oil, then add the potatoes. Cook without stirring for a minute or two, then stir until the potatoes begin to brown. Add the diced tomatoes and turn the heat down to a simmer and cook with the lid on until done, apx. 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve over rice or pasta, or with a loaf of crusty bread.

This recipe is quick and easy and the kids ALL loved it!!! (It’s a keeper.)