This is one of those meals where everything gets cooked in the same pot. So get out your largest non-stick frying pan and lets startcooking!

This recipe is from my friend Cristen, a registered dietician who also has a blog at Self magazine. I’ve adapted the recipe just a bit for the startcooking crowd.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1 can (15 ounces) of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 2 cups of bow tie pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 2 cups of broccoli

The beef, onion and broccoli are the only fresh ingredients you need for this recipe. Buy the rest of the ingredients in advance and just stick them in your food cupboard. Then when you are stuck thinking about what to make for dinner, you can have that “Ah Ha” moment and just pick up some ground beef, broccoli, and an onion!

Get all your ingredients prepared and measured in advance.

1. Rinse and drain the beans

2. Chop the onion

3. Wash and cut the broccoli into bite size pieces also known as florets

4. Measure out the spices

5. Reconstitute the bullion cubes-you will need 2 cups of broth

With the stove set to medium, add the beef and the onions to the pan. (If you froze your ground beef when you got home from the grocery store, you can defrost the beef really quickly in the microwave.)

Brown the meat until the beef is no longer pink-about 6-8 minutes.

Be sure to drain off any excess fat. I used VERY lean beef for this recipe so there really was very little fat to drain off.

Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the broccoli.

Mix everything together.

Cover the pot and turn the heat up to medium high. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer. And cover the pot.

Simmer everything for about 10-12 minutes.

Lay the broccoli on top and re-cover the pot.

In about 3-5 minutes your broccoli will be nice and tender. Be sure not to over cook the broccoli as it will turn a nasty shade of green if you do!

Give it a taste. You may want to add more salt and some freshly ground pepper. You could also add some freshly grated parmesan cheese if you like.

As this dish sits, almost all of the liquid gets absorbed.

If you are making recipe the day before you plan on eating it, be sure to steam the broccoli just before you serve it.

Enjoy!

You can view and print this recipe here.

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The following is from the United States Department of Agriculture:

For safety, the USDA recommends cooking ground pork patties and ground pork mixtures such as meat loaf to 160°F (70°C).

Whole muscle meats such as chops and roasts should be cooked to

• 160 °F (70°C) medium
• 170 °F (75°C) well done

For approximate cooking times for use in meal planning, see the attached chart compiled from various resources. Times are based on starting with pork at refrigerator temperature (40 °F - 4.5 °C).

Remember that appliances and outdoor grills can vary in heat. Use a meat thermometer to check for safe cooking and "doneness" of pork.

If fresh pork has reached 160 °F (70°C) throughout, it should be safe, even though it may still be pink in the center. The pink color can be due to the cooking method or added ingredients.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Pork_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp

Safe Cooking Chart for Pork

ROASTING:

• Set oven at 350 °F (180° C, Gas Mark 4).
• Roast in a shallow pan, uncovered.
• Internal temperature: 160° F (70°C) - medium; 170°F (75°C) - well done.

Or try Startcooking.com's photo-tutorial on Pork Roast

BROILING 4 inches from heat or GRILLING

IN SKILLET ON STOVE

BRAISING: Cover and simmer with a liquid.

STEWING: Cover pan; simmer, covered with liquid.

NOTE: Cooking times compiled from various resources. Source: USDA Last modified - February 2003

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This post will explain when and how you can use some of the more common storage wraps available at most grocery stores.

How we cover, wrap and contain our food plays a role in how well it fares in the cupboard, refrigerator or freezer.

Even when properly stored all food does have a diminishing shelf life after opening. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a very helpful chart on how long to store food in the fridge.

When it comes to food storage, the motto everyone should live by is - when in doubt, throw it out!

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First, know your refrigerator

Refrigerators are not the same temperature throughout. The crisper drawers and the door are warmer than the rest of the fridge. For this reason, it’s not a good idea to store highly perishable foods, like eggs, in the door of the fridge. Keep them on a shelf!

My Refrigerator!

The door shelving is meant for things like drinks and mustard. As a general rule, your fridge should be colder than 4 degrees C (40 F) and your freezer should be colder than minus- 18 degrees C (0 F).

Ways to cover, wrap and store food

Contact with oxygen damages food, which is why it’s important to keep food in air-tight packaging or containers.

Aluminum Foil:

Wrapping food in aluminum foil protects it from both light and oxygen. Foil is also the best material for keeping moisture out of food, so it’s great for freezing food. But keep in mind that it is reactive, so it can’t be used with acidic foods like tomatoes and berries. If it’s fairly clean after one use, foil can also be re-used after washing (unlike plastic wrap).

• It’s a good idea to use foil around plastic wrap for things that are going in the freezer, to provide a double layer of protection. You can use regular foil or heavier-weight foil that’s meant for freezing.
• In the fridge, use foil for wrapping sandwiches, pizza, bread and muffins. It’s great to use on anything that might be re-heated in the oven.
• You can use foil to line baking pans, in order to protect them from stuck-on food.
• Aluminum foil CANNOT be used in the microwave.

Plastic wrap.

Plastic wrap has the advantage of being transparent, so you don’t have to open it to find out what’s inside. Plastic wrap is good for making an air-tight seal on bowls or containers that don’t have a lid. However, plastic wrap typically can’t be re-used.

• When it comes to the microwave, the plastic wrap should be at least one inch from the food that’s being heated. The heat from the food could cause the plastic wrap to melt
• By the way, users of foil and plastic wraps may not have noticed that the boxes often have a handy tab at the end that you can press to keep the roll in place. (I had no idea, either, until I read about it on TipNut.)

Resealable Plastic Bags

These bags are very handy for keeping things like cold cuts or cheese fresh in the fridge. Heavier-weight plastic bags are sold for storing food in the freezer. These are particularly suitable for freezing batches of soup or saucy dishes. Try to squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag before sealing it.

Frozen Mushroom Gravy, Chicken Gravy, Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash Soup

Air-tight Containers

Lidded plastic, glass or Pyrex containers are reusable, and hence are better for the environment than disposable wraps like plastic and foil. There are all kinds of clear containers that make it easy to keep track of what you’ve got. Invest in a good set of storage containers and cut down on use of foil and plastic!

Be sure to spray plastic container with cooking spray to prevent foods like tomato sauce from permanently staining the container.

Freezer Paper

This is plastic-coated paper that’s meant for wrapping foods that you want to freeze. The advantage of freezer paper is that it’s easy to write on, so that you’ll know what you’re freezing.

Waxed Paper

Waxed paper was developed as a moisture-proof wrapping material. It’s good to use for putting between layers of cookies or other baked goods in a tin. (I used it in my Crepe video )

Note, however, that it's NOT meant for use while actually baking, and will smoke if used in the oven. It is, however, useful in the microwave as a splatter cover. Waxed paper will not heat up as much as plastic wrap in the microwave.

Parchment Paper

This multi-purpose paper has been treated to be non-stick and very resistant to heat. It is also often re-usable - the same sheet can be used like a baking sheet several times.

• Parchment paper can be used instead of grease to line a cookie or baking tin. You can also very easily make a parchment paper sling for brownies or loaves – then all you have to do is lift the finished product out of its baking pan.
• There is a great demonstration on how to use parchment paper to line a cake pan in my post on Chocolate Cake For Beginners.
  
  
  
  
  
• Parchment paper can also be used to separate foods that you want to freeze. Put a piece of parchment between hamburger patties, steaks or crepes, then wrap them as you normally would and freeze. When you want to use them, you won’t need a crowbar to separate them.

Vacuum sealers

Home cooks can buy an appliance that vacuum packs food, removing all the air from the packaging. These vacuum sealers can be used on foods that are refrigerated, frozen or stored in the cupboard. Vacuum packing can extend the life of stored food, and can eliminate the issue of freezer burn.

Just remember, when in doubt, throw it out!

Cheers!
Kathy

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