Beef Caldereta SurpRICE

May had been quite a toxic month for me, so I am back with a vengeance… to write, share my thoughts on what is newsworthy plus everything else that is interesting.

For starters, I am keeping my promise to post my latest recipe, Beef Caldereta SurpRICE.

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Whether there is a celebration or just everyday dinner, caldereta is surely a Pinoy favorite. Here is a new twist to the timeless, well-loved dish that is easier to prepare, nutritious, and has very minimal salt. It uses large bell peppers, stuffed with beef caldereta. This new twist makes the dish easier to cook, and make it have great flavor—even with very minimal salt.

Beef Caldereta SurpRICE is an easy gourmet dish recommended for hypertensive citizens, as well as those wishing to prevent it.

Beef Caldereta SurpRICE

Ingredients

Beef Caldereta stuffing

· Ground Beef, 300 grams

· Tomato Paste, ¾ cup

· Mixed Pickles or Pickle Relish, ¾ cup

· Laurel Leaves, 6 leaves

· Garlic, ½ cup for the marinade

· Garlic, ½ cup for sautéing

· Low salt soy sauce, 1 teaspoon

· Black Pepper

· Pineapple tidbits, ½ cup

· Juice from can of pineapple tidbits

· Chopped bell pepper, 1/3 cup

· Mushrooms, 1 cup

· Frozen Green Peas, ¾ cup

· Red Onion, ¾ cup

· Olive Oil for both marinade and sautéing

· Large Bell Peppers for the shell, 6 pieces

· Slices of quick melt cheese.

SurpRICE Topping

· Cooked rice, 4 cups

· Cilantro/Wansoy, chopped, 3/4 cup

· Garlic, ½ cup

· White Onion, ½ cup

· Red Onion, ½ cup

· Carrot, 1 piece, sliced into thin strips

· Ginger, 1/3 cup, sliced into thin strips

· Celery, 4 stalks, chopped

· Pepper

· Tarragon, 4 tablespoons, chopped

Instructions

Beef Caldereta Stuffing

1) Marinade the beef in a bowl with 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons pepper, 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice, and ½ cup of garlic. Mix ingredients well and cover. Refrigerate overnight or for 8 hours. This ensures greater flavor. (If you don’t have time, marinade for at least 15 minutes). Set aside pineapple tidbits in a separate bowl.

2) Preheat Your Oven to 175 C.

3) Oil pan with olive oil. Sauté garlic, peas, and mushrooms for 90 seconds.

4) Add marinated ground beef and continue sautéing. Add low salt soy sauce. (Optional: you can also add just a pinch of salt for extra flavor). Add in the laurel leaves, chopped bell pepper, pickles and pineapple tidbits. Sauté until the beef starts to brown.

5) Add the tomato paste, and continue simmering for another five minutes.

6) Set the pan aside temporarily, so that the beef can continue absorbing the flavors. You can proceed with cooking the rice first.

SurpRICE Topping

1) In another pan oiled with olive oil, sauté garlic, red and white onion, carrot, ginger, and celery for 90 seconds.

2) Add in the cooked rice, and continue sautéing for about 2 minutes.

3) Add the cilantro and tarragon.

4) Set aside for plating.

Assembling the Dish

1) Slice off the upper ¼ portion of each large bell pepper. By slicing it, you will create a cover for the shell.

2) Scoop out the seeds of the bell peppers. Stuff each bell pepper with the caldereta stuffing. Top with thin slices of quick melt cheese. Add a pinch of pepper.

3) Cover bell pepper with the upper ¼ bell pepper covering. Add slices of quick melt cheese to the bell pepper cover. Brush bell pepper with olive oil, and sprinkle more pepper on the bell peppers.

4) On a pyrex bowl or flat baking pan, bake bell peppers for 10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to have a golden brown color.

5) Serve with the surpRICE topping. As an extra garnish or even topping, make the bell peppers stand on two slices of pineapple rings placed on top of each other (see picture).

For even extra flavor: eat the dish with a home-made garlic paste. Simply peel 7 cloves of garlic, toast them in an oven toaster for 5 to 7 minutes (until golden brown). Place them in a small bowl, and mash with a fork. The result is a sweet, flavorful seasoning that is perfect with this dish!

Serves 6 to 8 people. Enjoy!

How the dish is made delectable…EVEN WITH MINIMAL SALT

Low salt dishes need not be tasteless! All you need to do is to carefully select and add healthy herbs and spices. It is highly recommended that we take advantage of marinating ingredients ahead of time for extra flavor.

Aside from the dish having very minimal salt content, notice too, that many of the ingredients used are good for the health, and a good defense against hypertension. Garlic has been recognized as an ingredient against hypertension. The same goes with tomato, celery, carrot, tarragon, and even black pepper. Cilantro is also said to be an ingredient that helps lower cholesterol. All of these ingredients are very tasty indeed!

Using ground beef instead of the usual caldereta cuts makes it easier for the beef to absorb flavor. Plus, one does not need to wait for hours to have the beef tenderized.