Now that we’re heading into Autumn, it’s time to start hauling out the comfort food recipes!!! Chile Mac, a simple and comforting dish, is nothing fancy but it is a good, quick weeknight dinner. Plus, it’s fairly inexpensive to make and can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

I usually use beef broth instead of chicken broth, and I like to add a little more chili powder and cumin. Sometimes I use fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles to add a little more zip. Corn would be a nice addition, too. I garnish each serving with shredded cheddar or jalapeno jack cheese, or a dollop of sour cream. Serve with a big green salad. Enjoy!

Chili Mac
-recipe from The New Boston Globe Cookbook by Sheryl Julian

A great kids’ dish, this mixture of ground beef and macaroni, cooked together with tomatoes and a few spices, makes a fine weeknight meal. Serves 4.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
8 ounces elbow macaroni
1 can (16 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Extra grated cheddar (for serving)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and when it is hot, cook the onion, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the ground beef and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

Add the macaroni, tomatoes, stock, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until liquid is mostly absorbed and macaroni is tender but still has some bite.

Add the cheese and stir just until melted. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if you like. Serve with extra cheddar.

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Tags: cheddar cheese, chicken stock, chili powder, crushed tomatoes, cumin, ground beef, macaroni, onion, Pasta, Quick Cooking

This delicious beef stir-fry dish is everything I was hoping it would be! You get great flavor from the peanuts, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice, and a nice kick from the chiles. Yumm!  

Changes I made to the recipe: I doubled the cilantro and omitted the basil, substituted red onion for the shallot, and substituted flatiron steak for the flank steak. Cut back on the chile if you don’t like spicy food.

Serve the stir-fry with an Asian-inspired salad and steamed rice and you’ve got a great dinner in a flash!

Spicy Beef with Peanuts & Chiles
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Serves four. 

1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced on the diagonal against the grain
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped (don’t seed)
3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

Toss the steak with 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce, 1 tsp. of the fish sauce, and the salt. Combine the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce and 1 tsp. fish sauce with 1 Tbs. of the lime juice and the brown sugar and set aside.

Pulse the peanuts, shallots, and chiles in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.

Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil and once it’s shimmering, add the beef. Cook, stirring, until the beef just loses its raw appearance, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil and the shallot mixture, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes.

Return the beef to the pan. Stir the soy mixture and add it, along with half of the cilantro and basil, and cook, stirring to let the flavors meld, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve sprinkled with the remaining lime juice, cilantro, and basil.

From Fine Cooking, September 18, 2007
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Tags: Asian, basil, Beef, cilantro, fish sauce, flank steak, lime juice, peanuts, serrano chiles, soy sauce, stir-fry

I’m always looking for new and interesting sandwich recipes so I was intrigued when I saw this twist on a roast beef sandwich. There’s lots of flavor going on here: sweet red peppers, tangy feta cheese, earthy cumin and cilantro, and a lemony tahini dressing.

For the bread, I used a pre-cut loaf of ciabatta bread which I thought would be easier to serve and eat. Next time, though, I’ll use a crusty loaf (like the recipe suggests) that will stand up to the tahini dressing better. I served the sandwiches right away instead of refrigerating them for several hours (they would’ve been mushy since I used softer bread). Enjoy!

Roast Beef, Red Pepper, Spinach, and Feta Sandwiches with Tahini Dressing
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Serve with minted iced tea and tabbouleh, then offer baklava and cherries for dessert.

Yield: Makes 8

1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1-pound loaf flat rustic bread such as focaccia or ciabatta, (about 2 1/2 inches high), cut horizontally in half
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves

Mix first 6 ingredients and half of garlic in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt. Whisk remaining garlic, tahini, water, and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Season tahini dressing to taste with salt. Place bread, cut side up, on work surface. Spread red pepper mixture over both cut sides of bread. Sprinkle cheese over bottom half of loaf. Layer half of roast beef over cheese; drizzle with 1/3 of tahini dressing. Layer remaining roast beef over dressing and drizzle with half of remaining dressing. Top with spinach leaves; drizzle with remaining dressing. Press top half of loaf onto spinach. Cut sandwich lengthwise in half, then crosswise into quarters for a total of 8 sandwiches. Wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

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Tags: ciabatta, cilantro, feta, lemon, roast beef, sandwich, spinach, tahini

When I think of sloppy joes, the old Saturday Night Live Lunch Lady skit with Adam Sandler & Chris Farley comes to mind. It’s quite funny if you haven’t seen it (and if you have seen it, it’s worth another viewing). I can’t remember when I had my first sloppy joe but I know I’ve always liked them…all that messy, meaty goodness. I’ve tried different recipes over the years. One time I tried a turkey version and Husband immediately asked upon taking his first bite if it was a Healthy Joe. This time I decided to try Real Sloppy Joes, a recipe I found on the Williams-Sonoma website. Fortunately, my whole family liked them…even my Picky Eater (yahoo!).

Note: The recipe calls for ketchup-style chili sauce (I used Heinz Chili Sauce), not the spicy Asian chili sauce.

For more great recipes, check out these blog parties: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday Tastes, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Friday Favorites, Follow Me Fridays , Company Girl Coffee, Favorite Things Friday, Foodie Friday , Hodgepodge Friday , I’m Lovin’ It Fridays, No Whine Wednesday.  

Real Sloppy Joes
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

The poor sloppy Joe has gotten a bad rap. Perhaps the uninspired versions served by overworked school cafeteria staffers dulled whatever luster it ever possessed. Here’s a recipe that returns the sloppy Joe to its rightful position as a dish to cherish when you want a quick and unpretentious supper on a bun.

1 Tbs. canola oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup-style chili sauce
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 sesame-seed sandwich buns, split

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the beef, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water, the tomato sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Toast the buns. Place the bottom halves of the buns, cut side up, on warmed individual plates and top with the beef mixture, dividing it equally. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately. Makes 6 sandwiches.

Variation:Sloppy Joes are just as good when made with ground turkey or ground chicken. Some cooks like to add 1 to 2 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans to the beef mixture just before it is ready. Or, you can top the beef mixture with thin slices of cheddar cheese before covering with the bun tops.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2009).

Tags: bell pepper, ground beef, hamburger, onion, tomato sauce

I love Japanese food so I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for Japanese Beef Bowl. It’s a tasty stir-fry that only takes a few minutes to make — perfect for a weeknight meal.

For beef stir-fry, I usually use a flatiron steak because it stays tender. For easy slicing, let the meat freeze for 20-30 minutes (it’s a great tip!). After the beef finished cooking in the sauce, I added a teaspoon or so of freshly grated ginger (just because I had it out for another recipe). Serve the stir-fry with steamed rice and veggies for a complete meal.

For more recipes, check out Tasty Tuesdayand Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Japanese Beef Bowl
-recipe from Sunset Magazine

A simple weeknight dinner full of flavor. To slice beef thinly, wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes before cutting. Makes 4 servings

2 cups short- or medium-grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sake
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound  beef sirloin, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Pickled ginger slices (optional)

In a 4-quart pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, then cook until almost tender, 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

In a small pan, bring soy sauce, sugar, sake, and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and reserve.

In a 10-inch frying pan over high heat, cook onion in oil until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef and continue stirring for 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of soy-sake sauce and stir until beef is cooked, 2 minutes longer.

Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with beef, remaining sauce, and cilantro. Serve with ginger, if desired.

Tags: Beef, cilantry, Japanese, onion, sake, soy sauce, sugar

Here’s a hearty sandwich that will make a meat-lover happy! However, my favorite part was the Chimichurri Mayo, a delicious combination of chopped parsley, red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar and mayonnaise. Yumm!

I pretty much followed the recipe except for substituting red onions for the shallot in the chimi mayo. To slice the cooked steak, I used my Cuisinart Electric Knife to carve thin slices…much faster and easier than using my regular carving knife. For the sandwich, I took the Test Kitchen’s advice and layered some roasted red peppers between the mayo and steak (a delicious addition). I served the sandwich open-faced with a knife and fork, which was still a little messy but, hey, that’s what napkins are for.

Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri Mayo
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

The tangy, herbal mayonnaise complements the full, beefy flavor of the flank steak. Serves 4.

1 small flank stead (about 1 pound)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread
Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skilled over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

Whisk mayonnaise, parsley, shallot, garlic, and vinegar in bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture over each slice of bread. Slice steak thin against grain. Arrange steak on bread to make sandwiches. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note: Add a slice of tomato or roasted red pepper for a more colorful and flavorful sandwich.

Tags: chimichurri, mayonnaise, roasted red peppers, sandwich, steak

This delicious chili is easy to make and loaded with flavor. I love the combination of the creamy avocados with the smokiness of the chipotle pepper. Mmmm, this recipe is a winner!

I started with cooking the beef most of the way then added the onions to the pot while the beef finished cooking (therefore eliminating the remove-the-beef-from-the-pot step). I then spooned off as much fat as I could and discarded it. Since my chili was a bit thicker than I wanted it, I added more broth and some beer to thin it out, then added a little more chili powder and cumin. I used beef broth instead of chicken broth to bump up the beef flavor.

The recipe calls for using a food processor to blend some of the beans with the tomatoes and chipotle pepper. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the chipotle pepper and use a potato masher to smash the beans. The mixture will be chunkier than the original recipe but that’s ok…it’s chili. This recipe is easily doubled and is great for entertaining because it can be made the day before and reheated. Garnish each serving with avocado and your favorite chili toppings.

Beef & Black Bean Chili with Chipotle & Avocado
-recipe from finecooking.com

Serves four.

3 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 medium chipotle pepper plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
Kosher salt
1 large red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, cut in a medium dice

Put one-third of the beans into the bowl of a food processor, along with the tomatoes and their juices, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Process until smooth and set aside.

Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or similar heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering hot, about 2 min. Add the beef, season with 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate using a slotted spoon. Add half of the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown and soften, about 3 min. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 20 seconds. Add the remaining black beans, the puréed bean mixture, and the beef to the pot and simmer for 10 min., stirring frequently. Add half of the lime juice, half of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is thicker than you like, it may be thinned with water.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining lime juice and onion with the avocado. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve the chili topped with the avocado mixture and remaining cilantro.

Serving Suggestions:
Coarsely crumble about 3 handfuls of tortilla chips in a zip-top bag, and use them as an additional chili topping.

Tags: black bean, chili, chipotle, ground beef

I love stir-fry dishes! They’re quick, easy to make, and a great way to eat more veggies.  My family is always thrilled to see beef on the menu so this meal was a hit (even with my Young Picky Eater). I particularly liked the sauce, which is flavored with hoisin sauce and sesame oil.

To get thin slices of beef, I froze the flank steak for 20 minutes or so then sliced it as thinly as possible. I used less garlic because I got side-tracked and forgot to put the remaining 4 cloves into the stir-fry (whoops!). It was still really good but the forgotten garlic would’ve added even more flavor. A rib-eye or flatiron steak would be a good substitute for the flank steak (use about a pound of meat). I sprinkled the stir-fry with toasted sesame seeds and served it with steamed jasmine rice.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

Cooking the steak in two batches ensures maximum browning and flavor development. Serves 4.

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small flank steak (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 (16-ounce) bag broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Whisk water, hoisin, sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch in bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of steak until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl and repeat with additional 1 tablespoon oil and remaining steak.

Add broccoli, bell pepper, and remaining oil to empty pan and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are nearly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return steak and any accumulated juices to pan. Stir in hoisin mixture and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note:To spice up this simple stir-fry, add a seeded, minced jalapeno chile (or two) along with the bell pepper.

Tags: Asian, Beef, broccoli, flank steak, garlic, ginger, red pepper, stir-fry

Every party needs a few meaty appetizers to keep the festivities rolling. That’s why I brought these Sweet & Sour Cocktail Meatballs to a party recently. Sure, you can buy store-bought meatballs but I thought these were delicious and worth the effort to make (they are firmer in texture than some spongy, store-bought types). Plus, you can make the meatballs and sauce ahead of time and freeze them for up to a month…a bonus when it comes to preparing for a party!

I was getting lazy towards the end of the meatball rolling process so I started making them a bit bigger. Because of that, I only got 74 meatballs instead of 80 (no big deal, though). I used a regular-sized jar of Smucker’s Apricot-Pineapple Preserves (about 2 cups) and added a splash of cider vinegar to make the sauce a bit more tangy. The smaller you mince the onions, the better because you don’t want chunks of onion the size of the meatballs. And remember to buy the toothpicks to spear them with. 

Make-Ahead Sweet and Sour Cocktail Meatballs
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine (December 2009)

We wanted to do as much advance preparation as possible so the meatballs could come together in a hurry the night of a party. We needed a sweet, tangy sauce without any hints of artificial candy flavor and meatballs that wouldn’t dry out in the freezer. Here’s what we discovered:
•Browning the meatballs in a skillet was a pain. Baking them in the oven was much faster and ensured the meatballs browned evenly.
•We found that all of the most common binders—bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, and even cornflake crumbs—dried out the meatballs. We settled on a panade, a paste made from bread softened in milk, to protect our meatballs from the dry cold of the freezer.
•Too much seasoning will overpower the meatballs, but too little will be lost in the sauce. The right balance of salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley complimented the sweet and sour flavor of the sauce perfectly.
•Tomato sauce doctored up with red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, and a few other key ingredients took care of the sour portion of the sauce. For the sweet, we tested every type of jam and jelly we could think of and settled on one standout.
•Freezing the meatballs and sauce in separate containers eliminates almost all of the last-minute prep work. When it’s time to serve, simply reheat the sauce, dump in the frozen meatballs, and you’re done.
•Use a 1 1/4-inch melon baller or a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to form the meatballs.

Serves 20.
 
Meatballs
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into pieces 
1/2 cup whole milk  
2 large egg yolks  
1/2 pound ground pork  
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley  
2 garlic cloves , minced 
1 teaspoon salt  
2 teaspoons pepper  
2 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef  

Sauce 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil  
1 onion , minced 
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce  
2 1/2 cups apricot preserves  
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar  
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce  
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard  
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes  

MAKE MEATBALLS: Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Using fork, mash bread, milk, and egg yolks in large bowl until smooth. Add pork, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix until incorporated. Add beef and knead gently until combined.

BAKE MEATBALLS: Form mixture into 1¼-inch meatballs (you should have about 80). Bake meatballs on 2 rimmed baking sheets until cooked through and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through cooking. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer to large zipper-lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

MAKE SAUCE: Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in tomato sauce, preserves, sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, and pepper flakes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.

TO SERVE: Reheat sauce, covered and stirring occasionally, in Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once sauce reaches simmer, stir in frozen meatballs and cook until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

STEP BY STEP: Make-Ahead Magic
1. Bake the meatballs, cool them on the counter, and refrigerate.
2. Place the chilled meatballs in zipper-lock bags and freeze. 
3. To reheat, dump the frozen meatballs directly into the simmering sauce.

Tags: Beef, make ahead, meatballs, onions, pork, sweet and sour, tomato sauce

These smoky-flavored beef tacos are extremely easy and sooo good! I’ve made this recipe several times and no matter how much beef I cook up, we always wish I’d made more. The beef simmers for two hours in a chipotle-tomato sauce and emerges from the oven tender and delicious. Once you shred the meat, mix in some of the sauce it baked in (to keep the meat moist). The garnishes are easy to make and really compliment the beef so I suggest making all of them. The shredded beef would also be great in enchiladas.

Smoky Beef Tacos
-recipe from marthastewart.com

These slow-simmered beef tacos have just the right amount of spice. Serves 8.

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed
16 corn tortillas (6-inch), lightly toasted

To garnish (recipes below):
Avocado-Red Onion Relish
Corn-and-Tomato Salsa
Cilantro-Lime Crema

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Cut beef into 4 equal pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover, and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings.

Avocado-Red Onion Relish
Top off our Smoky Beef Tacos with this relish. Makes 3 cups

2 diced avocados
1 finely chopped medium red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper

Combine avocados, red onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Corn-and-Tomato Salsa
Makes 3 cups.

1 10-ounce box thawed frozen corn
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Combine corn, grape tomatoes, vegetable oil, and red-wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Cilantro-Lime Crema
Makes 2 cups.

16 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Stir together sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Tags: Beef, chipotle peppers, smoky beef tacos