Gil's Delicious Roast Beef (meat)

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg or about 2 lbs beef round, in one cohesive piece

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard

salt

black pepper to cover roast

Roast beef was something that always intimidated me. Not knowing how to approach it, I just assumed it was out of my league and resigned myself to the more 'simple' recipes life has to offer. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to learn from a friend how easy roast beef is to make. And is is a real dazzler bringing it out to a table of guests. You can enjoy this dish as a dinner main, or reserve it for sandwiches (try a roast beef sandwich with the delicious oven-roasted tomatoes).

Make sure you have selected a piece of meat that is nice and lean. If there are fatty parts to the meat, don't worry, the heat of the oven will burn it off. Preheat your oven to it's highest setting.

Place your meat in a baking dish. Pour the worcestershire sauce over the meat and then sprinkle all over with salt. My friend doesn't make his roast beef with worcestershire sauce, but I love it and think it adds a really nice, deep flavor to the meat. Feel free to leave it out. Next, take your dijon mustard and spread all over the meat (including the bottom) until you have covered the entire beef. Take your black pepper and sprinkle over the dijon until you form a layer of black pepper and the dijon is no longer visible.

Put your roast beef straight into the oven and let cook for 20 minutes, if you like your beef medium rare. Since I prefer mine a little more well done, I put it in for 30 minutes which makes it more of a medium with some beautiful pink color in the middle instead of being very bloody. It's up to you, but just be sure to put your timer on as one thing you certainly don't want is an overcooked roast beef.

Remove the beef from the oven and allow to rest, about 10 minutes. The juices will drain from the meat and then will be reabsorbed again. It is very important that you give the meat a chance to rest before cutting and serving.

Be Teavon!

Oven Roasted Bell Peppers with Beef (meat)

INGREDIENTS:

6 large bell peppers (or 8 smallish), red and yellow

1/2 kilo ground beef (or about 1 pound)

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/3 cup bulgur, soaked in cold water and drained

1 spicy green pepper, chopped finely

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon sumac

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and black pepper

These roasted peppers are so delicious, they surprised me especially since I don't generally like roasted peppers. The stuffing in these peppers is so tasty that your guests will want seconds, so make enough for everyone! The peppers have a distinctly mediterranean taste because of the paprika and the sumac. If you have never cooked with sumac, or don't know what it is, don't worry. The spice is becoming more and more common. If you can't find it at your local grocery store, and you don't have an 'ethnic' food shop or spice store in your area, you may want to try shopping online. The sumac adds a distinctly sour taste that gives the meat a delicious savory flavor in contract to the sweetness of the bell peppers. All the flavors blend together really well in this dish, so don't be afraid even if you don't generally like complex foods. These peppers are phenomenal.

Preheat oven to 200 C (about 390 F).

Wash the peppers and cut the tops off. Clean out the inside of the peppers and set closely together in a baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, onion, garlic, bulgur, spicy pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, paprika, sumac, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients well with your hands. Once mixed together, stuff the peppers with the beef mixture, placing the pepper caps back on top.

Place in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 30-40 minutes until the tops have slightly burned. Cover the peppers with aluminum foil and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or can made ahead of time and served at room temperature. Enjoy!