Beef and mushroom in a ketchup sauce

Mom's recipe from childhood

Decent first attempt but not quite as though mom made it.  Shirley suggests adding some soy sauce

Ingredients

• slice sirloin tips
• sliced onions
• slice mushrooms (canned)
• ketchup
• cornstarch
• water

Directions

• stir fry the beef to par cook it / sear it
• remove beef from heat (when mostly brown but not fully cooked)
• stir fry sliced onions, when translucent and starting to caramelize, add sliced mushrooms.
• once heated through, add beef back to pan
• add ketchup and some water
• finish off with a cornstarch slurry to create a gravy

Lentils

Braised Lentils

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Lentils-105559

Used yellow onion instead of red, omitted celery, used less broth so it wasn't soupy.

Decent recipe but not exceptional in any way

Braised Lentils

Bon Appétit  | September 2001

by Massimo Ormani

Locanda Veneta, Los Angeles, CA

Makes 4 servings

ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 1/4 cups dried green lentils
• 4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

preparation

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and stir 1 minute. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until lentils are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.