With this “Tasty Tuesdays” post coming out on my son’s birthday, I though I’d share with you a couple of the recipes he shared with me during my earlier conference call with him. Knowing that I wanted to feature one of his favorite recipes in this post, I asked him for a favorite recipe. Being the typical chef, he told me that he doesn’t really cook by using recipes, preferring instead to figure out what he can make using the ingredients on hand. When I pressed him for a recipe, he then proceeded to give me directions for a dish he referred to as “Shit on a Shingle”. After he explained how to make it, I told him that I’d never heard that term for the dish that I refer to as “Chipped Beef”. His immediate response was,,,, “I grew up with that name,, so I don’t know where else I might have gotten it.” Oh,, well… I’m going to share his directions for “Shit on a Shingle” — or “Chipped Beef”, if you’d prefer not to be so crude when it comes to food.
Later in our conversation, we were talking about foods that we either like or dislike and that our tastes may change over time. At this point, he mentioned that he’d read some kind of study which stated that our taste buds change about every seven years, so you may like things you hated before. I mentioned hating Brussels sprouts, so he shared with me a way to cook this kind of vegetable. I’m thinking about trying it to see if my taste buds have changed enough for me to actually start liking Brussels sprouts. Only time will tell… In the meantime, though, I’m going to share his directions for a tasty way to prepare Brussels sprouts with you.
Before I get into the directions for these two dishes, I have to warn you that they don’t contain any measurements since my son is one of those “cookers” (as my daughter used to say to refer to those who cook food, me included) who doesn’t usually measure anything — unlike myself, who has to have specific quantities listed. Because of this, I’ll probably include notes for recipes that I found online — for my own personal use as well as for those of you who prefer to have ingredients listed. So… Without further ado, here are the directions my son gave me for “Shit on a Shingle” and for cooking Brussels sprouts…
“Shit on a Shingle” ((OR “Chipped Beef Over Toast”, if you prefer)
Brown ground beef; add flour to grease to make a roux; add milk to make a white gravy; serve with a side of eggs and maybe one or two veggies.
Here’s how I make “Chipped Beef”: I melt some butter in a skillet, and then I tear up a package of Buddig Beef and add it to the skillet, cooking it until most of the bits are fairly crisp. While the beef is cooking, I’ll mix a bit of flour and some milk together to make the basis of the “white gravy” my son mentioned in his description. Once that’s made, I’ll put the bread (aka “shingle”) into the toaster and then return to the chipped beef by pouring some milk into the skillet with the beef — just enough to make all of the bits of beef float. After that, I’ll add the basis for the “white gravy” that I’d made earlier. At that point, I’ll add some seasonings (mostly just salt and pepper) and then stir the mixture until it starts to thicken. Once it has thickened and the bread is toasted, it’s time to combine the two: place the toast on the plate and smother it with the chipped beef gravy. I usually serve it with fruit, but I do like my son’s idea of serving it with a side of eggs.
Brussels Sprouts
Clean and dry ’em; cut each in half (or quarters, if you prefer); line a baking sheet with foil, parchment paper (or just use cooking spray); season with your favorite seasonings like salt, pepper, and garlic; bake (on the rack closest to the top of the oven) at 350-375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes; sprinkle with gorgonzola/bleu cheese and pistachios; drizzle with sirachia sauce.
NOTES:
Here are links to a couple of recipes that I found during a quick online search for “Shit on a Shingle”. The first uses hamburger as per my son’s directions, and the second is more similar to how I make it — although the chipped beef the second recipe uses is different than the Buddig I use.
S.O.S. (Shit on a Shingle) – A Reimagined Comfort Food Classic
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast (A.K.A. Shit on a Shingle ): classic comfort food
I’ve heard that the proper preparation of vegetables (Brussels sprouts included) can make the difference between loving or hating them. Guess it’s time for me to try my hand at cooking Brussels sprouts myself. Here are a couple of recipes (found during yet another quick online search) that I might try since I don’t like the taste of sirachia sauce:
https://www.wellplated.com/sauteed-brussels-sprouts/
https://www.wellplated.com/air-fryer-brussels-sprouts/
Because these recipes bring out mixed feelings in me (love the first one and (used to) hate the second one), I’d love to get your thoughts about ’em. Were you familiar with “Shit on a Shingle” (or, to be more polite, “Chipped Beef”) before you read this post? Do you love or hate Brussels sprouts? Since my son told me that taste buds change every seven years, I guess it’s time (past time, actually) to give Brussels sprouts another try. Right now, I’m leaning towards the recipe that utilizes the air fryer. I’ll let you know where I stand on my “hate or love” relationship with this vegetable — once I find some since I haven’t gone looking for ’em in quite a while!