I am.
I get it from my local Farmer's Market. And as cheap as I am, it's totally worth the $6.00 per pound.
What's the difference between grass-fed beef and regular-ass grocery store beef, you may be asking.
Well, regular-ass grocery store beef was probably fed a lot of corn (which bulks up the animal, but doesn't really do much in the taste/ health department), as well as anything else under the sun (including bedding and feces) and may or may not have been pumped full of hormones or antibiotics.
Now, I'm not one to get on my soapbox about eating healthy. Obviously. Because I'm actually probably the worst eater on the planet.
However, grass-fed beef actually TASTES so much better than store-bought beef. The color of the raw beef is much richer, there's absolutely NO scent to it when you open the package, and the second you start cooking it, it smells hearty and tasty. Not like rotting meat, which is something I've noticed with grocery store meat. Also, according to a bunch of endometriosis shit I've read, it's highly advised to eat organic foods because all the synthetic hormones in non-organic foods can aggravate the devil in my uterus. (Actually, it's even more highly advised that I completely cut meat out all together.) (Not going to happen.)
Anyway.
We picked up a package of grass-fed beef yesterday that was begging to be made for dinner tonight. Since I didn't have any specific cravings, I decided to consult my cooking sidekick, the Internet. Low and behold, I came across this recipe.
Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomato, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz of ziti, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella
DIRECTIONS
Saute ground beef, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet until onion is tender and beef is lightly browned.
Drain fat/ liquid. Add tomatoes, sauce, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Add ziti and one cup of mozzarella; mix well. Transfer to 2.5qt casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
NOTE:
-This casserole was a little salty for both me and Boyfriend. Next time, I'd take it down to 1 teaspoon of salt.
-We added freshly grated parmesan on top before it went into the oven. I like to think that made it more "Italian" and "delicious".
Boner'ppetite.
5 comments:
Mmmm, baked ziti is my favorite! And I totally agree, organic and grass fed *always* tastes better because it's not sprayed with antibiotics and chemicals. Yucko.
I totally agree with you on loving the price of grass fed beef being worth it. I watch the money I spend on food, but I do splurge when it comes to buying grass fed beef. I have a hard time finding it locally so I get all of my grass fed beef from La Cense Beef. They are a grass fed ranch located in Montana. I order from them online and have it delivered directly to me. It’s so convenient and the meat is amazing.
don't worry, I wasn't offended by your organic soapbox rant...I'm sure it does taste 10x better though. Maybe one day we'll all eat growth hormone free grub, HA. Fat chance.
TSARTISA and KARA - Wow, I didn't realize grass fed beef was so popular. In fact, I kind of felt like a crazy mom who's like "I only feed my family THE BEST." Good to know normal people eat fancy foods too. :)
MRANTHROPE - I really wasn't trying to get all preachy! I'm not one of those people who's trying to school everyone and change the world. I was just explaining why I prefer grass fed beef. :)
That looks so good I can hardly stand it! I can't wait to try it! I'm going to get myself some good grass fed beef too. Of course, factory farmed cat meat would taste good with pasta and cheese.
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