August means back to school, which means a busy schedule for kiddos and parents. For all you moms and dads on the go, we understand the importance of finding a few favorite meals that lessen the stress in your life. Anything that makes life easier and more manageable is always a good idea.
When it comes to the end of a hectic work day and you have washing and folding clothes plus driving the kids to activities awaiting you at home, cooking dinner adds one more thing to your to-do list. To help with the hectic weeknights, local mom Ty McCall shares a favorite quick and easy meal that she prepares for her family.
Ty has been married to Shaun McCall for 13 years, and they have one son, William (age 5). Ty mentions their lives wouldn’t be complete without their fur baby, Michael Jackson, aka M.J.
Growing up in New Orleans (the home of Creole cuisine), food has always been a big part of Ty’s life. She shares, “I live for food and music. It is heavily ingrained in the culture of my city. You can walk around any corner and bump into insanely good food. I grew up around some of the best chefs in the world.”
Ty started cooking before she was five years old with her grandmother. As a child, she stood on a stool in the kitchen and engrossed herself in her grandmother’s skills. “My grandmother didn’t measure a thing and made everything from scratch. Those are some of my favorite childhood memories,” Ty shares.
Even though the family lives in Alabama, Ty often cooks from her roots. Some of her favorites include red beans and rice on Mondays, po-boys on Fridays, and gumbo on the first crisp day of fall.
Ty especially enjoys cooking with a Dutch oven, iron skillet, and gumbo pot. She humorously admits, “I’m old school.” However, she enjoys using a mini torch and immersion blender, too.
Although Ty won’t be turning cooking into a business, she enjoys it very much as a hobby. It calms and soothes her, and there’s always a bar stool at her house open for anyone.
Ty shares a bit of history surrounding one of her favorite family dishes. “Yakamein is an old New Orleans recipe. It is said to knock out some of the most stubborn colds. I learned how to make this with my grandmother. It is a Creole/Asian Fusion dish that brought together two cultures when new Chinese members of the community brought the idea of ‘mein (Chinese Noodles)’ to New Orleans. Because Chinese noodles weren’t readily available, they used spaghetti noodles.”
Yakamein
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 6 eggs
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 chopped scallions for garnishing
Directions
In a Dutch oven, sear the beef in oil over medium heat until browned. Add beef broth with herbs, spices, and sauces and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, stirring occasionally (one hour). During this time, boil the eggs and cook the spaghetti. In a large bowl, add cooked noodles, place beef on top and ladle in the broth. Garnish with halved eggs and chopped scallions.
You can also place the beef in a crockpot and slowly cook after browning. It can cook all day, and you will get the same result.
Kimberley Carter Spivey is a freelance writer, blogger, author, and entrepreneur. When she’s not working as an Instructional Systems Designer and copy-editor on Maxwell AFB, she’s busy freelancing, blogging, or toiling away at her next book. Her debut book Bloom: How to Get from Good Enough to a Life You Love can be purchased on Amazon and girlyouwrite.com.
