Beef...it's what's for dinner!

So we finally got around to trying out our BBQ here in pereptually warm SoCal, and these steaks were the perfect meal to break it in. I wanted something a little more fancy that just a steak though, so I conjured up memories of an Italian restraunt at home in Washington that serves a steak covered in cheese and then drizzled with a balsalmic reduction. I am proud of myself on this one, it was my first time making a reduction (sooo easy), and it really lived up to my memory of it. So delicious I can not wait to make them again!



2 sirloin steaks
montreal steak seasoning
balsalmic vinegar
goat cheese/blue cheese/gorgonzola (your choice)

Heat the BBQ until it is smoking hot and then place seasoned steaks on the grill. Now do not touch them for about 4 minutes. Gingerly flip them over and once again leave them alone for 4 minutes.
Remove to a plate and sprinkle with cheese of your choice ( I choose goat cheese, so creamy and it pairs so well with the balsalmic) and do not cut into them.
While the steaks are settling, heat 1/2 cup balsalmic vinegar in a saucepan. Bring it to a light boil stirring constantly. You shoudl notice the vinegar getting thick and syrup like. When it is too your desired consistency, remove from heat and drizzle over steak. Enjoy!

Hearty Chili

This is my go to chili recipe, which comes from my friend Cassy, back home in Washington. This was almost always my requested dinner when I went to her house, I loved all the veggies in it, and the nice spice that wasn't overpowering, but was certainly there. It was a big change from the chili I grew up on, which was honestly a can of chili beans, a can of kidney beans, a can of tomato sauce, some ground beef, and a chili seasoning packet. Sorry to out you mom, but that really isn't chili! Of course I took some liberties with it, as I do with almost all recipes, and my version didn't disappoint at all. If you are looking for another soup to add to your winter round-up, look no farther.

Chili

1 1/2lb ground turkey or beef (I used left over roast I had, shredded into tiny pieces, LOVED it!)
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans, not drained
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can white kidney beans (cannelini), drained
2 (28 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon or bacon bits
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash cayenne pepper (or more if you want it spicy)
1 or 2 tablespoon brown sugar

Optional Toppings:
shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
sour cream
onions
taco chips

* Cook the meat first then add the diced veggies until tender. Add all other ingredients to slow cooker and let simmer for the day. That is it, really. That simple! This makes enough for a crowd so you may want to half the recipe or plan to freeze some. It does freeze well and tastes just as good thawed and re-heated. Works perfect to have small tupperware portions to take to work, just take it out of the freezer the day before. ENJOY!

The man sandwich!

This is not a healthy guilt free meal. It is also not a meal I should make again, but I will. Honestly, I have already made it again, this was round two. It is just that simple and good. Just a few ingredients and 30 minutes and dinner is on. If you are looking to please a red med meat eating man in your life, here is the ticket ladies, I nearly guarantee success. Michael liked it better last time with out the A-1 sauce, but I liked it better this time with the A-1, so you decide if you want it or not. I just learned he is not an A-1 kind of guy I guess. Please don't be shy with the butter, I have made it twice, and it was better with all of the butter instead of the scant amount I tried to get away with the first time. Just follow the recipe, you will be glad you did... until the next morning when you can't button your slacks for work!

Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich
(Marlboro Man is Pioneer Woman's husband, in case you wondered)
Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS:
2 to 3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized
1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions
4 French/Deli rolls
Butter, man
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco
A-1 sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.
Heat 2 TBSP butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.
Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
Add 1/2 a bottle (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 TBSP butter and a few healthy shakes of A-1. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.
Butter halved French rolls and brown on skillet.
To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

Something from my mother finally!

I am surprised that nothing I have posted so far has come from my mother, but this recipe comes from her big spacious kitchen at home in Washington(oh how I miss that big spacious kitchen with all its counter space and cupboards!). This recipe is always a hit, we make it at least 3x a month just for us, and almost every time we have company also. If you don't want to use the baking method which is detailed below, you can serve it all cold, which is easier for parties where your oven is already busy. To do so, just cube the mozzarella and add it in with the tomato mixture and serve with bread/crackers. And whatever you do, do not leave out the balsamic vinegar, it is what makes it sooo delicious! This mixture is also great over salad or mixed with pasta, but you won't have any leftovers because it is that good, you will just have to whip up another batch!

Bruschetta with Double Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil (I rinse mine to cut down on calories)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 TB olive oil + some for brushing bread
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 baguette/loaf of french bread/melba toast etc.
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for half an hour or longer. It helps all the flavors blend together.
Turn on broiler. (If your oven doesn't have a broil function, no worries mine doesn't either, just turn it to the highest temperature and watch closely!)
Cut your bread of choice into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer, brush with olive oil, and broil just until brown about 1-2 minutes.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

An Ultimate Comfort Food

So everyone was talking about this recipe on the Nest's What's Cooking board the other day, so I decided we had to try it in our weekly rotation. I made a few changes that we were very happy with, and Michael enjoyed it so much he asked for the leftovers for lunch two days in a row! It will definitely be a regular in our rotations from now on. The original recipe came from Lindsay, but it was for a 9x13, which was way too much casserole for 2 of us, even when we do both like leftovers, I also saw some room for improvements, so the recipe below is what I ended up with. I hope that you all enjoy as much as we did!

TACO BAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 TB minced garlic
1 packet taco seasoning
8 oz. tomato sauce
4 oz. seashell pasta (I used elbow macaroni, it was all they had at TJ's)
4 oz. (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened in microwave (I used fat free)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat-free)
1 can of sliced olives
1 can of black beans, drained
6 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used cheese from 2% milk)

So far assembled: pasta, cream cheese spread, and the black beans

Finished off with the meat, cheese, and olives

DIRECTIONS:
Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, drain if necessary. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.
Spray bottom of 8x8 pan. Put pasta in bottom of pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Sprinkle the can of black beans over the cream cheese mixture. Spoon ground meat mixture over this. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Finally sprinkle the olives on top pf the cheese.
Now you can pop it in the oven and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
I served our taco bake with some sauteed green beans and some garlic cheddar sourdough. Yummy!

Dinner is served!

Dinner Divas #1

As I become a little more familiar with the WC board on the nest, I felt it was time to join one of the many cooking groups that are available. The Dinner Divas sounded perfect for me, the only rule is there are no rules. Sounds perfect for they way I cook in my kitchen! The first recipe was from Bobby Flay for Chicken Cobb Burgers. I took many liberties with the burger, and ended up outstanding!! There were no complaints anywhere around the table. Well, I guess there was one complaint, no pictures. The camera's battery needed to charged, and while I had it plugged in all day anticipating needing pictures, I had it plugged in incorrectly. Yes, Michael got a good laugh out of that. I served it with fresh corn on the cob and a cold tortellini pasta salad. I have noted the changes I made below in black. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
8 strips of bacon
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, 90 percent lean (I used lean ground beef, Michael refused chicken)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
(2 TB balsalmic mixed in ground beef mixture gave some great tang)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese ( I hate Blue cheese so I used goat cheese, loved it!)
4 burger buns, split (I used whole wheat kaiser rolls, toasted)
1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, cut into 4 slices
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 8 slices (No avocado in our kitchen)

For the vinaigrette:2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used balsalmic)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (had no lemon)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely shredded romaine lettuce

DIRECTIONS:
For the burgers: (First you should know we do not have a grill. Not a challenge though, we made them on out panini maker/open faced grill, it worked perfectly!)
Heat the grill to medium.Place the strips of bacon on the grill (lay them across the grate so they don't fall through) and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Increase the heat of the grill to high. ) Form the meat into 4 (8-ounce) burgers, brush with the oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the burgers until golden brown on both sides and cooked completely through, about 5 minutes per side. Top the burgers with the blue cheese, close the cover, and continue cooking until the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute longer.Place the burgers on the bottom half of each bun and top with a slice of tomato, 2 slices of avocado, 2 slices of bacon and some of the dressed romaine. Cover each burger with the bun tops and serve.

For the vinaigrette:Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and oil in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to meld. Just before assembling the burgers, place the romaine in a medium bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

Lasagna

This is another one of those foods that just says comfort food to me, and it did not let me down. Michael's boss came over for dinner, so I served this with sauteed green beans, a green salad, and some of my homemade bread that is posted below. All in all dinner was a success no complaints. And once again, the following is for an 8x8 pan, double it for a 9x13 or two 8x8's. It is always great when you have a good dinner like this already done up in the freezer!

Lasagna
Serves 6-9

INGREDIENTS:
Cooking spray
8 no boil lasagna noodles ( I use TJ's brand, they are the perfect size)
16 oz marinara sauce (mines from scratch, and includes a # of ground beef)
1 15oz tub of ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1/ cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
2 cups grated mozzarella

Everything waiting to be assembled

Look at those yummy cheesy layers

Finished, just awaiting the oven so it can crisp up

DIRECTIONS:
Spray pan well with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350.
In a mixing bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, basil, and oregano.
Spread a thin layer of sauce over bottom of pan and then layer with 2 noodles.
On top of each noodle spread 1/6 of ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese and a ladle full of sauce. Put 2 noodles over sauce and repeat layering, until you have filled the pan. (For my 8x8 pan in took 3 layers)
Finish the layering with 2 noodles over the top, the remainder of the sauce, and then the cheese.
Cover in foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until center is bubbling and cheese is melted and crispy.

Feels like home

While Fall is still a very distant thought here in sunny California (come to think of it, do they even have Fall here?), I am in the mood for something very homey and fallish,and very few things make me think more of home and the leaves changing colors and falling off of the tress than a roast cooking in the crock pot all day. I am really longing for a nice cool crisp day, it hasn't really been below 80 since we got married and moved here. I know some of you would kill for this weather, but it just isn't me. Shopping yesterday was so sad because there are so many beautiful coats coming out this year, and it will just never really get cold enough to wear one here. At least I will save myself the money by not having to buy one this year! Alright, enough of my pity party, on with the cooking!

This is such a classic recipe I don't even know where it came from, I only know it is how my mom and I have been making it forever, and it never lets me down. Since there are 2 of us and we never eat all of the roast, leftovers turn into French Dip sandwiches later in the week. Hope you enjoy, we always do!

Everything is in, now it is just time to slow cook

Crock Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS:
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 3-4 pound roast
1 large onion, cut into rings
1 pound of cut carrots
8 red potatoes, washed and quartered
1 packet of onion soup mix dissolved in 1 cup of water

DIRECTIONS:
In frying pan heat oil and then brown roast on all sides, covering in a salt and pepper crust. This quick frying helps to seal in some of the juices and adds a nice little flavorful crust to your roast.
After greasing inside of crock pot, add cut carrots, quartered potatoes, and onion rings.
Place roast on top of vegetables and pour onion soup mix water over roast. Place lid on and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. If roast is frozen, add 2-4 more hours to cook time.

Who says dinner can't be easy?

Michael and I got back from the airport late Saturday night, so the kitchen opened back up Sunday. I made french toast with some wonderful chicken sausage for breakfast and got some enchiladas done up for dinner. I am big on convenience and don't believe that everything needs to be made by scratch, I would probably do a lot less cooking if it did!! I guess I fancy myself a bit as Sandra Lee the semi-homemade cook. My enchilada recipe follows, pretty basic and pretty tasty. As a side we had a black bean and corn salad, and we topped off our enchiladas with sour cream. They do not photograph well at all, but the pictures at least give you an idea. And if anyone has a great way to keep my tortillas from cracking when I roll the enchiladas, please share, because I think that I have tried them all!

Tortillas stuffed and rolled, waiting for the sauce.

Ready to go in the oven.

Plated up and ready to be enjoyed!

Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:
10 corn tortillas
1 pound ground beef
2 cups shredded cheese
1 20 0z can of enchilada sauce (we are a mild family)
1/2 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 TB olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Brown the oil, onion, and garlic in a large frying pan. Add the ground beef and cook until done, set aside.
Preheat oven to 400.
Grease a 9x13 pan (I use 2 8x8 pans and freeze a batch for another night!) In each tortilla add about 4TB ground beef mixture. Sprinkle a TB cheese on top of meat, roll tortilla sides in, and place seam side down in greased pan. Continue with remaining tortillas.
Once all enchiladas are rolled pour can of enchilada sauce over the top, sprinkle remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Michael wanted you to all know what it would look like when you were done...I think he just wants to be more involved in my blog!