Italian Pot Roast

Easy and delicious!

Italian Pot Roast
Source: Southern Living Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large  onion, sliced 
1 (2 1/2 to 3-lb.) boneless chuck roast, trimmed 
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (1-oz.) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (14-oz.) can beef broth
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
 3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Steps:

1. Place mushrooms and onions in slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle roast with pepper. Cook roast in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on each side.
3. Place roast on top of mushrooms and onion in slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mix over roast; pour beef broth and tomato sauce over roast. Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
4. Transfer roast to a cutting board; cut into large chunks, removing any large pieces of fat. Keep roast warm.
5. Skim fat from juices in slow cooker; stir in tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Stir together cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl until smooth; add to juices in slow cooker, stirring until blended. Cover and cook 20 minutes on HIGH or until mixture is thickened. Stir in roast. Serve over egg noodles.

Stir-Fry

This stir-fry was good but there are a few changes that I would make for next time. For one, I would add a few more veggies in here like broccoli, mushrooms, or bok choy. I would have also liked the meat to be a little more thinly sliced almost like bulgogi. But even without these changes, I think most stir-fry fans would like this recipe. The original recipe calls for white long grain rice but I used brown basmati rice instead.

Sirloin Stir-Fry
Source: Cuisine At Home

 
Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups brown jasmine rice
8 oz. hoisin sauce
1 cup rice vinegar
6 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 lb. top sirloin, trimmed and sliced thin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup scallions, chopped into 2 in. pieces
1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
sesame seeds


Steps:

Cook rice and keep warm.

Combine hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, honey, garlic, ginger, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.

Toss sirloin with brown sugar, canola oil, and pepper flakes in a bowl to coat. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and brown beef for about 3 minutes or until browned.

Add bell peppers, scallions and edamame, and saute for 3 more minutes. Off heat, stir in sesame oil and seeds.

Serve with rice and sauce.

Tamale Casserole

You would think I need breaks from eating Mexican food but somehow I just don't. I eat it entirely too often. There are days that I eat Willy's/Chipotle for lunch and then come home and make Mexican food for dinner and I DON'T GET SICK OF IT. So not surprisingly at all, I'm planning to make burrito bowls for dinner tonight after I made this tamale dish last night. It was good but I didn't feel like there was enough spice to the dish. I would try adding in some hotter peppers next time to give it a little more pizazz. Pizazz...is that a word people my age even use?

Tamale Casserole

So here's a blurry picture but you get the idea...

Ingredients:
 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 lb. grass-fed ground sirloin
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp. red chili powder
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a pot, boil 1 1/3 cups of water.  In a small bowl, mix the cornmeal with 1/2 cup of cold water and half the salt. Slowly add the mixture to the boiling water. Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened about 7-8 minutes.  While that is cooking, start making the beef mixture.

In a large pan, cook the onion, peppers, beef, and garlic until browned. If you aren't using grass-fed beef, drain fat. Stir the rest of the salt and the chili powder with this mixture.  Then, add the corn, tomatoes, tomato paste, and cilantro. Stir well.

Grease a 2- 2 1/2 qt baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the cornmeal mixture over the bottom. Next, add half of the cheese. Pour the beef mixture over the cheese layer.  Set the remaining cheese aside. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes. Add the remaining cheese over the top and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

A Dinner Success or Disaster?

I love to cook, I really do. But there are some days that things go wrong and it makes you want to smash all your dishes and and throw your hands up and say "let's just order a damn pizza." But that wouldn't have worked for me since I just made a pizza the other day, right? I decided I wanted to make spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, roasted brussels sprouts and a chocolately dessert. In the end, everything was wonderful. It just took me awhile to get there.

I started prepping for the meal by making the table and cutting up all the veggies, etc. I put the tomatoes in my blender to puree them for the tomato sauce. But since I was wearing a silk dress, I realized I better put on an apron which was in one of the top kitchen cabinets. I grabbed a chair so that I could climb up and reach it. While standing up there I thought about this perfect dinner I was making and then had a bad thought...I was too smug and I was either going to fall and break something or something from the cabinet would fall and break. I spot my apron and start to pull it down when two huge light bulbs not in packages (I DID NOT PUT THIS IN THERE) came flying out and crashed down along the way. The glass managed to get all over my counters, floors, in my toaster, cabinets, and in some of my cooking utensils. My poor cats were terrified and didn't know what to do. See picture:

After some foot stomping, I carefully picked up and vacuumed all the shards. This also required me to do some kitchen cleaning and delayed my dinner plans. Finally as I get back on track and don my apron, I puree the tomatoes. I go to take the blender apart so I can pour the tomatoes into the pan with the onions and garlic I just sauteed and then the blender BREAKS APART and the tomato sauce goes all over me in my dress and apron and the rest of it all over my just cleaned kitchen. I think I had one of those my life is over moments. But after calming down and cleaning yet again, a grocery store run was made for more tomatoes thus delaying this dinner even more. But luckily after that, everything was back on track and the dinner came out beautifully. I've blogged this spaghetti recipe before but I'm sharing it again since it's so good. I'm linking up the recipes but at least I have some pictures! One tip: Buy San Marzano tomatoes if you can budget it. It really does make a difference! Oh and check your blender before you put them in there...

Spaghetti & Meatballs

I added some freshly grated parm after I took the picture.

Garlic Bread

No picture but the only change I made was to leave out the cheese and parsley.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Aside from the dessert, this was my favorite part of the meal. I know they look burnt but they are not. The charred part was pure deliciousness. The insides were really tender and the charred outside had a similar taste and texture to kale chips. This was the easiest part of the whole meal as well.

Dessert! This was the first time I made this and it was pretty much amazing not to mention so simple. If you need something easy to impress dinner guests, this is it. I did forget to sprinkle the sugar over the top though but cut me slack. It was a rough night!

Chocolate Spiced Cabernet Molten Cakes
My ramekins were about 4 oz. a piece and this recipe made three servings.

 

Ingredients:

 1/2 stick of butter plus extra for greasing

2 oz. Semi-Sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup confectioners sugar plus extra for garnish 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Cabernet Sauvignon

1 egg yolk

1 egg

3 Tbsp flour

very tiny sprinkle of ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Steps:

Use butter to grease ramekin dishes and preheat oven to 425. 

In the microwave, heat butter and chocolate for one minute. Whisk together briefly to blend. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and wine. Then add eggs. Lastly, stir in flour and spices until well blended. 

Divide batter into ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 13 minutes.  Let stand for one minute and then use a knife to loosen the edges. Invert onto a plate and sprinkle with the confectioner's sugar. Serve warm.

Spaghetti Pie?

Spaghetti and pie...those are two words that just don't go together. But I like each separately so I figured why not give it a try. As I prepared it, I kept thinking "this is going to turn out weird, I just know it." But guess what...it was a total hit! The only changes I made to the original recipe were using lean grass-fed sirloin, whole wheat spaghetti, and all low fat cheeses.

Spaghetti Pie
Source: Publix Apron Meals
Prep: 35 mins, Bake: 30 mins, Stand: 15 mins

Ingredients:
nonstick cooking spray
4 oz. dried spaghetti
2 eggs
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 12-oz. container of low-fat cottage cheese, drained
8oz. ground sirloin
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
8 oz. tomato sauce (no salt)
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 350. To make crust, coat a 9 in pie plate with cooking spray; set aside. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions but omit the salt and oil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat 1 of the eggs; stir in Parm and olive oil. Drain spaghetti well; add to egg mixture. Toss to coat. Press mixture evenly onto bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate.

2) In a small bowl, beat remaining egg; stir in drained cottage cheese. Spread mixture onto the bottom of spaghetti crust; set aside.

3) In a large pan, cook beef, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and garlic until meat is browned. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, seasoning, and salt. Spoon meat mixture onto cottage cheese on the crust.

4) Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let sit for about 15 mins before serving. Cut into wedges.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs Plus A Veggie

Yay for easy recipes, right? I'm on a roll this week. This was a delicious and easy meal. There are two recipes in this post one for the ribs and the other for the veggie. These are from other blogs so I will just link them up here with my own pictures.


Crockpot Korean Short Ribs
I bought grass-fed already cut short ribs at Whole Foods so I didn't do the whole uncut ribs. Also, I only bought 2 pounds which was more than enough food for two people. As you can see, I served it over Basmati rice.

Roasted Broccoli

 With this one, I only bought one package of broccoli which equated to 1 pound so I adjusted the measurements accordingly. Like the blogger, I left the basil out as well though I did throw in a few pine nuts.

Easy Tortellini

This is another great weeknight recipe since it's pretty quick and doesn't require hardcore cooking skills.

Easy Tortellini

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 small handful of diced green bell pepper
1 small handful of diced onion
1 small handful of diced celery
1 tsp garlic, minced
3/4 lb. ground sirloin
1/4 cup red wine
3/4 the 24 oz. jar of  Newman's Own Cabernet Marinara
3/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
9 oz package of fresh whole wheat cheese tortellini 

Steps:

Heat butter in a pan over medium high heat. Add veggies and garlic and cook covered for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, boil water in a pot and start tortellini according to package directions.

Add meat to the pan and break it up. Cook covered stirring occasionally for about 6 minutes. Drain if necessary.

Stir in wine, sauce, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Let thicken and reduce heat to low.  Pour sauce over tortellini.

Happy New Year

So, I've been a bad blogger. I keep forgetting to come back and post the recipes I've been making and the wine I've been drinking. In fact, the one that I want to share today was made over a week ago... I think this year I will either do something more with this blog or do something completely different. Either way, I will keep trying new recipes and drinking wine of course.

These empanadas were delicious and the slaw went wonderfully with them. However, I wasn't totally crazy about the cheese sauce but others may love it. I can't even remember if I took a picture of these or not. Sorry!

Empanadas con queso (with Jicama Slaw)
 Source: inspired by recipe in Cuisine At Home

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground sirloin or sirloin steak (minced)
1/2 tsp. Cajun spice
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup frozen corn kernals
1/4 cup thick salsa
2 Tbsp. beef broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded


Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss meat with seasonings.  Add oil to a pan and cook meat over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Remove from pan.


In the same pan, cook onions for a minute. Then stir in corn, salsa, and tomato paste. Simmer until thick and then add meat back to the pan. Simmer briefly. Spread mixture on a pan and chill briefly in the freezer while you prepare the rest.

Roll out pastry sheet and cut 4 (or more) circles. Whisk together egg and water.  Place 2 Tbsp of meat mixture in the center of the circles. Fold pastry over mixture and seal edges with a fork.

Place Empanadas on a baking sheet and brush with egg mixture. Pierce the tops to vent steam.  Bake for 15 minutes.

While Empanadas are baking, prepare sauce. Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook one minute and then whisk in milk until well combined. Gradually stir in the cheese until it melts. Season as needed.  Drizzle over Empanadas.


Jicama Slaw
makes 2 cups. Source: Cuisine At Home

Ingredients:
2 cups jicama, peeled and julienned
1/3 cup carrots, peeled, shredded
2 Tbsp scallions, minced
1 Tbsp jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt  

Steps:
 Combine all veggies in a bowl. Whisk together juices, oil, honey, and salt. Pour over slaw mixture and toss well.
 

A Classic!

I don't normally blog on weekends because I tend to dine out which was my intention last night. I was all excited about going out for some Indian food when my husband suggested staying in and making spaghetti and meatballs. Something clicked and all the sudden I had to have it too. So off we went to the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. And boy am I glad we did because this sauce (and meatballs) was SO GOOD! I followed the original recipe to a T so I'll just link it up for you and include my messy picture.

Recipe found here. Enjoy!

Seriously Good

I'm really excited about this recipe because it was fairly easy and the results were amazing. I had always had bolognese sauces with pappardelle which is delicious too but I was missing out all these years. Creamy polenta is the way to go but not just the packaged kind. Try preparing your own, it's quick and easy. I will definitely be making this again. While it tastes good, it unfortunately doesn't make for a really pretty picture.

Beef Bolognese Sauce
makes 6 servings
Source: www.CuisineAtHome.com

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. ground chuck (I used grass-fed sirloin instead)
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage, crumbled (I like to use the spicy version for a kick)
1/2 cup onions, minced
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup celery, grated
3 T. tomato paste
1 T.  garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
1 cup heavy cream (less if you don't want the added fat)
salt and pepper
fresh parsley
grated Parmesan


Steps:

Brown the beef and sausage in olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.


Add onions, celery, carrots, tomato paste, garlic, and bay leaf. Saute about 5 more minutes.

Deglaze pan with wine; bring to a boil and simmer until almost evaporated. Stir in tomatoes and cream, simmer over medium-high heat 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over polenta.

Garnish with parsley and parm.

Creamy Polenta
makes 4 cups
Source: www.CuisineAtHome.com

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
2 T. olive oil


Steps:

Bring broth, milk, salt, and pepper to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal, reduce heat to low and continue stirring for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in cheeses and oil. Serve with sauce.
 

Easy Stovetop Taco

This recipe was SO easy and quick. While not a dish to impress your parents or new boyfriend, it's a perfect weeknight meal for you and the kiddos. But I like it too.

Stove-top Tacos
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
6 (6 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 can of condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup of chunky hot salsa
1/2 cup cheddar, shredded (I used 1/4 c sharp yellow and 1/4 c mild white cheddar)

Steps:
Brown ground beef in a large skillet or pan. If you are not using grass-fed beef, you may need to drain the fat after cooking.
Break tortillas into small pieces and add to the pan. Stir in soup, water, and salsa. Bring mixture to a boil. Then, simmer for 5 more minutes.
Top with cheddar cheese and serve.

Cowboy Spaghetti

It sounds a little manly but I liked it. And the sauce actually seemed kind of light. I know what you are thinking "How does a sauce with bacon in it seem light?" Okay, it wasn't a "light" dish but you use a small amount of sauce to pasta ratio making it feel lighter. This is a Rachel Ray 30 minute recipe though it did take me slightly longer. It also says that the full recipe makes 4 servings. Well, I halved it and still ended up with 4 heaping servings so keep that in mind. I also used whole wheat spaghetti to make it a tad healthier.


Cowboy Spaghetti
Probably makes 8 servings - Source http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/cowboy-spaghetti-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:


1 pound spaghetti, whole wheat preferred
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 slices raw smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
Ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beer
1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded
4 scallions, sliced

Steps:

Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook to al dente.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and stir into meat. Season the meat with salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2 cup beer and deglaze the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon.

Peachy Burgers

I liked this recipe even if it's not for everyone. (You gotta like peaches.) But who in Georgia, doesn't like peaches this time of year? And it's best to make use of them right now while they are cheap and in season (they won't be for long.)

Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers with Peach Ketchup Based off a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens
Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:
2 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped
1/8 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Tiny dash of cayenne pepper
1 lb. dry aged ground sirloin (or ground turkey)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup white cheddar or havarti, shredded
Lettuce
Whole wheat buns

Steps:

Prepare ketchup. In a blender, combine peaches, sugar, vinegar, chili powder, cinnamon, and cayenne. Blend until smooth and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix meat with half of the peach ketchup.  Add salt and pepper. Divide burgers into 4 balls. Make an indention at the top of each ball. Fill the indention with cheese. Work the meat around the cheese to form hamburger patties.

Use a gas or charcoal grill and cook burgers to your desired temperature. Serve on buns with lettuce and remaining peach ketchup.

Taco Soup

The following recipe is great for when you need a healthy, weeknight meal. It definitely looks and tastes like chili but it's called a soup. This might be because it's not a slow-cooking type dish.

Taco Soup
Source: www.sparkpeople.com 

Ingredients:
16 oz grass-fed ground sirloin
1/2 C yellow onion, chopped
1 recipe taco seasoning (I made my own using this recipe)
14 oz tomato sauce
14 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies
14 oz kidney beans, dark, drained
1 C water
1 C corn, frozen
4 oz green chilies, chopped
1/2 C garbanzo beans, smashed

Steps:

Brown ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add seasoning cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and cook additional minute while stirring. Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn, green chilies, and mashed garbanzo beans, simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, chips, cheese, or sour cream.

Number of Servings: 6

Mole Steak Tacos w/ Smoky Sauce & Guac

Mmm...just thinking about last night's dinner is making my tummy rumble. But that might be because I didn't eat lunch today. Or does a soy frappucino count as lunch? Either way, these tacos were delicious! They take a little bit more effort than the usual tacos I make but it's so worth it. I made guacamole to serve atop the tacos and to dip chips in of course. Though it's not included in the recipe, I also sauted some green bell pepper and onions to put in the tacos.

Mole Steak Tacos (sauce recipe below)
made 8 small tacos

Ingredients:
small corn tortillas
sauteed peppers and onions
homemade guacamole
3/4 lb. flat iron or skirt steak
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Steps:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees in preparation for the sauce. You may choose to make the sauce first and let it sit while preparing steak.
Combine all the spices above in a small bowl.
Rub spice mixture onto both sides of the steak.
Grill steak for a few minutes on each side to desired temperature. Most people prepare it medium rare.
Allow steak to rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Serve in tortillas mixed in with veggies and the sauce and guac spooned over the top.

Smoky Sauce

 Ingredients:
 1 poblano pepper
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, quartered
1 garlic clove
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1-2 Tsp canola oil

Steps: 

 Oven should be preheated to 500 degrees. Put poblano pepper in boiling water until just softened. Remove pepper and slice when cooled.
Place onions, tomatoes, and garlic in a baking dish, mix with canola oil and roast for 20 minutes.
Puree roasted veggies, poblano pepper, chipotle pepper, lime juice, and salt in a blender.
Pour sauce over tacos.

Ancho-Rubbed Steaks

For those that check my blog on a regular basis, you may have noticed that my posting has become less frequent. To be honest, I have become disenchanted with the whole blogging thing. But, "C'est la vie." It's hard to come up with fun blog posts on the spot when I feel like posting a new recipe. It's also a lot more lonely than I thought it would be. However, I do still want to share recipes for anyone that is interested and also to have a place where they are organized for my own benefit. So I will continue to post for now.


This was an especially easy recipe. The spices add a slight kick to your steak but aren't spicy enough to scare away those who fear the hotness. I served it with the corn from this blog post. We also opened up our Zinfandel from Harvest Moon. You know from this trip.  It was sooo good. I usually think of Zinfandels as being spicy but this felt really light almost like a Pinot Noir.

Ancho-Rubbed Steaks

Ingredients:

2 NY Strip or Ribeye Steaks
Fresh lime, squeezed
Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp. Ancho chile powder  

Steps:
1) Get your grill started
2)  Spread lime juice evenly over one side of the steaks. Then, season with salt.
3) In a small bowl, combine pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and chile powder. Use mixture to season steaks on the side with lime juice and salt. 
4) Let the steaks sit for about 15 minutes.
5) Grill the steaks starting with the seasoned side down and then flip until it reaches desired doneness.

Steaks and Smoky Wine Sauce

This sauce sounds kind of fancy...okay, it IS fancy. I made it earlier this week to pour over steaks. We grilled NY Strips but it would also be delicious with a good rib-eye.

Steak Wine Sauce
makes enough to dress four steaks


Ingredients: 
1/2 cup port wine
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 canned chiles (Adobo Chipotle)
1 tsp. thyme
2 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp butter
kosher salt
steaks 

  
Steps:

In a large saucepan, combine wines, mushrooms, onion, garlic, chiles and thyme.  Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Add the broth and repeat first step. 
Strain the liquid and throw away everything else in the pan. Return the liquid to the pan.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Whisk in butter and season with salt. Remove from heat and serve over steaks.

Best Saturday Night At Home Ever!

Saturday night is usually date night in my mind which to me means going out to eat. So it's pretty rare that I (we) make dinner on a Saturday. But I think my mind on that matter is forever changed. We decided that we wanted to BBQ (I think that can be used as a verb?) at our house. The main part of the meal was a smoked brisket that was so so good. We smoked it on our deck all day long with hickory wood chips and then poured some Big Al's Kansas Style BBQ sauce over it. I kind of felt bad for our neighbors. Our street smelled divine and the neighbors were having a birthday party. I imagined that when their guests arrived they said "oh, it smells wonderful" and then realized that they were being served hotdogs or something like that. :-p

If you are interested in the process for smoking the brisket, let me know and I can post the detailed instructions. With the brisket, we had country-style biscuits and mexican-style corn.  For dessert, I made a lower-fat cinnamon chocolate bread pudding.

Okay so, I am not a corn-on-the-cob kind of girl. I don't dislike it but I can easily pass it up at a cookout. This is yet another thing I have changed my mind about if it is prepared like this. I thought the corn was out of this world delicious. I don't even like mayo usually but YUM. I highly recommend trying this since it was pretty easy and so worth the minimal effort required. While I probably wouldn't change a thing, I think you could try it with sour cream instead of mayo and cayenne or paprika instead or chili powder if you wanted to.

Mexican Corn-on-the-Cob
Serves 3

Ingredents:

3 ears of corn (husks and silk on)
Canola/Vegetable Oil
Mayonnaise
1 lime, quarterd
Red chili powder
Parmesan cheese, grated

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Put corn in a large pot. Cover with water.  Bring water to a boil and cook for a minute. Take corn off the stove and rinse with cold water.
3. Peel husks and silk.
4. Brush corn with oil.
5. Roast corn in roasting pan for 30 minutes.
6. Let corn cool before slathering on the mayo. Then, squeeze lime juice over the corn.
7. Next, liberally shake chili powder and cheese over the corn and enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Pudding
Source: SparkPeople 

Ingredients:
5 slices white whole-wheat bread (yes, it exists or at least Sara Lee makes it), torn into small pieces
2 large eggs
12 ounces evaporated skim milk
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt
Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread the bread in the dish in an even layer. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the evaporated skim milk, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until the sugar and cocoa dissolve. Pour the cocoa mixture over the bread. With a fork, mix in any unsoaked bread pieces. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and let stand for 10 minutes. Bake for 35 minutes, or until puffed and set in the center. Serve warm, with a scoop of the frozen yogurt on top.

Makes 6 servings.  

A Little Latin Taste

Perhaps it was my early morning Zumba class that inspired me but I was feeling the Latin love yesterday. So I decided to make up a slow cooker dish with a little inspiration from a recipe I found in my collection. This was pretty easy and had great flavor. In all my excitement (or actually we were STARVING) I didn't take a picture.

Slow Cooked Chimichurri-Style Brisket
Serves 2

Ingredients:
 4 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
1.5 lb local grass-fed brisket

Steps:

Using a blender or an emulsion blender,  pulse the garlic, onions, and vinegar together until mostly smooth.  Next, add the oil and blend. Lastly, blend in the sugar, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  Save approx. 1/2 cup to use as sauce later. 

Place the brisket in the slow cooker. Pour remaining sauce to cover meat. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.  While the meat certainly does not need sauce to be flavorful, you may wish to drizzle with reserved sauce or spoon out liquid from the slow cooker. 

A Lil' Sunshine

Again, we had beautiful weather this past weekend. I love when the temps reach mid to late 70's in February. But this is Georgia so even though today it is still in the 70's, we are under a tornado watch. I know this because my mother will always update me on all weather conditions. I really think that she should get a job at The Weather Channel (she might even know someone that may or may not have worked there before and has connections.) But for real, she can stay on top of those weather conditions better than any meteorologist that I've met. It's true, my friends remember the days when the sky would look a little dark and they could predict that I would not be allowed out. Oh, mom...

But back to this weekend... it was definitely patio weather again which usually makes me crave an ice cold beer but not this time. I went to the grocery store on a whim and picked out a cool, white wine, Erath Pinot Gris from Oregon. It was a tad sweet and perfect for sipping on a warm day.  With the wine, I picked up some cheese and crackers. I go gaga for cheese and crackers. I think it is a childhood thing. That was "my snack" and to this day I still get just as excited. In fact, the wine may have even been an excuse to make a meal of cheese and crackers.

Warm days also make me crave barbeque like any good southern girl so I thought I'd share a bbq recipe. This is fantastic on it's own or served on buns or texas toast.

Texas Brisket

4 1/2 lb. beef brisket
2 large onions, sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup liquid smoke
1/4 cup Worchestershire 
1/4 cup A1 Steak Sauce
1/4 cup strongly brewed black coffee

1. Spread onions evenly along the bottom of your slow cooker.  Place brisket in slow cooker,  fatty-side up.
2. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the meat and onions. 
3. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. 
Optional: I like to eat the flavorful onions just as they are when they come out of the slow cooker. But you could also choose to use them as a gravy by throwing them in a blender with a ladle or two of the liquid and pouring it over the meat. 

*Note: If you do not have a slow cooker, you can make this in the oven. You would instead place everything in a roasting pan and cook at 325 for 3 and 1/2 hours.