Yesterday I tried a Sandra Lee recipe for Braised Beef Tacos. Because they fell apart as tacos, we ended up turning them into quesadillas. The result was delicious.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds london broil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth or 2 cups water
2 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 corn tortillas
cheddar cheese
Directions
In a large skillet over high heat, add the oil. Season the steak with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, put the steaks into the pan and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
In the sleeve of a slow cooker, add the onion and cilantro stems. Put the steak on top and sprinkle with garlic and chile powder. Add the tomatoes with their juice (set aside 1/2 cup of the tomatoes for the salsa), broth, and 2 cups water. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the steak is tender and shreds easily. Remove the meat and shred using 2 forks.
While the meat is cooking, combine the reserved 1/2 cup tomatoes with the scallions, lime juice, salt and pepper, to taste, and 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat the tortillas in a skillet or griddle, then top with cheese, shredded meat and salsa. Top with another tortilla and cook on griddle until cheese is melted (about five minutes total, flipping once).
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Pot Roast (That I Actually Like)
Today I made pot roast for the first time in my life. I always hated it growing up, but I needed a quick and easy meal and Paula Deen made it look good, so Ben and I went to the grocery store this morning to get a chuck roast. Here's how I made it:
Paula Deen's Pot Roast
1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
salt
pepper
garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sprinkle both sides of the chuck roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.
Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer meat to serving dish and spoon gravy over top.
The pot roast was delicious. Brian said it was "restaurant quality" and suggested we serve it to company. Then he started flipping through the Meijer ad to see if chuck roast was on sale this week so we can have it again.
If pot roast had tasted like this when I was a kid, I would have eaten it!
Paula Deen's Pot Roast
1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
salt
pepper
garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sprinkle both sides of the chuck roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.
Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer meat to serving dish and spoon gravy over top.
The pot roast was delicious. Brian said it was "restaurant quality" and suggested we serve it to company. Then he started flipping through the Meijer ad to see if chuck roast was on sale this week so we can have it again.
If pot roast had tasted like this when I was a kid, I would have eaten it!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Christmas Jello
Lately, we've really been enjoying a family recipe for jello salad that we normally only make at Christmas time. But it is so good that we want to keep eating it!
Christmas Jello
Can of Crushed Pineapple
2 boxes of Cranberry Jello (or 1 Cran and 1 Raspberry)
Can of Whole Cranberry Sauce
Carton of Cool Whip, thawed
3 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened
Drain pineapple into a glass measuring cup. Add water to make 1 cup. Microwave to boiling. Combine with jello packets in a mixing bowl. Stir 2 minutes or until dissolved. Then add 1 cup cold water. Stir in pineapple and cranberry sauce. Pour into 9 x 13 dish and let set in refrigerator for about four hours. When set, combine softened cream cheese and thawed cool whip. Use this to frost the jello and let set another hour or two before serving.
Jack likes to lick the beaters for the frosting. Here's a picture from the day before Ben arrived when I made the jello for Christmas Eve. (We have a rule that Jack can lick the spoon or beaters only if he is sitting on his blue chair in the kitchen -- otherwise, he wanders around the house leaving frosting everywhere.)
Christmas Jello
Can of Crushed Pineapple
2 boxes of Cranberry Jello (or 1 Cran and 1 Raspberry)
Can of Whole Cranberry Sauce
Carton of Cool Whip, thawed
3 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened
Drain pineapple into a glass measuring cup. Add water to make 1 cup. Microwave to boiling. Combine with jello packets in a mixing bowl. Stir 2 minutes or until dissolved. Then add 1 cup cold water. Stir in pineapple and cranberry sauce. Pour into 9 x 13 dish and let set in refrigerator for about four hours. When set, combine softened cream cheese and thawed cool whip. Use this to frost the jello and let set another hour or two before serving.
Jack likes to lick the beaters for the frosting. Here's a picture from the day before Ben arrived when I made the jello for Christmas Eve. (We have a rule that Jack can lick the spoon or beaters only if he is sitting on his blue chair in the kitchen -- otherwise, he wanders around the house leaving frosting everywhere.)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Easiest Omelette EVER
Tonight we were watching Paula Deen and I just happened to be planning breakfast for dinner. Paula, likewise, was making breakfast and she showed how to make the easiest omelette ever. I decided that rather than just making scrambled eggs to go with our french toast and fruit compote like I had planned, I would try the omelettes instead.
Here's the recipe:
EASY Omelettes
6 large eggs
salt
pepper
add-ins of your choosing
2-3 resealable plastic bags
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Whisk eggs with salt and pepper. Add mix-ins, such as peppers, ham or cheese. Put a ziploc bag in a liquid one-cup measuring cup and fold sides out. Pour a portion of the egg mixture into the bag. Remove air from bag and seal. Repeat for remaining bags. Drop bags into boiling water. Cook 8-10 minutes, turning bag occasionally. When done, slide out of bag onto plate. Top with a little cheese or other garnish.
Yes, it was that easy. And it really works!
Here's the recipe:
EASY Omelettes
6 large eggs
salt
pepper
add-ins of your choosing
2-3 resealable plastic bags
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Whisk eggs with salt and pepper. Add mix-ins, such as peppers, ham or cheese. Put a ziploc bag in a liquid one-cup measuring cup and fold sides out. Pour a portion of the egg mixture into the bag. Remove air from bag and seal. Repeat for remaining bags. Drop bags into boiling water. Cook 8-10 minutes, turning bag occasionally. When done, slide out of bag onto plate. Top with a little cheese or other garnish.
Yes, it was that easy. And it really works!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin
I realized recently that it has been since October since I posted a single recipe. Yes, I've been more lax with the cooking since the last trimester started, but I really have been cooking more than it appears.
Tonight, I defrosted a pork tenderloin that we've had frozen since June. (This sparked a whole side debate about whether it would still be good or not, which the USDA and our own taste buds confirmed -- yes, after six months, pork tenderloin still tastes tender and juicy.)
Although we have an old, tried-and-true pork tenderloin recipe, I'm always on the lookout for other ideas, especially since our favorite pork recipe uses breadcrumbs, and Brian's mom and sister can't eat gluten. This recipe for Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin, it turns out, is a great substitute. It doesn't use breadcrumbs, but has a similar taste to our usual recipe. I didn't follow the instructions for the apples: I just fried up some Jonathans with a tablespoon of butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon, the way Grandma always used to.
As a side dish, I decided to go the sinful route and make some pumpkin ravioli with a brown butter reduction. We get frozen pumpkin ravioli at Meijer that cooks up in 4-5 minutes, so its a quick, kid-friendly side, especially since it tastes like pie.
Jack demolished the apples, of course, and enthusiastically attacked everything else. A five-star dinner in our book.
Tonight, I defrosted a pork tenderloin that we've had frozen since June. (This sparked a whole side debate about whether it would still be good or not, which the USDA and our own taste buds confirmed -- yes, after six months, pork tenderloin still tastes tender and juicy.)
Although we have an old, tried-and-true pork tenderloin recipe, I'm always on the lookout for other ideas, especially since our favorite pork recipe uses breadcrumbs, and Brian's mom and sister can't eat gluten. This recipe for Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin, it turns out, is a great substitute. It doesn't use breadcrumbs, but has a similar taste to our usual recipe. I didn't follow the instructions for the apples: I just fried up some Jonathans with a tablespoon of butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon, the way Grandma always used to.
As a side dish, I decided to go the sinful route and make some pumpkin ravioli with a brown butter reduction. We get frozen pumpkin ravioli at Meijer that cooks up in 4-5 minutes, so its a quick, kid-friendly side, especially since it tastes like pie.
Jack demolished the apples, of course, and enthusiastically attacked everything else. A five-star dinner in our book.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Perfect Fall Casserole
Today, I spent the afternoon making a Chicken Cassoulet with Acorn Squash. We had acorn squash, orange and purple carrots, onions and garlic from the CSA, so this recipe seemed like a perfect choice for dinner. Although it was fairly time-consuming (it has been cooking since 3:00 and it is 7:00 now), it wasn't too challenging because much of the time involved simmering or baking. The hardest part was peeling the acorn squash, which I'm not planning to do again anytime soon. If I make the recipe again, I think I'll try it with butternut squash instead since that is easier to peel.
The recipe is from Cooking Light, so it's extra healthy (only 6g. of fat and a whopping 25g. of protein, thanks to three meats and some beans). Ironically, however, after four hours of cooking, it ended up tasting very similar to my favorite Sausage and Bean Casserole, which only takes about 30 minutes to make. While I appreciate the ability to use the squash and carrots in this recipe, I think I'll be sticking to the 30-minute version unless we have a special occasion.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter
2 cups chopped onion, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry Marsala or apple cider
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled acorn squash
1 cup diced carrot
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast
2 bacon slices
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Preparation
Melt margarine in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add Marsala, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, squash, and carrot in pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Partially mash the beans with a potato masher, and add beans and tomato mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 325°.
Rub chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Add 1 cup onion and sausage to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken, crumbled bacon, and sausage mixture to bean mixture in pan, stirring to combine.
Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.
The recipe is from Cooking Light, so it's extra healthy (only 6g. of fat and a whopping 25g. of protein, thanks to three meats and some beans). Ironically, however, after four hours of cooking, it ended up tasting very similar to my favorite Sausage and Bean Casserole, which only takes about 30 minutes to make. While I appreciate the ability to use the squash and carrots in this recipe, I think I'll be sticking to the 30-minute version unless we have a special occasion.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter
2 cups chopped onion, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry Marsala or apple cider
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled acorn squash
1 cup diced carrot
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast
2 bacon slices
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Preparation
Melt margarine in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add Marsala, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, squash, and carrot in pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Partially mash the beans with a potato masher, and add beans and tomato mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 325°.
Rub chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Add 1 cup onion and sausage to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken, crumbled bacon, and sausage mixture to bean mixture in pan, stirring to combine.
Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
I Love My New Food Processor
Tonight I tried all the bells and whistles on my new birthday food processor. And am I impressed!
We had a red cabbage and some carrots from the CSA last week, so I decided to make coleslaw. The food processor shredded the cabbage and carrots together in seconds, while I would probably still be shredding by hand.
I used a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and it turned out very yummy. Here's the recipe, as I used it (I omitted the regular cabbage, in favor of all red cabbage, and I left out the celery seeds because I don't really like celery that much):
Ingredients
red cabbage (3/4 small head)
5 carrots
2 cups good mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
Directions
Fit a food processor with the shredding blade. Process small chunks of cabbage and halved carrots together.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and celery salt. Pour enough of the dressing over the grated vegetables to moisten them. Serve cold or at room temperature.
We had a red cabbage and some carrots from the CSA last week, so I decided to make coleslaw. The food processor shredded the cabbage and carrots together in seconds, while I would probably still be shredding by hand.
I used a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and it turned out very yummy. Here's the recipe, as I used it (I omitted the regular cabbage, in favor of all red cabbage, and I left out the celery seeds because I don't really like celery that much):
Ingredients
red cabbage (3/4 small head)
5 carrots
2 cups good mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
Directions
Fit a food processor with the shredding blade. Process small chunks of cabbage and halved carrots together.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and celery salt. Pour enough of the dressing over the grated vegetables to moisten them. Serve cold or at room temperature.
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