Three Cheese-Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce

We love good Italian food at our house! This recipe is one of our favorites.
I found this recipe on The Pioneer Women's blog, and adapted it just a little.
This recipe does take a little bit of time to prepare, but it is well worth it.
I served the Stuffed shells with a fresh green salad and french bread.

Three Cheese-Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce

serves 8

What You Need:

• 8 ounces, Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 30 ounces, Ricotta Cheese
• 8 ounces, Parmesan Cheese, Grated
  
• 1 whole Egg
• 12 leaves Basil
  
• 2 Tablespoons Minced fresh Parsley
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 pound Italian Sausage
• 1 pound ground beef
  
• ½ cup Red Wine
• 1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 whole 15-ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Minced fresh Parsley

How To Make:

1. Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add Italian sausage and brown, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Pour in red wine and let it cook for a minute or two.

3. Pour in cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, half the Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir until combined.

5. To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place face down on the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on extra Parmesan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Women

Steak Bites

The three boys in our house LOVE steak, and are always asking for it!
I don't cook it often because of the cost, and my lack of love for steak.
However, when I cook this recipe the Steak bites are gone very quickly.
Having steak cooked in bite sizes is a a fun and different way to serve steak, and also makes dinner cooking time quicker.
Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Steak Bites

What You Need:

-1 sirloin steak

or

-1 pkg. pre-cut beef tips

-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

-Butter

How To Make:

1. Trim off the large obvious pieces of fat that run along the side of the meat. Cut strips less than 1 inch wide. Cut into small bite-sized pieces. If you see anymore large chunks of fat, gristle or long silvery membranes cut them off.

2. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the meat around a bit to thoroughly coat with the seasonings.

3. Heat the skillet over medium high to high heat. As the pan heats, add about 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt, then brown, before you add the meat.

4. Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan – if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 30 to 45 seconds. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Now scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 30 seconds or so – just long enough to sear the outside of the meat but NOT completley cook the inside, or in will be over-done.

5. Remove the meat to a clean plate. Add a little more butter to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the next batch just as before. Lastly when all the meat is nicely browned and removed to the plate pour all that browned/blackened butter and drippings all over the meat.

Serve with Vegies, potatoes, or any other side.

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

In the fall I like to make more 'comfort food' dinners.
Something about the cool crisp air, I want warm and comforting meals to serve my family.
Shepherd's pie is a perfect comfort food along side a fresh green salad and bread.
This is my favorite Shepherds pie recipe!
The recipe has a few steps, but it does not take to long to put together. This recipe makes enough for our family of 4 to have leftovers the night night.
Enjoy!



Shepherd's Pie

What you need:

For Mashed Potatoes:

2 1/2 lbs peeled diced potatoes

3 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 Cup milk

______

For Beef Mixture:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic

1 lb ground beef or ground Turkey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 Cups green beans

_______

For Beef Sauce:

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 Cup chicken broth

_____

Topping:

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

How to make:

1. Place peeled and diced potatoes into a large pot of water. Bring to boil and boil for 13-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix in butter, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Slowly add milk until nice and creamy. Keep tasting potatoes to see if you need more seasonings. When done to your liking, set aside for a few minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, beef, salt and pepper; cook until browned. Stir in green beans then reduce heat to low.

3. To prepare sauce, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly add in chicken broth until thick and creamy. Add sauce to meat mixture then transfer to bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour mashed potatoes over meat mixture then top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

8 servings

Sloppy Joes

A classic Weeknight meal
that the whole family enjoys!
This is very quick to make and I almost always have the ingredients on hand.
I always use ground turkey in this recipe and love the results.
Napkins are always good to serve with this meal, as it can get messy!




Sloppy Joes

What you Need:
-1 lb. ground beef OR ground turkey
-1 small onion, chopped
-1/2 cup celery
-12 oz tomato sauce
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1 Tbsp brown sugar
-1 teaspoon dry mustard
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/8 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-1 Tbsp. vinegar

How to Make:
1. Brown Beef OR Turkey with onion and celery.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes or until most liquid is gone.
4. Serve on toasted buns.

Enjoy!

Honey BBQ Boneless Ribs

These Honey BBQ Boneless Ribs are Delicious!

My Husbands all-time Favorite.
I have used pork ribs and beef boneless ribs, both turned out very good.
This is a very easy recipe, broil meat then just throw all of the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook.
I made this meal the other night when we had company over for a Sunday dinner, and it was a perfect crowd pleaser!
I served the ribs with this simple and delicious side dish recipe for Grilled Vegetables.

Honey BBQ Boneless Ribs

-4 lbs extra lean country style Boneless Ribs
-3 cups water
-4 tsp. beef bouillon granules (or Shirley J Beef Bouillon)
-4 Tablespoons maple syrup
-4 Tablespoons honey
-4 Tablespoon soy sauce
-1 tsp. dry mustard
-18 oz bottle of favorite BBQ sauce (OR made up Shirley J BBQ Seasoning)

How to Make:

1. Turn oven on to Broil. Place ribs on a broil pan or cookie sheet. Broil the ribs in the oven for 15-20 minutes, to broil off excess fat.

2. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot, except for bottle of BBQ sauce(save that for the end). Mix until all combined. Place ribs on top, you can also sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. The ribs should fall apart when done.

4. When done, drain off most of the liquid (leaving maybe 1/2 cup of liquid left in the crockpot with the ribs). Now, pour your favorite BBQ sauce on top of the ribs. Turn the ribs around until all covered with the BBQ sauce.

5. Eat and Enjoy!!

Tacos Supreme

Tacos are a staple weeknight meal at our home, we have them at least 2 times a month.
I used to buy the Taco seasoning packets at the grocery, but then came across this recipe over on My Kitchen Cafe.
I will never buy the packets again. This recipe is just as easy, taste's so much better, and save's a little bit of money!
We also like to serve the Tacos with Cilantro Mexican Rice.
Enjoy!



Tacos Supreme

Heat in a medium skillet over medium heat:
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Add:
3/4 cup chopped onion

Cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add:

1 pound ground beef OR ground turkey

Cook, breaking up the meat, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in:
1 to 3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt to taste ( about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon)

Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add:
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
Optional: add a few dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste or canned jalapenos OR just leave out the heat altogether.

Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 10 minutes or until there is no more liquid left in the meat mixture.

Serve meat in taco shells (hard or soft) and your choice of toppings.

Source: Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Orange Broccoli Beef

This is a yummy Chinese meal that is very close to what you would get by going out to a Chinese Restaurant.
Crispy strips of beef coated with a delicious orange sauce served with steamed fresh Broccoli and served over Steamed rice.
Probably the biggest challenge of this dish is getting the strips of beef crispy. The best way is to cook the beef in batches and not all at one time. Also before you cook the beef make sure it has been sitting with the cornstarch on it for a good 30 minutes.
The sauce is simple to make and you could be putting it together as the beef and cornstarch sit.
Our family really enjoyed this meal the orange sauce is very good and makes the Beef and Broccoli taste so Yummy!




Orange Broccoli Beef
4-5 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs beef top sirloin (sliced into thin strips)
¼ cup cornstarch
3/4 cup oil (for frying beef)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh ginger (grated) or 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 bunch green onions (sliced)
Broccoli florets (steamed crisp)
1 cup long grain rice (cooked)


How To Make:
1: Coat beef strips with cornstarch and allow to sit for 30 minutes. In a small bowl mix sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice, salt, and soy sauce. Set aside.
2: Heat oil in a deep fry pan (or wok) to 375 degrees. Fry beef strips in batches until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
3: Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a wok, add orange zest, ginger and garlic, stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has thickened. Coat the beef strips with the sauce, top with green onions. Serve with broccoli florets and on top of rice.

Enjoy!

Source: Adapted From BlogChef

Chili Skillet

This is one of our favorite weeknight meals for a few reasons.
It is very easy and quick to make.
Everything is cooked in one skillet pan, so that makes for a easy cleanup!
It will fill you up, and it is healthy.
I like to serve it with corn bread muffins,
a very yummy meal.


Chili Skillet
6 servings

Ingredients:
-1 pound ground beef, extra lean
-1/2 cup onion, chopped
-1 green pepper, chopped
-1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
-1 cup of water
-3 teaspoons of chili powder
-1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
-1/3 teaspoon black pepper
-2 cups of uncooked macaroni, (I like to use Barilla Plus brand)
-1 cup frozen corn

How To Make:
1. In a large skillet brown meat with onion, drain off fat.
2. Add green pepper, canned tomatoes with liquid, water, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then stir in macaroni noodles.
3. Simmer 25 minutes or until the macaroni noodles are cooked. Stir in corn; warm through.
ENJOY!

Empanadas From Luis

A couple of years ago my oldest son loved watching Noggin, a television program for kids. One of his favorite shows was 'Cooking with Luis'.

Luis would go grocery shopping for his ingredients with his mom, then also with the help from his mom would make a dish following a recipe. This program got my oldest son so excited to cook. We went online and printed off all of his recipes from Noggin.com and started to make them together.

One of the recipes was this one, Empanadas. I have to be honest with you I was a little hesitant when I saw the list of ingredients. However, we made them together my son and I, and they turned out far better than I ever thought they would. These Empanadas are Delicious! My kids LOVE them and eat two each. We have now made them many times since and love them each time. They never get old.
I hope you give them a try, you will love them.

Empanadas from Luis
Makes 8

What you need:

1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 White Onion, chopped
1 pound of ground meat (Beef, Turkey, Pork, or Chicken)
4 Hardboiled Eggs, chopped
1 cup Spanish Olives OR Manzanilla Olives stuffed with Pimentos, minced
Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon Cumin
Pastry Dough (I used Pillsbury Refrigerator)
1 Egg Yolk (raw)

How to Make:

1. Heat oil in a pan, when the oil is hot, add the red peppers and onions. Stir them around for 5 minutes. Now, slowly add the meat, and mix it all together. Make sure you don’t overcook the meat.

2. Now chop 4 eggs into bits. Stir the eggs into the meat. Pour it all into a big bowl.

3. Chop up the olives and add them to the mixture. Sprinkle a bit of pepper and a pinch of salt. Now add Cumin. Cumin gives the empanadas their special taste.

Pastry
On a dry table, with dry hands, roll out your pie crust. If using Pillsbury refrigerator dough, unroll both pie rounds from package. Now I used a regular table bowl for my 'dough cutter' to get the perfect round circle. You should be able to get 8 small circles out of the dough. You will have to re-roll the dough out a few times just like you would cookie dough.

Filling
Add some of the warm filling to the middle of a pastry circle. Fold it over all the way so the edges touch. For a perfect empanada, use a fork to make marks around the edges. Do the same for all the empanadas and put them on a baking sheet.

Bake

To make them golden brown, paint them with an egg yolk.
Cook at 350º F (180º C) and cook for 35 minutes.

We like to eat ours with Salsa on top.

Yummy! :-)

Hearty Beef Stew

For the past three years we have made this
Fabulously Hearty Beef Stew
either on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve for our little family.
This is HANDS DOWN the best Beef Stew Ever!
The seasonings in this Stew are just perfect.
I love the flavor that the Red cooking wine adds to stew.
This Stew is great for warming up on a cold fall or winter night.
Add these perfect rolls and a fresh green salad, and you have a hearty meal.



Hearty Beef Stew

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

-3 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
-salt and ground pepper
-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
-2 medium onions, chopped coarse (about 2 c.)
-3 medium garlic cloves, minced
-3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
-1 c. red cooking wine
-5 c. low-sodium chicken broth
-2 bay leaves
-1 tsp dried thyme
-4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes
-4 large carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled and sliced 1/4 in. thick
-1 c. frozen peas
-1/4 c. minced parsley

Directions:
1-Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2-Dry beef thoroughly and season generously with salt and pepper.

3-Heat 1 Tbsp oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat.

4-Add the meat cook until all the pieces are browned. About 5-10 minutes. Remove the browned meat and set aside to a different bowl.

5-Reduce heat to medium and add additional 1 Tbsp oil to now empty pan and swirl to coat bottom.
Add onions and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened (about 5 mins).
Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 sec.
stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored (1-2 min.)
Add wine, scraping the bottom and stirring until thick and flour is dissolved.
Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan.
Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer.

6-Add beef, return to simmer, and place the pot in the oven.
Cook for 1 hour.

7-Add potatoes and carrots cover and return to the oven to cook for additional hour.
Remove the pot from oven
Add the peas, cover and allow to stand for 5 min.
Stir in the parsley, discard bay leaves, adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Braciole- A Traditional Italian Meal

For a delicious Italian meal,
this one is very easy to to prepare.
Funny thing is, Andy and I got the idea to make this meal from an episode on the sitcom 'Everybody Loves Raymond'.
On the show they are always talking about Marie (Ray's Mother)'s all-Famous Braciole.
So we set out to find the best Brociole recipe.
We found a few recipes and kind of took ideas from each of them, and did our own version.
The result was fantastic, and turned into a wonderful Sunday dinner.



Braciole

A traditional Italian meal

Ingredients:

nocoupons

• 1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/3 cup grated provolone
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak or Round steak(I prefer the Flank Steak)
  
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 1/4 store-bought marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Cover steak with plastic wrap, and then pound the steak with a kitchen mallet or a hammer until is is about 1/4 of a inch thick. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

4. Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve with pasta.

Enjoy!

Simple Bolognese Sauce

I ask my husband when I am planning my menu and shopping trip every week,
what he might want me to make for dinner?
His answer usually always is, Spaghetti and sauce.
Unfortunate for him, I am not very big on 'Spaghetti and sauce'.
I just find it so boring and blah.
So in order to compromise I do try to make spaghetti and sauce for him now and then.
A few weeks ago I found this homemade sauce for Bolognese.
Let me tell you, there is nothing boring about this sauce.
I am now a fan!
My whole family loved it, even the little boys who grace the presence of our dinner table before rushing off to play Star Wars. :-)

Simple Bolognese Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1 lb. ground Turkey or ground beef
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef, and saute until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up any large lumps, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens,about 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese, then season with more salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve over your choice of noodles. I prefer Fettuccine or Linguine.

Enjoy!

Five Hour Stew

When I want a good,
hearty
and easy to make
beef stew, I go to this recipe.
The only prep is cutting up the carrots and potatoes and mixing everything together.
After cooking for five hours you will have a perfect beef stew for a chilly night.

When I have the extra time, I will make my all time favorite beef stew recipe. This stew has many steps and takes longer to make but it is very worth it! You can find that recipe here:
Hearty Beef Stew

Five Hour Stew

-2 1/2 lbs. stew meat/beef cubes
-8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
-2 bay leaves
-1 pkg. dry onion soup mix OR 1/2 cup of Shirley J Onion Soup mix
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 can cream of celery soup
-1 can tomato sauce

1. For cooking stew in oven- preheat to 250 degrees - bake for 5 hours.
For cooking in crock pot -set to cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.

2. Mix onion soup, cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, can of tomato sauce. Add stew meat, vegetable, and bay leaves. Mix until all combined.

3. Stir occasionally while cooking.

enjoy!

Roast Beef Panini with Avocado, Tomato and Dijon

I love Panini's but don't own a Panini cooker.
So you can imagine my excitement when I found this idea:
use a ridged nonstick grill pan and a heavy-bottomed skillet to put on top of the sandwich while cooking. Genius!
This recipe is adapted from a recipe found in my new cookbook,
the Flat Belly Cookbook.
So it is healthy, and really tasty!
This Panini makes a great family lunch, or a lighter dinner.
Yummy!



Roast Beef Panini with Avocado, Tomato, and Dijon
recipe for 4 Panini's

-8 slices of Multigrain or Whole Wheat Bread
-1/2 to 3/4 pound of Deli-sliced lean roast beef (from the deli counter)
-2 beef steak tomatoes, sliced
-1 avocado, sliced
-2 cups of baby Spinach
-4 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
-olive oil

1. Place 1 slice of bread on a work surface. Top with the roast beef, tomato slices, avocado slices, and spinach. Spread the remaining bread with mustard and set, mustard side down, on the spinach.

2. Heat a ridged nonstick grill pan over medium heat until hot. Lightly brush the outsides of the sandwich with the oil and place on the pan. Set a heavy-bottomed skillet on top of the sandwich and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until toasted and warm in the center.

Enjoy!

Beef Chimichangas

To use up left-over roast. . .
in our house we like to make these
Beef Chimichangas.
They are a nice change from just reheating the same meal you had the night before.
The amount of meat will depend on how much you have left over from the day before.
These are also very easy to make, from start to finish about 30 minutes.
They are VERY GOOD!



Beef Chimichangas

-Left over roast from Sunday's dinner (or slowcooked roast)
-4 oz. can diced green chilies
-1 can green enchilada sauce
-colby-jack or Mexican cheese, shredded
-Tortillas, burrito size
-Canola or vegetable oil (healthy alternative use Pam spray)


-In a small saucepan heat enchilada sauce and green chilies in a saucepan. Shred the leftover roast and add to the saucepan. Mix together the meat and sauce until really shredded and combined. (you do not want it to be to soupy, so if you need to drain off some of the liquid, do)

2. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds. Place some of the shredded cheese and about 1/2 -3/4 cup of the meat mixture in the middle of the tortilla. Fold ends in and roll up (to look like a Burrito). You should be able to make 3-5 depending on how much meat you use.

3. Put about 1/2 inch of oil in a saucepan and heat on med-high. To test oil put a piece of a tortilla in the oil until it starts to sizzle. Now you are ready to add the rolled up tortillas into the oil. Cook until lightly browned on each side. Remove from heat and set on a paper towel on a plate.

4. Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Enjoy!!

Beef and Potatoes with Rosemary

This is a perfect Sunday or a busy weeknight meal.
Slow-Cooker or Crockpot meals are so convenient and delicious.
I love meat that has been slow-cooked, it is very moist and flavorful.
This is one of our favorite recipes when we are having roast.
I usually buy my chuck roasts at Costco, they come in a pack of two and are good size roasts. I then use one and freeze the other for another time.
We always have plenty of leftovers when we just feed our family of four.
I will post soon what we like to do with our leftover roast meat.
Enjoy!


Beef and Potatoes with Rosemary
Slow-Cooker (Crockpot) Meal

-1 pound baby red potatoes (I used about 10) , cut in halves or fourths
-1 1/2 cup baby carrots
-3 pound beef boneless chuck roast
-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh Rosemary (you can use 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Rosemary if you do not have fresh)
-1 teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme (you can use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
-1 teaspoon of salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1 small onion finely chopped (1/4 cup)
-1 1/2 cups beef broth

1. Trim excess fat from beef. Mix mustard, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Spread evenly over beef. Place beef in Slow-cooker(crockpot). Sprinkle onion over beef. Pour broth evenly over beef and vegetables.

2. Cover and cook on low heat setting. Set to cook for 8-10 hours.

3. When you have 2 hours to go on your cooking time. Add cut potatoes and baby carrots. Place them around the beef, cover and finish the cooking time.

4. Remove beef and vegetables from cooker, using slotted spoon; place on serving platter. Serve beef with the juices left in the Slow-cooker (crockpot).

The BEST Turkey Burger

Why is this the BEST Turkey Burger?
Most Turkey Burgers turn out DRY and tasteless.
This Turkey Burger has a secret ingredient that makes it very moist and flavorful!
-1 can of Green Chilies-
Thats it! Simple, and makes a huge difference.
This is my new go to Turkey burger recipe.
Thank you to A Dash of Sass for this recipe.

The BEST Turkey Burger

1 pound ground turkey
1 small can diced green chilies, drained
a few pinches of kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
5 whole wheat hamburger buns
2 ripe avocados
2 tomatoes sliced
5 slices pepper jack or provolone

Directions:

1- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, green chilies, salt and pepper until well mixed.

2.- Using your hands, shape the mixture into five patties, approximately 3 inches in diameter.

3- Preheat your grill pan or charcoal grill . Brush the grill or grill pan lightly with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Place the patties on the grill. Grill until cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes per side.

4- A few minutes before removing the patties from the grill, top each patty with one slice of cheese. Wait for the cheese to melt.

5- Place each patty in a warmed bun and top with sliced avocado and tomato. Serve warm and with a side of grilled vegetables (recipe follows in post below).

Makes 5 turkey burgers.

Swiss Steak

This recipe originates from my mom,
I have made a few slight changes to it over the years,
it is now one of my husband's favorite meals.
We like to serve it on top of mashed potatoes with a side of vegies.
And just for your gee-whiz file:
The "Swiss" in Swiss Steak has nothing to do with Switzerland, but refers to the process of tenderizing a tough cut of meat.
So if you happen to go to Switzerland, I am pretty sure you will not find this meal on any menu in a restaurant.
Having said that, this is a really easy way to cook a round steak and is very good!
Enjoy!


Swiss Steak

One or two - 2 to 2.5 pound round or top round steak, about an inch thick
1 cup of flour
Salt and pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups canned puréed tomatoes

2 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons each of fresh thyme, sage, marjoram, or 1/2 teaspoon each of dried

1. Rub flour into both sides of the steak. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a wide, shallow (3 inches), covered pan to medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp of oil to coat the pan. Place the steak in the pan, and cook for approximately 10 minutes on each side, enough to brown the steak.

2. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside. Add onions and garlic to the pan and another tablespoon of oil. Cook the onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes, using a metal spatula to scrape up any steak drippings, mixing them in with the onions. Add half of the herbs to the onions. Return the steak to the pan, placing it on top of the onions. Crowd the onions around and on top of the steak. Sprinkle the rest of the herbs on top of the steak. Add the 2 cups of puréed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce to the pan.

3. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Bring the steak in the tomato purée to a simmer and then lower the heat to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer.

4. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours of cooking time for the steak, uncovered the pan, turned the steak over, and cook for remainder 30 minutes.

5. The steak should be done after a total cooking time of 2 hours. To check it, you can poke it with a fork. The meat should be quite tender. To serve, remove the steak and slice it on a carving board. OR, you could have started with individual steaks that were smaller. Spoon the sauce over the steak. I serve this over mashed potatoes.

Serves 4-6

Awesome Steak Marinade

This is a
'make your man happy' kind of meal.
I have never been really all that great at grilling Steaks,
this marinade made it easy.
These steaks turned out VERY GOOD!
I will use this marinade again.
Thanks to Melanie at
My Kitchen Cafe.

Awesome Steak Marinade
From My Kitchen Cafe

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
3 garlic cloves crushed or finely minced

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and use as marinade. If marinading steaks, I marinade the meat overnight (about 12-14 hours) before grilling.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Stir-Fry's make great meals!
Fresh Vegies and meat served on-top of steamed rice or noodles, YUM.
I have been making this recipe for many years. It is really easy to make, you just need to plan on marinading the meat a couple of hours before hand. If I know that I will not have time before hand, I will prepare the meat and marinade in the morning.
Enjoy!

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

-round steak (1 lb) - cut in thin strips
-4 T. soy sauce
-2 T. cooking sherry
-2 tsp. sugar
-1 tsp. ground ginger
-1 T. cornstarch
-1 lb. fresh broccoli
-2 T. oil
-1/2 medium onion sliced
-2 tsp. garlic salt
-1 tsp. salt
-1 1/4-1 1/2 cups beef broth OR Shirley J Beef Bouillon

1. Cut meat. Put soy sauce, sherry, sugar, ginger, 2 tsp of cornstarch, and sliced meat in a bag or bowl. Let marinate in the refridgerator for 30 min. to 2 hours.

2. Cut up broccoli into small pieces. Put broccoli in a pan of water and steam for only 2 minutes (Broccoli should still be crisp).

3. In a frying pan put onions, garlic salt, meat and cook on high heat until meat is done. Remove from pan.

4. Add the olive oil and cook broccoli on high heat, stirring fast for about 1 minute.

5. Put everything back into the frying pan and add salt and beef broth. Put in a bit more cornstarch if you want the sauce thicker. Cook for about 2 -3 minutes.

6. Serve over steamed rice.