Roasted Peppers and Boursin Steak Quesadillas

I made a lovely bone-in prime rib roast for Christmas dinner and still had copious amounts of slabbed meat hanging around in the fridge...more than a week later. EEK! Usually, our leftovers get eaten quicker than this (within a week), but it was a huge roast for us and we just couldn't get through it quickly. A week was cutting it close, and more than a week had become longer than what I was comfortable with keeping it. I knew the clock was ticking for the spoilage factor, and I certainly didn't want our yummy prime rib to go to waste.

The issue was that after an additional meal or two, the decadent prime rib became almost too much of a good thing. I needed to change things up, since the kiddos and I were starting to experience steak fatigue (I don't know if that is really an actual thing or not). Poor us, I know. It was a nice problem to have, but I had to figure out something else to do with the leftover meat. I remembered that I wanted to explore my new America's Test Kitchen The Best Simple Recipes cookbook a little more, so I turned there to look for some beef-repurposing ideas. Lo and behold, I found this quesadilla recipe that I could adapt for my leftover situation. It ended up being exactly what I needed. As every recipe in the ATK cookbook is designed for cooking in 30 minutes or less, the already-cooked steak made it even faster/easier to make. Did I mention it was fantastically delicious, too??? Ya, it was. I got rave reviews all around from the adaptation and was able to successfully use the rest of the prime rib without the issue of the aforementioned meat fatigue.

As for the recipe, I made some minor substitutions each time I made it. I will copy the recipe below as it's printed in the cookbook and then write my adaptation below in the notes. Seriously, I have probably have had more of these quick quesadillas than I'd had of the roast in it's original form. With that said, I wouldn't hesitate to buy some steaks and make this again from scratch. It is definitley worthy of a go, even if meat leftovers aren't available.

Roasted Peppers and Boursin Steak Quesadillas
From: America's Test Kitchen The Best Simple Recipes cookbook

Ingredients:
2 Strip Steaks ( 10-12 Ounces Each) About 1 Inch Thick (or substitute leftover steak)
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 ( 5.2 Ounce) Package Boursin Cheese (or substitute goat cheese)
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
4(12-Inch) Flour Tortillas
1/2 Cup Jarred Roasted Red peppers, Drained and Sliced Thin
4 Scallions, Sliced Thin (or substitute sliced shallots or a small sliced red onion)

Directions:
Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks until well browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and let rest 5 minutes, then slice thin against grain. Wipe out skillet.

While steaks rest, combine Boursin, cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Spread one-quarter of cheese mixture evenly over half of one tortilla, leaving 1/2 inch border around edge. Top with peppers, scallions and sliced steak. Fold tortilla over filling and press down firmly. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.

Add 2 quesadillas to empty skillet and cook over medium high heat until golden and crisp, 1-2 minutes. Flip quesadillas and cook until golden brown and cheese if melted. 1-2 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut into wedges and serve.


Notes:

For the adaptation of leftovers:

Cut the cooked steak into small, bite-sized cubes and set aside. (I had to cut mine off the bone-in cooked roast and then cube the meat). With a skillet on high, cook red onions or shallots (or both) and the roasted red peppers until they begin to become caramelized. Add the already-cooked leftover steak in the pan to reheat it. When the mixture is nicely browned, remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Return the skillet to the stovetop, and spray with cooking spray. On the tortillas, spread the Boursin or goat cheese (or a mixture of both), sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese, and then add the meat/onion/pepper mixture on top. Fold tortillas in half as directed above and toast in the skillet until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly crispy and browned. Remove from skillet to cutting board, cut into wedges, and serve.

Don't forget to marvel at how easy these were to make and how delicious they turned out to be.

One more thing...for the Christmas dinner prime rib roast, I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe found in her holiday cookbook and on the Food Network website. It was also amazing!

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

I've taken quite a long sabbatical off from eating right/working out and it's really caught up with me. While it was nice to "check out" mentally and physically, I think I've had enough. I'm ready to get back into the business of being healthy again. I've regained a decent chunk of the the weight I lost previously, and I'm now getting into the no-turning-back scary zone if I keep eating like crap and not focusing on regular exercise. Anyway, all this means is that I'm being more conscious about what I eat and more focused with my exercise routine. As part of that focus, I've decided to go fairly low-carb/low-cal for the next 30 days. I'm hoping this will give me a jump start so I can start to see some positive results on the scale. This is also good news, because I'll be trying some new recipes as well. Hooray! The first new recipe was these steak rolls, which were magically delicious. Really. So freaking tasty. This was the perfect dinner to kick start my plan to get back into healthy living!


Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls
Adapted From: Picture the Recipe website via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 (2 lb) skirt steak OR 8-10 thin sliced sirloin
Salt & Pepper (according to taste)
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Any steak seasoning you like (I used Steak Magic)
1 tbsp olive oil

For the Veggie filling -
* 1 carrot
* 1 bell pepper
* 1/2-1 a zucchini (depending on size)
* 5-6 green onions
* 2 cloves of garlic
* 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning

For the Balsamic glaze sauce-
* 1-2 tsp bacon grease
* 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1 tbsp honey
* 1/4 cup beef broth

Directions:
- Start by prepping the steak. (I used skirt steak cos it’s what I had on hand, but in hind sight, I probably would have gone for a more leaner cut like flank steak or looked for thin sliced sirloin.) I trimmed as much fat as I could and cut the steak into 3 inch wide strips. I managed 8 strips and used the odd shaped ends to taste test my marinade and balsamic glaze. You can then tenderize the meat with a meat hammer (if you’re using sirloin it doesn’t need any tenderizing).
- Season the steak pieces generously on both sides with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. And let them sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes if not a couple hours.

- While the steak is marinating you can prep the filling for them. Chop up the carrot, bell pepper and zucchini into matchstick size pieces, little longer than the width of the steak strips. I used a mandolin slicer to jet thin sliced and hand cut them to make matchsticks. I then cut the green onion in a similar size and sliced them in half length wise. For the garlic, simply peel and crush the cloves with the flat side of your knife, just enough to bruise them.

- Now for the sauce, melt the bacon grease in a small sauce pan on medium heat.

- Add the finely chopped shallot and saute it for a minute or 2 until they turn soft and translucent.

- Add the balsamic vinegar, honey and beef stock and stir to mix everything well.

- Allow the sauce to come to a boil and reduce to almost half its volume. You’ll notice it starts becoming thicker and have the consistency of syrup. The butter also starts separating and comes to the top. Turn the heat off and transfer the sauce to a bowl.

- In the same pan (no need to wash it) add a touch of olive oil and toss in the garlic cloves to allow them to flavor the oil for a few minutes.

- Turn the heat up to high and toss in the carrots, bell pepper and zucchini (there’s no need to cook the green onion) and stir fry the veggies for no longer than 2-3 minutes.

- Season them with the the Italian herb seasoning and salt and transfer the veggies to a bowl.

- To assemble the steak rolls, simply take a strip of the marinated steak and lay it with the short side towards you. Place the veggies (don't forget the green onion!) in the middle and oil the beef up over the filling, securing it with toothpick. Repeat the same with the other rolls.

- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a touch of oil swirling to coat bottom. When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, not touching and pan fry for a couple minutes. Then turn roll and cook it on all sides in the same way. Cook until you’re desired doneness. I cooked mine medium rare.

- Remove the toothpick and serve with the balsamic glaze sauce spooned over the top of each roll and any extra veggies.

GG's Lasagna

My friend, Claire has been telling me about her grandma's lasagna for years now. I've always wanted to try it, but alas, she has never posted the recipe until recently. It's always good to have a couple of good lasagna recipes in your back pocket, and until this one, I've always just stuck with my mom's recipe. Well, once Claire updated her blog with GG's recipe, I knew lasagna was going to be on our table posthaste. Let me tell you, GG did not disappoint. It. was. fantastic. My kids loved it, and my husband said that it was one of his favorites (Secretly, I think he liked GG's lasagna better than my mom's version, but he knew better than to say that out loud.) The best news is that I now have a second lasagna recipe to alternate between my mom's. If you are in the market to try an awesome lasagna, this one is highly recommended!!!

GG's Lasagna
From: Claire's grandma GG (as posted on Cooking Claire blog)

Sauce:
1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 T. dried parsley
1 t. oregano
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. thyme
1 bay leaf

Simmer. Remove bay leaf before using sauce.

Other ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix together sour cream and cream cheese.

Assemble in a flat baking dish and layer:
1/3 cup sauce, noodles, cream cheese and sour cream, mozzarella. Keep layering until mozzarella cheese is on top.

Bake 45 minutes at 350.

Hot Beef Sandwiches

My MIL took my girls for the day to play with their visiting cousins, so I am home alone! It is a rare treat, but I feel like I'm wasting it with necessary tasks. So far, I've just been catching up on stuff that I've needed to get done but been putting off for the last month. I can think of a hundred things I *could* be doing for alone time and I'm doing chores instead. ::SIGH:: I hate being responsible. Anyway, blog updating is on my list of things to get done, so I'm gonna get my three (short) posts completed and go take a nap. Chores be damned!

I don't remember when we had these sandwiches, but the hubs and I LOVED them. We had to do rock/paper/scissors for the leftovers the next day, because they were highly coveted.

I made a modified version for the kids with just meat and cheese sauce, because I knew they would balk at anything "spicy" like a horseradish sauce. They ate their sammies and did not complain, so I check that off as a 'win'. I opted to go the homemade route with the cheese sauce and did not do cheese slices. Also, I used delectable pastrami instead of roast beef. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Hot Beef Sandwiches
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
8 pretzel slider rolls or regular dinner rolls
1 pound thinly Shaved Roast Beef or Pastrami (I used Pastrami)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Grated Onion (or 1 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes))
1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
1 Tablespoon Spicy/grainy Mustard (mine had a touch of honey in it)
1 Tablespoon prepared Horseradish
Dash Of Worcestershire
homemade cheese sauce (For homemade see below. You could also just use store-bought.) or sliced cheese

Directions:
Slice rolls in half. Mix together mayo, grated onion, poppy seeds, spicy mustard, horseradish, and Worcestershire. Taste it and adjust ingredients however you wish.

To assemble, spread dressing on top and bottom buns. Lay on roast beef or pastrami, then one or two slices of cheese (I cut them to fit the small buns.) If you're using cheese sauce, spread a layer on the top bun.

Wrap each sandwich in a foil square, and either keep in the fridge or bake right away. To bake the sandwiches, put them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The buns should be slightly crusty and the cheese should be melted.

Homemade Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:
flour
butter
milk, water, or chicken broth
1-2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
(Sorry, no measurements on this one.)

Add a couple of tablespoons of butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium-high. Add in double amount of flour (4 tablespoons in this case). Whisk and let flour and butter clump and combine. Cook for a minute or so, until flour mixture starts to turn pale tan in color. Add milk (about a cup or so) while whisking continuously. Bring to a simmer while still whisking. Sauce should be thickening. When desired consistency is reached, remove from heat and add in cheese. Whisk to combine, season with remaining ingredients to taste, and serve.

(If the mixture is too thick add some more water, chicken broth, or milk to thin while whisking over medium-low heat until desired consistency is reached again.)

Beef and Snow Peas with Garlic Quinoa

I've really paired my cooking show viewing down in the last couple of years. I used to be addicted to cooking TV, and I've slowly weaned my way off of it. It might have something to do with having an almost 7 year old, and 3 year old twins. My television time is seriously limited, so I have to be pretty choosy.

Once in a while, I'll flip to either Food Network or the Cooking Channel, but I don't have any type of steady viewership anymore. Well, with the exception of one... I've gotten down to only recording one show, and that is The Pioneer Woman. I've followed her website religiously for years, went to a book signing for her first cookbook, and was so excited when she finally came out with her own show (it's really not so new anymore; I think it's actually in it's second or third season??). Needless to say, I LOVE PW! I have tested so many of her recipes and I think I've always received rave reviews for her stuff. She knows what she is doing, that's for sure.

Anyway, this recipe was demonstrated on one of her TV episodes entitled "16 minute dinners". She put together some fast, go-to weeknight recipes for when there was a time crunch. (READ: every night for us.) They all looked tasty, but this one stood out for me. I made it a few nights ago for dinner, and as promised, it was fast and delicious! PW has never steered me wrong!

Beef and Snow Peas with Garlic Quinoa
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman cooking show

Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons sherry or cooking sherry
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of fat and sliced very thin against the grain
3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
8 ounces fresh snow peas, trimmed
5 whole scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
Crushed red pepper
Salt, as needed (I didn't use any salt, so this is totally optional-use sparingly.)
Garlic quinoa (see below) or serve over cooked rice of your choice

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, brown sugar and ginger. Add the beef to a separate bowl and pour one-third of the liquid over the top. Save the rest of the liquid. Toss the beef and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) over high heat. Add the snow peas and stir for 45 seconds and get as much color on them as possible. Remove to a plate.

Allow the skillet to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Spread out the meat as you add it to skillet, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Sprinkle half the scallions over the meat. Flip the meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with the other half of the meat, allowing the skillet to get very hot again first. After flipping, add the first plateful of meat, the reserved liquid, the crushed red pepper and snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, and then turn off the heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. The mixture will thicken as it sits. Serve immediately over quinoa or rice.

NOTE: I didn't separate the marinade into two different bowls. I just added to the pan and made sure it boiled, rather than separating and using half and then discarding half. It's better probably to separate and be better safe than sorry, but I've never had an issue doing it my way. It's your choice, man.

Garlic Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained in a colander
water to cover by 1/2 inch or so (Usually it's about equal parts quinoa/water, but I don't measure.)
2 tablespoons butter
5 cloves minced garlic cloves
pinch of salt

Directions:
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a colander, under running water, until it runs clear. Shake any excess moisture off of quinoa and set aside. I just place the colander on a kitchen towel until I'm ready to start cooking it.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute; until garlic starts to get fragrant and just a tiny bit of color on it. Add prepared quinoa to sauce pan and toast it for 2 minutes, or until some of the quinoa bits get slightly browned. Add water, a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to low. Let quinoa steep in water until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve as a base for the Beef and Snow Peas.

Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

My thoughtful and caring husband made sure I had a fantastic Valentine's Day by surprising me with a new set of stainless steel cookware (along with some beautiful orchids, too)! I've been itching for new cookware for awhile and I finally settled on the set that I wanted before Christmas. For one reason or another, I didn't pull the trigger and purchase it for myself though. I'm actually really glad that I didn't, because it was so much better to have the hubs unexpectedly gift it to me instead. Let me tell you, I couldn't wait to cook the special Valentine's Day dinner we had planned with my new loot. We fed the kiddos early and then I made a dinner of this steak and sauce, roasted asparagus, dill fingerling potatoes,a really nice Bordeaux wine, and white/dark chocolate strawberries for dessert. It was so nice to get dressed up, cue up the candles and romantic music, have some adult conversation, and relax with each other at home. It was easily one of the best Valentine's Day we have ever spent together in the 10+ years we've been a couple. Thanks cupid!

As for the food, it was the best meal we've had in recent memory. Seriously, restaurant quality. The husband said it was easily the best steak he has ever had...including a really expensive steak dinner we had at an upscale restaurant the first year we were married. (That steak had always held the number one spot until last night!) I splurged and bought really great quality meat and bacon, so I'm sure that a lot to do with it. The technique itself was easy and the whole dinner came together within 45 minutes. Not too shabby!


Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
From: The Pioneer Woman via Food Network

Ingredients:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 beef filet steak, 8 to 10 ounces, 2 inches thick
1 piece thin bacon
1 tablespoon butter, more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Generously salt and pepper both sides of the steak. Wrap the steak with the bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When melted, add the steak to the skillet and sear on both sides until a really nice color, about 1 minute per side.

Remove the skillet from the stovetop and place into the oven to finish cooking. Cook until medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE: Obviously, I doubled the steak recipe so we had two portions.

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Red Wine Sauce
Adapted From: Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of canola oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Once steak(s) are cooked and resting, pour off fat from the skillet. Sauté garlic in remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, and any meat juices from resting plate and boil until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until slightly thickened. Stir in parsley and pour sauce over steaks. Serve and enjoy!

(I forgot to take a photo of the sauce...oops!)

Meatballs and Gravy with Twice Baked Cauliflower

I love a good meatball and marinara recipe, and this one was the best that I've tried in awhile. The sauce preparation especially intrigued me, since one of the ingredients was a small amount of instant coffee granules. Weird, right??!?! Well, I must admit the instant coffee granules did give the sauce an extra depth and richness I didn't expect. The sauce was delicious! The meatballs were actually pretty delicious, too. Also, I normally like to serve mashed potatoes with a meatballs/gravy combo, but I'm trying to get away from eating starchy potatoes. I'm not against potatoes, I just think they should be saved for a rare treat. I experimented with making a mashed/baked cauliflower recipe as a substitute. Let me tell you, I did not miss the potatoes at all! The cauliflower totally satisfied my itch for mashed potatoes...which was honestly unexpected. I guess this meal was just full of surprises for us!!!

Meatballs and Gravy
Adapted From: Ring Around the Rosie website

For Meatballs:

Ingredients:
1 lb. of lean ground beef
1 lb. of mild Italian sausage, casings removed
small handful of fresh basil leafs, finely chopped
1 cup fresh Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cups bread crumbs,use more if needed
1/2 Tbs garlic powder
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop your onions and basil finely. Shred Parmesan. Then, mix your meat together and dump in all the ingredients (there’s no specific order). Once it is all mixed thoroughly, roll into balls. Then, place on a lined (I used a silicone baking mat), rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until cooked through and brown.

For Gravy:

Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 small cans of tomato paste
2 small cans of tomato puree
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of red wine
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 large pinch of sugar
salt/pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, more if desired
1/2 cup o shredded mozzarella cheese, more if desired

Directions:
Place a 1-2 tablespoons in a large pot and saute onions and garlic until fragrant and onions are translucent. Mix all the remaining ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 30 minutes, minimum. Simmer longer for a deeper flavor. Serve with meatballs. (This makes a lot of sauce and freezes really well.) *Measurements are estimated.*

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Twice Baked Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup of half and half
1-2 tablespoons of butter
3-4 green onions, chopped finely
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and chopped finely into bits (Optional)
1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place cauliflower florets in a microwave safe container with water. Microwave covered (with lid cracked) for 6 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Once cooked, remove to a food processor and combine with butter, half and half, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pulse continuously until well blended and broken up into a mashed consistancy. Mix cauliflower in a bowl with green onions and 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese. Mix to combine and transfer into a glass casserole dish, sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly. (Turn on the broiler for a few seconds to get the cheese browned, if desired.) Remove from oven, and sprinkle with optional bacon bits if desired. Serve as a side dish with meatballs and gravy.

Beef Shish Kabobs

This was a fun family dinner that totally amused my kids. I think it's the idea of eating stuff off of a stick. The marinade was really universal (I think I already have a similar one that I use regularly for chicken) and it complimented the meat and veggies perfectly. My only caveat is that I would do this on an outdoor grill next time. I did it with an indoor grill pan, and it took way too long and had to be babysat the whole time. I think the process would have gone much smoother if I would have used our gas grill outside. In my defense, we had one week of freakishly cold temps here in Arizona, so grilling outside would have been really uncomfortable. I just wasn't willing to brave the winter weather. Sorry, I'm just not acclimated to tolerate any kind of actual "winter". Anyway, we served these kabobs with a side salad over a bed of brown rice pilaf. Yum, yum.

Beef Shish Kabobs
Adapted From: SAOrganics website via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
2 small onions, chopped see savings
1 clove garlic, minced see savings
3 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 pounds rump roast or sirloin-tip roast, cut into 2-x-2-x-1/2 -inch pieces see savings
2 large green bell peppers, cut into chunks see savings
1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks
1 container of whole button mushrooms, cleaned

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except meat and vegetable chunks.

2. Place meat in a shallow dish. Pour sauce over meat to coat. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or overnight.

3. Preheat grill to Medium (300 to 350 degrees F). If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Place meat on skewers, alternating with chunks of bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Brush kabobs with remaining marinade.

5. Grill kabobs, covered with lid, over direct heat for 10 to 15 minutes per side until desired doneness is reached, turning occasionally and brushing with additional marinade during cooking time. (Do not brush cooked meat with marinade that has come in contact with raw meat. Such marinade should be boiled for at least 1 minute before using on cooked meat.)

Mexican Pizza

I have a deep, dark confession...

I LOVE a certain fast food chains Mexican Pizza. I'm not proud, but it's true. Since I don't eat fast food anymore, I can't even remember the last time I've had one of those caloric delights. Let's just say it's been awhile. I will say in recent years, the quality of said fast food Mexican Pizza has gone waaaay downhill (if that's even possible...it's pretty sad when a bad quality food is even worse quality as time passes). I remember being very disappointed the last time I actually ate one, and then being upset that I wasted so many of my daily calorie allotment on it. Yeesh.

So, when this recipe popped into my Pinterest feed I got VERY excited. Giddy, even. This was a way more healthful version than the fast food chains menu item. Also, I was able to incorporate all that I loved about the original. Black olives, green onions, and fresh tomatoes as some of our toppings. I loved that this was baked and not fried, and I used really lean beef, whole wheat tortillas, and healthy mashed pinto beans as a stand-in for "refried". This recipe satisfied my longing for a *good* Mexican Pizza, and my family agreed that it was a delicious dinner.

Mexican Pizza
Adapted From: Trader Joe's Recipes website via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz can of vegetarian/fat free "refried" pinto beans
8 small whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
2 cups sharp cheddar
2 green onions, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 black pitted olives, sliced
2 sliced green onions, for garnish
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place meat, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Coat a large sheet pan with cooking spray or use a Silicone baking mat. Place four tortillas on the sheet pan and cover with a layer of beans. Spread half of the seasoned meat over each tortilla and then cover with a second tortilla.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Spread half of the salsa over the top tortillas. Top each pizza with half of the cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and olives. Return the pizzas to the oven, bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Garnish with green onions and cilantro. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve. (These were filling, so we had 2 slices each as a serving).

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I love a good, traditional pot roast dinner. It's so homey and comforting, but I think of it more as a cold-weather/winter dish. It's not something I want to serve in the heat of summer. However, as it usually goes around here, necessity overrides preferences. I knew I had to use pot roast in one of my dinners this week, since I had two saved in my freezer and we're keeping a close eye on our budget. I didn't want to buy a whole lot of extra groceries either, so I was trying to think of something creative to do with this meat from stuff I had already had stashed away. My friend Michelle suggested I make stuffed, baked sweet potato halves. She had tried a really simple recipe recently with ground turkey and Mexican-inspired flavors, but thought I could probably do something similar with my roast meat. She was right! I just kinda made this dish up as I went along, and it was delicious. My family loved the twist on a traditional pot roast meal; even the kiddos gobbled it up! The biggest surprise is that our stuffed halves were not what I would consider as "heavy", but they was still filling and satisfying. Yum!

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 beef pot roast
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
1/2 bottle of your favorite meat marinade OR homemade marinade (I used bottled)
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of shredded mild cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, jack, etc.)
olive oil
kosher salt (for outside of potatoes)
aluminum foil
grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:
Combine roast (frozen is okay) seasoned with a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste, water, onion slices, and marinade in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. When cooking time is done, remove meat and shred with two forks reserving the liquid. Set Aside.


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub outside of sweet potatoes under running water to remove any excess, loose dirt. Pierce potatoes several times with a sharp knife on each side. Rub a generous amount of kosher salt and some olive oil on the outside of the potatoes. Double-wrap each potato in two sheets of aluminum foil. Bake for 1-2 hour, or until potatoes are soft to the touch and cooked through the middle. (I cooked mine for an hour, and it could have used more time...the middle wasn't as soft as I would have liked it. I think the cook time really depends on how big your sweet potatoes are.)

When potatoes are done baking, unwrap and let cool enough to handle. Halve each potato and scoop out some of the fleshy insides to make room for the filling. Leave a 1/2 inch of potato around the edges and the skins in tact. Discard excess filling or save for another application. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine shredded meat, cooked onions, cheese, and kidney beans. Add 1/2 cup of cooking liquid to start with; add more if needed. The meat mixture should be saucy. Stuff each half with meat mixture. Sprinkle tops with grated Parmesan and serve.

Stuffed Slow Cooker Flank Steak

Ohhhh, I found this recipe as a draft on my computer and I forgot that I had made it. Score! I love it when that happens, because it's like a getting a Christmas bonus or something. (Okay, slight exaggeration.) This turned out to be pretty good, albeit not an attractive recipe; hence no pics. My slow cooker food seems to follow a trend of being very tasty, but not very attractive to the eye. Is that just me? I wonder if I'm the only one with this issue??? Anyway, this was a solid slow cooker recipe to fit into the repertoire.


Stuffed Slow Cooker Flank Steak
Adapted From: Food on the Table website

Ingredients:
1 1/2 (cup) bread stuffing
1 (4.0 ounce can) sliced mushrooms with juice (I used fresh, sliced mushrooms with 1/3 cup of water...see notes)
2 (tablespoon) butter
2 (tablespoon) Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 (pound) flank steak, scored on both sides (I used round steak...see notes)
2 (tablespoon) vegetable oil
1 (package) brown gravy mix
1/2 (large) onion, diced (I actually used two, whole sliced onions...see notes)

Directions:
Combine bread stuffing with mushrooms and juice, butter and cheese. Spread over flank steak. Roll up like jelly roll. Fasten with skewers or string. Heat oil large skillet over medium high heat and brown rolled up steak on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Place in crock pot.
For sauce, prepare gravy mix according to package directions. Pour gravy mix and onions over meat. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Remove, slice and serve.

Jen's Notes:
I modified this recipe quite a bit, so I wanted to type out what I did differently. That way, I have a record of the original recipe and my modifications. Smart, eh??? :)

First, I didn't use flank steak. Flank steak was ridiculously expensive (even on sale). Instead, I found some ridiculously cheap round steak and went from there. I ended up using two cuts of round steak, because they were a bit smaller than the flank steak quantity. Also, I really don't like canned mushrooms. I used some fresh sliced button mushrooms and water to make up for the juice. I broke the mushroom slices up with my fingers when I mixed them with the stuffing, butter, and cheese.

Next, I skipped the whole rolling/tying-the-meat thing. I just didn't want to mess around with it. I put one of my sliced onions (see ingredients) on the bottom of the slow cooker. Then, I browned both sides of my round steaks in a skillet and layered one on top of the onion slices. Next, I just poured the stuffing/mushroom/butter/cheese mixture onto the steak. Then, I topped it like a sandwich with the other browned round steak. Next, went another sliced onion and then the gravy layered over all of it. I cooked it on high for 5 hours.

(I probably just should have re-written the entire recipe, but I thought this way may be easier.)

Beef and Bean Burritos

These enchilada-style burritos were made entirely out of my pantry/freezer/fridge "on-hand" staples. I made them last week sometime when I knew I wouldn't be able to get to the store and didn't have a proper meal planned for that particular evening. This recipe magically popped into my head when I was taking inventory of my stash o' groceries, and I was excited to find that I had everything to make them. I'd been wanting to try these burritos out for some time, so it was very fortuitous that it all worked out. I love it when dinner happens on the spur of the moment, without my having to drag three ornery children to the market. Woot!!!

Beef and Bean Burritos
From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
2 pounds Ground Beef
1/2 whole Medium Onion
1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
1 can (28 Ounce) Refried Beans
3/4 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
12 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas (I used whole wheat tortillas)
Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
Cilantro Leaves, Optional

Directions:
Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.

Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.

Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.

Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Three-Envelope Pot Roast Sliders

I have a couple of blog updates, but sadly, no photos. I know, I know...the camera and I don't always make it to the same place at the same time. I feel mildly guilty about no pics, but at least the recipe(s) I've been meaning to update will get posted. Phew! That made me feel a little better...

Anyway, this was a really great recipe for doing something a little different with pot roast. My family loved these sandwiches and everything came together easily (thanks to the slow cooker). The sauce in the original recipe is called a "chipotle" sauce, but that totally bothers me! There are not any actual chipotle flavors and/or peppers in the sauce, so I needed to rename it. It just makes more sense to me to call it something else. (Okay, so I'm a little anal that way.) Other than the name change on the sauce, I followed this recipe to the letter and these sammies turned out fabulously. I think we just had a side salad to go with them and that was it. Filling and delicious...we gobbled 'em up!

Slow Cooker Three-Envelope Pot Roast Sliders
Adapted From: Six Sisters' Stuff blog

Ingredients:

Roast:
1 3-4 lb beef roast
1 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope Au Jus mix

Sliders:
Three Envelope Pot Roast recipe (above), shredded
1 pkg. King's Hawaiian Rolls or plain dinner rolls
Sliced Swiss cheese (1 slice per slider)
Creamy-Spicy Horseradish Sauce (recipe below)

Creamy-Spicy Horseradish Sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp chili sauce
2 tsp creamy horseradish sauce

Directions:

For Roast:
Whisk together water, salsa and seasoning packets. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixture over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

For Sliders:
Cut each roll in half and place on a baking sheet. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Place baking sheet in oven with broiler on low. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until edges of the rolls are golden and cheese has melted (be sure to watch them closely so they don't burn!). Remove baking sheet from oven.

Place a spoonful of shredded beef on top of each roll with Swiss cheese on it. Spread Creamy-Spicy Horseradish Sauce on the top half of each roll. Assemble each slider by placing the top half of the roll on top of the bottom.

Philly Cheesesteak

I'm not feeling very verbose today, so I'm gonna make this post short and sweet. Really, I want to go take a nap...so less computer time = longer nap time for me. I forgot to take a photo of our dinner last night, so I snapped a pic of my sandwich right before I ate lunch today. (Yes, that is a plastic kids plate.) :)

I found this recipe in the March 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine, and it did not disappoint. I followed the recipe almost exactly--just a few minor substitutions--and it turned out perfectly delicious. Quite a tasty version of an at-home Philly-style Cheesesteak. Yum! I heart Cooking Light!!!

Philly Cheesesteak
From: March 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) flank steak, trimmed (I used skirt steak)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (5-inch) portobello mushroom caps (I used sliced button mushrooms)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green bell pepper (I used red bell pepper)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 ounce provolone cheese, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 (3-ounce) hoagie rolls, toasted (I used whole wheat hot dog buns)

Directions:
1. Place beef in freezer for 15 minutes. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushroom caps using a spoon; discard gills. Remove stems; discard. Thinly slice mushroom caps; cut slices in half crosswise.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until beef loses its pink color, stirring constantly. Remove beef from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Return beef to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in Worcestershire and soy sauce; keep warm.

3. Place flour in a small saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and mustard, stirring until smooth. Keep warm (mixture will thicken as it cools).

4. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use. Divide the beef mixture evenly among bottom halves of hoagies. Drizzle sauce evenly over beef mixture; replace top halves.

Easy Taco Melts

I like to call this recipe, "Empanadas for Dummies". These little pocket taco melts have all the great features of an empanada, without all the muss and fuss (albeit not very traditional).

Seriously, these babies were so easy and quick to put together it was almost ridiculous; and the recipe itself has very few ingredients. Perfect for those of us--ahem!--who seem to be budget & time challenged lately. Affordable, family-friendly, and supremely tasty...need I say more????

Easy Taco Melts
Adapted From: pillsbury.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef, cooked, drained
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 can of jumbo refrigerated biscuits
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions:
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, mix cooked beef and jar of salsa. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot and liquid from salsa reduces down.

Press each biscuit into 6-inch round. Spoon some meat mixture and a good pinch of cheese onto the center of each round.

Fold dough in half over filling; press to seal. Place on greased (or lined) cookie sheet.

Bake at 375°F 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.



Here is a photo of some of the finished ones on the baking sheet. One taco melt is a good serving size for an adult. Yum!

Beer 'n' Black Bean Chili

I've had a couple absolute dinner disasters lately, so you may have noticed my lack of posting. The hustle and bustle of the holidays makes for some hurried dinner-making and inevitable recipe fails. I try to take shortcuts and some work out, but some don't. I totally ruined a pork recipe from a trusted source last week...so badly that my family couldn't barely choke it down. UGH! (I think I will try it again in a few months--when life is less hectic--and see if I can salvage the dish.) I almost suffered the same fate with this chili, to where I ended up not paying close enough attention to the instructions and rushing through it. Thankfully, this recipe was virtually goof-proof and this chili turned out to be pretty darn awesome. Whew! I think I'm gonna set a new rule in my house to only make dinners that I can pretty much just "phone in" during the holidays. The stress of trying (and failing) at something new is just not worth it. Hopefully, I will learn my lesson and remember this decree for next Christmas. In the meantime, here is the chili that restored my confidence in my cooking-off-the-cuff abilities...mistakes and all.

Beer 'n' Black Bean Chili
Adapted From: The Food and Flavors of San Antonio cookbook, by: Gloria Chadwick

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 lb. of beef stew meat (see notes)
1 large onion, diced
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (see notes)
1 (4 oz.) can of green chiles (see notes)
1 can of tomato paste
1 cup of beer (see notes)
1 (15 oz.) can of beef broth (see notes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons of corn starch
tortilla chips, for topping
shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
sour cream, for topping

Directions:
Heat oil in large pot, over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Remove beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to rest. If more oil is needed, add a little more (no more than a teaspoon or so). Add onions to pot stirring to incorporate all the beef drippings and oil. Add a pinch of salt and cook onions until they are soft and translucent. Push onions off to the side of the pot, and add tomato paste. Cook tomato paste until it starts to brown and caramelize on the bottom of the pot. Add beef broth, beer, green chiles, beans, all the spices, and meat back into the pot. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits of the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the chili. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for half an hour. Remove some of the cooking liquid to a bowl (about a 1/2 cup) and whisk in the corn starch until liquid starts to thicken. Add thickened liquid back into the chili and stir to incorporate. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until chili is thickened to a desirable texture. Serve chili by placing in bowls and topping with some crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

NOTES:
I did not have two cans of black beans, so I substituted one can of kidney beans. Pinto beans would also work in a pinch; or use all black beans since the recipe is written as a "black bean chili". ;)

I only had one lb. of stew meat, so I cubed the meat into smaller pieces before browning. You could add another pound of stew meat if needed, but I didn't have it on hand so I stretched what I had stocked.

Also, I think our chili could have used more liquid. Adjust the liquid quantities based on the number of people you are serving. Next time, I'll probably use a full bottle of beer and a cup more of beef broth. We had enough to serve two adults and three kids, but the leftovers were scarce.

For the green chiles, I used some frozen Hatch chiles I roasted over the summer. My chiles were super-spicy so I cut the quantity way down for this application (probably by at least half). Follow the recipe quantity if you are using a mild green chile, but consider cutting it back if you are using a really spicy chile pepper.

The Result:
No photo, sorry. This was a delicious and satisfying chili. So different from my normal chili, and we all really loved the new twist. I love hearty stews and soups on a cold day, and this recipe totally hit the spot!

Casserole Series #3: Bubble Pizza Casserole

I promised my kids a "fun" Monday night dinner, since we've had a rough go of it lately. We had a monumentally stressful week last week, followed by the freaking flu. I thought a recovery meal was in order to help restore everyone's spirits back to normal. In our house a "fun" dinner equals pizza of some sort, but I didn't want to make the same ol'/same ol'. (I think my son would eat pepperoni pizza 24/7, if we'd let him.) Usually, I reserve these types of uber kid-friendly recipes for our Friday night meals, but considering the circumstances, I wanted to shake things up a bit. I found this recipe on a website I frequent that has cheap, easy, and kid-tested recipes on it. This bubble up pizza caught my attention because of the exciting title. Pizza that bubbles???? Yes, please! We have never been known to turn down any form of pizza (or casserole for that matter) in this house.

Bubble Pizza Casserole
Adapted From: MomsWhoThink.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 Tablespoon minced, dried onions
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tubes refrigerator biscuits
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Brown the beef in a skillet and drain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stir pizza sauce and spices into browned hamburger and simmer until heated through.
3. Quarter the biscuits and place in a 13-in x 9-in x 2-in greased baking dish. Top with beef mixture.
4. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake 5-10 more minutes, until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.





The Result:
Oh man, can I tell you that I felt a little dirty while enjoying this meal??? Is that weird? Okay, don't respond to that...I don't want to know. It was all the canned biscuit dough that did it. I know there is little--if any--nutritional value in canned biscuits. With that said, this was AWESOME. The only way it could have been better is if there were $100 bills baked into the dish. Cheesy, doughy, beefy, pizza-ish...Y-U-M! AND it was cheap to make! AND it was easy to put together! This was a hit with kids and adults alike. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast with Sour Cream and Paprika Gravy

Pot roast is one of my favorite comfort meals. It automatically brings me back to my childhood and family dinners with my grandparents. I usually make my mom's, or my grandma's, standard version of pot roast; never really venturing out to try new flavors. I figure the original is such a hit, why mess with what works???? Well, that was the old pot roast philosophy, at least. I think I may have a new way of thinking about it, thanks to this dish.

I think what caught my attention about this recipe, was the gravy. You see, I love paprika gravy. Actually, I love paprika in general. The color, the smell, the flavor...it's my favorite spice. I know I've shared this before but, if I had a prison/death row "last meal" request situation it would be for my mom's version of a childhood dish we call "Chicken Paprika"...mainly for the paprika gravy in that recipe. So, when I found a pot roast version with paprika gravy I knew I had to try it immediately.

Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast with Sour Cream and Paprika Gravy
From: Kalyn's Kitchen website

Ingredients:
2 tsp. + 1 T olive oil
1 rump roast, about 2.5 pounds (trim visible fat if there is any)
generous amount of steak seasoning (about 1 T) to rub on roast before browning
4 large yellow onions, cut into slices at least 1/2 inch thick
2 T sweet Hungarian or Spanish paprika (or more)
1/2 tsp. sharp Hungarian paprika or smoked Spanish paprika (optional, but good)
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red bell peppers
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice (I like petite dice for this)
2 cups homemade beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups sour cream (I used light sour cream, do not use fat-free)

Directions:
Trim any visible fat from rump roast, then rub roast on all sides with steak seasoning. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in heavy frying pan, add roast and brown well on all sides. (Don't rush this step., it may take 15-20 minutes to get the roast nicely browned.) When roast is well-browned, place in crockpot.

While roast browns, peel onions and cut into slices at least 1/2 inch thick. Heat additional 1 T olive oil in pan, then add onions and paprika and saute onions until lightly browned, turning often to brown all the onion slices. Put onions in crockpot on top of and around the roast. Add 2 cups beef stock to frying pan, scraping off any browned bits and simmering until beef stock is reduced to about 1 cup.

While onions brown and stock reduces, drain jar of roasted red peppers, then cut into lengthwise slices about 1/2 inch thick. Put sliced peppers and canned tomatoes into crockpot, seasoning with black pepper. When stock has reduced to about 1 cup, pour over top of crockpot ingredients.

Cook on high for about 4 hours, or until roast feels tender when pierced with a fork. When roast is tender, remove meat, let cool a few minutes, and then cut into thick slices. While meat cools enough to handle, strain liquid into a saucepan (catching the vegetables) and simmer over medium high heat to reduce for gravy. Add sliced meat and vegetables back into crockpot and keep warm.

****HERE IS WHERE I DEVIATED FROM THE RECIPE****SEE BELOW FOR MY VERSION****

When liquid has reduced by about half, whisk in sour cream. (Edit: A reader named Ned left the suggestion to add a small amount of the liquid to the sour cream and whisk together, then whisk that mixture back into the juice in the pan for easier combining without lumps. I think that sounds like a great idea.) Pour sour cream gravy back over meat and vegetables in crockpot and cook about 20-30 minutes more, or until heated through. Serve hot.



The Result:
The gravy was orgasmic. The husband and I were literally taking turns licking the empty saucepan as we were cleaning up the dinner dishes. The pot roast itself was delicious enough, with all the onions, peppers, and tomatoes...but that gravy pushed it over the top to awesome. Honestly, this was a little labor-intensive at first. There is a lot of prep work involved to just get this into the slow cooker, and then the gravy itself took awhile to make. However, it was sooooo fantastic! Totally worth the trouble!!!

I didn't follow the gravy instructions as written, but the rest of the recipe I followed as-is. I will note my difference below and in the directions with an asterisks.

This pot roast made me very happy!

****ALTERNATE METHOD FOR GRAVY:****
I let the pot roast liquid reduce by half (from 2 cups to 1 cup) and removed to a separate bowl. Temper in the container of light sour cream with the liquid and set the mixture aside.

In the saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle two tablespoons of AP flour over the melted butter and whisk to combine turning into a thick paste. Let flour/butter mixture cook for a couple of minutes. Continually whisk in the pot roast liquid and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, while still whisking and let the gravy thicken to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve gravy on the side or pour gravy over meat in the slow cooker and serve immediately.

Grilled Balsamic London Broil

My bff, Gertrude and I went to a local butcher shop yesterday that is aptly named The Meat Shop.

(Note: I've decided that I have a co-dependent relationship with my bff, Claire and we spend way too much time together, and I mention her way too much on my blog. I've decided to make up a new bff named Gertrude so it doesn't seem like I only have one friend and I can mention someone else on my blog besides ol' "what's her name".)

(Not that "what's her name" is ol', by the way. Claire, if you are reading this you are not ol', but young and spry. I'm just sayin'...)

Anyway, Gertrude and I stopped into this locally owned and operated butcher shop and loved it! They carried locally grown, grass-fed beef and pork; some of which they actually raise themselves. The meat possibilities were endless, and I was overwhelmed with choices. (We decided that a spur of the moment meat shopping trip was probably not the best idea; and next time we would be armed with a meat purchasing plan.)

I ended up buying a couple slabs of grass-fed London broil (that were cut right in front of my very eyes), handmade sausage (Linguisa), pork chorizo, and some ground pork/bacon burgers. Since the London broil was fresh, I decided to grill it right away for our dinner and push back my other meal plans. I wanted to make sure that we got all the benefits of the grass-fed beefy goodness at it's optimum state of freshness. I searched food.com and found this easy marinade that turned out to be really yummy. Our dinner was fantastic, and I am trying to figure out a way to purchase all of my beef and pork at The Meat Shop. Yum!

Grilled Balsamic London Broil
Adapted From: food.com, by: Ginny P; Sept. 2002, #39911

Ingredients:
1/2 lb London broil (top round steak), 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove of minced fresh garlic
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Put all ingredients, except meat, in a container fitted with a lid; cover and shake.

Pour the marinade over the meat in a zip top bag.

Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning the meat occasionally.

Grill or broil until done as desired (5-7 minutes per side).

Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, slice thinly, and serve.

The Result:
We had 3 adults and 3 kids eating dinner; so I doubled the quantity of all the ingredients, including the meat. I forgot to take a photo, but this recipe was so easy and delicious. The meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked. We served our London broil with a side of baked sweet potato fries, and enjoyed every bite. Based on the success of this London Broil, I can't wait to dive into my other purchases from The Meat Shop.

Creamy Beef Taquitos

My son started his swim lessons this week; and conveniently (not really), they are scheduled right in the middle of our usual dinner time. That makes the next two weeks a little tricky to plan our evening meal around. Luckily, I had some frozen taco meat saved from our last taco adventure, and it was easy to morph my stash into these yummy taquitos. This recipe was a crowd-pleaser and really easy to put together (especially with the meat already cooked).

Creamy Beef Taquitos
From: the Meal Planning 101 blog

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
1/3 cup light cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp green onions, chopped
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella or pepper jack)
12 small flour tortillas (can also use corn tortillas; I ended up using 8 medium whole wheat tortillas)

Directions:
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and break it up into crumbles as it cooks. Add the taco seasoning and cook the beef about 8 minutes until cooked through.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add salsa, lime juice, cilantro and green onions and stir to combine. Once the beef is browned, add the beef and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Place 2-3 tbsp of beef mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll it up as tight as you can. If your tortillas are cracking or breaking, you can microwave them for 10-20 seconds with a damp paper towel over top. Once rolled, place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with a bit of oil and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.



The Result:
I swear I have never had a bad recipe from the Meal Planning 101 blog. Her meals are always spot-on delicious, and these taquitos were no exception. We all gobbled 'em up!