Chinese Beef with Broccoli

This is better than takeout!  It's SO easy and tastes better than our local Chinese restaurant.  I used skirt steak instead of flank, because our store was out of flank steak.  It took about 30min to prepare and was plenty to feed 2 people with leftovers for lunch.  The original recipe is from FoodNetworkMagazine and I only made some slight changes - omitted the red peppers, used skirt steak instead of flank, and added a dash of cayenne at the end for some kick.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 thin slices peeled ginger
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 3 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large bowl. Add the steak and toss to coat; refrigerate until ready to cook.
2. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and soy sauce, the oyster sauce and chicken broth in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the ginger, broccoli and the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Heat 1 more tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet, add the onion and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, turning gently, 2 minutes. Transfer the onion and tomatoes to the plate with the broccoli.
4. Reduce the heat to medium high; add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and steak and stir-fry 1 minute. Whisk the sauce mixture, then add to the skillet and simmer 1 minute. Return the vegetables to the skillet; cook until the meat is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with rice, if desired.

This picture is from the FoodNetworkMagazine website, it's not my original image.

- Pastry Princess

BBQ'd Kebabs

Everyone knows how to make kebabs right? I dunno about that. I love me some grilled veggies though and throw in some pineapple? 

::::drool::::

These are pretty easy and straightforward - the hardest/most tedious part is skewing them but they are so worth it! Hope you enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs sirloin or cut of your choice
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 package whole mushrooms
• 1/4 fresh pineapple
• Teriyaki marinade of your choice (I use Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic Asian Glaze & Marinade)
• 1/4 cup A-1 Steak sauce
• dash Tabasco
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. If using wood skewers, soak them in water while preparing your ingredients.
2. Cube all fresh ingredients (except mushrooms) to the desired size - I prefer mine rather large so I use 1-2 inch pieces.
3. Place fresh ingredients in a large bowl - cover with marinade, A-1, Tabasco and garlic.
4. Mix well and let sit for at least 1 hr. 
5. Place all ingredients on the skewers, alternating until all ingredients have been used. 
6. Grill over medium heat until cooked through - rotating and basting with remaining marinade frequently as to not burn. 

These Kebabs are fabulous paired with a glass of this:

Enjoy!

~Vino Vixen~

Wet Burritos

These were another hit in our household! I was a little leery of making these because they seemed like they contained a lot of ingredients! But they were really easy once I got going. My hubby thought the Chili was a weird addition too but it worked very well - yum! I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chile
• peppers
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can chili without beans
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato
• soup
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 6 (12 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

 Directions:

1. Crumble ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Add onion, and cook until translucent. Drain grease, and season with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in the green chilies and refried beans until well blended. Turn off heat, but keep warm.
2. In a saucepan, combine the chili without beans, tomato soup and enchilada sauce. Mix well, and cook over medium heat until heated through. Turn off heat and keep warm.
3. Place a warmed tortilla on a plate, and spoon a generous 1/2 cup of the ground beef mixture onto the center. Top with lettuce and tomato to your liking. Roll up tortilla over the filling. Spoon a generous amount of the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with cheese and green onions. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

I didn't end by melting the cheese in the microwave - I try to use it as little as possible - so we just heated them in the oven. Also, we didn't really want to put the lettuce or tomato inside the burrito so after the cheese was melted we just put it on top. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and they suggest a Zinfandel - I'll take a Margarita tonight thankyouverymuch! :)

Cheers!

~Vino Vixen~

Easy Crock-pot Chili

First a little about me:

I am not an expert in the kitchen. I like to think I'm adventurous, but I'm not. In fact, I usually only try recipes that have 5 ingredients or less. Ten ingredients is stretching it. On top of that, I am a working mom of a beautiful little girl. I want dinner to be quick, easy and (most importantly!) edible.

Many of my recipes will be diary-free. Since my daughter is currently allergy to cow's milk protein (crossing my fingers she grows out of it very soon!), I avoid diary, except for the occasional piece of chocolate. I hope she can forgive me for that. That said, most recipes I use will have a diary-full variation, since my husband can't fathom a dinner without cheese.

So here we go...

Easy Crock-pot Chili

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 lb ground beef (I used 90/10)
2 medium onions - chopped
2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of dark kidney beans
1 15 oz can of pinto beans
2 packages of McCormick Slow Cookers Chili Seasoning
I bag frozen corn (optional)
Shredded Cheddar for topping (optional)
Sour Cream for topping (optional)

Directions:

Brown hamburger with onions; drain fat. Combine cooked hamburger, tomatoes, beans, corn and seasoning packets in slow cooker. Cook covered on low for 6-8 hours. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until ready to serve.

Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.

I totally forgot to add my corn this time...darn! But it still tasted great without it. This recipe was enough for 4 dinners in our house. I usually serve over a bed of noodles. And of course, I always make some Jiffy cornbread muffins to go with!


Looking forward to more cooking!

~ The Mess Maker

Easy Beef Stroganoff in the Crockpot

Since having my daughter, I have found it harder and harder to have the time to cook.  So shortly before she came home, I started preparing several meals that we froze.  Typically I will freeze half of the meal and then the other half is stored in the fridge for weeknight dinners.

This one is really easy, super yummy and makes the house sell yummy while its cooking in the Crockpot.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

• 2 pounds lean cubed stew beef
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 package mushroom gravy
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preparation:
Combine beef, soup, mushrooms and gravy in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Blend sour cream with flour; stir into beef stroganoff. Cook about 15 minutes more, or until well heated.

You can serve this over Egg Noodles or Rice (white or brown) OR just as it is.  It is that yummy!

As a side note - I have a 6 qt. crockpot and this recipe only filled it half way.  So you could easily double this recipe if you have a big enough crockpot.

Enjoy it!

Until next time,
Crockpot Momma