Flank Steak with Asparagus Topping

I'm not sure what to even call this, but it was good! I'm sure a fancier lettuce would have elevated the dish, but this is called using the ingredients on hand. I was really craving THIS dish, but I did not have the right stuff. But it did get me thinking and it led me to this creation.
-Amanda

Flank Steak with Asparagus Topping

Flank or Skirt Steak
2 limes
2 cloves of garlic
splash of vinegar (I used rice wine, but red or apple cider would be fine.)
10-12 stalks of aspargus
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tsp honey
olive oil

Mix 1 tsp honey, salt and pepper, half a lime and some olive oil (a tsp or two) in a small bowl and pour over flank steak. Either grill the steak or put it under a high broiler. I did the broiler for 7 minutes on one side and about 3 on the second side. Let it rest before cutting it across the grain.

Topping
Mince garlic and add to a small skillet. Cut asparagus in 1/4 inch pieces. Crush nuts and add them. Add a tbsp of olive or two and a splash of vinegar. Saute until asparagus has cooked for 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat and add feta, stir to melt it in. Taste and add salt as needed.

Make a side salad and serve steak on the side or on top of the lettuce. Top with the asparagus topping. I made a simple salad dressing that was the same as the steak marinade.

Grilled Sirloin with Poblano Pesto Sauce

This dinner really hit the spot! Bold, juicy, spicy, earthy, salty and a bit sweet it hit all over the palate. Definitely worth trying out! I got the recipe/idea from watching 10 Dollar Dinners with Melissa D'Arabian on Food Network. I did not follow her pesto exactly, but took it as a launching pad for my own. One tip, taste the pesto sauce as you go, and adjust as needed. It isn't finished until it tastes good on the tasting spoon. It may need a bit more acid (lime juice) or perhaps it's too acidic and needs more olive oil... just adjust to your preferences! I served it with Sweet Potato and Beet Hash.

-Amanda

Grilled Steak with Poblano Pesto

Sirloin Steak
2 limes
salt and pepper

2 pablano peppers
3-4 tbsp fresh grated parmesan
small handful of pecans
1-2 cloves garlic
3-4 tbsp olive oil
lime juice from one lime
parsley or cilantro (I was going to add this and forgot!)
salt and pepper

Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper and the juice of one lime. Let come to room temperature. Grill about 3 minutes per side for a 1 inch steak. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Char the poblano peppers. On a gas stove you can put them directly on the burner. If you don't have a gas stove you can char them under a broiler turning every few minutes either way you go. When the skin is completely black all over, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam/cool down for 10 minutes or more. Peel the skin off under running water and then cut away the stem and scoop out the seeds. In a small food processor put the poblano peppers, nuts, parmesan, salt, pepper, a few tbsp of olive oil and half the lime. Pulse a few times, trying to leave it a bit chunky. Taste as you go, adding more olive oil or lime juice to balance the flavor. Chop some cilantro and add it last. Serve over hot sirloin steak.

This post was linked to The Healthy Home Economist: Monday Mania Blog Link Up.

Grain Free Casserole

This was a winner in the house tonight! I don't know if I was super hungry from swimming or if it was just that good, but I went back for seconds! Good thing the recipe makes enough for two casseroles so you can freeze one. Just remember if you plan on freezing one, line your casserole dish with aluminum foil. Place the ingredients in the casserole and bake. Then you can cover and freeze. Once it is frozen solid, remove the foil "casserole brick" from you pan, wrap it with plastic wrap, label and put back in the freezer. That way you can use your pan for other uses. When you want to reheat, unwrap the plastic, put the "brick" back in the pan you cooked it in, and reheat in the oven.

I got the recipe for this casserole from Family Living Simple, but it was Paleo. I added cream, cheese, more tomato paste and  an extra egg.
-Amanda

Grain Free Casserole

2 zucchini
2 carrots
1 sweet potato
1 can of tomato paste
2 lbs of ground beef
10 button mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
4 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
lots of mozzarella and parmesan
oregano, basil, salt and pepper

Cut your zucchini and carrots into thin noodles using a mandolin. If you don't have one, slice into thin slices and then cut each slice into small strips. Use a cheese grater or food processor to grate the sweet potato. Put the zucchini and carrot strips and grated sweet potato in a very large bowl. Toss to mix. Start cooking your beef and add chopped mushrooms, onion and garlic to it as it cooks. Add tomato paste, herbs and seasonings and mix well. Allow meat mixture to cool down.

Grate cheese into the vegetable mixture and toss. When meat mixture cools, add it to the vegetables and mix well. Beat four eggs and heavy cream together and pour into meat mixture. Using your hands, make sure everything is well incorporated and transfer to two oiled baking dishes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 20 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered.

Pizza Stuffed Bell Peppers

The last two weeks we've been trying to do some menu planning around here. It's not my normal way of cooking, but things have gotten so busy this summer that it really has helped to at least scratch out a semblance of a menu on a scrap of paper before heading to the grocery store. (I also rarely use a grocery list.) I just normally buy what looks good and then come home to "create." Well this week I had "stuffed bell pepper" on the menu. I normally make these with green bell peppers because they are cheaper but the red ones were on mega sale and they are so pretty. I also normally make stuffed bell peppers with rice, mushrooms and sausage. But this time I decided to make them "pizza" style. Although I did forget to add the olives which bummed me out when I remembered as we were eating! The good thing was that I had leftover stuffing. You can serve it on the side or freeze it to make a quick spaghetti dinner another night, which is what I did.
-Amanda

Pizza Stuffed Bell Peppers

4-5 bell peppers - look for ones with pretty flat bottoms
1 lb of hamburger meat
2-3 cloves garlic
1.5 cups of your favorite Italian seasoned tomato sauce- I had some leftover that I'd made for pizzas.
Block of mozzarella, cubed up in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 onion
8-10 button mushrooms
basil, oregano, salt and pepper

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and scoop out the insides. Rub with oil and set either on a cookie sheet or in a casserole dish.

Saute onions in a bit of bacon drippings. Let them get really good and caramelized and then remove from the skillet. Add in hamburger meat and some seasonings. Cook about halfway and then add garlic and mushrooms. When meat is almost cooked through add the tomato sauce.

Add a few cubes of mozzarella in the bottom of each bell pepper. Fill each bell pepper half way with the meat mixture. Add more mozzarella. Then fill to the top with the meat. Add a few more pieces of mozzarella to the tops of each one. Put the "lids" back on the bell peppers and cook at 375 for about an hour. Scoot the tops off and cook a bit longer until cheese browns. (We didn't have the patience for that!)

**Olives, diced (nitrate free) pepperoni or any other favorite pizza topping would be great in this!

What's For Dinner at My House: Spaghetti with Liver (?!??!)

Why in the world would I make spaghetti with liver? Well, liver is a super nutrient dense food.

It can help boost energy, libido, muscle growth, brain power and general health. Liver is an abundant source of nutrients difficult to obtain elsewhere such as vitamin A, arachidonic acid, DHA and the B vitamins. (from Chris Masterjohn)

Sign me up! So right now, I've been trying to include a bit of liver in any dish that I make with ground beef. I've used it in chili, spaghetti meat sauce and in meatballs. Liver is a strong flavor that takes getting used to. To me it is sort of an earthy kind of flavor. So for dinner in my house tonight we had a typical meal of Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.... the only difference from a lot of spaghetti's being served up was the addition of liver!
-Amanda

Homemade Texas Chili

Just so you know, authentic Texas Chili is not cooked with beans. Some may argue, but it really is true. It's not made with ground beef either. There is a lot of mystique around Texas Chili and it sounds all complicated (and it can be) but most of the time, it really is easy to make as long as you've got patience on your side. The results are so worth it, so kick back and stir you up a big ol' pot of Texas Chili, hold the beans, please! (Like usual, I didn't measure so adjust to your preferences, these are all guesses.)

This recipe has been submitted to Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday Blog Carnival.

-Amanda

Texas Chili

1.5 lbs of stew meat
1 onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
3-4 slices of bacon
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
3-4 cups of homemade bone beef broth
1/2 - 3/4 cup of minced beef liver (okay, this is not traditional to Texas Chili*)
1/4 cup Braggs apple cider vinegar**
1 tbsp of chopped ancho chili in adobe sauce
2 chopped fire roasted anaheim chilies
3-4 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin
salt

garnish:
Sour cream
Raw milk cheddar cheese
Diced green onion
1 tbsp coconut oil per bowl***

Cut bacon into small dice. Place in a large pot (cast iron dutch oven is traditional, I didn't use my tonight though) and cook until almost crispy. Meanwhile chop one onion into a small dice. Add it to the bacon and cook on a medium low heat until the onion is very translucent. Do not rush this step. When onions are translucent, add minced garlic. Then put in your anaheim chili and ancho chili (or any chilies you want, really.)

Next go in the spices. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin and generous amount of salt. Stir well to "toast" the seasonings. Add the tomato paste, and again stir in well. You want to actually get "color" on the tomato paste developing flavor. Stay on a medium heat, you want color, not burn. At this point you want to deglaze the skillet. That means add a liquid to pull up the brown bits that are starting to stick to you pot. Traditionally you'd use a beer, but I grabbed apple cider vinegar instead.

This is a good time to add the liver. Make sure the liver is chopped extremely well or even puree it in a food processor. Next goes in the stew meat. Stir to coat the meat with all of the spices. Add 3-4 cups of homemade bone-beef broth. The chili will be very soupy at this point. Lower the heat and let simmer for hours. I started my soup at 1pm and we ate at 7pm. The longer it just sits and slightly bubbles the better, just walk by and stir it every once in awhile. Somwhere after about 4 hours or so you can start to tear apart the beef. It'll start to shred and fall apart. That is why there is no flour in this meal. The broth will slowly reduce from simmering and the beef shredding will soak up the additional broth. You will be left with a thick and delicious chili. Enjoy!

* LIVER: From the Weston A. Price Foundation website: So what makes liver so wonderful? Quite simply, it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. In summary, liver provides:

• An excellent source of high-quality protein
• Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
• All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
• One of our best sources of folic acid
• A highly usable form of iron
• Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
• An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
• CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
• A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.

** APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: I've been using Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar more often because of it's health benefits. I'm sure cooking it all day, probably rids some of the nutritioun, but I needed something to deglaze the pan with and figured it wouldn't hurt. Here are some of the benefits of a REAL apple cider vinegar, such as Braggs brand:

• Rich in enzymes & potassium
• Support a healthy immune system
• Helps control weight
• Promotes digestion & ph Balance
• Helps soothe dry throats
• Helps remove body sludge toxins

*** COCONUT OIL: I try to add coconut oil to anything I can. It is very healthy for you. Among other things, it aids in metabolism, helping to lose weight. (More info here.)

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

I bought a PDF book called Simple Food {For Winter} from Nourishing Days blog a few days ago. One of the recipes in the very informative book was Cheeseburger Soup. For those that know me, know I can't follow a recipe. So this is my spin on her lovely dish.
-Amanda

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

1 large onion
1 lb bacon (nitrate free)
1 lb hamburger meat
1 potato
3 carrots
3 cups of homemade bone beef stock
2-3 cups water
1 cup plus 1 cup of raw white cheddar
1/4 cup ketchup (either homemade, or a natural brand with no fake sugars)
1/8 cup mustard
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce (or diced tomatoes)
fermented pickles to garnish (Bubbies brand is recommended!)

Cut up bacon into small pieces and render in a big soup pot. When bacon crisps up, remove from pot, leaving bacon grease behind. Slice the large onion by first halving it and then making very thin half moon slices. Add onion to the pot, set to low and cover. Every 10-15 minutes stir, but otherwise let cook low and slow for 30-40 minutes. You want the onion to caramelize and this takes patience. Once onion is caramelized, remove it from the pot. Add ground beef. Season with salt and pepper and stir until broken up and browned. Add diced potato and diced carrots. Add beef broth and water. Stir in ketchup, mustard and spaghetti sauce. Add in 1 cup of freshley shredded cheddar. Put the onions back into the soup and simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Garnish with fermented pickles, bacon and more cheese.

Leftovers become Easy Chili Mac

Today my family is having a pajama day. This means little or no cooking (or much of anything else productive) takes place. It's a wonderful time to have a mini-staycation and just bond with family. The problem is that I don't have much "quick" lunches in my refridgerator (except for all the soup!) but my toddlers will only eat soup occasionally. So digging deep within the fridge, I found some leftover taco meat, some left over buttered noodles and then there is the always handy block of cheddar cheese. I combined these three items in a small oven safe bowl and popped it in my toaster oven for 10 minutes. Easy, tasty and eaten all up! (My husband and I worked on even more of the leftovers!)
-Amanda

Coconut Curry Beef and Pork Stew

With the dip in temperature (finally!) stew seemed just the thing for today's menu. While I was at Sprouts, my local health food store, I picked up some pork and beef stew meat this morning. I threw this stew together in perhaps 15-20 minutes this morning and let it simmer all day long on the stove. The house smelled great!

-Amanda

Coconut Curry Beef and Pork Stew

1 lb beef stew meat
1 lb pork stew meat
3-4 tbsp coconut oil
1-2 potatoes
2-3 carrots
2-3 celery stalks
3 gloves garlic
1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat, as it is what I have in my pantry)
2-3 tbsp curry powder
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 cup red wine
2-3 cups of broth (chicken or beef, I used 2 cups chicken and 1 cup of water)
salt to taste

Mix flour, some salt and curry in a shallow dish. Dredge meat in flour and shake off excess. In a large stock pot, melt coconut oil. Place meat in and brown for a few minutes, turning as needed. Remove meat to a bowl. Add, chopped carrots, celery and potatoes to the stock pot. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring the vegetables to bring up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add garlic and deglaze the pot with red wine. Add meat back in, and broth. Add coconut milk and stir. Simmer on low for as long as possible, at least 3 hours until meat is fall apart tender.

Steak Marinade and Duck Fat French Fries

 It's almost a sin to eat steak on a paper plate, but my dishwasher is on the fritz and I'm just too spoiled to wash all my dishes by hand.

I had the girls plate their own food. Maddie very carefully lined up her grapes. She piled the french fries on top of the steak as if to hide it. Too bad when she finished her fries I saw all that steak sitting there. And they've eaten steak lots of times before but right now they are in a very picky stage of life. My mom bought me the duck fat for my birthday and I was excited to use it for the first time!
-Amanda

Steak Marinade 

(for one lonely steak)

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp honey
a clove grated garlic
1 tsp basil
salt & pepper
a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients in a shallow dish with edges. Marinade steak for at least 4 hours, flipping occasionally. Grill or broil.

Duck Fat French Fries

2 small potatoes
sea salt
duck fat

Cut potatoes into french fry shape. I used a mandolin.  Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of duck fat. Sprinkle with sea salt. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 20 minutes or until crispy and golden.

Chili, Cornbread & Roasted Okra

The weather dipped into a bit cooler temperatures, so what do Texans do? They make chili of course! This was just a quick throw together chili that only took 30 minutes or so to throw together, but that was because I had my beans pre-prepared. I'm limiting canned foods, so I made a huge batch of brown beans a couple of weeks ago and put them in freezer bags to pull out when needed. As for my side, that's ROASTED okra! Mostly the only ways I like okra are either fried or in gumbo. Then the thought occurred to me to try roasting it. Sure enough, tossed in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper and these were delicious! Not slimey at all.
-Amanda

Easy Chili

1 small onion finely diced
2 tsp olive oil

1 lb hamburger meat
2 cups of brown beans, previously cooked and thawed or canned
1 can of tomato sauce, or about 1.5-2 cups home prepared tomato sauce

2 tsp oregano
3 tbsp of chili powder
1-2 chilies (jalapenos, for example)
3-4 cloves garlic


Dice onion and saute them in olive oil in a large pot. Add minced garlic and diced chilies. Add ground beef, and break it up with the edge of a spoon. Before the beef is cooked all the way add seasonings of oregano, salt, and chili powder. Add beans and tomato sauce. Stir and adjust seasonings as needed. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with cornbread.


I've made cornbread before on this blog, and yet, I'm always looking for a better recipe. Last nights cornbread came out great! Too bad I didn't measure... here are the approximates..

Cornbread

2 cups of cornmeal
1/2 cup white-wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3-4 tbsp honey
2 eggs
1.5 cups milk

1.5 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp coconut oil


Preheat oven to 400. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cornmeal, white-wheat flour and whole wheat flour. Add the baking powder and salt and whisk to incorporate. In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk and honey. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place a cast iron skillet on the stove and pre-heat it, medium-high heat. Add the butter and coconut oil. When it is melted swirl it around to grease the sides of the skillet and the pour it into the batter. Turn off the stove. Mix the melted butter/coconut oil into the batter and immediately pour it back into the hot skillet. Put the skillet in the middle rack and bake at 400 for about 20minutes or until golden brown on top.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers and Fruit Salad

A few days ago I made Taco Mini Muffins. When I made the meal, I doubled the taco meat & veggie mixture for a meal later in the week. That was tonight. I turned the taco meat into Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers, and they were very delicious! I served them alongside a simple fruit salad with a yogurt dressing.
-Amanda

Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 recipe of the taco meat & veggie mixture from my Taco Mini Muffins.
2/3 cup wheat couscous
3/4 cup of chicken or beef stock (or water.)
4 small bell peppers
2 oz of your favorite Mexican cheese, grated

In a small pot, bring stock to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Add couscous to taco meat mixture and stir. Cut the tops off your bell peppers. If the bottoms are very crooked, you may want to cut of a very small amount to make them level so they will stand up. Stuff each bell pepper with 1/4 of the taco/couscous mixture. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Top each bell pepper with some of the grated cheese and broil until cheese is melted. Serves 4.

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Dressing

1 banana
1 orange
8-10 strawberries
1 cup of grapes (I did green and red
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh grated giner

Peel and chop banana. Peel and segment one orange and cut each slice in half. Cut strawberries into fourths. Cut grapes in half. Place all fruit into a mixing bowl. In another small bowl, mix the yogurt, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and ginger. Pour over fruit. Serve chilled.

Taco Mini Mufins

I loved the response from my homemade chicken nuggets! Many of my friends told me they were going to try out the recipe. Please let me know how yours turn out if you do!

Today's recipe is another very toddler friendly meal idea. Although I'm going to serve this for dinner for the adults too, paired with a salad. These Taco Mini Muffins can also be made in bulk and frozen. Reheat in the toaster oven or microwave. This isn't an exact science, you can change the recipe to your preferences. Oh and I actually doubled the meat and veggies so I could have easy taco salads later this week.
-Amanda

Taco Mini Muffins

Cornbread Mix
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup applesauce
2 eggs
approx 2 cups of milk, start with slightly less and add until you get a "pancake" batter consistency.

Taco Mix
1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 small onion
1/4 cup frozen or fresh corn
1/4 cup drained black beans
1/2 red bell pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
3 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup (I used homemade)
salt & pepper to taste

Dice onion into small bits. Place oil in a skillet (I used cast iron.) When it gets hot, add onion. While the onion is cooking, dice red bell pepper. Add it to the onion, stir occasionally. When onion and bell pepper are soft, add corn and beans, heat until the corn is thawed. Remove vegetables from skillet (Or if pressed for time, cook them at the same time as the meat in a separate skillet.)

Once vegetables have been removed from the skillet, add the meat. Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, tomato paste or ketchup, salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat until meat is cooked all the way through.

Add meat to the vegetables and stir.

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the cornbread mix, except the milk. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk and stir. Add enough milk until you have a loose "pancake" like batter. Stir in the meat/vegetable mixture. Dish about 2 tbsp in mini muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. If you do larger muffins, adjust your cooking time. A toothpick should come out clean and the tops of the muffins should start to brown.

Beef Lo Mein with Thai Peanut Sauce

I took a shortcut tonight and used a bottled sauce. One I could have made from scratch, but I had bought it before I started making sauces from scratch and I decided I wanted to try and use it up. It was pretty tasty and it was fast to throw this dinner together.
-Amanda

Beef Lo Mein with Thai Peanut Sauce

8-10 oz sirlion beef
1 red bell pepper
2 handfuls of sugar snap peas
1/2 pint of button mushrooms
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup peanuts
1/2 cup bottled Thai Peanut Sauce
Whole wheat spaghetti noodles

Prepare noodles according to package directions.
Slice beef into very thin strips going against the grain of the meat. Cut the bell pepper into thin strips too. Slice the mushrooms. In a large pan, add some of the vegetable oil and get it very hot. Add beef but do not try to stir it right away. Let it start to sear. Then after a minute or two, stir it and cook until almost cooked through, only about 4 minutes total. Remove meat from skillet. Drain any fat. Add a bit more vegetable oil and saute vegetables until cooked through. Add beef back in and peanut sauce. Cook until meat is done. Pour over noodles and top with some raw peanuts.

Another Beef Taco

I have really been enjoying the homemade from scratch cooking I've been doing. Everything tastes so much better. Meals have become simpler because the ingredients are more complicated. Instead of fixing a fancy side dish to go along with these tacos, I cut up a fresh pear, because my focus was on making homemade wheat tortillas. I used to take about 30-45 minutes to cook a meal. I got this one on the table in 30 minutes and everything was fresh. My dough was already prepared ahead of time, but I did roll it out and cook it in the 30 minute time slot.)
-Amanda

Another Beef Taco

8 small tortillas
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 small red bell pepper
1 small onion
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste
favorite cheese as garnish

Saute beef in a large skillet (I prefer cast iron.) When it is about half way cooked, add diced onions. Add seasonings as beef is still cooking (oregano, chili powder, cumin and salt.) Add corn and last bell pepper. Cook just a few minutes, but leave bell pepper a bit crunchy. Put about 1/4 cup of meat mixture on each tortilla and grate fresh cheese on top. Serve with fresh fruit.

Thai Steak

I don't know how authentic this is, but it sure was good! I was blog surfing yesterday (just discovered an evil way to waste a bunch of time... stumbleupon.com!) Anyway, I surfed right up to NoTakeOut.com. The site really intrigued me and I as I was browsing some of the recipes this Thai Steak caught my eye. One thing that is nice about this cooking site is that it has an entire meal planned out and tells you how to cook the entire meal in order step by step. I changed a few of the amounts and ingredients, but kept most of it the same.
-Amanda

Thai Steak, Cabbage and Lime Scented Rice

1/2 green cabbage
1 bunch cilantro
2 limes, preferably organic
1 jalapeno or other chile pepper
½ cup salted peanuts
2 tbsp Curry Powder
One 15 oz. can coconut milk
2 cups jasmine or other aromatic white rice
1-1/2 lbs. flank steak
1 tbsp + 1 tsp fish sauce, split
3 tbsp sugar, split
2 tbsp olive oil

Cook rice according to package directions. Zest one lime in the rice before it boils.

In a small pot mix coconut milk, curry powder, minced chili pepper, 2 tsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp sugar. Whisk together and let it reduce on a back burner. This takes time. This is the sauce to pour over your steak and rice. (After I finished cooking the steak, I added the steak "drippings" to this pot for more flavor.)

In a large bowl whisk 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice + zest, 3 tbsp chopped cilantro. Chop cabbage into small strips. Add to dressing you just made and toss. Add peanuts.

Salt and pepper your steak. Squeeze some lime on it if you have any leftover. Grill until cooked, about 6-8 minutes per side on a really hot grill skillet (or outside on a grill.) Cut steak against the grain. Serve with rice and coleslaw and drizzle coconut sauce ontop of steak and rice.

Mini Muffin Meatloafs & Roasted Butternut Squash

I got the idea of this meal from a friend who got the recipe from another friend. If I ever get a copy of the original recipe, I'll make sure to post it. The original recipe calls for a box of stuffing mix, but I very rarely buy pre-packaged boxes of food. So I just cut up a loaf of crusty bread and toasted it in a dry skillet before mixing in with the meat.
-Amanda

Mini Muffin Meatloafs

1 lb of ground beef
bread cubes (the same volume as the meat, so visually it's about half meat and half bread.)
1 egg
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
about 1 cup of bar-b-q sauce
1/2 diced grilled onion
1 cup cheddar cheese

Cut a loaf of bread into small cubes and crumbs. In a dry skillet, toast the bread, drizzle a bit of olive oil and stir continuously. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, and toasted bread. Add seasonings and grilled onion. Fill muffin pan with meat. Press an indentation in each mini-meatloaf and add about 1 tbsp of bar-b-q sauce to each meatloaf. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Halfway through sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of each meatloaf. Yeilds about 8-9 mini meatloafs, serve 2 per person.

Roasted Butternut Squash (and Potatoes)

1/2 of a Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp finely diced rosemary
1 minced garlic clove
3 tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, coat squash and potatoes with olive oil. Add seasonings and salt and pepper. Spread in one layer on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 450º and roast for 45 minutes or until soft and starting to brown.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Today was a perfect for beef stew! I pulled out the crock pot and had this simmering away all afternoon. By dinner time it was perfect.
-Amanda

Crock Pot Beef Stew

1 1/2 pounds of beef stew meat
1/2 cup of flour
3 large carrots
1 onion
3 small baking potatoes
3-4 sprigs of rosemary
2-3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil

Place 1/2 cup of flour in a large ziplock bag. Place stew meat in the bag and shake it around. In a cast iron skillet, heat some vegetable oil. Sear the stew meat in batches so you don't crowd the pan. (This step can be omitted, but the sear adds a nice flavor to the final stew.)

In a crock pot, place the chopped onion, large diced potatoes, chopped carrots, minced garlic and stew meat. In a large bowl mix the worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and mushroom soup. Pour over beef. Add rosemary sprigs. Cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender.

Bread Bowl

I am so excited. I just discovered a super easy way to make bread bowls at home from scratch. The possibilities are endless. I really don't know how to contain my joy at this discovery! Traditional bread bowls that I have had are more crusty, usually made out of sourdough, but this was light fluffy and the main thing... EASY!
-Amanda

Bread Bowl

base ingredients:
1 package of dry active yeast
2/3 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar (sugar substitute won't work, it's "food" for the yeast)
1 2/3 cup of flour
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
few tablespoons of cornmeal reserved

For Mexican Bowl:
add 1/2 tbsp oregano and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For Italian Bowl:
add 1/2 tbsp dry basil and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Pour yeast into warm water. Warm tap water is fine, you don't want it to be boiling. Add the sugar and stir the yeast. Wait until it starts to foam and bubble. This way you know your yeast is still good. It should take about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the rest of the ingredients (except cornmeal!) in a food processor (I'm sure you can do this by hand, just knead until dough comes together. You could probably also use a stand mixer with dough hook.) When yeast is good and foamy, turn on processor and pour the water-yeast mixture in slowly until incorporated. Keep the food processor on until the dough starts to ball up on the side. Remove from the food processor and knead a few times by hand to bring it together into one large ball.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough ball in the bottom. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm non-drafty spot. Let rise about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375º. Divide the dough into two smaller balls. Sprinkly reserved cornmeal on a cookie sheet (this prevents dough from sticking!) Place balls onto the cookie sheet and cook for about 20 minutes. Dough should start to turn brown on top. A toothpick will come out clean.
Serves 2.

Possibilities are endless: Pictured above: I have a Mexican bowl with Shredded Salsa Beef, topped with cheese, onion and a pickled jalapeno. Diced tomato or black olives would be good too.

Italian bowl, fill with meat spaghetti sauce and top with mozzarella.

Or make a chili bowl, a clam chowder bowl, cheese and broccoli bowl, etc!

Chili Casserole

Finished casserole.


Spoon chili into baking dishes.

This recipe is perfectly adaptable to campfire cooking. As a matter of fact that's how I had it the first time, prepared in a huge castiron dutch oven. It was so good I didn't want to wait until the next campout to have it again, so it can be done in your home oven. Substitute ingredients as you see fit, the main idea is to make a yummy chili and top it with a yummy cornbread.

My playgroup has decided to do a meal swap. I picked this meal to make for our first swap for a couple of reasons. It's easy to make in bulk (I needed enough for 3 families), it is perfect cold weather food, and I had all the ingredients on hand! You can scale it down to suit one family meal or make it in bulk and freeze the extra casseroles!
-Amanda

Chili Casserole

Chili:
1 onion
2-3 pieces of bacon
2.5 lbs of lean ground beef
2 cans of black beans, drained
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 can of diced green chilies
4 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
salt & pepper

Cornbread: (You can also use a Cornbread Kit)
2 1/2 cups of cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded mexican cheese
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk (give or take)

Dice bacon into tiny bits. Saute the bacon with diced onion and garlic. Add ground beef. Break up the beef with the end of your spoon and add seasonings: chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and mix it into the ground beef. Add drained beans and fire roasted diced tomatoes. Last, add the diced green chilies. Continue cooking over medium high heat until meat is fully cooked. Transfer over to baking dishes. I made 3, 9"x9" casseroles.

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all the ingredients for the cornbread into a big mixing bowl. Spoon wet cornbread mixture over the chili in a thin layer. Sprinkle the top with extra cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.