January 29, 2012: Steak With Pomegranate Reduction Recipe

My husband and I love ribeye steaks but the reason they’re so good is that they’re nicely marbled with lots of fat. In order to make a healthier version of this favorite, I bought thinner steaks and added a sauce to make it seem like more food was on the plate.

Steak With Pomegranate Reduction served with multi-colored potatoes with butter and parsley

Steak With Pomegranate Reduction

2 thin ribeye steaks (or other good quality beef steaks), about ½ pound total weight

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 t. olive oil

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

¾ cup dry red wine (such as Merlot or Shiraz)

¾ cup pomegranate juice

1 t. butter

1 T. fat free half and half

1 t. jarred, drained capers

Take out the steaks and leave at room temperature for about half an hour before cooking. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper.

Heat oil to medium-high in a heavy skillet. Add steaks and cook briefly on each side (about 2 minutes) to brown. Place on a plate and tent with foil. Keep warm in a low oven.

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic cloves to skillet. Saute for about one minutes, until slightly softened. Slowly pour in wine and pomegranate juice. Bring to a slow, rolling boil and cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, half and half and capers; stir to blend ingredients.

To serve, place one steak on each plate and ladle half the sauce over the top.

Serves 2

January 27, 2012: Buttermilk Chicken With Mushroom Sauce Recipe

I bought some low fat buttermilk recently because I swore I’d seen a main dish entrée I wanted to try. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the recipe so I was on the hunt for a dish I could make to use the buttermilk sitting in my fridge. I found this one online and it wasn’t loaded with calories – at least after I put my own twists on the recipe.

Buttermilk Chicken with Mushroom Sauce served with Skinny Mashed Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas

Buttermilk Chicken With Mushroom Sauce

1 T. olive oil

8 white mushrooms, thickly sliced

4 pieces bone-in, skinless chicken pieces (breasts and thighs)

2 cups buttermilk, divided

Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup flour

½ t. dried sage

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Place chicken pieces in one cup of buttermilk. Let sit in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add olive oil and place in oven to heat. When heated through (about 5 minutes), add sliced mushrooms to bottom of pan.

Remove chicken from buttermilk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dredge with flour.

Place chicken pieces on top of mushrooms. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, turn chicken over and bake 10 more minutes.

Mix together remaining cup of buttermilk, sage and cream of mushroom soup. Pour over chicken. Bake another 10 – 20 minutes, until juices from chicken run clear.

To serve, place a piece of chicken on each plate. Whisk sauce in pan and spoon over the top of each piece of chicken.

Serves 4

January 16, 2012: Roasted New York Strip Steak with Wine Mushroom Sauce Recipe

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good steak. Yes, I know, steak is best when it’s grilled but it’s also good when you roast it like this recipe. Give it a try and see what you can think.

Roasted New York Strip Steak with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

2 (4) ounce, thick cut New York strip steaks

Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 t. olive oil, divided

1 T. minced shallot

4 mushrooms, quartered

¼ cup dry red wine

¼ cup beef stock

2 t. Dijon mustard

¼ cup fat free half and half

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with Montreal Steak Seasoning. Heat an oven-proof skillet (cast iron is ideal) to medium heat. Add one teaspoon of the olive oil. Sear the steak on both sides in the skillet, about one minute per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer steak to cutting board; tent with foil.

While steak is resting, add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to skillet and heat on top of stove to medium. Add shallots and mushrooms to pan and sauté for about one minute, until veggies are slightly softened. Add wine and beef stock. Cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Add Dijon mustard and half and half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2 with calories of about 294 per serving

January 15, 2012: Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin Medallions Recipe

Here’s another recipe I devised based loosely on one I found in the current issue of Cooking Light magazine. My recipe makes it just a bit more diet-friendly and the best part? My husband absolutely loved this dish! He said it tasted as if I’d fried up sausage in the pan and then added the pork, which made him believe there were plenty of fat calories when it reality, it is quite healthy and low cal.

Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin served with Whole Wheat Linguine with Vegetables and Slow Cooker Sesame Green Beans

Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin Medallions

1 t. minced ginger

1 t. honey

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. rice wine vinegar

½ t. Asian red chili sauce

3/4 lb. pork tenderloin, sliced horizontally into 3 thick pieces

1 t. olive oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a glass dish and add pork loin pieces. Marinate, refrigerated, a minimum of two hours.

Heat a heavy skillet to medium high. Add olive oil. Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and carefully add to hot skillet, being careful not to splatter yourself with the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook medallions for about 3 – 5 minutes each side (depending on thickness) until cooked through. Add remaining marinade and about 1/3 cup of water to deglaze the hot pan and make a sauce. To serve, place one medallion on each plate and spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each.

3 servings, 312 calories each

January 11, 2012: Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken Recipe

I bought the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine because I was intrigued by the front cover, which promised dozens of new chicken recipes. We eat a lot of chicken and finding new ways to make it in a calorie-conscious manner is always appealing to me. I ended up combining a couple different recipes to come up with this delicious combination. Be forewarned, however, the cooked chicken turns a deep purple color (from the pomegranate juice) which some might find off-putting.

Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken

2 t. olive oil, divided

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ t. salt

2 T. minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup pomegranate juice

1 t. Truvia or other sugar substitute

½ t. dried sage

1 t. cider vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat one teaspoon of olive oil to medium. Quickly sear the chicken pieces on both sides (about 1 – 2 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate to rest.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add remaining olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Sauté for about one minutes, until softened. Add pomegranate juice and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Add Truvia, sage, vinegar and mustard and heat through.

Place chicken pieces in pan and turn over to coat both sides with sauce. Place in oven and cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Serve with sauce spooned over the top.

Serves 4 with approximately 287 calories per serving.

September 13, 2011: Garlic Chicken and Potatoes Recipe

What do you get when you take loads of garlic, chicken and canned potatoes? Besides the fact that these are all some of my favorite ingredients, when you put them together you get a yummy, hearty dinner perfect for any night of the week. After just a few minutes of preparation, the pan goes into the oven and you can walk away for an hour while it bakes to perfection.

Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

1 T. olive oil

4 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken (your choice of breast or dark meat)

20 cloves garlic

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 pint canned white potatoes (or 1 can)

1 t. kosher salt

1 T. Montreal Chicken Seasoning

In a large ovenproof skillet, add the olive oil and heat to medium. Add the pieces of chicken, cooking for a couple minutes per side, until lightly browned. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the garlic, shallots and drained potatoes to the pan. Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and seasoning blend.

I cooked this dish in a cast iron skillet, using a really big thigh quarter and breast.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pan of chicken and vegetables, uncovered, for 50 – 60 minutes, until juices are no longer pink and the skin is crispy.

Serves 4.

Tip: If you don’t have or can’t find Montreal Chicken Seasoning, substitute a combination of freshly ground black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper.

September 12, 2011: Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe Recipe

Macaroni and cheese seems to be a universal favorite comfort food. It certainly is for my family, who could eat it every single week. They’re completely devoted to their box of Kraft mac and cheese but every now and then I’ve convinced them to eat outside the box. This is a recipe I found in a magazine some years ago or… okay, well it’s mostly that recipe but not quite. Here’s how I make a “kicked up” version of macaroni and cheese that functions as a hearty main dish.

Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe

1 lb. penne pasta

10 slices thick bacon, cut into small pieces

½ cup diced onion

8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 roma tomato, diced

¾ cup frozen peas

1 jar prepared Alfredo sauce

2 T. ranch dressing

1 ½ cups shredded Colby Jack or Pepper Jack cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain.

In a skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until cooked through and crispy. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook a few minutes more, until vegetables soften.

In the pot you used to cook the penne pasta or a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into a greased casserole; cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serves 6

August 31, 2011: Halibut Topped with Dill Sour Cream Recipe

This recipe is one from the back of a package of Waterfront Bistro frozen halibut. As typical, I altered it slightly. I never know if a new recipe is going to please my husband, but this one did – he really loved this fish and didn’t even need to smother it in tartar sauce!

Halibut topped with dill sour cream served with coconut Jasmine rice and snow peas sauteed in sesame oil

Halibut Topped With Dill Sour Cream

2 6-ounce halibut steaks

2 t. fresh lemon juice (about 1/3 of a lemon)
1/2 t. citrus peel seasoning blend

Garlic salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup sour cream

2 T. panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 t. chopped fresh dill

Place halibut steaks in a greased pan. Squeeze lemon over the top of the fish. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Spread sour cream over the top.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and dill. Sprinkle over the top of the fish.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily. If desired, place under broiler for a couple minutes to crisp crumb topping.

August 20, 2011: Short Ribs in Molé Sauce Recipe

Okay, I have to admit it – I watch the Food Network and shows about food (absolutely anything with Gordon Ramsey) in order to get new ideas for dishes I make. Sure I’m pretty good at putting ingredients together but sometimes even I need a little something to stir my creative juices.

Such is the case with the following recipe. I watched the finale of Master Chef Tuesday night and Adrien made a similar dish. It sounded really good so I pulled out my The Spicy Food Lover’s Bible cookbook to get a general idea of how to make the molé sauce and went from there. I made some pretty big changes but I think it came out really tasty. Try it and tell me what you think!

Pork Short Ribs in Molé Sauce

2 pounds pork short ribs

1 T. vegetable oil

Heat a slow cooker to high. Add the oil and the ribs. Brown on both sides (or use a saucepan on the stove if your slow cooker doesn’t have a high enough temperature).

My mortar and pestle (it has a puppy face on the front!) made out of volcanic rock from Mexico.

Molé Sauce

1 T. Especias Mixtas (this is a Mexican spice blend that contains mustard seed, cumin seed, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves, allspice, bay leaves and dried red chiles)

1 T. sesame seeds

2 T. roasted pumpkin seeds

½ t. cinnamon

2 cloves garlic

½ medium-sized white or yellow onion

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

2 T. craisins

¼ cup hot red chile powder

2 canned chiles in adobo sauce + 1 t. adobo sauce

1 (14.5 ouce) tomatoes with green chiles

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Combine the Especias Mixtas, sesame seeds, and pumpkins seeds in a mortar or spice grinder; crush into a coarse powder. Add this to the bowl of a food processor and process by itself, if necessary, to break up any remaining large chunks. Add the cinnamon, garlic, onion, and chocolate and process until crumbled. Add the chile powder, adobo chiles, adobo sauce, tomatoes, and chicken stock. Process until fairly smooth. Pass through a sieve, if desired, for a smoother sauce.

Pour half the sauce over the ribs in the slow cooker and add the bay leaf. Cook on low to medium-low heat for six hours, until pork is tender.

Serves 3 – 4

Tip: Use the leftover molé sauce to make enchiladas, thinning with a bit of chicken stock, if necessary.

August 16, 2011: Falafel Recipe

I don’t know about you, but I’m partial to Mediterranean cuisine. It uses so many fruits and vegetables and fresh fish that it is often touted as one of the best diets in the world. Two of my favorite foods are hummus and falafel. Here’s a recipe I found online for supposedly authentic falafel; it doesn’t quite taste like what I’ve bought in the store but it’s still good.

Falafel

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans

½ large onion

2 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed

3 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil + a couple drops of sesame oil, for frying

Drain the garbanzo beans well. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth. The mixture should be very thick. Depending on how well you drained the garbanzo beans, you may have to add more flour.

Heat the oils in a saucepan. Add balls of the falafel mixture and deep dry until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Tip: I put my falafel in a pita bread pocket, added a yogurt-cucumber sauce, feta cheese, and sunflower sprouts for a delicious lunch sandwich that is much more unique than the same old ham or turkey with cheddar. You can also make patties out of the falafel and serve them on a bun like a hamburger.

August 10, 2011: Garlic Basil Pork Tenderloin Recipe

I didn’t realize it until yesterday but this month marks the halfway point in my year-long recipe blog experiment. The reason it finally dawned on me was due to the fact that, while taking a photo of the beautifully barbecued pork loin I had prepared for dinner, my husband commented, “I’ll sure be glad when this year is over and you’re not experimenting anymore with recipes.”

Naturally I was shocked and accused of him not being open to trying new foods. He admitted that he’d rather have the same old basic stuff he’s used to each and every night. Humph!

Does this mean that I’m going to quit trying new recipes? Of course not! He’s just going to have to deal!

So… on to today’s recipe. It’s adapted from one I found in my August Relish magazine. I thought it turned out quite good and much as my husband wouldn’t want to admit it, he liked it, too!

Garlic Basil Pork Tenderloin

1 one pound pork tenderloin

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 T. olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make small slits in the top of the tenderloin and insert slices of garlic. Rub with olive oil all over. Press basil into the oil on top of the meat and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

The oiled and garlic-infused pork tenderloin covered in chopped fresh basil ready to go on the grill.

Grill over indirect medium-high heat (400 degrees) for about 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes with a tent of aluminum foil before slicing.

Serves 3.

August 6, 2011: Citrus Sesame Beef Kebabs Recipe

Another way to grill meat that is easy to prepare and easy to clean up is by making kebabs. This recipe calls for sirloin and mushrooms, but you could also add chunks of red bell pepper for color.

Citrus Sesame Beef and Mushroom Kebabs

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1 t. sesame oil
½ t. minced garlic
½ t. sesame seeds
½ t. dry mustard
1 pound sirloin, cut into strips
8 ounces mushrooms


Combine all ingredients, through mustard, in a nonmetallic bowl. Add meat and mushrooms and marinate for two hours. Thread meat, alternating with mushrooms on skewers. Grill over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, depending on desired doneness of meat. Use leftover marinate to baste the skewers; discard when done.

Serves 2 - 3

July 27, 2011: Margherita Pizza Recipe

My husband and I love pizza but I get tired of making the same old pepperoni and black olives or white pizza with alfredo sauce. The other night I was watching the Food Network (which I’ve been accused of doing nonstop) and all the show episodes focused on pizza. Ever since then I was craving pizza so I decided to try this one with a thin crust and no sauce.

Note: I have some special tools in my kitchen because I love making pizza; if you don’t have them you can still make this recipe but it won’t turn out quite the same. Using this recipe, you should have a thin, crispy crust on the bottom that's hard to achieve without a pizza stone.

Margherita Pizza

Dough:
¾ cup warm water
1 ½ t. yeast
1 ½ T. olive oil
¾ t. sugar
¾ t. salt
2 – 2 ½ cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add olive oil, sugar, salt and about 1 ½ cups of the flour to your stand mixer or food processor. Gradually add remaining flour until mixture forms a ball. Place in a greased bowl and let rest in a warm place until dough is doubled in size. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thin circle. Fold into quarters and carefully place on a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal. Transfer the dough from the peel to a pizza stone set on the lowest rack of your oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bottom starts to brown and the top bubbles. Remove from oven, using the pizza peel.

Brush the hot dough with 2 T. olive oil mixed with 1 head roasted garlic*, minced, and 6 large basil leaves, cut into thin slices.

Layer on top:
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
8 ounces mozzarella bocconcini, sliced

Put topped pizza back in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Turn oven to broil and cook for another 5 minutes, until toppings are sizzling. Remove from oven and transfer from pizza stone to cutting surface.

Serves 2 – 3

* To roast garlic: take an unpeeled head of garlic and place in the middle of a piece of foil. Sprinkle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven or on a grill at a moderate temperature for about 20 - 30 minutes.

July 25, 2011: Sirloin and Pineapple Kebobs

Top sirloin is one of those meats that’s hard to tell just how it’s going to come out – I have some steaks that have been very tender while others have been more on the tough, chewy side. Just to be on the safe side, I like to marinate top sirloin. This is a recipe I concocted with flavors meant to complement the sweetness of the pineapple chunks.

Brush some of the leftover marinade on the pineapple chunks before grilling, as shown here.

Sirloin and Pineapple Kebobs

1 pound top sirloin steak
2 cups pineapple cut into large chunks

Marinade:
2 T. soy sauce
Juice of 1 orange (about ½ cup)
1 T. dried, minced onion
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. jarred, minced ginger
1 t. sesame oil

Trim meat and remove any silverskin. Cut into large (about 1 ½ to 2 inch) chunks, keeping the sizes as uniform as possible.

Combine all marinade ingredients and add steak. Marinate at least two hours in the refrigerator and set out at room temperature for half an hour before cooking.

Thread alternating cubes of steak and pineapple on skewers (will probably take 4). Grill over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side, until medium rare. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 2 – 4, depending on appetites and side dishes.

Tip: Feel free to add other veggies to the skewers, such as red bell pepper, sweet onion, mushrooms, etc.

July 19, 2011: Grilled Asian Tuna Recipe

Here’s another way I came up with to make tuna steaks on the grill using a quickly concocted Asian seasoning blend similar to 5 spice powder. This tuna was a big hit with my picky husband! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

My husband has perfected his technique for grilling tuna - it should always be bright pink in the center when you serve tuna.

Grilled Asian Tuna

2 fresh tuna steaks, about 1/3 pound each
1 t. chopped ginger (jarred)
2 T. soy sauce

Asian Seasoning Blend
1 teaspoon each Coriander seeds, Fennel seeds, Sesame seeds, Black peppercorns
1/3 stick cinnamon
1 t. dehydrated garlic
½ t. cumin powder
1 t. citrus peel seasoning blend
1 t. kosher salt

Combine seeds, peppercorns and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Heat over medium and stir frequently, just until toasted and fragrant (5 – 10 minutes). Remove from heat and crush with a mortar and pestle or whirl in a coffee grinder.

Add remaining spices. You will have more than you need for this recipe; store the remainder in tightly sealed jar.

To prepare tuna:
Rub both sides of tuna steaks with ginger and pour soy sauce over. Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with a total of 2 teaspoons of the spice blend. Let the tuna marinate at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Grill over medium high heat for a few minutes per side.

Serve with pineapple salsa, if desired.

July 15, 2011: Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Some years ago I worked at a hotel near downtown Mesa, Arizona. While I was there, I became friends with one of the maintenance workers, Bob. Bob was the quintessential Italian-American, complete with faint New York accent and proud, dark moustache. Who better, I thought, to ask for a recipe for spaghetti sauce?

Bob was gracious enough to share with me his family recipe for authentic Italian spaghetti sauce and it’s the one I always use now. As for those handy sauces in a jar like Prego? Forgedaboutit!!

Tip: If you’ve got tomatoes fresh from the garden ready for use, blanch and peel them and use them in place of the canned tomatoes in this recipe.

Bob’s Spaghetti Sauce

5 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. olive oil

Heat olive oil to medium in a large pot. Add garlic and brown slowly just until slightly brown.

Add:
3 pint cans crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste

Add to pot along with 2 empty paste cans of water; stir. Continue to cook over medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

If using Italian sausage, boil in one-quarter inch of water until white, then add to sauce at this time.

After 45 minutes of cooking, add basil, parsley, oregano (about 1 tablespoon of each) and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Continue simmering. After an hour, taste and add more seasoning as needed. If it tastes bitter, add a bit more sugar. Spoon grease off the top of the sauce as needed (if using sausage) or place a slice of soft bread on top to soak up the grease. Add water if the sauce is too thick.

Cook for a minimum total time of two to two-and-a-half hours.

July 10, 2011: Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

Since we got our “mac daddy” big, stainless steel grill last year, my husband and I have been doing our best to use all of its features. One of our favorite meals from the grill is rotisserie chicken.

We last served rotisserie chicken with the Parmesan green beans recipe I shared yesterday so the seasoning mixture is similar. This chicken was scrumptious – nicely seasoned, very moist and tender, yet crisped on the outside. If you have a rotisserie option on your grill, use it!

Rotisserie Chicken

4 pound roasting chicken
Salt and pepper
1 key lime
1 t. lemon pepper
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. citrus peel seasoning blend

Heat grill to 400 degrees.

Rinse chicken inside and out; remove giblets, if necessary. Sprinkle inside cavity with salt and pepper.

Cut lime in half and remove seeds. Squeeze juice into inside cavity of chicken; rub cut halves over outer skin.

Mix together remaining seasonings. Rub over outside of chicken.

Thread chicken onto rotisserie skewers and secure. Roast on grill for one and a half hours, until crispy on the outside, legs move easily in the joints, and no red juice is remaining.

May 25, 2011: Beef Fajitas Recipe

When it comes to grilling meat for fajitas you have a couple options. Number one is to use a large hunk of meat, such as a skirt steak, and place the whole thing on a grill to cook. The other option is to use meat that is already cut up, such as the butcher’s package of “stir fry meat”, which is usually quite reasonably priced.

When I made this recipe I used the latter, and cooked them quickly on the cast iron griddle on the side burner of my propane grill. It doesn’t really matter which method you use (although it’s easier to get rare meat when you use the whole piece), in either instance the idea is to cook the meat very quickly, just searing the outside surfaces. If you do opt for pre-sliced beef, be sure to use a cast iron griddle or skillet over high heat.

Beef Fajitas

Marinade:
1 cup tequila
Juice of one lime
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. dried or 1 T. fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed or 1 T. freeze dried garlic
2 T. vegetable oil
1 pound beef (cheap, tough cuts such as sirloin, skirt steak, etc. are perfect)

Combine all ingredients through the oil; add the beef (either as a whole slab or cut into strips as discussed above). Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, turning the meat occasionally.

4 soft taco sized flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave for half a minute
1 white or yellow onion
1 bell pepper, optional
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Nacho jalapeno slices
Sliced black olives
Salsa
Sour cream
Avocadoes, thinly sliced (or prepared guacamole)

Thinly slice the onion and bell pepper and sauté in olive oil just until soft. Set aside. Assemble remaining ingredients in bowls for diners to make their own burritos.

Cook the meat on a hot grill or griddle for 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from heat and tent with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep warm until ready to eat; it will continue to cook. If you cooked a large piece of meat, slice it thinly after letting it rest under the foil for about 5 minutes.

Beef fajitas served with a simple salad with Chipotle Garlic Ranch dressing and Spanish rice

To assemble, take a flour tortilla and spread with shredded cheese, top with fajita meat, sautéed onions and peppers and additional ingredients as desired. Roll up and enjoy!

February 11, 2011: Beef Stew for a Cold Night’s Meal

There are few meals better on a bitterly cold winter’s night than a good, hearty stew. I’ve spent some time perfecting my recipe, making a thick and rich stew that’s more than enough to fill up my hungry husband.

The beauty of making stew is that it costs very little and goes a long way. You can use the cheapest cuts of meat (not just packages labeled “stew meat”, nearly any tough cut is perfect for the low, slow cooking method).

This recipe is best made in a crock pot (adjustable temperature crock pots with very low to very high settings work best) but you could also use a Dutch oven and roast it in a low temp oven.

Beef Stew

2 T. vegetable oil
½ - 1 pound beef cut into medium-sized chunks
Salt and pepper
¼ cup flour
½ white or yellow onion, cut into medium dice
1 large carrot or 5 baby carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 large or 2 small ribs celery, leafy greens included, thickly sliced
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 – 2 ½ cups water
2 averaged-sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized chunks
1 T. butter, softened
1 T. flour

Take a crock pot and turn it up to high heat. Add the oil and let it get warm.

Sprinkle the beef chunks with salt and pepper. Toss them in the flour, then add the meat to the heated oil in the crock pot. Lightly brown the meat, for about 15 minutes, if your crock pot is able to reach a high enough heat. If you are pressed for time or using a crock pot with only low heat settings, brown the meat in a saucepan and then add to the crock pot. Tip: The former method saves you from cleaning an extra pan.

Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the meat mixture, stirring to coat. Add the package of dry soup mix and the water, stir to mix (the measurement is approximate; add enough water to cover all the ingredients plus about an inch). Toss in the cubed potatoes. Cover and cook on medium-low for about 6 hours.

Fifteen minutes before serving, mix together the softened butter and flour to form a roux. Turn the crock pot on high and stir in the roux. Let cook for another 15 minutes, until the stew thickens. Serve with French bread, rolls, or biscuits.

Tip: Use any vegetables you have on hand for this stew: leftover corn, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc.