Sunday, March 8, 2015

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
 
recipe image
Rated:rating
Submitted By: TESSLYNN
Photo By: mominml
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Hours
Ready In: 5 Hours 15 Minutes
Servings: 8
"Ground beef gets a boost of flavor from onion soup mix in this quick and easy slow cooker Salisbury steak recipe."
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream
of chicken soup
1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix
3/4 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties.
2.Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. Place browned patties into the slow cooker stacking alternately like a pyramid. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup, au jus mix, and water. Pour over the meat. Cook on the Low setting for 4 or 5 hours, until ground beef is well done.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Banana Cake

Ingredients
Cake:
  • 2/3 cup sugar 
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup mashed super ripe banana (about 2)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
To make cake (is easily mixed by hand):
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F (see note below). 
  2. Cream together sugar, sour cream, egg, and 2 tablespoons softened butter. 
  3. Add mashed bananas and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 
  4. Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix well. 
  5. Pour into an 8x8-inch pan that has been sprayed with baking spray.
  6. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  7. Cool completely before frosting.
To make frosting:
  1. Cream butter and confectioner's sugar together until smooth. 
  2. Slowly add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste; stir until smooth.  
  3. Spread on cooled cake. 

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Strawberry Jello Cake

1 box white cake, 1 box strawberry Jello, Cool whip & fresh strawberries.    Bake cake according to box, then cool. Poke holes in cake with fork. Mix Jello with 1 cup cold water & 1 cup hot water - pour over cake. Refrigerate for a couple hours. Spread Cool Whip over cake and top with fresh strawberries.  One of my favorite summer desserts!
Ingredients

1 box white cake, 
1 box strawberry Jello, 
Cool whip & fresh strawberries.

Directions

 Bake cake according to box, then cool. Poke holes in cake with fork. Mix Jello with 1 cup cold water & 1 cup hot water - pour over cake. Refrigerate for a couple hours. Spread Cool Whip over cake and top with fresh strawberries.

Basil Butter Garlic Bread

Basil Butter Garlic Bread
Prep: 5 mins Level: Easy Cook: 20 mins Serves: 6

 Ingredients
 2 ounces, weight Butter
 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 bunch Basil Leaves (generous Handful)
 1 bunch Parsley (use 1/3 Of The Amount Of Basil)
 2 cloves Garlic
1 whole Green Onion
 2 pinches Salt To Taste
1 pinch Pepper To Taste
1 loaf Ciabatta Or French Bread
1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (up To 2 Cups)

Preparation
1. Combine all the ingredients except the bread and cheese in a food processor, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cut open the loaf of bread and spread both halves with the basil butter. Put the halves together and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for in a 400ºF oven for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the bread, separate the halves and load them up with Parmesan cheese. Return them to the oven and either crank up the heat to 500ºF or put them under the broiler.
4. Cook until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to get brown. Serve!

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
  • 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
  • 1/2 red or green pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
  • Sour cream (optional)
  • 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas
DIRECTIONS
  1. Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
  2. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef

Yield: 2 servings
 
Prep Time: 20 min
 
Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 (1-pound) flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 scallions (green parts only), sliced into 1-inch pieces

Directions:


Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and water, stirring to combine.
Stir in the brown sugar and increase the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch pieces, then toss it with the cornstarch. Place the coated pieces of steak in a sieve and shake off any excess cornstarch. Allow the steak to sit 10 for minutes.
Place a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the beef to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes until it is seared on all sides but barely cooked in the center. Remove the steak from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer it onto a paper towel-lined plate. Pour any excess oil out of the wok.
Place the sauté pan back over medium heat. Add the prepared sauce to the hot pan (it should come to a boil almost immediately), then add the reserved steak and cook at a boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add the sliced scallions, stirring to combine.

Chicken & Bacon Alfredo

CHICKEN & BACON ALFREDO PASTA
1 1/2 cups of Cooked diced or shredded Chicken breast
*I like to use Rotisserie
1 cup of diced fried ham (opt)
1 cup crisp bacon for the sauce
1 cup of crumbled cooked bacon (for the top)
1 diced Roma Tomato ( for the top or can mix in)
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese and additional for the top
Pasta:  Whatever your family likes. Cook enough Pasta for 3 to 4 servings.

PASTA SAUCE:
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken Broth
1 cup Whipping Cream
1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
*Can add more seasoning to your taste
a few sprinkles of Red pepper flakes (opt)
1 Teaspoon white sugar
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
*Sometimes I also squeeze in 1 to 2 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice.
NOTE: (If you are watching calories, change this up if you like:  for example:  Use 1/2 cup Whipping Cream, 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup broth or even replace the cream with half and half.)
DIRECTIONS
Fry bacon until crispy, place on Paper towels and set aside.  Fry pieces of Ham in a small amount of the bacon grease.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of Brown Sugar on top of the ham, and toss until the ham is golden and the Brown sugar has caramelized.  Chop or shred the Chicken Breasts, chop tomato, and chop tender cooked Asparagus. (If you don’t care for Asparagus, you could use Broccoli or any vegetable your family likes, or just leave it out entirely)
Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter.  Add 2 tablespoons flour, seasonings, sugar and whisk together with the butter until bubbly.  Continue whisking, and slowly add the milk, cream and the chicken broth.  Whisk Constantly, so that you don’t get any lumps.  You want your sauce to be nice and smooth.  Keep whisking until the sauce has thickened.  Turn heat to low, and add the grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese.  Once melted and mixed thorougly, turn your heat to the lowest temperature.  Add part of the crisp bacon, fried ham and chicken pieces to your sauce.  Mix well and simmer covered over very low heat.  Prepare your pasta until al dente. Drain well.
You can plate the pasta, and serve the sauce over the top, and Crumble your bacon on top of the sauce.  Top with Asparagus, tomatoes and more grated Parmesan Cheese.  Delish!
Chefs note:  I like to add the prepared pasta to the sauce, and mix everything together.  When I plate it, I also top it with diced tomatoes, more Crisp Bacon and Parmesan Cheese.
If the Sauce gets a bit thick before you are ready to serve it, simply add a bit more milk, cream or Chicken broth.
*This also warms up nicely the next day.  Just heat in skillet, but don’t let the sauce boil!