Beef Fajitas

This recipe came to me by way of the butcher at Roger Meats. I really enjoyed the flavor as did our company. My kids aren't crazy about the stripes of meat, so next time I will have to mince or cube their pieces to make it easier for them to eat. I am excited to have this recipe to use up some more of our fajita meats in the freezer.

For: 1 lb. Skirt or flank steak

Marinade:

Juice of 1 lime

2 Tablespoons Oil

2 Gloves of garlic (I pressed mine)

1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Blend marinade ingredient in a food processor or blender. Marinade meat for 30 minutes. (I did mine longer-for a few hours, and it turn out fine.

Grill or pan fry the steak over high heat for 3 minutes per side or to desired doneness. (I did mine closer to 5 minutes on first side and 3 on the other. The meat was cooked to a medium doneness.)

Slice the meat across the grain into thin pieces. Serve with cheese, tomatoes, grilled onions (I made our favorite grilled onions and mushrooms), avocado, sour cream, and cilantro

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I have had this recipe in my e-mails from a friend since February. Yesterday I knew it was going to be a wild busy day filled with morning and afternoon R.S. Society commitments and meetings. Not to mention it was going to be a good hot day of summer-that is motivation in and of itself for me to crock pot lately. I decided I would take Ang up on her recommendation. It was a big hit with my kids, husband, as well as my sister- and brother-in-law and all their kids. (This was my trade for her watching my kids while I went to my afternoon meetings and then when Jack and I snuck in a date-that rarely happens for us-that evening.) This will be a keeper for us for sure! Because of the nature of day I didn't get a photo snapped of it. Maybe next time!

The best part of this recipe is that I usually have all its ingredients on hand and it was tossed together in a jiffy. I am excited to have another use for my stew meat in addition to beef stews.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2 lb cubed stew meat (I took time to cut mine into smaller pieces)

2 (10.75oz) can condensed golden mushroom soup or regular cream of mushroom soup

1 chopped onion (I always use my favorite-sweet onions)

1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. water

1 packet Lipton Onion soup mix

Spray cooker with non stick spray

Combine all above ingredients in slow cooker

Ingredients added at the END (each of these you can add more or less of)

8 oz cream cheese (I like to used reduced fat)

1/2 to 1 cup sour cream (low fat or fat free is my choice here too)

fresh mushrooms

Directions

Cook on low 8 hours or on high 5 hours

Just before serving stir in 8 oz cream cheese and 1/2 to 1 c. sour cream

I also sauté mushrooms in butter and add those at the end

We serve over Wide Egg Noodles or Rice with a baked squash or other season vegetable favorites. Salad would be a great crunch side to add some nice texture to the meal.

Hope you don't wait as long as I did to take Angela H. up on here great recommendation! ENJOY!

Easy Beef Pot Pie

This pot pie comes together quickly when using frozen veggies. Using FRESH veggies adds just a few more minutes for the peeling and chopping. My kids and husband love this dish!

Beef Pot Pie
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked beef, cubed or shredded Salt and Pepper to taste (we have found Sirloin Steak cut works great and stays tender!)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I use frozen and fresh veggies combined to our liking. Fresh celery, green beans, potatoes, carrots, and frozen peas. The quickest I have ever made this is when I have bought a bag of frozen peas, beans, carrots, and beans.*I also add more than the 2 cups to make the pie bigger to serve more people)
1 (.87-ounce) envelope brown gravy mix
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 prepared refrigerated pie pastries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and bell pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender about 5 minutes. (When using all fresh I throw them in here for a few minutes and stir-fry them for 5-8 minutes). Add beef and mix vegetables to skillet. Prepare gravy according to package directions; add to skillet. Stir gently to combine.
Fit one pastry into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Spoon beef and vegetables into pastry. Top beef mixture with remaining pastry. Seal edges with a fork or flute it. Cut 3 steam vents in the crust. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly; about 35 minutes.

*Variation: Sprinkle 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese over filling before adding top crust.

To cut the cooking time and make individual pot pies, spoon the hot filling into six 5-ounce ramekins. Top each pie with refrigerator biscuit dough. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until top is browned.

Balsamic-Glazed Strip Steaks

 This was tasty. The Grilled Mushrooms and Onions were AWESOME! I think I would make them all by themselves. I even thought they would be great on top of a hamburger with a slice of swiss cheese for something to mix up the old burger.

AnyHOO on with the recipe! I got this recipe out of my "Grill it Quick!" Pampered Chef book. It takes about 15 minutes to prep it and 30 minute start to finish.

BALSAMIC GLAZE:

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, pressed

MUSHROOM MIXTURE:

1 lb mushrooms, halved (I used white button mushrooms--its on one of two options I have here at our little grocery store and the most economical of the two.)

2 Medium onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika (mine was good old regular)

1 teaspoon salt

STEAKS AND GARNISH:

2 beef strip steaks, cut 1-inch thick (just choose a tender steak cut!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 beefsteak tomatoes, thickly sliced

1/4 crumbled blue cheese (no one in my family will touch the stuff!! Including me! I hate the smell of blue cheese--my pallet still has some learning to do I guess!)

Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. For GLAZE, whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on High for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thick, syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup. (Be prepared to have your nose burn while this is going on! I was shocked that I felt it as much as I did. Mine took 6 minutes.)

For MUSHROOM MIXTURE, combine the mushrooms, onions, oil, paprika and salt; mix well. Preheat a BBQ Grill Basket on grill for 3 minutes. Grill mushroom mixture, undisturbed, 7 minutes. Shake basket then grill additional 8-9 minutes or until mushrooms are browned and onions begin to caramelize. Remove basket from grill and keep mixture warm.

Set aside 2 Tablespoons glaze for serving. Season steaks with salt and black pepper; brush remaining glaze over both sides of steaks. Grill steaks, covered, 4 minutes or until grill marks appear.  Turn with tongs and grill 4-6 minutes or until thermometer registers 140 degrees for medium-rare or 150 for medium doneness. Transfer steaks from grill to cutting board; tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes.

Slice steaks against grain and serve with tomatoes, mushroom mixture and blue cheese if you like it. Drizzle reserved glaze over steaks.

Yeilds: 4 servings

Beef Satay Fried Rice

Quite frequently I like to try new dishes. It seems like they are either Asian or Mexican in flavor when that happens. This dish comes from the latest Pampered Chef Catalog. We enjoyed this dish and I was surprised that my kids ate it so well. They especially loved the peanuts in it. Red bell peppers not so much, but I am proud of them for at least trying my cooking and not complaining. Jack said he liked this dish. It doesn't make our "Wow we need to have this again in the near future!" but is was one we wouldn't mind serving up again when we get the itch for something different.

2 teaspoon (10 mL) vegetable oil, divided
1 lb (450 g) boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1/2 in. (1 cm) thick
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
4 green onions with tops
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) Thai red curry paste (* I used 1/4 teaspoon and it was plenty hot for us-Whimps I know!!)
3 pouches (8.8 oz/250 g each) cooked white rice or 6 cups (1.5 L) cold cooked white rice
3/4 cup (175 mL) peanut sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) dry roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper

1. Prepare and cook steak.

Add 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil to (12-in./30-cm) Skillet; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Cut steak crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick (6-mm) strips. Add steak to Skillet, cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until outside surfaces of steak are no longer pink. Remove from Skillet; set aside and keep warm.
2. Prepare vegetables and cook rice and vegetables.

Meanwhile, cut carrots into julienne strips using Julienne Peeler. Thinly slice bell pepper and green onions with Santoku Knife. To same Skillet, add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) oil and curry paste; cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Separate rice according to package directions. Add rice and vegetables to Skillet; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until rice is coated with oil and vegetables are tender.
3. Finish and serve.

Add steak, sauce, peanuts, salt and black pepper to Skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until heated through, stirring constantly.
Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 370, Total Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 46 g, Protein 21 g, Sodium 540 mg, Fiber 4 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 starch, 1 1/2 low-fat meat, 1 fat (3 carb)

Cook’s Tips: Cutting the steak into thin strips before cooking helps it to cook more quickly. Slice it into an even thickness to ensure even cooking.

This recipe is a great way to use leftover rice. Using cold cooked rice will allow the oil to coat the individual grains, preventing them from sticking together.

Peanut sauce is typically made of roasted peanuts, coconut milk and a variety of herbs and spices. It can be found in the Asian section of major grocery stores. Be sure to choose peanut sauce instead of a peanut dip, which tends to be thinner in consistency.