Summer Steak

We have started off summer (okay I know it's not technically summer yet, but June means summer to me) and are cooking on the grill multiple times a week.  I have scoured the internet for marinade recipes for chicken, steak, and pork.  A variation of this one was ALL over pinterest.  It didn't give exact measurements but this is what I used and I think that it turned out GREAT!  I am super excited for summer and all of the delicious cooking that goes along with it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup steak sauce (I used A1)
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing (I used Kraft Zesty Italian)
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 4- 8oz Steaks (I used Sirloin)

Serves 4

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk together.  Pour over steaks and marinate for about an hour.  Grill to desired temperature.  

Crispy Ranch Chicken

The kiddos may have finished school ten days ago, but I myself just finished yesterday. I am officially back! Those classes kicked my butt!   I know that I have slacked a little for the last few months, hopefully I can make up for it!  I have still been crafting, cooking, and creating I just haven't had time to blog about it all.  Life. Is. Crazy.  I am ready for summer vacation and FUN FUN FUN!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon Pepper
• 2/3 Cup Panko Crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Ranch Salad Dressing
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• About 3 Chicken Breasts

Serves 4-5

First I pounded the chicken breasts to about a half inch thick and then I cut them into thirds.  My chicken breasts were pretty big, so you may only be able to cut them in half.  Next, combine all of the dry ingredients on a large plate and place the ranch dressing in a shallow bowl. 

One piece at a time, dip the chicken into the ranch dressing and flip to cover then dip to coat each side with the panko mixture.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  

Cook chicken for about 8 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through and golden brown.  Remove chicken from skillet and place on paper towel for about a minute and then serve.  

I served with Spicy Potato Wedges and Steamed Asparagus.

Country Corn

Corn is one vegetable that I can get everyone in the house to eat, which means that I need to come up with different variations of it to keep it interesting.  We love corn on the cob, but sometimes we like to keep our hands clean so I cut it off the cob.  I have a great recipe for Creamed Corn this one is different because it doesn't call for any cream but it still thickens to become one of the best comfort foods that I make.

Ingredients:

• 3 Large Ears of Corn (cooked and cut off the cob)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Butter
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Flour
• 1 teaspoon of Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Pepper
• 3/4 Cup of Water
• A Couple Dashes of Onion Powder

Combine flour, sugar, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Whisk in water.  Melt butter in skillet.  Add in corn and flour/water mixture.  Stir.  Let mixture simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.  Mixture will thicken as it cooks creating a creamy side dish everyone will love!

I served this with Key Lime BBQ Chicken and Rice

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Blueberry Crumble Bars

This past summer I picked LOTS of blueberries.  I froze some so that we would have them throughout the winter.  We use them in all sorts of things like muffins, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, cheesecake, smoothies, and many others.  These bars are easy and SO delicious.  You can eat them alone or serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups of Flour
• 3/4 Cups of Sugar
• 1/8 Cup Lemon Juice
• 1 Pint Blueberries
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Corn Starch
• 1 Stick Cold Butter
• 1 Egg

Makes 12 bars

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, salt, and baking powder.  Cut the butter into cubes and add to mixing bowl.  Add egg.  Using a fork or a pastry blender, combine the ingredients until they become a crumbly mixture.  Grease the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish.  Firmly press 1/2 of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the dish.  In a separate bowl, combine blueberries, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.  Toss to coat the berries.  Place the blueberry mixture on top of the pressed dough.  Cover with remaining crumble.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Cool completely and then cut into bars.

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Banana Berry Oatmeal in the Oven

Christmas morning (ok every morning) is crazy around here.  I made this oatmeal casserole because it is quick and easy to put together and it can easily be reheated so we can eat as we are hungry.  I have also made this on Sunday and reheated throughout the week for a delicious breakfast.  The chocolate chips and bananas make this a hit at my house!

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Quick Oats
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Raspberries (or sliced strawberries)
• 2 Cups of Milk (I used 1%)
• 1/3 Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tablespoons of Butter (melted)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 Ripe Banana

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.  In a bowl combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, half of the raspberries, and half of the chocolate chips.  Pour that mixture into the baking dish.  Then arrange the remaining berries and chocolate chips on top.  Slice the banana and place it on top of the oatmeal.  In a bowl, whisk together egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla.  Pour mixture over top of fruit and oats.

Shake the baking dish side to side to help the liquid settle and cover all of oats.  Bake for 30 minutes.

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Cheesesteak Quesadillas

Last week while planning meals, I asked Sherrie for some suggestions.  She told me that lately her kids only want to eat tacos and spaghetti so she has been coming up with lots of variations on those two things, so she inspired me to change up something that we all love- the Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas.  This recipe combines Philly Cheesesteaks and quesadillas.  YUM

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon A1
• A Pinch of Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon of Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 lb of Very Thinly Sliced Beef
• Butter
• 8 Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
• 8 Mushrooms- cut into small pieces
• A Small Onion cut into small slices
• 1 Green Pepper cut into small pieces
• Shredded Cheese- I used a Combination of Pepperjack, Cheddar, and Monterrey Jack
• Whatever topping you would like- Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Jalepenos, Sour Cream, Ranch Dressing

Serves 4

I combined the Worcestershire Sauce, A1, Montreal Steak Seasoning, and Olive Oil in a small bowl and whisked together.  I place the beef in a ziploc bag and poured the marinade over it and put it in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.  Then I drizzled a little olive oil in a large skillet and  cooked the meat.  My family requested that the ingredients were cooked separately because not everyone likes everything.  Next, I removed the meat- leaving the juices in the skillet.  I then cooked the green peppers.  When the peppers were almost done, I pushed them over to one side of the skillet.  Then I added the onions and 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the other side of the pan.  I stirred them as they sauteed and added another 1/2 tablespoon of butter.  After the onions softened I added the meat back in (to get it hot again) and then the mushrooms with about a tablespoon of butter.  It would have been much easier to cook it all together, but sometimes I have to do things to make the kiddos happy.

Once it is all cooked you can start building the quesadilla.  First you need to lightly butter one side of the tortillas.  Place butter side down in a hot skillet and add beef, onion, mushrooms, peppers, and top with cheese.  Then place another tortilla on top with butter side up.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the tortilla is a golden brown.  Carefully flip and cook the other side.  Cut with pizza cutter and serve HOT!

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Pesto and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

My family loves anything with pesto and this cheesy stuffed chicken is at the top of their list!

Ingredients:

• 2 Large Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Shredded Mozzarella
• 2+ 1 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
• 2 Tablespoons Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons Pesto
• 1 Egg

Serves 2 to 4- Since I use large chicken breasts, we often cut them in half after we have cooked them and it is plenty for all of us.   

Preheat oven to 375.  Place chicken breasts one at a time in a ziploc bag.  Use a rolling pin or meat mallet, flatten the chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick.  

In a small bowl combine sour cream, pesto, shredded mozzarella, and 1 tablespoon of finely grated Parmesan.  

Spread a layer of the pesto mixture onto each piece of chicken.  Don't go all the way to the edge or the yummy goodness might ooze out while baking.  Trust me, you want to be able to eat as much of this as possible!  It is SO good!

Roll the chicken breasts up.  You can secure them with toothpicks if you would like, but I just lay it seem side down in the baking dish and it stays in place.

Next, in a small bowl lightly beat one egg.  In another small bowl place remaining Parmesan and seasoned bread crumbs.  

Using a pastry brush, brush egg onto chicken roll ups and generously sprinkle with Parmesan Bread Crumb mixture.  

Place Chicken Roll Ups in baking dish. Bake at 375 for about 30 mins. 

 I served with pasta tossed with a little pesto and garlic.  YUM YUM YUM!

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Spicy Chipotle Shrimp

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The marinade for this shrimp has just the right amount of spice and heat to make it different from any of our other shrimp recipes.  One trick I have learned is that Chipotles in Adobo Sauce can be frozen so if you buy a can and only use a few place the remaining peppers and sauce in a freezer bag and place them in the freezer.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
• 1 Clove of Garlic (minced)
• 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
• 3 Tablespoons of Honey
• 2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in small food processor.  Process until smooth

Place shrimp in ziploc bag and pour marinade over.  Place in fridge for about 30 minutes

Skewer shrimp

Grill 2-3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are pink in color.

ENJOY!!

BBQ Pulled Pork and Mac and Cheese Sandwich

I love grilled cheese sandwiches.  This sandwich takes it up a few notches!  It proves that grilled cheese is not just for your kiddos and this is perfect for dinner.  When I make BBQ pulled pork I usually have leftovers because it makes so much.  I often freeze some and pull it out to make these amazing sandwiches and since it is already made I can throw it together quickly on nights when we have a baseball game or other evening activity

Ingredients:

• 1-1/ 1/2 lbs Pulled Pork either Best Darn Pork BBQ or BBQ Pulled Pork {Cincinnati Style}
• Macaroni and Cheese (recipe to come soon)
• Butter
• 8 Slices of Sour Dough Bread

Serves 4

Cook the Pulled Pork according to one of our AMAZING recipes.  

Prepare your favorite Macaroni and Cheese recipe (I will post mine soon).

Butter one side of each piece of bread and pile on the pork followed by the mac and cheese.  

 Place in skillet and toast each side to a golden brown.  Be careful not to lose the insides of your sandwich as you flip it!

Red Pepper Turkey Burger Sliders

I have used ground turkey for a variety of things including tacos, meat loaf, and meatballs.  The family favorite is turkey burgers.  Ground turkey is a great alternative to ground beef because the turkey is much better for you.  The mix in possibilities are endless.  I like to sneak a veggie or two in them.  My first choice is peppers, but those are not easily hidden because of their bright color.  Zucchini is also a great option.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of Ground Turkey
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay
• Salt
• Pepper
• A handful or so of finely diced red bell pepper
• Red Onion
• Baby Spinach Leaves
• Whole Wheat Slider Buns

In a bowl combine ground turkey, egg,  Old Bay, and diced red pepper.

 Once well mixed form into  8 small patties.  Season patties with salt and pepper.

Lightly spray large skillet with cooking spray.  Place patties in skillet and cook for about 7 minutes on each side.  For last 3 minutes on the second side, add about 3 tablespoons of water to the skillet and cover to allow the burgers to steam and cook fully.
Place patty on whole wheat slider bun and top with red onion and baby spinach.
I served with Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

This recipe was featured on the Marvelous May Menu, be sure to check out the rest of the May Menu.

Low Carb Italian Chopped Salad

I love Italian sub sandwiches, but I dont really love all the fat and carbs, but you can turn almost any sandwich into a delicious salad? Here's my take on an Italian chopped salad.

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Lots of pepper
• Salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend. Chill for 30 minutes.

For the salad:

• Romaine or iceberg lettuce
• Turkey pepperoni, fat free ham and hard salami
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Red onions
• 2 slices mozzarella cheese
  

Chop up lettuce into small bite size pieces. Chop desired amount of other ingredients and toss all of it lightly in the dressing. Serve immediately!

This recipe was featured on the Marvelous May Menu, be sure to check out the rest of the May Menu.

Tex Mex Breakfast

I am always looking for creative ways to use leftover taco meat. Even though everyone at my house loves taco night, there always seems to be an abundance of leftover meat. I want to use it in a different way, so I decided to use it for breakfast. If you don't have leftover taco meat, you can use sausage or leftover steak or pork as well. This is really a simple recipe and it is easy to use substitutions. I kind of just use whatever I have on hand. I make this for just me and my husband, so the recipe is for 2, so just double it if you're making for more than that.

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes (I used Idaho because that's what I had, you can use red)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• Diced onions
• Peppers 
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (you could use chili powder if you don't have taco seasoning)
• 2-3 Tbsp. taco meat (or other meat)
• 2 eggs
• Cheese (I used slices of Colby jack because I don't have any shredded cheese, but again, use whatever you got)
• Hot sauce, optional

Cut potatoes into 4ths and then slice. Heat butter in skillet, add potatoes, onions and seasonings.

Stir until well coated, then cover. Cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add taco meat and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Cover and remove from heat.

Here's my little helper, whisking up some scrambled eggs for his breakfast.

In a different skillet, fry 2 eggs. Add cheese at the end and leave in skillet just long enough to start to melt the cheese.

Place potatoe and meat mixture in bowl, top with fried egg. We like to serve with Red Hot. Delicious!

B.B.B. Bacon Bean Bundles

I am always looking for new ways to serve vegetables.  My family doesn't like a large variety so I have limited options that I know everyone will eat.  This sweet and salty recipe goes great with just about anything.  I like the convenience of it being already portioned out.  

Ingredients:

• 1/2-3/4 lb Fresh Green Beans- washed and trimmed
• 5 Strips of Bacon Cut in half (don't use thick bacon because it takes too long to cook)
• 2 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons of Butter
• 2 teaspoon of Soy Sauce
• Pepper

Recipe serves 4 but can easily be adjusted to serve more

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.  Divide green beans into 10 piles.  I usually put about 8 beans in each pile.  Take a half a piece of bacon and place a pile of green beans at one end.  Tightly roll the bacon around the beans and place the bundle on the baking sheet.  Do the same to all of the bundles.
In a bowl, melt butter in the microwave.  After butter is melted mix in the brown sugar and soy sauce.  Brush mixture over green bean bundles.  Sprinkle with pepper.
Bake about 30 minutes or until bacon is thoroughly cooked.  Enjoy!

I recently served this with Puff and Stuff Chicken (recipe to come soon).

Henderson Hummus {Updated Version}

Here's another great version of Henderson Hummus. I love hummus so I enjoy experimenting and trying with different ingredients. This one just subs sundries tomatoes for the cucumbers and adds pine nuts. 

• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup tahini sauce
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup good olive oil (I like to use some that my mother-in-law bought for me in Italy)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (I bought one with pine nuts in it, but you can just add a handful of them)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• dashes of salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. pickle juice
  

Put all ingredients in food processor and mix until well blended. Serve with pita chips or tortilla chips. Tonight we're serving alongside our Athenian Chicken.

Kahlua Pork Tostadas (and Gluten Free)

This recipe is inspired by a dish we had at Disney's Polynesian resort. Captain Cook's is a quick service restaurant that we ate at while hanging out at the volcano pool at this resort back in 2011. My husband got these pork nachos and they were amazing! By no means is my recipe a duplicate of the one they use there, that's why I call it "Disney inspired." Their nachos had a delicious and tender pork and pineapple salsa, which is what inspired me to make my own version. I however am serving this on a tostado to cut back on some of the calories from the chips. For the pork, I am basically using my recipe for the Best Darn Pork BBQ and just substituting pineapple juice instead of orange juice to make a Polynesian BBQ sauce. Then I took my Mango Tango Salsa recipe and just omitted the mangos to get a pineapple salsa. I love using my tried and true recipes and changing an ingredient or two to create an entirely new meal! The best part is that you can use the leftover pork and make the Best Darn Pork BBQ for another meal during the week!

This recipe is about 275 calories for one serving, which is one tostada, pork, BBQ, salsa, low fat cheese and fat free sour cream. I get all my nutritional info from My Fitness Pal. Have you tried this app? It lets you enter a recipe and all the ingredients and it calculates all the nutritional info for the recipe! I love it! I have to admit I ate two though, so I'm a little over 500 calories for dinner, which isn't so bad. If I keep breakfast and lunch under 300 calories, then my snacks to 100 calories, then have this for dinner I'm still only a little over 1200 calories.

Here are the ingredients for the pork roast:

• 2-3 lbs. pork roast
• 1 tbsp. dry mustard
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. sea salt
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 1/4 cup liquid smoke

I'm going to be honest and say I never measure out those spices. I just rub them all over the meat until it looks well coated in the spice rub. Use however much you think is appropriate for your taste. After you rub the spices on the pork, place in slow cooker and pour in liquid smoke. Cook on low for at least 12 hours.

Pineapple Salsa:

• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 3 Tbsp. diced red onion
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 
• Dash lime juice
• Sea salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together and store in fridge until ready to serve.

Polynesian BBQ sauce

• 1 cup ketchup (Heinz for gluten free)
• 2 tbsp.  Pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce (Lea and Perrins or Kroger for gluten free)
• Dashes of liquid smoke, cayenne pepper and dry mustard

For the Tostados:

• Oil
• Corn tortillas
• Low fat or fat free cheese and sour cream*

To make the tostados, you'll need corn tortillas and a little bit of oil. You need the oil to crisp up the tortillas. Heat the oil in a skillet and add tortillas. Cook until they start to brown and get crispy. You can finish crimping them in the oven at 450 degrees.

When the pork is fully cooked and shreddable, remove from slow cooker and place in a bowl and shred. Place about a tablespoon or two of the pork on the cooked tortilla. drizzle with BBQ sauce and top with low fat cheese. put back in oven until cheese is melted and starts to brown. remove from oven and top with pineapple salsa and fat free sour cream. Enjoy!