Mongolian Beef

Found this recipe online, after making it I changed recipe and made notes on different ways to change it up. It was very yummy and would be great on a Kebab as an appetizer!

Here is the recipe and tips below.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil
• ½ tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 lb flank steak
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 scallions (sliced into 1 inch pieces)

Heat about a Tbsp oil in small saucepan over medium low heat. Add ginger and garlic, saute until golden, about 2 minute. Add soy sauce and water stirring to mix.

Stir in brown sugar and increase heat to medium.Bring to boil for 2 minutes. Remove sauce and set aside.

Slice flank steak against grain about 1/8 inch pieces. Toss slices with cornstarch and shake off excess, let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat a large saute pan or wok on medium high heat and add 1/2 cup vegetable oil.When the oil is hot add beef to pan and saute for a minute, until seared on sides but not cooked in center, remove steak and transfer to paper towel lined plate. Pour excess oil out of pan.

Put pan back on medium heat, add sauce to hot pan, should come to boil almost immediately, then add steak and cook to a boil, stirring constantly, about a minute or two. Add sliced scallion stir to combine. Remove from heat. Recipe serves 2.

Tips:

• I served over rice with side of sauteed spinach. The meat can be placed on kebab after tossed with corn starch and cooked and served as appetizer, drizzled with sauce, or sauce on side. (still boil in sauce)

• If you like sweeter sauce, add more brown sugar. Add a bit of vinegar for more sweet/sour sauce. Second time I made this I boiled sauce for a bit longer and it was much better, thicker, darker and gooeyer (not a word, I know, but, it was!)
  

• After adding meat to pan it must be brought to boil for cornstarch to work as thickener.

 

Sauteed Spinach : Add olive oil to heated saute pan, keep heat medium high. Add thinly sliced garlic and handfuls of fresh baby spinach. (as much garlic as you like and as much spinach for 2 people) Stir to keep spinach moving and keep garlic from browning. once spinach begins to wilt, turn off heat, add salt and pepper, drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Serve with wedges of lemon.

 

 

 

,

Home Made Dishwasher Detergent

I began searching for a way to make my own dishwasher detergent to save money. I tried a few recipes, this one has been great, no spots on glasses or silverware, no powder residue. I even see that the inside of my dishwasher is cleaner!

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp Borax
• 4 Tbsp Washing Powder (like Arm&Hammer)
• 2 Tbsp citric acid
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tbsp White Vinegar (added to Liquid dispenser separately)

Combine all ingredients except for Vinegar. Store in airtight container (I use a small Mason jar) Use 1 Tbsp per load. Add vinegar to liquid dispenser separately.

Tips:

• You can add essential oils if you like, Lemon or Grapefruit would be nice.
• Heat water at tap prior to starting dishwasher. It wont have to heat the water as long.
• The vinegar can be optional, it seems to work without it, but I found dishes were drier when I added it.
• Citric Acid can be found in the Canning area of the store or online.

Chili Braised Beef with Noodles

I made this in the crock pot which made it much easier than original recipe I was following. Changed a few ingredients too. It was easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 lb Beef Chuck Roast, trimmed and cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 5 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Ancho Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder (Chipotle if on hand)
• 2 Tbsp Paprika
• 1 can Tomato Paste (6 oz)
• 3 cups Beef Broth
• 1 Tbsp Molasses
• 1 lb Pasta (your choice)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• Fresh Parsley and thinly sliced green onions

Heat oil in large saute pan. Season beef with salt and pepper, place in pan and brown til nicely seared, about 10 minutes. Place beef in crock pot. Add onion, garlic, chili powders and paprika to pan, cook 2 minutes stirring. Add tomato paste, stir and cook about a minute then add beef broth scraping all browned bits from bottom of pan. Heat to simmering on high. Pour over beef in crock pot. Stir well. Cook on low for 6 hrs or high for 3 hours. Shut off crock and shred beef slightly with fork, stir in the molasses.

Boil pasta till tender. Drain. Add fresh spinach to pasta and toss. Plate noodles and spoon beef over top, add parsley and sliced green onion over top.

Tips:

• You can add in a half tsp of cinnamon or curry, or turmeric for richer flavor.
• I used Penne pasta but egg noodles would be good with this dish.
• I reserved a bit of broth and used it to de-glaze pan after pouring sauce over beef.
• I only used Salt and Pepper to flavor beef but more can be added to dish.
• For thicker sauce you can sprinkle Wondra gravy powder in pan and brown slightly before final de-glaze.

 

 

Panzanella Salad

My favorite thing to do with crusty bread. Easy to make and goes great with soups, as a side dish or just on its own as a light meal. Substitute ingredients you like or add extras. Here is the basic recipe.

• 4 cups stale Italian or other crusty bread, cut into small bite size cubes
• 4 Roma Tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 cup Green Olives
• Ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
• Red onion, half of a medium one, sliced thinly
• 2 large cloves of Garlic, halved and sliced thinly
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, quarter cup for dressing and extra to toss with bread
• 3 Tblsp Balsamic Vinegar
• Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, about a quarter cup finely sliced

Toss bread cubes with olive oil to coat and bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly toasted. While bread is in oven, whisk oil and vinegar together, add olives, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cheese, and parsley. Toss all ingredients together. When bread is done add to mixture and toss to coat bread in dressing. Plate and drizzle EVOO and a bit of Balsamic over top.  Serves 4 as a light meal, or 6 as a side salad.

Tips:

• Add cubed Dried Italian Sausage, Pepperoni or Sopressata
• Use Green and Black Olives or even Kalamata Olives or Capers
• Substitute Cilantro for the Parsley
• Mixing bread in while warm helps to soak up the dressing easier

Use your imagination and be creative with ingredients you like!

I served this recently with the Butternut Squash soup previously posted. Was a great combination!

 

 

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is one of my absolute faves, as a side salad or make it larger as a light meal. Add nuts or seeds, the list of options is endless. I tend to like it simple and organic. Here is what you’ll need :

• Baby Spinach (organic is best)
• Strawberries – sliced
• Red Onion – finely sliced
• Feta Cheese – crumbled
• Balsamic Raspberry Vinaigrette (or other berry dressing of choice)
• Salt and Pepper (optional)

Rinse spinach and pat dry, place the amount you’d like on plate. Top with Sliced Strawberries, then Red Onion, Salt and Pepper. Drizzle Dressing over salad then top with crumbled Feta. Easy as that!

 

TIPS:

If you are adding seeds or nuts, they should be put on after dressing before feta for a prettier plate!

I use an organic Raspberry Dressing and whisk Balsamic Vinegar to taste into it.

 

Its all coming back..

Heard this today and got sad..not a huge fan of Celine but this song is truly beautiful..a few of my fave lyrics from that song..

There were moments of gold
And there were flashes of light
There were things I’d never do again
But then they’d always seemed right
There were nights of endless pleasure
It was more than any laws allowed..

There were those empty threats and hollow lies
That whenever you’d try to hurt me
I’d just hurt you even worse and so much deeper
There were hours that just went on for days
When alone at last we’d count up all the chances
That were lost to us forever…

If you forgive me all this
If I forgive you all that
We forgive and forget
And it’s all coming back to me
When you see me like this
When I see you like that
We see just what we want to see
All coming back to me
The flesh and the fantasies
All coming back to me
I can barely recall
But its all coming back to me now…

1/16/16 – sad to hear of Celines husbands passing and her brothers passing. Wishing her peace.

 

Holiday Pinecone Basket

I decorate for the winter, from November to February, with greenery, white lights and snowmen..I love snowmen. I made this pinecone basket years ago but every few years have to change out the lights, so I decided to share, here is the steps to make your own!

What you’ll need –

• Basket of your choice
• Pinecones of different sizes, enough to fill basket
• Small white light set, depending upon size of basket, mine is about 10″round, holds about a dozen pinecones, I use a 50 light set
• Silk greenery, mine has stems of pine needles
• Ribbon or pre-made bow,to your liking

Start placing pinecones in bottom of basket wrapping lights around them as you put each one in. hide wires as best as you can.

I put the large ones in first then medium and fill in with smaller ones. Some I have sprayed with gold glitter so they sparkle. Once all the pinecones are in and wires tucked, let plug with some wire come out at back of basket. Tie bow or ribbon to handle or side of basket. (I was replacing my lights so I left bow alone, just fluffed it)

I plug it in in November and unplug in February. I have had light sets that have lasted for years, some one season.

It looks so pretty in a front or on a shelf. The lights through basket and pinecones makes interesting shadows on the wall behind it. If I could only keep my cats from messing with mine!

Be creative and enjoy the season!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 Butternut Squash – cut lengthwise in half, cleaned
• 1 large onion – chopped
• 2 medium stalks celery – chopped
• 2 medium carrots – chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh Sage – chopped
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup half and half or heavy cream (opt)
• Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• Salt and Pepper

Oil baking sheet. Place Squash cut side up and rub with oil and butter, add salt and pepper. Roast @ 425 for 50-60 minutes, til a knife slides in easily. While roasting saute onion, celery and carrot til tender and slightly browned. Add sage and broth. When squash is done scrape out from skin. Add to cooking pot and heat stirring till well mixed.

Use blender or food processor to puree, in small amounts (-be careful, hot mixture will cause pressure, use hand towel when removing lid as mix may spit out. Don’t overfill processor.) Place pureed soup in saucepan on low. Once all mix is pureed and heated, whisk in cream. Serve.

>I used a 5lb squash and soup filled 2, quart size mason jars.<

NOTES

• Cream can be omitted, soup is great without it. OR – you could use Greek Yogurt or sour cream, OR a dollop of Mascarpone can be added on top of served soup to be stirred in.
• Squash seeds can be saved and roasted. Rinse clean from stringy insides in a colander. Dry on paper towels. When squash is done roasting, wipe pan to remove excess oil. Place seeds on pan, add fresh oil to coat lightly. Salt and pepper well (dash of paprika for smokiness, or cayenne for heat) Toss well and spread out on pan. Place back in 425 degree oven for 5 min or so..use spatula to stir seeds in between cook time..watch them, they can burn easily. When done cool on pan or paper plate. Seeds are great to serve on soup (or sprinkled on the Yummy to eat by themselves.
• If freezing soup – do not add cream. When defrosted, more broth or cream can be added to bring back to smooth texture.

Begin Again

Just a place to clear my head. A new starting point.

Doesn’t mean there was an end before, just a reprieve from the heaviness.

Can I even try to not be rude?