Sesame Beef Wraps

We have become quite a fan of "Asian inspired" foods.  Toasted Sesame Oil is one of my new favorite ingredients forever. I LOVE the way it smells and tastes...worth every cent.

So when I saw this recipe (I think on Pinterest but I am not totally positive), I knew I had to try it.

I happened to have some flank steak in the freezer, not enough to make a steak dinner but enough for a meal like this. So I pulled it out for this recipe.

And it was good stuff.

We will have this again (though not too often; I can't afford flank steak very often).

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil (YUM!)

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Freshly ground black peppercorns

1 lb flank steak cut thinly against the grain

oil

Butter lettuce leaves (I had a hard tine finding them...I had to buy a LIVE lettuce plant from the grocery store, roots intact. That being said, these are great leaves for wraps!)

Optional toppings:  Shredded carrots, brown rice (cooked), green onions, etc.

Sauce ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sugar

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp sriracha chile sauce (I omitted due to food issues here)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp green onion, chopped

1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Tbsp water

Note:  Since many of the marinade ingredients AND the sauce ingredients are the same or similar, I would make them both at the same time. I didn't pay attention to that part when I made it. :)

Directions:
Mix together the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and peppercorn.  Pour into a large ziplock bag and add the flank steak. Refrigerate 1-3 hours (or longer if needed).  Like I said above, it would make sense to go ahead and mix the sauce ingredients and refrigerate until needed.

 When ready to cook, heat about 1/2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet.  Put about half the meat in the skillet and brown. 

Once it cooked through, place that meat in a serving dish.

Add about 1/2 Tbsp more oil to the skillet and cook the remaining meat.

I just put all of the foods on the table and let the family build their own. Some don't like lettuce, so they just put the meat on top of rice. I put some rice on lettuce then added the meat and carrots and dipped in the sauce. 

Very quick, very good!

Reba

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

I saw this on Pinterest not long ago and thought it looked like a good (and quick) meal to make.  Then last night was the perfect opportunity.  We had been hiking all day.  I needed something quick. I had corn in the crockpot (I have decided that IS the way to cook it) and rolls rising.  And I had chicken in the fridge, needing to be cooked. Perfect.

So when I got home, I started the rice, then turned my attention to the chicken.

And in 30 minutes or so, I had a complete meal.

And a good one.

This will be going into our rotation...

I loved my son's perspective on it.

He said it was "Masian" food.  He said it was like Mexican and Asian food combined in one.

And in a way he is correct, though I don't think the original recipe had that intention.  But I changed out one of the ingredients which did indeed give it a Mexican flair. :)

Lots of flavor, a short cooking time, the perfect combination for me.

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (the original recipe called for 2, I used five.  And this recipe will be based upon that; I doubled the recipe.  I actually cut mine into smaller pieces like tenderloins...next time I will just BUY tenderloins which will cook even a little faster!)

2 tsp Kosher salt

2 tsp paprika (we can't/don't do paprika right now due to a child's food sensitivities, so I did cumin instead which is probably where the Mexican taste came from :)

2 Tbsp sugar (granulated) 

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp dried parsley

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

(I doubled the butter and olive oil, but I think next time, I would stick with 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil...we had MORE than enough for the skillet)

the juice of one lemon

Directions:
Flatten the chicken with mallet for even sizes.  I put mine in a large ziplock bag to do this.

Combine all of the spices/herbs (salt, paprika/cumin, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley).  Coat chicken with mixture.  (I dumped the spices/herbs into the ziplock bag with the chicken and just gave it a few shakes...it was covered :)

Heat the butter/oil in a large skillet on medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet.  The original recipe calls for letting it cook about 6 minutes per side.  I just eye it and always check the inside of a chicken piece to make sure. I think mine took a little longer because it was still fairly thick even after using the mallet on it.

Partway through cooking, squirt the juice from the lemon over the chicken.

Cook until done.

We ate ours with basmati rice, Rhodes rolls, and corn on the cob.  (I also had a salad that was wonderful :)

It was good stuff.  Easy and good.

Happy cooking!

Reba

Skillet Steak

 (The yellow looking stuff is just the fat...not sure why it photographed like that)

A steak with a half potato

I wish I had gotten better pictures. But honestly, I was so hungry at this point, I just snapped a couple then chowed down.

I really wanted steaks...have been in the mood for a while. And I had some in my freezer just waiting for me.  But it was cold, and I knew time would be limited.  So no grilling.  What to do? Use my cast iron skillet of course!

I have made steak in the skillet before with success and wanted to do it again. 

But I wasn't using filet mignon this time, I was going to use rib-eye (from our half a cow) instead. 

So I decided to do a quick Internet search about how to cook rib-eye on the stove.

Lots of recipes out there.

I wanted simple.

So I just a little bit here, a little bit there, and then went from there.

I am glad I did.

I got just what I wanted. A juicy steak with just the right touch of flavor.

These are very general directions because I didn't really measure anything. 

Ingredients:
Rib-eyes (we had 6 :)
Sea Salt
Peppercorns (in a grinder)
Butter

Directions:
A few hours before cooking, Cover the rib-eyes with coarsely ground sea salt.  Place in a covered dish or in a gallon ziplock and refrigerate.

About thirty minutes prior to cooking, remove the rib-eyes and rinse off.  Set out on the counter...well, not directly on the counter but on something.   (I placed them on waxed paper, then covered them with more waxed paper which is much cheaper than aluminum foil is right now).

Preheat the oven to 400+.  Most things I read said to preheat to 500 if possible. However, I had potatoes cooking, so that was out for me. I kept mine at 400-425 the whole time.

Place skillet(s) in the oven to preheat.

Meanwhile, sprinkle freshly ground peppercorns and sea salt (but not coarse) over the steaks.

Right before cooking, remove skillet(s) from the oven and place on a hot burner.  Don't forget those oven mitts or you will burn your hand. :)

I did spray mine with just a basic cooking spray.

Place steaks in the skillet(s).  I actually turned mine over on the side where a little fat was and cooked it first, then I put the whole thing in.

Let the steak cook for about 2 minutes over medium high heat.  Warning:  It will smoke up a lot but I never set off any alarms. :)

After about 2 minutes, flip the steaks over and do the same.

Because my steaks were a little thicker, I also held them with tongs on the sides for just a bit to brown those.

Then immediately return the skillets to the oven.

This is the very nonspecific part.  Cook for a few minutes on each side in the oven.  How long depends on the size of your steak, how hot your oven is, and how you want your steak done.  I didn't time mine. I do know that the ones in the cast iron skillet cooked faster than the ones in a regular oven-safe skillet.

You do want to pull them out when they are ALMOST to the point you want them.  (By the way, you can google appropriate temperatures)  The steaks will continue to cook in the skillet for a bit.

Oh, and right before you pull them out, put a slice of butter (I used unsalted) on top of each steak.  Yum.

Let the steak rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Like I said, simple but yummy.

Obviously not something we can eat regularly (though I would love to), but a special treat in the middle of the week. :)

Reba

Grill(less) Chicken Tenderloins

I needed a good chicken recipe for tonight.  I have several I thought about making but I was in the mood to try something new.  So I decided to give this recipe a try.

I mean, it basically has four ingredients.

Four.

How can you go wrong with four ingredients?

I made this up this morning, threw it all in a ziplock bag and let it marinate until this evening.

It took about 40 minutes to cook but didn't require a lot of attention so it gave me a chance to make my mashed potatoes and heat up some rolls. I think this would be really good with rice too.

You will notice mine is "saucier" than the original recipe (site above).

I used more chicken so I double the marinade recipe which was probably too much. However, I really liked the sauce even though I didn't get the "grilled" look that the original chef did.  I poured some over my mashed potatoes.  So I am not sure I would do it much differently.

I will definitely be throwing this into our recipe rotation.  I think when school is in session, this will be a good one to make up in the morning, refrigerate to marinate, then cook when I get home.  It was easy and tasty.

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins (I used about 12 tenderloins) or chicken breasts cut into strips...I just think tenderloins are easier to use

1 bottle of Zesty Italian dressing (the recipe calls for 1 cup which is about half the bottle...I doubled it)

2 tsp (or double if you are me :) lemon or lime juice (I used lemon because that is what I had on hand)

3 tsp honey (or double if you are me :)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag.

Refrigerate for at least an hour.

When you are ready to cook, pour the entire contents into a large skillet.

Cook over medium heat. 

I flipped the chicken occasionally and stirred around the juices.

At first it seems really watery.

But it does thicken as it heats.

Toward the end, I kicked the temperature up a bit to a medium high since I had so much sauce.

After about 40 minutes, it should be really thick.  Really push the chicken into that thickened sauce.

It almost has a sweet barbecue taste.

Yum.

Enjoy!

Reba

Butter Cream Chicken

We have actually have had this recipe twice now.  I don't know why I didn't blog about it the first time because we loved it then, and we loved it again last week.  Maybe because my gravy wasn't as thick as I thought it should be.  Or my camera wasn't on hand.  Or the stars weren't aligned.  Who knows.

Last week I was trying to figure out the menu. I needed a good chicken recipe.  My husband came in and offered to help me think of one.  He had one in mind but I couldn't remember which recipe it was. So we scrolled through Pinterest together until we found this recipe under my "Tried and True". 

So I made it this past week.

And I made what I thought was plenty.

Except apparently it wasn't.

There was NONE left.

I almost started crying when I realized that.

None.

I really had hoped for a little bit for my lunch the next day.

My family has already told me that next time I must make more.

Yes, it is that good.

It is a little time consuming but worth it.  I promise.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (I used my usual chicken tenderloins...they are so easy to cut to me)

1 1/2 sleeves Ritz crackers (I used low fat), ground into crumbs.  I usually throw them in a bag and pound them with a mallet. This time I threw them in my mini food processor.  Oh wow. How did I not know how easy that was???

Olive Oil

1 cup chicken broth

4 Tbsp butter (I did use my Smart Balance since it is lighter)

1 cup + 2 Tbsp half and half (I used the light)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 Tbsp cornstarch

salt and pepper


Directions:
Cut the chicken into small chunks (much easier with kitchen scissors).  Place in a plastic ziplock and pound flat with a mallet or whatever you have on hand like canned food.  Just so you know, I am pretty sure pounding with a mallet is therapeutic.  


Put the cracker crumbs in the ziplock bag with the chicken and shake your cares away (while coating the chicken).

I usually add a little salt and pepper at this point, all two times I have made it and all. :)

Add about 5 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium high.

When the oil is nice and hot, throw the first batch of chicken into the skillet.  I did two batches for this meal. I should have done three.

Cook until the bottom is a nice golden brown color.  Then flip the chicken over.  That should be about 3-4 minutes each side.  Obviously, when you are working with chicken, you don't want any pink.

After the first batch is done (I put mine on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any extra oil so that it doesn't end up on my hips...), add a little more oil and cook the second batch in the same manner.

After that batch is done, cover with aluminum foil.  Now it is time for the sauce.

Add the butter and the chicken broth to the skillet.  Don't worry about any little extra crispies on the bottom. They just add flavor to the gravy.

Whisk the mixture around a bit.

Add 1 cup half and half and the dried thyme.  Whisk around.  Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the 2 Tbsp half and half and the 2 Tbsp cornstarch.  Stir together until smooth. 

Pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet and whisk around.

Let it come to a boil again.

When it is thick enough, add a little salt and pepper to taste and serve with the chicken.

The only trouble I had making this recipe was getting my gravy to thicken.  I kind of wonder if it is because I use all light ingredients.  To solve this, hubby and I just threw in a little more cornstarch to thicken it up.

The only change I may make is next time I may try making the gravy in a small saucepan while cooking the chicken and adding it to the skillet at the very end.  That way my chicken will still be hot, and the gravy will have more time to thicken.  I don't know if that will work but it is worth a try.

Regardless, it is good stuff.

We ate it with brown rice, salad, and cheesy breadsticks.

And like I said, there was none left.

None.

Reba

Skillet Sausage and Potatoes

When I saw this recipe on Pinterest, my mouth was watering.  I will eat potatoes cooked just about any way.  And I like smoked sausage. 

Then one day I was planning our weekly menu. I was perusing the recipes I had pinned on Pinterest when my hubby spotted this one and indicated he wouldn't mind trying it.  So I added it to the menu then shopped for the necessary ingredients.

Tonight I finally made it.

And I will definitely make it again.

It was a hit.

Even my pickiest eater ate it.

My non-potato eater ate it.

And I ended up with only about 1/4 cup left over for my lunch tomorrow...

I followed the original recipe fairly closely.

Ingredients:
2 pounds Russet potatoes, cleaned and sliced.  I used my mandolin (and my safety glove :) and sliced thin slices

1 package smoked sausage (I used Hillshire beef smoked sausage), cut into pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

sage (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp, I just used "fresh" sage and cut it up into small pieces

garlic (the original recipe calls for one clove...I like garlic.  We had two), minced

The original poster mentioned an optional dash of Cayenne or hot pepper.  We opted not to.  :)

Directions:
Spread olive oil in skillet(s).  I used two skillets to make sure my potatoes cooked through.  Place the potatoes on the skillet and cook at medium high.  When one side begins to get crispy, flip them.  I had to double/triple layer the potatoes.  After a while, we just stirred them.  Not nearly as fancy looking for the picture, but it didn't stop us from eating them.

When you are nearing the end of the cooking stage, add the sausage, onion, sage, and garlic.

Reduce heat to medium.

Serve when the onion and potatoes are tender and ready to be eaten.

Enjoy! 

We had ours with big dinner rolls (yum) and would have had a salad but we went the easy route...carrots and Ranch.

Very simple, very delicious. 

Reba