Yearly Archives: 2013

Grilled Flank Steak with Onions

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From Weight Watchers

Prep time: 10min
Cook time: 25min
Serves: 6
Value: 5 PointsPlus® Value

Ingredients

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 1/2 pound(s) uncooked lean flank steak
3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1 large uncooked red onion(s), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 spray(s) cooking spray

Instructions

In a shallow glass dish (or sealable food storage bag), mix vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic and pepper. Add steak; turn to coat, making sure steak is coated with vinegar mixture. Cover dish (or seal bag); marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Heat outdoor grill.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Coat onions with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Grill steak, turning once, until medium rare, about 15 minutes, or longer for desired degree of doneness. Let steak rest for 10 minutes.

While steak is resting, grill onions, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, about 7 to 9 minutes.

To serve, thinly slice steak against the grain and place on a serving platter; scatter onions over top. Yields about 3 1/2 ounces steak and 1/3 cup onions per serving.

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Homemade Italian Breadcrumbs

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  • Post category:Side Dishes

From Alton Brown on the Food Network.

Ingredients
4 ounces stale bread, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place all of the ingredients into a blender carafe, cover and pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 2 minutes. Spread the crumbs evenly on 2 half sheet pans and bake until the crumbs just begin to brown and are crisp, about 5 minutes. Cool the crumbs on the pans for 15 to 20 minutes, and then transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Total Time: 35 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 15 min
Cook: 5 min
Yield: 3 to 4 cups
Level: Easy

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Stephanie’s Apple Crisp

Stephanie makes this from a recipe she picked up online in 2004. I can’t find the original online anymore, so I guess this one now officially belongs to Stephanie.

Fruit Mixture

  • 4 cups sliced, peeled cooking apples (about 1 1/3rd pounds or 3 to 4 medium)
  • 3 tablespoons apple juice

Crumb Mixture

  • 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup quick oats (not instant or old fashioned)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

For fruit, toss apples with apple juice. Spoon into 8-inch square glass baking dish. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

For crumb mixture, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Combine milk and vanilla. Drizzle over crumbs while tossing with a fork. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until fruit is tender, center is bubbly and crumbs are browned. Serve warm with cream, whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Peach or Pear Crisp: Follow above recipe using peaches or pears and substituting 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for the apple juice.

Blueberry Crisp: Follow above recipe using 3 cups blueberries and substituting 1 tablespoon lemon juice for the apple juice.

Continue ReadingStephanie’s Apple Crisp

Classic Baked Acorn Squash

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Stephanie has made this recipe several times in the past, so I know it’s good. I’m going to try it out with the acorn squash I bought yesterday.

From Simply Recipes

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 2 to 4, depending on how much squash you like to eat.

Ingredients
1 Acorn squash
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
Dash of Salt

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 Using a strong chef’s knife, and perhaps a rubber mallet to help, cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each half. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don’t burn and the squash doesn’t get dried out.

3 Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter. Add a Tbsp of brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup to each half.

4 Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Do not undercook. When finished, remove from oven and let cool a little before serving. Spoon any buttery sugar sauce that has not already been absorbed by the squash over the exposed areas.

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Spaghetti Squash with Lemon and Capers

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We have one of these, so I’m going to give this recipe a shot.

From The Food Network.

Ingredients
2 large spaghetti squash
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 tablespoons sweet butter
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 cup diced zucchini (rind only)
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup julienne tomato concasse (peeled and seeded)

Total Time: 55 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Level: Easy

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut both squash in 1/2 lengthwise and scoop out all seeds. Rub them inside and out with the oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the squash cut side down on a sheet pan or cookie sheet and cover with foil. Place in the oven and cook until the rind is slightly soft or gives with a little pressure, about 20 minutes. When they are done, scrape the meat out with a fork and reserve, keeping warm.

In a hot skillet, melt the butter and continue to cook until dark brown. Add the capers, zucchini, and bell pepper to stop the butter from cooking any further, and cook, stirring, until tender. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl mix the squash, butter sauce, and tomatoes and serve.

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Beer Slow-Cooker Chicken

4-6 Chicken Breasts or 1 Whole or cut up Chicken
1 Can of any kind of Beer
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

*You can use whatever spices you like

Put all ingredients into crockpot

If frozen cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-10
If fresh cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 7-8 hours if fresh

Serve with rice and black beans

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Crockpot Chicken And Noodle Soup

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  • Post category:Slow Cooking

Borrowed from Creatively Domestic via Pinterest.

5 cups of chicken broth (boxed or can is fine)
One 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1/2 cup carrots, chopped fine
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
One 15 oz can of whole kernel corn, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup Egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken chopped or 2 cans canned cooked chicken

Add everything but the noodles and cooked chicken to the crock pot on Low for 5-6 hours, the last hour turn on High, and add noodles and chicken.

Here is another version of the recipe:
Boil 4 chicken thighs in about 8 cups of water, make sure they are cooked through. Cool, remove skin and bone and shred with forks. Cool, cover and refrigerate. If you need, add water to the broth to make 5 cups. Add cream of chicken soup. Chop the vegetables, I like everything about the same size, celery, carrots, onions, green onions. Add everything to the pot and forget it for the afternoon, do not add the chicken and noodles -will add them the last hour or so.

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Commonly Prepared Meals

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Originally published on: Apr 11, 2005. I’m updating this list because Stephanie is going back to work next week, and I’m going to take over many of the cooking responsibilities because she has a long commute. I’ve been looking at various recipe and grocery shopping apps, but I haven’t discovered quite the right combination that will work for me yet, so I’m trying to clean up many of the recipes I have already on my website. I’m updating links, going through recipes I’ve not yet made and adding them to the “to make or delete” list, and I plan on adding many of Stephanie’s “go to” meals. I’m hoping to put together a grid of “next week” meal planning, so can shop on weekends and have everything I need during the week, instead of throwing things together.

Entrees

Pasta Dishes

Baked Ziti (variation: vodka sauce)
Lasagna
Spaghetti
Baked shells
Spinach Mastachioli Bake
Chicken Saltimboca

Baked or Roasted Dishes

Elizabeth’s Cheap Drunk Chicken
Home Made Pizza
Pot Roast
Southwestern Pork Tenderloin
Baked Chicken Breasts with marinade
Baked tilapia with marinade
Baked salmon with marinade
Meatloaf
Spaghetti Squash with Lemon and Capers
Classic Baked Acorn Squash

crock pot / slow cooker

Crock-Pot BBQ Ribs Recipe
Beer Slow-Cooker Chicken
Baked Lemon Chicken
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Low Carb Texas Chili
Crockpot Chicken And Noodle Soup

Soups & Stews & Chili

Pea soup
Bean soup
Stephanie’s Dad’s chicken soup

Southwestern

Mom’s Taco Salad
Chicken Verde Enchilada Casserole
Spicy Beef Tacos
White Chili
Super Nachos
Skyline Chili
Cheese enchiladas
Chicken Fajitas
Hot Cuban Sandwiches

sandwich dishes

Cheese Burgers
Hot Dogs
Sausages
Veggie Burgers
Chicken patties
Sub sandwiches
Wraps

Breakfast

Eggs and Sausage Casserole
Aunt Chris’ Ham and Egg Casserole
Scrambled eggs
Waffles
French Toast
Pancakes
Steel-cut Oats
Cereal

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Todd Rokita embarrasses Indiana twice (at least)

Indiana State Representative Todd Rokita (R) has been making the news cycles recently to discuss his ignominious role in the government shutdown. He’s blissfully unaware of how ridiculous he sounds in this soundbite that gets prominent discussion on The Daily Show yesterday evening:

But what takes the cake is Rokita’s sexist remarks to a CNN anchor during a discussion of the government shutdown. At one point, Rokita dismisses Carol Costello’s questions with the remark “You’re beautiful, but you need to be honest.”

Lovely. If we’re remarking on people’s appearances, Todd, I have a thing or two to say about how you look.

Not to be outdone by Rokita, Indiana Representative Marlin Stutzman had this to say:

“We’re not going to be disrespected,” conservative Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., added. “We have to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is.”

Continue ReadingTodd Rokita embarrasses Indiana twice (at least)

Some government shutdown reading

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First – let’s be clear on who’s responsible for this debacle:

The truth of what happened Monday night, as almost all political reporters know full well, is that “Republicans staged a series of last-ditch efforts to use a once-routine budget procedure to force Democrats to abandon their efforts to extend U.S. health insurance.” (Thank you, Guardian.)

And holding the entire government hostage while demanding the de facto repeal of a president’s signature legislation and not even bothering to negotiate is by any reasonable standard an extreme political act. It is an attempt to make an end run around the normal legislative process. There is no historical precedent for it. The last shutdowns, in 1995 and 1996, were not the product of unilateral demands to scrap existing law; they took place during a period of give-and-take budget negotiations.

Shutdown coverage fails Americans

As the rest of the world laughs at the United States:

“The world looked on with a little anxiety and a lot of dismay, and some people had trouble suppressing smirks,” wrote Kevin Sullivan in a piece for Malaysian outlet Awani entitled, “US shutdown leaves the world scratching its head.”

While Russia Today devoted an entire article to U.S. shutdown comedy, featuring noteworthy images and tweets carrying the #govtshutdown hashtag, photojournalist Lynsey Addario tweeted from India that the shutdown was not being taken too seriously.

“I’m in India, and my driver and translator are laughing at U.S. govt shutdown. So much for world’s great superpower. It’s closed,” she said in a Tuesday tweet.

As US shuts down, rest of the world looks on with bemusement, laughter

And of course Indiana has to show up as a national embarrassment, courtesy Todd Rokita being a dumbass on television:

Continue ReadingSome government shutdown reading