Beef Stroganoff

A Betty Crocker Classic

Basic ingredients, quick prep and great flavor—

all reasons that this dish is a classic!

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, 1/2 inch thick

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (2 1/2 cups)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups beef flavored broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3 cups hot cooked egg noodles

 

1. Cut beef across grain into about 1 1/2x1/2-inch strips.
2. Cook mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender; remove from skillet.
3. Cook beef in same skillet until brown. Stir in 1 cup of the broth, the salt and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
4. Stir remaining 1/2 cup broth into flour; stir into beef mixture. Add onion mixture; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sour cream; heat until hot (do not boil). Serve over noodles.

Makes 6 servings

 

Cafe Rio Style Dinner

A big family favorite.  I served this for the family who came to see Eric graduate from High School.

 

 

 

CAFÉ RIO PORK

 3-4 lb. pork sirloin roast

1 cup Pace Salsa
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1 cup 7-up

 Place roast in crock pot.  Mix salsa, brown sugar and 7 up.  Pour over roast.

Cook on low all day, (8-10 hours). 
Shred with forks before serving.

 Serve in salad with black beans and a tortilla like Café Rio or use it to make burritos.

 

CAFÉ RIO SALAD DRESSING
1 1/3 cups sour cream
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 bunch cilantro
4 T. salsa verde
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime

 Mix ingredients together in blender.

Diane's Coconut Curry Vegetables

Diane’s Coconut-Curry Vegetables

1 small onion, cut into ¾ inch cubes

1 small red bell pepper, cubed

1 cup halved mushrooms

3 cups broccoli or cauliflower florets

1 cup thinly sliced carrots or whole sugar snap peas

6-7 chicken tenders cooked and cubed

Coconut-curry sauce

1 cup canned coconut milk* well stirred, to incorporated the solids, before using.

4 T. soy sauce

1 tsp. curry powder

4T. honey

4 tsp. rice or cider vinegar

* Look for Chaokah brand, sold in the Asian grocery section

4 T. canola oil

4 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3T. cold water

1. Separately blanch the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sugar snap peas until tender-crisp in plain boiling water.  Drain and flush with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again.  Vegetables could also be cooked until crisp-tender in the microwave.
2. Combine the coconut-curry sauce ingredients. 
3. Heat a wok or wide skillet over high heat until hot.  Add the canola oil, swirl to glaze the pan, then add the onions and bell pepper.  Stir-fry until tender-crisp, 3-4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and chicken and stir until hot, a few minutes more.  Add the blanched vegetables and toss to mix.
4. Stir the sauce and add it to the pan.  Bring to a simmer, tossing to combine.
5. Stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine and add it to the pan.  Stir until the sauce turns glossy, about 10 seconds.

Serve with rice, noodles or a warm loaf of bread.

Sausage, Butter Bean and Cabbage soup

Perfect for dinner on a chilly Autumn evening!

This recipe is from The Slow Cooker Bible.

1 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 large onion, chopped

12 ounces kielbasa cut into 1/2 inch slices

5 cups chicken broth

1/2 head savoy or green cabbage, coarsely shredded

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 14 oz. cans butter beans,drained

salt and pepper

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until golden.  Place in slow cooker.

Melt remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter in same skillet; cook sausage until brown on both sides.  Add to slow cooker.

Place chicken broth, cabbage, tomato paste and bay leaf in slow cooker; stir until well blended.  Cover; cook on LOW 3hours or HIGH 1 1/2 hours.

Add tomatoes and bean; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook 20 - 30 minutes until heated through. Remover and discard bay leaf.

Notes:  I didn't have a bay leaf, so I sprinkled coriander in the soup.  Yum!  Also, taste the soup before adding salt, the chicken broth may give it enough seasoning. 

To complete the meal I served the soup with homemade wheat rolls and squash. 

Bar B Q Chicken Pizza

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman website.  It's a California Pizza Kitchen style recipe.  I was excited to try a chicken pizza recipe, and this one definitely didn't let me down.  Easy, but so delicious.  I was happy that the crust is made with olive oil, so it's got to be more healthy, right?  The red onions are sweet, so don't go too skimpy with them. We added fresh mushroom slices, that was very good, and pineapple chunks would also be good.

Basic Pizza Crust

It's best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days in the fridge is even better.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation

I threw all the ingredients in my bread maker and set it for pizza dough.  Works great.

Or

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt.  With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour.  Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball.  Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the tridge until you need it. 

Makes 2 crusts.

Now for the Good Stuff

Ingredients

1 whole batch of pizza crust (makes 2)

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

olive oil, for drizzling

salt for sprinkling

16 ounces fresh mozarella cheese, sliced thin

1/2 whole red onion, cut in half and sliced very thin

chopped fresh cilantro, to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt chicken breasts on both sides, then place in an ovenproof dish.  Pour BBQ sauce over the breasts and turn them over to coat.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.  Remove from oven and cut into a fine dice. Set aside.

Increase oven to 500 degrees.

Stretch out one pizza crust .  Lay it on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil.  Drizzle a little olive oil on the crust, then sprinkle on a little salt. 

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of extra BBQ sauce on the crust and spread it evenly.  Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella. 

Sprinkle on half the diced chicken and thinly sliced red onion.

Sprinkle again with a little salt, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on plenty of chopped cilantro.  Cut into squares and serve immediately.  Repeat with other crust and other ingredients, or save for another time.

Cauliflower Soup

Just tried this recipe from the Pioneer Woman website

for dinner tonight.  Pretty tasty.  It is nice and chunky,

although it might be fun to try putting the veggies into

the blender and pureeing them after they had cooked.

1 stick butter

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 whole head of cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley, chopped

2 quarts low sodium chicken broth or stock

6 tablespoons flour

2 cups whole milk

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter.  Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.  Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional coule of minutes.  Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.  Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 munutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoon butter.  Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine.  Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half.  Add mixture to the simmering soup.  Allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.  Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl.  Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream.  Pour in remaining soup and stir.  Serve immediately.

Hawaiian Haystacks

I remember the first time I experienced this very different

sort of dish.  We had a mother daughter luncheon for my

Primary Merrie Miss class.  I was so excited about this

wonderful meal, and I still enjoy it today.  If you just happen

to have all the ingredients on hand, it's pretty easy, too.

4 cups seasoned chicken broth

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 to 3 cups cooked and cubed chicken or turkey

4 cups hot cooked brown rice

1 to 2 tomatoes, chopped

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

4 stalks celery, finely diced

1 green pepper, chopped

4 to 6 green onions, sliced

1 large can pineapple tidbits

1/2 cup sunflower seeds or slivered almonds

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, optional

1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

Combine broth and cornstarch. (If broth is hot, mix cornstarch with cold water first,

then mix into hot broth.) Cook until thick and clear.  Add chicken. 

Place remaining ingredients in individual bowls.  Have everyone build their own stack.