Taco Soup

Best comfort soup ever! Also one of the easiest. You could personalize this more with your own blend of taco spices and fresh chopped onions and garlic if you have the time and want to experiment. I went with the straight recipe for the first time. It was great! Of course mine was venison taco soup ;)

Taco Soup
Source: my mom

2 lbs ground chuck, drained (I used ground venison)
2 packets ranch dressing
2 packets taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can RoTel
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans white shoepeg corn
2 soup cans of water (You can use less depending on how thick you like your soup)

Mix all ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes. I did all this in the crockpot. Even on high for 30 minutes it never boiled, but it still tasted awesome!

My bowl topped with chopped cilantro and cheese:

Skinny Chili

Ok, so last week I started doing weight watchers points. I only have 24 daily points and by dinner those points are usually few and far between. I do have 35 extra weekly points I can use to splurge, but I really want to save those up for something good.

Thursday night I tried a weight watcher's recipe for chili. It is only 2 points per serving!!! Taylor and I both loved it. And one serving really filled me up. Taylor went back for seconds. ;) I added some fresh cayenne pepper to mine. I really like to use them when they are green because the skin hasn't gotten as tough and they are still pretty hot!



Skinny Chili (This is my name for the dish, not the original author's.)
Source: Judy Scuderi, find it here
Serves: 6

1 lb. lean ground beef (10% or less)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup canned diced chilies

2 tbsp. tomato paste

Instructions

1. In a large nonstick skillet brown beef and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally to break up meat. Drain excess fat. Add chili powder and cumin and stir to combine.

2. Combine tomatoes, beans, onion, chilies, and tomato paste in crockpot. Stir in beef mixture. Cover and cook on High until flavors are blended, 4 - 5 hours.

I added a little dried oregano and basil, salt and pepper to the crock pot for some extra seasoning.

A Twist on the Originals

I got this idea when reading about chicken parm burgers on A Taste of Home Cooking. They looked mouthwatering. But, I didn't have ground chicken. I did, however, have some more ground beef in the freezer. I got to thinking about other Italian specialties and I thought of meatballs. I love them, but the hubby can do without them. As I've mentioned before, he prefers meat sauce on his pasta instead of meatballs with sauce. But I really wanted to try making meatballs into a burger, topping with marinara sauce and cheese and see what he thought. If nothing else, it would be something completely different from the every day burger and fries.

It more than met my expectations! T even liked it and went back for seconds.

Meatball Burgers
Source: Me, but I used this recipe as a jumping off point

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. Italian style breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 c. asiago cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Mix all ingredients and form into burgers. Place in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up. Grill until done to your preference. ;) Top with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Toast some buns on the grill right before you take the burgers off and brush with garlic butter.

*Here's a tip about grilling the burgers: Don't flip them until they form a good crust. Otherwise they fall apart kind of easy.

A Chili-Wannabe

You know those nights you look in the freezer and pantry and try to come up with something new and different? This was one of those nights. :)

It's kind of a beef, bean & salsa casserole. T said this reminded him of chili. I guess it isn't that much different, just not the typical way I make it; you know tomato sauce and the like.

It turned out really well. I even ate the leftovers which is a big deal if you know me. I'm just not a fan of eating the same thing over and over. I also got the chance to use some of my yummy jalapeno peppers as a topping. I try not to mix the hot peppers into whatever we are eating since I'm afraid it might not sit well on a one year old's tummy. These look red and green because I left them on the vine a little long and they started turning red. They were plenty hot though!!

Salsa Chili Casserole
Source: Me

1 lb. ground beef
1 19 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
1 10 oz. box frozen corn in butter sauce
1 c. salsa (click here for my recipe)
1 c. shredded cheese blend
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. ground mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and drain. Add back to the pan and add beans, corn and spices. Make sure the spices are combined, then add salsa. Dump everything into a casserole dish and cover with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted; about 7 minutes.

Mama Mia!

I wish I knew some Italian because these little pizzas are amazing!! I love pizza, but don't have it near as often since I've had a baby. We don't like to spend the money on delivery, and even the frozen pizzas (the good ones) are expensive! Before Logan was born, we made homemade pizza a lot. It was easy, inexpensive, and most of all...good!

I was watching a recorded episode of Rachel Ray and she made mini deep dish pizzas. They looked so good and easy I decided I had to make them for dinner. I changed them up a little and made them cheeseburger pizzas. They were so good and the great thing is, you can eat three and it is only the equivalent of 1 biscuit! I do have some hints to make them easier for you, so before you make them be sure to read all the way to the end of the recipe.

Bacon Cheeseburger Mini Deep Dish Pizzas
Source: Inspired by Rachel Ray, my additions are in italics

1 can refrigerated biscuits
1/2 lb. ground beef
6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
tomato sauce
parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese

Cut each biscuit into thirds and press into rounds. Press each round into a cup of a muffin tin that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook according to the package's directions. Brown ground beef, drain fat, add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic and worcestershire sauce and cook an additional few minutes. Put cooked meat into a medium bowl and toss with crumbled bacon. Fill each mini crust with tomato sauce, about a spoon full in each cup. Not enough to make the crust soggy. Top with parmesan cheese and then fill with the toppings and top with mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven just to melt the cheese.

My tips: My crusts puffed up instead of spreading around the cup, so about 3/4 through the cooking time, I took them out and used a spoon to mash them back into cup form. Then placed them back in the oven to finish cooking. Also, be sure to spray your pan with cooking spray and use a large spoon to remove the mini pizzas. They come out great!

Stepping Out of the Box

Well, it is probably not out of the box for most people, but for me it definitely is. I saw a recipe in Rachel Ray's magazine and normally I would just keep going because it wasn't something I would normally make. But it looked good, and I've been trying to branch out and try new things. As you know, I don't really like vegetables. I am learning to like them in different dishes, as long as the pieces aren't big. ;) This dish required you to make a tomato bread salad. I'm not usually a big fan of tomatoes or bread salads. I am a big fan of steak though, which was the main ingredient. Plus RR's picture in the magazine made this dish look mouth watering. I'm not sure if my picture lives up to the original, but hopefully it gives you an idea of what my plate looked like. :) Overall, the consensus was that we liked the dish, but it doesn't rank on our favorites list.

Grilled Garlic Skirt Steak with Bread Salad
Source: Rachel Ray, my additions/changes in italics

3 cloves garlic, smashed (I pressed the garlic to get more flavor out of it)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Black Pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 large tomatoes, cored (I just used canned fire roasted tomatoes)
2 pounds skirt steak (I used some sandwich steak I got on sale at my local grocery)
2 kaiser rolls, split (I just used regular sandwich bread)
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped (I used dried basil because I like basil better and I didn't have any fresh)

Preheat grill to medium high. In a small bowl, stir together garlic, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush tomatoes with some of the garlic oil. Grill, turning once, lightly charred, about 12 minutes, transfer to a plate. (I of course skipped this step because I used the canned tomatoes) Meanwhile brush the steak and bread with garlic oil. Grill the bread, turning occasionally. Grill the steak. Coarsely chop the rolls and tomatoes and toss in a medium bowl. Add the rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Slice the steak and top with bread salad.

Leftover Do-over

I never know what to do with leftover roast beef. It is really all I can do to eat it the first time, but my husband really likes it. And he will eat some of the leftovers in sandwiches, but really, how many sandwiches can one man eat? Plus, I get tired of staring at it in my fridge.

I decided to have a do-over and make it into something I would really like. I love asian style food: chinese, japanese, thai, ect. So I present to you my leftover do-over: Asian Beef and Noodles

Asian Beef and Noodles

1-2 cup cold cooked beef, sliced thin
1 pack spaghetti noodles, cooked
1/2 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tbsp honey
1 serrano pepper, minced
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
cilantro

Heat heavy frying pan. Add olive oil, meat and onions. Heat until hot and brown. Add garlic and cook until tender. Mix water and cornstarch; add. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes. Top with cilantro.

Coffee. Not Just An Amazing Beverage!

I love coffee, but I rarely brew it. I even have an awesome coffee maker. It's just that I am really the only one who drinks it. The hubs can be persuaded every now and again to have some, but usually it is just me. And I hate to brew just one or two cups at a time. So, my awesome coffee maker sits unused and my coffee sits in my cabinet.

Well, that coffee did not sit unused tonight! However, the poor coffee maker will have to wait a little longer. That is because this recipe uses coffee grounds, not the brewed concoction. On my quest to find a roast beef recipe I LOVE I made a coffee and cocoa crusted beef roast. I've heard of this combination used with beef before and finally found time to try it myself. I scoured the internet and read several recipes and decided I'd just use those as jumping off points. None of them actually called for roast beef. They were usually for a beef tenderloin or a ribeye steak.

So here is what I came up with:

Coffee and Cocoa Crusted Roast Beef

1 2lb. eye of round beef roast
1/4 cup coffee grounds, finely ground (I used a mortor and pestel to get mine more finely ground)
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat a sautee pan over high heat. Mix all ingredients except roast. Pat all sides of the roast with the mixture. Using tongs, sear each side of the meat in the hot pan. Then place roast in a roasting pan and cook covered for an hour and 20 minutes for medium well. Remove from oven and let rest of 10 minutes. Remove meat to a cutting board and slice. Pour pan juices over the sliced meat.

It had a nice flavor and we really enjoyed it. We had twice baked potatoes and biscuits to go with it. Now I plan to find something new to make with the leftover roast because the one thing I dislike more than plain roast, is leftover roast.

If At First You Don't Succeed, Try Try Again!

I have yet to succeed in making a roast that I actually enjoy eating. Don't get me wrong, I'll eat it if it is my only meat choice. I've blogged about an attempt or two on here, and now I'm trying something different. I used McCormick Crusting Blends.
It was better than my previous attempts. The crusting on the ends was a little mushy, but overall, I liked it. I plan to try crusting something else soon.

I also made roasted potatoes with shallots and garlic to go along side the roast. I roasted the potatoes in a separate dish, but added them to the roast before serving.

French Onion, Pepper and Herb Crusted Roast

1 eye of round roast, 2 lb.
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup McCormick Crusting Blends, French Onion, Pepper and Herb flavor

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Marinade roast in worcestershire sauce for 30 minutes to an hour. Coat roast with the crusting blend. Bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to be cooked medium.

Roasted Potatoes with Shallots and Garlic

6 medium sized potatoes, cubed
1 small shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, each clove sliced about 3 times to create chunks of garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Place cubed potatoes into a baking dish. Add the shallots, garlic and oil. Toss to coat everything evenly with the oil. Add salt and pepper and toss again. Bake in the same oven as the roast for approximatly 45 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. (Normally I would bake these at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes, but I decided to just stick them in with the roast to save time.) Toss potatoes about half way through cooking. If you want them a little more brown, turn on the broiler at the end.

I big puffy heart college football!

I love college football!  Especially Auburn football...and did you know (as of right now) there are 5 SEC teams in the top 10???  Southern boys know how to play ball!  I'm slightly nervous

about the Auburn vs. LSU game later tonight, but until then, here is some pretty good football game day food.  Nachos.  Enjoy, and WAR EAGLE!!!!

Nachos

Feeds 2 (in other words, make more for a party!)

1/2 lb. ground chuck

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/4 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp paprika

1/2 can hot RoTel

1/2 can corn, drained

Tortilla Chips

Cheese, whichever kind you like best

Brown ground chuck and drain.  Over medium heat add the ground chuck back to the pan and add the spices.  Mix to combine.  Then add RoTel and Corn.  Let simmer 5-10 minutes.

Put your chips on a plate, add some cheese, top with meat mixture, and add some more cheese.  Quick, easy and yummy!

Hash It Out!

I'm not sure why I became obsessed with making hash, but I did. I've never even had hash of any kind. Basically I was just thinking about some ground chuck in the freezer that I needed to use and I was tired of making hamburgers. I think I heard something about hash on the food network and it just got stuck in my brain. The more recipes I read the more I wanted to make it. Of course the most common type is corned beef hash. I've never had corned beef, but my first instinct is I wouldn't like it. Plus I had ground beef.


I didn't really find a recipe that stuck out, so I came up with my own. Hash is basically just a combination of finely chopped ingredients. However, the common ingredients seem to be meat, potatoes and onions. This would make a great "leftovers meal." I'm not using leftovers, but you totally could.


This meal really turned out great. I honestly wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but I even ate the leftovers the next day. For those who know me, you know this is a big deal. I don't usually like most leftovers. You should definitely give this a try!



Jaime's Hamburger Hash

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1/2 lb. Ground Chuck

2 medium white potatoes, cubed

1/2 white onion, minced

1 clove garlic, grated

1 small can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can Hot RoTel (If you don't like it hot, you can sub any flavor of RoTel), drained of half the liquid

Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground chuck and use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Once the meat is browned, drain off the grease and remove from the pan. Add olive oil to the same pan over medium heat. Add butter. Once butter is completely melted, add the potatoes. Once potatoes have started to crisp up, add the corn and the onion. Saute until onions start to carmelize. Add the ground chuck back to the pan and grate the garlic over the mixture. Add the RoTel and stir to combine. Let simmer about 10 minutes letting the flavors combine.

Bacon Cheeseburgers...Sort of

My husband has been wanting "plain" burgers. That means just salt and pepper to flavor the meat. Of course I like a little more flavor action, but he had a rough week last week and I wanted him to have something he would really enjoy. He loves bacon cheeseburgers, so that was the plan...for him anyway. I even made sure we had lettuce and all his favorite condiments so it would be his perfect burger.

I wasn't about to eat a plain old burger when I was at my own house and had the option not to. I decided to make a cilantro chipotle mayonaise to add a little spice. I'm also not a big bread person (I'd rather just have the meat) so I did without a bun and crumbled my bacon on top of the mayonaise. I forgot to add cheese to mine in my hurry to eat, which is odd because usually the cheese is my favorite part. But as has been stated previously, there is not waiting when it comes to food these days. The hunger just takes over!

For the "fries" I did grilled potato wedges basted with garlic olive oil. They turned out really well and the garlic didn't overpower them. I can be a bit heavy handed with seasoning, so I'll have to remember this for when other people come over. I sometimes forget not everyone loves garlic as much as I do. ;) We also had baby dill pickles with our burgers and fries.

Please excuse the ghetto plastic plate. As you can tell it has been microwaved and used quite a bit and has a little wear and tear. It's about the food people. Ignore the plate.

Cilantro Chipotle Mayonaise

2 tbsp mayo

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 chipotle in adobo, minced

1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp thai chili paste

Grilled Potato Wedges

4 Idaho potatoes, "baked" in the microwave until tender (about 7 minutes)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed

sea salt

cracked black pepper

Cut the potatoes into wedges. Mix the other ingredients in a small bowl. Place on the grill and baste with the garlic olive oil. After about 5 minutes, turn to the other side. Baste again. After the potatoes are crispy and have slight grill marks, remove from grill and toss with remaining olive oil.

The Meal Plan Continues

Ok, let me just say I am loving having a weekly meal plan!. I managed to get all the dishes I aspired to cook last week on the table. And they were all new recipes! I made a meal plan for this week also, so we'll see how it goes. I believe they are also all new recipes, so it will be another heavy blogging week. :)

I am still trying to use up the meat that is over-crowding our freezer, so first up is Rib-eye Steaks with Mustard Parmesan Crust. It was ok. Not my favorite steak. Taylor and I both agreed the mustard didn't add anything to the dish. It actually overpowered it a little. He thought it would have been really good if I had omitted the mustard.

The steaks were served with Seasoned Grill Fries. These turned out pretty good. But then again, I don't often meet a potato I don't like.

Rib-eye Steaks with Mustard Parmesan Crust
Source: Food Network

Mustard Parmesan Coating:

20 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh, roughly chopped thyme
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 thick rib-eye steaks (about 2 to 2 1/2-inches)
Grey salt and fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
2 cups fresh, finely grated parmesan cheese

In a pre-heated saute pan over medium-low heat, pan roast the garlic in olive oil, tossing only once. Allow to brown for about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the cloves through a strainer. Allow to cool before mashing roughly with fork. Add thyme to garlic paste and mash that in as well. When they are pasty but still chunky, mix in the Dijon mustard.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Preheat a grill to high.

Season steaks well with salt and pepper. Pound the seasonings in well. Drizzle steaks on both
sides with olive oil. Place meat on grill to brown, about 5 minutes each side. I used my grill pan since we had a cold snap and I didn't want to go outside.

Remove steaks from grill, place on a large cookie tray. Cover top
generously with mustard parmesan coating. Top with large piles of parmesan, spreading out to edges carefully with fingers. Place steaks in oven for 8 or 9 minutes.

Seasoned Grill Fries
Source: Bobby Flay , adapted by me

3 red potatoes, washed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder

Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large saucepan and cook until almost tender. Drain and dry the potatoes. Cut each potato lengthwise into quarters. Place the potatoes in a medium/large mixing bowl and toss with oil. Mix chili powder, salt, cumin, and garlic powder together in a small dish. Roll potatoes in the spice mixture, one at a time, and place on a plate to take to the grill. Again, I used the grill pan. Grill the potato wedges for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown.

On top of Spaghetti...

Are gouda stuffed meatballs!! YUM! Well, they were on top of my spaghetti. This is yet another dish where Taylor and I differ on the best way to serve it. He prefers meat sauce instead of meatballs. I of course prefer meatballs. So tonight, we each had it our way.

I found a recipe for mozzarella stuffed meatballs in Rachel Ray's magazine and they looked so good. I didn't have any mozzarella, so I used gouda. (I know I've been using it a lot lately, but there is a big hunk of it in my fridge and I need to use it up. Plus, I just LOVE it!)

Gouda Stuffed Meatballs
Source: Adapted from Rachel Ray's Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk (or water)
1 lb. lean ground sirloin
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
4 ounces gouda, cut into about 20 (1/2 inch) cubes

In a medium bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Add the beef, chopped garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg and salt to the soaked bread crumbs and stir with a fork until combined. Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in your hand and press a gouda cube into the center. Shape the meat around the cheese, forming a ball. Repeat with the remaining meat and gouda.

Submerge meatballs in whatever sauce you are using. Bring sauce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes without stirring.

Not Your Average Burger and Fries

So far, the meal plan is working out great! It is so much easier to know what I am making for dinner when I get home. No extra thinking required, which really helps with this pregnancy brain thing I have going on. Tonight the menu called for Asian Style Hamburgers and Oven Fries. My friend Melissa came over to show me her engagement ring (which is gorgeous by the way) and she and Taylor both seemed to enjoy dinner. Both their plates were clean!

I am really not a big hamburger fan. I have to be in the mood for them, which is why I developed this recipe a few years ago. It basically all comes down to the fact that I like my meat to be flavor infused. As my grandmother would say, I don't like anything to just taste like God created it. I always have to add a little something. In this case, I added lots of little somethings.

As you should know by now, most recipes I come up with do not have exact measurements. I guess at how much I put in, but you should always play around with the amounts depending on how much seasoning YOU like. I can be a little heavy handed.

Asian Style Hamburgers
Source: Me

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp ginger powder

Mix all of the above in a medium sized bowl and sit to the side to let the flavors really work themselves through the meat. In the meantime, start working on your potatoes.

Oven Fries (also Asian style)
Source: Me, adapted from Rachel Ray

6 medium sized red potatoes, washed
1 1/2 tbsp celery salt
1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ginger powder
toasted sesame oil, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes into wedges and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle with all the spices and toss with your hands. You want each wedge to have plenty of oil and spice, so you may need to drizzle a little more oil and sprinkle more spices on the top after the first toss. I did, but I like my potatoes really well seasoned. Also, the spices will create a nice crust on the potatoes. Bake for 25 minutes or until fork tender.

Once the potatoes are in the oven, pre-heat your grill and start making the hamburger patties.

The fries should be done just about the time you come back inside from grilling the burgers. I topped my burger with a few slices of gouda and some chili sauce, and had some ranch dressing to dip my fries in. The burger would have been great with some cilantro on top, but I didn't have any. :(

Mystery Meat

Remember in an earlier post when I made pot roast? And I mentioned that my in-laws had given us the roast and I had thrown it in the freezer? Well, this is another piece of meat from the in-laws that was freezer-bound. The problem is, I have no idea what cut of meat it is. It is definitely beef and it is rather large and has been sealed in a food saver bag. Taylor says it is just a really big ribeye steak, but I prefer to call it "mystery meat." It is just more fun that way. ;)

I do want to add that I am very thankful for the freezer full of meat my in-laws have provided. They love to buy in bulk, and my father-in-law can not pass up a good deal, so we reap the benefits. Our freezer was starting to overflow though because most of it was given to us a few months ago when I was still incredibly sick from this pregnancy. Back then I stayed as far away from the kitchen as humanly possible. Therefore I am now cleaning out the freezer and working these meats into our dinners. My husband is thrilled since he is a raging carnivore. For him, a meal is not a meal without meat.

Tonight the mystery meat came out. I put it in a marinade I whipped up when I got home, so it only got about a 45 minute soak. (I usually prefer 4-5 hours or overnight, but not time for that tonight.) Then onto the grill it went. I had the leftover Rosemary Leek Mashed Potatoes as my side and Taylor had green bean casserole. (See I do feed my husband veggies even if I refuse to touch them)




My Marinade
(I don't usually measure when I make my own marinades. Just go with what feels right.)

worcestershire sauce
minced garlic
dijon mustard
chili paste
olive oil
seasoned rice vinegar

Platinum Chef!

This is my first entry into the Platinum Chef Challenge. Actually, this is my first time to participate in any food blogging event and I have to say that I had a blast! I really enjoyed thinking outside my usual "food box."

Platinum Chef is a spin off of Iron Chef (on the Food Network - If you've never heard of it you must live under a rock), but with 5 secret ingredients instead of 1. Go here to see this month's challenge, chosen by Kate over at Paved with Good Intentions.

This challenge got me to try an ingredient I had never eaten, much less cooked with before, capers. I will say that I did not dislike the taste, but I don't see them becoming a normal fixture on my grocery shopping list. I do however have some left in the jar, so I will be searching for more recipes in which to use them.

The 5 ingredients that had to be utilized in your recipe(s) were:

• capers

• leeks

• cream (heavy cream, light cream, cream freche or cream cheese - your choice)

• rosemary

• lemon

This was a pretty daunting task for me since I only cook regularly with one of the ingredients - cream cheese. It's not that I dislike the others, they just don't normally show up on my dinner table. I decided to choose basic meal items that were very familiar to me, steak and potatoes, as a building block. (Another factor in choosing this meal was that I had both those items on hand and since we are on a budget these days this would decrease the amount of ingredients I had to pick up at the store.) So here is my very first entry into the Platinum Chef Challenge and the world of blogging events:

Caper Basil Ribeye Steaks with Rosemary Leek Mashed Potatoes

The steak is marinated in a caper-basil vinaigrette that I found on The Food Network's website from Bobby Flay.

Caper-Basil Vinaigrette
Source: Bobby Flay, my additions in italics

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, or 4 teaspoons dried basil
Juice of half a lemon

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Stir in the capers and basil.

Reserve some marinade to drizzle over meat after it is cooked. Place individual ribeye’s into a freezer bag with the rest of the marinade for at least 4 hours. **This amount of time worked out perfectly.

Grill until desired done-ness (we like our steak medium). Top with some of the reserved marinade.

Rosemary Leek Mashed Potatoes
Source: Me

5 potatoes, peeled and cubed - the smaller you cube them the quicker they will cook
1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary - I used dried since I had it on hand
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small leek, white part only, sliced thin
1 large clove garlic
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp milk
salt, to taste
a dash of cayenne pepper - if you like a little kick

Cook potatoes in boiling water until fork tender. Drain and set to the side.

In a medium sauce pan combine oil, garlic and leeks, sautéing until tender and fragrant. Add the rosemary and cook another minute or two. Place contents in a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste.

Add potatoes and milk to a large bowl and mash. I chose to use my hand mixer to make this job a little easier. Once combined, add cream cheese a few cubes at a time continuing to mix. Then add the garlic/rosemary/leek paste to the potatoes as well as salt and cayenne pepper. Mix to combine.

**This made a LOT of potatoes. We loved them though so we've been incorporating them into other meals. This recipe could easily serve 4.

This meal turned out even better than I expected! I was a little unsure how the marinade would work out, but this was the best steak I've ever cooked! The steak was tender and had a great flavor through out. We will definitely be using it again. Taylor really enjoyed the entire meal, but his favorite was the potatoes. He even went back for seconds which is saying a lot. I think we were both a little surprised at how much we liked this dinner since there were several ingredients we weren't used to eating.

And this is just a cool picture of the sliced leeks my husband took. (He also took the picture of the meal above)

To Die for (or not) Saturday Night Dinner

My in-laws gave us a beef roast that I tossed in the freezer a few weeks ago and this weekend seemed like the perfect time to pull it out. I am not a huge roast fan mostly because I've never had one with a lot of flavor. I searched the internet for a new pot roast recipe and came across To Die for Crock Pot Roast. I love using the crock pot because you don't have to babysit your dish. You just prep it, throw it in and it cooks itself. Perfect for a Saturday when I have a million things to do.

It was ok. I wouldn't say it was "to die for." I ended up adding a little worcestershire sauce to mine and it was a decent dinner. I think it all comes down to my general dislike of the flavor of roast meat. Taylor liked it though. Anyway, my additions/changes to the recipe are in italics.

To Die for Crock Pot Roast
Source: Recipezaar.com

1 beef roast, any kind
1 package dried brown gravy mix
1 package dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 package dried ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup water -I added a little more
6 medium red potatoes, quartered - you could add any veggies you want.

Mix together dried mixes in a bowl and use as a rub on the roast. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. You will have some of the dry mix left depending on the size of your roast.

Place potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot. Place beef on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the left over spice mixture around and over the roast. Pour water around the roast. Cook on low 7-9 hours.



To go with the pot roast, I made a copy cat recipe of Jim N Nicks cheese muffins. My husband and I always order a basket of these when we frequent the restaurant so I decided to give this recipe a try. The recipe comes from my friend Dela's blog, Not Your Mama's Southern Cooking. She has a great blog, you should check it out! These turned out great!! The recipe was really simple and they taste just like the "real thing."

Jim N Nicks Cheese Muffins
Source: Not Your Mama's Southern Cooking

1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp butter, melter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients together and pour into greased muffin pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.