Portuguese Steak and Fries!!!

This is a great dish, and I've seen it made a few different ways, I've prepared it differently too, but I think you guys will enjoy this one.

BIFES DE CEBOLADA

4 plump garlic cloves
salt and pepper
2 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
4 steaks, about 3/4 inch thick
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large bay leaf, torn in half
4 oz. presunto ham, chopped
6 tbsp. full bodied red wine
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Using a mortar and pestle or the end of a rolling in a small bowl, mash 2 of the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt; then mix in the vinegar and black pepper. Rub into both sides of each steak. Leave in a cool place for 30 minutes.

Halve the remaining garlic. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based skillet, add the garlic halves and the bay leaf, and cook for 1-1 1/2 minutes, stirring. Using a perforated spoon, discard the garlic and bay leaf. Add the steaks and brown quickly and evenly on both sides 2-3 minutes a side. Transfer to warmed plates and keep warm.

Pour off most of the fat from the pan, then add the ham and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, dislodging the sediment, and boil until lightly thickened. Season and pour over the steaks. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

PORTUGUESE FRIED POTATOES (Batatas a Portuguesa)

4 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. small potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
salt and pepper
finely chopped parsley

Heat the oil over a moderate heat in a large, heavy-based skillet. Add the potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes until tender and golden, turning the slices frequently so they cook evenly.

Season the potatoes, drain on paper towels and transfer to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.


Both these recipes came from the "Portuguese Cooking" by Hilaire Walden book. As always, there's different ways of making these well known dishes and actually if you travel anywhere in Portugal, you'll notice that the women prepare different versions.

I'm really hoping to be able to start sharing my portuguese recipes with you all, I'm sure you won't be disappointed :)

FIVE INGREDIENTS FRIDAY!!!

I have to tell you, I've really been enjoying all these Five Ingredient Fridays and the other recipe memes....I'm getting a really good collection built up....who needs a cookbook when I have all these wonderful ladies giving me tried and tested yummy dishes???

For more great recipes, go on over to Overwhelmed with Joy.

My recipe today is actually for a kid's treat. It's one I've made before for Jasmine's classmates, and the kids like showing off their Cookies on a Stick!!!!

Cookies On A Stick

1 package (18 ounces) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or dough from one batch Original NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cookies (NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels 6-ounce package recipe)
8 flat wooden sticks
Decorator icing (optional)
Candies (optional)
Melted chocolate (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 375ƒ F.
SHAPE cookie dough into eight 2-inch balls. Place four balls at a time onto ungreased baking sheet. Insert wooden sticks into each ball to resemble a lollipop; flatten dough slightly.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are crisp. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
DECORATE as desired. Tie ribbons around sticks and give as a bunch.

Chicken Baked with Potatoes & Garlic!!!

This is a really easy dish to make, but it's very delicious.

Don't be put off by the amount of garlic because as it cooks it really mellows out and becomes a mild taste.

FRANGO A MODA DO ALENTEJO

3 1/2 lb. chicken, cut into 12-16 pieces
2 1/4 lb. potatoes, quartered
1 onion, sliced
20 small-medium sprigs of rosemary (I used Thyme in mine too and it's equally good)
salt and pepper
8 tbsp. olive oil
20 unpeeled garlic cloves

Preheat the oven to 425º.

Put the chicken, potatoes, onion, rosemary, and seasoning into a large, shallow baking dish. Mix together and then pour over the oil. Scatter the garlic cloves over the top and bake for 20 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 375º and bake for about 45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, the potatoes golden and the garlic crisp.

It's a wonderful meal and brings back great memories of dinners at home with the family. Makes you feel like you're right in the middle of a portuguese kitchen.....well, I guess in a way you are, it's my kitchen and I'm portuguese LOL

Enjoy :)

MENUS Sep. 25th - 29th

It's monday and time for "MENU PLAN MONDAY"....if you want to share your own or are just curious as to what others are having this week, go on over to Laura at "I'm an Organizing Junkie".

Here's my menu plan for this coming week:

BAKED POTATO SOUP!!!

I fixed this soup for dinner last night, sort of a last resort, since my other meal plans went down the drain. That's what happens when you buy meat, thaw it out only to realize that it's bad.

But I'm so thrilled with the way the soup turned out, it was really good. Just have to double or triple the recipe next time, as it doesn't make a lot. If you have a small family, it's fine, but even though we're only a family of four, it would have been great to have leftover soup for today :)

BAKED POTATO SOUP

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (12 ounces) NESTLE CARNATION Evaporated Milk
2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes baked or microwaved
Salt and pepper to taste
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (I used bacon bits, they worked fine)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used mozarella and it was really good too)
3 tablespoons sliced green onion

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour.

Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Scoop potato pulp from one potato; mash. Add pulp to broth mixture.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture just comes to a boil. Dice remaining potatos (including skin); add to soup. Heat through.

Season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onion.

Yield: 4 servings

Roasted Chestnuts!!!

To me, nothing says "Fall and Winter", like the smell of roasting chestnuts.

It's something I had grown accustomed to while living in Portugal, I mean you really couldn't go far without having someone roasting these beauties and serving them in newspapers funnels.
Walking down the streets of Lisbon, you are sure to encounter one of these, and the aroma in the air....oh pure bliss.

Just the anticipation of eating them, was enough to have me on my best behavior, while window shopping the streets of Lisbon.

I plan on roasting some Chestnuts this year, my kids and husband have never had them, and I know they're in for a treat.

So here's a quick and easy recipe:

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

1 pound or more of chestnuts
Kosher Salt

First you wash the chestnuts and then make a small horizontal slit in each one.

Cover a baking pan with the kosher salt, then place the chestnuts in a single layer, on top of the salt.

Sprinkle with more kosher salt and then bake at 350º for about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on their size.

Once they're done, remove them from the baking pan, place them in a thick kitchen towel....sprinkle with a few drops of water, and close the towel...almost like giving them a quick steam.

ENJOY!!!

FIVE INGREDIENTS FRIDAY!!!

After collecting all those yummy slow cooker recipes yesterday, you would have thought I had enough of recipes and cooking for a while, but NOPE, I'm back and ready for more LOL

Overwhelmed with Joy hosts this wonderful feature every friday, so come and play along with us, all you need is a recipe that has 5 ingredients, post it for everyone to see, and then add your name to Mr Linky at her site :) See??? Easy :)

Chicken Gumbo

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 bag (16 ounces) BIRDS EYE frozen Farm Fresh Mixtures Broccoli, Corn and Red Peppers
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water

Heat oil in large saucepan over high heat. Add chicken and sausage; cook until browned, about 8 minutes.

Add vegetables, tomatoes and water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

ARROZ DE TOMATE - TOMATO RICE

Growing up I can remember that everytime we had Fish Fillets or some other sort of fish, we usually had this side dish. It's especially good served with "Pataniscas de Bacalhau". Cod Fish cakes...I will post the recipe one of these days, along with "Peixinhos da Horta", which is green beans fried in batter, sometimes with a little chopped onion too.

Now here's the thing, I'm not a tomato fan, actually you could say that I really dislike them. I will often pick them out of my salad or hamburger, though I do eat them in sauces, jams etc. Go figure!!!

This rice is delicious and makes a great side dish, it's also a great way to serve rice instead of just the usual plain way.

ARROZ DE TOMATE - TOMATO RICE

1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup vegetable oil
4 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 cup white rice


Place the chopped onion and the minced garlic in a skillet with the peanut oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent. Add the tomatoes, salt and the bay leaf. Simmer 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are almost puréed.

Stir in the 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the rice; stir; cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

Serves 4.

Optional: I also like adding some spinach leaves to it, it adds some color and is really tasty too.

CRAB CAKES!!!

This is one of those reduced calorie recipes, and obviously seeing that I'm always trying to watch my weight, I figured this was a good one to add to my list.

CRAB CAKES

1 lb. lump crabmeat (canned is OK)
1/3 cup low-sodium saltines (about 7)
1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. minced shallot
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 large egg white
1 rib celery, diced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. salt pepper, to taste
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Pick over crabmeat and take out any pieces of shell. Break saltines into roughly 1-4-inch pieces and fold with crabmeat in a large bowl. Add Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, shallot, mustard, egg white, celery, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Fold together gently until well blended. Be careful not to break up crabmeat too much.

Form into 8 cakes and chill. (This part can be done up to 12 hours in advance. Cover crab cakes and chill.)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until it's almost smoking. Lower heat to medium-high and fry crab cakes for about 3 minutes, until brown. Transfer cakes to a baking sheet lined with foil and cook in the oven for another 9 to 10 minutes, until warmed through.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES!!!

It's cold, it's raining and I feel as if I'm in the middle of winter, so what better way to start the morning, than with some pumpkin pancakes. If you've never had them, you're in for a treat :)

You can use canned or fresh pumpkin for these. I actually found this recipe online a couple years ago, they even suggested for Halloween, sprinkling on that orange-colored sugar, how fun is that?

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

* 2 cups flour
* 2 tbs granulated sugar
* 4 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup pumpkin puree
* 4 eggs -- separated
* 1/4 cup melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients. Combine milk, egg yolks, butter and pumpkin puree. Stir into dry ingredients until just blended. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Pour onto hot, oiled griddle, about 1/3 cup at a time.

Cook until tops bubble and turn and cook other side.

MUSHROOM -BEEF STEW!!!

Right now my house is filled with the wonderful aroma of this Stew cooking in the Crockpot. I can't wait for dinner.

1 pound beef stew meat
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 envelope (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
2 cans (4 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, drained

Slow Cooker Directions:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over hot cooked noodles and garnish as desired.

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Dessert

For dessert, I'm making Carrot Cake with Easy Cream Cheese Frosting. I think it's all in keeping with this Autumn meal :)

1 package (2 layer size) carrot cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) *PHILADELPHIA*Cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated or powdered sugar
1/4 cup cold milk
1 tub (8 ounces) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Prepare cake mix as directed on package for 13x9-in pan. Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk in medium bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread over top of cake.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish as desired.

MENUS Sep. 18th - 24th

I love monday, it gets me all excited about the menus being shared in blogland. Thank you to Laura for starting this feature, what a great idea it was :)

So here's mine for this week. As always remember to go on over to Laura's Blog and add your name to Mr Linky, if you're playing along.

As usual, I will be sharing the recipes too, so if there's one that catches your eyes, just remember to come back and get the recipe on that day.

Can't wait to come see everyone else's menus :)

Super-Easy Chicken Manicotti

It's time for Five Ingredients Friday, Overwhelmed with Joy is hosting this feature every friday, so if you have five ingredient recipes you want to share, just go on over to her blog and add your name to the list. :)

Here's mine for today:

Super-Easy Chicken Manicotti

1 jar (26 to 30 ounces) tomato pasta sauce (any variety)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
14 uncooked manicotti shells (8 ounces)
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)


Heat oven to 350 F. Spread about one-third of the pasta sauce in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches.

Sprinkle garlic salt on chicken. Insert chicken into uncooked manicotti shells, stuffing from each end of shell to fill if necessary. Place shells on pasta sauce in dish.

Pour remaining pasta sauce evenly over shells, covering completely. Sprinkle with olives and cheese.

Cover and bake about 1 1/2 hours or until shells are tender.

Note: Easy never tasted this good! But don�t be fooled by its ease; with its creative presentation, this is a dish that you can be proud to serve to guests.

Deep Dish Sausage Pizza!!!

We just had this for dinner, and it's delicious. Very very tasty and filling too. I substituted the dough part of the recipe, for my own one posted here.  It came out fluffy and soft and really good.

DEEP DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
2 teaspoons cornmeal
1-3/4 cups pizza sauce
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage, cooked and drained
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pepper rings (green, red, orange or yellow, whichever you prefer)


On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch dough into a 9-in. circle. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll and stretch the dough into a 12-in. circle. Sprinkle cornmeal into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place dough in pan and press 1-in. up the sides of the pan.

Spread pizza sauce over crust. Top with sausage, 1 cup of cheese, oregano and green pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 425º for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Remove to a wire rack; let stand for 5 minutes before removing sides of pan.

Yield: 6 servings

SHRIMP JAMBALAYA!!!

Tonight's dinner is Shrimp Jambalaya, and even though I'm feeling HORRIBLE, I still cook. It's the one thing that I can't let go of even when I'm most definitely NOT up to it.

SHRIMP JAMBALAYA

1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon each cayenne pepper, chili powder and pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large skillet, cook the ham, onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, parsley and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Add shrimp; cook 5 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

EASY FRIED CHICKEN!!!

Tonight's dinner is Fried Chicken. I know there are tons of recipes out there, but really I don't have the time to sit in the kitchen for hours fixing dinner, there's homework, kids, housework and other stuff that requires my attention.

If I can get away with fixing a good dinner without spending too much time in the kitchen, I'm ALL for that.

I found this recipe years ago and have been making it since then.

1 frying chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into pieces (or if you just like white meat, breasts only)
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon each pepper, rubbed sage, thyme leaves and dried basil
About 2 1/2 cups vegetable oil


Place chicken pieces in a shallow pan and sprinkle with the sherry; let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a plastic bag, combine flour, garlic salt, salt, paprika, pepper, sage, thyme and basil.

Into a heavy, wide frying pan with a lid, pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Without drying, place chicken, a few pieces at a time, in bag and shake to coat. Arrange chicken without crowding, skin side down, in unheated oil.

Cover pan and place over medium-high heat. When chicken begins sizzling loudly (about 7 minutes), begin timing -- cook for 15 minutes. With tongs, turn pieces over and continue cooking, uncovered, until meat near thighbone is no longer pink when slashed (about 10 more minutes). Lift out chicken and allow to drain briefly on paper towels. Serve hot or let cool to room temperature. Makes 4 servings.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE!!!

This is a recipe I've made many times. It's great for those days that you want a quick dessert but don't want to spend hours fixing it, plus it uses ingredients we all have at hand.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

VEGETABLE SOUP!!!

Last night I was supposed to make Onion and Potato soup, which is really easy to make, all it takes is a couple potatoes, one or two onions, some water, salt and pepper, garlic, 1 chicken or beef bouillon cube and a drizzle of olive oil.

Once the potatoes and onions are cooked, you blend it all together, give it a couple of stirs and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, drizzle some more olive oil on top, and VOILA!!! You have a tasty and very filling soup.

I had the soup on the stove, and then Jasmine asked why don't I put more veggies in, and I thought "you know, why not, I can always make this next week".

I put in potatoes, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots and celery and then the usual salt and pepper and olive oil.

It came out SO good, the kids loved it and gobbled up everything on their plates. Throw in some Grilled Cheese and Ham sandwiches, and you have a great filling dinner which is pretty inexpensive.

What's best???? I have a ton of soup left which I'll be having today for lunch.

Soup is extremely versatile, you can pretty much use anything you want which is great for getting rid of leftover veggies. I would love to know what kind of soups you all are making especially around the colder months.

Menus Sep. 11th - 14th

Time to share another menu plan for this coming week. If you want to participate, go on over to Laura's blog and enter your name in Mr. Linky.

Here's my menu for this week:

I'm actually making the Tortellini Alfredo tonight, so the Fried chicken will be on Thursday.
Here's the recipe for tonight's dinner:

Tortellini Alfredo

2 pkg. (9 oz. each) DI GIORNO Three Cheese Tortellini, uncooked

1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread

1 cup milk

1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cups frozen peas

2 cups chopped OSCAR MAYER Ham, any variety

1. COOK tortellini as directed on package in large saucepan; drain. Set aside.
2. ADD cream cheese spread, milk and Parmesan cheese to saucepan; mix well. Stir in peas and tortellini; cover. Cook on medium-low heat 5 min. or until sauce is thick enough to coat tortellini, stirring occasionally.
3. STIR in ham; cook 2 min. or until heated through.

PIZZA LOAF!!!

I'm so thrilled!

Jasmine cooked her first dinner last night. I was making Pizza Loaf and she wanted to help, so I said "why don't YOU make it and mommy will just help you".

She did, and she's so proud of herself, and let me tell you, this loaf is really good. I think it would be perfect for get togethers, superbowl parties, picnics etc. It's very versatile.

PIZZA LOAF

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper 8 ounces sliced pepperoni
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup pickled pepper rings (I didn't use this)
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce

On a greased baking sheet, roll ou dough into a 15-in. x 10-inc. rectangle. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, parmesan cheese, oil, parsley, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. Brush over the dough.

Sprinkle with pepperoni, mozarella cheese, mushrooms, pepper rings, green pepper and olives.

Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down; brush with egg whites. Do not let rise.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Warm the pizza sauce; serve with sliced loaf.

Yield: 10-12 slices.

FIVE INGREDIENTS FRIDAY!!! Sep. 8th

Time for another Five Ingredients Friday, is there anything more exciting than the anticipation of gathering tons more recipes??? Is it just me??? I love cooking and cookbooks so this is just perfect.
Quick, head on over to Overwhelmed with Joy and add your name to the list.

With summer coming to an end, I'm trying to use my grill as much as possible, one thing we love are burgers, HOMEMADE burgers, so when I found this recipe I knew I had to try it. It is SO good.

Lipton Onion Burgers

1 envelope Lipton RECIPE SECRETS Onion Soup Mix
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup water


In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; shape into 8 patties.

Grill or broil until done.

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How easy is that?!?!?! And because that was a quick and easy recipe, I've decided to share more than just one. Is that ok or will I be punished? LOL

Here is a real quick dessert, it's delicious and looks great, but you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen :)

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE PUDDING PIE

1 1/2 cups strawberry, cherry or raspberry pie filling, divided
1 (6 ounce) READY CRUST Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 (4 serving size each) packages JELL-) Cheesecake Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Spoon 1/2 cup fruit pie filling into crust.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until smooth. (Mixture will be thick). Immediately stir in whipped topping. Spoon over pie filling in crust.

Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Top with remaining pie filling. Garnish as desired.
Refrigerate leftovers.

STEAK LO MEIN

I'm on a Round Steak Kick, and believe me, I don't usually eat this much meat in a short period of time, but I got it all on sale and couldn't pass it up, besides, with dishes such as Round Steak Stroganoff and Mushroom Round Steak, I am GLAD I did.

So tonight I'm fixing some Steak Lo Mein, we love chinese food and I can't say that I am good at making it, I've never really gotten into it, but who knows I may after this dish.

STEAK LO MEIN

1 pound round steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup diagonally sliced carrots, partially cooked
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup diagonally sliced celery
1/3 cup sliced green onions
14 fresh snow pea pods, trimmed,
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
4 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked and drained (I'm actually using lo mein noodles)

Freeze steak just until firm; slice diagonally across grain into 1/4.in. strips. Combine bouillon, water, soy sauce and cornstarch. Set aside. In a wok or large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add meat and garlic; stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Remove meat to a platter. Add cabbage, carrots, onion, mushrooms, celery and green onions; stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add pea pods and water chestnuts; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add meat. Stir bouillon mixture and pour into skillet; cook and stir until thickened.

Gently toss in spaghetti and heat through for 1 minute.

Yield: 6 servings

Mushroom Round Steak!!!

My slow cooker is working double shift this week. I used it for last night's dinner, and she's back at it again this morning, slowly cooking tonight's meal.

Is there anything better than the aroma that floats around the house???

I'm fixing Mushroom Round Steak, mashed potatoes and salad. For dessert, it's Tres Leches Cake....it's so good and I've never tasted a cake so moist. If you like sweetened condensed milk, then you have to try this recipe, the bottom of the cake becomes almost like a pudding, moist and gooey, and every bite brings the flavor of the condensed milk... YUMMY!!!

I'll add a picture as soon as it's ready, so you can all see what it looks like.

MUSHROOM ROUND STEAK

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 to 2-1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak (1/2 inch thick), cut into serving-size pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed French Onion soup, undiluted
1 can (8 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire saurce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown the beef in batches in oil. Transfer meat to a slow cooker with a slotted spoon. In a bowl, combine the soup, mushrooms, water, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove beef with a slotted spoon; keep warm. Transfer cooking liquid to a saucepan. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir a small amount of hot liquid into sour cream. Return all to the pan; cook on low until heated through. Serve over meat.
Yield: 6 servings

Round Steak Stroganoff!!!

Edit: I tried it last night and it was DELICIOUS, really really tasty. Hubby and kids loved it and gobbled it up, and hubby actually took leftovers to work today. I'm replacing the picture that was posted before, with this one, I try to get pics of all the dishes I prepare so that you see that I'm actually making it LOL

This looks so yummy, it's my first time trying it so I hope it's good, but hey, who could go wrong with stroganoff right???

So the recipe I'm sharing with you, and what I'm making for dinner tonight, is called

ROUND STEAK STROGANOFF

I got the recipe from a Country Woman Magazine, I can't wait to try it :)

Enjoy!!!

MENUS Sep. 4th - 10th

I just got done with my menus. A lot of you asked me about the Menu Planner I was using and after downloading the file, how to add your info to it.

I use Paintshop Pro, open the file in there, add a new layer and then just add all my info. But this weekend I actually made a new template for myself.....now all I do is print it out and write in my meals, but to be able to share them with you all, I scan the whole thing onto my computer and then post it for you. So yes, it's in my own handwriting!!!

I'm posting the empty template for you too, in case anyone else wants to use it.

Just print it out and add your own meal plans to it, I actually put in a spot for Desserts or Other stuff I may be trying out that week.

Here are my menus plans, I'm posting the recipe for today's dinner after this post, so check for that above. I also include breakfast and lunch plans....I have found that it makes it a lot easier for me when preparing the meals, the kids are hungry and don't have patience to wait for me while I figure out what to make. This way I just take out whatever is on the menu and make it.

If you want to join in on this Menu Plan Monday, head on over to Laura's Blog "I'm an Organizing Junkie" and just add your name to Mr. Linky. There's tons of other ladies playing along, so you'll have fun going through everyone's menus.