Carne Asada

We just had this for Sammy's birthday dinner. You may remember eating it at Jenny's first birthday party and many other family events. Anyway, at Mimi's request, I am sharing it with you.

1 flank steak (1-2 lbs, NOT tenderized)
1 lime, juiced
2-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 c oil (vegetable or olive)


2-4 Tablespoons oil
1 small red onion, chopped
fresh cilantro, chopped. about 1/4 cup, use more or less to your taste
1/4 pound each monterey jack and cheddar cheese, shredded


place lime juice, pressed garlic and oil in a one gallon zipper bag. close and mix well. add flank steak. let marinate at room temperature while you preheat the grill for 15 minutes.

cook flank steak over high heat until medium/medium rare, about 5-7 minutes per side (if you like you meat more well done, don't worry. you will cook this more later).

place meat on a plate and cover well with foil. let rest until cool enough to handle (I like to place it in the fridge overnight). cut flank steak into small bite size square-ish pieces, about 1/4 - 1/2 inch.

heat a large skillet over medium high, add oil (it's more traditional and more flavorful to use bacon grease or lard). cook cut meat and onions, stirring occasionally, until onions are melt-y and the meat is heated through. stir in cilantro. add cheeses and stir until melted.


a few notes: if you let the carne asada sit a while on low to medium low heat, the meat's natural juices and the cheese will mix together and make a kind of sauce. Sometimes, I like a cleaner flavor and I omit the cheese.




I love this served with homemade guacamole:

Reserve about 2 teaspoons of the lime juice and 2 tablespoons each of the red onion and cilantro from the carne asada recipe. chop the reserved onions fine (very small). use just the cilantro leaves and chop small.

additional ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1/2 fresh jalapeno, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
salt

mash one avocado with the onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic and pepper until smooth. cut the remaining avocado the large chunks and place in bowl. sprinkle with lime juice and salt to taste. mix lighlty to preserve texture of avocados.

ANNIVERSARY CHICKEN

3 chicken breasts
6-8 Tbsp of teriyaki sauce
1/2 C ranch salad dressing
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions chopped
1/2 of 3oz can of real bacon bits
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Heat oil over medium heat and saute chicken until lightly browned on each side. Place in a pan. Brush with teriyaki sauce. Spoon on ranch. Sprinkle with onions, bacon, and parsley. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-35 min until cooked through.

SHEPARD's PIE

I got this recipe off Rachel Ray. I really does take only 30 minutes. I added some stuff because I though it was too bland.

2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 C cream
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 lb ground beef
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 C beef stock
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C frozen green beans

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk, and cream. Add cream mixture, salt, and cheese to potatoes. Mix until potatoes are smooth.

While potatoes are boiling, heat large skillet over medium high heat. Put meat in pan and season with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3-4 minutes. Add carrot and onion to meat. Cook veggies with meat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together for 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire Sauce. Thicken gravy, about one minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in green beans.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetables mixture. Spread mashed potatoes over meat evenly. Broil 6-8 inches from the heat until potatoes are browned.

No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pasta

tonight's dinna'




cook 1lb of your favorite pasta as directed on package
{i used al dente fiesta fettuccine}



meanwhile, combine the following:

8 chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 Cup of chopped fresh basil leaves
2 TBSP of chopped red onion
1/2 Cup Kraft Light Done Right! Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
{i used Kraft Light House Italian, and it turned out good}
1/4 Cup of Grated Parmesan cheese
Add drained pasta; toss to coat.*

makes 8 servings, 1 1/4 cups each.


*if storing leftovers, don't toss the ingredients together with the pasta. refrigerate separately so the noodles can be warmed up, but leave the dressing cold.

we didn't have any type of french bread, so i served the pasta with a piece of toast-alpine valley organic multi grain with omega-3....YUM!

jackson was quite impressed; he said it tasted like something from a restaurant. score!

hawaiian haystack or chicken sundae

OR Chicken on a haystack!

SO EASY

amounts of the following filled my family.

4 Chicken breast

1 can of Cream of Chicken

3 cups of Rice

toppings

(one or all of these)

1 can Pineapple (tidbits/crushed)

almonds

1 stalk celery

1/2 tomato

1 pkg. ramen noodle (crushed) or chow mein

Cook your chicken and cut up into bite size pieces.

Cook your rice

Heat up Cream of Chicken soup as instructed on can

Start with a bed of rice, top with chicken and Soup....this is yum by itself.

But top with some of the other stuff and it's even better.

It's YUM-O and Super EASY!

MEXICAN LASAGNA

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.

Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.

Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

**This can be a little spicy. I'd use 1/2 pepper jack cheese & 1/2 cheddar if you don't like things "HOT 'n' SPICY".**

Enchiladas de Pollo (autentico)

2 whole chicken breasts ¼ cup cilantro leaves
Water ¾ cup heavy cream
½ small onion 1 egg
2 bay leaves salt
8 peppercorns (or ¼ cup lard (Crisco)
One pimiento) guacamole
8 corn tortillas
1 medium onion, chopped Parmesan cheese shredded (1 cup)
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, Radishes sliced
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 (4-oz.) can green chilies olives
1 (13-oz.) can tomatillos, drained or
1-¾ cups drained canned tomatoes
Directions
Put chicken, onion, bay leaves peppercorns and salt in a large pot or dutch over and cover with water. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Cool chicken in broth. Drain, reserving broth for another use. Shred chicken and mix with chopped onion, Parmesan cheese and one cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Add salt if needed. Set aside. Combine in a blender green chiles, tomatillos or tomatoes, cilantro, whipping cream and egg. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat lard or Crisco in a fry pan. Using tongs, carefully place tortillas one at a time in the hot lard. Leave in lard for three seconds and turn over for three more seconds. Drain. Place 1/8 of the chicken mixture on each tortilla, pressing the mixture to make it compact. Roll tightly and place seam side down in a cake pan or baking dish. Pour chile-cream mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle evenly with shredded Cheddar and or Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until heated and bubbly. For each serving, place 2 enchiladas on a plate and top with about 3 tablespoons sour cream. Place a mound of Guacamole over the sour cream. Garnish with radish slices. Place a couple of olives on the whole. Makes 8 muy rica enchiladas. Buen provecho!

CHICKEN DIVINE

2 c. chicken, cooked & cubed
16 oz. frozen broccoli, thawed
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 Tbs. milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. curry powder
yellow cheese, french fried onions

Saute onion if you like, then stir it up with the chicken and broccoli. Mix together the soup, milk, lemon juice, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste (1/2 tsp. or so). Pour over chicken/broccoli. Top with cheese and bake at 350* for 30 min. or until bubbly. Top with french fried onions and return to oven for 5 min.

STUFFED MEATBALLS

1 1/2 c. uncooked instant rice
1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt, pepper
10 oz. pkg. frozen brussel sprouts
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 c. water
1 tsp. dried thyme

Combine first 6 ingredients. Shape scant 1/4 cupful around each frozen brussel sprout to form a meatball. Place meatballs in 9 x 13. Combine tomato sauce, water, & thyme. Pour over meatballs. Bake covered at 350* for 1 hr. 15 min. Serve on cooked rice. If you like prepared horseradish, mix some into your rice! This secret ingredient makes it super-fantastic, except to a four year old.This is one of my freezer meals. When I buy my huge chubs of beef, I double the recipe and freeze in ziplocs, 12-15 meatballs per dinner. One recipe will make two dinners for us (2 adults, 2 eating children).

CHICKEN BARLEY STEW

1 tsp. oil
1 c. chopped onion
2 c. (or 1 can) chicken broth
2 c. water
1/2 c. quick-cook barley
2 tsp. chili powder
2-3 c. frozen corn, green beans, peas
2 c. shredded chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Tb. dried parsley or cilantro

Saute onion in oil 5 min. Add broth and water, bring to a boil. Stir in barley and chili powder. Simmer 5 min. and add veggies. Anything is really fine here. I use some frozen, some canned (never canned peas--they are icky). Cover and simmer 5 min. until barley is tender. Stir in chicken (or beef or turkey, cooked) and tomatoes (spicy ones are good). Add parsley now. Heat through and serve.

CASHEW CHICKEN

1/2 c. ketchup
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 T. worcestershire sauce
3 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. sesame oil
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 whole chicken breasts (as in 6 halves) cut to bite size pieces
1/4 c. cooking oil (peanut works good)
2 T. grated or minced gingerroot
1 T. minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped a bit
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and sliced
1 1/2 c. cashews

Combine ketchup, soy sauce, salt, worcestershire, sugar, sesame oil, cayenne, and broth in a bowl.

In another bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt and toss chicken pieces in this.

Heat cooking oil in a wok or frying pan to a high heat and add chicken mixture, ginger, garlic and onion. When chicken is cooked through, add chestnuts and bamboo shoots, and ketchup mixture and cook until it comes to a boil. Add cashews. Serve on rice.

BEEF & BROCCOLI

1 lb. beef steak, sliced thin

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. brown sugar

3 T. vinegar

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

2 t. grated fresh ginger

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. oil

1 large onion, sliced thin

2 heads broccoli, cut up into florets

Combine beef, water, soy, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger and cornstarch in a bag or bowl and marinate 10 minutes or more. Drain well, reserving marinade. Place broccoli and a bit of water in a microwave bowl covered in plastic wrap and microwave it 4 minutes until tender-crisp (or, hey, you could steam it "the real way"). Heat oil in a wok or skillet and brown beef and onion together about 3 minutes. Add marinade and bring to a boil at least 5 minutes and until beef is done and sauce is bubbly. Stir in drained, hot broccoli and serve on rice. It's good. REALLY good.

THE BEST MEATLOAF!

2 lbs lean ground round or chuck (hamburger)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 cup cracker crumbs or fine dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 cup milk
6 to 8 small potatoes, halved or quartered

Preparation:In large bowl, mix all ingredients except potatoes. Shape into a loaf. Place in a Crock Pot. Place potatoes at the sides of loaf. (If potatoes are peeled, wrap in foil to keep from darkening.) Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Serves 6.

* I didn't peel mine, so i don't know how that tin foil works.* i made extra brown gravy to use for the potatoes and meat. so so yummy!!!