Friday, August 15, 2014

Beef and Pesto Panini

I'm not a huge pesto fan, but this has enough other flavors going on that the pesto blends in and isn't so strong as it can be sometimes.  If you have one of those panini press things, you can use that for these.  We just fry them on a skillet.

Beef and Pesto Panini

8 slices Italian bread
2 tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Basil pesto
1/2 lb. Sliced roast beef
4 slices Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Pasta sauce -- warmed

 Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Spread 1 tbsp. pesto on other side of four slices of bread. Top with beef, cheese, and remaining bread. Fry like a grilled cheese sandwich. Dip in pasta sauce to eat.

Ramen Stir Fry

One of the first recipes I can remember making once we were married.  It's joyously crunchy!

Ramen Stir Fry

1 lb. Steak – stir fry cut
3 cups Water
2 packages Oriental Ramen
1 lb. Frozen stir fry veggies
1/2 cup Stir fry sauce

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and brown steak. Remove from skillet. Heat water to boiling in skillet. Break up noodles into water and cook until slightly softened. Stir in veggies, bring to boiling, and cook for 6 minutes. Stir in beef, seasoning packet from Ramen and sauce. Heat through.

Salmon Teriyaki and Asparagus Stir-Fry

A simple, fast, and yummy mix of flavors.

Salmon Tariyaki and Asparagus Stir-Fry

1 lb. Salmon fillets -- cut in 1" cubes
2 tbsp. Oil
1 bunch Asparagus -- trimmed and cut 1" long
2 cloves Garlic -- minced
1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 cup Rice -- cooked
Sesame seeds

In a large skillet, sauté salmon in oil until done. Remove from skillet. Add garlic and asparagus and sauté until asparagus is crisp-tender. Return salmon to skillet. Add teriyaki and heat through. Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds.

Bluebarb Pie

I got this from some magazine a few years ago.  The blueberries keep it sweeter than your usual rhubarb pie.  You may be shocked to learn that I use refrigerated pie crust, but if it's a choice between using one of those and making pie, or not having time to make a pie crust from scratch and thus not having pie, guess which one this busy mommy chooses?  If you want to make a crust from scratch for this, go right ahead.

Bluebarb Pie

1 package Refrigerated pie crust
1 1/2 cups Sugar
3 tbsp. Quick-cooking Tapioca
1/4 tsp. Salt
4 cups Rhubarb -- sliced (approximately 4 medium stalks)
2 cups Blueberries
1 tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Milk
Sugar

Place on crust in a deep-dish pie plate. Trim to be even with edge. In a large bowl, combine sugar, tapioca, and salt. Add rhubarb and blueberries; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes. Transfer to pie crust. Dot with butter. Place the other crust over the filling. Trim, seal, and flute the edges. Cut slits in the crust. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar (if desired). Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes, covering edges with foil during last 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Baked Carrots and Apples

Simple and satisfying!

Baked Carrots and Apples

1 lb. Carrots -- sliced 1" long
1 (20 oz.) can Apple pie filling
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. Paprika

Steam carrots for 12 minutes, until tender. Place in a 1-quart casserole. Stir in apples. Sprinkle with sugar and paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Beef and Eggplant Pie

A savory pie with lots of fun textures.

Beef and Eggplant Pie

2 cups Eggplant -- cubed
1/4  cup Butter
1 lb. Ground beef
1/2  cup Onion -- chopped
1 stalk Celery -- sliced
1 clove Garlic -- minced
8 oz. Tomato sauce
1 tsp. Parsley
1 tbsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Salt
1/4  tsp. Pepper
1 unbaked Pie crust
3/4  cup Shredded Mozzarella

In a small skillet, saute eggplant in butter until tender. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until done; drain. Add onions, celery, and garlic and saute until done. Add the eggplant, tomato sauce, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper; bring to boil and remove from heat. Prick pie crust with a fork. Add beef mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Beer Battered Fish

I made these earlier this week.  The first batch, I forgot to dip in the batter and just fried with dry Bisquick on them.  They were super-tasty that way too!  So if you don't want to use beer or want a lighter taste, try that instead.  I recommend using swai or another mild-flavored fish.

Beer Battered Fish

1 lb. Fish fillets
1 cup + 4 Tbsp  Bisquick -- divided
3/4  cup Beer
1 Egg
1 tsp. Salt
Oil

Beat egg in a large bowl. Mix with beer and salt. Add one cup of Bisquick 1/4 cup at a time and whisk until smooth. Add more beer if necessary. Heat lots of oil in a large skillet. Roll fish in Bisquick and dip in batter. Place in skillet and add more oil if needed. Cook fish, turning once, until pierced easily with a fork. Cook any remaining batter as a weird-tasting pancake.

Beef and Bean Burritos

Pretty standard burrito recipe.  

Beef and Bean Burritos

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup Onion -- chopped
1 clove Garlic -- minced
2 tsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 can Refried beans
1 10 oz. can Enchilada sauce -- divided
6 Tortillas

 GARNISHES
Lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole

Fry beef and drain fat. Add onions and garlic and sauté. Add spices, beans, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Heat through. Spoon about 1/2 cup of filling into each tortilla and wrap up. Serve with garnishes and remaining enchilada sauce.

Bean, Kale, and Egg Stew

Eggs in stew?  Yup!  And the kale gets cooked enough that you don't have to spend five minutes chewing each bite, either.

Bean, Kale, and Egg Stew

2 tbsp. Oil
1/2 medium Onion -- chopped
2 cans Kidney beans -- one drained and rinsed
2 cups Chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tsp. Soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 bunch Kale -- washed, stemmed, and chopped
6 Eggs
Crusty bread -- buttered

In a soup pot, sauté onions in oil until soft. Add beans, broth, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Heat to boiling. Add kale and stir until wilted. Simmer for five minutes. One at a time, break an egg into a small bowl and gently pour into the stew. Poach eggs in the stew until done. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Ladle eggs and stew into bowl. Serve with crusty bread.

BBQ Shrimp

You make this in the oven, not on the grill.

BBQ Shrimp

2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tbsp. Butter -- melted
8 cloves Garlic -- crushed
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1 lb. Large shrimp -- peeled and de-veined
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Paprika
2 tbsp. Sherry
1 Lemon -- cut in wedges

 In a small skillet, sauté garlic, Bay leaves, and thyme in butter and oil until fragrant. Toss all but lemons in a 1-quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees until shrimp turn pink (about 10 minutes). Serve with lemon.