Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch

Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch 

Slightly adapted from Lauren Allen on tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 lb ground beef, 1/2 lb Italian sausage)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic powder 
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 c water
1/4 c fresh basil leaves (optional)
spaghetti noodles (gluten free for gluten free meal)

Directions:

• Season meat with salt and pepper
• In a large skillet, brown the meat and chopped onion. Drain excess grease.
• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, Worcestershire, and sugar to the skillet. Stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer. 
• Add water and stir well.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chopped basil before serving, if desired.

Boys rating: 2 thumbs up

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Green Chile Burritos

lightly adapted from lilluna.com

I love finding a new cooking blog or book that inspires me to try new recipes. As you can see from the most recent posts, I've discovered lilluna.com and have found some great recipes. I get bored easily and can't make the same thing over and over! I'm grateful for good cooks who share their talents.


When I saw this recipe I wasn't sure I'd like it but I was so wrong! I'm really glad we tried it.

1 2.5-3 lb beef roast
2 TB Italian Dressing Dry Mix
2 TB Hidden Valley Dry Mix
2 TB Brown Gravy Dry Mix
1⁄2 cup water
1 - 2 cups 505 Green Chile Sauce (or whatever great salsa verde you can find at your store)
Tortillas

Mix Brown Gravy Dry Mix, Hidden Valley Dry Mix and Italian Dressing Dry Mix together.

Place chuck roast in your slow cooker. Pour 1⁄2 cup water over your roast. Sprinkle mix all over the top of your roast. Cook on HIGH for at least 4 hours. 

Remove meat from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Pour out the liquid from the slow cooker. Place the shredded meat back in the slow cooker.

Add your green chile sauce, mix and cook until your sauce is warm. Serve on warm tortillas. I added chopped red onion and avocado slices to mine. Cotija cheese is another good topping for these burritos/tacos. 

Husband rating: 2 stars

My rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Mad Cow Tacos

If you live near Austin you probably know the restaurant Torchy's Tacos. But did you know they have a secret menu? I learned about this recently and ordered the Mad Cow Taco from the secret menu. I really liked it. When I took my husband and boys to try it they all liked it too. 

But not all of you are lucky enough to live in Austin! So, here is my version of the Mad Cow Taco for you to enjoy at home.

1.5 lbs skirt steak

2 limes, juiced

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the steak in a large ziplock bag. In a bowl mix the rest of the ingredients. Pour this mixture into the bag with the meat. Let marinade in the refrigerator for two hours. After two hours take the bag out of the refrigerator and let sit on counter for 20 minutes. Heat grill. Remove steak from bag, discarding bag and remaining marinade. Cook steak to your taste. Let the meat sit for five minutes before cutting into thin slices.

small flour tortillas, warmed

shredded colby jack cheese

1.5 c corn, warmed

1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed then warmed 

avocado, sliced

cilantro, chopped

your favorite cilantro ranch type dressing

To assemble tacos place the meat on the tortilla and then add desired amount of the rest of the ingredients (corn, beans, etc). It's best to have warmed tortillas but it's tricky to do that for a family of six! I use this tortilla holder my wonderful friend Anna gave me to keep the tortillas warm after I warm them on the stove. Then when we all sit down to eat everyone gets a warm tortilla at the same time.

While visiting my aunt this summer I was able to do a little cooking with her. For one recipe she pulled out these herb scissors. I'd never seen these before! These are so great! I found them at my local grocery store and have been using them regularly. They are helpful in this recipe to cut up the cilantro quickly and easily.

Switch out the flour tortillas for corn ones and you have a gluten free meal you can smile about!

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up 

Fettuccine with Quick Bolognese sauce

from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh and Fast by Kristine Kidd

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 oz. pancetta, finely chopped
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes in juice, preferably
    San Marzano
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 to 2 Tbs. heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 oz. dried egg pappardelle or fettuccine
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until it is tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and pancetta. Season with salt and pepper and sauté, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, just until the beef is no longer pink. Add the wine and boil until it has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, cream and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, breaking up the tomatoes and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the flavors are blended, about 30 minutes. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the same pot. Add the sauce and toss to coat.

Divide the pasta and sauce among 4 warmed shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the thyme and cheese. Serve immediately and pass more cheese alongside. 

A few tips: 

1. pancetta-I was not familiar with this. I found it in the meat section of my grocery store. A few slices of that and that's all you need. pancetta can be a little tricky to chop. I ended up using my cooking scissors to cut it into small pieces! That probably wasn't something a pro would do, but it worked! 

2. parmigiano-reggiano-I learned that this is the highest quality parmesan cheese. 

3. as a personal preference I added the step of dumping the tomatoes and juices in a blender and pulsing that a few times before adding them to the pot.

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up

Zucchini Meatball Soup

16 frozen cooked meatballs

1 32 oz carton beef broth

1 c small shell pasta

1 can stewed tomatoes with oregano and basil (chopped briefly in blender)

1 medium zucchini cut into julienne strips

Place frozen meatballs and broth in pot, heat to boiling. Stir in pasta; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and zucchini. Cook about 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by BUCHKO

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 c red wine 1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups beef broth 3 potatoes, diced 4 carrots, sliced 1 stalk celery, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
2.	Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours. I made some Bisquick biscuits to go with the stew. Husband rating:  3.5 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Steak and Mango Stir-Fry

adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce (if this needs to be gluten-free, check the soy sauce label)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced (if it’s semi-frozen, it’s easier to slice)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil (olive, coconut, or canola), divided
1 small red onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 cup cubed, ripe (but not too ripe) mango
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Instructions:

Whisk together the water, lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch. Set aside.

Toss together the basil, cilantro, and mint and set aside.

Sprinkle the steak with crushed red pepper and black pepper and toss to combine. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the steak and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and add the onion, pepper, and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the garlic, steak, mango and stir-fry until the steak is cooked through. Add the sauce and cook until thickened slightly. Serve immediately over rice and sprinkle with herb mixture. Serves 4.

I served this over Seeds of Change quinoa and brown rice mix as was recommended on ourbestbites.  This was better than I expected.  There is a nice depth to the flavors.  

I had a mango for this dinner but when I cut in to it it was a bad mango.  I've never picked a bad/brown/gross one before!  So I improvised by thinly slicing dried mangoes and adding them to the mix when I added the red peppers.  It would have been better with a fresh mango but it was still good.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up (which is shocking since there was quinoa and brown rice on the plate!)

Meat Sauce for Pasta

adapted from foodnetwork.com, submitted by Ree Drummond

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onions, diced
1 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine or stock (your choice)
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 24-ounce jar good store-bought marinara sauce (you can use another jar if you like the sauce to be more saucy than meaty)
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
2 bay leaves
1/8 cup finely minced fresh parsley or 1.5 tablespoons parsley flakes, plus more for serving
grated parmesan for serving
2 pounds spaghetti, cooked al dente and tossed with olive oil, for serving
Garlic-cheese bread, for serving

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage until totally browned. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it into a bowl. Set aside.

Discard any grease in the pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the onions and bell peppers. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, and then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and then add the sugar, salt, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper if using and bay leaves. Stir, and then add the cooked ground beef and sausage and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid.

After an hour, add the minced parsley.  Allow sauce to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Serve a big bowl of oiled noodles and the meat sauce so guests can serve themselves. Top each serving with minced parsley and grated Parmesan (or Parmesan shavings) and serve with a big piece of garlic-cheese bread.

I really like this sauce.  It's something you can always double and freeze the extra for another night.  I didn't even double it and we had extra sauce.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Tri Tip Steak and Sweet Potato Fries

6 portions of Tri Tip Steak
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
pepper to taste
little olive oil

I mixed everything listed above, except the steak, and rubbed it all over the steak.  We cooked that on the grill.

For the Sweet Potato Fries I mostly followed a recipe from ourbestbites.com for their Oven Steak Fries:

2 sweet potatoes, skin removed and cut into large fries

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Mix spices in a medium bowl. Add olive oil and combine well.

Add potato wedges to seasonings and toss to coat.

Lightly crumple some aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and then arrange potato wedges on foil. This makes cleanup easy because your potatoes won’t stick and it also ensures they’re cooked evenly.

Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.  Increase the oven temperature to 425 and cook for another 20 minutes or until the fries are as crispy as you'd like.  

Ours were still a little soft for my liking so I'll have to play with the temp and time next time we try this.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Sunday Beef Stew

from ourbestbites.com

1 1/2-2 lb. lean stew beef, cut into even smaller bite-sized pieces (just pull out a pair of kitchen shears and cut anything that looks like you’d need to use a knife and fork on)4-5 medium red potatoes, chopped
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups roughly chopped onions, one large or 2 small
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 12-oz. cans or 3 c. vegetable juice cocktail (like V8 or even Bloody Mary mix)
1 10-oz. can condensed tomato soup
10 oz. water (just use the can from the tomato soup to measure)
1 tsp. basil
2 beef bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. beef base)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large dutch oven or other oven save dish with a tight fitting lid.  Cook for about 3 hours at 350, or in a slow cooker on low for 9-10 hours or high for 5-6.

Honestly, we're not big stew fans, but this is pretty good as far as stews go!

Husband Rating:  3 stars

Easy Meatloaf

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Janet Caldwell

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 egg 1 onion, chopped 1 cup milk 1 cup dried bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons prepared mustard 1/3 cup ketchup

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3.	In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
4.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. I would double the sauce next time. My son was asking for meatloaf for days.  I think he heard about it on a show and was curious what it was!  So, we had a meatloaf night! Husband rating:  He wasn't home but I'd say 3 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Black Bean Taco Soup

adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package mild taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz can corn or 1.5 cups frozen corn
1 16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (you could use kidney beans or pinto beans)
1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes (I tossed these in the blender and gave them a spin before adding them to the soup because I like them better that way)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 cup water

tortilla chips
Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado

Brown meat with onion. Drain.
Stir in taco seasoning, corn, black beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilis and water. Simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips and your favorite toppings.

This makes an easy freezer meal too. After cooking, let soup cool down and then dump into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or other freezer container. When you want to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then simmer on the stove until heated all the way through or microwave until heated all the way through. You could also put it in your crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours to re-heat it.

Hawaiin-Style Sloppy Joes

from ourbestbites.com

1 pound extra-lean ground turkey or beef (93% lean)
6 ounces center-cut bacon (about 1/2 package)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hickory-flavored liquid smoke
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3-1/2 cup pineapple juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425. Lay each slice of bacon flat on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven and drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.

Place the bacon drippings in a large skillet and heat the skillet to medium heat. Add the ground turkey or beef, onion, and pepper and cook until the meat is about halfway cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the meat is completely cooked.

While the meat is cooking, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, liquid smoke, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Add the sauce to the browned meat and add the pineapple juice to the mixture, keeping in mind that the sauce will thicken. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the mixture is done simmering, crumble the cooked bacon and add it to the sloppy joe mixture. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve on sweet Hawaiian rolls with a slice of pineapple, a slice of red onion, and, if desired, a few banana pepper rings. Makes 6 servings.

Slow Cooker Instructions: 

Brown the ground turkey or beef with the onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sauce and combine well. Before serving, add the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve as directed.

I have never liked ground turkey.  I thought maybe this would change my mind.  It really didn't.  I still don't really like it!  But my seven-year-old ate three sloppy joes so I guess he liked it!  

Husband rating:  2 stars

Boys said:  thumbs up

Meal in a Pumpkin

from my friend Jen C.

1 basketball-size pumpkin (cleaned out and dried)

1 lb hamburger

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c soy sauce

1 1/2 c uncooked minute rice

Brown hamburger and onion.  Add soups, soy sauce and rice to beef mixture.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Pour into prepared pumpkin.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Put a small piece of foil over the hole on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size.  Cook until pumpkin is soft on outside and serve.

This is a fun recipe in the fall.  The boys thought it was really cool to cook dinner in a pumpkin!  I used brown rice because it was hidden enough with the other ingredients that my family didn't know it!  They always complain if I use brown rice otherwise.  I would add broccoli or some other veggie to this.  

Husband rating:  2.5

Boys say:  thumbs up

Rosemary-Rubbed Strip Steak with Blackberry Sauce

I found this in a magazine at a doctor's office.  The wait was unusually short so I snapped a picture of the recipe and headed to the room without double-checking the publication.  I'm pretty sure it was Good Housekeeping, though!

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed with press (I just used minced garlic)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 (1-in.-thick) boneless beef New York strip steaks (about 1 1/2 lbs total)
2 (6 oz) containers blackberries
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne (ground red) pepper
whole blackberries, for garnish

1.  Prepare grill for direct grilling on med-high.
2.  Combine oil, garlic, rosemary and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Rub over steaks, let stand 10 min.
3.  Meanwhile, in a 2-qt. saucepan, combine blackberries, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, mustard, cayenne, 3 tbsp water, and 1/4 tsp salt.  Heat to simmering on med.  Simmer 5-7 minutes or until berries have softened, stirring occasionally.  With potato masher, carefully mash berries.  Let cool.
4.  While sauce cools, sprinkle steaks with 1/2 tsp salt, grill 8-10 minutes for med. doneness, turning over halfway through.  Transfer to cutting board.  Let stand 10 min.
5.  Pour sauce through sieve set over med. bowl, pushing through with spoon; discard solids.  Sauce can be refrigerated, covered, up to 4 days.  Thinly slice steak; serve with sauce.  Garnish with blackberries and serve with grilled vegetables, if desired.

My husband did think the reddish color of the sauce was a little strange with the meat, but it was tasty, nonetheless.  We paired this with a baked potato and salad.

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Melt in your Mouth Slow Cooker Pot Roast

from Six Sisters' Stuff

3-4 pound roast
12 oz Coca Cola
3/4 C dark brown sugar
3/4 C Heinz chili sauce
3/4 C ketchup
3/4 pkg. dry onion soup mix
4-5 new red potatoes
1.5-2 C baby carrots

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Boys say thumbs up
Neighbor who came over and helped herself says yum!

Sauteed Flank Steak

from foodnetwork.com and Robert Irvine

In case you can't tell, they tried to lick the plate clean!

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dark balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
16- to 24-ounce flank steak
2 cups julienned zucchini
4 portions mashed potatoes
1/2 cup prepared veal stock, warmed


Directions
In a mixing bowl, blend the oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Then pour the marinade over the flank steak in a pan. Allow the steak to marinade for 20 to 30 minutes.

For the zucchini, heat a shallow saucepan over high heat and bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the zucchini to the water and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the water and place in a colander to drain.

To prepare the steak, heat a large saute pan over high heat until the verge of smoking. Remove the steak from the marinade and remove any excess marinade before cooking. Then reduce the heat and place the steak in the pan. Cook the steak on each side for 4 to 5 minutes, turning to avoid scorching. If the steak begins to crust or brown, reduce the heat. After cooking to desired temperature, remove from the pan and allow the steak to rest.

To build the plate, add a portion of hot potatoes, steamed zucchini and steak, sliced on bias. Then finish with the veal stock.

My family loved this!  I don't actually know what veal stock is (if you do feel free to share!) and I'm sure this would have been even better with it!  But it was good enough that the kids were licking their plates clean.  Thank you Robert Irvine!

Husband rating:  4.5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs way up!

Chinese Orange Chicken or Beef

Found on ourbestbites.com

Recipe slightly adapted from ATK Quick Family Cook Book

Ingredients
2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest (I just zest 1 whole orange)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch
vegetable oil for pan
1-1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed and sliced thin across grain and lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper (to clarify: that’s one steak, that weighs about 1.5 pounds)
3-4 green onions, sliced
hot white or brown rice for serving

Instructions
Whisk orange zest and orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and cornstarch together in a bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Drizzle pan with oil and tilt to coat.  Add half of beef, breaking up any clumps and let cook without stirring for one minute.  Stir beef and continue to cook until browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl and cover.  Repeat with remaining beef and transfer to bowl.

Whisk sauce to recombine, add to now-empty skillet, and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.  Return cooked beef, with any accumulated juices, to skillet and toss to combine.  Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Serves 4 main dish servings 

I used sriracha sauce for the asian chili sauce (only half the amount called for) and it was spicy!  I have a new sauce to try next time.  This was a tasty meal.  I would like to try it with steak too.

Husband rating:  4.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up if it weren't so spicy!

Chicken or Steak Fajitas

from ourbestbites.com

Measurements of meat and vegetables are approximate.  Adjust depending on your preference and the number of people you’re serving.  This will serve about 4-6.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or steak

2-3 bell peppers, stem and membranes removed and peppers quartered

1 large onion (any color/variety) sliced into 1/2″ slices

Marinade:

1/4 C fresh lime juice

1/3 C water

2 T vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

3 t vinegar

2 t soy sauce

1-2 t liquid smoke

1 t salt

1/2 t chili powder, or chipotle chili powder

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/4 t onion powder

Place meat in a zip-top bag or shallow dish.  Place vegetables in another.  In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well.  Reserve 3-4 Tablespoons of marinade for later use.  With remaining marinade, add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat.  Marinate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat bbq grill (my preference), indoor grill pan, or large skillet.  If you’re using a grill, place everything on at the same time.  If using a skillet, slice peppers and onions first.  Cook chicken for a few minutes on each side until cooked through and remove from pan.  Cover with foil to keep warm.  Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender.

I cut the beef and the veggies before I put them in their bags.  So when I was ready to make dinner I just cooked the beef, put it in a dish with foil to keep it warm.  Then I cooked the veggies.  Then I tossed the meat back in the pan to make sure everything was warm and served it on the tortillas.  Obviously this looks a little dry.  Toss on your favorite cheese, sour cream, guacamole or whatever sounds good that night!

Husband rating:  3 stars
Boys say:  meh (they would rather I just cover the tortilla with cheese and toss it in the microwave for a minute for their dinner!)

Taco Salad

This is a good recipe to feed a large group.  It's easy to add more and even divide it up if others are helping to bring something for a gathering.

ground beef, brown then add taco seasoning and water according to package directions

black or refried beans

lettuce, chopped

tomatoes, chopped

shredded blend of cheese

sour cream

guacamole

tortilla chips

favorite dressing-we often just use ranch

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up