98: Beef, Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry

Will and I usually like Asian inspired meals, so I thought I'd try out this version of stir fry. Of course, I tweaked the recipe a bit... 

Ingredients:

~1 lb sirloin steak cut into strips 
olive oil
1/2 carton mushrooms
1 large bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
about 12 baby carrots, diced
1 package 90 second rice - long and wild grain
1/3 cup soy sauce, low sodium
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
~1 tbsp packed brown sugar
~1/4 tbsp ginger powder
~1/4 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp sesame oil 
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
1/4 tsp ground pepper

The How To:
In a small bowl, mix together the following ingredients: soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, sesame oil, cayenne, and better -- set aside
In a large pan (or wok) heat some olive oil over medium/high heat
Add beef and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes -- set aside
Add mushrooms, broccoli, and carrots to the pan to cook until tender - about 4-5 minutes
Add beef, and sauce mixture and mix until combined - about 2 minutes
Serve immediately over rice
Top with sesame seeds if you'd like

It turned out that 1 package of rice wasn't really enough, and we had way more meat than veggies - which was ok for Will.  Whenever I make this dish again, I will add a diced onion, sliced red pepper, more broccoli and more carrots.  If I am feeling crazy, I might even throw in some shrimp.  If you were paying attention you noticed, I said WHEN I make this again.  That can only mean one thing -- it was Will approved!!  

97: Asparagus Risotto

Will and I both love a good risotto and order it frequently when we are out to dinner.  Since it is sort of a pain to make, I haven't made it often.  When I saw this recipe for asparagus risotto, I just knew I had to give it a try. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter (unsalted) 
1/2 white onion, diced
~3/4 lb asparagus, cut in 1/2 lengths
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 cups chicken broth (low sodium) 
1/3 cup cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
few shakes of dried basil
*tiny bit of truffle oil (optional) 


The How To: 
In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat
Add the onions and let them cook until translucent (~4 minutes) 
Add the garlic, let it cook for about a minute
Add the rice, stir until all the rice is coated with the mixture
Add 1/2 cup chicken stock, stirring until the liquid has been absorbed
Add asparagus
Add another 1/2 cup chicken stock, stirring until the liquid has been absorbed - continue this process until all 3 cups have been absorbed (whole process took about 25 minutes)
Add the cream, cheese, and basil and stir until mixed thoroughly 
Serve immediately.

Tonight, I served this alongside buffalo chicken.  The risotto was a little on the dry side - I probably should have put one more cup of chicken stock (as the originally stated).  Maybe next time.  This side still ended up being really good -- It was Will approved! 

96: Lemon Butter Chicken

A while back when searching for new recipes, I ran across this one.  I've been wanting to try it for a while and decided that tonight was the night.

Ingredients:

2 (or 4) skinless boneless chicken breasts   
smoked paprika
S&P
3 tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2 cup cream
~1/4 cup parmesan cheese
freshly squeezed juice from a medium lemon
~1 tsp thyme
bag of baby spinach

The How To:  
Preheat oven to 400
Season chicken with S&P and paprika
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a dutch oven over medium heat (this is the one i use) 
Sear both sides about 2 minutes per side, then set aside
Add one more tbsp butter into the pot, along with garlic and let it cook for about 2 minutes
Stir in broth, cream, parmesan, lemon juice and thyme
Bring that to a boil, and stir in spinach
Let it simmer until the spinach has wilted, about 4 minutes
Add your chicken back into the sauce and pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes

I served this along with some garlic bread, brussel sprouts and sliced tomatoes.  Let me start by saying that Will and I both would have definitely swam in this sauce.  We were almost fighting over who could dunk their bread first.  Next time I make this (there will definitely be a next time) I think I will spice it up with a pinch of cayenne pepper and also add some pasta.  I can't even wait to eat my leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  This dish was Will approved! 

Today is definitely Fat Tuesday... 

95: BBQ Brisket Mac & Cheese

This weekend Will smoked some brisket just a tiny bit too long and it turned out a little dry.  We were trying to figure out something we could do with it to eat the leftovers and I thought of just throwing it into some BBQ Mac & Cheese.  The result was pretty delicious. 

Ingredeints
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
S&P
box of pasta (small shells) 
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups 
leftover brisket 

*not pictured 

The How To:  
In a large pot, boil some water
Add the pasta and cook al dente (about 8 minutes)
Meanwhile, pull out your food processor and grind the brisket until it is in small pieces
Meanwhile in a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter
Add the flour and stir until it becomes a paste
Add the milk slowly, while stirring
Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil
Add the meat and the cheese and continue stirring until mixed

Serve the cheese sauce over the shells

This was not really a planned 'what will ate' but he requested we make it one - so that we can have this recipe for reference later.  We ended up pouring a little bbq sauce over the pasta and that really made the dish.  This dish was definitely Will approved! 

 

94: White Chicken Chili with Quinoa

 

It's been cold here this week, with more cold coming this weekend.  I thought it was the perfect time to try out a new type of chili, after looking at a few different recipes I settled on trying a white chicken chili with quinoa.  I always make my chili in the crockpot and this time was no exception.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
3 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 cup salsa verde
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts*
1 cup quinoa
1 can chickpeas
1 can pinto beans
1 can northern beans
1 can black beans*
1 can diced green chiles
1/2 bag frozen corn*
Juice from one lime
S&P
2 avocados, sliced

*not pictured

The How To:
Preheat oven to 405
Line a dish with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and add the chicken
Season with S&P and cook for 40 minutes
In the meantime, pull out your crockpot and start throwing in the following ingredients:
diced onion, diced garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, chicken stock, salsa verde, quinoa (NOT COOKED), chickpeas, beans (all three kinds), chiles, frozen corn, lime juice and season with S&P.
Once the chicken is done, add that to the mix as well
Let it cook on low for about 8 hours and then top with avocados (and sour cream if you want) and serve! 

This ended up being a really hearty meal.  I had a hard time calling this chili at all since it didn't have any tomatoes, and I think that if I made this again I would have to add some.  Tomatoes make EVERYTHING better!  This dish is Will approved! Bonus - this meal is great reheated later for lunch or easy dinner.

93: Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad

I debated on calling this dish, 'clean out your fridge quinoa salad' but I decided against it.  I saw this recipe for something similar, but of course I ended up going my own way.  

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 packet spicy ranch seasoning
olive oil 
random herb mix (oregano, basil, thyme, whatever you have) 
juice from half a lemon
S&P
EVOO
~6 radishes
~6 brussel sprouts
2 zucchini squash
1 yellow squash
1 container mushrooms
1/2 container grape tomatoes
container reduced fat feta cheese

*totally forgot to take a picture


The How To:
Preheat your oven to 405
While you are waiting on the oven to heat up, go ahead and cook the quinoa (1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water - bring to boil, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes)
Also while waiting - go ahead and cut up (peel if you want) all your veggies
Add all the veggies (except for the tomatoes) to a large pan and season with olive oil, ranch packet, and S&P
Let the veggies cook for about 30 minutes 
While you are waiting on the cooking, grab a cup and juice half a lemon (remove the seeds), season with random herb mix, and some EVOO
Once quinoa is finished, add to a big bowl 
Mix in feta cheese and tomatoes (I don't like roasted tomatoes) 
Mix in the rest of the veggies and top with the 'dressing'

Will isn't as big of a veggie lover as me, but I'm working on him.  He said that it was much more flavorful than he was thinking it would be and that yes, he did like it.  I loved it and kept raving about it.  I will DEF be making this again - and then maybe I'll throw some meat in for him.  This dish was Will approved! 

92: Hashbrown Casserole

Sometimes you just need a meal that you can throw together using random stuff from the pantry.  Today was one of those days.  So I made up this version of a hashbrown casserole... 

Ingredients:
1 lb hashbrowns
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced green chilis
1 can diced tomatoes 
1/2 medium sliced red pepper
S&P
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of cumin
olive oil
dash of garlic powder
hot sausage package
~1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
*totally forgot to take a picture

The How To:
Cook sausage in a medium size pan until cooked through
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350
In a medium baking dish mix the hashbrowns, cream of mushroom soup, chilis, tomatoes, red pepper, sausage, and a little olive oil
Season with S&P, cayenne pepper, cumin, and garlic powder
Mix thoroughly
Top with cheese
Cook until heated through and cheese has melted (about 20 minutes)

When we first tried this concoction, we thought it was lacking.  I tried adding a little sour cream and it was still missing something.  Then I tried it with a little ketchup and that was pretty good.  Then I added some avocado on top and it was much better. 
This dish was just alright, but still ended up being Will approved!

91: Chicken and Bacon Avocado Pasta

Another day came that I just felt like throwing something together, this time the result was chicken, bacon and avocado pasta. 

Ingredients: 
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 box pasta (any kind you like) 
olive oil
S&P
1/2 package of bacon
2 avocados, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
~1/4 cup parmesan cheese
~1/2 cup mayo
1/2 spicy ranch packet
some feta cheese
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
*totally forgot the picture, again.. 

The How To:
Preheat oven to 405
Season the chicken with S&P, cook for 45 minutes
While you're waiting on the chicken to cook.. cut the bacon into about 1 inch slices and cook over medium heat until crunchy
If you're a multi-tasker, you should go also go ahead and cook the pasta according to package directions

Grab a large bowl and mix the mayo with 1/2 of a spicy ranch packet
Go ahead and add the tomatoes, avocados, cheeses to the ranch mixture
Cut the chicken into cubes and throw it in the mix
Go crazy and add the bacon
Mix it all up and your dinner is ready! 

Will and I LOVED this dish.  We decided this would be a contender of something to take to future family outings (maybe minus the chicken, to cut down on prep time).  Another bonus -- The leftovers are awesome.  This dish is Will approved and will definitely be seen again in a Burke kitchen near you.
 

90: Beef Stroganoff

Confession time: 
When we got married I registered for a pressure cooker and I was super excited when we got one.  Fast forward four years, I still haven't used it because I am scared I'll burn our house down or something.  
All that changes today.  My dad used to cook for one waaaay back when he and my mom first got married (we're talking 1980's).  They told me that they were planning to stop by for a visit, so I thought today would be the perfect day to try out a pressure cooker meal.  Will decided we should try out Beef Stroganoff from the pressure cooker recipe book.  

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef stew meat
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef broth
1 large chopped white onion
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 lb mushrooms
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sour cream
S&P
1 package egg noodles


The How To:
Cook the egg noodles, according to the package

In cooker, brown meat
Add flour and mix well
Stir in onion, garlic powder, mushrooms, tomato paste, beef broth and Worcestershire sauce
Blend thoroughly 
Close the lid and bring to pressure
Cook 20 minutes 
Release pressure and remove lid
Stir in sour cream and blend well
Serve beef mix over the egg noodles

Confession #2 time:
Will actually ended up making this entire meal.  I was talking to my parents so Will just wanted to go ahead and get started.  I did supervise, of course, but he did most of the work.  

Cooking with the pressure cooker ended up not being as scary as I thought. Easy to say when I wasn't the one dealing with it, right.. We all really enjoyed the meal and would definitely make this again.  This meal was Will (and my parents) approved! 

Oh, and if you are interested this is the pressure cooker we use.

89: Quinoa Enchilada Mix

Who doesn't love a good Mexican dish, we do for sure.  I ran across this recipe and decided to try it out.  

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 can medium enchilada sauce
1 can chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup frozen corn kernals
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
S&P 
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado
2 tomatoes, diced

The How To:
Cook the quinoa according to package directions
Preheat oven to 375
In a medium/large cooking dish combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, chiles, corn, beans, cumin, chili powder, 1/2 cup cheese, and some S&P (to taste)
Mix it all up and let it bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted
Top with remaining cheese, avocado and tomatoes

We added a little sour cream to top it off.  This turned out a little bit more like a soup than I thought it would, but it still turned out pretty darn good.  And this will make AWESOME leftovers tomorrow.  This dish was Will approved! 

88: Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce

I try to make some type of seafood at least once a week, if not more often.  But usually I just make it the same way (blackened).  Every now and then I feel like trying something new and tonight was one of those nights.  I saw this recipe and was dying to try it out.  
Disclaimer, I forgot this needs to marinate so I will just write what I actually did.. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground giner
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp (sourwood) honey 
2 salmon filets (~1 lb total)
1/2 cup mayo
3 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream

The How To:
In a medium sized sauce dish over medium heat - add soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, honey, and 1 cup of water
Bring this mixture to a simmer
While you are waiting for that to boil...do these two steps:
1. whisk the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water and set aside
2. place the salmon skin side up in a broiler safe dish, broil on high for two minutes then easily remove the skin

Once the mixture is boiling add the cornstarch mix and stir until the sauce thickens (about 2 min)
Top your (now skinless) salmon filets with the marinade and let marinate for 30 minutes (turning the salmon about twice while you wait)

Preheat your oven to 400
Bake the salmon (with all the marinade) for 20 minutes

While you are waiting on the salmon to cook:
Whisk together mayo, sriracha, and cream 

Serve immediately and top with the sriracha sauce. 

I served this on top of stir fry noodles and edamame on the side. 

If I made this dish again I would try to actually make the marinade in advance so that it has time to cool down to room temp, and give the salmon a little more time to soak in the marinade (more than 30 minutes)
Even without marinating for long, the flavor really came through.  Both Will and I gobbled down every bit of this dish.  It will definitely be making a comeback in our house.  This dish was Will approved! 

Don't i just have the cutest husband around..