Steak and Bean Quesadillas with Tomatillos!!!

So tonight's post doesn't have any pictures, but I think I am doing good to post anything at all with the rate I've been at lately...

We had these last night and a friend asked for the recipe, so I figured I might as well share it... These were delicious and, like most of my recipes, are VERY easily customized or adapted... Have at it! And like always, if you make them yourself, I would love to know any adjustments you make, or ideas you have!


You need:

1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and washed (the husks are the little green wrapper looking thing... gently peel it off and then scrub the sticky residue off of the tomatillo)
generous spoonful of minced garlic
1/2 c shredded carrot
2 tsp cumin
olive oil

2-3 london broil steaks (I don't know the exact term for them... but they are the big flat thin cuts of meat... great for salads and whatnot... if you have trouble finding them, just ask the meat guy at your grocery store for help!)

1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup frozen corn (rinsed and drained)

cilantro

a pack of tortillas... I used the 8 inch kind.. but the huge burrito kind would have been good for folding over... i did mine sandwich style with two tortillas.

1 - 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded

salsa (homemade if you can help it ;) of course )


shred the carrot and chop the tomatillos... saute garlic in a good glug of oil over medium high heat until fragrant... add the veggies and the cumin and stir well. cook until the veggies are tender, taking care to not burn the garlic.

add the beans and corn and heat until heated through, then transfer to a bowl, cover with foil, and set aside.

while the veggies are cooking, salt and pepper the steaks and set on a broiler pan... broil on high for about 2 minutes on each side or until brown but not over cooked.. i like mine to be the tiniest bit of pink in the middle, but that is hard to achieve with a cut this thin, so cook it to your preference. let set for a few minutes, then slice at an angle into very thin strips and set aside.

wipe out the pan you cooked the filling in and heat over medium high heat. spray a tortilla with cooking spray and lay spray side down on the hot pan... heat until browned and then spray the up side with cooking spray and flip over. top with a handful of cheese, some steak strips, a big scoop of the bean mixture, some cilantro if you have it, and some salsa. top with another tortilla (or fold over if you are using the huge ones), and spray the upside with cooking spray. once the bottom tortilla is browned, carefully flip the quesadilla and brown the other side...

remove to a cookie sheet and place in the oven to keep warm... i ended up wrapping ours up in foil first and then passed the foil wrapped quesadillas out to each individual.. it worked out well... serve cut into triangles and with salsa and lime (if you want to be fancy)...

these were delicious! I hope you enjoy them!

Easy Peasy Meatball Subs

This is the easiest and yummiest crock pot meal EVER! In fact, it is too easy... But it is so delicious that I am posting it anyway.

Okay, here is what you do...

Grab a bag of frozen meatballs (or you can make them from scratch.. whatever), and a big can of sauce (or you can make it from scratch.... :P) and throw it in your crock pot. Mix it around a bit, and add some seasonings (oregano, basil, whatever makes you smile). Turn it on LOW for 4-5 hours, NO LONGER, because otherwise you will have meat sauce and not meat balls!!!!

A few minutes prior to dinner time, get some big hoagie buns and open them, spray them with cooking spray (I like to cheat this way), or spread them with butter, then toast in a broiler for a minute or two or until nice and toasted.

Top with some of the meatball mixture, then top with lots of yummy mozzarella, then pop back under the broiler to melt the cheese. Top with some fresh basil and enjoy!! These are SO yummy and guys will go back from seconds and even thirds!

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

Okay so to be quite honest, I actually made these stuffed Anaheim peppers back in May and June, but never put up the post... I have been slacking, yes I know, and for that I apologize. But let me make it up to you: just trust me... make these peppers and then you will sit back and say "okay Virginia, I forgive you... This was worth the wait."

So what, you may ask, IS an Anaheim pepper? This link will fill you in, as well as give you some tips about buying and what to look for, as well as a picture.

Okay, now that you are up to speed, let me explain the thought process on this recipe... I was making enchiladas with homemade tomatillo sauce (verde sauce) and I wanted something to accompany it. So my Mommy, who is AMAZING, is ALWAYS talking about these delicious peppers she likes to make. She stuffs them with pretty much just cream cheese and then broils them. I decided to take it a step further and add some grated cheddar cheese, cilantro, garlic (because, well let's just face it, garlic rocks), a few bread crumbs (totally optional), and then to top the whole thing off, I wrapped those suckers up in delicious thickly sliced bacon.... Then I broiled them until both sides were nicely browned and the bacon cooked... Then we dug in... and THEN my husband said "hey honey, can you run to Wal-Mart?" I said "Why? What do you need?"

his reply???


"More Anaheim peppers! These things rock!!"

So there you have it: easy enough to do, a total man pleaser, and a great compliment to any southwest, tex mex, or mexican meal... (or really anything honestly).

Here is how you do it:

4 Anaheim peppers, washed
1 block cream cheese
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 bunch fresh cilantro washed and chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 c bread crumbs (I used the seasoned kind... didn't really go with the "mexican" theme, but tasted awesome!)

bacon. lots and lots of bacon...
oh and tooth picks. you need some of those too. And if you have a broiler pan, I suggest you dig it out, it will come in handy.

Okay so first you set out your cream cheese and let it soften up a bit, just so it makes things easier.

Then you need to seed and prep your peppers. Remember, you are going to be stuffing these and then roasting them, so you don't want to go lopping the tops off. Instead, make a slit all the way down the pepper, then cut halfway through the top part of the pepper, without severing it completely. This will allow you enough room to cut out the seeds and give it a good washing (which helps the stubborn seeds break loose), and stuff it up with your filling.

Once all your peppers are prepped, set them aside and start making your filling... Basically add everything except the peppers and the bacon to a bowl, then mix it up really well and stuff 1/4 of the mixture into each pepper.

Now comes the fun part! Take a tooth pick and stick a slice of bacon to the top of the pepper in a way that covers the seam from the cut. Then wind the piece around the pepper, make sure that all the seams are covered (to prevent the filling from leaking out). You will need a couple of slices per pepper at least... and lots of toothpicks. Don't worry about going overboard with the toothpicks, you will just pull them out once the peppers are done anyway! Better safe then sorry!

Preheat your broiler and line the peppers up on a broiler pan. I like to line my pan with foil so that clean up is a snap... Oh and if you don't have a broiler pan you could just use a foil lined cookie sheet or a foil lined cookie sheet with a cooling rack sat in it...

Broil for about 5 minutes on each side, checking frequently so that they don't burn.

Enjoy your deliciousness!


***Correction: Added March 3, 2011***

My mother contacted me to correct my description of her peppers. She also wrapped them in bacon and put other goodness into the filling. So I guess great minds think alike. I wasn't as different as I thought! Sorry Mommy!!!!

Hot Wing Burgers

Tonight's meal was SO good! It was a welcomed change from plain, boring hamburgers, and a much healthier change too! We had Hot Wing Burgers made from ground turkey and coated in hot sauce, topped with cheddar and blue cheese.

Here's how to do it:

Take about 5 or 6 baby carrots (or a couple regular sized ones if you have them) and shred them in your processor. Shred a rib of celery and a half an onion too.

Toss this in a skillet with some EVOO and cook on medium until soft. Throw some garlic in there too, being careful not to burn.

Put all this in a bowl and let cool, then mix in 1 pound or so ground turkey, and a bunch of dill.

Mix up with your hands and form into four good sized burger patties.

Put back into the pan you cooked your veggies in along with a good glug of olive oil. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side until firm and when patties have good color. Remove to a plate and melt 2 Tbsp butter in the pan, then add a bunch of hot sauce. Like 1/4 c, or if you are like me, add the rest of the bottle that was hanging out in your fridge.

Once it gets well mixed, carefully add your burgers back to the mix and coat gently on both sides with sauce. Then top with thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese and a little mound of blue cheese.



I put the blue cheese on top of the cheddar, but I realize in hindsight that it may have been smarter to top the blue cheese with the cheddar to keep it all contained.



Turn the heat off of the pan and cover it with a lid or foil and let it sit until cheese melts.




Toast some earth grain whole wheat thin bun things (I love those things!) or whatever you want to serve it on. I sprayed mine with Pam and then broiled in the oven for about 2-3 minutes.. They came out so perfectly toasted.

Top each bottom bun with lettuce, avocado, pickles, and any condiments you desire, (blue cheese dressing would be yummy) then a patty and the other bun.

Enjoy.

This is the outfit I wore yesterday.. I was feeling the breezy hippie vibe...

Southern Comfort Food: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Roasted Corn

I am just going to admit it: I don't post as many healthy recipes as I should.

I apologize...

I *really* will try to do better.

But seriously, I can't keep this recipe from you. It is just to easy and too ridiculously good, and if you are missing cooking like mom made, this is the way to get that home-cooking satisfaction.

What I did:

Chicken Fried Steak

2 good sized cubed steaks

cup or so of flour
black pepper
salt
paprika
season salt

1/3-1/2 c milk
1-2 tsp vinegar
1 egg

enough shortening/vegetable oil to make about 1/4-1/2 inch deep in a frying pan

Add the vinegar to the milk and let sit for about 5 minutes. If you have buttermilk, skip this step and just use buttermilk - no vinegar. If you are like me and don't have it, then do this to make your own buttermilk.

Meanwhile, mix your flour and seasoning in a pie pan or big plate or bowl. Beat the egg and mix with the buttermilk in a separate pie pan or shallow bowl.

Cover your cubed steaks with the flour mixture, being sure to pat it into all the crevices. Dip into the buttermilk and egg mixture, then back into the flour mixture. Make sure it is very well coated with flour, then lay on a piece of waxed paper to rest while moving on to the next.



While steaks are resting for about 5 minutes, heat your oil in your frying pan to medium hi - hi heat. Carefully add the cubed steaks and fry until each side is golden brown.

Remove to a plate and cover with foil or transfer on a baking sheet to warm oven to keep warm while making your gravy.

Add about 1/4 c or less of flour to the pan and whisk vigorously to make a smooth paste, heating over medium heat. Add about a cup of milk to the mixture, stirring as you add, until you reach your desired thickness. I used a bit of half and half, and the rest milk.



Add plenty of salt and pepper and pour on top of your chicken fried steak and homemade mashed potatoes.


Mashed Potatoes

I have found that my favorite technique for making mashed potatoes is steaming the potato chunks in the microwave until tender, then mashing with chicken broth, sour cream, and butter. You may ask why steaming them? This is because I always hate how watery the potato chunks get in a pot of boiling water, and with this microwave method the chunks don't retain water, so I can use more yummy liquid to thin it, like milk and chicken broth, instead of already having watered down mashed potatoes.

You can steam any veggie in the microwave with Ziploc steamer bags, or if you have a freshsaver vacuum system, they have steamer bags too. I wash, peel, and cut my potato chunks into halves or quarters, depending on the size of potato. Chuck them into the bag, then seal it in my freshsaver. Then I microwave for about 7 minutes, dump into a bowl and whip with a splash or two of milk, about 1/4 or so chicken broth, and 1/4 c butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve with chicken fried steak gravy.

Roasted Corn

This is now my all time favorite way to eat corn! And it should probably be called char-grilled corn, but I am going to say roasted because it evokes a more sophisticated image... whatever that means!

Have your hubby turn on the grill. Donovan said he grilled them on medium heat. Leave your corn in the husks, have hubby toss them on the grill and close the lid. Leave until the husks are all burnt and charred.



Using gloves or some sort of towel to protect your hands, strip the husks off and reveal your delicious corn. Slather in butter and parmesan cheese (if you desire... we ate it with butter and sea salt and fresh ground pepper).