Beef with Broccoli

This started off with a recipie but diverged so much I feel I can take credit. It's a narrative with a lot of photos to be sure to read to the bottom for all the ingredients for the sauce.

take 1 lb steak (I use round steak because it's cheapest) and slice it thinly.
Coat the meat with a thin coating of flour (optional, not sure I'd repeat this again) and
allow to marinate in:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp tomato powder/tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground dried habenero peppers (to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs white wine.

Now prepare the vegetables!

You will need
1 lb froze broccoli florets
1 medium onion, diced
8oz mushrooms, sliced (hint - try slicing with an egg slicer!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1. heat some oil in a wok and fry the onions over medium low heat until just golden. Remove and put them back in their bowl.
now, fry the mushrooms on medium until golden brown and put them back in their bowl.
While you're waiting for the mushrooms cover the frozen broccoli with saran wrap and microwave it for several minutes until the broccoli is warm and steamed.

After you've put the mushrooms back in their bowl, add the chopped garlic to the pan
And then the marinated beef and cook until the beef is done.
Now add back the rest of the vegetables, including the broccoli.
Allow the veggies to cook until warm and then coat with the special sauce made by combining

3 tbs oyster sauce
2 Tbs white wine
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbs OJ

Toss to coat and heat through and you're done! Grab your rice from the oven*, and get ready to eat!

* I think i taught you how to make rice in the oven before: It's really much easier than you think.
preheat oven to 375. Place 1.5 cups brown rice in the bottom of a 9x9 glass baking dish. add 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbs butter, cut into pieces. Pour 2 1/3 cups boiling water over the top and cover tightly with foil. bake 1 hour. Done perfect everytime (recipe courtesy of America's Test Kitchen)

buckwheat buttermilk pancakes

This is from 'Whole grain Baking" courtesy of King Arthur Flour and my local library. Buckwheat is gluten free and while the flour didn't look yellow, the pancakes sure did.

1 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar

2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 tbs oil

1. whisk together the dry ingrediants in a small bowl.

2. Add the wet and mix well. Be sure to use a larger bowl as it will bubble up and almost over the bowl!
Cook over medium heat in a well greased skillet. Flip, marvel and the fluff, and serve hot with maple syrup.

The way life, and beef stew, should be

I am finally settled enough in Maine to post something, and no sorry, it's not lobster (yet). It is an impressive feat, but I have managed to make a beef stew I like. Like the other good beef recipes it's from the Pioneer Woman. I'll copy the full version here, with, of course, a few edits and commentary.

* 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 1 Tablespoon Butter (oops, out of it, skipped)
* 2 pounds Stew Meat
* 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
* 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can (I used a bottle of Amber lying around)
* 4 cups Beef Stock (3 cans beef broth)
* 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed) (NOT NEEDED!)
* 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
* 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
* ½ teaspoons Paprika (umm, a bit generous on this)
* ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (omit if you forgot to buy low sodium broth)
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper
* 1-½ teaspoon Sugar
* 4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
* 4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
* Minced Parsley (optional) (yea.... I skipped this)

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside. (wow, did all that!)

Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (I actually used the stove but this is begging for a crock pot if you have 6 hours)

*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.

** Margaret update - the liquid was no where near cooking down after 1.5 hours of aerobics+shower, so I left the lid off for another hour and then proceeded

Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

MARGARET TIPS - make a roux with 2 tbs butter and 1/4 cup flour browned, and then add stew juice mixing constantly, then pour this back into the stew for a thicker, more gravy like sauce.

Mexican Squash Soup

I sorta invented it as a variation on the other squash soup I posted last year, . .

2 small acorn squash
5 roasted hatch green chilies, stems removed
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs oil
1 large onion, diced
1 15oz can black beans
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp seasoning mix (*)
1 lbs chicken breast
1 cup sour cream
shredded cheese

1. Cut the squash in half, remove seeds and bake on a cookie sheet, face up at 350 for an hour or until tender.

2. Scoop squash flesh into food processor (let it cool a bit first or you'll burn your hands) Add green chilis to taste (hint, if you remove the seeds they are not as hot). Add as much of the chicken broth as you need to to puree the mixture

3. Put 1 Tbs oil in the bottom of a heavy bottomed pan. Saute onion until tender. Add the squash-chili puree and the rest of the chicken broth. Drain and rinse the black beans and add them too. Add water as needed for consistency.

4. Add spices and allow to cook over medium heat for 20+ minutes for flavors to meld.

5. Meanwhile, chop the chicken breast into 1/2" cubes. Add 1 Tbs oil to a frying pan and saute chicken (optional, add more spice blend) until done.

6. Just before serving, mix 1 cup sour cream into the soup (or mix individual dollops into each bowl), top the soup with chicken and a sprinkle of cheese.

* I really like this all purpose mix I got in Colorado it's from this place. Supposedly it's salt, toasted onion, black pepper, red bell peppers, garlic, French thyme and Greek oregano.

Blondie Christmas Brownies

12 Tbs butter (1.5 sticks)
1.5 cups dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup Christmas colored M&M's
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Brown the butter: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Allow it to bubble and boil approx 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until it turns golden brown - it will turn all of a sudden, so don't ignore it! Add 1 tsp vanilla to the hot butter, and then Allow the butter to cool to lukewarm

2. To the melted butter, add the brown sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, salt and remaining tsp of vanilla and beat well to combine.

3. Add the flour and baking powder and fold in gently until flour is just moistened

4. Add the M&M's and nuts.

5. Place in a greased (spray oil) 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes until done.

love it.

Dutch Apple Pie

This is a true Dutch recipe. It came from my mother-in-law from a 4H exchange student who stayed with them. It is amazing with a sugar cookie crust and tart inside.

Crust:
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
2 eggs

Filling:
6 apples, cut in 10ths
juice of 1 lemon

3 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1.Cream the butter and the sugar, add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix to form a dough. You may need to add a bit of water to form a dough. It should be like a cookie dough. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Roll half the dough out with powdered sugar - it will get very sticky, so be careful not to make it stick, Place the dough in a 9in pie pan to form the bottom crust.

3. combine the apples and the lemon juice and put in the pie pan on the bottom crust. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.

4. Roll out the other half of the dough with powdered sugar to make the top crust. Pinch well around the edges and cut a few vent holes in the top

5. Bake for 10 min at 400 to brown the crust, then turn down to 350 and cover the edges with tin foil and cook 40 min more.

6. enjoy the apple-filled cookie goodness.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies

Yep, you read it right. Peanut Butter cookie dough on a brownie. Exactally as amazing as you'd think it would be. Recipe from The Food Network

Ingredients
Brownie Layer:

* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Layer:

* 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Ganache Layer:

* 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
* 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8-inch pan with cooking spray.

For the brownies, microwave the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwavable bowl at high power until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir until combined, then mix in the vanilla extract. Meanwhile, beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and add in the chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chunks. Spread the brownie mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean, about 22 to 28 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

For the peanut butter cookie dough: Add the butter and brown sugar to a large bowl and mix until creamy. Mix in the milk and the peanut butter, then stir in the flour and salt. Spread the peanut butter cookie dough evenly over the cooled brownies.

To make the ganache: In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the dark chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream, uncovered, on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread the ganache over the peanut butter layer and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until the dough and ganache are set, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares and arrange on a serving platter to serve.