Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces egg noodles
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sirloin steak, cur into small cubes
• salt and ground black pepper
• 8 ounces mushroom caps, halved
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Brandy or Sherry
• 2 1/4 cups beef stock
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions:

1. For the buttered egg noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. For the beef stroganoff: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add half the meat to the pan and brown it quickly. Remove the first batch and cook the rest of the meat. Remove and set aside with the first batch.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and cook the mushrooms, carrots and onion until lightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the brandy and 2 cups of the stock. Turn the heat back on and reduce the liquid for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup stock, getting out all the lumps. Pour the slurry into the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens.
4. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream, mustard and beef. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. To finish the noodles, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked egg noodles and toss to heat through and coat with the butter.
6. Serve the stroganoff with the noodles, and sprinkle with the parsley.

~Recipe from Ree Drummond on Foodnetwork.com

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 5 bell peppers (1 diced, 4 cut in half horizontally)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 Tablespoon chili powder (You can add more if you like it spicier)
• 1 cup rice, uncooked
• 4 ounces spinach
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large walled skillet over medium heat. Place the ground turkey in the pan and break up as you cook. When the turkey is about halfway cooked add in the bell peppers and mushrooms.
2. After the turkey is cooked completely. Add the garlic powder, chili powder, uncooked rice and salt & pepper. Saute for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, spinach and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked through.
4. While the rice dish is simmering, place the halved bell peppers under the broiler (either directly on the rack or in a oven safe dish). Rotate every few minutes until the peppers are cooked and the skins are browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Taste rice dish and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
6. Place the cooked halved bell peppers in an oven safe dish, skins down. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture. Top with cheddar cheese and set under broiler in oven until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
7. Everyone gets 2 halves! Enjoy!

*Feel free to add whatever vegetables you like. Others that come to mind are: onions, zucchini, chili peppers.

~Recipe by Mikaila

Beef Enchiladas with Zucchini

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 9 medium size tortillas
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 or 1 small zucchini diced
• 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
• 1 (10 oz) can tomato soup
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 dish.
2. In a large skillet, saute onions for a few minutes. Add ground beef and cook about halfway through before adding zucchini. 
3. In a medium bowl add both cans of enchilada sauce and tomato soup and stir together. (I enjoy mild foods, if you would like spicier enchiladas use 2 cans enchilada sauce rather then cutting the spice with tomato soup. Put about 2 Tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly.
4. When meat is cooked through and vegetables are cooked to opaque in color add half of the enchilada mixture.
5. Warm tortillas in the microwave or oven, so it's easier to roll up.
6. Remove skillet from the heat. Place about 1/4 cup of ingredients in the center of the tortilla. Top with a small amount of shredded cheese, roll up and place folded side down in the baking dish. Repeat process for all of the tortillas, making sure to squish enchiladas together so they all fit. *I placed 5 vertically and 3 horizontally in my dish.
7. Spoon remaining enchilada mixture over the top of the enchiladas. Finish with the remaining cheese.
8. Cook in oven for 20 minutes and serve!

~Recipe by Mikaila

Mongolian Beef (Copycat P.F. Chang's)

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds beef, cut into strips (suggestion: flank steak or stir fry beef strips)
• For the marinade:
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• For the sauce:
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cold water + 1 1/2 Tbalespoons corn starch
• Optional: sliced green onions, sesame seeds.

Directions:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour into a zip-lock back with beef strips, seal and chill 1 hour or overnight.
2. Drain marinade from zip-lock and set beef aside.
3. In a medium sauce pan combine sauce ingredients. Stir and heat over medium high heat until brown sugar has dissolved. While sauce is cooking, whisk together corn starch and water in a small bowl until corn starch is dissolved. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and stir in corn starch-water mixture. Allow sauce to thicken slightly, then remove from heat. 
4. In a large pan or skillet pan or skillet, cook beef strips over medium high heat until cooked through (5-8 minutes) turning strips over throughout to ensure even cooking, reduce heat to medium. Add 1/2 - 1 cup sauce (depending on how "saucy" you want your beef). Stir and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
5. Serve over rice with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

*Note: This recipe makes a large batch of the sauce, more than you will need for your beef. You may half the recipe if you'd like, or we like to use the extra over rice.

~Recipe adapted from cremedelacrumb.com

Uncle Rich's Flank Steak

Ingredients:
2 Lbs Flank steak
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 Cup peanut oil
1/2 soy sauce
1 onion sliced
sprinkle sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a bag and marinate Flank steak in bag for 24 hours.
2. Take onions from bag and saute in a pan (medium-low temp) until caramelized
3. Grill Flank steak to medium (2-3 minutes per side)
4. Remove Flank steak from grill, tent with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes
5. Slice very thin, across-grain of steak
6. Serve with sauteed onion

~Recipe from Uncle Rich via Nora

Basil Shrimp

Serves: 9
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, to taste
• white pepper, to taste
• 3 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• skewers

Directions:

1. In a shallow, non-porous dish or bowl, mix together olive oil and melted butter. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil, and garlic, and season with salt and white pepper. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill to high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade, and thread onto skewers. Discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil grill grate, and arrange skewers on preheated grill. Cook for 4 minutes, turn once, or until opaque.

*I had cut the recipe in half when I made it (as shown in picture).

~Recipe from allrecipe.com

Sesame and Mushroom Soba Noodles

Ingredients:

• 4-6 ounces soba noodles
• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• splash of olive oil or vegetable oil for the pan
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (recommended: shiitake)
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons of mirin
• splash of rice vinegar
• splash of ponzu (optional)
• sriracha (optional)
• a few Tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook the soba noodles on salted boiling water for about 8-12 minutes, or until they're done but still al dente.
2. When soba noodles are done, rinse under cold water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the noodles with a tablespoon of sesame oil and chill the noodles in the fridge. The sesame oil will keep them from becoming gummy.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to wilt down. Add garlic, cabbage, half the scallions and soy sauce and cook for another few minutes. Add the mirin and cook until everything is soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
4. Toss the veggies with the soba noodles, a splash of rice vinegar and the rest of the scallions.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings with your choice(s) of ponzu, more soy sauce and/or sriracha.
6. Serve at room temp, or chill until ready to serve. Top with sesame seeds.
7. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a few days.

~recipe adapted from loveandlemons.com

Breaded Ranch Chicken

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 envelope Ranch seasoning mix
• 5 teaspoons butter, divided
• 6 boneless chicken breasts

Instructions:

1. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine Panko, cheese, garlic powder, and Ranch seasoning mix.
2. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in bread mixture to coat, pressing the bread into the chicken breast.
3. Melt remaining 4 teaspoons butter in a large frying pan. Once melted, place breaded chicken into pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Chicken is cooked when the center is no longer pink (165°F).

~Recipe from lovepomegranatehouse.com

Sautéed Zucchini and Corn Over Ravioli

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbalespoons unslated butter
• 1 large or 2 small leeks, halved & sliced crosswise into very thin half moons and washed well (after cutting)
• Course salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash
• 2 ears corn, kernels removed
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
• 1/4 chiffonade of basil
• Store bought ravioli (I used mushroom ravioli for the picture above)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Add leek and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until leek is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and corn and cook until tender and color is bright, about 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling water, to package directions.
3. Stir in cream and basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve over ravioli.

~Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Cooking School book

Red-Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium red onion, quartered
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• course salt & ground black pepper
• 1 package (10 ounce) frozen cut green beans, thawed
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 head (10 ounce) red-leaf lettuce, torn bite size

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. On large rimmed baking sheet, toss together sweet potatoes, onion, and oil, season with salt & pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Add green beans and walnuts to sheet; toss. Roast until green beans are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, and garlic; season dressing with salt & pepper. 
5. Top lettuce with roasted vegetable mixture; drizzle with dressing.

~Recipe from Real Food Magazine, 2008

Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 7 oz bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning, mixed according to directions
• 1 (8 oz) package shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 oz) package shredded Mozzarella cheese
• shredded lettuce
• sliced tomato
• black olives, sliced

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef and add taco season package as directed.
2. Layer ingredients in a 9x13 pan: ground beef, crushed chips, cheese, and olives. 
3. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
4. top with lettuce and tomatoes.

(I also added hot sauce)

~Recipe adapted from ilgilibilgili.com

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• Salad:
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small head green or white cabbage (2 cups shredded)
• 1 large carrot (1 1/2 cups shredded)
• 1 green papaya (1 1/2 cups shredded)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• Dressing
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 bird's eye chili peppers (sub 1/2 teaspoon minced hot peppers) (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the chicken breasts, cover, and cook  for 15-20 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove from heat, drain water, let cool, and shred with two forks.
2. Chop the cabbage into very thin pieces, like it would be for coleslaw. Peel and grate the carrots. Cut off the skin, remove the seeds, and grate the papaya. Roughly chop the cilantro and green onions. Toss the chicken and vegetables in a large bowl and keep chilled.
3. Mince garlic by using a press or a small grater and chili peppers. Place garlic and peppers in a small mixing bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, oil, and fish sauce. Whisk until smooth. Add the peanut butter and water and whisk until smooth and creamy.
4. Toss the salad with the dressing. Add the crushed peanuts. Serve chilled. 

*Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to one day. For best results, keep the leftover salad and dressing separate until ready to serve.

~Recipe from pinchofyum.com

Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (I used a mixture of beef & turkey)
• 1 small onion, diced or grated
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• dash salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley (I used dried) (optional)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Form the meatballs - any size will do, just note it will change cooking time.
4. Lay meatballs onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment, silicon mating or foil and cook. You should cook until the internal temperature is 165°F.
5. Place meatballs onto a paper towel to soak up any excess grease. You can freeze the meatballs for later use.
6. Enjoy!

~Recipe from Mikaila

BBQ Potato Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 store bought pizza crust*
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, any brand
• 2 cups potato, diced & cooked
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced in thin strips

Directions:

1. Place pizza crust on a pizza tray or a large cookie sheet. Cover with barbecue sauce, as you would with pizza sauce.
2. Top with potato, cheese and red onion and bake until golden and bubbly on top, cook according to pizza dough directions.

*I purchase dough from a local pizzeria (Cozzola's Pizza) or in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

I roast the potatoes for about a half hour in the oven 425°F with a little olive oil, salt & pepper. I also roasted the onions with the potatoes prior to putting them on the pizza, that way I didn't have to slice them as thinly and they wouldn't have as strong of an onion flavor.

~Recipe by Mikaila

Sloppy Joes

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worchesteshire sauce
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet with high sides, add the oil and preheat it over medium high heat until the oil is nice and hot.
2. Add the beef and break it up as much as you can with a wooden spoon. Cook the beef until it's mostly cooked through, remove most of the drippings and add the onion, peppers and garlic, season everything with a touch of salt and pepper and cook it all together until the veggies develop some color and cook down a bit, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the ketchup along with the brown sugar, granulated onion, granulated garlic, paprika and mustard powder, cook it all together for about a minute giving it a good stir.
4. Add the tomato sauce, touch of water and Worchesetshire, lower the heat to low, partially cover with a lid and cook everything together for about 10 minutes.
5. Adjust the seasoning according to taste and spoon mixture over toasted buttered buns.
6. Enjoy

~Recipe by Laura Vitale from LauraInTheKitchen.com

Eggplant and Mushroom Polenta Bake

  

**First picture from original source of recipe (the inside of mine didn't come out as pretty).

Difficulty: Easy
Total time: 1hr 45 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• For the filling
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant, large dice
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and mushrooms quartered
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 1 teaspoon dried oragano
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• For the polenta and to assemble:
• 3 cups water, plus more as needed
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups polenta (or coarsely ground cornmeal)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese (about 5 ounces)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place a large, well-seasoned or enameled cast iron skillet in the oven while it is heating.
2. Once the oven is heated, carefully drizzle 1 Tablespoon of the oil into the hot skillet and let it heat up for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggplant to the skillet and arrange it in an even layer. Roast until tender and starting to brown, stirring halfway through, about 25 minutes. Using a dry kitchen towel or potholder, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven by its handle and place it on the stovetop. Use care when hadnling the hot skillet on the stovetop.) Using a spoon, transfer the eggplant to a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Add 1 Tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and place over high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring rarely, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the wine, stir to combine, and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium low and, using a spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the eggplant.
4. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of the skillet and heat until shimmering Add the onion, orangano, and red pepper flakes and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
5. Add the olives and reserve eggplant and mushrooms, along with any accumulated juices in the bowl, and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes and water, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, begin making the polenta. (When the eggplant and mushroom mixture is ready, remove from the heat, taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed; keep warm until the polenta is ready.)

For the polenta and to assemble:

1. Place the measured water, milk and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and, whisking constantly, slowly pour in the polenta in a thin, steady stream until all of it is incorporated and there are no lumps.
2. Cook, whisking or stirring with a spoon every few minutes, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan and the grains have softened, about 20 minutes. (If the polenta starts to get too thick before it's done, add water 1/4 cup at a time as necessary.) Stir in the Parmesan cheese and set aside. Heat the oven to broil and keep the rack in the middle.
3. Pour the polenta over the eggplant and mushroom mixture and spread it into a smooth, even layer. Evenly sprinkle the fontina over the polenta. Place the skillet in the oven and boil until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

*I don't have a cast iron skillet, so I used a oven safe pan. If your pan has a plastic handle wrap it with foil to make it oven safe.

~Recipe from Chow.com

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chicken breast
• Olive oil
• Bunch of Cilantro (Store sells it in a bunch), chopped roughly
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice

Directions:

1. In a food processor or blender combine: cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, lime juice, and about 1/3 cup olive oil. Mixture should almost look like pesto, you may need to add more olive oil.
2. Place cilantro mixture in a large ziplock bag. Place chicken breast in ziplock and marinate for atleast an hour.
3. Cook anyway you'd like. I choose to bake on a rack in the oven. 
4. Serve with rice.

*I put some of the marinade on the chicken while cooking it. Some of the oil dripped onto the sheet pan below the rack and burned quickly, causing the kitchen to get a bit smokey. I would recommend not putting the marinate on the chicken when placing in the oven or just grill it outside.

~Recipe from Mikaila