Marinated Steak

Since it's been so long since I've posted, I decide to post twice in one day.  This is what I made for supper tonight.  I love red meat and there is no way I will ever give it up.  I found this marinade recipe a year or so ago and Luke is always asking for it.
Best Marinade
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 t. ground ginger
1 T. minced onion
1/2 t. black pepper

Mix all together.  Cover steak and place in fridge for at least 8 hours.
Tip: If you ever have Chinese Take-Out, save the soy sauce packets that come with.  They are great for using in marinades.

I grilled the steaks against the odds of the wind.  Our sides are green potatoes and baked beans.  Luke was very happy to have marinated steak again.  This is an Asian marinade so it doesn't have to used on steak only.  I'm sure it would be very good with chicken as well.  Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend and I will be sure to post more often.  Enjoy!

Time for Summer

Sorry it's been so long since my last post.  I have been cooking, I just haven't used any new recipes.  This is a recipe I made a few weeks ago.  It is called Lemony Skillet Chicken.  It is super easy and delicious.
1 T. olive oil
2 T. butter, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. chicken broth
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1 t. dried chives

Heat oil and once tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Coat chicken in flour and add to skillet.  Saute for about 6 minutes on each side, turning once, until chicken juices run clear.  Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.  Add broth, lemon juice, salt and chives to skillet and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat; stir in remaining butter.  Return chicken to skillet and spoon sauce over chicken, turning to coat.

I served the chicken with fried potatoes and green beans.  I hope you enjoy.

Chicken and Shrimp

I made this for dinner the other night.  Luke asked me to make something with chicken and shrimp and this is what I came up with.  It's really yummy and there are only 427 calories per serving.  Of course, I added my own special touches using the ingredients I had on hand.

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/4 cups water

ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute mushrooms until golden; remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add another 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Saute onion, garlic and shrimp until opaque. Remove from skillet and add to mushrooms.
3. In a shallow dish or bowl mix 2 tablespoons flour with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Dredge chicken in flour to coat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and saute chicken in oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add chicken to mushroom/shrimp mixture.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until brown. Stir in wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt and water. Boil for 1 minute.
5. Reduce heat to medium low and return shrimp and chicken mixture to skillet. Simmer for about 10 minutes, season with pepper and serve.

I didn't have fresh mushrooms so I used canned mushrooms.  I also added peas so we could a serving a vegetables as well.  I will definitely be making this again in the future as it has all of Luke's favorite things in it.  I also served this over rice.  The rice made a great addition to the whole dish.  Enjoy!

Eat What You Want Day

Today is Eat What You Want Day.  This worked out very well for me, as there was a bake sale at work today as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life.  My contrabution to this fundraiser was a pan of bars.  I made Blonde Brownies.  I got this recipe from my Aunt Rebecca and it is by far the best recipe for Blonde Brownies I have ever found.

Melt 2/3 c. margerine
Add 2 1/4 c. brown sugar
      3 large eggs
      1 tsp. vanilla
Sift 2 3/4 c. flour
      1/2 tsp. salt
      2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 pkg. chocolate chips

Mix well and spread in jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

These brownies have great flavor and are soft and chewy.  I have had several friends ask for the recipe and have enjoyed sharing these with my friends and co-workers.  Also this recipe is really quick and easy.  Enjoy!

Baked Chocolate Pudding

Today, my team at work had a potluck and I decided to make Baked Chocolate Pudding.  I got this recipe from a good family friend and have been craving it lately.  I thought it would be a great dessert to share with my co-workers as well.  So here is the recipe:
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 T. cocoa powder
1/2 c. milk
2 T. butter (melted)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix by hand in order given.  Pour batter into 9"x9" baking dish.  Cover with 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 2 1/2 T. cocoa.  Pour 1 c. water over top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is the perfect dessert when you are craving something chocolate.  It's really easy to make and it's really gooey on the bottom.  This is great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Cinco de Mayo

Today is Cinco de Mayo and everyone seems to be talking about all the yummy food they planned to make in celebration of today.  I wanted to make a yummy Mexican dish to go along with the festivities.  I didn't have anything specific in mind, so this is a variation of a recipe a got from a friend.  Again this recipe doesn't have any specific measurements.
Cheesy Chicken and Rice (with a kick)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken
1 can milk
1 can mushrooms
Sliced black olives to taste
Dried minced onions
red pepper flakes
pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
2 C. minute rice
1 pkg. cheddar cheese

Grease a 9x13 pan.  Place chicken in pan.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and poor over chicken.  Top with cheese.  Cover pan with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

This is a very filling meal.  Luke really enjoyed it and is happy to have leftovers for lunch.  Hope you all enjoyed your Cinco de Mayo, whether you celebrated or not.

Hamburgers

My sister and my best friend absolutely love my hamburgers.  Whenever we get together, they always ask me to make them.  My hamburgers are also what my husband asks for the most, especially as we get into the warmer months and start grilling again.  I never make them the same way twice and I don't have any measurements.  So if you want to recreate these, just use your own judgement of how much of an ingredient you want, depending on your personal taste.
Meghan's Wonderful Hamburgers
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
Mrs. Dash Original
Seasoning salt
pepper
dried onion flakes
Worchestershire sauce
chopped mushrooms
real bacon bits
Form into patties and grill.  I typically make 4 patties out of 1 pound.

This was my dinner.  I topped my burger with American cheese, a fried egg and ketchup.  If you have never had an egg with your burger, you need to try it!  It's delicious.  The rest of our dinner consister of lettuce salad and tater tots.  Enjoy!

Crab Cakes

I have recently figured out that I enjoy seafood.  When I was younger, I refused to touch any type of shellfish.  Even the smell made me cringe.  But this past year, I have become more adventerous and have started trying different types of seafood.  I still do not like cocktail shrimp, but I will eat shrimp if it is warm and I really like crab, especially crab cakes.  When Luke and I were in Chicago at the beginning of April, we had the most delicious crab cake at restaurant close to our hotel.  I found myself craving a crab cake this weekend and found a quick, easy and delicious recipe to make your own crab cakes.
Best Ever Crab Cakes

1 egg

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 tablespoon minced green onions

8 ounces crabmeat

1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers

1 tablespoon butter

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, tarragon, and scallions. Gently stir in crabmeat, being careful not to break up meat. Gradually mix in cracker crumbs, adding until desired consistency is achieved.
2. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Form crab mixture into 4 patties. Place patties in skillet, and cook until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side.

There are 217 calories per crab cake, so these make a good little snack.  The recipe suggested to serve these with mustard, but I decided to create my own little sauce.  I whisked together olive oil, lemon and lime juice and a little bit a sugar.  Spoon over top of crab cakes and sprinkle with torn cilantro as well.  These are delicious and take about 10-15 minutes to make.  Enjoy!

P.S. There are only 3 on the plate because Luke ate one before I could take a picture!  The recipe does make 4 crab cakes.