Marinated Flank Steak

We're heading out of town for a wedding and getting ready to send DD1 back to college early next week so we needed a delicious, quick meal this evening:

Marinated Flank Steak

Score the flank steak for maximum tenderness
Place the meat in a gallon Zip lock bag and add the following
(Measurements are approximate)
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp capers

Allow to marinate overnight (or for at least an hour) and grill as desired.
We're serving this with corn on the cog, marinated cucumbers and fresh red ripe tomatoes!

Taco seasoning mix

Make your own taco seasoning mix to control the ingredients for better nutrition.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup instant minced onion
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. crushed dried red pepper flakes (if desired)
• 1 Tbsp. instant minced garlic
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano (if desired)
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram (if desired)
• salt and ground pepper if desired (I don't usually add salt)

Preparation:

I like to use my coffee grinder to reduce all the ingerdients to dust...but this is not necessary.

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend thoroughly. Place in a tightly sealed container , store in a cool, dry place.

Makes 6 packages (about 2 Tbsp. each) of mix. 2 Tbsp. equals 1.25-oz. pkg. purchased taco seasoning mix.

Use within 6 months.

Walking Tacos

A couple of weeks ago I made dinner for about 40 middle schoolers attending a church event.  We made Walking Tacos at the request of our daughter, Alayna.

Walking Tacos
taco seasoned ground beef
individual bags of corn chips (we used Fritos)
assorted toppings such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, salsa, etc

Each diner opens the bag of chips, spoons in some taco meat and toppings and VIOLA'-a walking taco.

We had a significant amount of the seasoned ground beef left over so I packaged it in a freezer Ziploc bag for use at a later date.  That was last night!  I thawed out the meat, reheated it with a bit of water to "re-sauce" it and had tacos for a quick dinner before another event.

I decided that I am going to purposefully prepare seasoned taco meat and freeze for later use since taco prep seems so laborious when we're in a rush.  I'll use 5 lbs of ground chuck to create 4 packages of seasoned ground beef.  Prepare the meat according to the taco seasoning directions (I'll use 5 packages of  purchased taco seasoning (or look for tomorrows post on making your own seasoning).

Stuffed Chicken Breasts Marsala

Don't let this recipes instructions deter you from making this delicious dish.  It is easy and you can have it ready to cook in about 20 minutes.
I can never get the chicken breasts to be thin enough...so I don't worry about that (I usually slice a standard breast in two and then pound until my arms are tired)
I didn't have any kitchen twine so I used cotton yarn that I use to crochet dishcloths--LOL

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pound thin)
chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
ricotta cheese.
4 slices prosciutto, THINLY sliced
nutmeg, salt, pepper
mushrooms (fresh is best but canned will do)
Marsala Wine
chicken broth
flour for dredging and thickening
kitchen twine
butter, olive oil

Season breasts with salt and pepper, top with about 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese, sprinkle with nutmeg, add a small "handful" of spinach, spreading across the surface of the breast.  Top with a very thin slice of prosciutto. Roll up and tie with kitchen twine, dredge in flour
Set aside

Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter and saute mushrooms until tender.  Remove mushrooms from pan, add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on all sides (adding more butter or oil as needed)
Remove chicken breasts and keep warm
Deglaze pan with 1/3 cup Marsala wine (or to taste)
add 1 can chicken broth (or 1 1/2 cups) and some flour to thicken.  Heat until bubbling and thickened, stirring occasionally.
Add breasts back to pan to re-heat

Serve with rice, couscous or pasta. 
Enjoy!

A Lovely Summery Scallop dish

A week or tow ago I had DH bring the patio furniture up from the basement as April is usually cool enough to enjoy dinner outside.  Summer is just too hot and humid here in the Ohio Valley...but I've had it with the  less than ideal SPRING Weather (we were in the basement as the result of a tornado warning at 1am this morning!) and am ready for summer!
...Hence this summery seafood dish

Pan-Fried Scallops with Mango Salsa

For the Salsa
1-ripe mango, peeled and diced, reserving as much juice as possible
Diced red onion to taste (I used about 1/3 a medium red onion
1-2 jalapenos (seeded and diced)
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of one lime
Mix well and refrigerate until served

I served 4-5 SEA Scallops per person
Rinse scallops, pat dry and season with salt.
Pan "fry" in a skillet with olive oil, about 2 minutes per side (allow a brown "crust" to form for added flavor.)  Or you could grill the scallops if desired

Spoon the scallops onto a warm plate, top with salsa and serve with fresh broiled asparagus and wild rice. 
Yum! 

Please Hurry Summer! 

Shrimp Tacos--a new recipe!

I am trying a new Recipe tonight--Shrimp Tacos

I am going to cook some thinly sliced onions (and maybe a pepper) with shrimp on the grill
Then I'll toss that with a clove of minced garlic, the juice of a lime and a container of the Santa Fe Blend PHILADELPHIA COOKING CREAM.
Salt and pepper to taste
Spoon into soft flour tortillas and top with a Cole slaw mix and cilantro, maybe some sliced jalapenos, sour cream and salsa...

I think I'll serve it with Mexican rice and fried plantains
Hope it's yummy!  I'll let you know

Chicken Rollups

This is an easy dish when you need a tasty meal fast--which I always do during Track season

Market Day chicken steaks, 1 per serving (I love the size of theses fillets, perfectly sized cutlets)
salt and pepper
garlic powder
paprika
provolone cheese
fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed
wooden toothpicks

Pat chicken to dry
Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic salt and paprika
Place a layer of cheese on the breast, top with 4-5 spears of asparagus
roll up and secure with a toothpick

Place in a microwave safe baking dish, top with waxed paper
Cook according to your microwaves directions, until juices run clear
Serve with a fresh salad and wild rice and hot rolls

Dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!