We've Moved!!

Please visit me at my new blog titled: "Rebecca's Culinary Chronicles"  Thanks to all my followers here, hope you follow me on my new blog.  http://www.rebeccasculinarychronicles.blogspot.com/

See you all there!

Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter

I hate to admit that I again forgot to take a picture of this lovely steak when it was done. :(  I am however going to share the recipe!  It was cooked on the grill, it was tender and juicy!  When you bring it out and let it sit you drizzle all the amazing garlic butter on top so it can oooooz into all the cracks and crevases of the steak!  Yummmm!

Enjoy! :)

Ingredients:

*4, 4oz sirloin steaks
*Salt/Pepper to taste
*1/2 Cup Butter
*1 teas garlic powder
*4 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

1.  Heat grill to medium/high heat

2.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on each steak and place on grill (Cooks about 2-3 mins per side)

3.  In a small saucepan melt butter, and mix in garlic powder and garlic cloves.  Once mixed turn off heat and set aside.

4.  Once meat is done, let rest 10 minutes and pour the garlic butter mixture on top of the steak.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

I got this recipe from Pennies on a Platter.  I love her food blog and when I was on my daily blog check I came across her Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza and knew I had to make it!

The dough is made using a laminate style so that the dough is in a layered form.  It's such a perfect pizza dough and really not that difficult to make. 

Yield: One 9-inch deep dish pizza (3-4 servings)

For the dough:

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour                       

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water, at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the sauce:1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons grated onion

Pinch of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste   

For assembling and topping:2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces Mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
1/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tablespoons)

To make the dough:
-Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, until well blended.

-Attach the dough hook and mix in the water and melted butter on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.  Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.

-Coat a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat with oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.

-Once dough is risen, turn it out onto a dry work surface and roll into an 8- x 6-inch rectangle.  To laminate the dough, spread the softened butter over the surface, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge.  Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder.  With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- x 2-inch rectangle, then fold into thirds like a business letter.  Pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl.  Cover tightly again with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator for 40 to 50 minutes.  (Mine did not double in size, but it rose to about size and a half.)

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce:In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, oregano and salt.  Saute until the liquid has nearly evaporated and the onion is golden brown, stirring often, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes and sugar, then increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring the mixture just to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the basil and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble and top the pizza:
-Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with olive oil.  Move the dough to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about 1/4-inch thick.  Carefully transfer the dough to the pan and lightly press to line the bottom of the pan and 1 inch up the sides.  If the dough resists stretching, wait 5 minutes before trying again.

-Sprinkle the shredded Mozzarella over the surface of the dough, then layer the sauce over the cheese.  Top with Parmesan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown.  Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

To Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up until the time of baking.  Store in fridge overnight, or freeze and thaw in fridge.  When ready to bake, place pan in oven while preheating so that it warms up slowly.  Once oven is preheated to 425˚F, bake for 20 more minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Herb Couscous

Simple couscous recipe:

Ingredients:

*1 cup plain couscous
*1 Tbsp olive oil
*1 small shallot, minced
*1 cup and 2 Tbsp chicken stock
*1 teas fresh thyme, chopped
*1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1.  Heat olive oil over med-high heat, add shallots and saute 1 minute

2.  Add couscous and cook 1 minute, add chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.

3.  Fluff cooked couscous with fork and add fresh chopped herbs.

ENJOY!!

Mom's Sloppy Joes

Yea, didn't have a chance to get a picture of it before the family devoured it!  It really was good!!

This recipe is from my Mom.  I can remember such fond memories eating these as a child and never have I looked for a different recipe for sloppy joes.  They are easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

*1lb ground beef
*1/2 cup chopped onion
*1/4 cup chopped green pepper
*1/4 cup chopped celery
*1/4 cup ketchup
*1 cup tomato sauce
*1 teas worcheshire sauce
*1 teas salt
*1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1.  Brown ground beef.

2.  Mix all other ingredients with beef and simmer 30 mins - 1 hour.

Week 1: Eating Organic

Week 1 is finished with my recent diet change to organic and all-natural.  I'm happy to report I have lost a total of 4lbs!  I have still not drank a diet coke or any type of soda and feel so proud of myself.  I have noticed that I am not near snacking as much on the organic diet.  Maybe it's all the natural fiber and protein in the foods?  Not sure, but I'm really pleased with the energy I have gained and my skin looks great from all the water I'm drinking!

I'm excited to see the weightloss I have on week 2 and I must say that I absolutely LOVE shopping at Whole Foods Market.  Everything is so fresh, clean and just picture perfect!

Weekly Menu Plan

1.   Chicken with Sage Butter Sauce
      Brown Rice
      Veggie

2.   Filet Mignon
      Chive Mashed Potatoes                                      DESSERT:  APPLE CRISP
      Veggie

3.   Sloppy Joes
      Herb Couscous
      Veggie

4.   Flank Steak with Bleu Cheese Butter
      Roasted Red Potatoes with lemon & parmesean
      Veggie

5.   Chicken and Bacon Mac & Cheese
      Salad

6.   Mexican Lasagna
      Spanish Rice
      Veggie

7.   Chicken Patties
      Onion Rings
      Veggie

Going Organic

A few years back Jey and I switched everything we ate to all organic from watching an episode of Oprah who's special guest was Dr. Oz.  It worked out good for awhile until we moved to Gainesville and ended up being an hour away from Whole Foods Market.  Slowly, more and more things were becoming unavailable in the traditional grocery stores near us and we got sucked back in to all the processed, heavily pesticided and treated fruits, vegetables and meats. 

Jey has been on my back since we've lived here in Gainesville (3 years) that I just needed to take a day and go drive up to Whole Foods Market to do my grocery shopping.  Sounds so simple to him because I'm doing it trucking 1 hour along two screaming mimi's in the car and cart.  Ok, so back to my reasoning here.  I was talking to my sister-in-law the other day and we were talking about different diets, etc and somehow eating all organic came up, and got me thinking of really all the horrible additives, chemicals, processed foods and pesticides I'm feeding my family every day.  There are even things in your toothpaste that are being researched by the FDA right now that says a particular chemical is possibly linked to humans getting cancer!! 

So on that thought, I am driving my happy butt on up to Duluth to Whole Foods and doing my grocery shopping each week!  Yes, a long hour drive to and from..but to eat healthier and safer I'm all for it!  Oh, btw...I'm an avid Diet Coke drinker..and I have cold turkey stopped!!  Whooo hoooo!  I haven't had a diet coke in 3 weeks now!

Baked Salmon

Here is a straightforward way to prepare delicious salmon!  Basil, garlic, lemon juice and parsley provide a mild seasoning that perfectly enhances the distinctive flavor of the irresistable fish.

INGREDIENTS:

*2 cloves garlic, minced
*2 Tbsp light olive oil & 1 Tbsp melted butter
*3/4 teas dried basil
*1/2 teas salt
*1 dash of dill weed
*3 Tbsp lemon juice
*1 teas dried parsley
*2 (6oz) salmon fillets

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil salt, lemon juice and parsley.  Place salmon in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade.  Marinate in the refridgerator about 1 hour, turning occassionally.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

3. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with  marinade, and seal.  Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35-45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Weekly Menu

I'm a little behind on posting my weekly menu but here it goes!

Thursday- Bourbon-Glazed Salmon
                Baked Potatoes
                Sauteed Garlic and olive oil green beans

Friday- Out to dinner with friends

Saturday- Shrimp Scampi
                Whole Wheat Linguinne

Sunday- 3 Bean Turkey Chili
             Hawaiian Bread

Monday- Hotdogs
               Broccoli
               Mac N Cheese

Tuesday- Longhorne (THANKS STEPH & MIKE!)

Wednesday- Parmesean Crusted Chicken Tenders
                   Oven Fries
                    Green Beans

Coupon Cleanout!

I have to admit that the holidays have not been good to my wallet.  The week of Thanksgiving was the last time that I purchased a Sunday paper for the coupons!  Yes, it's true!!  I generally buy 4 papers at a time and stock up on all the coupons so I never have to pay full price for anything when I go grocery shopping. 

As part of my New Years Resolution, I decided I was going to get myself back on track with my couponing.  So....today I officially cleaned out my Coupon Clutch.  It was a daunting task and I'm so glad it's finished!  If you are not sure exactly what a Coupon Clutch is, I took some pictures just to show you how wonderful and easy this is to use while saving you a ton of money:

I LOVE THIS THING!!

This is what it looks like closed...just like a purse.  There are lots of different fabrics to choose from.

Inside cover--I use these pockets for coupons I will use for the current shopping trip and coupons that will expire within the month.

The coupons are organized into baseball card plastic sheets, then organized further with dividers for different categories. (Dairy, Frozen, Cereal, etc.)

Baseball card organizer sheet



Such a beautiful thing...a nice and organized Coupon Clutch



The Coupon Clutch closed easily with strips of heavy duty velcro.  Just pull the velcro sides down and it's open!

And this is my adorable dog, Preston.  Had to put this cute picture up! :)

Shrimp Scampi

Less than 30 minutes and dinner is on the table!

Shrimp Scampi

*8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
*2 Tbsp margarine or butter
*1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
*4 garlic cloves, minced
*1 lb. shelled deveined uncooked medium shrimp
*1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
*2 teas grated lemon peel
*1/4 teas salt
*1/4 teas pepper
*1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1.  Cook fettuccine to desired doneness as directed on package.  Drain, cover to keep warm.

2.  Meanwhile, melt margarine with oil in medium skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, cook and stir 1 minute.  Add shrimp, cook and stir 1 minute.

3.  Add all remaining ingredients; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.  Serve shrimp mixture over fettuccine.

Strawberry Shortcake

I had bought some strawberries from the store this week and wanted to make a Strawberry Shortcake.  This recipe is from Pillsbury Complete Cookbook, and it's very good not to mention super simple!

Strawberry Shortcake

SHORTCAKE
*2 cups all-purpose flour (I used Whole Wheat Flour)
*1/2 cup sugar
*3 teas baking powder
*1/2 teas salt
*1/2 cup margarine or buter
*3/4 cup milk
*2 eggs, slightly beaten

FRUIT
*2 pints (4 cups) fresh strawberries, sliced
*1/2 cup sugar

TOPPING
*1 cup whipping cream
*2 Tbsp powdered surgar
*1/2 teas vanilla

1.  Heat oven to 375.  Grease and flour 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.  In large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder adn salt, mix well.  With pastry blender or fork, cuti n margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add milk and eggs, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Spoon into greased and floured pan.

2.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar; mix well.  Refridgerate 30 minutes or until serving time.

4.  Just before serving, in small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Add powdered sugar adn vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form.

5.  Invert shortcake onto serving platter.  If desired, split shortcake into 2 layers.  Serve shortcake topped with strawberries and whipped cream.  Store in refridgerator.