steak, potatoes stroganoff, chocolate strawberry pasta, chicken stir fry, chili, & chili/mac
I keep stealing recipes and not sharing. So here's a big ol' batch of yummies. Also, for the most part, I don't use measurements...just toss in what I want, however much I want. A few of these recipes are meant to be adjusted to personal tastes as is, so sorry for lack of distinct amounts!
Chili
I wish I had a more exciting name for this haha. I found this awesome chili-spice packet but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. I'm going to get it again soon, and when I do, I'll post a picture of the thing. But here's a rough recipe.
ground beef (whatever cut you like, however much you want...I used about 2 pounds)
8 oz tomato sauce
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 cups water
Masa flour (as thickener...optional)
Cumin, paprika, any other spices you'd like to throw in.
Jalapenos (optional)
Salt to taste
Onions (optional)
Brown the beef in a skillet. Throw in some onions before the beef is done so they have time to caramelize without getting too soft (I like a little crunch). Toss it into a big fat pot with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, all the spices, jalapenos, salt. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the masa flour and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Throw it in a bowl, sprinkle with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
Chili/Mac
I had a LOT of macaroni sitting around from when I made mac salad and wasn't sure what to do with it because I'm not the biggest fan of mac&cheese. I just cooked it like the box instructions and mixed it with some of the extra chili from the above recipe. Added cheese/chives to that as well. Not very exciting, but very hearty. Kind of a comfort food.
Chicken Stir Fry
I had to find a way to get rid of all the extra vegetables in my fridge, and what better way than stir-fry?
2 chicken breasts
carrots
onions
mushrooms
bell peppers
soy sauce
stir-fry seasoning (little packets found in the "Asian" aisle of your local supermarket, pick whichever flavor you like!)
Cube the chicken breasts (or cut them into strips...whichever shape you like, stars would be great too :P). Cook until they're almost done, then toss in all the chopped veggies. Add soy sauce to taste. Stir-fry until the veggies are done to your liking. If you like them crispy, then just cook until the chicken is done cooking (maybe a couple more minutes). If you like them all squishy (which I don't really like, but to each their own) then leave them in for longer. Serve over steaming hot jasmine rice mmm yes.
(around here is where I discovered the macro setting on my camera and realized I could take close-ups of my food. Hurray!)
Chocolate Pasta
I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I found it on the box of the pasta bag. It's chocolate pasta! Yes I'm serious! Ahh I was so excited when I found it I squealed. I was walking down the streets of San Francisco on a trip with my family and there was a chocolate lover's store so I walked in and grabbed this :D I thought I didn't have a local store like that, but I actually found one not 20 minutes from my apartment. Hurray!
10 oz chocolate pasta
1 pint creme fraiche
8 oz strawberry sauce (or any other berry, if you don't like strawberries...but who doesn't like strawberries!)
fresh strawberries (optional)
Cook the pasta according to the bag's instructions. I like mine a little bit softer, so I usually leave it in for an extra 30 seconds-1 minute. In a separate bowl, mix together the creme fraiche and strawberry sauce. Slice the strawberries and fold them in. Keep this sauce cold, and serve over hot pasta. Delicious!
And now, best for last:
Steak
Haha. There's no special name for this steak but there really should be because my boyfriend makes it and it is the most delicious steak I've had in my LIFE.
If you prefer a marinade, marinade your steak for however long you'd like. If you don't, rub some olive oil into both sides and coat with your favorite steak rub. I use this Canadian mesquite thing, but this time I marinaded it in a Louisiana Hot Sauce marinade I found at the grocery store. I actually prefer it without the marinade, but it's up to you whichever you like!
Stick the marinated/oiled&spiced steaks onto a pan at medium-high heat. Cook about 3 minutes each side (more if you like them well-done). Then, toss the pan into the oven at 375 for 5-10 minutes (again, depends on how well done you like your meat to be...I like it medium-well, my boyfriend likes it medium-rare). Plate! Serve with potatoes...
Potatoes Stroganoff
I only call it this because it looks like beef stroganoff, but I used sour cream instead of creme fraiche.
Yukon gold potatoes, sliced thinly
mushrooms, sliced thinly
butter
Sour cream
Thyme
Rosemary
Whole Cloves
Worcestshire sauce
Cook these in the same pan that you make the steak in if you're cooking them together. The flavor blends them together well, plus it adds a nice glaze to the potatoes.
Melt butter, coat the pan with it. Heat pan to medium-high (I set it around 5 or 6 from a 1-10 setting). If you're on a low-fat/low-cal/low-something diet, use olive oil or a Pam spray. Toss in the sliced potatoes and mushrooms and cook until the potatoes are tender. Turn the heat to low. Toss in thyme, rosemary, and whole cloves (crush the flowery bit at the top, it should crumble, and then just throw in the stems...they're so good). Toss around a little bit to let the flavors blend, and then throw in the sour cream. I used about a cup, you can use less or more depending on how many potatoes you used. I have no idea how many I used haha, just enough to fill the pan. Stir until completely mixed, it should look like the above picture. That's a huge serving, by the way...I couldn't finish it because the potatoes are REALLY rich, so it's a good hearty meal. Also, leaves you with some yummy leftovers for lunch the next day!
Hope you all enjoy!
Chili
I wish I had a more exciting name for this haha. I found this awesome chili-spice packet but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. I'm going to get it again soon, and when I do, I'll post a picture of the thing. But here's a rough recipe.
ground beef (whatever cut you like, however much you want...I used about 2 pounds)
8 oz tomato sauce
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 cups water
Masa flour (as thickener...optional)
Cumin, paprika, any other spices you'd like to throw in.
Jalapenos (optional)
Salt to taste
Onions (optional)
Brown the beef in a skillet. Throw in some onions before the beef is done so they have time to caramelize without getting too soft (I like a little crunch). Toss it into a big fat pot with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, all the spices, jalapenos, salt. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the masa flour and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Throw it in a bowl, sprinkle with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
Chili/Mac
I had a LOT of macaroni sitting around from when I made mac salad and wasn't sure what to do with it because I'm not the biggest fan of mac&cheese. I just cooked it like the box instructions and mixed it with some of the extra chili from the above recipe. Added cheese/chives to that as well. Not very exciting, but very hearty. Kind of a comfort food.
Chicken Stir Fry
I had to find a way to get rid of all the extra vegetables in my fridge, and what better way than stir-fry?
2 chicken breasts
carrots
onions
mushrooms
bell peppers
soy sauce
stir-fry seasoning (little packets found in the "Asian" aisle of your local supermarket, pick whichever flavor you like!)
Cube the chicken breasts (or cut them into strips...whichever shape you like, stars would be great too :P). Cook until they're almost done, then toss in all the chopped veggies. Add soy sauce to taste. Stir-fry until the veggies are done to your liking. If you like them crispy, then just cook until the chicken is done cooking (maybe a couple more minutes). If you like them all squishy (which I don't really like, but to each their own) then leave them in for longer. Serve over steaming hot jasmine rice mmm yes.
(around here is where I discovered the macro setting on my camera and realized I could take close-ups of my food. Hurray!)
Chocolate Pasta
I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I found it on the box of the pasta bag. It's chocolate pasta! Yes I'm serious! Ahh I was so excited when I found it I squealed. I was walking down the streets of San Francisco on a trip with my family and there was a chocolate lover's store so I walked in and grabbed this :D I thought I didn't have a local store like that, but I actually found one not 20 minutes from my apartment. Hurray!
10 oz chocolate pasta
1 pint creme fraiche
8 oz strawberry sauce (or any other berry, if you don't like strawberries...but who doesn't like strawberries!)
fresh strawberries (optional)
Cook the pasta according to the bag's instructions. I like mine a little bit softer, so I usually leave it in for an extra 30 seconds-1 minute. In a separate bowl, mix together the creme fraiche and strawberry sauce. Slice the strawberries and fold them in. Keep this sauce cold, and serve over hot pasta. Delicious!
And now, best for last:
Steak
Haha. There's no special name for this steak but there really should be because my boyfriend makes it and it is the most delicious steak I've had in my LIFE.
If you prefer a marinade, marinade your steak for however long you'd like. If you don't, rub some olive oil into both sides and coat with your favorite steak rub. I use this Canadian mesquite thing, but this time I marinaded it in a Louisiana Hot Sauce marinade I found at the grocery store. I actually prefer it without the marinade, but it's up to you whichever you like!
Stick the marinated/oiled&spiced steaks onto a pan at medium-high heat. Cook about 3 minutes each side (more if you like them well-done). Then, toss the pan into the oven at 375 for 5-10 minutes (again, depends on how well done you like your meat to be...I like it medium-well, my boyfriend likes it medium-rare). Plate! Serve with potatoes...
Potatoes Stroganoff
I only call it this because it looks like beef stroganoff, but I used sour cream instead of creme fraiche.
Yukon gold potatoes, sliced thinly
mushrooms, sliced thinly
butter
Sour cream
Thyme
Rosemary
Whole Cloves
Worcestshire sauce
Cook these in the same pan that you make the steak in if you're cooking them together. The flavor blends them together well, plus it adds a nice glaze to the potatoes.
Melt butter, coat the pan with it. Heat pan to medium-high (I set it around 5 or 6 from a 1-10 setting). If you're on a low-fat/low-cal/low-something diet, use olive oil or a Pam spray. Toss in the sliced potatoes and mushrooms and cook until the potatoes are tender. Turn the heat to low. Toss in thyme, rosemary, and whole cloves (crush the flowery bit at the top, it should crumble, and then just throw in the stems...they're so good). Toss around a little bit to let the flavors blend, and then throw in the sour cream. I used about a cup, you can use less or more depending on how many potatoes you used. I have no idea how many I used haha, just enough to fill the pan. Stir until completely mixed, it should look like the above picture. That's a huge serving, by the way...I couldn't finish it because the potatoes are REALLY rich, so it's a good hearty meal. Also, leaves you with some yummy leftovers for lunch the next day!
Hope you all enjoy!