Adobo Flank Steak Tacos (Recipe 116 of 125)

Street tacos are one of my favorite foods. It reminds me of my days in Guadalajara. Though in those days we'd stop at a street cart and have tacos. I probably wouldn't do that today. The steel trap of a stomach I had back then is more "sensitive" now. 

These were tasty. The meat needed more salt than it calls for. I salted the meat after I tasted it. Otherwise, the marinade was good. Not overly flavorful, but enough flavor for tacos. 

I didn't have tomatoes for some reason, so my salsa was just onion, cilantro and lime juice. Which was just fine for me. Street tacos usually only have a salsa of onions, cilantro and limes. 

The adobo sauce didn't really have much flavor. The can I bought wasn't very "saucy" so it was hard to get anything out of it. It definitely needed more adobo. And it wasn't spicy at all, which is how I know it needed more adobo. 

Adobo Flank Steak Tacos

Recipe from Eating Well.com

Serves 4

• ¼ c olive oil
• 4 T lime juice, divided
• 2 T adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chiles)
• 1 tsp packed brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt, divided
• ½ c nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 pound flank steak
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• ¼ c chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ c diced red onion
• 2 T minced jalapeño pepper
• 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed
• 2 c shredded romaine lettuce

Combine oil, 2 Tbsp. lime juice, adobo sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Transfer 2 Tbsp. of the mixture to a separate small bowl. Stir in yogurt; cover and refrigerate.

Place steak in a glass dish and pour the remaining adobo mixture over the steak, turning to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours, flipping halfway through.

Combine avocado, tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeño, and the remaining 2 Tbsp. lime juice and 1/4 tsp. salt in a medium bowl; toss to combine.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Lightly oil the grill grates (see Tip). Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade). Grill the steak until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 125 degrees F for medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain.

To assemble: Divide the steak among the tortillas. Top each with a generous 1 Tbsp. yogurt sauce, about 1/3 cup avocado salsa, and 1/4 cup lettuce.

Chocolate Mason Jar Ice Cream (Low Carb) (Recipe 115 of 125)

Photo from OhSoFoodie

I am not an ice cream fan on a regular basis. I have cravings for ice cream every now and then. Instead of having ice cream in the house, I wanted another option that hit the ice cream button and was NOT full of carbs. 

This recipe did the trick. I had made one similar to it several months ago. After letting it be in the freezer for the night, I couldn't even eat it until it was almost melted. Doing some research (aka asking the younger sister who's a low carb guru) I decided to add guar gum to the mix. A little goes a LONG way. Generally the amount to add is 1 tsp to 3 cups liquid. In this case, I only added 1/8tsp and it worked out perfect.

I used Swerve powdered sugar instead of monkfruit because that's what I had on hand. Plus using the powdered sugar means it blends better. 

I shook the Mason jar for just over 3 minutes and it churned just fine. 

Chocolate Mason Jar Ice Cream (Low Carb)
Recipe from Peace, Love and Low Carb

Serves 4

• 1 c heavy cream
• 2 T granular monkfruit JW: I used Swerve powdered sugar
• 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
• JW note: I added 1/8 tsp of guar gum to help this be not hard as a rock when frozen
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 T sugar free chocolate chips, optional

Combine all ingredients in a wide mouth pint sized mason jar. Screw the lid on and shake vigorously for 5 minutes. The liquid in side should double in volume, filling the mason jar.

Freeze for 3 hours up to 24 hours.

Scoop and enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Chopped Salad with Garlic Dill Ranch (Recipe 114 of 125)

Beautiful photo from The 
Salty Marshmallow.com

I wasn't going to count this as one of my recipes for this year's goal, but then thought I should because the salad dressing, by its self is worth a single entry. 

I have made ranch dressing from scratch SCRATCH...like cutting all the herbs myself and tossing them with sour cream and buttermilk. 

I've also made ranch dressing from packets. 

I've not made ranch dressing from a packet AND add herbs to it. I gotta say, adding the extra dill to this dressing made it my favorite almost instantly. I do believe the key is definitely sour cream (not Greek yogurt) and the buttermilk. 

The salad by itself is common. Nothing overly special about it. Well, other than the crispy onions - which I forgot to add to it. 

Ham & Cheese Chopped Salad with Garlic Dill Ranch
Recipe from Thesaltymarshmallow.com

Serves 2

Salad:

• 6 c chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 Large Eggs boiled and sliced
• 1 c diced ham
• ¼ c French fried onions
• ½ c sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
• ½ cucumber diced
• cubed cheddar and swiss cheese

Dressing:

• ½ Packet dry ranch dressing mix
• ½ c plain greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 T baby dill chopped

Dressing:

Mix all ingredients together in a small jar or container with lid. Shake or stir well to combine and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Salad:

Place chopped romaine in a large serving bowl.

Arrange rows of ham, tomatoes, French fried onions, cucumber, cheese, and eggs over the top of the lettuce.

Serve with dressing as desired.

Indian Beef Curry with Potatoes (Recipe 113 of 125)

This house smells amazing. The combination of Indian spices are so amazing. I wish there was a candle that smelled this good. 

This meal was delicious. If you like curry, and a little spice, this is a nice, spicy, comforting dish. The aroma of the spice mix on it's own is to die for. 

This dish will make the rounds again. I can imagine on a cold fall day stoking the fire and getting this stew on the stove to simmer for a couple of hours. 

Indian Beef Curry with Potatoes

Recipe from Tasteandsee.com

Serves 8

Spice Mix: 

• 2 T Turmeric
• 1 T Garam Masala Blend
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Ground Coriander
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Red Pepper

For The Beef and Veggies:

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch cubes 
• 1 tsp salt (plus an extra 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 t olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves minced
• ½- inch piece of fresh ginger grated
• 2 t fresh lemon juice
• 4 t tomato paste
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 3 c beef stock
• 3 large carrots
• 1½ pounds potatoes
• ¼ c fresh cilantro chopped

Combine all Indian Curry Spices in a small mixing bowl and set aside. But first smell them. Delightful. 

Cut chuck roast into 2-inch square pieces. Season with salt and pepper, and brown them in a Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (sear on two sides for 3-4 minutes). Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and sauté for about 4 minutes (add a bit more olive oil if needed). 

Stir in all of the Indian Curry spices, and allow to cook for one more minute.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, tomato paste, brown sugar, beef stock, and carrots. Return the meat to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer.

Put the lid on the pot cracked and simmer on low for 1 hour.

Garnish with cilantro and serve!

Parmesan Chicken Casserole (Recipe 112 of 125)

This was an odd recipe to wrap my head around. The title of the recipe has the word "casserole" in it -
yet the only thing in this "casserole" is chicken. I'm expecting rice, noodles, or something else in a "casserole". Otherwise this is just baked Parmesan chicken. 

Overall this recipe was just ok. There was nothing fantastic about it. Baked chicken and parmesan are always a good combo. 

Parmesan Chicken Casserole

Recipe from The Cookin' Chicks

Serves 6

6 boneless, skinless Tyson chicken breasts, diced

1 c Kraft mayonnaise OR plain Greek yogurt

1 c fresh Kraft shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt

1/2 tsp McCormick ground black pepper

1 tsp McCormick garlic powder

Place diced chicken into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo/yogurt, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Spread mixture evenly on top of chicken.

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top of mayo mixture.

Place dish in preheated oven, 375, and bake for about 30-35 minutes.

One-Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms (Recipe 111 of 125)

Sooo, here's an interesting twist. I swear when I first read this recipe it called for chicken. As I cooked the dish, I swear it said to saute the chicken. Now as I type this, I see there's no chicken in the recipe. I think I just went on autopilot for cooking a meal that is so familiar to me that I seem to know it by heart. 

This recipe is very similar to a lot of the chicken, cream, mushroom recipes I've made in the past. 

At any rate, this was a good dish. I got carried away with the red pepper flakes and WOW was it spicy. I cut the recipe in half and for some reason did not cut the Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes in half.  

I left the spinach out because I am not a fan of spinach that's been cooked. I had it in a salad on the side instead. 

Watch how you salt this too. It takes 1/2 c of parmesan cheese and that has a lot of salt in it. Salt after you add that instead of before. 

One-Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms
Recipe from EatWell 101

Serves 4

• 14 oz farfalle pasta
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 14 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 10 oz fresh spinach
• 1/2 c ow-sodium vegetable broth
• Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes, optional

JW Note: I added 2 chicken breasts cut into 1/2" pieces. I sautéed them after the mushrooms. Then put the mushrooms, onions and chicken in one pot and went from there.

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, according to the package instructions.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent and slightly browned. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet, add the mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes until browned. Add a bit of oil if necessary. Remove mushrooms to the plate with onion and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until just wilted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove spinach and drain excess water. Transfer to another plate.

Still in the same skillet, heat a little oil, add the chopped garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then deglaze with vegetable broth. Add cream, grated parmesan, chili pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until combined and the cream gets some color.

Once the pasta is ready, add mushrooms, onion, and spinach back to the skillet, then put drained pasta and toss to combine. Add more parmesan and Italian seasoning and give a quick stir. Serve the creamy parmesan spinach mushroom pasta with red chili pepper flakes and more parmesan, if you like. Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff Burgers (Low Carb) (Recipe 110 of 125)

Beautiful photo from Peace
Love and Low Carb

Only 15 away from hitting my goal. I am confident I will hit that goal and soar right past it. My guess is about 140 this year. And even with that I still have over 1000 recipes I want to try. 

This recipe is a keeper. I am a big fan of stroganoff and, unfortunately, it's not carb friendly. This recipe makes it carb friendly. The key was to not eat it over rice, potatoes or noodles. Success! I bought cauliflower mash - not at all the same as mashed potatoes - but it worked. 

I think what really makes this recipe is the sherry that gets added. It adds a nice hint of something that you're not sure what it is, but you know it's there.

Beef Stroganoff Burgers (Low Carb)
Recipe from Peach Love and Low Carb

Serves 4

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 3 T chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, extra for garnish
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 T butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cooking sherry (I use this brand)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 c beef stock
• 2 T beef bouillon granules (I use this brand)
• ¾ c sour cream
• ½ c heavy cream
• ¼ c grated parmesan

First make the burgers. Combine ground beef, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, one clove of garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper in a last mixing bowl.

Once mixture is well incorporated, form into 4 even patties.

Next, in a large sauté pan, over medium-high heat, sear the patties, browning on both sides. About 3 minutes each side.

Remove patties from pan and set aside. To the same pan, add butter, olive oil, and cooking sherry.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add onion, mushrooms, and the remainder of the garlic. Sauté until onions are tender and slightly caramelized and mushrooms are tender.

Next, deglaze pan with beef stock. Use a rubber spatula to scrape off and mix in any bits of onion and garlic stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add beef bouillon granules and stir until dissolved.

Then stir sour cream, heavy cream, and parmesan into sauce. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by ⅓ and has started to thicken.

Finally, Add patties back to the sauce and let entire dish simmer, uncovered, on low for 10 minutes. Serve patties on a plate and top with sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Low Carb Brownie in a Mug (Recipe 109 of 125)

 Generally speaking, any low carb cake/bread type recipe has been a little gross to me. They often turn


out very eggy - and of that, I'm not a fan. 

Sherrie was over tonight and I thought since she's gluten free this would be a fun recipe to try out. It looked delicious in the video from the gal at Low Carb Yum. 

So we began...first let me tell you...I'd make this again. In a pinch of needing something "sweet", this will work. Second, letting it cool made the texture better. 

What I didn't expect, but loved is that it puffed up in the microwave. I was worried it would spill over, but it didn't. This isn't the greatest photo, but you get the gist. 

While eating it we thought of a bunch of variations to add to this: sugar free chocolate chips, espresso powder, peanut butter...and the list went on. 

If you're trying to cut back on the carbs, and still want something sweet...make this. This treat is not overly sweet. Sherrie wanted hers sweeter. I was ok with the level of sweet. 

The full recipe is 250 calories with 14 grams of total carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber. This leaves you with 8 net carbs for the whole brownie.

Low Carb Brownie in a Mug
Recipe from Low Carb Yum

Serves 1

• ½ teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon low carb sweetener
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg see note for egg-free
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ tablespoons heavy cream more or less

In a mug or ramekin, melt coconut oil, about 15 seconds.

Add sweetener, vanilla and egg. Stir together well. 

In a separate bowl, mix in cocoa powder, coconut flour, and baking powder.

Add this to the wet ingredients and mix well. 

Add heavy cream.

Stir until a thick brownie batter forms.

Microwave anywhere from 30-90 seconds to reach your desired texture.

Korean Beef Bulgogi (Recipe 108 of 125)

I blame my friend Paul for my recent obsession with Beef Bulgogi. He's the one who gave me the first recipe. Then I tried this one. Paul's is still my favorite, but this one comes pretty close to perfect too. So now I have two to choose from. 

Beef bulgogi is basically hot beef...as in spicy. And let me tell you, spicy was the name of the game for this one. I'm not a fan of gochujang - mostly because I only want a small jar and it comes in a bucket. So instead of buying a bucket, I just used Sriracha. I know that changes the taste but it was still good. 

I let this one marinade for 3 hours and I'm glad I did. The flavor permeated the beef on such a grand level. Man...it was so good. 

Now, I think I need to find some tums...

Korean Beef Bulgogi

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless rib eye steak
• 1/2 small pear, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1/4 c reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 T light brown sugar
• 2 T toasted sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T freshly grated ginger
• 1 T gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 2 T vegetable oil, divided
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Wrap steak in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Unwrap and slice across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

In a medium bowl, combine pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and gochujang. In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine soy sauce mixture and steak; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat.* Working in batches, add steak to the grill pan in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until charred and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and steak.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Fries (Recipe 107 of 125)

There is nothing bad about this recipe. It's your basics meat and potatoes. Only this recipe has butter and garlic and stuff. 

I forgot to pick up parsley so that wasn't part of the dish. I actually think it would have made it even better than it already was. 

And just in case you're wondering, that's a small plate, not a large dinner plate. Cuz it looks really full as I see the photo. And it was, it just isn't a 10" dinner plate. Cuz then I'd feel bad for eating all that. 

Oh and when salting potatoes, always salt just a little more than you normally do. I thought I salted these pretty well, but they weren't salty enough for my taste. 

Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Fries

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds thick-cut New York strip steak, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine.

Place potatoes, cut-side down, in a single layer. Place into oven and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until very hot, about 1-2 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon canola oil.

Season steak with salt and pepper, to taste. Working in batches, add steak to the skillet in a single layer and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and keep warm.

To make the garlic butter sauce, reduce heat to low; add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in butter, parsley and thyme; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve steak and fries immediately with garlic butter sauce.

Skillet Salisbury Steak (106 of 125)

I've tried a dozen or so Salisbury Steak recipes. I have liked most of them. They all have the same basic flavor profile. Mushrooms, onions, beef. 

This one was no different. It was tasty. I put it over cauliflower mashed...which, in case you're wondering, does not at all taste like regular mashed potatoes. It was fine, but mashed potatoes are the right way to go. 

I should also mention I grilled the burgers instead of cooking them in the pan. I'm so bad at pan frying that I just didn't want to bother with it.

Skillet Salisbury Steak

Recipe from The Recipe Critic

Serves 4

• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ c bread crumbs
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 2 T butter

Gravy:

• 1 T olive oil
• 6 ounce mushrooms
• ½ large onion sliced
• 2½ c beef broth
• 2 T ketchup
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 T water

In a medium sized mixing bowl add the ground beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, egg, and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined and shape into 4 oval patties.

Heat the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add the patties and cook until the sides are slightly crisp and cooked throughout. Remove and set aside on a plate.

Add the olive oil to the pan with the mushrooms and onion and cook until tender. Set aside on a plate.

To make the gravy: Add the beef broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. In a small bowl add the cornstarch and water creating a slurry. Whisk it into the gravy and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the mushrooms, onions, and patties back to the skillet. Allow to simmer until the gravy starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over mashed potatoes and peas and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Baked Honey Chicken Tenders (Recipe 105 of 125)

This one is a keeper! The balance of the flavors really hit the spot for me. It's the first marinade that I've  used minced onion as part of it. That really added a nice onion flavor, but was not overwhelming. 

You may notice that the pieces of chicken look more grilled than baked and you'd be right. I'm not a fan of baking if I don't need to. I prefer my meat grilled. I doubt the cooking method makes a big difference in the recipe. In fact, grilled makes it better in my opinion...it has those caramelized grill parts.

Baked Honey Chicken Tenders
Recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

Serves 4

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast tenders

1/3 c honey

1/4 c soy sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

2 T dried minced onions

4 green onions (sliced)

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Arrange chicken tenders in single layer in pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and dried onions. Pour mixture over chicken. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let marinate in fridge for about an hour (I let mine marinate for about 3 hours), turning chicken once, about half way through marinating time.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove chicken from fridge, discard plastic wrap, and bake chicken for about 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven, turn chicken pieces over, top with sliced green onions, and return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear).

One Skillet Savory Beef Tips and Gravy (Recipe 104 of 125)

This was a super simple recipe that was full of flavor and beefy. The one pot side of it I love because - well - one pot. Everything else fell into place easily with this recipe and it's a keeper. 

I didn't use egg noodles, so that changes the one pot thing a bit. 

One Skillet Savory Beef Tips and Gravy
Recipe from Small Town Girl

Serves 4

• 3 T butter
• 1/2 lb sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1/2 c finely chopped onion
• 2 large cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb beef tenderloin or good quality beef steak ( I use petite shoulder) cut in bite size strips
• 2 T flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/3 c good quality red wine
• 1 (14 ounce) can low sodium beef broth
• 2 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 c flour (I like to use Wondra flour)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Add butter to large skillet over medium high heat. When melted toss in mushrooms and cook until light golden brown; approximately 8 minutes. Add onions and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until onions start to soften and mushrooms turn golden brown. Reduce heat to low and add garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Remove from pan and plate.

In large ziploc bag add flour, steak bites, salt and pepper. Shake to coat. Add olive oil to skillet over medium high heat. Add steak and cook just until browned. Remove to plate.

Add red wine to skillet and deglaze the pan; scraping up the brown bits from the bottom. Pour 1/2 cup of beef broth in bowl and set aside. Add REMAINING beef broth and Worcestershire Sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes; stirring a couple of times.

In small bowl whisk together beef broth and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk flour mixture into skillet with beef broth mixture. Cook until slightly thickened; approximately 2 minutes. Add mushroom mixture and beef back to pan; simmer for 5-10 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

Burrito Bowl Casserole (Recipe 103 of 125)

It's been a while since I've made a recipe that was icky and not worth even sharing. That streak has ended. I made this recipe for Sunday dinner and can I say how glad I am that only Janet and Sherrie made it to Sunday dinner. 

What went wrong? It all sounds like stuff I like. So what was icky?

I think it was the Cream of Mushroom soup. See Sherrie is gluten free so I had to use the gluten free version (I used Pacific brand). I didn't taste it before hand because, well I use cream of mushroom soup all the time in things and I find it just fine. 

The gluten free version, it appears, is very mushroom-y and - how do I put this nicely - earthy tasting. It just tasted dirty. I poured some Salsa over it to cover the taste and it didn't really help. Sherrie seemed to like it just fine so she got the leftovers. 

If I were to make this again, and I most likely wouldn't, I would not use the cream of mushroom at all. It added nothing. 

Burrito Bowl Casserole
Recipe from CookingPanda

Serves 6

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
• 1 (15-ounce) cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 4 large flour tortillas - low carb
• 2 1/2 c shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add onions. Stir in ground beef and cook until beef is browned. Drain excess grease.

Stir in taco seasoning and refried beans. Remove from heat.

In a bowl mix together cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.

Spread 1/2 of the soup mixture in the bottom of a baking dish. Then layer 2 flour tortillas, 1/2 of the bean and beef mixture and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Top with tortillas, remaining soup mixture, remaining bean and beef mixture and remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. 

Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs (Recipe 102 of 125)

Two things: 

1. I sure have picked up a LOT of recipes from Damn Delicious. She has such great, simple and flavorful recipes that it's hard to NOT want to make them all.

and

2. I think I must have a THOUSAND recipes that involved lemon, chicken and garlic in one form or another. And I'm ok with that. 

My first thought when I made this recipe was it'd be a great Sunday prep recipe to make enough chicken for the whole week to put on salads. That spinach salad I made last night would be tasty with this chicken on it. 

Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, shallot, Dijon, rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.

Stir in chicken until well combined; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.

Thread chicken and onion onto skewers. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Add skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad (Recipe 101 of 125)

Photo from DamnDelicious

Last night the girls were over for book club. The main dish was being brought to the house and my only responsibility was a salad. I decided to try something new than a boring old salad. 

This salad was delicious. Refreshing and light. It really requires very little salad dressing. The only thing that I thing it needed was more sweet. The dressing was very tart, almost too tart for me. 

I also did not use pomegranates. I couldn't find any so I skipped it. I almost replaced them with grapes but decided there was enough in the salad already. 

Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

FOR THE LEMON VINAIGRETTE:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and poppy seeds in a small bowl; set aside.

To assemble the salad, place spinach in a large bowl; top with apple, pecans, pomegranate arils, cranberries and goat cheese. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

Grilled Chili-Lime Chicken Sandwiches (Recipe 100 of 125)

Look at that! Recipe 100 and it's only August. I bet I hit closer to 135-140 this year. 

This recipe was solid. It was tasty, messy, and fully of some great chili lime flavor. The only thing I did not do for this recipe is the avocado. Blech. So instead I put the mayo mixture on the top and bottom of my bun. I used Ciabatta rolls because I thought they'd stand up better with what I assumed would be a sloppy mess...and I was right. 

Grilled Chili-Lime Chicken Sandwiches

Recipe from Cook's Country July 2021

Serves 4

• 3/4 c mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lime zest
• 2 T lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• 2 c coleslaw mix
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 4 large sandwich rolls, split
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted and mashed

Combine mayo, lime zest, 1/4 tsp salt, and chili powder in small bowl. 

Combine chicken, 1/4 c mayo mixture and 3/4 tsp salt in second bowl. 

Combine coleslaw mix, jalapeno, 2 T mayo mixture, and lime juice in a third bowl. 

Reserve remaining mayo mixture to put on sandwich rolls for serving. 

Grill chicken until done. Let it rest. 

Grill rolls cut sides down until toasted. 

Cut chicken into pieces. Spread avocado evenly on cut side of 1 side of bun. Spread the mayo mixture on the other. 

Distribute chicken and slaw evenly and serve.

Slow Cooker Korean Beef (Recipe 99 of 125)

This recipe couldn't have been easier - I mean slow cooker meals are, to me, among the easiest. 

It was tasty, but not one I'd make again. Overall the flavors were delicious, but I have so many other recipes that I'm not sure I'd make this one again. I have better Korean beef (or beef bulgogi) recipes that I like more. 

Slow Cooker Korean Beef

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 6

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a large bowl, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, Sriracha, onion powder and white pepper.

Place chuck roast into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef broth mixture until well combined.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.