Ground Beef Stroganoff

Easy and quick! That's the story behind this recipe. It's a Cook's Country recipe so I was afraid it was going to have a thousand steps and a thousand ingredients. Neither is true. 

It came together quickly and, for the first time ever, I actually cooked the noodles in with the sauce as a one-pot wonder! Turned out ok.

I'm not sure I'd make this again. I'm still a fan of my Kick Ass Stroganoff, but it was fun to try this one. 

I did, accidentally on purpose, use beef stock instead of chicken stock. 1) it felt right and 2) I didn't have any chicken stock. It was probably "beefy-er" than it would have been with chicken stock, but it was fine. 

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Recipe from Cook's Country

Serves 4

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 4 c chicken broth
• ¼ c dry white wine
• 8 ounces (4 cups) egg noodles
• ½ c sour cream, plus extra for serving
• 2 T minced fresh chives

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to bowl.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty pot and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add flour and stir until beef is well coated; cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth and wine and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in noodles, reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Off heat, stir in sour cream and mushrooms until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to shallow platter and sprinkle with chives. Serve, passing extra sour cream separately.

Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Happy Father's Day! Normally, I like to grill on Father's day because Dad was the grill master in our family. But I had this salmon in the freezer that I really needed to use and so I thought, "Dad liked salmon." 

This was an interesting recipe for me. I have never had salmon with teriyaki sauce and I can't say that I ever will again. The main mistake I think I made here was the teriyaki sauce I had was 1) thick and 2) too sweet. I mean, it was fine, but it won't be my favorite. 

I may try this again using a thinner teriyaki that's a bit more savory than sweet, something like Kokkiman's maybe.

Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Recipe from To Simply Inspire

Serves 1

• 1 lb salmon filets
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Remove skin from salmon using a sharp knife

Chop salmon fillets into 1 inch cubes

In a medium bowl, add the teriyaki sauce, olive oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic powder and pepper and blend together well.

Add the salmon to the marinade for 10-15 minutes while oven is preheating.

Preheat the air fryer to 350° F. Place the salmon pieces into the basket in a single layer. (do not overcrowd. cook in batches if necessary)

Cook for 6-8 minutes or salmon is cooked through. (Shake the basket half way through cooking).

Top with sesame seeds if desired.

Easy Thai Steak Salad

Every now and then I like a hearty salad for dinner. Sometimes, though, I get bored with the standard chicken + lettuce type of salad. 

This salad was a welcoming different salad option. 

I marinaded the steak for 5 hours, and I cubed the steak and kebabed it instead of slicing like they did. I like cubing it - more marinade per side of meat. 

The marinade was delicious! I'd make that again. 

The salad dressing was meh. It needed something else to it. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it wasn't dressing. 

Easy Thai Steak Salad

Recipe from Jo Cooks

Serves 2

Marinade

• 1/4 c soy sauce (low sodium)
• 2 T molasses
• 1 T ginger (minced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 Thai red chili pepper (chopped)
• 1 T lime juice
• 8 ounce sirloin steak

Salad Dressing

• 2 T coconut oil
• 3 T soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 Thai red chili pepper (chopped)
• 2 tsp lime zest (or from 1 lime)
• 1 T lime juice

Salad

• 4 c lettuce (chopped)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced in long strips)
• 1/2 English cucumber (sliced)
• 1/2 c cilantro (chopped)
• 1/4 c mint (chopped)
• 2 T peanuts (chopped (optional)

In a small bowl add all the marinade ingredients (minus steak) and whisk well. Pour the marinade in a ziploc bag, add steak and close the bag and toss around a bit. Place in the fridge and let the steak marinate for 4 hours or overnight. The longer it marinates the better it will taste.

Prepare the dressing, by mixing all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisking well.

Grill the steak to your preferred doneness, I prefer mine medium, so for medium I usually leave it 7 minutes per side. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes after you grilled, then slice the steak across the grain.

In a large bowl toss the lettuce, pepper, cucumber, mint and cilantro together then pour the dressing over and toss well. Arrange the salad on a platter and place the sliced steak over the salad, then top with chopped peanuts.

Asian BBQ Chicken

Photo from
Our Best Bites

Fantastic! This marinade was fantastic! It's going into rotation.

I was not sure when I was making it because the curry seemed odd, but it added a very nice warm flavor to this marinade I didn't expect. 

I marinaded it for 5 hours and used chicken tenders instead of thighs. 

Asian BBQ Chicken

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Serves 4

• 1/4 c packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Optional: sliced green onions for garnish

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight).

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Optional: garnish with sliced green onions.

Spicy Honey Lime Chicken

Photo from
Plain Chicken

Yet another chicken marinade! I can't help myself. Honestly. 

This one was just meh. It's a very standard marinade and most the ingredients you might already have in your house. It'd be great if for when you have just a small amount of Italian dressing left (which is why I made it). 

I let mine marinade for the standard 5 hours (the sweet spot for me) and grilled it to almost perfection (aka over cooked it slightly).

Spicy Honey Lime Chicken

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

• 1¼ c Italian dressing
• ¼ c lime juice
• ¼ c honey
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 to 3 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2.5 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders

Whisk together dressing, lime juice, honey, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.

Place chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate chicken 1 hour to overnight.

Prepare grill. Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. Cook until internal temperate reaches 165ºF, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Crispy Sweet Chili Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Y'all...I have found another amazingly simple and amazingly delicious meal. And it couldn't be more
simple.

I've never used frozen popcorn shrimp before and really wasn't sure I'd like it, but turns out I LOVED it. I did purchase the SeaPak brand the original recipe author suggested. 

This combination of sweet chili sauce, tangy lime and shrimp is off the charts delicious. 

This recipe is going into the favorite category and maybe, just maybe will make it to the rotation of delicious meals. 

Make this recipe. You won't regret it. 

Crispy Sweet Chili Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Recipe from Black Berry Babe

Serves 6-8

• 18 ounces SeaPak Popcorn Shrimp
• 6 tbsp sweet chili sauce (find in asian aisle)
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• squeeze of lime
• 16 fajita sized soft tortillas
• 2 cups Cilantro Lime Coleslaw (recipe link in notes)

Cilantro Lime Coleslaw

FOR THE CILANTRO LIME DRESSING:

• 1/4 red onion or yellow onion, sliced into very fine strips
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar or Splenda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE CABBAGE SLAW MIX:

• 8 ounces coleslaw mix, green cabbage with carrots
• 4 ounces shredded red cabbage
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook shrimp to package specifications. While it's baking; make the coleslaw and sauce.

In small mixing bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime juice. Stir until well combine.

In a large bowl, add coleslaw mix, purple cabbage, onion, cilantro and green onions. toss to combine.

In a small bowl, prepare the coleslaw dressing. Add onions, lime juice, olive oil, sugar/splenda, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes to allow the lime juice to mellow out the onions.

Pour dressing onto slaw mix, stir and cover. allow to rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Stir again, before serving.

When the shrimp is done; remove the cooked popcorn shrimp from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the sweet chili sauce mixture. Toss to combine.

To each tortilla, add a few sweet chili shrimp and top with cilantro lime coleslaw. Top with additional fresh cilantro if desired.

Chopped Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Tomato

Tonight was Sunday dinner. It snuck up on me since the first Sunday was the first of June. See, Sunday dinner is the second Sunday of each month and it threw me off to have it so close to the beginning of the month. 

Anyhow, I kept it simple and did burgers. And they were delicious. As always though, I needed some sides and wanted to try something different and something light. 

This salad was the rock star of salads. So easy to make and so very delicious. I'll make this again for sure. 

I changed up two small things: 

1. I'm not a fan of mint so I didn't add it.

2. I had some black olives in the fridge so I tossed them in and man oh man that made the salad. 

Chopped Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Tomato

Recipe from  Front Range Fed

Serves 8

For The Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

For The Cucumber Salad:

• 3 cucumbers chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• ¼ red onion thinly sliced
• ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint chopped

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, honey, salt, and pepper.

Prepare the Vegetables. Chop the cucumber by slicing it down the middle lengthwise, then slicing each half down the middle again to form quarters. Slice each quarter into pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes, then thinly slice the red onion.

Chop the fresh parsley and mint. and add them to the veggies.

Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and toss gently to combine the ingredients.

Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the top of the salad.

Chill the salad in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

Mayonnaise Parmesan Chicken

I think I can not officially say this "mayo", "parmesan" type recipes for chicken I will never like. There's something about the mayo/parmesan mixture that just doesn't sit with me. It's got a weird texture and I'm very much a texture adverse person. 

I can see how this recipe would be good in the 70s and how it's an inexpensive recipe to make flavorful chicken for a family. That's not enough for me to enjoy it. 

Those little biscuits though...lord they are delicious. I stumbled on to them a little bit ago, bought just one box and regretted it immediately because I couldn't find it again. Then I found them again and bought more boxes. They heat up super quick, are small and "only" 100 calories. I know. I know. they still aren't great for me, but man...so good. 

Mayonnaise Parmesan Chicken

Recipe from I am Homesteader

Serves 6

Chicken

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally for a total of 6 chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds chicken)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder

Mayonnaise Mixture

• ½ c mayonnaise, room temperature
• 1 c parmesan cheese, shredded, divided
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
  

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish or sheet pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix well.

Season the chicken breasts evenly on all sides with the seasoning mixture. Place them into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.

Mayonnaise Mixture

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ½ cup of parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top of each chicken breast that has been sliced in half.

Sprinkle an equal amount of the remaining parmesan cheese over each chicken breast.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F and the cheese is hot and bubbling.

Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Why not make a fall salad in early summer? I mean, doesn't everyone think that make sense.

See, when I'm trying to eat better, salads become a go to meal for me. And I get bored with my salads so I try to find something different. THIS salad was amazing. Everything about it I loved. 

What I didn't love was pairing it with Chicken Shawarma. 

I did not make the candied pecans from scratch. Why? You can buy them already "candied" in the grocery store so I do that. Its easier and faster. 

The vinaigrette was amazing. I haven't made many vinaigrettes with apple cider vinegar and I was worried it would be a little too tangy. And it was, but in a good way. You don't need a lot of the dressing either. 

Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Recipe from Southern Bite

Serves 4

• 1 (11-ounce) package spring mix
• 3 Crisp Apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 to 6-ounces blue or gorgonzola cheese crumbles
• 2/3 c dried cranberries

For the Candied Pecans:

• 2 tsp butter
• 1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 T water
• 1 c pecan halves
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

• 2/3 c olive oil
• 1/3 c apple cider vinegar
• 1 T white vinegar
• 3 T fresh lime juice
• 3 T pineapple juice
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

To make the candied pecans:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small skillet over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, salt, and water. Stir until the butter and sugar has melted. Add the pecans and cook, stirring very frequently, for about 3 minutes - being cautious not to allow the mixture to scorch.

Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon. Stir to combine. Spread the pecans on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely before using on salad.

To make the dressing:

Whisk the oil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, lime juice, and pineapple juice together. Add the honey, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and whisk to combine. Set aside.

For the salad:

Add the spring mix to a large bowl and top with the apples, blue cheese, candied pecans, and cranberries. Drizzle with the desired dressing amount, then toss and serve.

Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma's! I've made my fair share. Some good. Some bad. Most the same. Every now and then I find one that has some different ingredients. This was one of those recipes. 

The marinade has several ingredients, but don't let that scare you away. It also involves a blender. So put your margaritas away and make this recipe. 

First let me say, I did not put this in a pita. Rather I ate a pita on the side with some hummus. I was keeping it somewhat de-constructed. 

I also didn't make the white sauce. I did make the pickled onions, but completely forgot about them until AFTER I was done. 

This was a delicious chicken shawarma. Super flavorful and fulfilling. 

What was bad was the salad I made with it. I'm still trying to figure out why this Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Apple cider vinegar and shawarma do not mix. Both were delicious separately, but really shouldn't have been eaten together. 

Chicken Shawarma

Recipe from The Food Charlatan

Serves 6

For the marinade:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

For the pickled red onion:

• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, for pickling red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper , to taste

For the white sauce:

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt, full fat
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large clove garlic , smashed and minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced, about 1-2 tablespoons
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pinch chili powder, optional

To assemble shawarma:

• 6 Homemade Naan breads
• 1/2 head green leaf lettuce, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large English cucumber, sliced

Slow Cooker Cube Steak

Its really not Slow cooker "season" but I still like using the slow cooker on the weekends to make meals. Set it and forget it is my favorite. 

This was a super easy meal that really has comfort written all over it. I cooked it on low for 6.5 hours and right before I served it, I added a small cornstarch slurry. My gravy was a little loose and that little slurry helped thicken it up...quickly. 

I served this with mashed potatoes and a side of green beans. It's a solid recipe to have at the ready.

Slow Cooker Cube Steak

Recipe from Bake it with Love

Serves 6

• 21 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup (2 10.5 ounce cans)
• 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix (use Recipe Secrets Onion or Beefy Onion flavor)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
• ¾ cup water (optional, for thinner gravy)
• 1½ lbs cube steaks (4-6 cube steaks)
• 1 medium yellow onion (or white onion, sliced)
• 4-8 oz mushrooms (optional, sliced)

Combine the cans of 21 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup with the 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (plus ¾ cup water if desired) in your crock pot. Mix until well combined.

Layer the 1½ lbs cube steaks over the 'gravy' mixture adding one at a time. 

Top each cube steak with some of the 1 medium yellow onion as you add them, staggered in shingle-fashion, over the cream of mushroom base. Top with optional sliced 4-8 oz mushrooms (white mushrooms or cremini) if desired.

Set your crock pot to high and cook for 6 hours. Serve over rice, potatoes, or pasta.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I am not a huge fan of Indian food. But I do have my favorites. Chicken Tikka Masala is one of them. It's my go to whenever I find myself at an Indian restaurant. 

This recipe is spot on. The flavor was so perfect to me. I may have needed a little more heavy cream (I used less than what it called for), but otherwise, this is a keeper. 

I ended up not needing any sugar either, but I can't express enough how much a little sugar in a tomato based sauce really does a good job balancing it out. It seems counter intuitive to me, but it works. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 6

CHICKEN AND SAUCE

• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into large bite-sized pieces (about 1 1/2-inches)
• 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt, fullfat is best
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• neutral, high smoking point oil such as canola or coconut, see notes (do NOT use olive oil for chicken)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 28 oz. can FIRE ROASTED crushed tomatoes (see notes)

SPICE BLEND

• 1 TBS EACH garam masala, chili powder, paprika (not smoked)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tsp EACH turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon (optional if you have it)
• ADD LATER
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream (use evaporated milk for lower calories)
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, as needed

Mix spices: Whisk together all of the Spice Blend spices in a small bowl; set aside.

Marinate chicken: Remove 2 ½ tablespoons Spice Blend to a large bowl or freezer bag (whatever you are going to marinate the chicken in). Add the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon grated ginger and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Whisk to combine. Add the chopped chicken and stir to evenly coat. Marinate for 30-45 minutes at room temperature, but BEST if refrigerated overnight.

Sauté aromatics for sauce: Heat 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic and the remaining Spice Blend and sauté for 1 minute.

Make sauce: Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce to gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. (You can cook the chicken while the sauce simmers, see Step 6).

Blend sauce (optional but recommended): After simmering, transfer the tomato mixture to a high-powered blender and purée until smooth, leaving a corner of the lid open and covered with a paper towel so steam can escape and it doesn’t explode. Alternatively, transfer to a bowl and use an immersion blender to blend, then return back to the pan. Season to taste. Depending on the tomatoes you used, you may need 1-2 teaspoons sugar to balance the acidity.

Cook chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Working in batches, add the chicken in a single layer and cook until charred on each side, about 2 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Transfer chicken to a bowl; set aside. Scrape out the skillet in between batches and add more oil to cook the next batch.

Combine: Stir the heavy cream into the blended sauce followed by the chicken. Cover and gently simmer for a few minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with additional salt, sugar and/or cayenne pepper.

Serve: Serve over basmati rice with optional cilantro.

Asian Style Udon Noodles with Pork and Mushrooms

Beautiful photo from Jo Cooks.

Udon noodles are my new favorite thing to cook with. I had some in the freezer from the last Udon recipe I made and I wanted to use them up. 

This recipe was delicious. I'll definitely make it again. Super flavorful and super easy to make. 

One adjustment I'll make is to cut back on the sriracha. It was a little too spicy for me, but I still ate it. I couldn't feel my lips, but it was worth it. I did not put in the red pepper flakes because I figured the tablespoon of sriracha would be fiery enough.

Asian Style Udon Noodles with Pork and Mushrooms

Recipe from Jo Cooks

Serves 4

• 8 ounce udon noodles (fresh)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium shallot (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 pound pork chops (cut into thin strips (2 pork chops))
• 1 cup mushrooms (I used cremini, chopped)
• 5 green onions (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• ¼ cup peanuts (optional, chopped)

For sauce:

• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ cup soy sauce (light or low sodium)
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup red wine

Blanch udon noodles in boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes or if using noodles cook according to package instructions. Drain well and immediately rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients together.

Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add shallot, garlic, mushrooms and pork to hot wok and cook until pork starts to crisp up and browns.

Add noodles and sauce and stir it all together and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and peanuts.

Serve while hot.

Cuban Mojo Grilled Chicken

This was a good marinade. It would likely be even better if I had all the ingredients it required. I didn't seem to have limes. I bought them at the same time I bought the oranges for juice. I vividly remember putting them in my cart. What happened to them? I didn't know. 

Then the day after I made this recipe I found the limes in my trunk. They escaped the bag apparently. Which explains why I had an empty produce bag in one of my grocery bags as I was unpacking. Sure wish my brain had caught up then and realized I was missing limes. 

Any...who...this was a good recipe. I didn't put in as much cumin as it lists, and that's because a little cumin goes a long way with me. 

Cuban Mojo Grilled Chicken

Recipe from Dinner Then Dessert

Serves 4

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro , chopped
• 4 chicken breasts , boneless skinless

Whisk together vegetable oil, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and cilantro in a small bowl.

Pour into a zip lock bag with 4 chicken breasts you've scored on the top.

Marinate for 4-8 hours.

To cook on the grill:

Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side on direct heat.

To cook in the oven:

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Potato Casserole (Gray Box Recipe)

For tonight's Sunday dinner, I felt like I needed a potato of some sort. My first thought was to make potato salad, but there's a BIG difference in how I make it (sweet pickles) and how the crazy people in my family like it (dill pickles) and I wasn't going to cave. 

So I found this recipe in Mom's Gray box of recipes. It sounded perfect. And I hadn't made a gray box recipe for a while. 

The card seems well used. As in there are dribbles all over it. It also has 5 black stars at the top. Those combined tells me it's gonna be good. 

These are basically fully loaded hashbrowns. I did not boil potatoes and grate them. I cheated and bought frozen hashbrowns and let them thaw. I just knew I wasn't going to have enough time, so I took a short cut. I guarantee you if frozen hashbrowns had been around when this recipe first came to life, they would have done that short cut as well.

I'm typing this in AS it shows on the card. As I type this out I am now wondering if I did it wrong. It sounds like you're supposed to melt the cheese and the butter together. I did not do that. I melted the butter, grated the cheese and had a pint of sour cream. I added all those to the potatoes separately, not combined. So we'll see how this goes.

Potato Casserole

Recipe from Pat Terry (from Mom's Gray Box)

Serves 7-9

6 large potatoes; boiled in skins - cool for 30 minutes. 

Grate with the peelings.

Chop 3 or 4 green onions.

Sprinkle over potatoes and mix well with salt and pepper.

Melt 1-2 sticks of butter with 8 oz cheddar cheese grated. Add 1 pt sour cream and mix.

Stir into potatoes.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

DON'T OVER COOK.

**Mom's added note "add bacon bits if desired".

Slow Cooker Smothered Barbecue Green Beans

Photo by Incredible
Recipes

As a side to tonight's BBQ fest Sunday dinner, I found this recipe. I've had it in my list for some time and thought tonight would be a great time to try it. 

Small change, I already had the slow cooker going with the pork, so I did this on the stove. I didn't cook it for as long as it says either. I used canned green beans and I just felt like that would make them mush if I cooked them that long. 

These were super flavorful and oh so delicious. I never thought about putting BBQ sauce in green beans. Glad someone did. 

Slow Cooker Smothered Barbecue Green Beans

Recipe from My Incredible Recipes

Serves 6

• 12 strips thick-cut bacon chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
• 1/2 c tomato ketchup
• 3/4 c Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce
• 1/3 c  light brown sugar
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 15 oz. cans cut green beans, drained and rinsed OR fresh if you prefer

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, then Transfer cooked bacon to a paper-towel lined plate.

Drain most of the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving about 2 tbsp. left in the pan.

Add diced onions and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Combine tomato ketchup, Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and well combined.

Spray the inside of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add green beans, sauteed onions, and barbecue sauce mixture.

Stir to combine and sprinkle top with cooked bacon. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on LOW heat.

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

It's Sunday dinner night! Tonight I went all our with BBQ as the theme, but not grill type of BBQ. Rather BBQ as the flavor. 

I started with this Slow cooker BBQ Pulled Pork. I had it in the slow cooker for 8 hours and man was it good. I removed most the liquid, shredded it then added enough liquid back to keep the meat moist. 

We had coleslaw to top it as well. It's required. It's the only time I eat coleslaw and man does it make the sandwich.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

Recipe from Slow Cooker Gourmet

Serves 12

• 3 pound boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons herb and garlic seasoning
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Rub pork shoulder with seasoning and place in slow cooker

Mix together bbq sauce, vinegar and broth and add to slow cooker

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 until pork reaches internal temperature of 205 degrees

Remove pork and shred

Add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the juices back to pork and discard the rest

Add additional BBQ sauce if desired

Keto Cowboy Cookies

Photo from All Day I
Dream About Food

Just about every recipe I make from All Day I Dream About Food is fantastic. Sometimes it's not the recipe, but me (insert egg recipes here). Her "sweet" recipes have all hit it out of the park for me. She focuses on low carb/keto recipes, which helps when you want something sweet, but need to watch your sugars. 

I started a new medication (Osempic) and one RARE side effect is an increase sweet tooth. Guess who got that rare side effect (**raises hand**)? So I've been struggling with not eating chocolate like it's got no sugar in it. I started the search for alternatives and the "sugar free" candies are ok, but not great. 

I saw this recipe a couple months ago and thought I'd give it a try. Finally yesterday, my sweet tooth demanded I make there. And boy am I glad I did. 

Almond flour is not my favorite. It usually has a too gritty texture that I don't enjoy. Almond Flour in a cookie seems to be different and edible. 

These are amazing! I had all the ingredients and so I made myself some cookies. Sherrie was over last night (she's gluten free) and said these were pretty good for low carb and gluten free.

One small secret...I didn't have sugar free chocolate chip cookies. So I used mini semisweet chips, and fewer than the recipe called for. So there is some sugar in this recipe, but not as much as you'd have if you made real chocolate chip cookies. 

You'll notice the recipe calls for gelatin to make the cookies more "chewy". I like a crunchy cookie, but I decided to see what the gelatin would do. And I gotta say, the cookies turned out crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. 

Keto Cowboy Cookies

Recipe from All Day I Dream About Food

Makes 24

• ¾ cup butter softened
• 1 ¼ cup brown sugar substitute
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 2 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin optional, adds chewiness
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium high. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until just mixed together. Stir in the coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.

Form the dough into 2-inch balls and space at least 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with silicone or parchment paper. Press the balls down with the heel of your hand to about ¾ inch thick. These cookies will spread so give them room!

Bake at 325ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, switching the pans and rotating them halfway through. Let cool completely on the pans.

EXPERT TIPS

These keto cowboy cookies like to spread so make sure you give them plenty of room on the pans. If you prefer thicker cookies, try adding another ¼ cup of almond flour and don’t press them down too much.

The gelatin is entirely optional, but it does give the cookies that perfect chewy but crisp texture. The edges get crisp on the pan while the centers stay chewier.

This makes a big batch of big cookies! But you can easily cut the whole recipe in half for twelve large cookies. You can also make the cookies smaller, if you prefer.

Southern Sticky Chicken

Another delicious marinade! I'll have to say I didn't follow most of this recipe as for the cooking part. I am not a fan of oven baked chicken when there's a perfectly good grill outside. 

And I couldn't find chicken with bones in it, so I just used chicken breast and cut it up in chunks. More surface area for marinade. 

I marinaded the chicken for 7 hours. There isn't any acid in this marinade really so the longer marinade doesn't make the chicken weird. 

I'll make this again. I'd still grill it instead of baking it. Though baking would have made this chicken "sticky", but I didn't need sticky.

Southern Sticky Chicken

Recipe from Spicysouthernkitchen.com

Serves 4

• 1/3 c honey
• 1/3 c ketchup
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T hot sauce
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 bone-in, skin on chicken legs or chicken thighs, or a combination
• Vegetable oil

In a large ziptop bag, combine the honey, ketchup, soy sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and garlic. Add chicken to bag. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour enough oil into a large cast iron skillet to coat the bottom.

Heat pan over medium heat. (Note: You don't want it too hot or the sugars in the marinade will cause the skin of the chicken to burn.)

When hot, remove chicken from marinade and add to pan. Cook until browned on all sides.

Pour marinade over chicken and place uncovered in the oven for 60 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. (Chicken should be skin side up.)

Asian Skillet Stir Fry

Who doesn't like Chinese take-out? Its fast and easy. And costly. For a single person, Chinese take-out is difficult because it ends up being too much food. And it's never as good as I think it's gonna be. Or I haven't found a good Chinese restaurant. 

This recipe has put my take-out needs to rest. 

100% one of the best stir fry recipes I've tried. I can't tell you why, just trust me on this. 

It's easy to throw together, less than 30 minutes. It's variable in that you can use whatever veg you have on hand. And it has cashews. 

I'm adding this to my favorites for this year. It really was that good. 

Asian Skillet Stir Fry

Recipe from Noshingwiththenolands.com

Serves 4

• 2 chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 6 c Asian veggies, celery, mini bok choy, red pepper, mushrooms, snap peas, carrots, chopped
• 1 c salted cashews
• Light Breading
• 1/4 c cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• Freshly ground pepper

Spicy Ginger Sauce

• 1/2 c chicken bouillon
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 1 T low sodium soy sauce (GF if needed)
• 2 T oyster sauce
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• Drizzle sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• Rice, optional

In a plastic zip bag add the light breading ingredients and toss in the chicken. Remove to a sifter and shake off excess cornstarch mixture.

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil until hot over medium-high heat, add the chicken and fry quickly until golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking together the ingredients and set aside.

When the chicken is done remove it to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off most of the oil leaving about 1 1/2 Tbsp. Heat up the pan again over medium-high heat. Stir fry the veggies until just tender-crisp. Add the chicken back into the skillet along with the cashews. Stir in the sauce, continue to stir and heat until thickened. Serve immediately with rice if desired.