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.