BEEF AND VEGETABLE STIR FRY

Chinese Food!!!!! So many nights it's EXACTLY what you want. However, when I order it as take-out, I have yet to find a place that serves it on the lighter side....I know what you are saying...what's the point of "the lighter side" it's CHINESE FOOD!!!

Well, I like to make my own and feel a little better when I am done. This recipe stretches a little beef by adding plenty of vegetables.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb flank steak

1 zucchini halved and very thinly sliced

1 large grated carrot

1 large shallot chopped

4 oz cellophane noodles or thin rice noodles

1/4 cup canola oil

4 tbl soy sauce

1 tbl brown sugar

1-1/2 tbl sesame oil

1-1/2 tbl rice vinegar

1 tbl toasted sesame seeds

salt

Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan and add noodles. Remove from the heat and let stand about 3 minutes until softened. Drain and rinse under cold water Add 1 tbl canola oil and separate them on wax paper or a plate. Set aside

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and brown sugar. Trim the beef and slice thin across the grain into 1 inch pieces and season with salt.

In a large saute pan, heat 1-1/2 tbl of canola oil until it is hot. Add the beef and cook about a minute and transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1-1/2 tbl oil to the pan and add zucchini, carrot and onion. Cook until softened about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and add back the beef and noodles. Stir the soy mixture and add it to the pan. Stir until everything is evenly coated and hot, about 3-4 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds...soooo good!

ENJOY!

FRIDAY COCKTAIL - HALLOWEEN BLOOD SUCKER

It is FINALLY here....Halloween Weekend!

Lots of parties, lots of candies, lots of scary cocktails!!

This is a great one and lip smacking delicious!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 oz Bacardi Rum

1/2 oz Cointreau

2 oz pineapple juice

1 tbl strawberry puree

Mix rum, Cointreau and pineapple juice in a shaker with ice and mix well. Strain it into a Collins size glass over ice.

Using a small amount of fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries, blend into a puree. Dip the end of a drinking straw into the puree and cover the top of the straw with your finger to keep the puree in the straw. Holding the straw over the cocktail release your finger and let the puree ooze down into the cocktail like red blotches of BLOOD SPATTER!

HAVE A SAFE AND SCARY HALLOWEEN!

enjoy!

PEA AND MINT SOUP

I Love Love Love pea soup. It is an acquired taste. I remember going to a restaurant in Buelton, CA just for their pea soup. While some pea soups can be very heavy from the starchiness of older peas, this is made with younger peas, If you can't find younger peas use frozen, they will make the soup less thick.

Ingredients:

4 cups peas

2 tbl unsalted butter

2 shallots chopped

1 tsp garlic minced

2 cups water

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup heavy cream

zest of half a lemon

salt

pepper

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and add garlic and shallots and stir until both are soft but not brown. Add the peas, broth, half the mint and water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the peas are very tender, about 8-10 minutes. Let it cool a bit and puree it in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If the peas weren't sweet enough you can add a bit of sugar.
Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and whip it to soft peaks. Add lemon zest and season to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a spoonful of the lemon cream. Garnish with the remaining mint.

So good!

This can be served hot or cold!

ENJOY!

ROASTED TOMATO SALSA

Salsa is great on so many foods...from anything Mexican to steak to egg frittatas! You can freeze this for 3-4 months or it lasts in the refrigerator for about a week. Salsa is very low in calories and can easily spice up your otherwise blander meals.

Ingredients:

1 lb ripe tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1/2 of a chipotle from a can in adobo sauce (more if you like)

1 tbl olive oil

2 tbl cilantro or italian parsley

1-1/2 tsp fresh lime juice

salt

Preheat broiler

Place tomatoes and garlic on a baking sheet and broil until they are charred on the outside about 5 minutes, turning once. After the tomatoes cool, peel the skin off and discard. In a blender puree tomatoes and their juice along with the garlic, chile and 1/2 tsp salt. It can be a little chunky. Heat olive oil in a pan and add puree. Simmer, stirring frequently until reduced to about a cup about 8-10 minutes. Let cool and add lime juice and cilantro or parsley and season with salt.

Super Easy!

ENJOY!

FILET MIGNON IN MERLOT SAUCE

Every once in a while I CRAVE a steak....not just any steak...a nice juicy medium rare Filet. Most of the time, I don't add any sauce to it, but this Merlot sauce is fabulous...hey it's got WINE right??

Ingredients:

4 filet mignon steaks (8 oz)
6 tbl olive oil
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 large shallots chopped
1 small carrot sliced
1 celery stalk chopped
1 tbl tomato paste
2 cups GOOD Merlot
3 bay leaves
pinch of dried thyme
3 cups beef or veal stock
2 tbl unsalted butter
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
salt
fresh ground pepper

For the sauce, heat 3 tbl oil in a pan and add garlic, shallot, carrot and celery and saute until the shallots start to brown. Stir in tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir in bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns. Deglaze the pan and simmer the sauce until it is reduced by half. Add the stock and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce and keep warm.

Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tbl oil in a saute pan and add steaks to the hot pan. Cook about 5-6 minutes a side for medium rare and remove from heat and keep warm.

Pour Merlot sauce in the steak pan and bring to a simmer. Add 2 tbl butter and reduce the liquid and make sure the melted butter is thoroughly incorporated.

Place the steaks on a warm serving plate and spoon the sauce on top. These go great with your favorite mashed potatoes and asparagus or broccoli.

So now you know...WHERE THE BEEF IS!
ENJOY!

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL - BEER AND BRAT STEW

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!

Beer and Brats - can you go wrong here???? A Monday Night Football feast whether there is a chill in the air or rain on the horizon...or both like it is here! This stew is just what the doctor ordered...okay probably not, but it does have vegetables..so it's practically HEALTHY!

Ingredients:

1 lb bratwurst

6 slices of bacon

1 cup savoy or napa cabbage, chopped

1 lb of cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 shallots chopped

1 garlic clove minced

2 carrots peeled and sliced

2 stalks celery cleaned and chopped

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chunked

1/4 cup italian parsley minced

1 (12 oz) bottle of dark beer

2 cups chicken broth

salt

pepper

Pour beer into a large soup pot and add bratwurst. Boil and then simmer the brats for about 10 minutes. Remove brats from pot and cut into large coin-shaped pieces. Reserve beer in the pot. In a saute pan add bacon. Cook until almost done and add brat pieces so they get cooked through and brown. Drain the bacon and chop in pieces.

In the pot with the beer add all the ingredients including bacon and brats. Cook on medium until it boils and then simmer until the potatoes are soft and the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 1-1/2 hours.

Serve with nice crusty bread and MORE BEER!

Just can't pick this game tonight...?????

ENJOY!

GINGER LEMON BARS

You all know I am not a big dessert fan, but I do love a creamy, tart, tangy lemon bar. The addition of the ginger adds a nice spice, but if you are not a ginger fan, you can just leave it out.

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tbl flour

1-3/4 cup plus 1 tsp confectioners' sugar

1 tbl finely grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp plus a pinch ground ginger

salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces and some to grease pan

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs room temperature

6 tbl fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place oven rack in the center and grease an 8 inch baking pan.

Whisk together 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp ginger and a pinch of salt. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry attachment to your mixer or use two knives. The dough should be in small balls the size of peas. Knead it in the bowl until it just comes together. Put it in the baking dish and press it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake about 20 minutes until it is a light golden brown. Let it cool.

Whisk together 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tbl flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. In another bowl beat eggs until they have tripled in volume are pale yellow and fluffy. Add sugar and flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Add lemon juice and beat until smooth. Pour over the cooled crust. Bake until the filling is just set in the center about 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Just before serving, stir 1 tsp confectioners' sugar and the pinch of ginger together. Sift the mixture over the top of the bars. Very pretty presentation!

Easy make ahead dessert!

ENJOY!