Cilantro With Nut Butter and Mustard With Vermouth

McCormick launched its 2011 Flavor Forecast, which lists the top ten food pairings for the year. Earlier, I recapped those ten pairings.

Thanks to McCormick, I had the opportunity to test out some of these pairings. First up was the pairing of cilantro and nut butter. McCormick has a recipe for Chicken and Cilantro Pesto Pasta, which sounded easy to put together. The nut butter used was peanut.



First, you make the pesto in the blender. While the pasta is boiling, you make the chicken peanut butter mixture. Drain the pasta, toss with pesto, and put chicken on top. I never used fresh cilantro before. I wasn't even sure if I ever had cilantro before, but after one bite, I recognized the flavor. Very delicious if you enjoy cilantro. You can find the recipe on McCormick's site.



Next up was mustard and vermouth. At first, I ruled out the recipe for Dirty Martini Steak Kabobs because I had to buy vermouth, which I thought was expensive. However, I decided stop by the liquor store and see how much it was. Since vermouth is a type of wine, I'm looking up and down the wine aisle, hoping the find the word vermouth printed on the bottle. No luck so as I was walking out the door, the guy asked what I was looking for. I told him I needed vermouth for a recipe. Turns out vermouth had its own section next to the gin. Um ok? Plus side a small bottle was around $4, so I went for it.

This recipe is also easy to put together if you prepare ahead of time. First you need to marinade the meat at least two hours, longer for a stronger flavor. I decided to do it the night before work so I could fix it for dinner the next day. To save even more time, you could cube it, but I was tired and left the steak whole. When you're ready to cook, you boil pearl onions for 5 minutes and then remove the paper. However, when it came time to thread the skewers and alternate with olives, I didn't realize my olives needed to be pitted. Luckily, I bought a pitter for $3 on clearance when I worked at Target, thinking I was going to do something with cherries that summer (never happened). After they were assembled, I broiled them for 5 minutes. Very delicious and definitely a meal I'm going to make again soon. You can find the recipe on McCormick's site.

Want to try these flavor combinations (and more) yourself? Stay tuned for another McCormick giveaway.

My WCC Entry

Ok so I haven't gotten a chance to post about my Weekend Cookbook Challenge entry or the round-up. I'm working on the round-up this weekend, so hopefully that will be up tomorrow or Tuesday.

I was having the toughest time figuring how what I wanted to make. My dad gave me a small piece of steak to take back to school, so I decided to make a garlic spice rub. The recipe isn't perfect because the mashed garlic didn't want to stay on when I flipped the meat. Plus I think it needed more than two cloves, but that's just me. I got the recipe online, but I cut it in half since I clearly didn't have 1 lb. of steak. Maybe next time I will cut the spices in half but keep the garlic at four cloves.

Steak With Roasted Garlic and Chili Rub




Recipe from Recipe Zaar

Una Ensalada Refreshcante

With the hot weather upon Pennsylvania, sometimes you just want a nice, refreshing salad. The cool lettuce, the juicy tomatoes, the taco meat. Ok, so there is a little bit of cooking involved, but the balance of hot and cold makes this meal acceptable in June. Well, my family at least accepted it. Plus it doesn't take long to assemble. I didn't measure the produce. I just eyeballed it until the bowls looked full.


Taco Salad Bowls




4 flour tortillas, 8 inch
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 lb ground beef
1 cup carrot sticks, julienned (very thin sticks)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp salsa
2 Tbsp sour cream or mayonnaisse
4 cups torn lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Crumple 4 pieces of foil to make four 3-inch balls. Place on baking sheet. Drape one tortilla over each ball. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp chili powder. Or brush each tortilla with melted butter and 1/2 tsp chili powder. That means 1/2 tsp chili for 4 tortillas, not 1/2 tsp each. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. They will harden as they cool.

2. While the tortillas are baking, brown meat with carrots and remaining 2 1/2 tsp chili powder. Once brown, drain grease and add 1/2 cup salsa. Cook for another 2 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, mix sour cream or mayo with 2 Tbsp salsa.

4. Once tortillas are cool, put lettuce into each one. Top with tomatoes. Add meat mixture. Top with salsa mix. Finish with some cheese.

Serves 4.

Source: Kraft Food and Family, Spring 2008, p. 19

Dinner Gone Before The Pictures

I couldn't decide what to make for dinner yesterday, so it was late by the time I got around to finding a recipe and cooking it. That means we were super hungry, and I completely forgot to take pictures. Oops! Good thing Kraft posts their recipes online as well as in their magazines. Barbeque sauce makes this stir fry stand out from the rest. If you wanted a full home-cooked meal, you could make your own bbq sauce, but if you are in a pinch, you can use store-bought. I'm sure I'll be making this again, and next time, I won't forget the pictures!

Saucy Pepper Steak

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 lb. well-trimmed boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups hot cooked rice

1. Cook bell peppers and onions in a skillet on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer to large bowl; keep warm.

2. In same skillet, cook meat, garlic and black pepper 3 minutes. Add soy sauce; cook 1 minute or until meat is cooked through. Add barbecue sauce; cook until heated through.

3. Place vegetables back into skillet and mix with meat. Serve over hot rice.

Serves 4

Source: Kraft Foods

Two-In-One Dinners

My dinner schedule for this semester is crazy because although I have time to eat, I don't have time to prepare. I'm trying to make meals ahead of time by making too much when I do have time to cook so I can eat the leftovers later. But instead of eating the same meal twice in one week, I found a recipe that can be made into two different meals - tacos and pasta!

My roommates love to make Hamburger Helper, so when they make the cheeseburger kind, the smell makes me want to go buy a box. Since it is expensive (and high in sodium) to make it from the box, I decided to make it from scratch. When I was browsing for an imitation recipe, I came across bacon cheeseburger tacos. The person who posted it said she used the leftovers to make bacon cheeseburger pasta. Score! I suggest making the tacos first, then use the leftovers for pasta (unless you want pasta in your tacos).

I suggest sprinkling the cheese on top at the very end rather than letting it melt into the meat because you don't taste it as much.

Bacon Cheeseburger Tacos




1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon bacon bits
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2-4 lettuce leaves

Sauce
2 1/2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 1/4 teaspoons mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
4-6 small taco shells

In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic until beef is brown. Drain grease. Stir in bacon bits, 1 1/2 tsp chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook another 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine ketchup, mustard, and 1/2 tsp chili powder.

Fill a taco shell with beef mixture. Put on sauce. Top with cheese. Microwave about 10 seconds or until cheese has melted. Add lettuce. Repeat with each shell.

Makes 4-6 tacos, depending on how much beef goes into each taco.

Source: Recipe Zaar


Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta




4 oz elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp bacon bits
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp ketchup
1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is brown. Drain grease. Stir in chili powder and bacon. Cook another 10 minutes. Add ketchup, mustard, and tomatoes and stir until well combined. Stir in pasta and cheese. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes until cheese has melted.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: Recipe Zaar

Bundt Pans - Not Just For Dessert

I love my bundt pan, but I hardly use it. When I came across two recipes by Bisquick, I had to make them during Christmas break. The best part is that they are dinner recipes. Score! So far, I only made the Hidden Sloppy Joes. The variation is called Hidden Reuben, so maybe I'll try that when I'm on spring break. The original recipe called for condensed chicken gumbo soup, but canned soup is unhealthy, so I searched Recipe Zaar and adjusted the filling a bit. The filling was so amazing, I'm never going to use Manwich again! The filling is a tad on the sweet side (in a good way), so if you are oversensitive to sweet stuff (like my mom), you may not enjoy it as much.

In case you seem a bit disoriented, the "cake" in the picture is flat-side up. It rolled over on its side and wouldn't stay LOL


Hidden Sloppy Joes




1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp prepared mustard
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 eggs

1. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is brown; drain grease. Pat down beef to remove remaining grease. Stir in ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 375F. Grease bundt cake pan. Mix baking mix, milk, butter, and eggs. Beat 30 seconds. Spread 2 cups of batter in bottom and up sides and center of pan. Spoon beef mixture onto center of batter. Drop remaining batter about 1/2 inch apart on top. Bake until light brown and firm, 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes; then invert onto serving plate.

Makes 6-8 servings (depending on how big you cut the pieces)

Source: "The Best of Bisquick from Betty Crocker," 1983 p. 16

A New Favorite

WARNING - This is the most amazing beef dish I've ever cooked/eaten. This is definitely a meal I could make weekly. You must marinade the beef in order to get the flavor factor. The recipe called for 4 hours up to overnight, but I marinaded it for an hour. Tasted amazing to me. It also says to grill or broil; I fried it in a skillet. Not the healthiest, but hey. As far as changing the ingredients, I adjusted the amount to one serving and forgot to add the sesame seeds (which I do have). I also left out the green beans.

Thai-inspired Beef and Pasta



3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 curry powder
1 cup uncooked penne
1 beef eye round steak (I have no idea what kind of beef I had)
1/4 cup thinly slice onions
1 cup red pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/8 cup sesame seeds

1. Mix together 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp ginger, and 1/8 tsp curry powder. Place beef in a freezer bag. Pour marinade into the bag; cover the meat as best as you can. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.

2. Once the meat is ready, pour some oil into a skillet and fry meat until no longer brown. If you're having trouble getting the middle to be brown, cut the meat into chunks. Once the meat is brown, cut into bite-size chunks (if you haven't done so already).

3. While the meat is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until done.

4. Pour remaining lime juice, soy sauce, oil, sugar, garlic powder, ginger, and curry powder into a second skillet. Saute onions, red pepper, and sesame seeds. Add browned beef. Add in cooked pasta. Sprinkle the top with feta cheese.

Makes two servings

Source: Recipe Zaar

What I've Been Up To This Semester

Taking 17 hours of classes plus 12 hours of work gives me limited time to update my blog (although I do work in a computer lab, so when I'm not busy I surf the web. Yay food blogs!) However, that didn't stop me from cooking and baking. I'm going to put it all in one post so I can be caught up.


Chicken Curry




Only once in my life have I had curry, and it wasn't even from a restaurant. While in Ireland, I bought a jar of curry sauce because it was on sale. I mixed it with rice and tuna, and it was absolutely delicious! When I came home, I wanted to buy curry powder, but it isn't the cheapest spice around, so I waited. When I was grocery shopping for college, I decided to give in and buy a jar. I found a recipe for chicken curry online awhile back and saved it into an online recipe box. That makes this dish #3 towards my goal.

1/4 cup flour
2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 Chicken breast
1/4 cup onion
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup white rice, cooked
Veggies, such as carrots or peas

If time permitting, bake chicken at 375F for 35 minutes. Otherwise, chop and fry in skillet. In a bowl, mix flour, curry, ginger, and sugar. Sauté onions in butter until tender. Once tender, add flour mixture. Slowly add broth and milk. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add lemon juice, chopped chicken, and veggies; cook a few more minutes. Serve on top of hot rice. Makes 2 servings.

Source: Recipe Zaar


Garlicky Pasta with Basil and Tomatoes




I found this recipe from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen and knew I had to try it!! I'm 50% Italian, so of course the more garlic, the better. I used canned tomatoes and vegetable oil since I'm on a budget. This is a must for garlic lovers.

8 oz uncooked pasta
3 tablespoons oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, seasoning, and cheese, tossing gently to combine.

Source: Laura Rebecca's Kitchen


Carrot Spice Muffins




During the summer, I borrowed Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home To Yours" from my library after hearing so many posts about the book. I was making a list of recipes to try, but that turned out to be 3/4 of the book!! I had a 3 week limit on it, so I copied about 10 recipes. Last weekend, my parents visited me for the afternoon. I decided to make them French toast and Dorie's carrot spice muffins. Mmmm one of my favorite muffins!! Plus I love carrots. I didn't have any nuts or raisins, so I omitted them. I did have the coconut it called for, so yay.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
1/3 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray or line a 12-cup muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Stir in brown sugar. In another bowl, whisk oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet into the dry and quickly stir to blend. Add carrots, coconut, raisins, and nuts. Divide evenly among the pan. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins

Source: Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home To Yours" p.14


Zucchini Casserole




Since my favorite vegetable is squash, I bought 4 of them to eat. One of the 12 cookbooks I got was dedicated completely to zucchini. I decided to make the zucchini casserole. My version is slightly different, so here is my adaptation.

1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped (I used canned but fresh works too)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
Enough beef for two servings
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper jack)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Chop and cook beef until brown; drain grease and set aside. In a small casserole dish, put a layer of zucchini slices. Top with 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup onions, 1/2 clove garlic, 1/4 cup cheese, and 1/2 the amount of beef. Top with squash slices. Top with remaining tomatoes, onions, garlic, cheese, and beef. Top with any remaining squash and zucchini slices. Top with bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until squash slices are tender. Makes 2 servings

Source: "Garden Way's Zucchini Cookbook" 1977, p.104



I also made stuffed squash with oriental stuffing and stuffed pepper with a garlic alfredo rice mixture, but I forgot to take pictures of them! Oops!

Now that I am all caught up, what was the last homemade meal you made for dinner?

Beeftastic

I might not be a big fan of ground beef, but I sure do love nonground beef (What would it be called? Not just steak but also beef strips or chunks). My dad bought me (for $1.50!!!) a HUGE cookbook (772 pages not including the index) titled "The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking." He was insisting on buying it for me because he was flipping through it and liked what he saw. I bet he loves it when I come home from school and cook. Too bad this specific cookbook is going to college with me (has every category you can imagine plus I'm probably leaving my other 87 cookbooks at home). Since I had leftover beef chunks in the freezer, I flipped through the beef section. Beef stroganoff looked easy, so that's what I made. The sauce sounded a little plain, so I researched on google. I ended up adding a can of beef broth and some flour to thicken it. I also served it on egg noodles although the recipe called for plain boiled rice. The picture isn't very good because I was eating when I realized I forgot to take a picture. Enjoy!


Beef Stroganoff




1 lb. beef tenderloin
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sour cream
10.5 can beef broth
4 Tbsp flour
Nutmeg
Vegetable oil

1. Boil pasta in water according to directions; drain when done.

2. Cut beef into thin strips. Using oil, brown in skillet until no longer pink. Remove and drain grease; wipe out the skillet.

3. Add a little more oil to skillet; fry onions and mushrooms until golden brown. Add beef.

4. Add sour cream, beef broth, flour, and nutmeg to beef mixture. Cook until liquid starts to bubble. Remove from heat; let sit for a few minutes so sauce can thicken. Serve over noodles.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking, 1985 p.69

Waiter, There's Something In My Sauce

Pastitsio is a Greek pasta dish that is served as a main course. I made this dish a few years ago and decided to make it again. Normally you would use a tube pasta, such as ziti, but elbow pasta works fine. The original recipe calls for jarred Alfredo sauce. Since I didn't want to buy jarred sauce and this month's Waiter, There's Something In My... challenge is sauces, I decided to make my own. I haven't made homemade Alfredo sauce since high school, so I was hoping everything would work, and it did. If you don't want the sauce to be as dry, cut back on the parmesan cheese. Also, the cinnamon and nutmeg may sound weird in this dish, but trust me you need to add them.


Pastitsio




8 oz. elbow or tube pasta
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon

Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray casserole dish non-stick cooking spray. Boil pasta in water for 10 minutes; drain. Run under cold water so the pasta won't cook any further.

2. Meanwhile, brown beef in skillet. Drain grease; remove beef to separate plate. Wipe any remaining grease from skillet. Return beef; add tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, and cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Drain any remaining tomato juice.

3. Spread half the pasta into casserole dish. Add meat mixture on top. Cover with remaining pasta.

4. In saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter and cream, stirring constantly. If you don't stir constantly, a milk skin will form on top. Whisk in cheese, egg yolk, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add water.

5. Pour sauce over pasta dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Casserole should be bubbly and golden brown.

Source: Dish from Family Circle Sept. 2001, p. 136; Sauce from high school cooking class

Esta fiesta!

For dinner on Saturday, I decided to cook Mexican-style. I haven't had Mexican food since I visited Scotland (we were desperate for food at 9 pm and it was affordable and not crowded), which was back in March. I decided it was time to treat myself (and the family, but mainly myself). Please read my notes after the recipe so you can adjust accordingly.


Nacho Casserole with Mexican-Stuffed Mushrooms




For the mushrooms:

12 large mushrooms
1/3 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp. minced onion
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

For the casserole:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
8 oz. sour cream
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed nacho cheese soup
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Mexican corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained (optional)
1 jalepeno pepper, chopped and seeded (optional)
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced black olives, drained
1 bag of nachoes

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Brown all of the beef in a skillet. When done, remove from heat and drain the grease. Remove mushroom stems, being careful not to destroy the mushroom caps. Chop the stems. Spoon 1/3 lb. beef into a bowl. Add garlic, onion, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, cheese, chopped mushrooms, and breadcrumbs. Spray cookie sheet. Spoon breadcrumb mixture into each mushroom cap and place onto cookie sheet. Save any remaining breadcrumb mixture.

2. With remaining beef in skillet, add oregano, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, celery salt, onion salt, and garlic salt. Stir in sour cream and cheese soup. Add undrained tomatoes and drained corn. Spread mixture into a casserole dish.

3. Cover casserole dish with a lid or foil, sprayed side down. Bake mushrooms and casserole for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms and let cool. Remove lid from casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining breadcrumb mixture from mushrooms (or use 1 cup cheese if no breadcrumbs are left). Top with sliced olives. Bake another 10 minutes uncovered (edges should be bubbly). Serve with nachoes.

My thoughts: The mushrooms seemed a little dried out after baking, so I don't know if you should let them sit in water while baking or simply brush the caps with water. Also, the recipe was for 24 mushrooms, but we only had 12 so I cut everything in half. There was plenty of breadcrumb mixture left (even after topping the casserole), so you may want to cut it even further. For the casserole, I used 1/2 jar cheese sauce instead of soup, but it made the casserole too runny. Stick with the soup because it's thicker (unless you add some cream with the sauce). I didn't top mine with olives because they were slimy (always keep your receipts in case something like this happens. Bought it the day before too and didn't expire until 2009!). We used the nachoes to scoop up the casserole, but forks work just as fine. You may need to adjust some of the spices. My mom doesn't like anything too spicy, so I cut back on the chili powder and cumin. I also omitted the jalepeno pepper and pinto beans (Mom's preference). You can probably replace the tomatoes, beans, and pepper with salsa. I added the corn because my dad kept "showing" me that he bought canned Mexican corn. I also guessed on the spices in the casserole because the recipe called for taco seasoning mix.

Sources: Casserole - Old El Paso Mexican Cookbook August 2006 p. 39; Mushrooms - CD Kitchen