Chinese Beef with Mushrooms

If you enjoy beef and mushrooms you are in for a real treat with this oriental inspired dish. You don't need to feel intimidated in making this dish because it is very easy to prepare. Soy sauce combined with Oyster sauce and other spices make for a delicious gravy. By adding beef and mushrooms and any vegetables like onions, peppers or even broccoli to the gravy, you have a complete meal. This oriental dish will not disappoint. My husband and two kids really enjoyed this dish. In fact, they enjoy anything that has oriental inspired flavors; especially when it is served over white or brown rice. I guarantee you won't have any leftovers!

Chinese Beef with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

11/2 lb flank steak, sliced into thin strips

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 T. oyster sauce

4 T. soy sauce

2 t. sugar

1 t. salt

1/2 t. Ground Black pepper

4 t. cornstarch

1 c. water

2 T. Oil

1 c. Fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

Step 1: In a large bowl combine garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, water and cornstarch. Mix well. Add flank steak and marinate for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Heat a wok or fry pan to medium high heat. Add oil. Remove Steak slices from the marinade with a slotted spoon (reserving the marinade) and place into the pan and stir fry until the steak is fully cooked (about 5 minutes). Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 3: Add a little more oil to the wok if necessary and add mushroom slices. Stir fry mushrooms for 3 minutes or until tender. Add the marinade liquid to the wok, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 seconds. Return steak to the pan and simmer until heated through.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Cheeseburger Macaroni

This is one Tex-Mex recipe that would be perfect to insert into your weekly meal plan. Kids and Adults alike will enjoy this dish. It is comfort food at its finest. This particular recipe is fast and easy to make and can be put on the table in about 30 minutes. It is the perfect main dish to make; especially on those busy weeknights when the family is running everywhere and they only have a few moments to eat before running out the door to extracurricular activities.

This recipe uses staples from your pantry and the 'heat' of the dish can be tailored to your family's liking. Ground turkey or beef, macaroni, taco seasoing, Rotel tomatoes and chilies and cheddar cheese are a few of the ingredients used to make this hearty dish. Pair this main dish up with crispy garlic bread and corn on the cob for a delicious weeknight dinner. Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Macaroni

recipe adapted from kevinandamanda.com

image courtesy of food.com

1 lb. ground turkey or beef

1 pkg. Taco Seasoning

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies (or petite diced tomatoes for less heat)

2 c. water or beef broth

1 c. elbow macaroni

Brown and drain meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Simmer 12-14 minutes or until macaroni is tender.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce-

2 T. Butter

2 T. Flour

3/4 c. Milk

1 c. Cheddar Cheese

1/2 t. salt and pepper

1/2 t. Lowry's Seasoning Salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisk for about 5 minutes until fragrant and light and brown in color. Whisk in the milk and bring in boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper and Seasoning salt to cheese sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the meat mixture. Stir gently to combine.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Italian Tortellini Beef Soup

It has been rather chilly here in Northern Utah this week! As the Halloween Holiday winds down for tonight, I thought I would share a low fat soup recipe that I made for my little family this evening. I have really over indulged over the past month by eating way too much Halloween candy and desserts, so I thought it would be nice to feed my family of four a nice pot of Italian Soup. It is one of those soups that you don't have to feel gulity about eating. It is jammed packed with vegetables, bite sized Tortellini pasta and ground beef. I don't do a lot of cooking with ground beef any more because I prefer ground turkey for more healthy reasons. Most of the time I can't even tell the difference by substituting ground turkey in the place of ground beef. I did use ground beef tonight and it was a nice change. In this recipe I think you could use either ground turkey or beef. I found this recipe on another food lover's blog but I have tailored it for my family. This makes a huge pot of soup, so it is one that can be served at a dinner party or you can freeze individual portions for another lunch or dinner. I love meals that freeze!

I served this soup with a slice of Honey Wheat Bread. Hope this soup warms your soul and hopefully gets us all back on track after indulging in all those yummy Halloween Treats!

Happy Halloween!

Italian Tortellini Beef Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. of Ground Beef or Ground Turkey

1 1/2 t. minced garlic

1 onion, chopped (I used 1/2 c. dehydrated onions from my food storage)

salt and pepper

2 -14.5 cans of Italian Stewed Tomatoes

1- 14.5 can of diced tomatoes with chilies

1- 8 ounce can of tomato sauce

1- 6 oz. can of tomato paste

8 c. water

8 t. beef boulion

1 green pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 1/2 c. carrots, you can use frozen or fresh

1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen green beans, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 can Kidney Beans, drained

1 c. zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper

1 pkg. of Italian Dressing Mix

1 can tomato soup

1-20 oz. package of frozen tortellini

Directions:

Brown ground beef, garlic, and onion in a skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Place canned tomatoes into a blender and blend until smooth around 30-40 seconds. Next, place meat mixture, blended tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients into a pot. Hold off on adding the tomato soup or frozen tortellini (you will add these last two ingredients at the end of cooking process. Bring meat and tomato mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add tomato soup and tortellini to your pot of soup. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked. Enjoy!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

French Dip Sandwiches

I have been doing quite a bit of cooking lately and have thoroughly found some new delicious recipes from a darling blog called, "Jamie cooks it Up!" I love her cooking blog and if you check her out here you just might fall in love with her blog as well! Tonight for Sunday dinner, I tried her french dip sandwiches. I loved this recipe right off the bat because it is a slow cooker recipe. I HEART slow cooker recipes!! Especially, in the winter time. There is nothing better to me than cooking with your slow cooker and letting the aromas waft through the air. Nothing says fall and winter time than this. This recipe hit the spot with my little family of four this evening. Even my cute little 5 and 2 year old didn't complain! That is right, no fights with them at all over getting them to eat their dinner. What mother doesn't like dinner time to be peaceful? I know I do! This recipe would be perfect to serve on Halloween Evening before the troops vacate your home to do a little Happy Haunting. I served my Meat topped with provolone cheese and served on crusty rolls. I paired these delicious sandwiches with a subtle yet savory sweet potato fries recipe, yes you guessed it... courtesy of Jamie.

French Dip Sandwiches

recipe courtesy of "Jamie cooks it Up!"

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb. beef roast

1 T olive oil

salt and pepper

2 -1 oz pkgs. Lipton Onion soup mix

4 c. Hot Water

2 Beef Boulion

8 rolls, something with a good crust on it

Cheese, I recommend Provolone

Directions:

Heat up skillet, add olive oil. Sprinkle your roast with salt and pepper, generously!! Place roast in the pan and sear meat on all sides. Place meat in slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mixes over roast and add hot water and Beef Boulion cubes. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours. One hour before serving, take out beef and shred. Return beef to crock pot and simmer in juices for 1 more hour. When ready to serve, take meat out of crock pot and serve on rolls with your choice of cheese. Pour hot juices from crock pot into tiny bowls for dipping your sandwiches in. Enjoy!!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Quesadilla Burgers

My husband and I tried these delicious burgers about a month ago and I forgot to write a post about this little cooking experiment. I had never heard of Quesadilla Burgers before but I found this burger recipe online and thought it would be fun to try something different from the traditional hamburger. Quesadilla burgers are grilled, topped with cheese, pico de gallo salsa and a delicious cilantro mayo sauce. The burger is then sandwiched between two lightly fried tortillas. These burgers are to die for and worth the work and preparation that does go into making them. If you are short on time you could buy pre made pico de gallo at the store. My favorite part is the cilantro mayonnaise that you slather on these burgers, as well as the pepper jack cheese that gives these burgers a kick! Give these burgers a try at your next BBQ! Enjoy!

Quesadilla Burgers
recipe and photo from blog chef.com

-Burgers-
1 lb. Ground Hamburger
1 lb. Ground Pork
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. ketchup
1 teas. yellow mustard
1/2 teas. garlic powder
1/2 teas. onion powder
Italian Breadcrumbs
-Pico De Gallo-
4 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 jalepano peppers, seeded and chopped finely
2 T. green bell pepper,chopped
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

-Cilantro Mayo-
1 c. Mayonnaise
1T. Lime Juice
1 T. Honey
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 garlic clove , minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teas. cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
-Additional Ingredients-
12 (6 inch) Flour tortillas
Shredded Lettuce
Pepper Jack Cheese Slices
1/2 lb. Bacon, cook and crumbled

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: To prepare Pico de Gallo salsa- In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, green pepper, and cilantro. Add lime juice, salt and pepper. Put into the refrigerator.
Step 2: To prepare Cilantro Mayo- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, salt and pepper. Place into the refrigerator.
Step 3: In a large bowl combine hamburger, pork, egg, milk, ketchup, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add breadcrumbs until the meat mixture no longer sticks to the bowl. Form into about 6” patties. With your finger make a depression in the middle of each burger. Grease and heat an outdoor or indoor grill and fry burgers until they are done. Within the last few minutes of cooking top with pepper jack cheese slices and grill until the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill.
Step 4: For each burger – In a small skillet, heat and lightly brown 2 flour tortillas. Assemble burgers by spreading some Cilantro mayo onto one side of the 2 flour tortillas. Lay out one flour tortillas and put lettuce and crumbled bacon on top, Add the burger on top of that, and add some Pico de Gallo on top of the burger. Place the other flour tortilla on top. Slice in half.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Pizza Casserole

This casserole is very easy to make and it will appeal to all age groups. Who doesn't enjoy a good slice of pizza? This casserole tastes just like the real thing and what is even better is that it is kid friendly. When I made this casserole last night for the first time for my family, my husband and kiddos gobbled it up. The recipe makes (2) 9X13 pans so you can easily freeze one for another night when you don't feel like cooking. This recipe is also a wonderful one to make if you are feeding a huge crowd or are in charge of bringing something for a potluck dinner. Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

2 lbs. Ground Beef or Turkey

1 large onion(chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
2 T. Olive oil 2 (26 ounces) Jars of Spaghetti Sauce (I like to use Emeril's "Kicked up Tomato")
16 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
5 cups (20 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese
1 1/4 c. Mini Pepperoni's or 8 oz. of Large Pepperoni's*
(*You can find the mini pepperoni's by the large pepperoni's and Canadian bacon.)

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet add oil and heat to medium-high heat. Add ground beef or turkey, onion and garlic. Add Italian seasoning. Cook until beef or turkey is browned. Drain off grease.
Step 2: Stir in pasta sauce and 3 cups of mozzarella cheese and mini pepperoni's into the meat mixture. Place mixture into 2 greased 9x13 baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. If you are using the large pepperoni's then place on top of cheese.
*This Dish can be covered and frozen at this point if you are saving it for another night. When you are ready to cook: take pan from freezer, let thaw in refrigerator overnight and then cook according to cooking directions.
Step 3: If you are cooking the casserole now, Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Makes 15 servings.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Beef Stroganoff

I am sure most everyone has tried Beef Stroganoff before. I have had it many times in my lifetime and my mom would make it for us growing up. I love this comfort dish. I came across this recipe online and I thought I would try making it. The thing that caught my eye about this particular recipe was that it called for sliced steak. I have always made mine with ground turkey or ground beef. This dish is very good; although, I still prefer ground beef or turkey in mine. The steak was a little tough when I browned/cooked it in the pan. I didn't care for it. I did love the sauce though and so next time I will use ground beef or turkey.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. sliced steak or ground beef or turkey
1/2 c. onions, minced
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. butter
2 T. flour
1 teas. salt
1/4. tea. black pepper
2-3 cans of sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small bag of egg noodles

Cooking Instructions:
step 1: Saute onions and garlic in butter over medium heat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles according to package directions.
step 2: Add in sliced steak (or ground beef or turkey) and brown. Stir in flour, salt, mushrooms and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
step 3: Stir in sour cream and cook until heated. Serve over egg noodles. Enjoy!!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joe sandwiches are an American favorite and these sandwiches are something that I grew up eating and loved. When I think of eating Sloppy joes, I think of Independence day or Pioneer Day (A Utah Holiday). Each year on one of these holidays, my mom would make a huge pot of sloppy joe mixture which my family would go crazy for. I remember the wonderful aroma of the joe mixture simmering on the stove. The smells of it simmering all afternoon would make everyone's mouths water and the anticipation of waiting to eat it was almost unbearable. Sloppy Joes are very simple to make. It only requires a little prep work of chopping veggies and throwing them along with your meat choice and sauce mixture into your pot and letting simmer for several hours. What I like about this recipe is that it only simmers 20-30 minutes!! I think this amount of cooking time is great and makes for a perfect during- the- week-night- meal. This sloppy joe recipe has a few variations from my moms but I like this recipe just as much. This recipe has more of a sweet tangy taste which is contributed to the bbq sauce/brown sugar that the recipe calls for. The recipe also calls for mushrooms which I have never thought of adding before but the mushrooms make for an interesting surprise. The mixture can also be topped with a slice of provolone cheese which makes for another irresistible and interesting addition. This recipe would be a perfect main course to serve for a picnic, holiday celebration or family reunion. Enjoy~~!

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. Ground beef or Turkey ( I prefer to cook with Ground Turkey)
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
8 ounces of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. BBQ sauce
1 T. Brown sugar
1 teas. dry mustard
salt and pepper to tast
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. Vinegar
Sliced Provolone cheese
Hamburger Buns

Step 1 : In a large skillet, over medium high heat, brown meat, celery, green pepper, mushrooms, and onion. Drain of any excess grease. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar.
Step 2: Cover and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. If after 20 minutes the mixture still seems watery, simmer for a little longer or until the mixture has thickened.
Step 3: Serve on a bun and top with a slice of provolone cheese.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Asian Beef Stew

My husband spent two years serving an LDS mission in Japan. While he was there, he grew to love Asian/Japanese Cooking. For the past Seven Years of our life/marriage together, I have enjoyed trying out new Asian or Japanese recipes on him. I must say, He is quite partial to it and I haven't heard him complain once. Anytime I make something that Is Asian inspired in taste, I can guarantee that he will jump for joy with excitement when he smells the wonderful aromas that waft out into the garage after he arrives home from a long day at the office!! My latest quest in this area was trying an Asian Beef Stew Recipe. What is really nice about this recipe is that it can be cooked in the crock pot and it isn't at all intimidating. All you need to do is cut ever thing up/dump the ingredients and spices into your pot and let it simmer all day until you are ready for dinner. It is such a yummy Stew and it will have your kitchen smelling wonderful! Otanoshimi ni= "have a good time/enjoy!"

Asian Beef Stew
Recipe and Picture adapted from Slow cooker Meals

2 onions, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 1/2 lbs. round steak, slice thin across the grain
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
or 1 cup peeled baby carrots
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. orange juice
1 c. beef broth
1/3 c. Hoisin Sauce *
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 to 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 Spice powder or curry powder
1 c. frozen peasHot cooked Rice
Chopped Fresh Cilantro (optional)
* Available in the Asian foods aisle of your local market.

1. Place onions, beef, celery, carrots and mushrooms in Crock pot slow cooker.
2. Combine orange juice, broth, hoisin sauce, cornstarch an 5 spice powder in small bowl. Our into crock pot. Cover and cook on high 5 hours until beef is tender.
3. Stir in peas. Cook for 20 minutes longer or until peas are tender. Serve with hot cooked rice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

A wee bit Irish!

I have been searching through cook books and cooking websites to find something yummy to make for our St. Patrick's day celebration this coming Wednesday. It is so much fun for me to watch my kids get excited when the holidays roll around. Along with fun activities, I have decided that good food is also what makes a holiday special and memorable! I found several recipes that I am going to incorporate into our little celebration this year. I am planning on making the traditional Corned beef with Cabbage and Carrots. I found a crock pot recipe that looks and sounds delicious-this will be the main course. I found an Irish Soda bread recipe on the Betty Crocker website- this will be one of the sides along with a rich Grasshopper cake for dessert! For the beverage I am going to mix Sprite with Lime Sherbet and make a punch! I am looking forward to our Irish celebration! May you have a Have a Happy St. Patty's!!

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Carrots

1 head of Cabbage cut into 6 wedges
1 bag(4 ounces) baby carrots
1 corned beef (3 lbs.) with Seasoning Packet**
1 quart of water
1/3 c. prepared mustard
1/3 c. honey
** If seasoning packet is not perforated then poke several holes with the tip of paring knife.

1. Place cabbage in Crock pot slow cooker, top with carrots. Place seasoning packet on top of veggies. Place corned beef, fat side up, over seasoning packet and vegetables. Add water. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours.
2. Combine mustard and honey in small bowl.
3. Discard seasoning packet. Slice beef and serve with veggies and mustard sauce.
Makes 6 servings

Irish Soda Bread

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker website

3 T. Margarine or Butter
2 1/2 c. Flour
2 T. Sugar
1 teas. baking soda
1 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. Salt
1/3 c. raisins
3/4 c. Buttermilk

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cooking sheet. Cut butter into flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in raisins and just enough buttermilk so dough leaves side of bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Shape into round loaf, about 6 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Cut an X shape about 1/2 inch deep through loaf with floured knife.Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter or margarine, softened, if desired.

Did you Know?....Why the "X" is on top of Irish soda bread? Legend tells us that this cross is meant to scare away evil spirits. Spooky!

Grasshopper Fudge Cake

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker Website

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake mix
1 1/4 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2 teaspoons mint extract
3 egg whites
12 drops green food coloring
2 (16 oz.) hot fudge topping
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping
5 drops yellow food coloring
Andes Mints

1.	Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2.	Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mint extract and the egg whites. Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan.
3.	Drop green batter by generous tablespoonfuls randomly in 12 to 14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with metal spatula or knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan 1/4 turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.
4.	Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
5.	Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining 1/2 teaspoon extract, remaining 9 drops green food color and the yellow food color until blended. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store covered in refrigerator.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen