Beef and Caramelized Onion Grilled Pizza with Horseradish Sour Cream Sauce {Recipe}

I love to grill.

I know we've established this. But it still stands to be said again.

I grill in the rain, the snow, the hot and the cold. That's right, I don't let the wimpy "Polar Vortex" keep me from grilling my food. 

So cool, so cool.

Keeping the ingredients on ice. Literally.

Pssssh. True Grill Masters laugh in the face of the Polar Vortex.

HA, I say to thee, Vortex of Polar!

I'm a grill fanatic.  But if there is anything I love grilling the most, it is grilled pizza.  This is evidenced on my Instagram, when I make #GrilledPizza once a week. I didn't even know you could grill pizza with raw dough until last Spring. 

It's been a weekly ordeal ever since. 

Each week, Hubby and I try to come up with new gourmet ideas, and we've had quite a few winners, like Bacon Apple Gorgonzola, Greek Grilled Pizza as well as Buffalo Chicken. There are several I haven't written up yet, which I hope to share over the next few weeks (as well as a few more that are burning in my brain that I will need to try).

Today I'll share a great grilled pizza recipe for Winter, as many of us are making various hearty beef dishes. You can use any type of leftover beef roast for this, and any recipe or marinade. If you make a pot roast for dinner or beef stew, set aside 1 cup of the cooked beef leftovers. You'll be thankful you did!  This savory pizza really hits the spot on a cold winter night, with flavors of beef, caramelized onions and horseradish.

Caramelized onions?

PUH-LESE.


If you need a brief visual tutorial on how to grill pizza before you give it a whirl, check out my Grilled Pizza Video Tutorial Post. And if you are not ready to attempt the art of grilling pizza, feel free to bake this in the oven.

• 1 lb. raw Pizza Dough (or a premade pizza crust)
• 1 cup leftover cooked Beef Roast, shredded
• 1 cup of Caramelized Onions (if you need a tutorial: the Kitchn)
• 1 cup of Sour Cream (I use fat free)
• 2-4 heaping TBS of horseradish (not the sauce - a jar of grated horseradish root. This is found in the dairy section. If you like it spicy, go for closer to 3 or 4 TBS)
• 1 cup of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 cup of Shredded Parmesan Cheese

(If baking and using a pre made crust, skip to step 3)

**Preheat Grill to medium (or, if using, oven to 350). 

Spray with grill (or, if using, cookie sheet) 

with non-stick cooking spray.**

1) Divide your dough into 2 dough balls. Set one aside to make a different pizza (you'll only need 1/2 lb dough for this recipe). Roll out until 1/8 inch thick.

2) Mix sour cream and horseradish until well incorporated.

3) Place rolled dough onto the grill and close the lid. Let grill for 1 minute. Once the bottom gets a little bit hard (don't let it get brown - just the beginning of a crispness), flip the pizza crust.

4) Spread the sour cream sauce over the top crust of the pizza. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Top with the beef and onions. 

5) Whether baking or grilling: Let cook until bottom crust is set and all the cheese is melted. If you'd like, garnish by drizzling more hot sauce over top.

ENJOY!

#nomnomnom

~~~~~

I want to see you OWNING your grills, people. If you give grilled pizza a try, PLEASE snap a picture and tag me on Instagram or Twitter (@DonnaReedSteph) and hashtag #GrilledPizza. I would love to see your creations and be inspired by your ideas!

Stay tuned for more Grilled Pizza recipes!

Recipe: Pesto Marinated Flank Steak

It is GRILL season, people.  And since securing a gas grill for the first time in our marriage, we have been grilling on a regular basis.  When you don't have to buy a bag o' charcoal, work your butt off to get it to light, wait for it to heat to a reasonable temperature and then throwing the meat on, grilling becomes immensely easier.

We love grilling everything. And I have some great grill marinades and rubs that we've fallen in love with over the years (just check out the recipe index).  This past Saturday, I was about to make up my usual Grill Marinade for the flank steak that I'd defrosted, but inspiration struck, and I tried something completely different.

And it was fabulouso.

How to Make Homemade Meatballs: Video Tutorial

Here is my next tutorial video!  Not as smooth as the How To Roast Red Peppers video, but learning as I go.  What I am working on for the next video: knowing what I want to say, and making the overall video shorter (sorry if this one is too lengthy).  Also - totally said something cheesy at the end of the video, but couldn't cut it out without making it choppy (we did try to cover it up with music though). So...ignore it.

Steph's Stovetop Chili {RECIPE}

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe, hasn't it?

This past week, the weather dipped into official Autumn territory:  brisk nights and not terribly warm days. I LOVED IT. I loved wearing jeans and long-sleeved shirts and not sweating profusely. After an unfortunate central air condition malfunction (where malfunction means total breakdown), I really sleeping with the windows closed and still needing to nestle under the covers to stay warm.

So delicious.

Also delicious was the amazing chili recipe I concocted in celebrating of the festive weather.  I've been happy with my go-to Chili recipe, but I was in the mood to try something new. I did a lot of research (I seriously pored over tons of chili recipes online and in cookbooks), and compiled common ingredients or ingredients I found intriguing.  And after an afternoon of cooking, a new Chili recipe was born.

Yup - this recipe is a STEPH ORIGINAL.  I do have another Chili recipe (which is also quite tasty), but it is developed for the slow cooker. This new recipe has a few more steps, a few more ingredients, but the pay-off is monumental.

Yes.  MONUMENTAL.

Using 3 different kinds of meat, a variety of chills and the right conglomerate of spices really makes this dish.  Many good recipes I found called for "smoked" or "chipotle" spices (such as chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika). I don't have those on hand - so I modified my spice list not to include them. I also wanted to use 1 bottle of lager beer, but did not get a chance to grab any before cooking.  So there is a lot of room in this recipe to try different things for different flavors.

After years of struggling to find a GOOD Chili recipe, I am humbled to finally have the piece de resistance. 

• 1.25 lbs of ground beef (I used 85/25)
• 1.25 lbs of ground pork
• 6 sliced of bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (red or yellow would be a great substitute)
• 1 poblano chili pepper, seeded and chopped (handle with care)
• 1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and chopped (handle with care)
• 3 14.5 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED
• 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with zesty and mild chiles, UNDRAINED
• 3 cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 pinto, 1 dark red kidney, 1 light red kidney)
• 4 TBS chili powder
• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 1 TBS paprika
• 2 tsp oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Add bacon bits and cook until bacon is crispy, stirring occasionally.

2) To the bacon, add onions, garlic, peppers and spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper).   Cook until vegetables are tender and the spices are fragrant.  

3) Add the beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Once the beef is browned, add the pork, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until the pork is cooked through and no longer pink.

4) Stir in beans and tomatoes, tossing to incorporate.

5) Lower heat and simmer for 2+ hours.

6) Taste test, and adjust seasonings as needed.  Serve with your favorite toppings/garnishes: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, scallions, hot sauce or Fritos!

~~~~~

Do NOT be intimidated by the AMOUNT of ingredients on the list.  It looks overwhelming, but they all come together quickly, and many ingredients involved opening cans and dumping them in the pot.  I am the Queen of Simple Suppers, and always aim to keep prep and process simple in the kitchen. This recipe definitely fits the qualifications!

Notes:

1) If you want to use beer (1 bottle or can), add it when you add the beans (see Step 4).  All recipes I researched suggested a lager, such as Budweiser.  My friend, Jen, swears by Sam Adams Octoberfest.  And I'd be interested to use Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (as we are HUGE Dogfish Head fans in this house)

2) If you want hotter chili, leave some of the poblano and jalapeño seeds in. If you can't stand the heat, make sure you remove ALL pepper seeds.

3) I did not know this until recently, but apparently Fritos and chili were made to be lovers.  Serve chili over a handful of Fritos, and you'll never be the same.


What are your favorite chili toppings?  How would you modify this recipe to suit your tastes?

Have a great week!

Simple Supper Monday, Vol. 68: Chimchurri Fajitas

Ok. So, here's what's going to happen:


1) You are going to read this post.
2) You are going to begin to salivate and twitch.
3) You will be unable to contain yourself from running to the grocery store and buying the ingredients so you can immediately make this meal.


Yes. It's that good.


The other day, Hubby was listening to his fave radio station, NPR.  On one particular show, a cookbook author was on promoting her new book and sharing her recipes. Tara Desmond compiled the book, Almost Meatless, and in it, she shares the recipe I am about to share with you below. Hubby said that when they were talking about the book (and the recipe) it sounded great (in that we will probably be going to buy the book tomorrow). The fact that it was high on veggies, low on meat and overall much more healthy was a super added bonus.


I was inspired by his excitement, and put it on the menu plan for this week.  I held off posting my Simple Supper recipe earlier today, because I wanted to try this recipe out first before sharing it with you.


OH. MAH. GAH.


It was amazing.  Like so amazing.  We couldn't get over the...amazingness.  And it felt so good that it was healthy.  This is a keeper for sure, and we plan on making it again very soon.


And so shall you.


(We did, as per the usual, tweak and make some substitutions. See Notes below the post)

*****     *****     *****    *****     *****

Simple Supper Monday

Chimichurri Fajitas

serves 6-8

(from Tara Desmond's book, Almost Meatless)

Photo taken from WHYY webpage

For the Chimichurri

• 4 cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil

For the Fajitas

• 1 medium green zucchini (about 1 pound), sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise
• 1 medium yellow zucchini (about 1 pound), sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rings
• 1 flank steak or skirt steak (about 1½ pounds)
• 12 or more 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
• 1 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

1. To make the Chimichurri: Combine the parsley, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, cumin seeds, salt, pepper, lime juice, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse three or four times, forming a coarse paste. With the processor running, add the oil through the food chute in a steady stream, forming a textured sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Reserve ¼ cup of the sauce for the marinade, and transfer the rest to a small serving bowl and set aside.

2. To make the fajitas fixings, lightly brush the zucchini strips with half of the reserved chimichurri, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a zippered storage bag along with the onion.

3. Season the steak with pepper and rub the remaining chimichurri on both sides. Let the zucchini and the steak sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the grill to medium-high.

5. Season the steak with salt and grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare. At the same time, grill the zucchini slices and onion rings for about 3 minutes per side, until grill marks appear and the vegetables are just tender. Transfer the grilled zucchini and onions to a plate, stacking them so the heat continues to cook them a bit. Grill the tortillas for about 30 seconds per side, until warm and slightly blackened. Wrap in foil to keep warm.

6. Remove the steak from the grill and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Slice the meat very thin, across the grain.

7. To assemble the fajitas, pile 2 strips of steak and several pieces of zucchini and onion on each grilled tortilla. Drizzle with chimichurri sauce and roll it up, or leave the assembly to the crowd. Serve with sour cream and cheese if you like.

*****      *****    *****     *****     *****

Notes:

1) Along with the veggies noted in the recipe, we also grilled up a red pepper and a yellow pepper.

2) We did not have fresh oregano, and for the life of me, I could not find it at my grocery store. They had, like, every other fresh herb known to Man. I digress.  We substituted 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried/crushed oregano for the 1/4 cup of fresh oregano.

3) We already had a VERY good Chimichurri recipe, so we used that instead of the one printed above.  The recipe we have was given to us by our good friend, Diane. It is a Cat Cora recipe. And we've decided you could eat it on just about anything.  If you are interested in trying Our/Diane/Cat's Chimichurri recipe:

Chimichurri Recipe #2

For about 3 lbs meat (Chicken, Pork or Steak) ~

Place into a food processor or blender:

·         1/3 cup sherry vinegar

·         6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

·         4 dried bay leaves

·         2 poblanos, stemmed and roughly chopped*

·         2 serranos, stemmed and roughly chopped*

Pulse until smooth.

Add:

·         1 cup packed fresh flat leaf/ AKA Italian parsley leaves

·         1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

·         ¼ cup packed fresh oregano leaves

Pulse until you have a coarse paste.

With the motor running, slowly pour in ¾ olive oil. You’ll know when it’s done—but it comes together fast.

Transfer to a bowl; add 1 ¼ tsp salt and stir.

*The seeds, of course, should be kept per your taste for heat;  the serranos are very hot (if you don’t know them).

*****    *****    *****     *****     *****

Wow, ok so you've been awarded a Twofer Simple Supper post (ie: 2 recipes for the price of 1).  Lucky you!  I hope your July 4th cookouts were a success.  And I trust you will be heading to the grocery store tomorrow so you can make THIS recipe for dinner tomorrow night :)


Let me know how this turns out for you! And, as always, I'd love to read and try YOUR recipes!  So send them my way!


moderndaydonnareed@gmail.com

Simple Super Monday, Vol 55: Spicy Pot Roast

Don't wet your pants. But, yes, I am posting a Simple Supper Monday today. A post category that I haven't touched since June.

JUNE.

It's December. Is that 6 months? I believe so.

As I stated a few days ago, between moving, adjusting to moving, the school year starting up for my teacher Hubby, a rambunctious 2 year old and, oh, being PREGNANT (due in January. Which is next month. AUGH! When did time fly?!?!??!), I've been sticking to a rotation of some good tried and true recipes. For most of the Summer, I was feeling pretty nauseous and impossibly exhausted. Food, apart from crackers, did not appeal to me. So, you can imagine, I was not in the mood to try new recipes.

This Fall, I started feeling better, and have dusted off the cookbooks to search for some new Keeper Recipes. I've tried a bunch, many of which I was not happy with. Last week, I made a roast from the Fix It And Forget It Cookbook (love love love this cookbook. If you don't have it, buy it. And buy one for a friend. And your friend's friend). Hubby and I were really happy with the way it turned out. It's just a simple beef roast recipe, but the meat came out super moist and the gravy was VERY tasty (especially over mashed potatoes).

It was my inspiration to and motivation to post for you today.

So...you can thank the roast.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Spicy Pot Roast

- from the Fix It And Forget It Cookbook-

• 2-4lb beef pot roast (pot roast, chuck roast, eye round - any roast will do. I used a chuck roast)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4-oz packet of brown gravy mix
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp dijon mustard (I used spicy deli mustard)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup water (I bet that beef stock/broth would be a good flavor-enhancing alternative)

1. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over meat.

3. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or High 4-5 hours (Note from Steph: account for YOUR slow cooker friends. My slow cooker has been cooking things faster recently - and I've actually BURNED some things in there! I cooked this roast for about 5 hours on low, and it was more than ready at the end. And since it was done a bit early, I had it on the "warm" setting for about an hour. So if your slow cooker cooks fast, adjust the time!)

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

This is a great roast to put on in the morning and have ready when you come home. It was also tasty enough to serve to company. The next day, shred it up with forks and serve on rolls with horseradish! YUMMMMMMMMMMMM! Seriously tasty, people. And I really recommend serving this with a side of mashed potatoes and crusty bread. I was going to also make broccoli, but I didn't have any, although it would have been a nice addition as well.

It's been so cold here in southeastern PA (with no relief in the foreseeable future), a warm and hearty roast really hits the spot. So make sure to look back through some of the archives here on Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom for the good cold-weather recipes. We need to keep warm!

Here's to hoping for more inspiration and motivation. I'd love to kick my posting into gear before Baby #2 arrives. Because then all bets are off.

Feel free to send me YOUR Simple Supper recipes for posting. You know I love trying new recipes out! moderndaydonnareed@gmail.com

Have a good (and tasty!) week!

Simple Supper Monday - Volume 49: Butternut Squash, Bacon and Shrimp Risotto

I love when people oblige my pleas and send me recipes.

This recipe comes to you by way of good ol' high school friend, Jeannine. Actually, come to think of it, we knew each other waaaaaay back in middle school. It was during middle school wherein Jeannine stole a donut from my lunch, insisting I told her it was "okay" (like I would ever sacrifice something as good as a donut. Yeah right. Nice try). We were friends ever since.

Now, I don't eat seafood. This includes shrimp. But I pass this recipe along to you, knowing that most people do not have my eating neurosis. And you will most likely love this. Because from the sounds of it, if I liked seafood, I'd be all over this.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Simple Supper Monday

Butternut Squash, Bacon and Shrimp Risotto

• ¼ pound bacon, chopped
• 1 pound shrimp, deveined, detailed, and peeled
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup short-grain rice, such as arborio
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, heated until nearly boiling
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• ½ cup milk
• 
  

1. In large skillet or saucepan, saute bacon until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper and add to saucepan/bacon drippings. Cook until just cooked through, or if already cooked, until warm. Add shrimp and pan juices to bowl with bacon.

3. Add olive oil to same saucepan, and when warm, add inion and garlic. Cook over medium heat, for approximately 5 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent. Add rice and stir for one minute. Add hot broth, increase heat and bring to boiling.

4. Add squash, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring often or almost constantly, until rice and squash are tender and mixture is creaming, about 15-20 minutes. If necessary, add more broth.

5. Stir in milk, shrimp, and bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

On second thought, this sounds delightful. I might just have to break down and try it myself.

If you try this, will you kindly leave a comment?

And Jeannine: THANK YOU. You rock. And you most likely already know it.

Have a good week!

(A Slightly Late) Simple Supper Monday, Vol 45: Beef and Quinoa Meatballs

I had an absolutely CRAZY weekend! Hubby and I took Little Chica to visit some great friends, Brad and Amanda, in Charlottesville, VA. Brad and Hubby have been friends for many years (we all went to high school together), and were both in each other's wedding. There are far too many stories involving the two of them, most of which are not appropriate to share on this blog. Amanda came into my life when she married Brad. And she is a keeper! Amanda is a fun, smart and extremely hilarious friend.

Brad and Amanda. Aren't they cute?

I stole this off of Amanda's Facebook profile. I couldn't resist.

Quintessential picture of Hubby (front) and Brad (next to/behind Hubby). I'm not sure what is happening here, but I'm sure there is an inappropriate story behind it.

Yeah. We love them.

So, we set out to get to Brad and Amanda's on Friday evening. Thinking it would be easy to transfer her from car to bed once we arrived, we started the road trip around Little Chica's bedtime. Our hope was that she'd fall asleep during the ride, and seemlessly stay asleep when we arrived and put her in her pack-n-play.

We were wrong.

We arrived, bleary-eyed, at 12:30am. And, for whatever reason, Little Chica woke up. I mean woke up. And would not go back to bed. For several hours. It took a lot of finessing, but finally around 4:30am, I got her to fall back asleep. I felt like I was back to having a newborn! Augh!

You can imagine this lack of sleep on the first night threw off the rest of the weekend: a cranky toddler, sleepy parents, and a toddler completely off of her schedule in unfamiliar surroundings.

To top it off, Saturday night, our dear friend (and host), Brad got food poisoning and spent the better part of the night/early morning puking his guts up. We are thankful that after Saturday night, he woke up feeling better (and Little Chica got a good night's sleep). Sunday was much better (despite another round of bad night sleep for Little Chica) and the ride home was perfect.

I am exhausted.

All that to say, I did not get to post a Simple Supper recipe yesterday. So I will make up for it today (and check back later this evening or tomorrow morning for a Meatless Meal recipe as well).

This recipe was served to us by Brad's wife, Amanda, while we were visiting. She actually made this for dinner Saturday night, but Brad was too sick to eat it. I can't say enough what amazing hosts Brad and Amanda were: Brad was sick for an entire evening, and they had to deal with a crazy 18 month old who never quits. They were generous, gracious and a lot of fun. Thank you, Brad and Amanda! We love you guys!

So, Amanda (who is a fantastic cook) got this recipe from Whole Food Markets, who sends out recipes via their e-newsletters. I was skeptical at first, but after tasting this meal, I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH. I just got back from grocery shopping, and will be making this meal again later this week. I also might experiment in making this a meatless meal, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~

Simple Supper Monday

Whole Food Market's

Beef and Quinoa Meatballs

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound (95-percent) lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/4 cup grated carrots
• 1/4 cup grated zucchini
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil then grease with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together beef, quinoa, onions, carrots, zucchini, ketchup, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, salt, oregano, thyme and egg until well combined. Shape beef mixture into 16 balls and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Roast until cooked through and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

(Note: To cook quinoa, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Pour in ½ cup quinoa, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside off of the heat for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)

(Nutrition facts per serving (about 4oz/113g-wt.): 150 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 75mg cholesterol, 470mg sodium, 8g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 17g protein)

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

These meatballs smell amazing as they are cooking. I love that they are chock-full of healthy ingredients, and much better for you than regular meatballs. This might taste good shaped into a meat loaf as well!

Amanda served this alongside spaghetti with a homemade tomato cream sauce (which I will post in the very near future because it was so stinkin' good). The next day, we enjoyed them in hoagie rolls smothered with extra sauce. As I stated earlier, I want to experiment with some ground beef substitutes to make this into a meatless meal. As I work on it, I will post my results!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you. I'm still on the prowl for NEW Simple Supper recipes! Please send them my way - as I'd love to try them and post them (if you send me a recipe, send me a picture of yourself or a bio paragraph so I can post a bit about you - we love knowing where/who my food is coming from)!

Stay tuned for more recipes and posts throughout the week!

moderndaydonnareed@gmail.com

Simple Supper Monday - Volume 39: Fake Out Take Out Mongolian Beef

Hi.

Remember me?

Yep. I blog here. Atleast, I was blogging here a week ago. And then Christmas happened. All over the place. It was a messy but joyful sprint of familyfoodfriendsfoodgiftsfoodhappinessfoodandmorefood. It was overwhelming. I laughed. I cried. I napped. I loved every second of it.

But, as you can tell, it kept me from one of the things I love to do: blogging.

So, as I have numerous times before on this blog, I ask for your forgiveness as I confess:

It has been 1 week since I have blogged.

Oh the shame of it.

Now that's done and over with, let me share with you this week's Simple Supper recipe! Wahoo!

I recently stumbled upon a blog that is the epitome of beauty. A Year of Slow Cooking is thy name. Oh YSC Blog, how I love thee. I was also given an opportunity to check out the book that came out of this blog experiment - Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by the blog's blogger, Stephanie O'Dea. (PS - I will be reviewing this book and Nigella Lawson's new book this week - SO CHECK BACK).

Wow, can I not focus this evening?

So anyway, I came across this blog. Loved everything about it (not that I am obsessed with slow cookers and anything that has to do with them). I decided to try out one of Ms. O'Dea's recipes.

It. Was. Glorious.

Now I am not ashamed to pass along this recipe. Note, I am not claiming it as mine. I do my best to never lay claim to a recipe that I have either come across or been given by a friend. I always give props.

Ms. O'Dea: Major Props.

It was ironic that I came across this blog right around my birthday (yep, it was my birthday 2 weeks ago. Gifts are currently still being accepted). Hubby, the wonderful and handsome man-candy that he is, took me out to PF Chang's for dinner to celebrate my birth. Oh what a righteous and gut-busting event. Well, more like belt-busting. I ate like a pig. Hubby was given an order of Mongolian Beef by mistake, but decided to keep it as his meal.

He tried it.

I tried it.

We loved it.

Not only did I love it, but I needed it. Again. Very soon. So I set out on the task for a reproduction recipe. You'd be amazed at the underground community of people who create restuarant copy cat recipes.

I love each and every one of you.

My search brought me to A Year of Slow Cooking, where a "Fake Out Take Out" version of Mongolian Beef had been posted.

I tried it.

Loved it.

So I am posting it. And I will be scouting out more Copy Cat recipes. If I can make it at home for a fraction of the cost without sacrificing taste, I. AM. IN.

Thanks to Stephanie O'Dea for creating this recipe (and I LOVED YOUR BOOK!)

~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Simple Supper Monday

"Fake Out Take Out" Mongolian Beef Recipe

~ By Stephanie O'Dea, of A Year Of Slow Cooking ~

--1 1/2 pounds flank steak

--3 cloves of garlic, minced

--4 sliced green onions--one is for garnish

--1 t dried minced onion (or 1/2 fresh onion, diced very small)

--1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce (I used La Choy)

--1/4 cup white wine

--1/4 cup cooking sherry

--1/2 T white wine vinegar (optional--I forgot to add it!)

--1 t sesame oil

--1 t molasses

--1 t ginger

--1/4 t black pepper

--1 t red chili pepper flakes

--1/2 T peanut butter (if allergic, use black bean paste)

--3 T brown sugar

--1/4 cup cornstarch (to dredge meat--don't add to sauce mixture)

The Directions.

--slice your meat in thin strips and toss in a Ziploc bag with cornstarch.

--add all of the liquid and dried spices to your crockpot, and the peanut butter, and mix well. Add the garlic and three of the sliced green onions. If you are using fresh onion, add that now, too.

--put your meat on top, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Flank steak is thin and have very little fat, and will cook quickly. There isn't a lot of liquid in this dish, so if your crock tends to cook hot, please check it after 3 hours.

The meat is done when it is no longer pink and has reached desired tenderness. I cooked our meat in a 6qt oval Smart Pot and it was done after 4 hours on low.

Serve over steamed or fried rice, and garnish with freshly sliced green onion.

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Mmmm.

As the new year approaches, I will be working on new Simple Supper recipes. On an adventurous twist, I will be trying to create some original recipes. That's right folks. Creativity in progress. You might want to stand back.

I also look forward to checking out YOUR recipes. Send them my way!

Check back later this week for some awesome BOOK REVIEWS (these books MUST enter your home library in 2010!), some Confessions and some craziness.

Until then....