The Poor Man’s Steak Recipe

2-3 lbs chuck roast, trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar

Pierce the roast with a fork on both sides.

Mix all marinade ingredients together. Pour over the chuck roast in a zip-lock bag.

Refrigerate overnight or up to two days, turning several times.

Grill it as you would a steak. Let rest a few minutes, slice and serve.

Serves about 6.

It's summer. It's hot.

Who wants to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when you can be outdoors celebrating the warm months with friends and family? The most popular style of cooking meat is roasted over an open flame. That can't be beat. You can pan-sear, oven roast and broil all you want, but nothing will ever compare to a open flamed grilled steak. The combination of a smoky, Grilling beef is all about the caramelized crust and a tender, juicy interior. Grilling the perfect steak is an art form. It takes plenty practice and patience to master it.

Favorable grilling candidates include New York strip, T-bone, porterhouse, sirloin, filet mignon and rib-eye.



Choose cuts that are 1- to 2 inch thick. Pay special attention to bone-in cuts of meat and make sure the steak is at an even thickness. Meat near the bone will take longer to cook so be extra careful.

Marinating meat is one of the best ways to enhance the flavor and tenderize at the same time. Over-marinating can result in tough or mushy meat. For additional ways to flavor-up a steak, try a dry rub or top cooked steaks with herbed butter. When ready to cook, be sure to treat the marinated meat with the same care you would treat any raw meat. Be sure to discard the marinade after use.

Sear steaks over direct heat, then move them to indirect heat to finish cooking. For a 1-inch thick steak, a general guide is 8 to 10 minutes per side for medium-rare (145 degrees F). For an accurate reading--and to avoid cutting into that sublime steak--use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

Below are suggested cooking times that need to be divided in half for each side:

Thickness--------------Rare-------------Medium----------Well------------Heat

1"---------------------8-10-------------12-14-----------16-20-----------High

1 1/2"-----------------10-14------------16-20-----------22-26-----------High

2----------------------12-16------------18-22-----------24-28-----------Medium

Seafood Pasta Salad

1-16 ounce package multi colored bow tie pasta
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 pound imitation crab meat, chopped
1/2 pounds Large Shrimp, tail off and deveined
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons milk

Season to taste with salt, pepper and fresh chopped dill

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; rinse under cold water until cool and drain.

While pasta is cooking, chop celery and crabmeat. Run hot water over peas to defrost.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, milk, salt and pepper. Add the pasta, celery and crabmeat and stir until evenly coated. Adjust the salt, sugar or mayonnaise to suit your taste. Chill several hours before serving.

Serves 4

STEAK AND AVOCADO FAJITAS

1 1/2 lb flank steak or fajita cut steak
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chile powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 heart of romaine
2 firm-ripe avocados (8 to 10 oz each)
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs



Heat a well-seasoned pan (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until beginning to smoke, then brush with oil.

While pan heats, pat steak dry and stir together spices and salt, then rub all over both sides of steak.

Grill steak, turning over once, 9 to 11 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut romaine crosswise into thin shreds. Quarter avocados lengthwise, then pit, peel, and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

While steak is standing, stack tortillas, wrapped completely in dampened paper towels, on a microwave-safe plate and cook in a microwave oven at high power (100 percent) until tortillas are hot, about 1 minute or until desire.

Holding knife at a 45-degree angle, thinly slice steak across the grain. Serve with tortillas, avocado, romaine, and cilantro.

4 Servings

EASY HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE

2 ripe California avocados, quartered, pitted, and peeled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup white onion
1 fresh chile including seeds
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

3/4 to 1 cup cold water

Pulse all ingredients in a processor and add water as needed for desired consistency.

Can be made 1 hour ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.


Makes about 2 cups.

Hot Artichoke & Spinach Spread

1 Pkg (8oz) cream cheese softened
1 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 pkg Mrs. Grass Homestyle Recipe soup&Dip mix
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach thawed and well drained.
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts coarsly chopped
10 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

In a medium size bowl, thoroughly combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and Mrs. Grass soup and dip mix.

Stir in spinach, artichoke hearts and mozzarella cheese. Spread mixture in a 2 quart baking dish.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.Bake at 350’ for 30 minutes or until edges are brown.

Serve warm with crackers or toasted bread.

Makes 10 servings.

This great recipe was given to me by my mother years ago and I have served it on missions many times.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking

The Healthiest Homemade Chocolate Brownies

1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1-6 oz container of 99% Fat Free French Vanilla Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Applesauce
¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Egg Whites
¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
½ Cup Unsweetened Baking Cocoa


Pre-heat oven to 350F. Spray 8-inch square pan with olive oil non-stick spray.

In medium bowl, mix granulated sugar, yogurt, walnuts, applesauce, vanilla and egg whites.

Stir in all remaining ingredients except powdered sugar. Spread in pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 X 4 rows.

Dust with a little Powdered Sugar if Desired.

Only 110 calories per brownie square.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Did you know this about used coffee grounds?

Did you know this about used coffee grounds?


Roughly more than 50 percent of Americans drink coffee each day, over 3 cups equaling more than 300 million cups a day. You may fall within that 50 percent. Ok now that is a lot of coffee but what about the leftover grounds. Have you ever heard of people talking about using coffee for various things around the house?

With recycling becoming more and more important in America, leftover coffee grounds can be used to save you money. In this blog, I am going to discuss just a few most likely uses of used coffee grounds. After reading this you may start using those old coffee grounds instead of just throwing them away.

Used as a cleaning aid - We all face hard-to-clean objects in our lives. Whether yours is a pan that just won't come clean or an ashtray full of stains, coffee grounds as a cleaner may be your solution. Coffee grounds are extremely abrasive and acidic, making them the choice when it comes to difficult cleaning. Mix some coffee grounds with a little bit of water, and then scrub with a firm brush. Make sure the pans you are trying to clean are stain-resistant. Coffee grounds may dye any surface it makes contact with. I just wonder, if coffee can clean pots and pans, what does it do to my stomach lining.

Freshening kitchen drains - Do you ever walk through your kitchen and smell a foul odor, only to discover that it is emanating from your drain? Just heat about 5 cups of water to a boil and pour about half a cup of used coffee grounds down the drain followed by the boiling water. The hot water pushes the grounds through, ensuring that they will not clog the drain. Your drain should smell fresh for at least a week.

Enhances carrot and radish growth – Most of us have heard that coffee grounds make a great fertilizer in garden and great for compost piles. Believe it or not, coffee can enhance the growth of carrots and radishes. Though I have never tried this in my garden I have heard this from many reliable sources. Mix your carrot and radish seeds with used coffee grounds and plant the seeds and coffee together. The grounds will increase your carrot and radish amount and size and ward off any underground pests attracted to your garden. Just give it a try for yourself and see.

Deodorizer for freezer - Stop spending money on baking soda and start using those when your old coffee grounds do the same job? After drying the grounds place them in an old used butter tub or something similar. Place the lid on, but poke holes in the top to allow the flow of oxygen so that the coffee grounds will be able to suck up odors effectively.

These are just a few uses for those old coffee grounds. Be sure to let me know what you think of this article.

HEALTHY EASY 1-2-3 VEGETABLE LASAGNA RECIPE

The best thing about this recipe is that not only is it very healthy, you can put what every vegetable you desire in it. I like to put veggie crumble in my sauce to give it the texture of meat. This recipe can also be frozen for up to 3 months for later enjoyment. Enjoy and happy cooking.

3 cups pasta sauce
1 - 16 ounce container 1% or non-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles, oven ready sheets
2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin
1 zucchini, cut into thin half moons
1 package mushrooms, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine cottage and parmesan cheese.
Spray a 13 X 9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
Place 3 uncooked noodles on the bottom of the pan.
Cover the noodles with 1 cup spaghetti sauce, 1/3 cheese mixture and 1/3 mozzarella cheese.
Spread spinach leaves, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms on top of the cheese.
Repeat this layering 2 more times with noodles, sauce, cheeses and vegetables.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for one hour.
Let stand for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

OVER-STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 Pound hot Italian sausages
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 fresh garlic clove, minced
2 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
2 large egg yolk
Olive oil
30 large mushrooms, stemmed
2/3 cup dry white wine

Sauté sausage and oregano in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is cooked through, breaking into small pieces with spatula, about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage mixture to large bowl and cool. Mix in 1 cup Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic, then cream cheese. Season filling with salt and pepper; mix in egg yolk.

Brush 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with olive oil to coat. Brush cavity of each mushroom cap with white wine; fill with about 1 tablespoon filling or more and sprinkle with some of remaining 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange mushrooms, filling side up, in prepared dish.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered until mushrooms are tender and filling is brown on top, about 25 minutes.

Makes about 30

Easy Bananas Foster Casserole

3 bananas, sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup raisins
1-1/2 teaspoons brandy

1/2 gallon vanilla bean ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 8x8 inch baking dish.

Cover the bottom of the prepared casserole dish with half of the banana slices. Sprinkle the bananas with half the brown sugar, butter pieces, pecans, and raisins. Form another layer with the remaining banana slices and repeat layering with remaining brown sugar, butter, pecans, and raisins.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle brandy over top of casserole and drizzle sauce from pan over a scoop of ice cream.

Makes 4 servings

BARE BASICS OF CANNING

Recently, I was approached about posting a blog on the craze of Canning. Canning fresh fruits and vegetables for later consumption is a great way of saving money during hard times. So, I decided to write this blog about the basics of canning. Later, I plan to go more in-depth and even start posting simple canning recipes.

Let me begin with what makes fresh foods perishable. Fresh foods are made up of a high percentage of water that makes them very perishable. Food quality is lost and spoiling begins for the following reasons:

- bacteria microorganism growth

- yeasts and molds

- activity of food enzymes

- reactions with oxygen and moisture loss

Microorganisms live and multiply quickly on the surfaces of fresh food and on the inside of bruised, insect-damaged, and diseased food. Oxygen and enzymes are present throughout fresh food tissues.

Proper canning practices are as follows:

- carefully select and thoroughly wash fresh food

- peel fresh foods with skin

- hot pack and add acids like lemon juice and vinegar foods that require it

- use required jars with self-sealing lids

- sterilize jars in boiling-water or use a pressure canner for the correct period of time

Combined, these practices remove oxygen; destroy enzymes; prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeasts, and molds; and help form a high vacuum in jars. Good vacuums form tight seals, which keep liquid in, and air and microorganisms out.

May you find this blog informative and start thinking about the benefits of canning for your home. Pressure canners can be purchased on line at kitchencollections.com through my blog.

Blackened Flank Steak Salad

1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 cups (packed) mixed baby greens
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion


1 1 pound flank steak
3 tablespoons butter, melted
6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 pack cherry tomatoe, halved

Mix all spices in a small bowl with a fork. (Can be made 1 week ahead stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard in large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Add greens, bell pepper and onion and toss to coat. Divide salad between 2 plates.

rub spice mixture on both sides of flank steak. Dip both sides of the steak into melted butter. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the steak and cook to desired doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to cutting board; let stand 2 minutes. Thinly slice steaks against the grain. Arrange slices atop salads. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese. Garnish with tomato, red onion slices and serve.

Makes 2 full portion servings.

The propper way to hold your chef knife.

Here is a photo of the proper chef's knife grip as seen from the inside or thumb-side of the cutting hand. Your thumb should grip the knife around the top of the blade, with the hand wrapped around the bolster of the knife. As beginners you may find that this takes some getting used to, it definitely provides extra control over the blade. Trust me once you get use to this hold you will see that this hold allows you to have more consistent cuts.

Remember that you should be gripping the knife mainly with the thumb and forefinger. Make sure you relax your hand if you find that you are tightly gripping the entire handle. After much practice you will get used to this grip, and soon any other grip wont feel natural.

Now that you know the proper way to hold your chef knife, we need to make sure your other hand does, too. Your non-knife hand is called your "guiding hand," and its job is to hold the food in place to keep it from sliding around on the cutting surface. This keeps your non-knife hand in a safe positiong. With the knife blade flying up and down, you need to keep those fingertips tucked safely away, while still being able to firmly hold the food.



This is a demonstration of the "claw grip" and as you can see, by keeping the fingers curled inward and gripping the onion with my fingernails, my fingers stay out of harm's way. The side of the knife blade should rest against the first knuckle of the guiding hand, which helps keep the blade straight up and down to the cutting board.

This is the safest and fastest way to use your profesional chef knife in your kitchen be it at home or at work. Happy cutting and the next time you are cutting food remember to use the "claw grip".

Be sure to rate this blog at the end.

Apple Strudel

2 eggs
1 Pack Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets
2 tbsp. water
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 large Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored and thinly sliced
4 tbsp. raisins
½ cup Walnuts, chopped


THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 30 min. Preheat oven to 375F. Mix egg and water.
MIX sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add apples and raisins and toss to coat.
UNFOLD pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 16"x12" rectangle. With short side facing you, spoon apple mixture on bottom half of pastry to within 1" of edges. Starting at short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush with egg mixture. Cut several 2" long slits 2" apart on top.
BAKE 35 min. or until golden. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack 30 min. Slice and serve warm. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

12 SERVINGS

ANCHO CHILI SAUCE

3 dried ancho chilies, stemmed, seeded, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Place chilies in medium metal bowl. Pour enough boiling water over chilies to cover. Let stand until chilies are soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup soaking liquid.
Puree chilies, 3 tablespoons soaking liquid and lime juice in blender until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Whisk in mayonnaise, brown sugar, oregano, rosemary and cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using, adding water by tablespoonfuls and stirring if very thick.)

Makes 1 ¼ cups.