A1 Steak Sauce Beef Marinade

If you're looking for a last minute idea for the cookout, this A1 Steak Sauce Beef Marinade was pungent and garlicy, with just a tad of an oriental flavor profile. I used beef tips and let it marinade for a good six hours, it can go longer or shorter if desired. I cooked mine on the grill over medium/high heat and it made a very nice Sunday dinner:@) Tip: Don't use the special balsamic for this recipe, a cheaper version is just fine. For a robust marinade like this, I like to keep the grilled veggies a little more on the tame side, just olive oil, S&P...

Other beef marinades: Basil Marinade - Robust Marinade for Beef - Teriyaki Marinade - Garlic & Thyme - Sweet & Spicy - Sesame Marinade

A1 Steak Sauce Marinade-from here

1 C olive oil

1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce

2 Tblsp A-1 Steak Sauce

1Tblsp soy sauce

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Add everything to zip top bag, mix well.
2. Add beef and place in refrigerator, let marinate at least 4 hours to overnight.
3. Grill or cook as desired.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Garden Trash to Treasure, Grilled Chinese Food & Barbie...

I've mentioned before that sometimes I find a real treasure at the curb on trash day:@) I've been looking for a picnic table bench to place behind the raised bed garden to hold a couple pots of string beans. Well, I almost put my foot through the floor of my car hitting the brake when I saw this gem in the trash! Even better than wood, it mimics my cement table and benches on the patio. It's a very sturdy resin type material and a good weight, but manageable so I could put it in my trunk myself. Pulled into the driveway and got it situated in it's new home...

My before pic, temporary set-up:

Ugly but functional...

I like the new look much better💗

If you're anything like me you've been itching to fire up the grill and enjoy a little time outside... May I suggest this Grilled Chinese Food recipe. The marinade is very good and would work well with chicken, pork, or beef. I'm not a big seafood person, but have a feeling it would be good with salmon too? I did give it my darn good label, and you could make shish-ka-bobs or just toss everything right into a screaming hot grill pan. Good stuff folks:@)

Yep, I'd say ~everyone~ is ready for a BBQ...

What I did for Barbie Ham Steak from Clay:

1. Shape clay into an oval, but have it big enough to cover what was printed on the grill grates by Mattel.
2. Added a mini white pony bead to mimic the bone.
3. Scored some grill lines across it and let the clay dry out.
4. Added a little white paint to look like fat...
5. And used a Sharpie for the grill marks-Barbie says dinner is served!

🌞Have a Great Weekend:@)

St. Pat's Tiered Tray & Leftover Corned Beef: Soup and Hash

To be honest folks, my St. Patrick's Day Tiered Tray doesn't change too much from year to year... Top Shelf: Little bouquet of mini daffodils from the yard, and acrylic craft bead shamrocks scattered around. My thrift store leprechaun and the Dollar Tree large mushroom fairy garden house he lives in:@) 

Bottom Tray: Flameless candle with holiday wrap, bowl of colorful candy, S&P, food picks, and napkins (my tiered tray has to be functional as well as cute:@). And I've had the large shamrock ornament forever.

Seems like all of the early holidays are ganging up on us this year! St. Pat's and Easter are only two weeks apart, so my ReView for leftovers is a little early, but the ideas are worth tucking away... What makes my Corned Beef Hash a little different? A nice generous sprinkle of fresh rosemary:@) That and a beautiful brown crust takes it right over the top. Talk about a breakfast I look forward to every year, good stuff folks.

And this Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup would be great as an alternative to a big holiday dinner, or a good use of leftovers. Maybe even tuck some meat away for a rainy day in April. It's a nice light meal.

🍀Let's get ready for St. Patrick's Day, and

Have a Happy Weekend:@)

Beef Orange Frozen Veggie Stir Fry and Supermarket Meat Tip...

I found this Beef Orange Stir Fry to be a nice meal for when we're short on time. It has a good oriental flavor profile and I even found a bag of stir fry vegetables at Dollar Tree, helping to keep costs down:@) The original recipe serves it with sesame seeds on top, and while I had them, I felt a little onion flavor might be a nice addition too. So scallions it was... 

My tip: The cuts of beef were huge at the store, so I opted to pick up some sliced deli roast beef instead. If the line wasn't so long I would have asked them to slice me a few thicker slices, but instead just grabbed a pack of pre-sliced from the ready serve case. I added it after I cooked the sauce. If you plan to use the lunchmeat in gravy or a heated sauce you can store the meat in the freezer until needed.

Beef Orange Stir Fry-from Taste of Home

1 Tblsp cornstarch

1/4 C water

1/4 C orange juice

1 Tblsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

dash hot pepper flakes

1/2 lb beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

2 tsp canola oil divided

3 C frozen stir fry vegetable blend, thawed

1 clove garlic, minced

hot cooked rice

1. In bowl, stir first 6 ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
2. Stir fry beef in 1 Tblsp oil until cooked, remove to platter.
3. Stir fry garlic and vegetables in remaining oil for about 3 minutes.
4. Pour in sauce, stir until thickened. Return beef to pan.
5. Serve over rice.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Winter Cooking: Easy Beef Stew & Quick White Bread Recipe

Even though we may all be dreaming of spring, the reality is, here in Philly, as well as a lot of other places, we have another month of winter left. It's actually snowing here today... So that calls for some hearty meals:@) I dug ~way back~ to 2015 and found this Darn Good Beef Stew. This is a nice recipe that takes a while to cook on the stove top, but I promise it will make the house smell great and be worth the wait! 

And of course we want a nice slice of bread to enjoy every last drop of that gravy, here's a Quick Homemade White Bread that takes about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish. Most of that is resting time for the yeast. Good stuff folks:@)

❆Eat well, stay warm, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

ReView: Sweet and Sour Beef Stew-Instant Pot or Slow Cooker & Hooded Cape for Kid Dolls (Barbie)

Looking for a substantial meal that's a little different? Want a new recipe to try in your ♥Instant Pot? This Sweet and Sour Beef Stew was a big hit at Sunday dinner and just might be added to our menu tomorrow:@) It's a heartier, stick to the ribs version of it's oriental cousin and perfect for a cold winter day. Don't hesitate to give it a try folks, pressure cooker, slow cooker or stove top, this one's a winner.

A couple weeks ago I made a hooded cape for Barbie, I thought it would be fun to make one for Chelsea and Kelly too:@) Free patterns here.

Make something just for fun and have a happy weekend:@)

Instant Pot Swiss Steak Stew -Pressure Cooker Recipe

I thought I'd make a small change to a traditional recipe to make it work for me, and this Swiss Steak Stew turned out to be a nice Sunday dinner:@) I wanted my beef to be fork tender so I used my ♥Instant Pot pressure cooker. But at the same time, we do like our vegetables to still have a little body and bite, so the vegetables got added after the meat cooked. Served it over mashed potatoes for a retro diner kinda feel... Wa-la, a very hearty meal for the cooler months! 

The tomato gravy was really different and this will be added to our meal rotation:@)

Recipe inspiration from The Iowa Housewife.

Swiss Steak Stew-Pressure Cooker

1 1/2 - 2lbs stew meat

1 Tblsp dried onion

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

pinch of salt

1/2 C water

15 oz can stewed tomatoes, use liquid

large green pepper, thick sliced

large stalk celery, 1/4" sliced

1/2 small onion, 1/4" sliced

1 tsp beef Better Than Bouillon or 1 beef cube, maybe more to taste later

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 C water

2 Tblsp corn starch, add more for a thicker gravy

S&P to taste

1. Pressure cook first six ingredients 50 minutes, automatic release.
2. Add next six ingredients (everything except last three). Pressure cook for 1 minute. Automatic release.
3. Taste the broth, add S&P, and more bouillon if desired.
4. Stir cornstarch into water, use sauté function, add corn starch mixture to pot, cook until thickened. 
5. Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Basil Steak Marinade

My son recently contributed a nice steak for our Sunday dinner and I told him I'd make some shish-ka-bobs with it. So the search for a good marinade began... Now, I try to stay away from big proclamations here on the blog for the simple reason that everyone's tastes are different. Case in point: I landed upon a recipe called The Best Steak Marinade in Existence. Of course we just had to try it:@) Did we agree with the bold title? Ah, no. ~But~ this, I'll call it, Basil Steak Marinade is quite tasty and a nice variation from the usual flavor profiles for beef. We found basil the primary flavor, it was different and good. I do suggest letting the meat marinate for as long as you can, at least overnight.

The recipe didn't say approximately how much meat this was for, I'm guessing 2 lbs? 

I made half for 1 lb of steak, that was fine.

I did cube my meat before adding it to the marinade and left it in the fridge for 7 hours.

Fun tip from a competition grill master:

He never places meat directly onto a plate or cutting board for the resting period, uses a rack. 

He says the meat steams and the juices run out and puddle onto the plate.

I picked up a vintage Corning Ware Grill Plate at the thrift store for a couple dollars, 

it's hard to see the ridged plate in the pic above, but it works great:@)

Basil Steak Marinade-from All Recipes

1/2 C olive oil

1/3 C soy sauce

1/3 C fresh lemon juice

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce

3 Tblsp dried basil

1 1/2 Tblsp garlic powder

1 1/2 Tblsp dried parsley

1 tsp ground white pepper-I used black pepper, a nice coarse grind would be best

1. Mix everything, the gentleman put it in a blender, I just used a zip top bag and mixed it with my hands.
2. Add meat and place in fridge for up to 8 hours, preferably longer, give it a squish and turn every once in a while.
3. Cook meat as desired.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Leftover Beef and BBQ Baked Beans -Easy Slow Cooker

This is one of those ultra easy meals for leftover beef or frozen cooked hamburger (or burgers from last night's grill out). I had a little over 1/2 lb of shredded beef and wanted to use it for Sunday dinner... The only thing that kept popping into my head was baked beans, so wa-la, I mixed the two. This Leftover Beef and BBQ Baked Beans slow cooker meal uses canned beans and your favorite BBQ sauce to create a quick meal that's simply heated in the crock pot so it's ready to eat when you are. It's a nice summer alternative to chili and easily scaled down for one or two. What I do a little differently, start it on high for an hour and a half, then take the lid off. This allows it to stay hot while some of the excess moisture cooks down, creating a little more of an oven atmosphere without heating up the kitchen-we like that in summer:@)

Why grated onion? 

Because while I'm using the crock pot, this isn't a true 4-8 hour cook time and I don't want raw onion.

If I'm not using diced onion, why diced peppers? 

Because we don't mind if they stay a bit firm and under cooked.

I topped mine with my Bread and Butter Pickled Jalapenos.

The only thing that could make this meal any easier would be using a slow cooker liner:@)

Leftover Beef and BBQ Baked Beans

1/2-3/4 lb cooked beef or hamburger meat

(2) 15 oz cans baked beans, lightly drained

(2) 15 oz cans beans of choice, kidney, cannellini, pinto, great northern, etc, drained and rinsed

2 tsp ~finely grated~ onion-don't stress over this, just grate it into the vessel and eyeball it

2 Tblsp ~very finely diced~ green pepper, bell, jalapeno, banana, etc.

3/4 C BBQ sauce + a squirt when done cooking

Optional but very good: Cooked and crumbled bacon, as much as you'd like-you know your crowd...

Optional: Pickles, pickled jalapenos, hot sauce for serving

1. Add everything to slow cooker vessel, mix well. 
2. Cover, turn to high for  1 1/2 hours, remove lid. If using cooked bacon add it now.
3. Allow to cook on high until you're ready for dinner, easily 2-3 hour window, stirring occasionally.
4. Add one last squirt of BBQ sauce before serving and stir, serve with pickles and hot sauce if desired.

Let's use up those leftovers and have a happy day:@)

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Curried Beef Stew with Cauliflower and Peas -Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

I like curry powder and am always looking for new ways (to me) to use it. I decided to make this Curried Beef Stew with Cauliflower and Peas while our weather is still on the colder side. I adapted a stove top recipe to use with my ♥Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, the meat was extremely tender. Also had some cauliflower in the fridge and thought it was a different ingredient for stew, but knew it goes well with curry. This calls for a substantial amount of curry powder, love the vibrant color and big flavors in of this unique stew!

Recipe easily cut in half.

Curried Beef Stew-heavily adapted from Taste of Home

up to 1 lb stew meat-I always cut back on meat

S&P

vegetable oil or olive oil-if using

1 C water

large onion, chopped

2 large potatoes, cubed, aim for one side to be about 1/2" thick

2 large carrots, sliced, about 1/2" thick

half of a head of cauliflower, cut into large florets

large clove garlic, sliced

2 Tblsp curry powder

2 bay leaves

2 tsp soy sauce

1 C water

2 Tblsp A/P flour

2 tsp Beef Better Than Bouillon (can sub beef broth for water and Bouillon)

frozen peas, about 1/2 C

S&P to taste

Cooked rice for serving-optional

1. My stew meat was frozen, I added it, S&P and 1 C water to vessel. Set to 48 minutes, manual release.
2. Alternately: If your meat is not frozen you can use the saute function and brown it in oil before cooking for 48 minutes as above.
3. Add vegetables (except peas), curry powder, bay leaves and soy sauce to pot.
4. Stir flour into water (or beef broth) and add to vessel. If using water, add Better Than Bouillon.
5. Set timer to 3 minutes (4 if you like soft vegetables), manual release.
6. Remove lid, stir in peas, let sit for a couple minutes until thawed and heated through.
7. Add S&P to taste, serve with rice if desired.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Sweet and Sour Beef Stew -Instant Pot Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker

This Sweet and Sour Beef Stew is a very nice variation of it's lighter garlic and soy sauce cousin. This is a heartier version that's made with beef instead of chicken or pork, and it also has a tomato sauce base. The surprise ingredients, chili powder and paprika. You will notice both the sweet and sour notes, especially with the bites of pineapple. The original recipe is made in the slow cooker, I'll list what I did using my ♥Instant Pot Pressure Cooker below. This was a big hit at Sunday dinner and will be added to our menu plan going forward. If you're looking for something a little different, don't hesitate to give this one a try folks:@)

Every spring I plant snow peas so we can have a colorful chicken sweet and sour dinner in June, 

that dinner leans more towards an oriental flavor profile.

I think of this beef version as more of a winter sweet and sour meal. 

Sweet and Sour Beef Stew-adapted from Taste of Home

2 lbs stew meat-I had a little less

2 Tblsp olive oil-can cut back a bit

15 oz can tomato sauce

2 large onions, chopped-I used one softball size

4 medium carrots, peeled, 1/8" sliced

1 large green pepper, deseeded, cut into 1" chunks-I used 2 medium, one was red

1 C canned pineapple chunks-save the juice if using pressure cooker

1/2 C packed brown sugar-original recipe uses 1/4 C brown sugar, 1/4 C corn syrup

1/2 C apple cider vinegar

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

*1 Tblsp pineapple juice

*2 Tblsp cornstarch

Cooked rice for serving.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker:

1. Turn IP to saute function. Add a little olive oil, sprinkle beef with S&P, brown in batches adding more olive oil as necessary.
2. Return all meat to vessel and add 1/2 C pineapple juice. Set manual timer to 55 minutes. Seal, cook and use automatic release.
3. While meat is cooking mix everything up to asterisk in large bowl.
4. When meat is done pour mixture over meat. Seal and set manual timer to 1 minute, use automatic release. If your crew likes softer vegetables, use 2 minutes.
5. Stir cornstarch into very small amount of pineapple juice. Pour into stew, use saute function for a minute to thicken sauce.
6. Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker:

1. Brown meat in olive oil in skillet. Transfer meat to vessel of slow cooker.
2. Mix everything up to asterisk, pour over meat. (Asterisk was added by me to thicken PC stew above.)
3. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until beef is tender.
4. Serve over rice.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Cheater Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Sauerbraten

I've always wanted to try making Sauerbraten but wanted a ~quicker~ version... So that's why mine is called Cheater Instant Pot Sauerbraten. I used stew meat and the idea is to cook the meat until tender with the pickling spices, then add the vegetables and cook them for 4 minutes more. Then mix in the condiments to create the sauce. Honestly folks, I was really pleased with the way it turned out and will add this to my October menu going forward. Is it authentic? Absolutely not, but it is a nice hearty fall meal that would be great for Oktoberfest... or any old Tuesday night. As long as you like pickled food (hence the "sauer" in the name:@), you will like this!

I used 1/2 lb of meat, recipe is easily increased.

Cheater Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Sauerbraten

1/2 lb stew meat-ideally browned, I just added it to the vessel

1/2 tsp pickling spices in tea ball or cheesecloth for easy removal

pinch S&P

1/4 large onion, cut into 1/2" wedges

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 large carrot, cut into 1/2" pieces-I cut the fat end in half lengthwise too

2 Tblsp crushed ginger snap cookies

2 Tblsp red wine vinegar

2 Tblsp ketchup

1/4 tsp Beef Better Than Bouillon or Bouillon granules

cooked noodles, spätzle or mashed potatoes for serving

parsley for garnish, if you have it

1. In a perfect world sprinkle with S&P and brown the meat in some oil using the sauté function of the Instant Pot. I just tossed my meat into the vessel.
2. Add 3/4 C water and pickling spices to vessel. If using more meat, only add 1 C water no matter how much meat you're using.
3. Seal lid, cook for 50 minutes, use automatic release.
4. Place onion, celery and carrot over meat in vessel. Seal lid, cook for 4 minutes, use automatic release.
5. Pour liquid into a heat resistant bowl or cup.
6. Gently stir the cookies, vinegar, ketchup and bouillon into the meat. Add a little of the cooking liquid if too thick. I didn't need any extra liquid.
7. Serve over noodles, spätzle or mashed potatoes and garnish with parsley if using.

Das ist gut!

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Hearty Hot Beef Dip -Original Little Dipper Crock Pot Recipe, Low Carb Option

One of my favorite things to find while nosing around on-line are old original recipes. I was tickled to see this Hearty Hot Beef Dip that came (still comes?) with the Little Dipper Crock Pot. My crock pot came from the thrift store, sans recipe booklet... This is a nice easy little dip to toss together for New Year's Eve, a football playoff party (yep, we're still in it!) or any time you're in the mood for a warm, creamy and substantial munchie:@)

Notes:

• I suggest placing a paper towel under the lid to collect condensation and keep the dip nice and thick.
• It calls for half of a package of dried beef... That leaves enough meat for one nice breakfast of Creamy Chipped Beef. Or, if you'd like a ~seriously meaty~ dip, add the whole package, there's plenty of cream cheese.
• My cream cheese was cubed but cold, it took 1 hour to get hot so it could be mixed and smooth.
• The recipe doesn't call for it, but I gave everything a thorough stir after the cream cheese melted.
• As with most of these cream cheese dips, cold leftovers are ~amazing~ schmeared on a bagel:@)
• I used Half and Half instead of milk and subbed a heaping Tblsp 1/8" diced yellow onion for the scallions.
• And I believe (minus the crackers or bread) this dip would be considered low carb too. 

 Don't hesitate to give this one a try folks!

Eat well and have a Happy New Year:@)

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2 Ingredient French Dip Beef Au Jus-Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Some days we just need an easy no-brainer for lunch or dinner but still want something hot and hearty... I'm not sharing anything new or earth shaking here, just a reminder that when you need a ~very tasty~ sandwich that pretty much takes care of itself you can't beat this 2 Ingredient French Dip Beef Au Jus! Just beef, I used chuck roast this time, and dry onion soup mix. Cooking it in a pressure cooker is perfect because you don't lose any of the liquid, read: more for dipping:@) I added a little too much *cough* horseradish to my sandwich, provolone cheese would be a nice addition too.

 My small batch ratio is up to 1 lb beef-1 envelope of soup mix-1 cup water.

If that's too salty for you, add more beef broth.

Leftovers? Lucky you:@) Use the meat and broth as the starting point for any soup that sounds good.

Clarification: An Instant Pot is just the name brand of an electronic pressure cooker. 
So any recipe with that in the title will work in any electronic pressure cooker.
My ♥electronic pressure cookers and mini Zo bread maker♥ are my all time favorite kitchen toys. 

2 Ingredient French Dip Beef Au Jus

1 lb beef, any cut you'd like, chuck is great, and this is perfect for inexpensive London broil shoulder roast too

1 envelope dry onion soup mix-I've used Lipton, Aldi and Walmart brands, they're all good!

1 C water

     1. Put everything in pressure cooker vessel, seal, select high pressure for sixty minutes. Allow natural release.

     2. Shred meat with fork, serve on sturdy rolls with au jus for dipping.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Beef Veggie and Bean Soup -with Lipton Onion Soup Mix starter

I always have Lipton's Onion Soup Mix in the pantry and while it's a favorite dip around here, it never even dawned on me to actually use it as a base for soup! Well that changed when I found a little pack of boneless beef in the freezer that I labeled "cheap beef"??? ~No idea what cut of meat that was~ but no worries, once I browned it up a bit and tossed it into the pressure cooker it was fall apart tender in no time. Add any veggies you like or have and I added beans because they hold up well in the freezer.

Nothing fancy or super sexy here folks, 

just a tasty clear broth soup that used up a pack of mystery meat from the freezer:@)

Notes:

• Barley is another good freezer option and potatoes would be great if you'll be eating all of this in a day or two.
• My pressure cooker has a browning function, if yours doesn't you can brown it in the soup pot then transfer the meat to the PC. That way you'll still have the flavor from the brown bits in your soup.
• You can easily make this on the stove, just simmer the meat until it's fall-apart tender, then add the veggies.
• I used one big stalk of celery, one large carrot, a 1/2 C peas and a can of white beans. This made two very hearty ~Earl size~ bowls of soup, could easily be stretched to 3-4 servings with bread or rolls.
• I think browned and drained ground beef would be fine too.

Beef Veggie and Bean Soup -with Lipton Onion Soup Mix starter
Beef or ground beef, about 1/3-1/2 lb
S&P
bacon fat or olive oil for browning meat
4 C water, divided if using pressure cooker
veggies of your choice: celery, carrots, green beans, peas, turnips, rutabaga, etc
starch of your choice: cooked beans (drained and rinsed if canned), cooked barley, potatoes, etc
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1. Sprinkle beef with S&P and brown.
2. If using pressure cooker, add meat and 2 C water to PC, set timer for 55 minutes. If using stove, add 2 C water to pot, bring to a boil, reduce to low simmer, cover and cook until meat is tender.
3. If using the PC, once meat is tender transfer to soup pot. For both methods-add the other 2 C water and the rest of the veggies, simmer for about 15 minutes. I didn't add the frozen peas until the last few minutes of cooking time.
4. Add the soup mix, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the onion and veggies are tender.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Sweet and Spicy Beef Kabobs -Outdoors or on the George Foreman Grill

These Sweet and Spicy Beef Kabobs are another good example of how nicely the George Foreman Grill can cook things and they were done in about 5 minutes! The recipe is from the Food Network Magazine, Sept 2014 issue and I did let the meat marinate for hours, it had lots of big flavor, garlic and soy being the most dominant (I used a garlic press). And in case you're wondering, while I noticed the sweet... The heat? Not so much. This is a nice robust marinade that's sure to bring compliments, I can see it becoming a summertime favorite!

I'm not a fan of sriracha ~if you've been around Pig In Mud for a while, go ahead, insert hot sauce joke here:@) and used a Garlic Tabasco sauce, simply use whatever hot sauce you have. Also subbed red wine vinegar. This made a great dinner and the leftover meat was very nice thinly sliced on a salad.

Tip for the George Foreman Grill: It's best to try to keep everything cut to about the same size, around 1" square-ish. While I don't worry about that too much on outdoor grills, I do like for everything to be in contact with the plates on the George. And I do move things from the back to the front and turn them a few times.

Fire up the grill of your choice and have a happy day:@)

Fajita Marinade and my 100th Jalapeno Post!

This year's contribution to Cinco de Mayo is a nice recipe for a Fajita Marinade, I just had to try it the day I saw it. Literally stopped at the supermarket on my way to work for a pepper and lime, already had the 'peno in the fridge... And speaking of jalapenos, this is my 100th post using those tasty little chiles in one way or another. That tickles me for some reason:@) As for this marinade, most of the comments say it has an authentic taste, this Philly Girl can't speak to that, but I did think it was very tasty, recommend it and would make it again!

 I butterflied the chicken breast before marinating it and used a flat Lodge cast iron griddle, that gave me lots of room for cooking.

Muy Bueno!

Fajita Marinade-from Simply Recipes
Makes enough for 1 1 /2lbs chicken breast:
2 Tblsp fresh lime juice
3 Tblsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Mix everything, add chicken or beef and let marinate at room temperature for an hour, turning every once in a while.
2. Pat chicken/beef dry before cooking in cast iron or on the grill.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Darn Good Easy Beef Stew

I received a nice bottle of red wine from a customer at work for Christmas and decided to save it for a cold, blustery, snowy Saturday in February... Mother Nature was glad to oblige, and on Valentine's Day no less:@) While I'm truly enjoying a glass ~or two~ I was most excited to try cooking with it, believe it or not, I've never done that before. This Darn Good Easy Beef Stew recipe (I added the 'darn good', they just call it Easy Beef Stew) is from chow.com and they consider it cooking 101.

I made a half batch and my only changes were: I used bacon fat instead of oil-oh yes, I did:@) Didn't have fresh thyme so I added a pinch of dry and since I've been craving pasta, served it over noodles instead of adding potatoes. Note: I do highly recommend cutting the meat into smaller pieces against the grain to ensure it gets even more tender and would probably cook the meat longer next time too.

Darn Good Easy Beef Stew-from Chow.com (click for detailed directions and video)

1/4 C plus 1 Tblsp A/P flour

2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

1-3lb boneless chuck roast, cut into 1-1 1/2" cubes-I suggest about 1/2" thick against the grain

3 Tblsp vegetable oil-I used bacon fat

1 medium yellow onion, large dice

2 Tblsp tomato paste

1 C dry red wine

4 C low sodium beef broth

2 bay leaves

4 fresh thyme sprigs-I used a pinch of dry

3 medium carrots-I added extra

3 medium celery stalks

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes-I served mine over noodles instead

1 C frozen peas

1. Mix 1/4 C flour and S&P, shake meat in mixture (I use a Lock and Lock Bowl).
2. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering. Add meat (don't crowd the pan and cook in batches) and brown on all sides. Remove meat to a plate.
3. Add onion and season with S&P, cook and stir about 5 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste and cook for a minute or two.
5. Add extra 1 Tblsp flour and cook for a minute or two.
6. Add wine, scrape up brown bits and cook until thick, maybe three minutes.
7. Return meat and juices to the pot. Add broth, bay leaves and thyme to the pot. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for one hour.
8. Cut carrots, celery and potatoes into a large dice (I made mine about 1" thick and would make them smaller next time) and add to pot, bring to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for one hour or until veggies are tender. 
9. Discard bay leaves and thyme stems, add peas and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Reseason with S&P if desired.

Eat well and have a happy day! Oh, and cheers:@)

Marinade for Beef Kabobs

Where's the Beef??? That silly commercial from the 80's popped into my head as I glanced at the kabob recipes here on Pig In Mud. Not-one-for-beef. So, much to Earl's delight, I decided to correct that:@) Without a doubt the star of this meal is the Marinade for Beef Kabobs, it's tangy and robust and there's something about it that keeps you going back for just one more bite...

This is the first time I've added tomatoes to kabobs, I'd recommend dedicating a skewer or two to them individually. Especially if they're super ripe and fresh from the garden. This recipe makes a lot of marinade and is easily cut in half. If you live alone or there's only two of you, go ahead and grill up all of the meat. The leftovers would be great for topping a salad, adding BBQ sauce for a sandwich or diced up and added to a skillet dinner.

Cute side note: I added the leftovers to my pressure cooker to whip up a small batch of Beef Barley Soup. As it was cooking away a couple girls knocked on the door (they were handing out church flyers). They said "we just have to tell you, it smells so good in there!". How's that for an unsolicited testimonial:@)

Marinade for Beef Kabobs-from Miz Helen's Country Cottage

~This quantity of marinade is for (at least) 2 lbs sirloin, cut into bite sized pieces~

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

2/3 cup Ketchup

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoon Soy Sauce

2 tablespoon Worcester

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper-leave it out if you'd like

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke-optional but highly recommended

1. In a medium size sauce pan melt the butter and add everything else, whisk together. Simmer for 30 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
3. Add meat to marinade and refrigerate for 24 hours.
4. Skewer meat and your favorite veggies and grill to your desired level of doneness.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Sweet Fire Pork or Chicken Shish-Ka-Bobs with Chipotle, Orange and Honey

Every magazine I've looked at for the last month or so had an ad for the most amazing looking pork chops... These Sweet Fire Pork or Chicken Shish-Ka-Bobs are my take on that recipe. It just so happens that the "fire" part of the recipe calls for chipotle powder and chipotle is the item for the Mystery Ingredient Club this time, so I whipped some up! The recipe is from the National Pork Board and I hope they don't get too upset that I used chicken:@) Why chicken? Say it with me now... because that's what I had on hand-right. Truthfully folks, I don't see how you could go wrong using this flavorful mixture on anything from beef to shrimp!

But deep down we all know pork would be best:@)

Sweet Fire Pork or Chicken Shish-Ka-Bobs-adapted from porkbeinspired.com
pork or chicken cut into 1" cubes-equivalent of about 4 pork chops
veggies of choice, cut into 1" pieces-I used bell pepper and sweet onions
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder-oh Momma that's good stuff!
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
zest of one large orange
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/3 C honey

1. Mix oil, chipotle, salt, zest and garlic. Add meat and veggies, mix well and let sit for about 30 minutes.
2. Skewer everything and grill over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, flip to other side and grill for about 3 minutes then brush honey over meat. Finish cooking for about 2 minutes or until meat is done.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

The Mystery Ingredient Club is hosted by Michael of Rattlebridge Farm-
no one knows what the next ingredient will be...

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