Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff (taken from Food.com Rachel Ray)

I adjusted some of the ingredients...check back at food.com for the original

1 1/2 pounds of beef tenderloin fillet (I used 2 pounds)

Salt and pepper

3 tbs. butter, divided

2 tbs. all-purpose flour

2 cups of beef consomme, available on soup aisle

2 tsps. Dijon style mustard (I might have used 2 tbs.)

1/4 c. sour cream

1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small onion, sliced 

1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms (my addition)

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cornichons (sweet gherkins-I left this off)

1 pound extra wide noodles, cooked to package directions

chopped parsley leaves, garnish (I left this off)

Slice meat into 1/2"-thick by 2" long very thin strips and season with salt and pepper.  Set in freezer.  

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Melt 2 tbs. butter and cook with flour 1 minutes.  Whisk in consommme.  Thicken 1 minute. Stir in mustard and sour cream, thicken 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and season sauce with salt and peper.

Heat a second skillet over high heat.  Add 1 tbs. oil and 1 tbs. butter, then add the meat  and onion.  cook over high heat until brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total.  Then add the chopped cornichons and stir to combine.

Arrange meat on a bed of egg noodles and top  with stroganoff sauce and parsley.  

My tidbits:

I was running out of space on my stove top so I poured my sauce into a separate container and cook my meat, onions, and mushrooms in the pan I used for the sauce.  For serving purposes, I combined the sauce and meat mixture into one bowl.  Be sure to drain the meat before combining with stroganoff sauce.  And yes, I added mushrooms because I love mushrooms and I think every stroganoff I have ever had has had mushrooms.  My sauce didn't thicken up to well so I added a little cornstarch.  Just remember that it is always easy to add but not so easy to take out.  Cliff and the missionaries loved it.  I had enough left over for Cliff to take to work for lunch.  It was rather easy to make also.

Fresh Lemonade

Fresh Lemonade

taken from Food.com - Barefoot Contessa

1 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar to taste (I use 1 cup of sugar)

1 cup of crushed ice

4 cups of water

Put all ingredients in blender and blend.  Yummy!  A bit on the tart side so serving on ice will probably water it down a bit if you don't like to pucker.

Pumpkin Bread

I found this recipe using Google.  It was submitted by Laurie Bennett.  Any additions to her recipe by myself, my mom, or friend Rachel will have a star by them.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

15 ounces of pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup of water

3 cups of white sugar*(I used 2 c. white sugar and 3/4 c. brown sugar)

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder*(Mom said to add this-made the bread pretty)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon*(Mom said to add more than the recipe called for 1  1/2 tsp.)

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves(this is the ingredient I omitted and Rachel won!)

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice*(Rachel's other secret weapon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour (3) 7x3 loaf pans.  I just used Pam.  Mix together wet ingredients.  Mix together dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir.  Pour into pans.  Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yummy recipe that gets better the next day so it is best to bake it a day ahead.  It stays moist as long as it is kept covered.

Chicken Burrito Filling

This recipe is so yummy!  My friend Holly passed it my way-Thank you Holly!!!   I made it for dinner today and will definitely make it again.  Super easy.

Chicken Burrito Filling

Layer in Crock pot:

10 Frozen chicken tenders (I used three frozen chicken breasts)

1 cup of chicken broth

1 cup of chunky salsa

1 can corn, drained (or frozen corn)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 package of taco seasoning

Cook on low 4-5 hours, until chicken is done.  I shredded the chicken in the crock pot, mixed it all up, and then served it up with shredded cheese in a tortilla (I use the tortillas that you cook from Costco).  Top with sour cream or other yummy toppings.  

Holly's other suggestions: Serve with tortilla chips or on top of mixed salad greens with crushed chips, green onions, and Mexican style rice.

This had to be one of the easiest meals I have ever made and I had all the ingredients on hand.  I might even add a little rice to the mixture next time.  I had about half left after dinner (we are only a family of 3) so I will be freezing the mixture to break out again for dinner.  Love it!

Garlic Cheese Bread

I don't have a picture because we ate it all!  Basically, I had a loaf of sourdough bread and was thinking about making French Bread pizza.  Well, we ordered pizza instead but while we were waiting I made us an appetizer....like we needed more carbs with our dinner!

1 Loaf of Sourdough bread cut in half

Spread butter over halves

Sprinkle with garlic salt

Sprinkle with Kraft Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese

Put under broiler.  Watch carefully until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.  I sliced my loaves again into smaller pieces for easy dipping.  Serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping.  Yummy!

Banana Popsicles

Okay, so this isn't an original idea by any means.  Julia is always asking for a "popcle" or popsicle.  I did find some popsicles that are rather small and only about 3 grams of sugar per serving.  But the other day I made a bowl of fruit for us to snack on and had half a banana left over.  So I cut it in two, stuck skewers in them, wrapped them in saran wrap, and stuck them in the freezer.  Today when she asked for a "popcle" I grabbed for a frozen banana and she didn't seem to mind.  

I always learn something after I make a dish.  And in typical teacher fashion, I like to "reflect" on what I could have done better.  I would definitely purchase some popsicle sticks instead of using skewers for this item.  So after I get more popsicle sticks I will be poking them into all sorts of fruits for my little girl to munch.  And I guess I could always cover them in chocolate and nuts someday for a special treat...just like at the fair.

Shish Keberries

I wanted a quick dessert that Cliff could possibly eat in the car on his drive to work.  I already had some cold strawberries sliced and found my bamboo skewers.  So I drizzled a little "Hershey's Shell Topping" and stuck them in the freezer to help the chocolate harden.  When I brought them out Cliff called the Shish Keberries and helped Julia master the technique of sliding the strawberries off without stabbing herself in the eye.  :)  Just a little twist on the chocolate covered strawberry.