Fruited Flank Steak

*This is my most requested recipe! The drippings from this dish make the best gravy!

Slow-cooker recipe:

1 (1 to 1-1/2 lbs.) flank steak
1/4 c. bottled teriyaki sauce
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. vinegar
1 T. canola oil
1 clove minced garlic (I use 1/8 tsp. minced garlic in a jar)
Juice reserved from can of fruit coctail (save fruit for later)

Sprinkle flank steak with salt and pepper; place in slow-cooking pot. Drain fruit cocktail, saving 1/4 c. syrup. Combine 1/4 cup syrup with remaining ingredients: pour over steak in pot. (Do not add fruit cocktail yet...only syrup)

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or until tender. Add drained fruit the last few minutes until hot. Lift out of pot: place on platter. With sharp knife, cut thin slices of meat across the grain. Serve hot.

Makes 4-5 servings.


Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy made from sauce in pot. (I usually double the liquid ingredients and make a gravy from that for the potatoes. Yummy fruity teriyaki gravy. :9

The Infamous Cheese Zombies :)

Anyone who went to high school in the Mount Diablo School District knows about these yummy rolls filled with melted cheese. It is the ultimate comfort food! Perfect for rainy days! I guess I wasn't the only one who was addicted to these. I have heard of many people who share this "food memory" with me that still crave it! It seriously makes me laugh! People talk about going back to our high school just to walk through the lunch line to get one...and some actually do! Good thing I'm a couple states away or that could be me! I pulled this recipe off of my High School's Facebook page. Someone took the time to contact the school district to get this recipe.

Cheese Zombies

To make 2 ½ pounds of dough:

2 cups warm water

1½ - 2 Tablespoons yeast

6 cups bread flour (can use 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour)

¼ cup sugar

1 – 1 ½ teaspoons salt (depending on taste)

¼ cup butter

Directions

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add remaining ingredients and mix with dough hook about 10 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Dough should be soft and pliable. Let dough rest a few minutes then divide into 1-pound portions. Roll the portions into logs. Cut each log into 5 equal pieces. 

Place your favorite filling on top of each dough slice, then pull dough up from the sides to cover filling. Pinch closed very carefully. Place zombies pinched side down on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet pan (parchment works best). If desired, brush with egg wash. Let rise until almost doubled in size. Bake @350 degrees until brown on top, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

*When I have tried to make these I don't brush with the egg wash. To soften the rolls, I immediately brush them with water a couple of times--which steams them.

Fillings: If traditional filling is desired use 1 ½ to 2 oz. of cheese per zombie, however, you can use a variety of different fillings. For example: pepperoni, pizza sauce & cheese, ham & cheese, sausage, green chilies, ground beef, sloppy joes, scrambled eggs, vegetables, etc.

French Toast Croissant Breakfast Sandwich

Sorry there is no picture--you'll have to use your imagination. ;)

Okay, this probably sounds a bit crazy...but let me explain! :) I found some left-over croissants that we used for sandwiches this past week. Usually I store them in a large Ziplock bag to keep them fresh longer but must have gotten lazy this week. This morning, as I was thinking about what to make for our Saturday breakfast I stumbled across these croissants that were started to get a bit crispy on the ends. So, I decided to slice them in half and dip the cut side in the same mixture you would use of beaten egg, milk and cinnamon and then fry them up (with very little oil) until browned.

I filled the croissant with scrambled eggs (with sauteed red & green peppers), a little shredded cheddar cheese and a piece of cooked bacon that was broken in two. My kids were so impressed! If you scramble the eggs without adding sauteed peppers, you may want to try a little drizzle of syrup over the eggs--why not? McDonald's makes McGriddles right? (Not that I could eat those. Too fake sweet for me.) :)

Oh, to make it even more special, serve with a fruit smoothie or orange julius. We used the frozen Jamba Smoothie mix with strawberries and bananas in it and added a couple of tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate to it with a little milk. Mmmm...

Steph's Taco Salad

Justin's Birthday Dinner request every year is this Taco Salad. This recipe has evolved over the years according to our family's tastes but it is one of our family's favorites. Even though Justin is a couple thousand miles away right now, in Chile, we enjoyed his traditional Birthday Dinner on May 24th--Justin will have to have a raincheck" when he gets home.

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. Taco Bell seasoning mix, prepare according to direction on package.
garlic salt & pepper, to taste


While meat is cooking, prepare the salad mixture:

Iceberg lettuce, cut-up, or a bag of Iceberg salad mix. (We use the large bag of salad from Costco)
1-2 roma tomatoes, cut-up
1 C. grated cheddar cheese or bagged grated cheese 

1 C. corn 

1/2 red onion, chopped (can soak in ice water for 20 mins. to soften the strong taste of the onion.)

black olives, sliced (small can)

chili beans, pintos (low sodium)

1 avocado, cut-up and sprinkled with salt
a couple of handfuls of Nacho Cheese Doritos, crunched up

Catalina dressing/light Catalina dressing- but not yet :)

*You can serve with Barbecue sauce and Ranch Dressing if you absolutely must, but first try the Catalina!) :)

Mix salad and then top with warm (but not hot) taco meat. Pour Catalina dressing/light Catalina dressing over the taco meat and toss well. Serve with more chips because, inevitably, your family will probably tell you there isn't enough in it!

*Tip: cook up double the amount of taco meat and have tacos the next night with half the effort. :)

Happy Birthday Justy!

Ground Beef Stroganoff

This isn't your typical Stroganoff recipe. I got this recipe from a friend at BYU and it has proven kid friendly over the years. We never put in the mushrooms, so I'm not sure if you can really call it Stroganoff. Oh well, my kids love it!

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
garlic salt
pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup
worcestershire sauce
browning sauce
(optional: sauteed mushrooms)

Boil pasta for 8-9 minutes:
12 oz. No Yolks dumplings (pasta)

In large frypan, brown ground beef and garlic salt and pepper to taste while breaking beef into small pieces. When done, remove extra grease. Add cream of chicken soup and a few drops of worcestershire sauce. Add a couple of drops of browning sauce for richer brown color. Since I am not a big fan of sour cream in this dish, I thin the sauce with a little milk. Reduce heat and cover until pasta is done.

Stir meat mixture into the pasta until well combined.

Optional: sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and garlic salt.

Aunt Abby's "Quick Brownies"

This is one of those good old recipes that never gets old. "Quick" is a relative word, it would probably be quicker to use a premade brownie mix, but not by much. If you want a quick brownie than Ghiradelli, in my opinion, makes the best ones. If you want a good recipe that makes you feel like a homemaker, this is it! These brownies turn out firmer and chewier than the package mix brownies. The tops of these brownies crack on the top as you cut them into squares. The crispy edge of these brownies are my favorite part. Steve and I fight over the corners. ;)  I might need to invest in one of those all edges pans for this recipe. :) This recipe calls for a chocolate icing but I don't think it needs it.

"Quick Brownies"

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
6 T. vegetable or Canola oil
3 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate, melted
     or 3 T. cocoa powder
1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Beat together the sugar, egg and oil. Add chocolate, mix. Add flour, salt and vanilla. Stir in "nutmeats" last. :) (I always omit the nuts, they just get in the way of the chocolate to me) ;) Spread in a greased 8" square pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 mins. Cut into 2" squares.

*Can double recipe for 9"x13" pan.

*High Altitude: Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 mins. or so. --toothpick test it.


Fudge Frosting for Quick Brownies (Icing)

Combine:

1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. cocoa powder
2 T. cream or milk
1 T. butter

Cook until mixture boils around sides of pan. Remove from heat, beat 'til frosting is of spreading consistency. Cut into squares while frosting is still warm--this way the frosting will crack less.

Chocolate Chip Cookies...why not?

Perhaps it is a bit odd to post our Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, which is basically the Toll House recipe, when you can just read it off the bag of chocolate chips...but what if you lost the bag? ;)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together and set aside:

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, combine:

3/4 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened (1 sticks)
1/2 C. Crisco, plain or butter flavor (it doesn't really matter)

Mix well, then add:

2 large eggs

1tsp. Mexican Vanilla (If you haven't already converted to Mexican Vanilla you are behind the times) ;) ha!

Mix briefly to combine, then gradually add in flour mixture.

Stir in 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips

Omit nuts!!! (just kidding, you can add them if you want them) :)

Scoop cookie dough using a cookie scoop or form into small balls using a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely. Store in a gallon size Ziplock bag to keep the cookies soft. (The other key to keeping the cookies soft and chewy is to replace the butter the recipe calls for with 1/2 butter and 1/2 Crisco.

To make Justin's Chocolate Chip Cookies: (Or, if you just want to drive Steve crazy. Steve is obsessive about perfectly measuring out ingredients...and cleaning as he goes!) Use the same ingredients as listed above and just dump everything into a large bowl, except the chocolate chips. Mix well. Add chocolate chips or M&Ms, mix well, and bake according to directions above.

Steph's tip:
Double the batch and when you get tired of baking the cookies, scoop the remaining cookie dough onto a plastic plate. Put in freezer for about 20 minutes and then remove dough balls from plate and put into a large Ziplock bag. Lay bag flat in the freezer. Bake the cookies within a couple of weeks, there probably won't be many left to bake it you wait too long. ;)

The Perfect Omelette (according to my taste buds) :)

This is my favorite omelette combination, not that I'm perfect in making it though...but I'm getting closer. :)

In a frypan, saute the following:

1-2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
4 green onions, sliced

When vegetables are getting tender, add:

1 ham steak, chopped
or 5 slices of lunchmeat ham, cut into small pieces

*Grate 1/2 c. medium cheddar cheese, set aside

In a small omelette pan:

Coat bottom of pan with butter or medium low heat.  I put my pan on a number 4. The pan is usually perfectly heated when the butter turns brown, but the browned butter doesn't make the egg look good, so I usually dump it and wipe it out with a paper towel. Then, I rebutter the bottom of the pan, let it melt, and add the whipped eggs to it. (If the pan is cold when you add the eggs and then heated, the eggs will stick to the bottom) Cook until the bottom 3/4 of the eggs are cooked, it's okay if the top is runny. Then maneuver your spatula under the eggs and tilt the pan so that most of the "egg pancake" is on the spatula while letting any of the runny part of the egg drip back into the pan, and flip over.

Immediately sprinkle half of the omelette with grated cheese and spoon sauteed vegees over the cheese. Use spatula to fold the empty side over the top, while holding in place for a few seconds. If eggs are done, remove immediately to a plate, sprinkle with a little more grated cheese and vegees.

I am not much of an egg lover but I can actually eat and enjoy this. Even better with hashbrowns. Mmmm...

2-3 eggs, whip eggs with hand mixer for a few seconds with salt and pepper

Summer Squash Skillet

In large fry pan, saute until tender:

I cover it for the first 5 or so minutes and then leave the lid off for the remaining time.

2-3 Tbsp. butter

3 yellow squash, quartered and sliced

2 zuchinni, quartered and sliced

1 yellow onion, sliced (or chopped)

garlic salt & pepper

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

I made this yesterday to go with our Mother's Day dinner and my 19-year old son Jared came up to see what smelled so good. He was REALLY disappointed when he saw it was just vegetables. :) ha! We served it with grilled chicken and rice. My son started with the chicken and rice and then eventually gave in and tried the vegetables and loved them. It was pretty funny. He didn't expect to like them so much.

Another fun way of serving this is by cooking these vegees, minus the butter in a metal basket on the barbecue. Pre-spray the pan with Pam cooking spray and then add vegetables and seasoning. Yummy stuff.  Perfect for summer! If only it would stop raining so I could plant a garden! :)