Herb & Mustard Sirloin

I got this recipe out of my Christmas Food Network magazine. It is definitely different way to cook sirloins. We loved it! I looked high and low for the herbes de Provence that this recipe calls for, I finally found it at Yokes. If you don't have a store around you that carries more specialty type items, I did find a few recipes for the mixture online as well. There are plenty out there, just choose the one that sounds best to you (or fits what you have in your cabinet best, hehe).

I wasn't sure if spicy brown mustard was the same as spicy mustard, but that's what I had in my fridge, so that's what I used. I also doubled the mustard/herb mixture because a single serving of it just didn't look like enough to cover all the sirloin. Turns out, at least for our sirloins, doubling was perfect! Also, we're not big fans of regular butter, so instead cooking the steak in butter, we used olive oil and didn't put any on top after it was done.

1 & 1/2 lbs sirloin steak (1/2 inch thick)
2 Tbsp spicy mustard (plus more for serving)
2 tsp crumbled herbes de Provence
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

• Pierce both sides of the steak with a fork. Mix the mustard and herbes de Provence in a bowl and rub over the steak.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add one Tbsp of butter. As soon as it melts, add the steak and sear on one side until browned (about 7 minutes). Turn and brown the other side (about 4 more minutes).
• Transfer steak to a cutting board, season with salt and pepper, and top with one Tbsp of butter. Let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak.

Baked Fries

I saw a picture of these potatoes in an ad in one of my cooking magazines. Unfortunately it didn't have the recipe with it... but it did have a website! http://www.potatogoodness.com/. It is a website with a ton of information about health, and to show that potatoes aren't bad for you! It also has a wide variety of recipes using potatoes, with a section specifically for quick and healthy ones.

These are really similar to the rosemary potato recipe I threw together a while ago, but it never hurts to have variations of the same thing :) We ate them without salt and they were still great. To top it off the baby couldn't get enough of them! I added 4 more cloves of garlic, pressed it, and added it to the mixture with the olive oil and thyme. We love garlic and it couldn't hurt ;)

6 russet potatoes (or any potato of your choice)
6 cloves of garlic
8 sprigs fresh thyme, picked from the stems
5 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place whole potatoes (do not poke) in a microwave safe, covered dish. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Let cool.
• Cut each potato length wise in to 8 wedges.
• In a large mixing bowl, toss potato wedges with olive oil, thyme, garlic cloves, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Arrange potatoes and garlic cloves in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.

Blackberry Cobbler

In honor of Pi Day yesterday, I made this blackberry cobbler. Ok, so it's not really a pie, but close enough... just don't tell anyone ;) I got this recipe out of my Taste of Home annual recipes. My mom gets them in the mail every year and she decided she didn't want this one so she gave it to me!

Coincidentally, this was already on our list of things to make this week. I was bored yesterday and thought to myself, "What a great day to make a pie (cobbler)!" Michael LOVES blackberries or anything with a mixture of berries in it, so of course he loved it :)

I didn't have the utensil you need to cut butter in to a flour mixture, so I used a fork. Breaking the butter out of it's block was difficult, but once I got it in to smaller chunks, it wasn't that bad. That being said, I'm definitely going to buy one next time I'm at the store (and think about it).

Also, we use fat-free milk, so there was no 2% available in our house when I went to make this. I don't know if it made a difference, but there were no complaints! The recipe actually had you mixing the berry filling first in the directions, but the topping directions say to drop it on to a hot berry mixture. I figured the best way to get a hot berry mixture is to make it second, so I reversed the order of the directions for the recipe. My suggestion is to read through the entire recipe and get everything ready before you start to cook anything so as not to burn the filling.

Topping
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup 2% milk

Filling
3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1 Tbsp butter

• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Stir in the milk just until moistened.
• In a large saucepan, combine blackberries, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil.
• Combine the cornstarch and water until smooth; stir in to fruit mixture. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes (or until thickened).
• Pour mixture into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Dot with butter.
• Drop the topping, by tablespoonfuls onto the hot berry mixture.
• Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
• Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

Crunchy Pepper and Parm Crusted Halibut

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, we went on vacation! When we came back, I was in a fishy mood, so there are lots of fish dishes on the menu this week (plus we're going to Anthony's for my birthday, hehe). Hope you enjoy!

This recipe was in my newest Rachel Ray magazine. I decided to not make the sauce/topping that went with it, but I did make the drizzle. I think I either reduced the drizzle too much or got it too hot because it ended up being a lot harder than it should have been. More of a caramel like substance than a syrup like one... oops... Oh well! It tasted good anyway ;)

I had a hard time finding the parmigiano-reggiano cheese, but I wasn't sure what I was looking for at the first store either. It is a hard cheese that's just kind of pressed together, so really crumbly. I ended up finding it (already grated) at Yokes in their specialty cheese section. Also, instead of halibut, we used cod and salmon, both worked and tasted great.

Sauce
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
A few leaves basil, torn
Salt and pepper

Fish
About 2/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Lots of coarse black pepper
Four 8 oz halibut fillets
Extra virgin olive oil
Store bought balsamic drizzle (or reduce 1/2 cup vinegar with 2 Tbsp brown sugar until syrupy)

• Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and stir for a couple of minutes.
• Add tomatoes and basil, season with salt and pepper and cook to break down tomatoes (10-15 minutes).
• Mix the cornmeal with the cheese and black pepper. Add fish and turn to coat.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook, turning once, until crisp and brown all over (8-10 minutes).

Pan-Fried Garlic Steak and Potatoes

After getting all the stuff out and reading this recipe, I wasn't going to post it. It's one of those that's really simple, that you wouldn't think you'd need a recipe for (and you really don't). After eating it, it was so good, I changed my mind. As simple as it was, it was just too good not to share!

I did make a few changes to the recipe. Instead of cooking the potatoes in the microwave, I boiled them on the stove top for about 10 minutes. I then threw them in the skillet (as the recipe says) but sprinkled them with dried rosemary to add a little more flavor! I put some of the garlic in with the steak as I was cooking it in the pan as well. We also don't like cooked tomatoes, so we left them out of our meal.

12 cloves garlic
1 lb potatoes (we used red)
4 - 6 oz steaks (we used New York strip)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
Fresh oregano

• Halve or quarter any large potatoes and place in microwave safe bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high for five minutes. Stir in pressed garlic, cover, and cook for five more minutes (or until tender). Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook steaks to desired doneness, turning once.
• Add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet. Add potatoes, garlic, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook five minutes or until potatoes are golen and tomatoes begin to wilt. Stir occasionally.

Mini Corn Dogs

Isaiah has been such a picky eater lately, I decided to make something I KNEW he would eat. I did take the blue cheese out of it just in case he didn't like it, haha. I don't remember what magazine this came out of, it's been printed out in my recipe folder for a really long time so it's probably from one of my parenting magazines.

You can do this without the skewers, I actually found it easier to just drop the hot dogs in to the batter to cover them. The only problem was the batter didn't stick to the hot dogs very well. I think drying them off with a paper towel beforehand might solve that problem.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup blue cheese
1 egg
3 slices bacon (crisp cooked, finely crumbled or chopped)
6 jumbo beef franks (cut in half crosswise)
12 6-inch wooden skewers

• In large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, dry mustard, and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• In a blender, combine milk, blue cheese, and egg. Cover and blend until almost smooth.
• Add egg mixture to flour mixture along with bacon, mix well.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium heat to 365 degrees.
• Insert skewers into ends of franks. Holding on to skewers, cover franks in batter mixture.
• Place coated franks, 3-4 at a time, in hot oil. Turn with tongs after 10 seconds to prevent batter from sliding off. Cook until golden brown, turning to brown evenly.
• Remove and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

My mom gave me a Pillsbury Annual Recipes book. She gets them in the mail all the time and I guess she decided she didn't need this one. The name of the dessert chapter was "Decadent Desserts," so of course I had to check it out :)

My husband LOVES chocolate and peanut butter together, so I knew I'd have to try this recipe the second I saw it!

The recipe says to put 1 Tbsp of the batter and filling in each cup for the layers. Do not put more than that on each layer or you'll run out before you're done. I used my cookie scoop for the peanut butter, which was barely larger than 1 Tbsp and I ended short the top layer on 6 cupcakes!

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 peanut butter chips
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 regular size muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
• In large bowl, mix flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir until just smooth (do not over mix).
• In another large bowl, beat egg, cream cheese, peanut butter, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beat until creamy.
• Spoon 1 Tbsp chocolate batter into each cup, evenly spread 1 Tbsp peanut butter filling on top. Repeat with second layer. Sprinkle each with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, cool on rack for another 15 minutes.

Baked Greek Chicken

A Rachel Ray magazine magically appeared in my mail box, I had no idea where it came from. Turns out my dad ordered it for me :) This recipe came from that magazine!

I could not find fresh nutmeg. I don't know if it just isn't in season right now, if I was looking in the wrong place, or something else. If someone knows what part of the grocery store to look, please let me know!

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 oz spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)
3 Tbsp butter
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
4 pieces skinless boneless chicken breast (or thighs!)

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Heat 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and two third of the garlic. Cook until softened (3-4 minutes).
• Transfer to a bowl to cool, add spinach, feta, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Melt butter in same pan, turn off heat, and add panko, oregano, and remaining garlic. Toss together.
• Drizzle a baking dish with remaining olive oil.
• Split each chicken breast across, but not all the way through and open like a book. Stuff with spinach mixture (let the stuffing overflow) and place in baking dish.
• Top the chicken with breadcrumbs and bake for about 20 minutes.

Roast Pork Loin

This recipe came from my Cuisine at Home magazine. I love this magazine because it shows pictures of every recipe (I do eat with my eyes!) as well as hints/clues on how to do some of the trickier steps in preparation. It would be really good for anyone that doesn't really know how to cook and wants to have a little help along the way :) Plus, they've had tons of great recipes in the few issues I've gotten so far!

This recipe is pretty much like a normal roast, except you cook it in the oven. I calls for pork loin. I originally went in to the store looking for something about the size of the piece of meat in the picture and found nothing. Turns out, pork loin is that giant long piece of meat in the same section as the pork tenderloin. I bought the cheapest one I could find ($26) and cut it in to three portions, bagged the other two portions, and threw them in to the freezer for use at a later date.

The original recipe said to cook this for 20 minutes, turn, and cook for 20 more minutes. The meat was only up to about 95 degrees at that point! I ended up cooking it for about 70 minutes, maybe a little more (I quit using the timer after 60). If you don't have time to cook it for that long, you might try putting it in the slow cooker in the morning for on a low setting for 8-10 hours, or maybe even one of the higher settings for 4-6 hours.

1 pork loin roast (2-3 lbs)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, cut in half
salt and black pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack in center position. Line a shallow roast pan with foil. Let roast stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Combine oil, rosemary,s age, and thyme in a small bowl.
• Pierce top of pork to make six slits, 2 inches apart on either side. Insert garlic half in to each slit.
• Score top of pork by cutting a crisscross pattern. Rub herb mixture onto pork.
• Roast for 30 minutes, flip, then roast another 30 minutes or until center of meat reaches 145 degrees.
• Remove from oven, tent pork with foil, and let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Dijon-Crusted Chicken

I got this recipe out of my Taste of Home magazine and man was it tasty! It's definitely moved up towards the top of our list of favorites :)

My spice rack had this spice called Italian seasoning in it. I'd never seen it in a recipe before, never heard of it actually! I used it on a roast just to try it out about a year ago but never used it again. This recipe calls for it and in this mixture it was wonderful!

I only have a couple notes about this recipe. First is that we used Panko for the bread crumbs because that's what I had (and it tastes really good). I'm sure any type of bread crumb would work though. Second, I used 3 chicken breasts and 4 chicken thighs. The seasoning didn't look like nearly enough so I went ahead and tripled it just to be safe and it ended up being just enough. I'll leave the recipe as is, just in case you're cooking less chicken. Same with the Dijon.

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter or margarine

• Mix first six ingredients together in shallow bowl. Brush chicken with Dijon and roll in crumb mixture.
• In large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil and margarine over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side (until center of meat reads 170 degrees).

Another easy way to cook this, since it seems cooking chicken in the skillet always takes 10 times longer than the recipe says, is to cook it in a 9 x 13 pan in the oven. That's how I cooked the chicken last night. To do so, I spread some bread crumbs in the bottom of the pan, placed the chicken in the pan, and sprinkled the remaining bread crumbs over the top of the chicken. Bake in the oven at 400 for 45-60 minutes (my chicken was slightly frozen so it took closer to 60 minutes).