Beef Stroganoff (my version)

This is a throw together recipe...meaning don't measure.
So here's how I make it.

In a large frying pan drizzle approx. 1-2 Tbs. olive oil
Saute':
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 -1 1/2 lbs of Beef Sirloin steak or round Steak
when the onions are golden and the steak is almost brown
reduce the heat and add about a Tbs. minced garlic (garlic browns/burns so easily)

Add:
season salt (a few generous shakes)
ground pepper (be generous here also)
Worcestershire sauce ( a couple splashes.)

This is a good point to cover it and reduce the temperature to lowest setting and just let the meat simmer in juices that are in the pan while you fix the salad, set the table or even start cooking the pasta, so the meat can tenderize and absorb the flavors of the seasonings.
(if there are no juices, add the beef broth, but not the flour paste, at this point)

In a separate small saute' pan:
Saute' mushrooms in a chunk of butter (1-2 Tbs.)
Sprinkle with a little garlic salt or powder
As the juices cook out of the mushroom, pour it (the juices) over the meat.
When mushrooms are done... Set them aside.

To the meat add :
2 1/2 cups beef broth or re-constituted beef bullion.
1 Tbs. flour made into a paste with 1/2 cup water
turn up the heat to medium, cook and stir until the broth is thickened.
Taste the gravy at this point and add salt if desired. (the bullion usually makes it salty enough)

Add the saute' mushroom to the meat at this point
or serve them separately is somebody has mushroom issues.

Add about 3/4 cup sour cream (a couple big scoops) to the gravy
Stir until smooth and gravy is reheated (But don't let it boil).

Serve immediately over hot buttered egg noodles and top with sauteed mushrooms (if they aren't in the stroganoff already.

Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle soup

I love making homemade Chicken soup. It's fast (almost as fast as opening a can of Campbells) to make, especially if you have leftover chicken. It's a throw together dish..I don't measure. It's wonderful ( so much better than Campbell's that it's not even comparable). It's guilt free...eat as much as you want and you won't blow your diet. And it's scientifically proven to cure whatever ails you.

(these measurements are just approximate...for those that feel more secure with measurements.)

8 cups water (or homemade broth*)
3 Tbsp. Chicken base/bouillon (1 tbs. if using homemade chicken broth)
Cooked chicken ( whatever you have leftover)
1/4 onion finely chopped (optional)
1 small garlic clove (optional.. I don't like the onion and garlic to overpower the other flavors)
3 carrots, sliced (not the ones used to make broth...flavor is out of those)
2 celery, chopped
1/4 tsp. Thyme
1/8 tsp. ground sage ...just sprinkle it until you feel good in your heart.
1/8 tsp. white pepper ...a few shakes
fresh ground black pepper
Salt to taste...it usually has enough salt from the bouillon for my tastes.

Egg noodles - a couple big handfuls

Simmer until noodles and carrots are tender.

Sometimes I add broccoli after the noodles are cooked. Broccoli cooks enough just from the heat of the broth after the heat is turned off and the soup is waiting to be served.

*Homemade Chicken Broth:
Boil chicken with onion, celery,carrot, garlic until chicken is cooked. run broth through a fine sieve for a clear broth. Chop chicken for soup or other dishes and toss the veggies away...but I alway eat the carrots while I'm cooking:)

My favorite egg noodles are homemade but these are a close second:
I find them at Walmart with the dry pasta, usually on the bottom shelf.

This is my favorite bouillon!I use it when a recipe calls for canned broth, bouillon or I use it undiluted to just add more favor to gravies and sauces.
Walmart here (Las Vegas) carries small jars of it. Or I can find large jars at Smart and Final (here) or Costco in St. George, UT. I try to keep several jars ahead for food storage.

Taco bowls for the taco bar.

Whenever I do a taco bar I like to add these tortilla bowls to the buffet linefor those that prefer their taco makin's salad style...so they can eat it with a fork. And I love these little bowls because they are baked...not fried!

To make these bowls just press a flour tortilla into theses handy forms Using fresh or warmed tortillas makes it easier to shape them to the form without any cracking or splitting. I also use one form to press the tortilla into the other form. Bake at 350° for about ten minutes. I do spray to forms with Vegelene or Pam, not to keep the tortilla from sticking , but to help the bowls brown nicely.

I only have three of these handy little shell bakers...so one day when I was making about 50 of these little guy, I tried to improvise to speed up the process. This worked fine. But of course the finished product wasn't as uniform...and that day I was being a bit of a perfectionist. So I went back to just using the forms.

But this time I would just bake the tortillas just long enough in the forms for them to hold their shape (about 4-5 minutes), take them out of the forms and just set them on the oven rack to finish baking and start browning. Then I could start the next batch of shells in the forms. This really sped up the process. But with some country western music playing and chopping other items for the buffet at the same time...making 4 or 5 dozen shells goes pretty fast.


Oh yes... I discovered these taco bowl forms at the Bosch Store when I worked there. But they are available on Amazon.com.

Pork Barbacoa

1 2-pound pork roast (or larger)( This is 12 lbs. of pork in a 2 gal. zip-lock bag)

Cover with enough Coca-cola (not diet) to almost cover it.

Marinate in Refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.(I had no room in my refrigerator and the roasts were still frosty from being frozen so I let them marinate in a cooler)

In a slow cooker combine:
2 cups chicken broth or 1 14oz. can chicken broth
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, undrained
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 cup ketchip
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Add the marinated pork roast (discard soda marinade)

(Note I use Oven bags in my Crock-pot for easier clean-up)

Simmer in slow cooker until meat is tender enough for shred.
Remove roast and shred. Strain juices.

Pour enough of the juices back over the shredded meat to keep it moist and juicy.

A 2 lb roast will serve approx. 10-12 .

This is my favorite bouillon!I use it when a recipe calls for canned broth, bouillon or I use it undiluted to just add more favor to gravies and sauces.
Walmart here (Las Vegas) carries small jars of it. Or I can find large jars at Smart and Final (here) or Costco in St. George, UT. I try to keep several jars ahead for food storage.

Lime Rice

In a sauce pan, saute:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 yellow onion , chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot bring 5 cups water to a boil
Add:
the sauteed onions & garlic
4 tsp chicken bouillon
2 tsp cumin
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 small cans diced green chilies
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
(depending on the saltiness of your bouillon and your taste, you may not want to add any salt)

3 cups long grain rice

If you are using a rice dooker or pressure cooker decrease water to 3 cups.



Note I have found buying Cumin and other spices in the Mexican food section is alot cheaper.I found this 16oz. bag at Smart and Final for a fraction of the per oz. cost of it in jars in the regular spice section. I refill my Cumin spice jar and keep the extra in the freezer. I go through alot of cumin in Mexican cooking and chili.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

One of our favorites recipes .

2 pounds chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 lime
a handful fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1teaspoon ground cumin
1 Teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Place chicken and chicken broth in the bottom of a slow cooker. squeeze lime juice over the chicken. Throw a couple lime wedges in with the chicken. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer until meat is tender and easily shredded. Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Strain juices. Pour juice back over the meat so it continue to absorb those yummy favors.

Use meat in tacos, enchiladas, burritos, over rice or in Salads. Freezes and re-heats great.

Tomatillo Dressing

...this is so good! Perfect for those Cafe' Rio style salads.
It's become one of the Tobler's favorite dressing.

Tomatillo Dressing
(my adaption from 3 recipes)

1 pkg Hidden Valley Buttermilk ranch dressing mix. (3 Tbs. if you buy it in the jar)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tomatillos
1 cloves garlic,
1 cup cilantro leaves
2 tsp. lime juice
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed (Karl would like more...he likes the heat.)
(I've used a variety of hot peppers from my garden with good results.


Throw it all in the blender and blend until smooth.
Make about 3 cups. Keep refrigerated.