Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe

I've tried to make Mongolian beef before and ended up having to throw it away so I am always skeptical when I see a recipe that claims it's easy or only takes 30 minutes. Well this recipe did say it takes 30 mins, but maybe I had more meat and had to cook it up in batches so it took me about 45mins-1 hr from start to finish including cutting meat and such. I would save this for the weekend when you have more help watching the kiddos. This recipe comes from Just a Taste.

Ingredients-

Vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 (1-pound) flank steak (do not use any other meat, this is a must)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 scallions (green parts only), sliced into 1-inch pieces

 

Directions:
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and water, stirring to combine.

Stir in the brown sugar and increase the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch pieces, then toss it with the cornstarch. Place the coated pieces of steak in a sieve and shake off any excess cornstarch. Allow the steak to sit 10 for minutes.

Place a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the beef to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes until it is seared on all sides but barely cooked in the center. Remove the steak from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer it onto a paper towel-lined plate. Pour any excess oil out of the wok.

Place the sauté pan back over medium heat. Add the prepared sauce to the hot pan (it should come to a boil almost immediately), then add the reserved steak and cook at a boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add the sliced scallions, stirring to combine.

Transfer steak and scallions with a slotted spoon to a plate and serve. I served with brown rice and veggies. 

Friday Letters & Baked Ziti with Sausage & Spinach

Dear weekend, It's going to be a busy, but fun one.  I have a get together tonight, Max has a birthday party tomorrow, we're going out to celebrate our anniversary Saturday night and it's our volunteer night at church Sunday.  Dear House, I think you got the point by our busy schedule that you should just clean yourself.  Thanks, much appreciated.  Dear 4th of July, yay for Family coming into town Wednesday night.  We are excited to see Chris, Marla, James, Shell, Maddie and Hadley!  We are also excited Michelle and Hadley are staying for almost 2 weeks! Dear Max, I am glad you are finally feeling like your self this week. You are just such a doll.  You really are understanding everything we say to you. You've even been plugging your nose when you are about to go poo poo in your diaper.  Gigi always says "pooopy stinky" when she changes your dirty diaper, so now you associate it with your poopy and you tell us right before (sometimes after) that you've gone.

I wanted to post this recipe for Baked Ziti with Sausage and Spinach because it is SO YUMMY.  I love most everything that has pasta in it, especially when you mix a little red (tomatoes) and green (spinach/kale). It feels healthy and just tastes so good! This recipe comes from Recipe Shoebox.

The ingredients:
3 cups uncooked ziti or penne pasta (about 10-oz) We used whole grain.
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 lb. spicy Italian sausage, sliced (we used chicken sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5-oz each) diced tomatos
1/4 cup pesto   
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 cups fresh spinach, chopped (about 8-oz)
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package.  Drain and set aside.  Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Saute onion and garlic just until soft  (about 5 minutes).  Add sausage slices and cook until browned (about 5 minutes).  Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Stir in pesto.  Add salt and pepper.  Lightly oil 9x13-inch baking dish.  Combine cooked pasta, chopped spinach, mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour into baking dish.

 Pour pasta sauce over top and stir together.  Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
 

One Pot Wonder- Tomato Basil Pasta

This is a pretty cool way to cook pasta without having to wait for the water to boil.  A lot of time it's hard to find a spaghetti sauce that is so great that you love every drop when eating it.  This recipe makes your noodles so flavorful and you can really make any combo of ingredients to throw in the pot.

Recipe from Apron Strings. Serves 4 to 6 as an entree
1 box 12-13 ounces linguine pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid (she recommended zesty red pepper flavor, I used plain)
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips (we left it out and it was still tasty, but I'd add it if you like onions)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped (I used dried basil, but if you have fresh, use it)
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)

Handful of Kale
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

 Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil. This was before I squished it all down so the liquid was covering the noodles.  I also broke the noodles in half so they would fit better.

Cover pot and bring to a boil. This is when I added in the kale, I didn't want to add it too soon, but it tasted great in there.  Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired . Mine took about 20 minutes for the liquid to evaporate instead of the 10 she says so keep an eye on it. I also turned the heat off and let it soak up more at the end.

 Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese. Guess what- this was a meatless meal! Experiment with all the different things you can put in. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Food Friday: Crockpot Pork Carnitas

This recipe is pretty easy, it uses the crockpot and would be perfect for a big gathering over memorial day weekend. It comes from Pinch of Yum.

  Ingredients-

    4-5 lbs. pork shoulder

    5 cloves garlic
    1 tablespoon salt
    1 teaspoon cumin
    1 teaspoon chili powder
    1 teaspoon black pepper
    1 teaspoon oregano
    ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce (optional)
    juice of 2 limes
    ½ cup orange juice
    12 ounces beer (it's necessary, it makes the flavor of the whole thing)
    ½ cup salsa (I like to use a less chunky one)

   - Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Roughly chop the garlic and place in the slow cooker (I actually kind of rubbed it onto the meat to get as much garlic flavor as possible, but you could just toss it in, too).

   - Sprinkle the meat with salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne. Rub seasonings onto the pork.
   - Add lime juice, orange juice, beer, and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
   - Shred meat with two forks directly in the slow cooker (or take out, shred, and replace in sauce). It should fall apart easily.
   - Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the shredded meat on the cooking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until you get browned edges on the pork. This is a MUST.  We debated doing it and tasted it before and after. It makes a difference. Just do it.

  

 Serve on tortillas with fresh cilantro, black beans, avocado, lime juice or whatever ya got.

This recipe is Max approved (but what isn't these days).  Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Friday Letters & Food Friday-Pesto Tortellini Salad

Dear Friday, I always seem to start out with Friday on these letters. It's a great day, because the weekend is almost here! We have a lot planned (as usual-I'm a planner), but it's nice to have a to-do list or I would seriously do nothing. On the list for the weekend: set up David's Moms' new Ipad they got her for mother's day, cars oil changed, get and put down pine straw, finish my embroidery projects, sort papers/old mail in the office, meal planning/grocery shopping, graduation party, pool party, drawing out plans for fence for HOA and of course playing with buddy. Dear David, Yay! Glad you are back in town, you were gone too long this week. Can't wait to see you.  Dear Max and Mom, I am jealous of your day you have planned. Kinsley is hanging with family today so Mom and Max are heading to play in the fountains, maybe the mall and lunch. Dear Blurb Blog Book, I am still working on you for my pregnancy book. It seems easy enough, but when they take 1 post and make it 10 pages, that isn't cool so now I have to go through and spend 30 mins per post and that is not fun, but it's necessary. I have got to get on this.

I had a lot of requests for me to put up this recipe after people saw it on instagram (follow me at Jens871). This recipe is a great main meal dish or would be great for a pot luck side.  They said to eat it cold, but who has time for that so we ate it warm and it was great. This recipe comes from Katies Cucina.

Ingredients
    1 package of refrigerated whole wheat tortellini (I used 2 and doubled recipe for leftovers for lunch)
    ½ bag of spinach (I used kale pieces)
    ¼ cup pesto from sauce aisle
    ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
    ¼ cup artichoke hearts, drained and cut (get the non marinated kind)
    3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
    ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
    In a large pot boil water and cook tortellini according to directions. During the last 30 seconds of cooking add the spinach and wilt. Drain the pasta and spinach and place in a large bowl.
    In a small saute pan toast the pine nuts until they are golden brown then set to the side. This step is a must, I know it's easier if you don't do it, but it doesn't take long and really does make a difference taste wise.
    In the large bowl with the tortellini and spinach add the pesto, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, toasted pine nuts, and grated parmesan cheese. Mix well until incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve cold. Remember, if you are pressed for time, this is really a simple weeknight meal that can be eaten warm and was delicious! One thing that is also great about this, it's meatless and filling!

Mother's Day Broccoli & Grape Pasta Salad

This recipe would be a great addition to any Mother's day menu. It's perfect for the main course or for a side.  I made this for Max's 1st Birthday party and it is jam packed with goodies to eat.  There is not enough time to post recipes all the time anymore so when I post one I seriously mean it's that good so get to work (better yet, have your husbands make it for you for mother's day). 

This recipe comes from My Recipes.

Ingredients-

    1 cup chopped pecans
    1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta (I used almost the whole pound)
    1 pound fresh broccoli
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/3 cup diced red onion (optional)
    1/3 cup red wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
    8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled (I used the pre-done ones)

 

 Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl

Add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

 

Happy Mother's day to all the moms and those who step up as moms of fur babies or real babies. I am so thankful for my original baby (Molly) and for Max. Have a great weekend.

Friday Letters & Food Friday-Broccoli Ravioli Bake

Dear Friday, Yay! You are here. And with you here means that my sister, Hadley, James and Maddie are visiting!! They got in early this morning (1am) and I got to hold and love on little Miss. Hadley for a few minutes.  My cousin Christie and her husband Adam are also coming to visit this weekend so I'm excited. Hurry up day.  Dear Weather, Blah- Rain all weekend. Not cool. Dear Person Who Stole My Debit Card Number, not cool either. They used it at a Federal Express in Memphis or so it says. Good thing I'm a freakin bank stalker and caught it within hours.  Dear Self, April is almost over (crazy right) and you didn't finish most of your April goals... Better step it up next month.

This Food Friday recipe comes to you from Mix and Match Mama (Sean from the bachelors' sister). I modified it a little bit. This is SO simple to make and takes less than 5 minutes to put together. The rest of the time is just baking.  This makes the perfect week night meal that everyone will LOVE.

Ingredients-

1 package of frozen ravioli thawed in refrigerator (any flavor) or you can use refrigerated ravioli but those are more expensive and you need more of them.

1 box frozen chopped broccoli

1 (16 oz) jar alfredo sauce (I liked the Newmans Own she recommends)

1 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Layer in a 9x13 baking dish, ravioli, broccoli, Alfredo sauce and milk. 

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together in a small bowl your Panko, Parmesan and Italian seasoning.  After the 30 minutes is up, remove the foil and spread your breadcrumb mixture over the top.  Pop the casserole back in the oven uncovered and bake another 15 minutes or until slightly brown and bubbly.

All done! How simple was that.  It was a hit in our family so I wanted to make sure I archived it on the blog.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bake

I haven't posted a recipe in a while so I thought I'd change it up a bit today.  I've had this in my drafts (you can tell because it's my old house, man I do miss those granite counter tops) and I could really go for this right now.  This is a semi healthy breakfast (it does have chocolate chips, but that makes it fun). 

This recipe comes from Inspired Taste. 

Baked Oatmeal with Bananas, Strawberries and Chocolate Chips.

Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not the instant ones)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice (They have this in the spice isles, but you can use cinnamon and cloves if you can't find it.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut pieces, chopped (I left these out)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

Instructions-
Preheat oven to 375°F and generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, Chinese five spice, salt, half the walnuts, half the strawberries and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of the oatmeal). In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.
Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shimmy/shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar on top then place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 20-30 seconds. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of sugar or drizzle of maple syrup.

She has great tips for the recipe on her site for making this ahead of time and other substitutes if you want less sugar or no eggs.

Green Fruit Smoothie

As the new year gets underway I know a lot of people have been trying to eat healthier (our family included) so I wanted to share this smoothie recipe that we've been enjoying. I adapted the recipe a little from Whole Food Mommies (great site if you haven't been). The proportion sizes of all the fruits/veggies you put in will vary depending on your blender. I used our magic bullet, but the bigger container (but it's not the size of a full blender) so keep that in mind. The one on Whole Food Mommies is a HUGE blender so I basically cut the recipe in half.

Green Fruit Smoothie-
1/2- 3/4 cup red grapes
1/4" slice of lemon, peel and all (you can leave this out if you don't have it, it can be a little strong if you use to much and make you want to add vodka to the smoothie. Then again that might not be a bad idea, kidding.)
1/4 of cup canned or fresh cut pineapple
1/2 of a banana (I freeze my banana halves and then just pop them in)
1 cup frozen fruit (I use strawberries, but the mixed bags would be great too)
1-2 TBSP of ground flax seed
1 cup of almond milk
Spinach- Fill the rest of your smoothie up with spinach

*A few notes: I also threw in fresh blueberries so you really can't go wrong with the fruits you are choosing. For a richer more nutrient dense smoothie you can use kale instead of spinach, I haven't been brave enough yet (I've never had kale). Don't be afraid of the color, depending on how much spinach you put in, it will be green. Put it in a cup that you can't see through if your mom kids refuse to try it.

I love that I can make a batch and have enough for me to put in a big cup to go, give some to Max and have some left for my mom (David leaves too early to share). You also get a lot of servings of fruit and veggies right at breakfast. It keeps me pretty full (about 2-3 hours or so) before I want another snack (I do munch on toast with it).

Flax seed is very good for you, there’s some evidence it may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. It has Omega-3 essential fatty acids, Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities and fiber. Another interesting fact about flax seed that I just read was that it has been reported that 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed into cereal, juice, or yogurt twice a day cut women's hot flashes in half.

Almond milk- This fortified beverage, made from almonds, has a surprisingly rich and creamy taste. Lower in calories and fat than regular cow's milk, it is high in vitamins, such as vitamin E. It also has just as much calcium as cow's milk. Here is an interesting article about the diff. types of milk out there. This has definitely peaked my interest in making my own almond milk and learning about kefir.

Spinach- Low in calories and high in vitamins, spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in existence. One cup of the leafy green vegetable contains far more than your daily requirements of vitamin K and vitamin A. Read more.

Give it a try!

Plant Based Food Meals

We recently watched Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on netflix. It made us realize how many health benefits plant based foods have and we wanted to try it. It does mean no meat or diary (there are substitutes). A lot of myths are out there that say that you need meat for protein, but there are tons of plant based foods that you can get protein from. I'm not saying we're going full force, but at least we can try it and stop surrounding our meals around meat. David is wanting to do a juice fast for a little first since he has been eating so bad and it would be easier if he travels. Mom and I (and David) made a commitment to try a plant based diet for the rest of the week, starting today! We are off to Trader Joes to start our shopping. We are only going there because we need wine and what better place to start eating better than there.

Here is our menu for the rest of the week:

Lentils vinaigrette with lemon-parsley orzo and summer squash

Source: bistrokatie.com via Jen on Pinterest

Black Bean and Guac Burritos

Source: naturallyella.com via Jen on Pinterest

Soba Noodles with Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce

Source: simplyreem.com via Jen on Pinterest

Eggplant, Tomato and Chickpea Casserole

Source: bistrokatie.com via Jen on Pinterest

Cucumber and Avocado Rolls

Source: williams-sonoma.com via Jen on Pinterest

Hummus Avocado Toast with Roasted Tomatoes- for a lunch

Source: eatliverun.com via Jen on Pinterest

They don't look too bad do they? Wish us luck! I will keep ya posted on how it goes. 

One of the Best Homemade Lasagna Recipes Ever!

It's friday and time for another installment of fabulous food friday! When I see a recipe that says best recipe ever I am willing to give it a try. I recently made a homemade lasagna that I found from Family Ever After via Oopsey Daisy. It lived up to the hype, I really loved it.

Ingredients:

Ragu Sauce-

Olive Oil

Butter

1 onion

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 garlic cloves

1 lb. ground sausage

1 14oz can tomato sauce, or a handful of fresh tomatoes

1 can vegetable broth

s&p

Bechamel Sauce-

2 TB butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

salt and pepper

 pinch of nutmeg

Other- 

pasta sheets (I recommend Barilla no boil)

mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese

butter

Directions:

 To make the Ragu-

1.Wash and chop onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

2. Heat butter and oil in pot. Saute vegetables briefly (I forgot celery so I left it out).

3. Add sausage. Saute.

4. Add tomato sauce, stock, salt and pepper.

5. Simmer on low for 1 hour.

To make the Bechamel (a white sauce)-

1. Melt butter. Add flour, stirring with a whisk, appx 1 minute.

2. Slowly add milk, then cream, stirring constantly.

3. Simmer on low until thickened, 5-10 minutes.

4. Season with s&p and nutmeg.

Assemble-

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a teeny tiny layer of the bechamel, preventing the pasta from sticking to the bottom.

3. The layers will be in this order- pasta, ragu, bechamel, mozzarella. Repeat 3 times.

4. Top with parmesan and a few pats of butter. (you don't have to do the butter, but its amazing)!

5. Bake for 40 minutes.

It really was as amazing as it looked. I am really bad at taking pictures of it nice and plated because I eat it so fast. It was fantastic. Have a great weekend!