Recipes

It’s time for our monthly Recipe Box Swap, hosted by the ever-so-sweet Randi, at I Have to Say.

Randi has chosen “Your Favorite Recipe” as our theme this month so I decided to make one of TheManoftheHouse’s favorite dinners, Teriyaki Steak.  I have a few different recipes for this dish and I’ve kind of combined features of them all for this recipe.   I love this dish — it’s perfect for a dinner to make someone feel special or for a busy weeknight dinner (30 minutes start to finish — and it only takes that long because of the rice.)

Teriyaki Steak

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 minced garlic cloves
2 T rice vinegar
1 T grated fresh ginger (I’ve also used the dried spice with equal success)
2 t. cornstarch
2 strip steaks, about 1-inch thick
2 T vegetable oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 t. toasted sesame seeds (cook in dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant — about 5 minutes)

Whisk sugar, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, ginger and cornstarch in a medium bowl.

Heat oil in skillet until just “rippling”. Cook steak until well browned and cooked until desired doneness — 4 – 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and cover with foil.

Wipe oil out of skillet and pour in soy sauce mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened. Slice steak thinly and place slices on top of bed of rice. Pour sauce over steak. Sprinkle with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4.

Enjoy! And don’t forget, tomorrow is my day with the Aurifil blog hop — stay tuned for more!
XOXO,
Anna

Yipes!  I almost forgot that it’s Recipe Box Swap day!  Thanks to Randi for hosting.  She’s chosen Soups as the category to swap this month, which, of course, is perfect for those of us in the cold northern hemisphere.

I decided to try a new recipe this month and I chose Ina Garten’s Lentil Vegetable Soup.  Now, try not to run off pinching your nose!  The picky little girl eater in me would never have even thought of trying a anything with lentils.  But several weeks ago, I was at a fancy-schmancy restaurant and they served a lentil soup as the first course.  It was delicious and the woman sitting next to me mentioned that she loves Ina’s Lentil Soup recipe.  So, knowing that it was Soup Month over at Randi’s, I decided to give it a try.

Yum…Yum!  Pair this soup with some artisan bread and you’ve got a winner.  It’s even better as leftover soup — I had some for lunch today and it warmed me right up!

Oh — and have you tried the fun little quiz to find your style?  Found via How About Orange — it’s quick and entertaining.  Apparently my style is Park Avenue Cocktail (I did not pick the martini, I swear) which, as Jessica says, makes me soulmates with Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, and Frank Sinatra.  I can live with that!

XOXO,
Anna

Thanks for all the love and concern for CuteNiece1 and her Blueberry.  You guys are all the sweetest.  I’ll stick another post here, so that icky wreck isn’t the first thing you see when you come for a visit!

I figure at this busy time of year we all need some easy dinners.  You know, for those nights when you’ve been out shopping all day.  Or climbing up and down the ladder decorating all day.  Or you’ve been baking all day and you don’t want to spend one more minute in the kitchen than necessary.  (Notice I said YOU in all of these scenarios — ’cause none of these activities apply to me.  I haven’t been doing diddly around here.  Not did. lee. squat.)

Anyway, a little open-faced sandwich that we call Hawaii Toast* is one of our favorite quick dinners. It couldn’t be simpler to make. Turn the broiler on in your oven. The above picture shows the steps for the toast (clockwise from bottom left): Take pieces of toast and lay them out on a cookie sheet. Layer a ham slice, a pineapple ring, and a piece of mozarella cheese on top of each piece of toast. Pop the cookie sheet into the oven, on the top rack, and broil for 3 or 4 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Then serve with your favorite soup. Canned, of course. You’re much too tired to make homemade soup.

And then, because you’ve been busy all day and neglected the kids, they’re going to be whiney. Since TheManoftheHouse has been lounging around the office all day, leave the kids with him and head to the local watering hole for some refreshment.

(Most people think that’s some guy’s name on his bar, but you stay-at-home-mom’s know better, right?)

XOXO,
Anna

* I realize Hawaii Toast isn’t gramatically correct — it should be Hawaiian Toast.  We call it Hawaii Toast anyway.  If it bugs you, linger longer at SAHM’s until, like us, you don’t care anymore!

Last week, MeMum went all out and made one of my favorite all-time dinners — her Perfect Pot Roast with Chocolate Cake for dessert. I mentioned this to NoBlog Linda (hi Linda!) and she requested the recipes. I’ve already written about the chocolate cake, but until today, the pot roast hasn’t made an appearance on the blog.  The timing also seems perfect here too — it’s been chilly this weekend.  It’s definitely sweatshirt and comfort food weather.

I mentioned to several friends at work that MeMum was making pot roast and almost everyone said that “My mom makes a wonderful pot roast.”  Everyone seems to have a favorite pot roast recipe from their mom and I’m no exception.  All pot roasts are not created equal though.  So much depends on whether you get a good cut of beef and that’s often something you won’t know until you take your first bite.  The secret to this pot roast though, is the gravy.  It’s my faaavvvvooorrrrite part.  Even if the beef happens to be a particularly tough cut, you can chew through it, just to savor the gravy!  ;-)

Perfect Pot Roast

4-to-5-lb beef rump roast
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1 bay leaf, crumbled
8 whole black peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1 can(10 1/2 oz) condensed beef broth, undiluted (1 1/2 cups)
8 halved, pared carrots (1 lb)
12 small white onions, peeled
1 sprig parsley
3 tablespoons flour

Wipe pot roast with damp paper towels. Brown roast and sliced onion (onion browns and gives a good dark color and rich flavor to pan drippings) in hot oil and butter in 5 quart dutch oven over medium heat. Turn roast with two wooden spoons, until well browned on all sides — 25 minutes in all. Slow browning gives the meat and gravy a better flavor and color. To drippings in dutch oven, add garlic, thyme, marjoram, bay leaf, black peppers and salt; stir 1/2 minute. Add beef broth (the recipe says you may substitute tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, beer or red wine to vary the flavor — all true, but you’ll dork with the gravy!) Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to simmer, covered, for 2 1/2 hours. Turn meat occasionally so that it will cook evenly.

Add carrots, onions and parsley; simmer, covered, 30 minutes, or until vegetables and meat are tender.

To make gravy: Remove meat and vegetables from dutch oven to a warm platter; keep in a warm place, covered loosely with foil. Pour 1/4 cup water into measuring cup; add flour; mix with fork until smooth. Strain liquid remaining in dutch oven. If necessary, add water to measure 2 cups. Return to dutch oven. Stir flour mixture into liquid in dutch oven; bring to boiling, stirring. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Taste; add salt, if desired.

Make your favorite mashed potatoes (sorry Kim!) and spoon the gravy over the meat and mashed potatoes and serve with vegetables.

YUM!
XOXO,
Anna