Beef Stroganoff & Mashed Potatoes

Two posts in two days!  I'm off to a great return.  My husband is also benefiting from all the yummy food we are fixing.  Seriously, who doesn't love warm comfort food on a cold day?  Yesterday, I could not get a childhood favorite out of my head, beef stroganoff.  If you haven't had it, it is a garlicky, mushroom concoction that immediately reminds me of my childhood (yes, I was that weird kid who would eat ANYTHING).  My mom would always fix it with egg noodles but last night called for homemade mashed potatoes.  Folks, if all you ever fix are the instant ones you are missing out.  Throw them away, and get yourself the Yukon Gold potatoes.  You can thank me later.

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 lbs of Sirloin Steak (cut into 1.5 by 2 inch pieces)
• 1.5 cups Beef Bullion
• 1 Onions (chopped)
• 16 oz Mushrooms (sliced)
• Ketchup
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Garlic
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2-3 TBSP Flour
• 2 TBSP Butter

I'm not really a person who measures this recipe so stick with me and we can make something delicious.  First off, prep all the onions and mushrooms so you won't have to chop them right before they're supposed to go in.  All the prep work in advance makes the whole recipe come together in less than 30 minutes.  Wash all veggies then chop the onion and slice the mushrooms.  You can cheat and buy the presliced mushrooms but they're all dried out and yucky.

Slice the steak and I trim off the extra fat.  Toss the sliced steak in flour.  This is optional but I like to do this to give myself a little thicker sauce in the end.In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil until bubbly then add in the steak.  Sear the steak until no longer pink.

Add in 1.5 cups of beef bullion or beef broth, a couple of turns of ketchup (about 3 TBSP) a splash of Wocestershire Sauce and a 1/2 tsp of minced garlic (a clove or two).  Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add onions & mushrooms.  Cook 5-7 min.

Remove from heat & add sour cream.

Heat on low until bubbly!

Boiled, drained and all the yummy extras added in.  Ready to blend.

Mashed Potatoes Ingredients & Process

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (quartered)
• Butter
• Sour Cream
• Garlic (minced)
• Parsley

Wash potatoes really well.  I do no peel them because I like the extra zing the peel brings to the potatoes.  Bring quartered potatoes to a boil and boil until fork tender.  Drain off all water and return to pot.  Add a couple tablespoons of butter, 2-3 spoons of light sour cream, a 1/2 tsp minced garlic (optional) and minced parsley.  Blend with an immersion stick blender for smooth and whipped potatoes or mash together with a potato masher for the rustic mashed potatoes.

Whipped and ready!  Thank you stick blender.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

                    Delicious!  These easy and quick stuffed peppers are quickly on their way to becoming a househol favorite.  They will not end up replacing our tried and true recipe but they are a welcome variety and so tasty.  The biggest difference with this stuffed pepper prep is that the peppers are not parboiled to soften them before hand.  They are cooked at a high temperture which helps soften them up in the oven once they are filled but they will not be as soft as a traditional stuffed pepper recipe.

What You Need:

• 6 Bell Peppers (I used all colors)
• 3 Strip Steaks, cut in very thing slices (my husband excelled at this)
• Provolone Cheese, sliced
• Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped
• Red Onion, chopped

Slice each pepper in half length wise and lay in a baking dish.  Line each pepper half with a slice of Provolone Cheese.

The cheese breaks but that doesn't matter.

In a large skillet, saute the chopped onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil until they have softened.  

Can you smell the veggies?

Almost ready for the steak.

Add in the thinly sliced steak and cook until the steak is browned and the onions are transluscent.  

Fill each pepper half with the mixture.  Make sure to really mound up the filling.

Almost ready!

Top each pepper wth a slice of Provolone cheese.

Ready for the oven.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees about 20 minutes or untl the cheese is browned and melted.

Philly cheesesteak goodness.

Ninja Roast Beef

This was the most tasty roast beef I have ever made. Ask my husband, there was a really bad one when we were first dating that will never happen again. This is easy and delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 3-5 pound rump roast

Salt, pepper and rosemary to taste

1 carton of low sodium beef broth

3 cups water

Using the ninja and seasoned the beef with salt, pepper and rosemary then seared all sides  in the Ninja in Stovetop High setting. After browning all sides, place the roasting rack into the Ninja and set it to Oven 325 degrees. Pour in the water and broth. Place the beef into rack and cover. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the level of doneness is reached. 

Afterwards, remove the roast with its rack and cover with foil. I turn the Ninja back to Stovetop High and thicken the remaining broth. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry

The real crowd (fiance) pleaser is the homemade teriyaki sauce for this recipe. The whole meal comes together in under 30 minutes, especially if you have a cute fiance to help cut up the meat.

Make the teriyaki sauce ahead of time. In a sauce pan combine the following:

1 cup light soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 TBSP sesame oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-2 tsp each garlic powder and ginger powder

Mix well and bring to a boil. Boil and stir for a minute. Mix together 2 tsp of corn starch and about an inch of water in a coffee cup. Stir it together real well and add it to the boiling sauce. Keep stirring and boiling until the mixture thickens to a sauce consistency.  Remove from heat and let cool. 

Stir Fry Ingredients

1 pound of steak. I like boneless ribeye

1/2 bag of Kirkland (Costco) Stir Fry Veggies

1 cup Jasmine Rice

In a 2 quart pot, add 1 cup of rice and fill with water until it's about 2 inches above the rice. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn it to very low and set timer for 20 min to steam. 

In a large skillet add about a tablespoon a vegetable oil and heat. Add 1 pound of steak sut into thin strips. Sauté until approaching medium. Add in the veggies and sauté until done. Toss with some of the homemade teriyaki sauce and a little Sirracha for heat. Serve over rice and enjoy!