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Sunday, December 4, 2011

About the amish bread/rolls

I thought I'd give a quick update on the rolls and breads.

I've made this recipe (below) about 4-5 times now. I'm almost out of flour, from a 5lb bag. ;)

  • First off, REAL bread flour made all the difference for me (and NOT bread machine flour). Yes its more expensive, but in the end, its worth it.
  • Half and Half just does not cut it (pun intended).
  • Whipping cream and 35% cream is awesome. I've a thingy of "light" cream (LOL) 18% waiting for the next batch, I'll keep you posted if it works, or not.
  • A pan with a hole will pee caramel in your oven. I'll be burying one of my grandma's pans :(
  • If you're gonna make this recipe a lot, buy a jar of yeast, and if you'll be REALLY making it a lot, I've seen (for the 1st time) 2lb yeast blocks, kinda neat!
  • One of those huge sugar shakers (like a large parmesan shaker) works AWESOME for sprinkling all that cinnamon.
  • A good whisk is your friend (even a dollar store once, so long as you treat it gently).
  • Even if you're tired, after you've rolled your rolls, and put the loaves in the pans, clean your counter and get it ready for the cooling off of the baked goods.
  • While you're at that dollar store, get a couple of cooling racks, these fold out of the way, and are indispensible for your culinary adventures! ^_^
  • A good non-shedding brush works well for the melted butter ;)
  • Be warned, once you start offering these to people, they will be thrilled! Oh, and be warned, if you tell people you make this very therapeutic recipe by HAND they'll look at you like you're nuts!
  • Forgetting ingredients (like salt and oil like I did.) makes for a tough recipe, but still good. The bread loaves I made had a hard time standing on their own, so they were given with the instructions, stand on their heads. They were so soft and fluffy (and delicious omgosh!) but you could taste the missing salt (see? I screw up too!) you have to learn to laugh at yourself. ;)
  • If you know someone who's just had surgery, or an elderly person (and maybe not so elderly ;) that does not get much visiting, or outing, why not bring them a pan of these, or even 3-4 rolls? Make someone's day, and share the goodness. And wish them a Merry Christmas (and if its on your heart, why not take the opportunity to INVITE them to your Christmas dinner (or your after Christmas dinner)? I can tell you, as a single bachlorette, how warming it is, when I'm asked to a friend's house for Christmas or Thanksgiving. :)
Merry Christmas, I'll be back, with more favorite recipes! Stay tuned! And, remember, if I can do this, SO CAN YOU!  God Bless!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Amish Bread and Caramel Rolls

Credits for this recipe go to my friend, Emily Blank. She'd told me about this AWESOME Amish bread and even better Caramel Rolls recipe, and of course, my ears twitched and I started drooling. (I'm a total sucker for homemade bread). Now before you say, ooh, I can't make bread... Listen, if I can do it, YOU can! ^_^

I will redo the recipe when I get more bread flour, and I will take pics like I normally do, to help along. For the time being, here's the recipe, as Emily gave it to me.

Amish white bread recipe:


Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 2 cups hot water

Add 1 packet of yeast and allow to proof (foam) (proofing takes 5-10 minutes, as per google. ;)

Stir in 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup oil (veg, canola...whatever)

Then I stir in 6 cups (roughly) of premium white bread flour. I knead in about 1 cup at a time. Pour small amt of oil in a bowl, once the dough is ready roll it in oil , cover and let rise. AFter a few hours, punch it down, knead a bit more...divide into 2 loaves and put i bread pans, allow to rise a bit more, then bake at 350 for 30 mins.
(I placed my bowl, covered with a floured towel, next to the hot air vent. I normally keep my place VERY cool, so this was perfect). The rising took about 1 hour I think... I will re-check next time. You know its right when its doubled in size, and when you press it, GENTLY - NO POKING! your finger should leave an indent that pops back. If it pops back very slooooowly, then its not ready.



 I don't have a bread loaf pan, so I used mini-loaf pans... it made the most PERFECT mini bread slices! and just the right size when you're not that hungry :)



Caramel Rolls:


These are SO freaking GOOD!

I use 1 loaf worth of the above dough. Then in a small saucepan I melt 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar. Then remove from burner and stir in 1 cup of whipping cream until stirred in completely. Pour into 9X13 pan. (I used an 8X8. giggle. they popped out. LOL!)


Take the dough and flatten in rectangular shape. Then (I just use my fingers) spread butter over dough and sprinkle cinnamon over dough. Roll the dough lengthwise so that it looks like a footlong sub Seal the ends and creases. I use dental floss to cut into rolls. Slide floss underneath the dough, criss cross and pull until it separates, leaving a roll. Do that all the way down and place on top of caramel mixture. Then cover and let raise. When ready, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. After you take it out of the oven let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then I cover with tin foil and flip over. And Voila! Mine still don't look all that pretty but they are DELISH!
 

Mini-Loaf. See how much they POOFED up? AWESOMER! :)

My 8X8 messy pan :| I'll know next time. I use a convection toaster oven (I didn't use the convection part), which may explain why my buns are so toasted. ;) and they really POOFED! See all the caramel on the side? yum.

After flipping the pan into my serving plate. The caramel is not this color, its just the camera. lol! but its sooooo good!
Cinnamon-onum-numnum! :) I wanted to see if the rolls were done inside. And then well, you just CANNOT give away the imperfect ones right? :)
MY way of cutting, I used a sharp knife, and sliced in one motion without squishing. Also, make your slices about 3/4 -1" wide as these will go POOF and like expand, a LOT! (which is kinda neat). If you want to be mean, make sure to invite people over, just after taking these out of the oven. DROOL! :)
 
ALSO, I used a foil pan. BIG mistake. It was not solid enough when I pulled the pan out, and I had caramel sauce ALL over the place :( what a waste, all that yummy caramel - oh hi! sorry... Use a solid pan, and I would suggest you NOT pouring ALL the sauce in the pan at once, pour some in, add the fluffy things, then add some as needed. I had an excess amount too, plus 4 fluffies, so I used 2 mini-loaf foil pans, and oh they were YUMMMMMYYYYY!  I used a long/wide serving plate (instead of foil) due to the silliness of the foil pan... and flipped it. Please be careful, its HOT!  now, GO. bake! you CAN do this! :)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

TWEETS NEEDED! NOW! free for you! a chance to win for an awesome rescue!

Hi everyone! I support a cocker spaniel rescue called camp cocker rescue. There is a contest on twitter right now, that could win them 7K (as in seven THOUSAND dollars). All they need is a tweet for their rescue, and its FREE for you! They need all the support they can get, so please won't you tweet? Here's the link to their page that tells you exactly what to do. you don't need to buy anything, just tweet. :) (if you DO want to donate to their awesome cause, that's welcome too!)




http://campcockerrescue.squarespace.com/tweet-for-camp-cocker-rescue/



Thanks SO much, please share this, far and wide!

Cynthia

Friday, May 6, 2011

Mother's day challenge!

Mother's day challenge! OK folks, listen up. Mother's day is coming. Well, my mom grew wings and flew to heaven. I challenge each and every single one of you, to spend some time with a senior or a mom who lost their kid this mother's day. Bring flowers, or a card, or even just YOU. Lets see if maybe we can brighten things up a bit. Share the Lord's blessings! :)

Thursday, April 28, 2011

SuzyQ Quinoa or End-of-month Quinoa... both veggie and meaty recipe.

Its the end of the month. Looks in fridge. Hmmm... what do we have to work with. My friend Lorna will be thrilled, NO mushrooms (sobs madly). Ah well... This recipe is interchangeable in its veggies. Use what you have, just try and make it fairly even amounts of each. I used literally what I had left. And this is what happened :)

Also, this can be a vegetarian dish, or, a with meat dish. I kept the meat separate, so that if I want some of this yummy stuff for breakfast tomorrow, I won't overdose on protein. The name? For some reason, my friend Suzy (who is Vegan) kept coming to mind, Ashley too... :) Q is for Quinoa... So, its a friendly dish, all around. A lot of steps I know, BUT, its one of those COEMT! :) Makes a HUGE batch. YUM!

A note about the Kabuto or whatever they are called tomatoes. These are weird in color, brownish/red. Weird ugly, but oh SOOOOOO tasty! They are I think kind of like heirloom tomatoes, sure taste like them! If you can't get these, (they can be pricey, these were 50% off :) get regular tomatoes, preferably fresh off the vine (hard in winter, I know :|)

Oh, and if you value your sanity, do NOT eat Quinoa with chopsticks. Seriously!


Ingredients:




1 large head of broccoli (about 1.5 lbs), chopped small, and evenly.

1 cup of baby carrots, sliced lenghtwise

1 med onion, sliced

2 cups of sliced almonds

garlic puree, divided

Kabuto Tomatoes (or any heirloom tomatoes) 3 sm-med, sliced in thin quarters.



Mirrin sauce (about 2 tsp)

salt and pepper

soy sauce

olive oil

butter (or olive oil if you prefer)

Cooked plain Quinoa (about 4 cups cooked)



If adding meat, prep the following

1 lb steak

1 lb shrimp, raw and shelled.



Steak Marinade:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce

salt and pepper (about 1/8 tsp)

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp fine sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp cold water

1 tbsp garlic



mix well.



Cut steak in small bitesize pieces, try to cut evenly.

Add marinade, and mix well. Put aside. (while you are cooking, you will mix it every once in a while).



Shimp Prep:



I used raw, shelled shrimp.

In bowl, add shrimp, 1-2 tbsp garlic, to taste, salt and pepper (about 1/8 tsp), 1 tbsp olive oil

mix well. set aside. you'll stir every once in a while, just like the beef.



~~~~ COOKING ~~~~ I cooked everything on high



In large teflon pan, put 2 tbsp butter OR olive oil, 1/8 tsp of salt and pepper each.

Add 1/2 sliced onion, brown well.

Add quinoa, break up any lumps, and stir-fry for about 8 minutes or so, until heated through, and you see some of the quinoa get toasty.

Put aside in large bowl.



Add 2 tbsp olive oil, heat.

add 1/4 sliced onion, and brown well.

add both broccoli and carrots, and stir fry for about 7 minutes, veggies will become bright green and orange. Salt, garlic (1 tbsp or to taste) and pepper to taste.

Add almonds, mix well, stir fry, stiring constantly, for another 3 minutes or so.

add 2 tbsp soy sauce, and mix well. (the soy sauce adds flavor, and being liquid, will help "steam" the veggies.



At this point, if you are doing the veggie Quinoa, skip the steps below, and go to Final step.



Remove veggies in a separate bowl.



Add steak in hot pan (do not drain), stir fry until evenly brown. The cornstarch makes a kind of pasty coating, this is normal, just tap your spatula on the side, and mix it back in. When the meat is dry, and there is no more "pastiness", its ready. Remove.

is ready :)

Add 1 tsp olive oil, heat. Add last 1/4 sliced onion, brown well.

Add shrimp (and all bowl content), stir fry for abour 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on size of shrimp. do NOT overcook!)
do NOT overcook shrimp! these are just about done, as we'll be frying them a bit more in a minute!

Add beef, ad stir-fry vigorously for another 3 minutes max!

Remove from heat in a bowl.



FINAL STEP:



Add Quinoa back into pan, and add veggies. Stir-fry until fully warmed through, then add tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry very briefly, to not overcook tomatoes. Serve immediately, with sesame seeds sprinkled on top if desired.



IF using the meat recipe, serve Quinoa mix in bowl, and add 4-6 tbsp of the meat mixture on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!


With meat

Without meat

I hope you've enjoyed this recipe, I'd love to hear your comments... You can email me at ladybug(@)mail2freedom.com (remove the brackets () to send) :)

Cyncerly, Cyn

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Calling all Amazon Shoppers!

AMAZON shoppers, I've a favor to ask (please repost). If you shop on Amazon, please do so through CampCocker's link (www.campcocker.com) it will help raise funds for this cocker spaniel rescue! Here's the amazon link that I got off the site (see comment under). PLEASE, shop through here, or better yet, donate! :)


http://www.amazon.com/b?node=13849051&tag=katdogres-20&camp=211269&creative=376489&linkCode=ur1&adid=0RQ6Y8SW5Q8169GZ5XY3&
 
 
please and Thank you! :)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

One box goes a loooong way :)

used up the rest of the box and ended up with at least 5 meals. see the dessert photo. yum. simple, healthy satisfying :)

added in stir fry: shrooms, snow peas, baby carrots, steak, tonato (cored) and 1/2 avocado :) salt, garlic and pepper

results:

add these at very end!


mmmmm.... needs salt tho.(the dinner lol) dessert is lo-fat vanilla yogurt and an orange to dip in!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Quinoa? a new discovery

I had a box of Quinoa sitting on my counter for a looong time. Everytime I felt the "guts" to get it over with, I'd chicken out. Takes too long, its weird, its too different, its "healthy super nut food". ok. (lol) So today, the Lord gave me the guts, the time, and the willpower to cook and try it.
this is today, from my kitchen window, these birdies were NOT getting THIS bird food!

First thing I thought was, this looks like the bird seed I put out, if I don't like it, I know where its going! (rofl!) But it won't be going nowhere but in my stomach, and a small container of it to a bed-ridden friend who also has been putting off trying it ^_^ (I don't have a picture of bird seed, but you know... budgie food - see above)


I used to think that I didn't care to try new stuff. Looking back on all the weird and new and different foods I've tried in the past 5 years or so, I'm starting to rethink my self-observation! From Sushi (including the raw fish, and the veggie one), to brown rice, to tillapia (which I oh YUCK! red lobster, gotta get fresh fish guys really!) and on to Quinoa. Cooking with my wok has opened so many doors, and now that I have to eat healthier and in smaller but more frequent portions, this is leading to a new road to discovery! I want seconds, but sadly, I'm FULL! (giggle). I'm definitely going to keep experimenting with this. If you want to try out the recipe, check it out here.

Rice cooker baby! :) All I did was follow the instructions on the box. PERFECTION!


I dunno... this looks... obscene for some reason. This way (plain) its very bland.


Me and my garlic! (and shrooms! :) I stir fried it quickly, and did not overcook it. It was good. YUM! This little amount made for 2 meals!


Steak, shrooms, red onions, quinoa, and carrots. oh, and Garlic! I was STUFFED!

I want to try to do a sort of fruit and nut salad with this stuff. yippeee! (lol!)

So here's what I did. I call this Quinoa on the seat of the pants.

I put a box of quinoa (250g) in my rice cooker bowl, rinsed it (I wasn't sure if I should or not, apparently, if you don't it can be bitter - better safe than sorry). Then I added 2 cups of water, and let the rice cooker work its magic.

The aroma in the house was strange and new, and rather nice. Kinda like a woodsy nutty mushroomy smell. Then again, maybe I'm just loosing it.

While that was cooking, I sauted mushrooms with garlic, salt and pepper in a pan.
When then quinoa was cooked, I laid super thin raw fresh red onion slices on top, put the Rice cooker cover back on, and went back to work.
I pan fried a steak, with butter and garlic, salt and pepper. Put it aside.
While the steak was cooking, I steamed a bag of baby carrots (my motto is, cook once eat many times, so I'm cooking in BATCHES) ^_^

Now, I tried the quinoa at this point and was like, ohmygosh this is ewe! (lol!) Then I tried it again, and was like, oh, ok, it needs seasonings! DUH! of COURSE! plain rice is boring. plain pasta is boring! noooooo problem!

In my steak pan I'd used, I added a 1/4 tsp of butter, browned it, added about 1 tbsp of pureed garlic, lightly browned that, added about 1.5 cups of the sauteed shrooms with onions, and I'd say about 1.5 cups of cooked bland tasteless boring quinoa. Salt, pepper. (I use a salt grinder, cuz its like, you know, more fancy. lol)

I put the heat down to medium, and quickly stir-fried the lot. I wasn't sure how long to cook it, as I'd never done that before, but I stir-fried until some of the quinoa appeared toasted kind-of. Then I put half of that in my plate, along with 1.5 cups of carrots, steak, and another generous round of shrooms (I got a pile of them on special... :) and oh MAN! was it good!

I noticed that the juices of the steak blended with the quinoa, and I'd cut up an avocado (but it wasn't all ripe - yeeeesh!) but the little bits that were, made it taste even better (see the post below of mixing rice with avocado).

If you've not tried this "superfood" try it, its light, different, fluffy, healthy, awesome!

Cyncerely, Cyn

Hmmmm... what to cook, and what to eat!

I've been running around like a chicken without a head, or so it seems. Not feeling much like cooking, and my keyboard is acting up on my laptop. I never realized eating on a regular basis (aka multiple small meals a day) could be such a PAIN! (lol).

So, I went and got meat last week. The roast is going back. :( I cooked the three steaks, nothing fancy, in a pan, and stuck them in a container to slice off as I needed for meals. Then, I ran out. Oook... Looked in the freezer, and there was frozen cooked ground beef I'd made up last month, and thought, might as well use this up.

I cooked some sticky (sushi) rice (I LOVE my rice cooker). Put some in a bowl, added ground beef on top, nuked it nice and hot, added a couple of dashes of soy sauce, and 1/2 an chunkily sliced avocado. I didn't expect the mix that ensued, nor the most amazing tasting thing either! The creaminess and coolness of the avocado, with the very hot meat and rice, and saltiness of the soy sauce. OH WOW! :)

I salt (very lightly) the avocado before I eat it plain too. It was very good actually, and I was thriled. Easy peasy! Off to cook more rice. I'll try to figure a new recipe to post on here :) I can't wait for summer for FRESH stuff.

As I write this, its blowing snow, there's 2-3 inches of it on the ground. I guess this year, my birthday will NOT be free of snow. Sigh.

Much love and blessings!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Next stop for LADYBUGHUGS!

Next stop for LADYBUGHUGS!
Ladybughugs will be at the Catholic church Spring Tea on May 29th, from noon until 3:30pm. 25% of all net profits will be donated to Camp Cocker (see below). This is in Levack, Ontario, so please come and see us! There is a penny table, and so much more! I will also be displaying and selling my artwork on that day ^_^


Camp Cocker Rescue is an organisation that rescues cockers, and finds good forever homes for them. Bella, a gorgeous puppy, was dropped off at a shelter, with one eye out of its socket. They pulled Bella, and she was quickly operated on, sadly, the eye was lost, but Bella has a 2nd chance at life! They desperately need help to cover not only Bella's vet bills, but also the vet bills of the other cockers that they rescue and "repair" if you will. These are definitely Dog Angels, and I would beg of you to please donate, even ONE dollar! or whatever you can. Bella's picture can be seen, on their website, after surgery. To find out more, click on the link below. For the price of a coffee, you can do a LOT of good! :)

http://campcockerrescue.chipin.com/bella-the-cocker-puppy-with-the-injured-eye

Here's a challenge, for EVERYONE! Chip in ABOVE! :) COME ON folks, we CAN do a LOT of good here! :)

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Not your average egg salad!

So with all this "you have to eat" more (Doc's orders) you'd think I was happy go lucky about it right? Not so much, my imagination at times gets stretched, and the brain cells hurt. But sometimes, the memories come back, of weird but tasty dishes I've made in the past. I'd seen in restos around salads which have hot bacon grease poured on them, and I cringed at the thought, but realized, "taste". I was also told to eat more eggs, which sadly, I can only do if they are farm fresh. Thankfully, the Lord provided, and I know a little place where I can get them. All this to say, sometimes, a wedding of flavors, temperatures, and textures can lead to a satisfying crunch that won't leave you empty, but full-yet-not-overly-so. So here's MY take on "Egg Salad". Not sure how well this would spread on bread tho. ^_^

YUM! quick and simple!


Romaine lettuce, 4-5 leaves
10g cheeses mixed (I used very finely shredded mozzarella and baby parmesan)
15g garlic roasted almonds
4 grape/cherry tomatoes, quartered (the colored ones are so tasty)
2 large eggs, pan fried until yolks are barely set, chopped coarsely (if you don't like runny, cook them til the yolks are solid)
2 tsps Renee's Ceasar dressing light.

I was going to add chicken or beef, but it would, in my opinion, have been too much.

Chop Romaine in bite size pieces.
Add tomatoes, almonds, cheese, and dressing.
Mix wel.
Make sure eggs are chopped "apart" (that there's not this little piece that's holding the whole pile together :)
Add to the top of the salad
Decorate with a pinch of almonds and cheese.

The heat of the eggs will melt the cheeses a little, and make the salad that touches the eggs a little bit wilted. But when you get that bite with both hot and cold in it, its oh so good. This made me a little bowl, and I'm full, had my proteins (I'm outta eggs tho.) and I can go back to bed.

Enjoy, Cyncerely :)

Cesear Salad - an old classic, with a different twist.

Yep. Its official, back on the salad kick. So I'll be posting salad recipes (probably - depending on my ability to get my hands on salad lol!) for the next little while!

Here's the deal. I like cheese. I like meat. I like salad. I like almonds. I like croutons, but they are fattening (I said the F-word. omgosh!) I like ceasar dressing, and refuse to compromise on taste/quality (that's where the cals add up!) And I don't eat bacon. So, basically, we'll have salad, with ceasar dressing. I've been told this is very good, and very filling. (that was when I made it with croutons... :) you can use croutons, if you like.

I use Romaine lettuce, and unlike a "real" restaurant who think you have a shovel for a mouth, I cut it in BITE SIZE pieces. Nothing gets my goat (baaaaa!) more than eating salad that is in HUGE chunks. I use Romaine for 2 reasons. Apparently, it has more nutrients than head lettuce, and if you get it fresh (and if its from the garden, when it hasn't bolted yet), then its actually pretty tasty. The other reason is, its the only salad my dad will digest (come to think of it, me too... at times).

So, here we go :) for the main ingredients (aka veggies and cheese does NOT count as a veggie!) just go with the flow, I'm putting the gram measures just cause I was bored and have them. (take a look at this, and tell me you'd not try a little bit of this yummy salad!)



15g sliced almonds (if you have time and wanna get fancy, toast them in a pan with a little garlic juice)
10g finely shredded skim milk mozzarella (I use my newfangle round cheese grater thingy. it rocks - pictures to come!)
5g baby parmesan also finely shredded
about 8 leaves of romaine lettuce (this was about 150g for me), cut in bite size piece. IF you are eating it right away, you CAN use a metal knife, if you are making the salad for later, use a plastic salad knife.
5-6 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
10g of finely sliced red onion, (ok, so 2-3 slices, to taste)
2 tbsp Renee's ceasar salad dressing LIGHT (or your favorite light salad dressing.)
115g blade steak, sliced thin and in bite size pieces.

other add-ins: shrooms (of course), chicken (warmed up oh man! its AWESOME!), croutons (I used the almonds as a healthier replacement), peppers (EWEEE!), anything that's in your fridge that is still edible, olives, pickles... :)

Chop salad, put in bowl.
Add onions, other veggies, mix well.
Add salad dressing, mix well so that all veggies are covered.
Add steak (or meat(s)) on top, mix gently.
Add cheeses and almonds, mix VERY VERY gently. Serve, and devour!

Its fast, simple, and easy. I've made HUGE mega bowls of this stuff this winter, and got crazy with all the stuff I'd put in, and it was SO darn good. The best part is, you can make it once, and eat many times ^_^

I'll have pics up shortly. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Kimchi noodles, anything but the traditional way

Everyone knows Kimchi noodles, the ones that come in a bowl, and make "soup" (the ramen type noodles - Thanks Suzy). There's also the Mr. Noodles, but I find those abhorrent. Looking at the ingredients, and "nutritional value" of the noodles, and this blog, you're probably thinking, she's lost it, for good. But no. As a special treat (which I crave more and more often ;) I buy a couple of bowls of the kimchi noodles, and go to town!

First off, I cook the noodles al-dente, but I discard the seasonings, yep, plain old kimchi noodles. Eventually, I'll find somewhere they sell these in bulk (but then I'll have to provide my own bowl lol)

Actually, I cook the noodles last and drain ALL the water. (senior moment)

Now, what I've taken to doing is, when I make a stir-fry with sauce, I'll cook the stir-fry (or reheat), and cook the noodles, and spoon the goodies directly on the noodles. The sauce mixes and get absorbed by said noodles, and its oh so good!

Another thing I do, is cook steak, and slice it fine (after letting it "rest") and then cook the noodles, and put the sliced steak (along with any juices) right on top. Tonight, I added an egg (as I wanted to finish the dozen), and roughly chopped it up. It was awesome.

Other ways of diversifying this interesting dish, is using broth instead of water (check the sodium and fat content!) or adding plain stir-fried veggies. Dress it up.

This makes for a VERY quick and hot and satisfying meal. Sadly, I only bought 2 kimchi bowls, and they ARE on sale this week. darn it! ^_^

Enjoy! Cyn

Monday, April 4, 2011

Simple veggies stir fry

Today's recipe is quite simple. I'd take a picture, but its in my stomach, and well, I don't think you want to GO there :) I bought a mandoline/julienne slicer (the one by Starfrit). I must say, I'm in love! It turned 15 minutes of prep time in 5 minutes, and it was so easy!

I used the Julienne attachment and sliced 1 zuchinni, about 10 baby carrots (watch the fingers - for the carrots, I used the flat blade part only), 10 mushrooms (mine were starting to wrinkle (and get kinda leathery) but I'm fairly certain if they were super fresh, they'd have gone through no problem. I julienned the stem of one head of broccoli, and sliced the rest of the florets in equal sizes. (I quartered the shrooms too), I grabbed a large handful (ok TWO handfuls) of sliced almonds.

I also had bought a large container of minced garlic. Now, the garlic in here is NOT as fresh or strong as fresh or pureed garlic (this is good to know for next time I need to buy garlic) so I had to use a LOT more than I normally would, however, this is a great recipe if you are fighting a cold (use the fresh stuff, the cold will scram, but be warned, you won't get kissed!) ^_^ This jar of garlic has liquid in it, not sure if its oil or water, but whatever it is, its AWESOME for flavoring!

You'll also need soy sauce (sodium reduced), Mirin rice seasoning, fish sauce, olive oil.

Basically, this recipe uses what you have. No need for special veggies, just go with the flow, and even better, take advantage of that reduced basket at the grocery store.

I also prepped a batch of steak (as I'm supposed to eat more protein, but that's another post for another day) :)

In a non-stick pan (I KNOW I KNOW, no wok? lol!) I heated up 1/2 tsp olive oil (ever notice how fragrant it is?) I added the almonds, and roasted them until golden brown. Mid-way through, I took about 1 tsp of the garlic juice, and sprinkled it on the almonds. mmmmm.... yummy! Put in a small bowl, and set aside.

As with ANY stir fry, you always start with the hardest/thickest veggies. So:

Add 1 tbsp olive oil, let it get fragrant, add broccoli, and 2-3 tbsp of garlic (the minced stuff) and a dash of soy sauce. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green (that's how you know its al-dente!) and then about 1 minute longer (I stir-fry on high). Remove from heat, and put in a large bowl.

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil, and fragranize it, then add the carrots and zuchinni. My slicer has a little container underneath, very useful :) Add another 1-2 tbsp of minced garlic, stir fry until carrots start getting soft. (about 5 minutes)

With carrots/zuchinnis still in pan, add a dash of soy sauce, 2 dashes of Mirin, and a dash of fish sauce and give it a whirl!
Remove from heat after about a minute or so, making sure every thing is coated.

Note: Because of the finer cut of the zuchinni, there will be a lot more liquid than the usual stir fry. Do not drain that goodness, dump it all in the broccoli bowl!

Add 1 tbsp fragranized olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic, brown garlic. Add shrooms. I used regular white shrooms, and one small portobello. MMMMM! Stir fry until nice and brown. Dump the shrooms in broccoli bowl.

Give it a spin with a large spoon, coating everything with the juices, and dump BACK into hot pan. Stir-fry, mixing thoroughly for another 3-4 minutes or so. Try a piece of broccoli, when its done to YOUR liking, remove from heat. Plate, and sprinkle plenty of roasted almonds on top.

The garlic is the main flavor giver in this one. I don't add salt, though next time, I will add pepper, and a dash of hot sauce :)

You could easily add celery, peppers, tomatoes (you'd definitely stir-fry those last), even julienned sweet potatoes, cauliflower, its ALL good!

I had 2 large portions, one of which I had for breakfast lol! On the first portion, I added the steak. This would be AWESOME with bbq'd steak. Oh man!

The reason for the lack of my usual sauce is, I wanted something plain today, something... simple. Just veggies and steak. Unfortunately, the steak was so good, I ended up snacking on it. (shakes head). Well, might as well post the recipe below.

I'm leery of posting the recipe as its still in testing mode. (for the steak only).

You know how, when you go to a Chinese restaurant, the meat is always super tender? Well, after doing some online research, I found out the secret ingredients! Cornstarch and sugar.

I tried this without sugar, and either the butcher was a fraud, or the sugar is DEFINITELY needed.  Thankfully, you need very little to make this work.

So, for one 1 lb blade steak (I've only experimented with blade steak so far - I use what is on sale - mind you, I bought steak from one store, and it was pure SHOE SOLE (even after extensive marinating - never again will I buy meat there. I was NOT a happy camper!)

1 lb blade steak
2-3 tbsp cornstarch (the more you use, the thicker the "breading" will be (when its cooked - its kind of a "wet" breading so don't use TOO much, but don't use too little) For this steak, I'd not put less than 2 tbsp. I tried it with 1 tbsp, and nope.
1 tsp of sugar
2.5 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin rice seasoning (this stuff helps a great deal I find)
dash of pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pureed ginger (less or more, that's up to you, and how you can handle it.)

Mix all ingredients except steak in a medium sized bowl.
Cut steak, about 1.5 inches long, and thin (like 1/8") THIS is part of the trick, thin! and make sure you are cutting across the grain. (and that the steak ITSELF is cut that way)
Mix steak into sauce, folding and mixing well until everything is coated. Place a plastic wrap on top of MEAT (not edge of bowl) so that there is no air in between meat and edge of bowl.

Set aside and marinate for about 20 minutes. I always prep my meat before I start the veggies, by the time I'm done, the meat's ready too! :)

In about 3 tbsp olive oil, fragranized, in a non-stick pan (you can get away with using 1.5-2 tbsp) fry meat until browned, and no longer pink, but do NOT overcook. If need be, use a slotted spoon, and remove the meat from heat. Place on veggies (see no noodles this time either, though this stuff would ROCK on noodles) and enjoy!

I'll post updates, as I try difference cuts of meat. this applies also to chicken, and pork (same recipe/principles)

Enjoy!
Cyncerely, Cyn

Friday, April 1, 2011

Health update... and the reason this blog is gonna kick mega-butt!

So Thursday, I went to the doc's (a nutritionist).


I'm borderline diabetic, hypoglycemic, and have a "leaky gut". My marching orders, eat more. (???) what? eat MORE! I need more protein, I need to eat many small meals throughout the day as my metabolism is stuck on pre-slow. The good news is, I'm allowed to eat all the beef I want, all the cheese I want, but no (beloved) ginger ale (or at least, try and cut it out.) The past 25 years of my being sick... apparently, it can all be resolved! I'm taking these horse pills of supplements (and they are floaties - yuck - floaties are the gel capsules that never seem to go down, or that get kinda glued to your throat). no sugar, no pastries (I'll miss the goodies at the chapel LOL!), I've a whole list of what I can and cannot eat.

Sigh. I hate water, rather, the water HERE, found out today Vita Splash was discontinued (cuz I liked it - seriously!) The other water thingies all have aspertame in it (migraine trigger). ARGH! Crystal light costs a fortune. YAY!

Obviously, I won't eat 5 lbs of beef per day, but I HAVE to have proteins and lots of them with ALL my meals. I also have to eat magnesium (almonds yesss!) And, the stir-frys I've been cooking up are PERFECT, I'm also allowed all the noodles I want (I am trying to stick to rice noodles, as they don't upset my stomach).

So, moderation, and small portions, and I HAVE to remember to bring food with me at ALL times. @_@ So, the bottom line is, I have to EAT if I want to lose weight. Interesting. I'm not giving up, in fact, this is like, good news, as maybe if I can tame this monster, I can get BETTER (health wise- my health is ... not good). Just pray my legs/feet don't start killing me again. Feb. 2010, I ripped my achilles heel, and the swelling never went down, and everyonce in a while, it starts throbbing again.

I refuse to give up. THERE IS LIGHT at the end of this tunnel! And I know I walk with Him. :) I know this posts is a gripe/woe me, but its also a hopeful post. I'm just... getting used to this. My fridge was empty before I saw Doc, now its full of good stuff. The only thing I have to cut out, that I LOVE, is the ginger ale. Really. I mean, how's THAT for an answer to prayer? Oh, and I have to eat eggs, LOTS of them. ^_^ Farm Fresh where is thou? hehe!

All that being said, MORE recipes will be added, I will try to be attentive to the calories, even though Doc is not worried about that ("for now") well, I am, might as well start it right, and DO it right, and it will help with the weight loss too. I will be trying to use different ingredients, but we have a TINY grocery store, and well, what's on sale is what will be used. But, I will continue to post, because maybe someone out there can make use of these recipes, or even adapt them to what THEY like.


God Bless!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Steak and veggies mix (to use on noodles or pasta)

A basic meat and veggies mix that can easily be added to pasta, noodles, even pizza (flat bread rocks with this). Use what you have, get rid of those 2-3 tiny tomatoes, everything goes!


The trick with this recipe is two-fold.
Cook the foodstuff in batches, and use a non-stick pan for the veggies (and noodles if you're adding noodles).
(You cook the stuff in batches, especially the meat, so you don't cool your wok/pan too quickly.
If the end-result sauce is too thick, just add 1/2 cup water at a time until its to your liking. Here's what the extra thick sauced mix looks like on Kimchi noodles (I added water for the other portions ^_^)


I used the noodles ONLY - NO SEASONINGS!



Ingredients


Beef marinade:

1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp mirin (sweet cooking rice seasoning - Kikkoman)
1 tsp sodium reduced soy sauce
dash of pepper (optional)

Final Sauce:

1 dash (1/8 tsp) black pepper
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Mirin (sweet cooking rice seasoning - Kikkoman)
2 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 cup of water

Thickener for final sauce:
1 tbsp cornstarch mix with 1/2 cup cold water

Ingredients:
4-5 tbsp Peanut oil, divided
2-4 tbsp Sesame oil, divided (I use 2 tbsp peanut, 1 sesame oil)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
6 medium mushrooms, sliced evenly
2 1/2 cups of zuchinni, sliced same width as mushrooms (I used 3 small ones)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 lbs blade steak (or whichever cut is on sale)
4 grape tomatoes (or more if you wish) quartered

Directions

This is a many-steps recipes. The results are worth it. You will end up with a large batch of meat and veggies mix that can be added to almost anything.
As usual, prep all your ingredients ahead of time. I have ONE exception to this rule. I slice the steak, prep the marinade, mix in the steak, and as the steak sits and tenderizes, I prep the rest of the goodies.

In a large bowl, prepare the meat marinade as follows:

add 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp sugar, pepper, 1 tsp soy sauce.

Mix well, making sure there are no lumps.

Add sliced steak, mix well. If you will cook right away, put it aside on the counter, and give it a stir every once in a while.

Prep final sauce (see ingredients list)
Prep veggies.

In non-stick pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and stir-fry zucchini until its starting to brown around the edges. I used 3 small zuchinnis, and cooked this part in 3 batches.

In hot wok, heat 2 tbsp oil, add garlic and ginger, and stir fry until lightly brown (do not overcook)

Add beef (again work in batches, I did 3 batches for this recipe), adding a bit more oil if needed. Stir fry each batch until browned, returning all beef to wok for on last round of frying. Remove and set aside.

In hot wok, heat 1 tsp of sesame oil, and stir fry mushrooms until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add Zuchinni and tomatoes, stir fry another 2 minutes.

Add beef stir well, and heat it through.

Add sauce mix, bring to a boil.

Add cornstarch thickener, and boil to thicken. Remove from heat.

Add sesame seeds, and stir well.

Serve on bed of noodles (its even better the next day!)

Number of Servings: 9-12

Monday, March 28, 2011

A healthy dessert! Apples, cheese and dill weed.

HEY! don't knock it til you've tried it! This may sound a bit weird, but its actually really good. :)

***This recipe was added to the SparkPeople website which calculates all the nutrional settings for it, you can click on "ladybugcyn" in the left column to be taken to the site***
Here is the direct link to the recipe (its kinda hard to find on there) http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1562384

A forgiving dessert when one needs crunch and cheese. The Dill Weed adds a slight tang to the whole affair. A lady I knew once had me try apples with cheese. Its been a favorite ever since. In moderation, its even healthy :) Its almost like eating apple sauce in an apple with a bit of cheese on top.


A quick and satisfying dessert. mmmmmmm.....

1 medium apple of your choice (except Granny Smith)- I use Royal Gala


3 tbsp Skim Milk Mozzarella Cheese

Dash Dry Dill Weed.

~*~*~*~*~ 
Slice apple evenly, about 1/4" thick.


Place in a microwave safe plate so that no slices sit atop each other.

Sprinkle with Dill Weed (optional)

Sprinkle cheese evenly over apples

Add another dash of dill weed

(you can add as much dill weed as you like, whatever your preference is).



Cook in microwave for 20 seconds. Check to see if cheese has melted, or is starting to.

Cook in 15 seconds increments until cheese starts to melt and be bubbly (see picture).

Take out, and enjoy.



Please be careful, some of the apples will be piping hot!

This is awesome with a glass of ice cold milk, and I enjoy this little treat when I am missing for that elusive "something" that keeps me from being satisfied, even after a full meal. The crunch of the apple, the sweetness of it, along with the slight saltiness of the cheese and tang of the dill weed always put my tastebuds to rest.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

A little update of sorts

So, Friday, I went to see the doc. I'd been waking up with, and getting dizzy spells during the day. I'd been taking my blood sugar (I'm not diabetic but I do have a meter), and it varied, from 4.2-8 (once 10) but it still averaged my normal 5.3. Also for a few months, I've felt "bad", like something was wrong. So, I narrowed it down to either blood sugar, or blood pressure. Since I'm not a doctor, I went to see one. And the results were... well, good and not good. (lol!)

Blood sugar is ok, but since diabetes DOES run in my family, I need to be MUCH more careful.
I have ear congestion, which apparently, can't be "fixed" and is partly the cause for the dizzy spells.
Blood pressure was a little high (Stage 1).

The verdict - I need to lose weight, and more importantly, EXCERCISE!

I'll be VERY honest and candid here... I'm relieved, relieved that its OUT in the OPEN! I'm totally serious. Its like this HUGE weight came off my shoulders, and somehow, someway, I'm more determined than ever to do just that, lose weight and excercise. I believe that the fact that my (beloved) neighbor and I prayed over this helped a great deal. See? I know I'm not going through this alone. I have fantastic friends who are backing me up, who even offered to kick my butt (right Lorna? LOL!) and who actually want to go THROUGH this with me (talk about WOW!) But see, here's the kicker, I'm not alone, never am, because the Lord is walking with me. My Lord Jesus, promised that He would never leave, nor forsake me. So I asked Him for help, for gumption, for ... what is the word.... I need to STICK with this.


Dewey (my dog) is thrilled. (giggle).
He can stand to lose weight too. Too bad I can't walk the cats too (they'd spazz... I know, I tried ;)

So, what does this mean for the blog? Well, nothing but good, the way I see it. You see, this is a journey of a million days, one that I will be on for the rest of my life. I know others out there are struggling, and I plan on taking my new and old recipes and converting them to be as healthy as I know how to make them, and posting them for others to use/share/enjoy.  I will post updates, and maybe even little things I've tried that worked (or did not). I know I'm not alone, but I know I have a big mouth, and I figure, if someone -just ONE- person can benefit from my spreading it out wide in the open, then mission accomplished.

The appointment was Friday. I'd waken up with a nasty NASTY migraine, but I had 4 dogs to puppy sit (2 at each house), and well, a promise is a promise. My friends were not home, and having pets myself, I know what its like to know someone will look in on your babies. When I got home (at last) Friday night, I had a chocolate bar - I KNOW I KNOW! The cool part was, it was so freaking GROSS I will NEVER buy a "processed" bar again (I normally eat ONLY black chocolate (70% or higher). WHY I bought that stupid thing, I don't know. I know this, when I woke up Saturday morning, it was a throw up migraine that greeted me (those are the worst for me). I was soooooo sick (serves me right. I KNOW. I agree!) The pain meds I'd taken the night before kinda did a rebound, and that did NOT help (sigh). So, I set myself up for that one. The meds I take (Cafergot) were NOT working - the migraine was beyond that, and so, in order to take the really expensive meds that REALLY work (Imitrex/zomig and the like), I had to NOT take ANY migraine meds for 36 hours. Meaning, I've been coasting the migraine scene for 1.5 days now, and tomorrow morning, I'll be allowed to take one tablet, if its needed. Lord willing, it will not.

All this to say, I could barely keep anything down today, an apple, then some edamame beans (Japanese baby soy beans that they serve at sushi restaurants. YUM!) I'd made some stir fry yesterday, and didn't want to waste it, (had a full plate left of it). So, I ate it, but I cut it in thirds first.

I surprised my neighbor by asking HER "Wanna go for a walk?" (lol! Poor Elaine, she's been after me for 2 years LOL!) I went twice on Saturday, not long walks, but long enough that I'm short of breath and the dog has done his duty.

So, I'm going to be posting recipes, upgrades, and not all will be "healthy", if you will. I believe you can have everything, in moderation (moderation and sushi do NOT mix in my world - well, not always) ^_^. I will maybe post updates too... I don't know if anyone cares, but I figure, maybe it will help ONE person. Just one.

I refuse to say, I'm on a diet. I hate that word. Its so... depressing. I'm looking at it more like, I'm renovating my eating habits. I hope you'll read on, and keep coming back. I know I write "novels", can't be helped. And if YOU have recipes you'd like to share, by all means, email me (sales(AT)ladybughugs.ca) (change the (AT) for an @). Or msg. me on Facebook. I hope to see you around, and hope someone can somehow post a comment.

I've had it with the crappy days, feeling like being the thing the cat dragged in (after its been run over by a transport truck and then used as bear bait). Tired. I'm tired of being TIRED! Tired of missing out, on SO much! I have complete faith in God, that He will help me through this. That He will kick MY butt if I don't ;) Maybe through this, I can share a bit of my faith with the World at large, so that they too may come to know the One who sent His only Son to die for me, and you, on the cross. Salvation... its so easy to receive it, and its a free gift, no strings attached. Email me, if you want to know more. I won't shove it down anyone's throat however. ^_^

So, ready for the journey? The timing is awesome, my fridge is pretty much empty, its clean (oooooh!) and its almost end of month. Lets get this party started, shall we?

Cyncerly, Cyn

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

About knives...

I have a knife fetish. I won't lie about it... Apparently, I was wittling at age 4. I don't quite remember it, but I DO remember being very fond of wood... (shrugs).

That being said, do yourself a favor...

Sharpen your knives, properly. There is nothing more dangerous than a dull knife!
I bought a samurai knife sharpener at Canadian Tire, (because I don't know how to use a stone/the other long thingy properly).
When you've sharpened a knife, rinse it under running water, and dry it carefully. This will remove any tiny metal bits that might be stuck on it.
When you wash your knives, wash them last, in warm water, soapy if need be, and rinse them immediately thoroughly, and dry them, very very very well.
When putting your knives in a drawer, try to spread them out. Its better for them to be in a block, or even better, on a magnetic strips which makes for easy reach. If they bang against one another in your drawers - uh, drawer... ahem, they will dull and even dent/chip.
When buying a knife, buy the BEST you can afford. It can be a lifetime investment.
Never buy or give a knife as a gift. Its bad luck. :)

The best knives I've found, that were VERY affordable were made by the Kiwi knives company. Wow those things ROCK! But, they do chip/dent easily if not treated well. You will probably find these in Asian foodstores.

When you are about to buy a knife, wield it, pretend-chop with it, see how it handles. The knife should be an extension of your arm/hand. Not a "tool".

And remember, sharpen ... :) and don't leave in dishwasher otherwise, they'll most likely rust (in fact they should not even GO in dishwasher!)

Cyn

Tips and tricks I've learned...

For the record, I am NOT a (professional) chef, and certainly NO expert.... I've learned things over the years and figured, they save me time, and when I learned these things, it sure wasn't obvious! :) So here they are...

Chopping an onion, without tears..

Take your onion, chop off the top (NOT the root part)
Take a peeling knife and make about 6-8 thin very shallow slits all the way from root to top.
This will make it a snap to remove the dry skin part, and the first thin outer layer.
Take your knife, and cut onion in half, from root to top (not in two) - see pics.
depending how fine of a mince/chop you need, make 1 or 2 more slices, from root to top, on either side of first slice.
turn onion so that the slices you just made are parallel to the counter/cutting board. repeat the slices above.
holding onion by root end firmly, chop "slices" starting at the top, and your onion will fall off your blade, already chopped!
please be careful, and no injury to self! :)

A LAST trick. To avoid crying over spilled onions (or was it milk?) here's a quick trick I've found helps a little bit... rinse your blade (knife), your cutting board, AND the onion (after you've chopped its top off) in cold water. When you are done chopping, rinse ALL utensils/board/plates immediately in cold water. Trust me on this one.


notice how my knife is finishing the first slice.

I'm going for grossly chopped onions. you can actually get pretty finely chopped onions doing it this way.

I've turned the onion, and am starting on the other side.

The onion will have a tendency at this point to kind of separate. so you may want to carefully hold the root end and a little bit of the body with your fingers.




I've left this picture larger, so you can see the actual slices. At this point, you'd start slicing from left to right (top to root) (I'm a lefty) and the picture below would be your result.

TADAAAA!


Migraines? Triggered by foods?

If like me you get migraines that are lovingly triggered by foods, know you are not alone. I've kept track over the years, and analyzed what I ate, especially when I got slammed with a migraine. To my surprise, about 15 years ago, I realized that onions were one of the culprits. Actually, the sulphur, the juice stuff, which is more concentrated in the super thin layers on the inside of the peel is the culprit. bad BAD onion! BAD! BADBADBAD! Why the spazz-out you ask? I like onion sandwhiches, with either red or green onions, with salt. Weird I know. Back to our little discovery... I was heartbroken, when I realized, most of my foodstuffs would have to be made without onions, which I love! So, I read up on things, and researched the net, and when I read the part about the sulphur... it dawned on me. The most concentrated part is the center of the onion. Short of removing the super-thin skin on each layer (which would promptly get anyone committed), how about.... so I tried it. I removed the center rings, and used the outer rings to cook. and the migraines diminished GREATLY, when I ate onions. It won't work ALL the time, but, most of the time is better than nothing no?

I also noticed that if I eat massively processed chocolate (like bars, candy etc.,) I can easily get nailed by a migraine. Problem is, I LOVE chocolate (I love food. nuff said). My favorite is black chocolate. So, again I researched, and lo and behold, there is less added stuff in the black chocolate. So, I decided to try eating ONLY black/dark chocolate, and never mind anything that's below 60% black. (I actually like the 85%... weird I know). and you know what? the only time I get a chocolate triggered migraine, is when I eat the bars/processed ones... Food for thought.

Some foods will give me migraines, BUT, if I behave and not have nasty food for say, a year or whatever, I can pretty much safely have it ONCE and enjoy it oh so thoroughly... without getting slammed. Its different for everyone I'm sure... and maybe there are foods that make you or someone you know react that are fine with me. We're human :) Cheese for the most part does not always bother me (only if I REALLY overdo it and I'm right on the edge here!) I rarely eat the old stuff however, and when I do, its in TINY portions, and I savor it.

Lastly, Pepsi, if consumed in huge amounts, gets me a free migraine! (I used to drink that stuff like tap water!) so now, I occasionaly treat myself to ONE can, and that's it. BUT, I can drink gingerale, no problem. Its weird, and interesting I find, what triggers and does not trigger migraines.

Some people are sensitive to wine (and pork). I don't drink so I would not be able to tell you. As for pork, the ONLY time I eat it, is in wonton soup. I really don't care for it, especially since it does not agree with me. But that is for another day.

Cyncerely, Cyn

Baked Steak and Cheese croissants

Attache ta tuque! as we'd say in French (tie your tuque - put your hat on and hang on...)

This one is something I threw together a couple of years ago, and its perfect when you have leftovers, not a lot of cash, and/or you want something totally scrumptious! It serves well at a party, if you care to share, or you can make a pile of them, and stuff your face, you can make ONE (I dare you!) or more... whatever turns your crank :) The crunch of the baked/toasted flaky croissants, the flavor of the beef, the just-right moistness of the shrooms, and of course, the garlic flavoring are piled high with ooey-gooey cheese that just doesn't quit. Take a look! YUM!
too bad we don't have scratch and sniff monitors! :)

A couple of notes:

I use/make a "lazy woman's tin baking sheet", with a doubled up sheet of foil, why? Take a look at the pictures, you'll see, its also easier to pop off the melted cheese, and its a breeze to clean. (keep away from puppies that would reach your sink or trash lol!)

For those who get food-triggered migraines, here's a tip when using onions... The center rings of the onions have the most concentrate of sulphur, (the lovely stuff that for ME, triggers migraines if I overdo it (and yes I love onions!) so, remove the center rings, quite simple. Purple/red onions for me seem to be less traumatic, as they are not as strong. If you were to remove the little "skin" on each layer, that would help, but that would also be insane so... this short-cut works... give it a try, nothing to lose.

I added garlic directly to the croissants. It adds flavor and tang, and this is something I do if I feel I'm coming down with something.

When slicing the croissants, use a bread knife please. Really, it’ll make all the difference in the world!

I ran out of olive oil, so I’m using peanut oil, and I hate it. I just do. So, use olive oil, does not burn as fast, and it tastes better. ^_^

So here we go, as usual, prep your ingredients, and get ready to cook!

Ingredients:

4-6 croissants – depends how much of the mix you pile high on it ;)


3 large shrooms, sliced thinly


1 lb (or so) boneless blade steak


1/8 tsp of salt and a tad less of pepper (unless you like pepper)


1 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce


3 tbsp parmesan (optional)


2 cups or so of Mozzarella cheese, shredded.


2 slices of onions, chopped coarsely


2X 1 tbsp of oil.



Slice beef thinly, in 1/2 “ pieces. Remove the gristle and stuff as you go, or cook it, and treat the dog/cats.

In medium bowl, add sliced meat, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well, put aside (you’ll be mixing the meat here and there, as you’re cooking the other stuff).

Heat wok, when nice and hot, add 1tbsp oil, heat oil, add garlic and onions. Stir fry quickly for about 1 minute, add meat.

Note: because of the soy sauce, there will be an excess of juices, just keep stir frying away for about 3 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink. But don’t over cook, remember this stuff still has to bake!

Push meat to one side of wok, add oil, and then shrooms (lazy woman’s way of cooking/blending the shrooms with meat) and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes. Turn heat off.

Slice croissants.

Take a large section of foil, fold in half, and fold sides up to form a lip. If you’d rather use a cookie sheet, or whatever be my guest :)
Place croissants on foil sheet

Add a bit of garlic (this is optional – but it makes a difference, IMHO!)

Add a thin layer of cheese (to glue the meat you know…)

Using a slotted spoon (or a spatula like I have, “drain” the meat mix, as much as possible, or else, your croissants will be soggy. (eweeee)

Add the meat mixture, try to distribute evenly. (see pictures)

Add the cheese on top, parmesan first if you’re using it.

Now, if like me, you forgot that foil is NOT rigid, use a splatter screen, deftly slip it under your homemade foil thingy, and pop it in the (toaster) oven for about 15 minutes.

I toasted it for 2 minutes to brown the cheese, but stomach won over pictures. (sorry). You can use broil if your oven has that function, but KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON IT!

Use your trusty splatter screen, and pull that baby out! Can you smell it? YUM!

Using a pizza cutter, cut each croissants piece in 3, (easier to eat), and place on a plate.

Devour I mean, enjoy, with a cold drink (I like a cold Pepsi when eating this dish. ;)

In the pictures, I show how much meat mixture I have left, as I only made 1.5 croissants. It was very difficult NOT to just eat it up (and anything dropped on the floor was swooped on by the dog and the cats!) BUT, I was strong! Its in the fridge, for later!

Now, this dish can be made with any meat, so long as its cooked thoroughly. I’ve done this with Deli meat, but I don’t recommend it. The idea to cook from “scratch” is to get away from the nitrates and all the stuff they pump into pre-made foods… You can add peppers if you like (cough cough), or whatever you like. These babies are best served piping hot. YUM!

the pictures are not in order for all the steps, but I'm sure you can get the idea :)

ingredients... (missing onions in this pic)

mmm... garlic

croissants, sliced with a bread knife. please don't slice your hand, like I did. @_@

lazy-woman's baking sheet (see results of cooked food, you'll see why I favor these)


red onions are the mildest, sweetest. at the top right, you see the "center" rings. I remove these, as I personally have found, after much experimentation, that doing so lessens the risk of a migraine being triggered. :|

mixing the meat mix.

add a bit of garlic on the croissants. this is optional, but what a difference!

you don't have to use just this cut, use what's on sale, especially if its Sirloin ^_^


See? THIS is why I use the foil lining instead of a cookie sheet. just ball it up, and recycle or throw it out (where the dog can't get to it!)

its also easier to get to those crusty bits of cooked cheeze on there. mmmmm....

lazy man's way of cooking the shrooms, just move the meat, pop the shrooms in there, give it a fry for a minute, then mix it all up!

like so.

remember not to burn the garlic, otherwise it will be bitter (and it will STINK if your house!) and if your fire detector is as sensitive as mine, it'll go off.

the juices are normal, this is due to the soy sauce, and meat juices.

mmm... can almost smell it!

after making 1.5 croissants, this is what I had left of the meat mix. I had enough left for another 3.5 croissants AFTER this.

I desperately fought the temptation to get the chopsticks out, and pig out, but the croissants baking helped me make the right decision. I chucked a piece to Dewey... (and another to Jazz...)

ready to roll! :)

I'm scatterbrained at the best of times, and foil is not rigid. so, I used my splatter shield (dollar store find), and VOILA! carrying plate!

when adding meat to croissants, you will need to quickly drain the juices... otherwise, soggy mess.

garlic, check. cheese, check. meat, check. hehe!


adding a fine layer of cheese helps to glue stuff on there... you know, can never have too much cheese!

mmmmm.... very shortly, my tummy will be singing praises...

The Results...  yummy, crunchy, satisfying gooeyness.

HURRY DARN YOU! HURRYYYYYY!


Enjoy! :) Cyncerely, Cyn