 I don't know who Diane is, if she was the creator this amazing steak or if it was just named after someone's beloved, but I do know that it's awesome. I have to admit that when I found this recipe, I had no idea what Steak Diane even was. All I had to do was to read through the list of ingredients before I bought into the idea of Steak Diane completely. (Baby bella mushrooms, brandy, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire - sign me up.)  Steak Diane 1 teaspoon canola oil 8 ounces strip steak 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms 2 Tablespoons minced onions 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tablespoons brandy 1/4 cup beef stock 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 Tablespoons half and half 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Top steak with mushroom mixture and sprinkle with parsley.  I totally caught my family off guard with this amazing weeknight meal. Who serves Steak Diane to their family on a Wednesday night? I do!! Based on the look on their faces when they got to the table, I'm fairly certain that they were expecting another chicken dinner. Needless to say, they really liked Steak Diane.
Ciao!
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 Summer is so close - I can taste it. I'm not kidding. I've been enjoying some of my favorite summertime treats already - watermelon, corn on the cob, fresh strawberry shortcake and newly added to my list of summertime favorites - Orange Sherbet Cupcakes. So cool and refreshing - these cupcakes are like a little piece of summer that you can hold in your hand.
These cupcakes remind me of the orange push up pops that I used to eat/lick off of my arm when I was a kid. I never did master the art of eating one of those delicious frozen treats in a tube without getting completely covered in orange sugar but that never stopped me. I loved those little treats. When I took my first bite of an orange sherbet cupcake, all of these orange push pop memories came rushing back. AND, I managed to eat this yummy summertime treat without getting completely covered in orange goo. If you're looking for just the right little treat to kick off your summer - I suggest these orange sherbet cupcakes - they're delicious and they're easier to eat than a push pop. ;)  Orange Sherbet Cupcakes 1 cup (8 oz.) salted butter, softened 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 6 large eggs 3 cups (12 oz.) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon table salt 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Bake 22 minutes at 350. Cool on wire racks.
To make frosting, add 1 T. fresh orange juice, 1 t. orange zest and a drop of orange food color to a batch of cream cheese frosting.  Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.
Obviously, I didn't invest a lot of time in decorating these sweet treats. In retrospect, a candied orange slice or swirled pastel sherbet colored cream cheese icing would have made these cupcakes even prettier. I guess I'll just have to whip up another batch so I get a second chance at decorating. ;)
Ciao!  Spring is just flying by and summer will be here before I know it. I don't know about you but I am SUPER excited about this summer. Beach trip, family reunion, pool days and lots of family time is my summer agenda. I'm hoping to fire up my Big Green Egg a little more often this summer too. Grilled burgers, home grown watermelon and fresh corn on the cob - all the summer essentials.  Just because I'm not a big fan of beef burgers, doesn't mean that I don't love a good burger. I just prefer turkey or vegetable burgers over beef burgers. It's not always easy to find tasty beef burgers alternatives. I've tried some veggie burger recipes that are delicious but take HOURS to make. Others are easy to put together but fall apart as soon as they hit the grill. Finding the perfect combination of tasty, easy to put together and burgers that hold their shape when grilled is not easy. That is exactly why I really like this black bean burger recipe. As an added bonus - you can even toss a few uncooked patties into the freezer to cook at a later date.  Black Bean Burgers 1 slice whole wheat bread 1/4 cup grated onion 1 Tablespoon garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 3/4 teaspoon cumin 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest 15 ounce can black beans, drained 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 1 egg 4 teaspoons olive oil
Heat oil in skillet. Add patties and cook 4 minutes on each side.  Place burgers on a bun.  Top with your favorite burger condiments.  Top with a second bun. (If desired)  I don't feel like my pictures really did these burgers any justice. They really were very good - even better than a beef burger if I do say so myself. With summer grilling season right around the corner - you will want to keep this recipe handy.
Ciao!  Anyone else suffering from post-Easter depression today? Today, I'm missing the college kids that and their friends that were home for the weekend. I'm missing the friends and family that came together around my kitchen to celebrate the risen King. I'm missing all the extra hands that I had in the kitchen to prepare the all of the amazing meals that we enjoyed last weekend.  This week I'm back to fixing dinner by myself so fortunately I've got a more manageable number to cook for. Before I get completely out of the "cooking for a crowd" mode though - I think I'll make a big batch of bolognese sauce this week. I like to keep extra pasta sauce in my freezer for especially busy days when I just don't have the time to make dinner.  Tagliatte with Bolognese Sauce 1 pound 93% lean ground beef 2 Tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon baking soda salt and pepper 4 cups beef broth 6 ounces pancetta 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 1 Tablespoon butter 1 Tablespoon olive oil 3 Tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup dry red wine 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1 pound tagliatelle
Add sauce to pasta. Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water.
 Serve.
  My family really enjoyed this bolognese sauce. It would be great on any pasta really - not JUST tagliatte. Choose your family's favorite pasta and give it a try.
Ciao!  I'm in the process of learning how to downsize our dinners. In the last 3 years, I've gone from feeding dinner to 4 people to 3 and more times than not lately - I'm making dinner for the 2 of us. (How in the world did these kids get old enough to go to college?) Pastas and chicken dinners are relatively easy to make for 2 people. Some meals just aren't very easy to downsize. Have you ever tried to buy a pork roast to feed 2?  I'm trying to get creative with my 2 serving menu planning. I bought a pork tenderloin last week and since they're normally sold in pairs, I had more pork than we could eat at one time. I put one tenderloin in the crock pot and made Crock Pot Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork. A couple of days later, I took the second tenderloin and made this Pork Marsala.  Pork Marsala 2 pork tenderloins 1/4 cup olive oil 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin 1/2 onion, minced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tablespoon flour 1 cup chicken broth 3/4 cup Marsala 4 Tablespoons butter 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Spoon mixture over pork medallions and serve.
I served my pork marsala with some fresh green beans and toasted pita triangles. I don't want to name names, but I will say that there is a certain child in my house right now who cannot eat pork without a side of applesauce. It is actually a family joke now because this child treats her applesauce like a condiment. It's kind of like eating french fries without ketchup or bread without butter - eating pork without applesauce is unimaginable.    This was a really tasty meal and it took me less than 30 minutes to put together. The mushroom sauce was amazing - I may or may not have scooped up the rest of the mushroom sauce left in the pan after I dished out our plates and at it by the spoonful. Yes, it's THAT good. Don't judge me til you try it. :)
Ciao! |
