Basil Steak Marinade

adapted from SteakMarinade.org

It's the height of summer and all of my herbs are overflowing right now. So I've been trying to use fresh herbs as often as possible. This basil marinade was amazing! So much flavor and easy to put together.

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped into little pieces

1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup minced scallions

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

4 steaks

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Pour over steaks and let the meat marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours.

Pork Chops with Sour Cream Sauce

adapted from food.com

We just got a grill. Hooray! It's just a little one and nothing fancy but it's so nice to cook and eat outside. Last night I wanted to try something a little different with grilled pork chops and this sauce was just the ticket. It had nice flavor, was simple to put together and tasted great with rice.

4 pork loin chops

1 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp salt

2 medium onions

1.5 cup beef stock

1 cup sour cream

3 Tbsp flour

1/8 tsp black pepper

parsley (fresh if you can get it!)

Combine sage, salt and pepper and rub the chops on both sides with the mixture. Grill until meat is cooked through.

In a saucepan grill onions until soft, then add beef stock and stir in the sour cream until smooth. Simmer for several minutes, add flour to thicken and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with rice or wide egg noodles.

Summer Peach Salad

I look forward to the day when you walk into a grocery store and peaches are on sale. I end up buying so many that peaches are part of every meal in order to eat them all before they spoil. This is an easy, versatile salad and a delicious way to say goodbye to summer.

Salad

3-4 large peaches, sliced

3-4 tomatoes, chopped and seeded

salad greens

mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup nuts

Fruity Vinaigrette

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp mustard

2 tsp honey

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp poppy seeds

Chop up lettuce or other salad greens and put in a large bowl. Chop peaches and tomatoes, and add them to the bowl and toss. Grate mozzarella on top and garnish with nuts. Mix vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl and serve on the side.

Honey Mustard Vegetables with Feta

adapted from Luna Cafe

Here's a light dinner that can help offset those heavy holiday foods. You can use whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. Just toss it all together and throw it in the oven!

Vegetables:

3-4 potatoes

1/2 squash

3-4 carrots

3-4 beets

1 bell pepper

green beans

1 tsp rosemary (1 Tbsp if fresh)

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette:

9 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Chop all of the vegetables into bite sized pieces and put them in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together rosemary, garlic, oil and salt and pepper, toss vegetables with the oil mixture and arrange vegetables on an edged baking sheet. Try not to overlap.

Roast for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle the Feta cheese over the vegetables.

Prepare the vinaigrette by combining all ingredients and mixing them together well.

Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Persimmon and Pear Salad

I had never really tried Persimmons before, but a lady in our ward gave us some so I had to find a recipe to use them in. Persimmons are great, I can't believe it took me 26 years to actually try one. We will definitely be eating them again soon.

Lettuce

1 cup pecans, candied (1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp butter)

1/2 cup swiss cheese, grated

2-3 ripe persimmons

2-3 ripe pears

Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp orange marmalade

1 tsp oil

sesame seeds

salt

pepper

Chop and wash lettuce. In a frying pan, heat butter and toast the pecans with sugar and salt until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Peel the pears and persimmons and chop them into chunks. Combine all salad ingredients. To make the dressing, mix all ingredients until well blended.

PF Changs style Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from PF Changs

Ben and I first tried these lettuce wraps on a date, and we were hooked! Being students we couldn't afford to go out every time we had a hankering for them so we learned to make it ourselves through trial and error. The chicken has great flavor, the dipping sauce is hot and spicy and it is a great contrast to the cool, crisp lettuce leaves.

3-4 chicken breasts, diced into small pieces

1 cup water chestnuts, diced

green onion, diced

mushrooms, diced

2-3 chilies (optional, depending on how hot you like it)

oil

2-3 Tbsp soy sauce

2-3 Tbsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 head iceburg lettuce

rice

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

4 Tbsp soy

4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

4 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp oil

Hot chinese mustard and chili paste to taste

Carefully peel off individual leaves of lettuce from the head, wash and place in the fridge to chill. Chop up and combine the chicken, water chestnuts, onion, mushrooms and chilies. Heat the oil on the wok and once hot, stir fry chicken mixture together.

In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for the dipping sauce and mix well.

Eat by spooning the chicken into lettuce cups with a little dipping sauce, wrap it up and enjoy!

Vegetable Lo Mein

adapted from Allrecipes

Lo Mein is a Chinese dish with noodles. The American version of this dish is served topped with a brown sauce and vegetables or meat.

1/2 lb Lo Mein noodles
Zucchini, chopped

Carrots, sliced

Broccoli, chopped

Red Pepper, chopped

Sauce:

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup hoisen sauce

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp soy

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp chili paste

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp curry

Stir fry vegetables with the sauce in a hot pan until they are just soft. Pour mixture over noodles and serve immediately.

Maple Soy Glazed Salmon

I would have never thought to put maple syrup and soy sauce together, but it tastes great! This salmon came out salty and sweet, and full of great flavor. I will definitely be making this again.

3-4 salmon filets

Sauce:

1 cup maple syrup

8 Tbsp soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup stock

2 tbsp flour

Combine syrup, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper and pour 1/4 over salmon and marinate for 30 minutes to over night in the fridge (the longer the better). Place salmon filets in an oven safe dish, pour marinade over the top and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. In the meantime, mix the stock and flour until smooth, and put it and the remaining sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

Pull out salmon and serve with rice, pouring the sauce over the top.

Panzanella Salad

adapted from Stacey Snacks

My family has always been of the "waste not, want not" philosophy, and I had a loaf of stale bread that I felt bad throwing out. So I made a panzanella salad instead. Panzanella is an Italian salad made from bread and tomatoes, tossed in a light vinaigrette. The bread soaks up the juices from the tomatoes and dressing, resulting in a delicious flavorful dish.

Dressing:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

1 stale baguette (or other bread) torn into bite sized chunks

4-5 tomatoes

1/2 red onion, sliced thin

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Mix your salad ingredients and place them in a large bowl. Whisk your dressing and pour over the bread and tomato mixture until the bread cubes absorb the dressing. You don't have to use all of the dressing, just use as much as you deem appropriate. Let it sit in the bowl for about an hour to let the flavors mingle together and allow the bread to absorb the juices.

Baked Tilapia Salad with Thai Peanut Sauce

adapted from Danica's Daily

This salad was so good. The dressing was a snap to put together and the next day Ben was asking if we had any leftover.

Serves 2-3

Salad Ingredients

2-3 tilapia filets (or other white fish)

Lettuce or other leafy greens

2-3 carrots, peeled and julienned

1 red pepper, diced

mushrooms (optional) chopped

tomatoes (optional) chopped

Thai Peanut Sauce (makes 1 cup)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 1/2 Tbsp white sugar

4 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp chili sauce, or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Heat peanut sauce in a sauce pan on low and stir 5 minutes until peanut butter is smooth and creamy. Let cool.

If using frozen fish; defrost, rinse, and pat dry. Place in a baking dish and marinate in 1/2 cup of the sauce. Make sure all of the fish gets covered. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to several hours. Meanwhile, tear lettuce and prepare and combine vegetables for salad.

Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350, or until flaky and cooked through. You can also wrap filets in foil and grill for 4-5 minutes each side.

Serve salad with peanut sauce on the side. Place fish atop and serve. Great with rice.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf

From my old roommate, Stacy

This is for people who hate meatloaf.
I was one such person, until my domestically inclined roommate Stacy showed me the way. It is so good, sweet and spicy, I couldn't believe it. The whole dorm room looked forward to her meatloaf and the day of we made it a rule that we could only listen to Meatloaf on meatloaf day in preparation for the occasion. So get your 80's CD's ready.

1 (12 oz) jar red currant jelly
1 (12 oz) jar chili sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup ketchup

To prepare sauce, combine red currant jelly and chili sauce in a sauce pan. Heat until jelly is melted and well blended.
For meatloaf, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, chopped onions, salt, pepper, egg and ketchup mold into a 5x9 loaf pan. Pour half of sauce over meatloaf and bake for 1 hour at 400. Heat remaining sauce and serve with meatloaf.


*Must also play meatloaf CD

Spinach and Swiss Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

From my mum

Another great salad, with lots of flavor. The poppy seed vinaigrette is wonderful and (in my humble opinion) the best part of the salad.



Large bunch of spinach
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 lb bacon, crumbled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Poppy seed Vinaigrette
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Cook bacon and combine salad ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together dressing and toss in salad or serve on the side.

BBQ Chicken

I put this chicken in the oven and was supposed to take it out earlier but I accidentally fell asleep reading and when I woke up 2 hours had gone by. (Note to self: Don't do that.) The house smelled great, the chicken had been baking under the foil all that time and was fall apart tender and so delicious. The sauce is too good to waste, be sure to have rice or pasta to serve with it to soak up the juices.


3-4 chicken thighs
1/2 cup chicken broth

BBQ Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tsp cayenne


Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add garlic and sauté until brown. Then add remaining BBQ sauce ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until thick and let cool.

Once the sauce is no longer warm, pour sauce over the chicken in a baking dish. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake chicken for 2 hours.

Take the chicken out and pour the remaining sauce and pan scrapings into a sauce pan (skim the fat if needed), bring to a boil and add the chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add flour or cornstarch if the sauce is too runny. Pour over the chicken and serve.

Almond Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

from my lovely Mom

As a kid (and into my late teens) I refused to eat salads because I considered "bunny food" to be beneath me. However, I always made an exception for this one. It's salty and sweet, colorful and delicious. Thanks mom.


Large bowl of leafy greens
4-5 medium chicken breasts
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 cup of chopped almonds, lightly toasted and salted

Honey Mustard Dressing:
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup mustard
pinch of salt

Cook chicken and cut into chunks. Toast almonds in a bit of butter or olive oil and salt. Toss all ingredients together. Mix dressing well (until smooth) and serve on the side. This is better the first day, so I wouldn't put it all together until right before you eat. Enjoy!

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Tangy Honey Dressing

adapted from Allrecipes

I made this springy salad because it is still cold out and I want it to get warmer. The dressing was excellent, and it was very light and refreshing. Great with a side of grapefruit. I will definitely be making this again when the local strawberries are in season.

Salad:

torn salad greens

1 avocado, cut into pieces

10 sliced strawberries

1 kiwi, cut into chunks

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Tangy Honey Dressing:

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp white sugar

4 tsp honey

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp salt

Tear up salad, chop up fruit and assemble salad. In a small saucepan, toast the pecans with 1/2 Tbsp butter (or olive oil) and add salt, once turning brown put on a plate and set aside. Assemble dressing, mix well and sprinkle on salad.

Chickpea and Feta Salad

adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Salad:

1 head of leafy greens, torn into peices

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed well

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

Kalamata olives

1 small purple onion, diced

2-3 tomatoes, diced and seeded

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1-2 cloves crushed garlic

1 tsp mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse chickpeas and let dry for 5 minutes. Combine them with 2 Tbsp of vinegar, shake to coat and let them marinate in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour. Make the dressing, toss the salad and add the rest of the vegetables. Add chickpeas before serving.

Simple Homemade Chocolate Syrup

adapted from Allrecipes

A simple chocolate syrup. For all those times you are craving Nestle Quick and live in a foreign country.


1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine cocoal, sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Garlic Steak Salad

Garlic Steak Rub from Sister's Cafe

Mmmmm, something about making a baby has me craving red meat. This is a cinch to put together and feels hearty and healthy at the same time.

Steak Garlic Rub:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic

Salad:

1 large bunch of leafy greens

cherry tomatoes

mushrooms

1/2 purple onion

crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the garlic rub and marinade steak for at least 1/2 hour. In the meantime, assemble salad, dressing and cook rice. Prepare a hot griddle with a glug of olive oil and smack that meat down, about 1 1/2 minutes each side (for medium rare, depending on the steak thickness) longer if you want it well done. Serve on the salad with rice on the side. Delicious.

BBQ Meatballs

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

I was craving something hearty without much effort on my part, and when I saw these meatballs I knew it was meant to be. Pioneer Woman has never let me down. Good BBQ sauce is a rare find in this part of the world, so it was fun to try to make my own (and I did tweak the recipe a bit) although I think I would double it next time so as to have extra.

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

3/4 cup oats

1 egg

3 Tbsp finely minced onion

1 1/2 tsp salt

ground black pepper

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp cayenne

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium/small sized balls and brown in a frying pan over medium heat and place in a baking dish. Combine all sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Pour BBQ sauce over meatballs and bake for 45 minutes.

Roasted Lemon Chicken

adapted from Gluten Free Day


2 lbs of chicken breasts or legs

marinade:
1 lemon, zest and juice
7 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp ground turmeric
6 Tbsp olive oil.

Mix the marinade ingredients together and combine with the chicken.
Sprinkle some salt on the chicken before cooking.
Either cook the chicken with the marinade for approximately 1 hour at 300, or leave it to sit in the marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours and cook it without the marinade for 25 minutes at 500.
Serve with rice or potatoes.