A Southern Comfort Meal At It's Finest: Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak

I will be completely honest, this meal is not right up my alley at all. I tend to steer from large pieces of meat for meals. I'm by no means a vegetarian I just tend to go for the smaller meat portions. But hey, every now and then everyone needs a good hearty southern meal and this is one that will not disappoint! 

If you aren't a 'cook' don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients in this recipe. It really is a pretty easy meal to make and it is delicious! Since I'm already serving a meal that is gonna break the scale, HA, I usually just go ahead and serve the steaks with mashed potatoes and typically glazed carrots or another fresh veggie.

Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak

Ingredients 

Meat Mixture 

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbs heavy cream

1 Tbs ketchup

2 Tsps dry mustard

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 cube beef bouillon, crumbled

Salt and Pepper

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

Gravy

1 whole onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 cups beef broth, more if needed for thinning

1 Tbs ketchup

1 Tsp seasoning sauce, such as Kitchen Bouquet, optional. {I do not personally use this}

4 dashes Worcestershire

1 Tsp cornstarch

Salt and Pepper

Directions
For the meat mixture: Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, heavy cream, ketchup, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon and some salt and pepper. Knead until all combined. Form into 6 oval patties, and then make lines across the patties, with your finger, to give them a "steak" appearance (this is just for fun!).

Fry the patties in a skillet with the butter and oil over medium-high heat on both sides until no longer pink in the middle, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and pour off any excess grease. (If you use a good lean meat you won't have much if any grease)

For the gravy: Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sliced onions. Stir and cook until golden brown and somewhat soft, for several minutes. Add 1 & 3/4th cup beef stock, kethcup, seasoning sauce, if using, and the Worcestershire. Then combine the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4th cup beef broth and add to the gravy. Stir and cook  to reduce while thickening.

Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and more broth if needed for thinning. Then return the patties to the gravy. Spoon the gravy over the top and let them simmer and heat back up for a couple minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Kentucky Derby Pie

 

One of the things that is towards the very top of my bucket list is to go to the Kentucky Derby. I've been dreaming since I was young of putting on a beautiful dress with a huge fun hat while sipping on a mint julep and cheering my favorite horse to the finish line! Since this isn't the year for me to fulfill that dream I just decided to make a yummy dessert in honor of the big race tomorrow instead. 

 

I spotted a recipe for this Kentucky Derby pie and thought well it's gotta be good enough for the triple crown of desserts because it is almost like a southern pecan pie but with chocolate chips! A must try in my eyes and this pie did not scratch in the dessert derby, so delicious!

 

Kentucky Derby Pie

Ingredients 

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chocolate chips

1 frozen pie crust

Directions
1. Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

2. Add salt and flour, mix well.

3. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.
4. Pour mixture into pie crust and bake at 325 degrees for one hour.
5.Let cool for one to two hours before serving.

6. Enjoy!

 

 

Will you be watching the race? Who is your pick? I think if I was at the Derby all money would be on Class Empire! But I do love Gunnevera and Always Dreaming. I hope y'all have a great weekend with your biggest decision being a margarita or mint julep!

   

Crispy Baked Eggplant

Crispy Baked Eggplant
Recipe from: Pepperbowl.com

Ingredients

1 Eggplant
5 Tbsp of Corn Starch
2 Tbsp of Chili Powder
1/2 Tbsp of Salt
3 Tbsp of Bread Crumbs

Directions

1. Slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch thick slices.
2. Sprinkle salt on each slice and stack them as layer.
3. Place a heavy weight on top of the stacked eggplant (I used a heavy cast iron skillet) for about 30 min to 45 min...this process will release a bitter purple(ish) water ,and also helps the eggplant get crisper while baking.
4. Pat dry the egg plant slices with tissue or dry cloth. Make sure you remove all the black liquid.
5. Make thin paste with salt, chili powder, corn starch by adding little water. Make sure the corn starch is not too thick. Thicker corn starch will make it little hard and chewy.
6. Dip egg plant slices in this paste and coat them with bread crumbs. On a greased pan, arrange the slices to bake. Leave enough space in between the slices for crispier eggplant. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Bake for 20 minutes in the 350 degrees in the oven, by flipping them occasionally and once the slices are crispy they are ready!
   
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   Last week at the grocery store Kyle picked up an eggplant and asked if it was good that he had never had one before. My que to buy one for him to try, I'm like a proud mom when he tries new healthy stuff...am I the only wife that feels this way? 

   
   

   I decided I wanted to try something new with it besides the normal eggplant parm. So I breaded and baked them to go with grilled chicken for dinner last night. I was even more excited when Kyle really liked them and suggested I try it with squash next time too. Dinner or the win! And a healthy one at that! They had great flavor and I dipped mine in a little bolthouse ranch, delicious! 

   
     

Homemade Lara Bar - Cherry, Cashew and Date Bars

Cherry, Cashew and Date Bars

Recipe from: Craftsy.com

 
Ingredients 

1 cup of roasted non-salted cashews (Use

 roasted, it makes all the difference in the world)

1 cup of dried cherries

1 cup medjool dates (about 8-10 dates- and always use medjool dates. They are much sweeter and stickier holding the bars together)

1/4 cup of mini dark chocolate chip morsels (optional- I didn't use them on this batch)

Directions
1. Cut dates in half removing their pits.

2. Place nuts, dates and cherries in a food processor and process until your desired consistency.

3. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with waxed paper or parchment. Place fruit and nut mixture in the pan and use a piece of waxed paper or parchment to press the mixture down and spread it out. I use parchment paper just because I've found it sticks less than wax paper.
If adding chocolate, sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the fruit and nut mixture and press them down into the mixture. Use your hand or and a drinking glass to even out the surface.
4. Lift the mixture out of the pan using the waxed paper lining. Use a sharp knife to cut into 18 pieces (or any size you wish- I used a heart shaped cookie cutter for this batch just to be festive for Valentine's Day. Also I found using a roller pin also helps after you have them out of the pan to smooth them out even more.)
5. Wrap pieces in parchment or waxed paper and store in an airtight container. (I also find that if you store them in the refrigerator they are less sticky and easier to handle and eat.)

These bars taste JUST like the Cherry Pie Lara Bars! They are such an easy snack to make and have on hand and super healthy. Feel free to experiment with different nuts and fruits. Just remember to always use roasted nuts and medjool dates.

Here are some other options you can try out! And feel free to add cinnamon or nutmeg to yours.

1. Pineapple, papaya, mango, banana chips and shredded coconut paired with a mix of walnuts and almonds.
2. Apricot and golden raisins paired with almonds. Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom.
3. Cherries paired with cashews. Add mini dark chocolate chips after food processing.
4. Apples and raisins paired with walnuts, almonds and cashews. Add a pinch of cinnamon.

If you make these, let me know! OR if you already make them. I would love the hear the combinations you guys make and if you enjoy them as much as I do!

 
 

Blackened Fish Tacos

A couple weeks ago I was craving tacos so bad (per usual) but I wanted them to be low calorie. I'm not a fish fan at all. I love shellfish but not fish fish. I decided that I was going to make myself like tilapia and whipped up these blackened fish tacos for dinner. I loved them! They didn't taste fishy at all, they were super easy, the husband loved them and I had extra slaw to make shrimp tacos two nights later. Win win!  

Blackened Fish Tacos

Recipe from GarvinandCo

 

For the fish

4-5 tilapia filets

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it!)

2 tbsp olive oil

10-12 corn tortillas

 

For the slaw

1/4 red cabbage, chopped

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1/2 cup cilantro

juice of 1 lime 

For the avocado sauce

1 ripe avocado

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup cilantro

juice of 1 lime

sprinkle of sea salt

Directions

1. Combine ingredients for avocado sauce in a food processor or blender, blend until thoroughly mixed & set aside in fridge to chill.

2. Combine ingredients for slaw in a small bowl, mix well & set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients for fish seasoning. Sprinkle the mixture on to both sides of the fish & rub the seasoning in to coat each filet.

4. Heat skillet to medium-high heat, add olive oil & add each piece of fish once the pan has heated. Cook on each side for 5 minutes or until fish is cooked through and is flaking apart & outside looks blackened.

5. Heat a dozen corn tortillas in the same pan, or in the microwave. Break apart all of the fish into small pieces, add to the tortillas & top with slaw and sauce. 

6. Serve & enjoy!

     

Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

Image Credit: A Southern Drawl  

My husband absolutely hates when I make a very healthy meal so I will just say he was not a fan of this chicken broccoli quinoa casserole that I made. I got the recipe from Grace at A Southern Drawl and knew this would be a great meal for me to meal prep for the week. 

I thought it was pretty tasty for coming in at just 336 calories per serving and it was filling. Easy to reheat and to have for lunch through out the week as well.

Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Recipe from: A Southern Drawl 

Ingredients
2 lbs Chicken, raw
1 1/2 cups of greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 12oz jar of roasted red peppers

1/2 cup of white onion, diced

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (I used Italian just for extra flavor and that's what I had on hand) 

2 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp oregano

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.    

Directions
1. Boil chicken breasts until done and then shred.

2. Steam broccoli and onions

3. In a blender, pulse greek yogurt and roasted red peppers until smooth.

4. Mix chicken, broccoli, onions, greek yogurt/red pepper mixture, seasonings, quinoa and half of the chicken broth in a bowl.

5. Spray a large baking dish with coconut or olive oil spray. 

6. Place mixture in baking dish and top with bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese and the other half of the chicken broth (this keeps it from getting dried out).

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.     

 Image Credit: A Southern Drawl (I failed at taking picutres of mine own)

If you make this let me know what you think! Also, if you have other recipes that you recommend for healthy meal preps, please share!

  

   

   

Life Catch Up: Christmas Festivities

Well hello y'all, I took an unintentional break from my little space here and I'm back to catch up! My next few posts will basically be picture dumps but I of course want them here to look back on.
I want to share the few days leading up to Christmas and the memories we made. 

My parents took us all ice skating downtown and it was so much fun! I haven't been ice skating in YEARS so it was a blast getting back on the ice and trying not to bust it. Actually we all did really well and not one of us fell!

On the first night of my Christmas break we made cranberry moscow mules and decorated a gingerbread house. It was a great way to start the break!

  

This is a fun recipe to easily make festive and  they are seriously so good! 2 oz vodka {I used Titos} + 1/2 oz lime juice + 4 oz ginger beer + a splash of cranberry juice. Garnish with cranberries + sprig of rosemary. I love anything served in a copper mug really.

We went with our niece and nephews to visit Santa and to have dinner. Brecken wasn't a huge fan but it made for a great picture!

Merry Christmas from the Rays! This was our Christmas card that we sent to family and friends. We had family pictures taken at our favorite Christmas tree farm this year with Kyle's family. Oops, reminder...I will share some of those soon!

I made homemade Christmas cranberry bread for my coworkers to have for breakfast. I used this Pottery Barn recipe and it was so delicious! I just heated it up a little before serving since I baked it the night before and everyone seemed to enjoy it. 

I wore my fair share of Christmas pajamas this season but I may have also got Kyle and Haddock a few pairs as well. Yes, I'm well aware that I'm screwed if I ever have kids!

My mom and I went to celebrate Santa visiting my Grandma and all her friends in the nursing home. It was a fun evening and my grandma was more than thrilled for her new ruffled pajamas!

And lastly, we celebrated on Christmas Eve by pausing and remembering that Christmas is not Christmas without the baby in the manager that came to save us from our ourselves. 

Tomorrow I'm going to share our Christmas and then I'll be ready to move into 2017! I hope everyone is staying warm on this Monday!