Teriyaki Beef Shish Kabobs

This recipe is one of my mother's.  Growing up, we would have this just a few times a year and it was always one of my favorites.

1 ½ to 2 lb English roast or London broil

Marinade Ingredients:
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
1 tsp. meat tenderizer
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt
2 T brown sugar
¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Cube the beef into 1 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients and marinate the beef overnight.
3. Place on gas or charcoal grill and grill until of desired "done-ness".

Cook's notes:  My mother always grilled the meat and served "as is".  I use this marinade as the basis for shish kabobs.  I marinate vegetables for 4-6 hours (overnight is too long) and alternate the beef and vegetables on skewers.

Friday Favorite - Santa's White Christmas Coffee

I rarely brew coffee at home - I usually pick up a cup on the run in the morning.  However, when I do enjoy a cup of coffee at home, it is typically flavored coffee.  A perfectly flavored coffee should have a subtle flavor and not be overly sweet.  I don't like a flavored coffee that is so highly flavored that it tastes artificial.  My favorite flavored coffee is Santa's White Christmas from Barnie's Coffee and Tea Company.  It is infused with coconut, vanilla, nuts and sweet caramel flavors.  You can order it on-line in 2, 12 and 16 oz. packages. 

One note: the 16 oz (1 lb) package are beans that have been taken from their bulk bins and placed in packaging.  Because of this, the packaging is not as nice as the 12 oz. package.  If you are ordering this as a gift, I would recommend ordering the 12 oz. package, not the 1 lb package.

Roasted Potatoes and Squash

Ingredients:
3 medium yellow (summer) squash (1 lb)
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (1.25 lbs)
3 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. crushed (dried) rosemary
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Combine olive oil, vinegar, and spices.
3. Cut potatoes into 1" cubes and place in bowl.
4. Cut squash into 1/2" slices and place in separate bowl.
5. Pour 1/2 of oil mixture over potatoes and stir.  Place in 2-quart baking dish and cover with foil.  Place in preheated oven.
6. Pour remaining oil mixture over squash.
7. After 20 minutes, add the squash to the potatoes and return to oven.  Bake for another 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Remove foil during last 10-15 minutes of baking.

In order to prevent heating up the kitchen during the summer months, we usually prepare this dish on the grill in a foil pan. Keep the pan covered during the entire cooking period.  The great thing about using a foil pan is there isn't a dish to clean - just toss in the trash.  The Dollar Tree usually has medium sized foil pans 2/$1.00

Good Old-Fashioned French Toast

I love to preserve recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.  Once or twice a year, my 84-year old Grandma will send me a hand-written recipe on an old-fashioned recipe (index) card.  I treasure every one, as each is tiny piece of my own written heritage that I will someday pass down to my children.

In a world so dominated by convenience breakfast food (bagels, Eggos, Poptarts anyone?) we have forgotten that many recipes like French toast, are really pretty simply and take very little time to prepare.   As I share my Grandma's recipe for French toast, I encourage you to think about this quote "Cooking done with care is an act of love".



Grandma's French Toast

2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tblsp. sugar
1 tblsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 tblsp. butter
8 slices of bread

Directions

1. In a shallow bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Stir in milk.
2. Dip bread slices, one at a time, into egg mixture coating both sides well.
3. Heat butter in skillet pan over medium heat.  Cook bread in skillet over medium heat (3 minutes per slice or until lightly browned).

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Friday Favorite - Lemon Filled Wafers

This Friday Favorite is one of my favorite sweet treats - Lemon Rolled Wafers from World Market. 

These rolled wafters are "delicately light, deliciously crunchy wafers filled with a fresh and zestly lemon cream filling."  They are the perfect pair with a cup of morning coffee or an afternoon tea.

Thursday Thursday - Beer Margaritas

These beer margaritas are easy to make.  If they are too strong for your taste, you can either increase the amount of Sprite or cut down on the tequila.  Be prepared to make several batches, because they will quickly disappear.






Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) can frozen limeade, thawed
1 bottle of Corona
12 oz tequila
18 oz diet Sprite
fresh lime wedges

Directions:
1. Fill large pitcher half-full of ice. Stir in limeade, tequila and Corona.
2. Slowly pour in Sprite.
3. Serve each in a salt-rimmed glass (if desired) with a fresh lime wedge.

Perfectly Baked Brown Rice

I made the switch from white rice to brown rice several years ago as a way to add more fiber to my diet. Brown rice has 3 ½ grams of fiber per cup, while white rice has less than one gram. I love the nutty flavor and hearty texture of brown rice. This recipe never fails to produce the perfect brown rice. Because the rice is baked in the oven, there is one fewer pot to watch on the stove.


Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups whole grain brown rice
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tblsp. butter

Directions:
1. Bring stock to a boil in the microwave. Remove and add butter. Allow butter to melt.
2. Place rice in 8x8" glass pan.
3. Pour stock/butter mixture over rice in pan and stir.
4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
5. Bake at 375F for 1 hour.
6. Fluff with fork before serving.

Rosemary, Oh How I Love Thee

I love allrecipes.com for menu inspiration.  However, it is rare that I make a recipe exactly as written.  This Roasted Rosemary Pork Tenderloin is one exception (OK, well, I did sub minced garlic for fresh, but that doesn't really count).  I have a new love for Rosemary, lively aromatic fresh Rosemary.  Don't cheat yourself and use dried Rosemary for this recipe.  Spend the $2.25 on a bunch of delicously fresh Rosemary. 
Trust me, Rosemary may just become one of your new friends as well.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells (S to the power of 4)

Tired of the same old pasta dishes - spaghetti, fettucini alfredo and lasagna? Here's a stuffed shell recipe that always gets rave reviews.

Short on time? Prepare the dish the night before and refrigerate. The next day, remove from the fridge and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature before baking.

Ingredients:
25 jumbo pasta shells
3/4 lb Italian sausage (hot or mild, your choice)
10 oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach - thawed, squeezed dry
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz. pkg shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Brown sausage over medium-high heat. Drain and crumble.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine cooked sausage, spinach, ricotta, cottage cheese, egg, garlic, lemon juice, and oregano.
4. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
5. Stuff pasta shells with sausage mixture.
6. Place thin layer (approx 1/2 cup) of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan to prevent sticking. Arrange pasta shells in dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce then cheese.
7. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

(Cook's notes: you may notice the cheese in the picture doesn't look like mozzarella. YOU'RE RIGHT! I used a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar because that's all I had in the fridge.)