Just Recipes

[luvsginger]

I am not sure of you all have had Chevy's Steak Fajitas but they are my favorite. I am going to a pool party this weekend and I am bringing the marinated skirt steak and veggies for the fajitas. I usually make a marinade of tequila, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin and salt. I decided to look for the Chevy's recipe and found it today. I was wondering if anyone has tried this recipe and if it tastes like the real thing. Here is the recipe if you want to try it:

Chevys Skirt Steak Fajitas

Ingredients

2 lbs skirt steaks
1 cup soy sauce
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions
Blend all ingredients together and pour the marinade over the meat and move the meat around to make sure it is evenly coated.
Marinate in the refrigerator 6 to 8 hours or up to two days.

To grill the steak:.
Place the beef on the grill, directly over the coals, and leave undisturbed until grill marks form, then rotate the meat 90 degrees to create a second set of marks.
After 2 to 3 minutes, turn the beef to cook on the other side, using the same technique to form the grill marks.
Transfer the beef to a work surface and slice.

Serving suggestion:
Serve the steak in a soft warm tortilla, with guacamole , Pico de Gallo , grated cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, jalapeno slices, refried beans and Mexican Rice.

[Lucy]

Buttermilk Salad Dressing

3/4 cup 1 % buttermilk
2 cups (16 ounces) 2 % cottage cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

In a blender or food processor, combine the buttermilk, cottage cheese and salad dressing mix; cover and process for 20 seconds or until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir before serving.

One serving is 2 tablespoons of dressing and that has 23 calories and 1 gram of fat.

How does that taste compare to regular homemade ranch? I don't like bottled ranch nearly as well as the homemade, even if "homemade" comes from the powder packet and recipe, but I do love ranch and want it to be lower fat.


I made a dill mayonnaise last week to put on sandwiches, and it was delicious -- really kicked up a sandwich of deli chicken, red peppers, red onion, provolone and spinach. And so easy.

1 cup mayo
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-2 tsp dried dill, or you could use less fresh
2 tsp lemon juice

[livin4reality]

Made your orange cake MRD. It was amazing. Even the boy who would rather eat a frozen pizza than his mom's cooking went back for another slice!

I did some roasted beets last night. I think there was a conversation here a week or so ago. My daughter loved them. I just peeled and cut fresh beets. Tossed with a little EVOO and salt. Covered with foil and roasted in the overn for an hour at 350.

[brunette trixie]

Mmmmm....roasted beets.

[ClosetRTWatcher]

I mentioned my egg rolls on another thread and someone requested that I post it over in one of these food threads.

I shared an office at work with a woman from China for a while and she explained to me how to make these. I have never had a written recipe, so this is probably more of a process and I'm sure if you try it out you will find a way to tweak it just the way I did!

Chicken Egg Rolls

Ingredients:
1 package egg roll wrappers (usually found in the refrigerated produce section at grocery stores)
4-5 chicken breasts
celery (approx one good sized bunch)
carrots (approx 2 lbs)
green onions (approx 2 bundles)
olive oil
sesame oil
teriyaki sauce (optional, I prefer Veri Veri Teriyaki by brand Soy Vay)
salt
sugar
pepper
vegetable oil
1 egg

Chicken can really be cooked any way you like and then diced fine. I like to first cut mine into cubes and throw it into a large pan with chopped onion, garlic, about a tablespoon of sesame oil, and a liberal amount of teriyaki sauce. I then cook it until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is reduced to the point that it is more like a glaze. The key if you use a sauce to cook the chicken is that you do not want any liquid that will add moisture to the egg roll. After it is cook, dice it very fine and set aside.

Julienne the celery, carrots, and green onions and put them all in a very large bowl. The amounts here are approximate because the amounts you use of each are really up to you and if you want very full egg rolls you may want even more. For the carrots and celery, I picked up a "julienne peeler" (like the one here: Kuhn Rikon Stainless Julienne Peeler - Peelers) that helps immensely with getting this stuff cut right without an enormous amount of time. Mix up the veggies and sprinkle them with a liberal amount of salt, prob 1 to 1.5 tablespoons. Mix the salt in and then cover and let sit for 15 mins. The salt is going to extract the moisture from the veggies, so when the 15 mins is up, you want to take the veggies by the handful and squeeze the remaining moisture out of them.

Mix the moisture-removed veggies with the diced chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste (along with whatever other spices you prefer). Keep in mind that if you used a sauce on the chicken you may not need additional salt. Also add approx 1 tbl olive oil, a couple of dashes of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Heat vegetable oil approx 3/4 inch deep in a large skillet over medium heat.
Spread out egg roll wrappers and divide the filling evenly among the wrappers. Beat egg lightly in a small bowl. To wrap the egg roll you will want to spread the filling so that it is slightly rectangular toward two of the wrapper points. You will then fold one corner up over the long side of the filling, then fold in the sides, then roll the rest of the way to the remaining point. Dip a finger in the beaten egg and run it over the final point to seal the wrapper. Please note that most egg roll wrappers will come with diagrams showing this folding process. The key is to keep them tightly rolled so they don't fall apart. Also, keep in mind that the wrappers will start to dry out if they are out too long, so the faster you work, the better. When oil is hot, add egg rolls in batches but do not place them too close together. Cook until wrappers are golden brown and bubbly, turning once. Place on paper towels to drain.

I typically just eat them with rice and dipping sauce made by combining the following ingredients:
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c rice wine vinegar
1 dash sesame oil
1 tbl honey (or more if you like a sweeter dip)
1 pinch ground red pepper

They are a bit time consuming, but not difficult and absolutely delicious!! They are also surprisingly good as leftovers. You can pop them in the oven the next day at 350 degrees for about 10 mins and they crisp back up - or if you are anyone else in my house you would just eat them cold right out of the refrigerator. (and I ONLY can have leftovers if I make a double batch)

[luvsginger]

Dear Closet - Thanks! I am going to give it a try and report back!

[MamaC]

One thing I do when I make my own eggrolls is to divide the filling up and put them into a cupcake/muffin tin. That way I get equal amounts of filling into each of the wrappers. If I am just making six eggrolls, I will use a six-muffin tin. If I am making twelve, I use a 12-muffin tin. Just one more pan that needs to be washed.....and that's what the dishwasher is for!

I have also made eggrolls using shrimp or lobster rather than chicken. And also some bean sprouts too.

I haven't gone all out and done up a Chinese fest in a long time. Maybe I will call up the kids and have them all over for dinner sometime soon. On second thought, maybe I will call them up and tell them to come over on Sunday and do the cooking for me! HA!

[luvsginger]

One thing I do when I make my own eggrolls is to divide the filling up and put them into a cupcake/muffin tin. That way I get equal amounts of filling into each of the wrappers. If I am just making six eggrolls, I will use a six-muffin tin. If I am making twelve, I use a 12-muffin tin. Just one more pan that needs to be washed.....and that's what the dishwasher is for!

I have also made eggrolls using shrimp or lobster rather than chicken. And also some bean sprouts too.

I haven't gone all out and done up a Chinese fest in a long time. Maybe I will call up the kids and have them all over for dinner sometime soon. On second thought, maybe I will call them up and tell them to come over on Sunday and do the cooking for me! HA!

Now you're thinking! Happy Mother's Day!

[MRD]

Breakfast casserole.

Start the day ahead. This is actually a great one to use when having company as you go from fridge to oven with it, no need to slave in the kitchen all morning.

Using an 9 x 13 pan, line with slices of bread (no need to remove crusts, I use white bread, but really, any bread will do. This is also a great way to use up stale bread). Use 2 layers of bread. In a mixing bowl, mix 6-8 eggs and 1 cup of milk or 1/2 and 1/2, beat well. Season with salt and pepper about a tsp of dry mustard, tbsp. of worchesterchire sauce, also a few shakes of Crystals hot sauce.Pour over bread.Saute 1 pound of bulk sausage (mild or hot, depending on your taste), drain well and sprinkle sausage over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. or until eggs are set. Cover top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake until melted. Can also be made with diced ham instead of sausage. Sorry, they aren't exact measurements. I think I had them at one time, but I've made this so long that I don't have them anymore

[livin4reality]

Quinoa Corn Salad

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice of one small lemon)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup quinoa (rinsed under water), or substitute bulgur or brown rice

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

Cook quinoa, bulgur or rice in broth for 12-15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. If using rice or bulgur, cook according to package directions.

While grain cooks, mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add drained and rinsed beans, tomato and corn. Cool grain to room temperature, then mix with other ingredients; chill until ready to eat.

Makes 5 servings.