Steak Stir Fry

This summer I joined a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA). I prepaid for my produce for the summer and each week I pick up my share. Besides making us eat more vegetables, we also are trying new vegetables I normally would not purchase at the grocery store. The best thing is we normally eat a lot of salads (to counter the sweets) so we are just eating more salads. Since I had a lot of bok choy with spinach and broccoli this week, I decided to make a stir fry. 

Steak Stir Fry
2 tsp vegetable oil
8 oz. Strip Steak, cut into bite size pieces
1 green onion stalk, chopped including the white parts
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. bok choy, in bite size pieces
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup spinach, chopped in large pieces
1 cup broccoli, chopped into large pieces
1 Tbsp water
optional toppings: wonton noodles or toasted almonds

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.
2. Add the oil and then the steak for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the green onion, ginger, and garlic. Stir for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the bok choy, carrot, spinach, broccoli, and water. Stir well.
5. Cover and allow to cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Stir and cover. Allow to cook for 2 more minutes or until vegetables and steak are cooked to the desired taste.
7. Serve over rice or pasta with additional toppings.

Recipe adapted from Steamy Kitchen.

One year ago...................................I made mini fruit crostatas.

Did you already know.....................
-CSA is a way for farmers to sell their produce directly to the consumers before the crops are harvested and the community shares some of the risk.
-There are thousands of CSA farms throughout America.
-Some CSA provide eggs, mushrooms, flowers, fruit, and other items.

Cheese Crackers

I have never made crackers before. I don't know why. My husband loves crackers with dip. I think it is his favorite lunch. Since Father's Day is this Sunday, I wanted to make him something thoughtful for being a good Dad. When he arrived home from work, he was surprised with what I made for him. Even never thought to ask me to make crackers. He thought they were great. I will say crackers are really simple to make. They are a great treat even to add to a lunch box especially since my son loved them. 

Cheese Crackers with a kick
6 oz. Monterey Jack with Jalapeno Cheese
4 Tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, pulse the cheese, butter, flour, and salt for about 20 seconds.
3. Add the milk and combine for 10 seconds.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8 thickness and cut into desired shapes.
5. On a parchment lined baking sheet, bake the crackers for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

One year ago....................................I made an Icebox Dessert.

 Did you already know......................
-A cheese connoisseur is called a turophile.
-The French word for cheese is fromage.
-A person who sells cheese is called a cheesemonger.

Pizza Quesadilla

At school, my son likes hot lunches. The problem comes when they serve hot dogs since my husband has a chocking phobia. My son usually has to bring his lunch on those days. Well, we had just arrived home from being out of town so I hadn't realized the lunch menu for the day. Afterwards, I asked my son what he had for lunch that day. He told me that he picked pizza quesadillas over the hot dog. I asked him what was in the quesadilla but it sounded like cheddar cheese with pizza sauce. I figured I would make my own version. It came out great plus the best part about the recipe was no oven since it was already a hot day. My family loved it especially my husband. He didn't realize the extra vegetables I had added to the recipe.

Pizza Quesadilla
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage.
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup spinach
1 cup pizza sauce
12 tortillas about 8 inches
6 fresh large basil leaves
2 cups of cheese, grated (I used a blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, and Cheddar).
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown the sausage for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the onion with the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms with the spinach and saute for about 3 minutes.
4. Mix in the pizza sauce and coat the sausage mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes and then remove from heat.
5. Lay a tortilla on a plate then cover with about 2 Tbsp of sausage sauce but leave about 1 inch border from the edge with no sauce.
6. Top the sausage sauce with 1 basil leaf and then with the grated cheese.
7. Cover the grated cheese with another tortilla to form a sandwich. 
8. In another skillet, heat over medium heat for about 1 minute.
9. Carefully, add the quesadilla to the skillet and squish down.
10. Cook for a minute or two before carefully flipping over. 
11. Cook the quesadilla for another minute or until golden brown.
12. Serve hot with additional toppings of cheese or pizza sauce.

Recipe created by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago.........................I made Seven Cheese Bread.

Did you already know...........
-Over 50% of asphyxiations (choking) are caused by food.
-Hot dogs cause 17% of food related asphyxiations.
-According to AAP, children under 4 years old should not have hot dogs, whole grapes, popcorn to name a few items.

BLT with aioli

My husband loves mayonnaise. I think it is his favorite condiment. He puts it on all of his sandwiches. He likes it on his hamburgers. He also likes garlic so I figured he would like aioli. The first time I made it was for our hamburgers. My son helped and said it was really good. This time I decided to make it for our BLT which is my daughter's favorite sandwich. It was really good. If you are grilling this weekend, you may want to make some up for the hamburgers.

BLT with aioli sauce
Aioli sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chives, cut small

Aioli directions:

1. In a storage container, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, and chives together. 
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

BLT directions:
2 slices of bread, toasted
1 lettuce leaf
2 or 3 slices of bacon, cooked
2 or 3 slices of tomato
1 Tbsp aioli sauce

1. On the toasted bread, place the lettuce then tomato. Top with the bacon.
2. On the other slice of bread, spread the aioli sauce.
3. Top the bacon with the other slice of bread with aioli side down.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago..................................I made Macaroni Grill Bread.

Did you already know....................
-Aioli sauce is garlicky mayonnaise.
-The top three condiments are mayonnaise, ketchup, and salsa.
-Hellman's mayonnaise accounts for about 1/3 of the mayonnaise market.

Dulce de leche Cheesecake

Now, I hardly make cheesecake. It isn't because it takes awhile to make it. It really isn't hard to make. I don't even mind if the top cracks since it doesn't affect the taste. It just means that I will have to make some kind of topping. The problem for me with cheesecake is it tastes soooooo good. I just want to eat it all so I have to share to get it out of the house fast. Well, this cheesecake is very rich especially with dulce de leche in it but it is soooooo good.

Dulce de leche Cheesecake
Crust: 8 oz. vanilla wafer cookies (about 2/3 of the box) 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a food processor, finely ground the vanilla wafer cookies.
3. Add the sugar and salt. Pulse a couple of times.
4. Add the melted butter and mix together.
5. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a buttered 9 1/2 inch pan. Set aside.

 Filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dulce de leche plus more for topping

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until creamy.
2. Add the 1/2 cup dulce de leche to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well.
3.  Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
4. Bake the cream cheese for 40 minute or until the edges are puffed and the center is set.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for several hours.
6. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream. Stir about very 30 seconds until the chocolate chips are melted.
7. Allow the chocolate ganache to cool for about 2 minutes before pouring over the cooled cheesecake.
8. Drizzle a little dulce de leche over the top of the chocolate ganache.
9. Allow the chocolate ganache to set for several hours before serving. 

Recipe adapted from Roxana's homebaking.

One year ago.................I made Skillet Lasagna.

Did you already know....
-In 1872, William Lawrence of Chester, NY purchased a factory and was reproducing Neufchatel but created a creamier version.
-Mr. Lawrence called his creamier version cream cheese and began to distribute it in foil wrappers.
-The cream cheese was distributed under the Empire company but was later renamed Philadelphia cream cheese.