Barbecue Sirloin and Blue Cheese Salad.......The Kids Cook Monday!

My girls helped me in the kitchen last night before they went out trick or treating for Halloween.  This was a quick meal to put together and it was delicious.  The spice rub was perfect on the steak.  If you're a fan of blue cheese, you will love the combination of the cheese with the beef.  If your kids don't like Blue Cheese (like mine), just don't include it on their plate.  The salad dressing uses a few ingredients and it was light and refreshing.  This was a very good salad entree meal that my family will make again.  For other family meal tips, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.   

Click here for printable recipe on Myrecipes.com

Barbecue Sirloin and Blue Cheese Salad

Recipe by Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings

(serving size: about 1 1/2 cups salad, 3 ounces steak, and 2 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 pound lean sirloin steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups torn Bibb lettuce ( I used 1 bag of pre-packaged Sweet Butter lettuce mix)
3/4 cup thinly sliced peeled cucumber
1 cup red bell pepper strips ( I used a green bell pepper - that's what I had in my fridge)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese


Preparation

1. Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; rub evenly over both sides of steak.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 5 minutes. Turn steak over; cook 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut across grain into thin slices.

3. Combine vinegar, mustard, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring with a whisk. Combine lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, and shallots in a large bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad; toss gently to coat. Top salad with steak and cheese.

Note:  I did add a little more oil to my salad dressing based on my taste.  Adjust how much oil you use based on how you like the taste of your salad dressing.

Marissa read the recipe on her own and mixed up the steak spice rub...... 

.......and rubbed the spice mixture on both sides of the sirloin.  Marissa also mixed up the salad dressing and Mariah helped me cut the vegetables for the salad.

My husband, Mike, grilled the steak and cut it in thin slices.  The rub on the steak was delicious and it's one I will use again.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  All-in-one meals like this are a great way to get your lean protein and vegetables all in one plate.  You can take your favorite grilled beef, chicken or shrimp and add it to a salad with your favorite vegetables.  Try a light and flavorful vinaigrette like this one to complete the taste.   

Teenage Zombies!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

Chocolate Chip Biscotti - 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies, Week 5

Happy Friday everyone!  Here's my cookie for the 5th week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  I have never made biscotti.  What has taken me so long?  These chocolate chip biscotti are awesome.  They are crunchy the way a biscotti should be but not so hard you can't bite into them.  They are full of mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans.  The addition of ground espresso coffee and cinnamon really up the flavor of these biscotti.  Seriously, you don't have to buy them at coffee shops anymore.  Make them yourself and you'll be hooked.  

Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Recipe by Southern Living, America's Best Home Cooking Cookbook

(printable recipe)

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso granules (I used Cafe Bustelo ground espresso)
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted ( I used pecans)
1 cup semisweet chocolate mini-morsels

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Fold in chopped nuts and chocolate morsels.

Divide dough in half, and shape each dough portion into a 13 x 2-inch log on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Pat dough to 1 inch thickness.

Bake at 350° for 23 - 25 minutes or until firm. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Note:  When I tried to move the biscotti dough to the cooling racks they started to break so I left them on the pan to cool and cut them on the baking pan.

Cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion, and place slices, cut side down, on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake slices at 350° for 15 minutes; turn cookies over, and bake 10 - 15 additional minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Gift/Packaging Idea  -  Place a few chocolate chip biscotti in a holiday treat bag.  Twist tie and attach a wrapped tea bag.  I used the end of a paperclip to poke a hole in the corner of the tea bag.  Thread some ribbon through it to attach to bag.  I picked a cinnamon tea but use any flavor.  Place cookie package in a Christmas mug.  Give to someone special.    

Chicken and Rice with The Kids Cook Monday!

I have a Monday recipe for you today that I know your family will enjoy.  I just love the combination of chicken and rice.  Such a comfort meal.  The mushroom rice mixture and the addition of Romano cheese on top of the chicken makes this meal so flavorful.  The carrots and mushrooms in the rice and using skinless bone-in chicken thighs keeps this dish healthier.  Give this recipe a try soon and start your week off in a healthy and satisfying way.

Click here for the recipe link on Myrecipes.com.

Chicken and Rice

Recipe by Cooking Light, October 2010

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onion ( I used approx. 1 cup)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini (baby portabella) mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add 4 chicken thighs to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Spoon rice mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray; stir in broth, 1/4 cup water, and cream. Arrange chicken over rice mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.
 



My kids are busy in the kitchen.  Taking the stems off the mushrooms, browning the chicken and making the rice mixture.  Tips on getting your kids to help in the kitchen and to make Mondays (or any day) family night, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.  

The rice mixture is full of carrots and mushrooms which is started in a skillet before baking with the chicken. 

It may not be the most "pretty" food picture but it really, really does taste good.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  I don't shy away from recipes or cooking with ingredients I know my daughters don't like.  Take this Chicken and Rice for example.  My daughters do love chicken and they do love rice.  They, however, do not like mushrooms which is in the rice mixture.  They just picked out the mushrooms.  Funny thing is they loved the rice even though it was heavily flavored with mushrooms.  So, keep introducing the "I don't like that" foods to your kids.  Their likes and dislikes are always changing.  I have a feeling when my daughters get older, they will end up loving mushrooms.   

Melting Moments.......Week 4 of The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

I'm back to share another cookie recipe for the 4th week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  This week I have some wonderful butter cookies called Melting Moments.  They really do melt in your mouth.  They are buttery, delicate and not too sweet.  Perfect with a cup of tea.

What I love about these cookies is that they only have 6 ingredients.  Everyday ingredients that are usually stocked in your kitchen.  Another great cookie for my cookie tray this year.  

Melting Moments

Recipe by Joy of Baking

Yield:  3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted

Directions

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

When dough is firm, form into 1 inch balls and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about half of the confectioners (powdered) sugar onto the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Put the remaining sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).  I like the look of dusting the powdered sugar on the cookies by using a fine strainer.  It gives it that light, snowy look.  

Place in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper and they will keep a couple of weeks.

Last week there were over 50 links to the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  I love all the other recipes that are being shared.  I'm getting so many great recipes and ideas.  Check out this week's blog hop link at the bottom of my post.  And keep checking back as more recipes are added in.

I found this white container at Michaels.  I added in some blue tissue paper and my daughters decorated it with felt snowflake stickers.

I also found these recipe cards at Michaels in the $1 bin.  Twenty cards per pack for a dollar per pack.  What a great deal and cute too!

This is just for demonstration purposes.  Of course the recipe card would be filled out with the recipe on it. 

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Since these cookies remind me of snow and melting snow, I wanted to keep with the snowflake theme.  Place cookies in white box (like above) or white tin lined with blue or white tissue paper.  Decorate with snowflake stickers and include recipe card.

Grilled Barbecue Shrimp with The Kids Cook Monday!

Yes, it is October.  Yes, it is Fall.  The end of summer doesn't mean the end of grilling for us.  We grill all year round.  We eat and grill quite a bit of seafood.  So, for this week on The Kids Cook Monday is a very quick and healthy barbecue shrimp dinner.  We served this with rice that was mixed with some sauteed corn, green pepper and green onions.  

The Kids Cook Monday is part of a public initiative called the Monday Campaigns.  The Kids Cook Monday program helps parents along with their kids cook and eat healthful meals week after week.  Check out their website for more details and tools to help start your week off on a good foot.

Grilled Barbecue Shrimp

Recipe by Mom's Cooking Club 

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

1 - 2 teaspoons barbecue rub (prepared or your own blend)

barbecue sauce (use your favorite)

canola oil

Directions

Place shrimp in single layer on baking sheet.  Drizzle some canola oil over shrimp.  Sprinkle 1 - 2 teaspoons of barbecue rub over shrimp.  Toss well to coat.  Place shrimp on grill over low to medium heat.  Grill about 3- 4 minutes, turn over and brush with barbecue sauce.  Turn again after about 3 minutes and continue brushing with barbecue sauce.  Continue to grill until cooked.  Pull off shrimp that is cooked through and place on platter.  Move shrimp to hotter parts of grill to finish cooking completely.  Shrimp cook fairly fast so keep a close eye on them.

Mariah helped me prepare and grill the shrimp.  Even though she doesn't like shrimp, she was willing and very able to help.  Mariah seasoned the shrimp with a prepared barbecue rub. 

My husband, Mike, does all the grilling but he gave it up this time to teach Mariah some of his grilling tricks.

Mariah showing off her grilled barbecue shrimp.  It was delicious! 

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Take it outdoors and have your kids help while grilling food.  They can learn about grilling techniques and you can teach them a different method of cooking.  Plus, it's fun to be outdoors and enjoying the fall weather together. 

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies: Week 3.......Black and White Cookies

Here's my 3rd cookie in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies!  This week I have a chocolate cookie for you but this one is full of some goodies.  Some of my favorite goodies....white chocolate and macadamia nuts.  Some bites you get the creamy white chocolate, others bites you get the crunchy, buttery macadamia nuts and other bites you get it all.  So good!

These are large cookies.  Don't be afraid to use the 1/4 cup of dough per cookie.  You want them to be big.  Don't forget to check out the blog hop at the bottom of my post to see what other bloggers baked up this week.

Black and White Cookies
Recipe by Betty Crocker , Cookies & Bars, Sept. 2009 

Makes 20 - 24 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (4 oz) white chocolate bars. chopped (I used Ghirardelli)
1 jar (3.25 oz) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

1.Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until creamy. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chocolate chunks and nuts.

2.Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased large cookie sheet (do not use dark cookie sheet).

3.Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until cookies are set and appear dry (do not overbake). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire cooling rack.  Store in covered container.

Here are some of my other favorite black and whites.  But, sorry, these won't be on my cookie tray : )

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Gift/Packaging Idea:  Instead of the traditional red and green Christmas colors, use an all black and white theme.  Look for a decorative black and white box along with some black and white tissue paper.  Purchase a black, white or black & white mug, some packets of hot chocolate and a bag of marshmallows.  Put some of the Black & White Cookies in a clear bag, tied with black and white ribbon.  Place all the items in the box.  Don't forget to include a recipe card for the cookies.

Chicken Tortilla Soup with The Kids Cook Monday!

 

Is it starting to get a little cooler where you live?  It's still warm here in Florida but we've been having cooler mornings and nights so I know our Fall weather will be here shortly.  It's the perfect time for soup (even though I love eating homemade soup anytime of the year). 

I thought this would be a great chance to try a new soup recipe for a healthy start to the week.  Make sure to check out the website for The Kids Cook Monday!  for tips and ideas on how to start your week off in a positive way.  

This soup is comforting and filling.  It's full of good for you ingredients and was enjoyed by all.  I recommend adding salt to taste and adding more chili powder or cayenne pepper if you like your tortilla soup a bit more spicy. 

I love discovering new blogs.  I get so many recipe ideas and inspiration.  This recipe comes from the blog, Skinny Kitchen.   Check it out for more ideas on making meals healthier.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slightly adapted, Recipe by Skinny Kitchen

5 - 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ - 2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin 
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
6 to 6 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes - I used fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can yellow hominy, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chopped chicken - see cooking tip at bottom of post
Juice of one lime

Topping

1 ¼ cups tortilla chips, crushed
Shredded Cheddar cheese - optional

Instructions

1. In a large nonstick pot, add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add the chopped tortillas, tomato paste, paprika, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper and sauté for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring up to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the hominy, beans, chicken and fresh squeezed lime juice. Mix well. Cook 10 minutes more.
5. Garnish with shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

I've never used Hominy before and honestly didn't know what it was.  Good time for a learning opportunity. So, Mariah looked it up on the internet. 

Per Recipetips.com, Hominy is:  "A corn product created by soaking white or yellow corn kernels in scalding water that is mixed with a chemical solution, such as a mild lye or slaked lime. The soaking forces the kernel to expand so the hull and germ split. This allows the kernel to be easily removed so that the remaining corn substance can be dried. After it has been dried, the whole kernels are soaked in water and a solution mixed with limestone or wood ash to expand the kernels, which are then boiled, creating a soft puffy food product referred to as Hominy.  Whole hominy can be boiled or fried and served as a side dish, with or without additional ingredients (meat, vegetables, or other foods), formed into cakes, or served as a filler in soups, stews and salads. Hominy grits are another form of hominy, produced by grinding the dried and processed corn kernels several times into a finer grained substance to be sold as fine, medium, or coarse textured hominy." 

The girls really helped me out in the kitchen today.  Marissa cut up the cooked chicken and helped pour in some of the ingredients like the beans and diced tomatoes.  Mariah sauteed the onions as I was busy prepping the other ingredients.

 

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Time saving tip for cooked chicken - Roast chicken breasts the night before or in morning.  Place in refrigerator.  You then have cooked chicken ready to use in your recipe that is moist, juicy and flavorful.  Directions:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Use chicken breasts with bones and skin and place on baking sheet.  Drizzle some canola or olive oil over chicken and season with salt/pepper.  Place in top portion of oven and roast for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Pull off skin and discard.  Shred or cut up cooked chicken as needed in your recipe.