Tagged: Food
Steak & Mushroom Kabobs With A Balsamic Rosemary Marinade
Let me begin by saying these steak and mushroom kabobs are absolutely amazing and perfect for the summer. I don’t know if this is true in other parts of the world but here in Texas summer is basically defined by the mouth-watering smell of food cooking over a sizzling grill while surrounded by family and friends talking and laughing and let’s not forget, a fantastic cold [adult] beverage in everyone’s hand. Let me tell you, these steak and mushroom kabobs that have been marinated and then basted in a balsamic rosemary marinade will provide the taste that is as good as the smell and the feeling of those summer evenings spent with friends and family.
You will be reminiscing about these summer nights (wherever you may be) for years to come. Have some fun and eat some good food!
Ingredients
- 1lb Steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 8oz. Package Button Mushrooms, brushed off to remove dirt and cut in half lengthwise
- 3/4 cup Olive Oil
- 3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Fresh Rosemary, chopped finely
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- Skewers
Directions
Step One
Prep all of your ingredients (mince the garlic, cube the steak, slice the mushrooms) and add everything but the salt and skewers to either a large plastic storage bag or a large bowl. Toss all of the ingredients to make sure the steak and mushrooms are evenly coated. Close the bag or cover the bowl and place in the fridge. Marinate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to the night before you plan on cooking them. Flip the bag or stir the ingredients at least once half way through the marinade.
Step Two
Skewer the steak and mushrooms, saving the marinade for basting.
Step Three
Heat your grill heat to 350ºF. If you have a gas grill I am assuming this is a rather easy and quick step. If you have a charcoal grill like myself, I prefer to use a charcoal starter to heat my charcoal then add it to my grill once the charcoal is ashy (only a little bit of black left). Then I typically add more charcoal on top and wait for them to no longer be black (black coals are not good eats, you want them ashy). This takes about an hour total.
Step Four
Once your grill is at 350ºF place the skewers on the grill. Turn every two minutes to ensure they don’t burn and baste as you go. I prefer my steak medium rare, this takes about 8-12 minutes depending on your grill and how thick your steak is, if you want to be sure bust out a thermometer, I go for 140ºF internal temperature on the steak.
If you do not want your steak medium rare but are unsure of what temperature to cook it to internally check out my previous post, A Basic Internal Temperature Chart.
Remove from heat and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Eat & Enjoy!
My Tastee Tips
To reduce cooking time and increase even cooking, leave your kabobs out at room temperature while you prepare your grill. By bringing the steak to room temperature you will spend less time hovering over the hot grill and in turn will be chowing down on these kabobs much sooner.
Use a good quality balsamic vinegar. I am not saying go spend $25 on a bottle but don’t get the $2 balsamic vinegar either. Trust me, it makes a difference.
The steak, I was vague on the exact kind above, it’s because there are a lot of options. I use beef tenderloin, it is thick and very juicy but if you cannot find that exact kind don’t be turned away, simply find another type of thick cut steak, it will be just as good.
Finally, don’t forget to soak your skewers if you are using wooden ones. Soak them for at least 20 minutes, this will prevent them from burning.
Chicken, Kale & Mushroom Quesadillas
What’s not to love about quesadillas?! This recipe for [shredded] chicken, kale and cremini mushroom quesadillas kicks up the boring old cheese quesadilla recipe. In addition to all of that goodness on the inside, these quesadillas get served with an avocado puree and cherry tomato, cilantro and lime salad.
Ingredients
- 2-3 Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Broth (about 3 cups)
- 1 ¼ cup Salsa Verde
- 3 oz. Cream Cheese (less fat if you prefer)
- 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 1 Small Onion, chopped
- 5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 8 oz. Cremini Mushrooms, sliced (common Baby Bella’s would be just fine)
- 2 ½ cups Lacinato Kale, chopped
- Tortillas (flour or corn depending on your preference)
- 1 (8 oz.) Package Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
- 1 Large Avocado
- 3 tbsp. Milk
- 2 Limes
- 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Directions
Step One
Shred that chicken. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Season your chicken breast liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken breast in the pan and allow to get golden & gorgeous (about 3-4 minutes on each side), once golden add 1 ½ cups of chicken broth to the pan, cover with a lid, turn down the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (160ºF). Depending on the size of your chicken breasts the time could vary, if you are unsure if your chicken is cooked through use an internal thermometer to make sure.
Remove from pan and allow to cool. Save the liquid from the pan. With two forks, shred the chicken breast. Place in a large bowl and set to the side.
Step Two
Mise en place. Chop the onion, kale, and cilantro. Mince your garlic and slice your tomatoes and mushrooms.
Step Three
Cherry Tomato Salad. Prepare the cherry tomato salad by combining the sliced tomatoes, 5 tbsp. chopped cilantro and the juice of one lime (about 1 tbsp.) in a medium bowl. Season with salt to your liking, start with a teaspoon, then taste and adjust as needed. Set to the side.
Step Four
Avocado puree. Cut the avocado in half length wise, remove the pit with your knife or a spoon, make grid like cuts in each half of the avocado and scoop out with a spoon. Place the avocado in either a food processor, blender or use a stick blender (immersion blender). Add the milk, juice of one lime (1 tbsp.) and ½ teaspoon of salt then blend or process until creamy. Taste to check the seasoning, then add more salt if needed.
Step Five
Take all but 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the chicken (set the 2 tbsp. to the side) and place in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the salsa verde plus 1 cup of chicken broth to the pan, bring to a boil and allow to reduce to 1¼ cup, about 13 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add the cream cheese and cumin and stir with a whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth. Remove from heat, add to the shredded chicken along with 1/4 cup of the chopped cilantro. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Step Six
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and sauté until tender, 8-10 minutes. Add kale and reserved 2 tbsp. liquid from the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until kale begins to wilt, stirring occasionally. Add to the chicken and stir to combine.
Step Seven
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. You could also use a cast iron skillet if you prefer. Place one tortilla in the pan and top with shredded cheese, spread evenly to the edges of the tortilla. I used a small handful of cheese to have an even layer on the tortilla, you can use less or more if you prefer.
Next, spread an even amount of the chicken mixture, about 1/3 cup, on top of the cheese. Add another even layer of the shredded cheese on top of the chicken (the cheese is the glue that keeps the quesadilla together). Top with another tortilla and allow to heat through to melt the cheese and crisp up the tortilla, a minute or two, then flip and repeat.
Repeat step seven until you use all of the chicken mixture or you reach your desired amount of quesadillas, if you have leftover chicken mixture, store in the fridge for later.
Cut into quarters, or halves or just go for it. Serve with avocado puree and cherry tomato salad.
Eat & Enjoy!
My Tastee Tips
If you are in a hurry but still want to try this recipe, I have a few tips that will speed things up drastically. Instead of using raw chicken breasts you can buy a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store. Simply shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken. You can also purchase pre-sliced mushrooms to make things even easier!
If you prefer to use and cook your own chicken, as described in step one, you can actually do this ahead of time to help speed up the recipe. Simply store the shredded chicken in an air tight container in the fridge for up to four days. Do this on the weekend to allow for a quick weeknight dinner.
If you are unsure on how to choose a perfectly ripe avocado or cut one, click here and here.
This recipe is a take on this Cooking Light recipe.
Homemade Chicken Stock
Purchasing chicken stock at the store is fine, it will get the job done. However, if you are looking to really take your dish to a whole other level, bursting with flavor, a dish that will make your guests (including your picky children) say “Wow! This is amazing!” I would highly recommend making your own chicken stock.
You may be thinking “Really?! It makes that big of a difference?!” Yes. Yes it does. Or maybe you’re thinking “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” (was that a bad reference?!) I would say make your homemade stock on a day when you have a little more time, if you will be using the stock within 24 hours simply place it in the fridge, any longer than that and you can easily store it in the freezer for future use (store it in smaller, pre-measured containers to make things even easier).
To begin you will need a couple of whole chicken bones (carcasses). An easy way to get the most for your money is to purchase and debone a whole chicken yourself. This post, Deboning A Whole Chicken, details the benefits of doing exactly that as well as a couple of links to videos showing you exactly how to debone a whole chicken. After deboning your whole chicken(s) place the bones to side to begin your stock (or if you want to break this up into multiple days, place the bones in a freezer bag and freeze for a later date).
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Chicken Carcasses (removed of any excess meat, as much as you can)
- 3 Large Onions (quartered & unpeeled)
- 5 Stalks of Celery (quartered)
- 8 Carrots (quartered & unpeeled)
- 1 Large Head of Garlic (or 2 small/medium heads) (unpeeled & cut in half across the middle of the head of garlic)
- 1 Bunch of Fresh Parsley
- 1 Package of Fresh Thyme (or about 20-25 sprigs)
- 2 tbsp. Kosher Salt
- 3 tbsp. Whole Black Peppercorns
Directions
Step One
Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with cold, filtered water. Covering the ingredients by a couple of inches of water. (Add more water if needed during the cooking process to keep ingredients covered).
Step Two
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to keep the stock at a simmer (uncovered) for 4-5 hours. Once time is up, strain the ingredients through a fine mesh strainer or a cheesecloth to remove any impurities/small ingredients.
Step Three
Let the stock cool then either store in the fridge for up to 24 hours or in the freezer as mentioned above.
My Tastee Tips
Using cold, filtered water will result in a clearer stock. You can also create or purchase a bouquet garni to place the peppercorns and fresh herbs in to help aid in a clearer stock as well (as long as you use a fine strainer or cheesecloth though you can skip this step, it’s up to you really). This is a link to purchase cheesecloth and bouquet garni bags (Bed Bath & Beyond also has these items for sale).
If you are looking to make a smaller or larger batch of homemade chicken stock (depending on the number of chicken bones/carcasses you have) simple divide this recipe by half or double it (just make sure you have a large stockpot).
Deboning A Whole Chicken
A few years ago I may have said “Why buy a whole chicken, when you can buy it already cut?!” Well, let me just tell you as well as my past self a few reason why buying and deboning a whole chicken is much more awesome than the alternative.
The price/cost of purchasing a whole chicken is much less than buying the pre-cut options. My local grocery store frequently has whole chickens priced below $1 per pound! Compared to $2.99+ per pound for pre-cut chicken breasts, I would say that is definitely worth it!
The process of deboning a whole chicken is actually kind of fun. I mean after you get past the initial concern of doing it successfully that is (this was another thing I always thought only the pros could do well, and while I am definitely not a pro, practice makes perfect!) And to make this a little less worrisome, I will include a couple of links to videos (of professional chefs) showing just how easy deboning a chicken really is (these are the videos I used and learned from).
Finally, and this is a huge benefit for me personally, being able to use the carcass (I know, not the most palatable of words but it is what it is) to make a homemade stock is probably the biggest benefit of purchasing and deboning a whole chicken at home! The flavor you get from a homemade chicken stock can not even be compared to store-bought stocks or broths (don’t get me wrong though, they work, I do still use store-bought stocks/broths from time to time). If you want to make a soup or stew and it calls for chicken stock or broth, I would highly recommend making your own, trust me you and anyone else eating your food will notice the difference!
Okay so if by some chance this has you saying or thinking “YES! I need to do debone a whole chicken!” Then by all means let us continue, here are the links for the videos I mentioned above.
This is the video I watched when I first tried deboning a whole chicken. Alton Brown is one of my favorite TV/celebrity chefs and his process for deboning a chicken is very detailed and explains everything really well. This is from the Good Eats episode Fry Hard II: The Chicken from way back in 2001! (This is just the clip of him deboning the chicken, I would recommend watching the entire episode if you haven’t already).
Alton Brown – Deboning a Whole Chicken via YouTube
The second video I watched and actually found a little easier and more streamlined than Alton Brown’s method was this one by Bobby Flay for deboning a whole chicken. (I have to admit while I feel that Chef Flay is a great chef there is just something about him I never quite liked, but this video and method for deboning a chicken really worked well for me!)
Bobby Flay – Deboning a Whole Chicken via Food Network
And just for the fun of it, here are a couple of extra links to videos of famous chefs showing off their amazing knife skills while deboning a whole chicken.
Jacques Pepin – Deboning a Whole Chicken On “No Reservations” via Travel Channel
Chris Cosentino – Deboning a Whole Chicken via Williams-Sonoma
My Tastee Tips
Practice, practice, practice…my first attempt at deboning a whole chicken ended up looking like I “butchered” the poor bird. Don’t give up though, the second time went a whole lot smoother and the third even more so.
A very important part of deboning a chicken is having the right knife! It needs to be sharp! A dull knife will make the process of deboning a chicken an absolute, miserable nightmare (I know from my first attempt, and I thought the knives I were using were decent…I was wrong). A boning knife of course would be good (it says it in the name) but I found that a very sharp paring knife worked great for me, it was easy to hold, handle and maneuver (this knife isn’t exactly made for deboning, but I don’t have boning knife, I worked with what I had…). This is a link to a detailed Wikipedia page on all kitchen knives, good read.
Check out this recipe for making a homemade chicken stock with the remains of your whole chicken. Or this recipe for a homemade turkey stock.
After you debone your chicken you will have several different cuts of chicken; the breasts, wings, thighs and drumsticks. If you are planning on using all of them great (not really sure what recipe calls for all of them though). However, if not simply take any remaining pieces and wrap them in freezer paper and store them in a container or freezer bag then freeze for a later use! You can also debone a couple of whole chickens at one time, this way you will have plenty of chicken frozen and ready to go for a later date.
Easy Coconut Macaroons
In the quest to satisfy a very large sweet tooth, I decided to see what type of goodie I could make with what I happened to have in my pantry. After discovering I had no baking soda (I know right, no baking soda?!) I had to change my plans from homemade heart warming cookies to something else. But what???
Upon looking thoroughly through my “baking section” in my pantry and not finding a whole lot, I was fearing the worst, nothing to satisfy my craving for something sweet. I gave my entire pantry and fridge one more glance and lo and behold, coconut flakes. It was so clear at that point, I would make coconut macaroons.
I have never made coconut macaroons before but I sure do enjoy eating them. After a bit of research I decided to combine a few recipes and tips for making coconut macaroons and came up with this recipe, which is so easy and so yummy.
Ingredients
- 1 (14oz.) Package Sweetened Coconut Flakes
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 5 tbsp. Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Salt (Kosher, preferably)
- 4 Egg Whites (Large)
- 1½ tsp. Vanilla Extract (the good stuff)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F
Step One
In a large bowl, combine the coconut flakes, sugar, flour and salt. Stir to thoroughly combine, set to the side.
Step Two
In a small to medium size bowl, add the egg whites and whisk with a fork until slightly frothy (about 2 minutes). Stir in the vanilla extract.
Step Three
Add the egg white mixture to the coconut flake mixture and stir until thoroughly combined and evenly coated. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step Four
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper (I used a silicone baking mat that I have for baking, these are great and fairly cheap. If you do not have one I would highly recommend you get one or two, you can find the exact ones I have here).
Take the coconut mixture out of the fridge and give it a stir just to loosen it up a bit. With a cookie dough scoop or spoon of some kind, begin to scoop the mixture onto the lined baking sheet (circles, domes, pyramids, choose your shape if you don’t have a cookie scoop). You don’t need a whole lot of space between them but I would recommend at least half an inch.
Step Five
Once you have the cookie sheet filled with your coconut macaroons (I had to do two batches, if you do too just place the coconut mixture back in the fridge until you are ready for it) place the coconut macaroons in the oven and bake for 23-27 minutes or until golden & gorgeous.
Remove the coconut macaroons from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes then move the macaroons to a cooling rack until completely cooled. Repeat step five with any remaining coconut mixture.
Eat & Enjoy!
My Tastee Tips
If you are in a hurry you can skip the step where you place the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. They will still be really good, I just found the texture and chewiness to be slightly more awesome after leaving the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes (this was by trial and error really, with the first batch I did not refrigerate the mixture but because I had to do two batches, I placed the mixture in the fridge while the first batch cooked, and like I said they came out slightly more awesome).
This recipes makes a lot of macaroons (depending on the size of your spoon or scoop I would say anywhere between 25-35 macaroons) so if don’t want so many tasty sweets lying around calling your name day and night saying “eat me, you know you want to!” then simply cut this recipe in half.
If you really want to add a little something extra to these already delicious coconut macaroons, I would recommend dipping them in or drizzling them with some melted chocolate. I probably would have done this to my coconut macaroons but I didn’t have any chocolate…next time, because you better believe I will be making this recipe often!
Quick & Easy Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
It is always nice to have a recipe that is not only quick and easy to put together on a busy weeknight but is also delicious! This recipe for cheesy chicken quesadillas is exactly that; quick, easy & delicious. Serve with a side of homemade guacamole and sour cream and you have a recipe perfect for any night of the week.
This recipe kind of came together on a whim, I had some whole wheat tortillas that needed to be used before they would be sentenced to life in the garbage bin and it just so happened I had some frozen chicken breast and cheddar cheese…voila cheesy chicken quesadillas was born. I did however add some caramelized onions and red bell pepper (you could use green if you want) to them to kick it up a bit and it was yummy!
Ingredients
- 4 Seasoned Frozen Chicken Breast (cooked & sliced)
- 6 Whole Wheat Tortillas (10″)
- 3 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
- 2 Red Bell Peppers (thinly sliced)
- 1 large Onion (sliced)
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Directions
This recipe makes 3 quesadillas.*
Step One
Cook the chicken breast according to package directions. I say package directions because I used the seasoned frozen chicken breast that I bought from my local grocery store, this helps make this recipe that much easier but you could season and cook fresh chicken breast if you prefer. Once the chicken is cooked let it cool for a few minutes then thinly slice and set to the side.
Step Two
While the chicken is cooking slice the onion and red bell pepper and grate the cheese (unless you bought the cheese that is already grated of course). Place a tablespoon of olive (or canola or veggie) oil in a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated (splash a bit of water on the pan, if it pops it’s ready, don’t let it smoke though) add the onions and red bell pepper and season with salt, about 2 teaspoons.
Cook the onions and red bell pepper over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes stirring/tossing occasionally once they begin to brown turn the heat to low and continue to cook until they are caramelized (the onions will be super soft and have a caramel color). Remove from heat and set to the side.
Step Three
Turn the heat for the skillet back up to medium-high and add one tortilla to the skillet. Begin to build the quesadilla; evenly sprinkle some cheese (about half a cup) on top of the tortilla followed by the chicken and caramelized onions and bell pepper then top it off with some more cheese (again about 1/2 cup). Place a second tortilla on top and cook until the the bottom tortilla is golden (about 1-2 minutes). Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook until the bottom tortilla is golden & gorgeous and the cheese is melted and gooey.
Remove the quasadilla from the pan and cut kind of like a pie into 6 pieces. Repeat step three with remaining ingredients.
Serve with guacamole and sour cream.
Eat & Enjoy!
My Tastee Tips
I happened to have cheddar cheese on hand so that is what I used but I would recommend trying out a blend of Mexican cheeses to add even more flavor and cheesy gooey goodness to the quesadillas.
I made a super simple guacamole to serve with my cheesy chicken quesadillas with 3 ripe avocados, juice of 1 lime, salt, pepper, garlic powder and seasoned salt (reduced sodium). Simply scoop out the avocado and place in a small bowl, smash with a fork then add the lime juice and seasonings to taste.
Baked Split Chicken Breast With Herb Goat Cheese
When buying chicken, I usually purchase boneless skinless chicken breast. However, I recently came across split chicken breast (chicken breast on the bone with skin) that were on sale for a deal that was just too good to pass up. I have to admit, it’s not that I really prefer one over the other, it’s more of a purchasing habit and because of that I honestly did not know how to go about cooking the split chicken breast. Until I came across a pin on Pinterest, it was just an image with a short description for baking the split chicken breast with herb goat cheese between the skin and the meat. Genius!
This chicken came out amazing and it was probably the simplest recipe I have ever made. The chicken was golden & gorgeous, the skin was crisp and puffed up beautifully and the best part…the chicken was so juicy and the flavor was outstanding! Needless to say I will be making this recipe frequently, especially on weeknights when I just need a quick and easy recipe without losing any flavor.
Ingredients
- 4-5 Split Chicken Breast
- 1 Package of Herb Goat Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F
Step One
Evenly divide the goat cheese into four (or five) pieces and set to the side.
Step Two
Prepare the chicken; with a pairing knife (or chef’s knife), carefully pull the skin away from the breast meat to create a pocket between the two. Do this to all of the chicken breast.
Step Three
Place and spread the herb goat cheese into the pocket that you created. Try to get it somewhat evenly spread out, that way you have some goat cheese with every bite.
Step Four
Season the split chicken breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step Five
Place the chicken on a large baking sheet or dish and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 163°F (don’t worry it will continue to cook bringing the temperature up to the “safety zone”).
Eat & Enjoy!
My Tastee Tips
I prefer to go by temperature instead of time to ensure that I don’t accidentally overcook (or under-cook) the meat, resulting in dry chicken. Not good eats. If you have an internal thermometer that you can place in the chicken during the duration of the cooking time I would recommend using that and setting the goal temperature for 163°F.
If you don’t have an internal thermometer, you can pick one up at most large grocery and/or retail stores. Look for one that has a thermometer probe attached to a long cord that plugs into the reader, which you can preset to alert you when the desired temperature or time has been reached. This seriously is a kitchen necessity! You can use it when grilling too.
Looking for a side to serve with the baked split chicken breast with herb goat cheese? I kept it simple with a side salad and four cheese couscous! Simple, quick & extremely easy not to mention delicious (I may have already mentioned that).
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Red Bell Peppers
If you all are anything like me, you spend countless minutes hours on Pinterest, more specifically on the “Food & Drink” board. I have seen many pins and have re-pinned the recipe for Philly cheesesteak stuffed bell peppers many times. I finally decided it was time to actually try the recipe instead of just drooling over the photo.
The recipe below is my adaptation of the recipe seen all over Pinterest, which I did make according to its directions, I just felt the need to kick it up a bit. The first time I made the recipe I used green bell peppers and red bell peppers (I already had some at home so I decided to give it a try) and I am glad I did, I prefer the red bell peppers over the green.
I also added a few ingredients to the “stuffing” including Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes in order to make my taste buds extra happy. These were so good, I have made them about once a week for the past month and what is even better they are super easy and quick to make. The perfect recipe for weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
- 5 Red Bell Peppers (or green if you prefer)
- 1 Large Container Mushrooms (whole or pre-sliced, 16oz.)
- 2 Roast Beef Lunch Meat Containers (or about 16oz.)
- 1 Large Onion (sliced, medium to thick)
- 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
- 15 Slices of Provolone Cheese (5 of those slices cut in half)
- 1-2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (depending on how much heat you like)
- 2 ½ tbsp. Worcestershire
- 1 ½ tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1-2 tbsp. Flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F
Step One
Cut the bell peppers in half length-wise and remove the stem, seeds and the membrane. Line them up on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes (if you are using green bell peppers I would recommend adding an extra 3-5 minutes).
Step Two
While the bell peppers are in the oven slice the onions, mushrooms (if needed), roast beef and mince the garlic.
Step Three
Remove the bell peppers from the oven and soak up the liquid sitting in the peppers with a paper towel. Set to the side and keep the oven on.
Step Four
In a large saute pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes then add the garlic and continuing cooking for another minute. Add the mushrooms and roast beef then season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the ingredients are all thoroughly combined.
Step Five
At this point you should notice some liquid in the pan, add the flour, a tablespoon at a time until the liquid is soaked up. Add the Worcestershire and the balsamic and stir to thoroughly combine, cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Step Six
While you are waiting during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, place the provolone slices that are cut in half inside of the bell pepper halves. Top with the meat/mushroom mixture (evenly distributed amongst the bell peppers) then top off with the remaining provolone slices.
Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown and bubble.
Eat & Enjoy!
My Tastee Tips
Continuously taste the meat/mushroom mixture as it comes together, depending on your personal preference you may like more heat or more vinegar etc. Don’t be afraid to taste it and say, “Hey! I think this would be great with _____ or with more ______,” that is the best part of cooking, making it your own!
If you are looking for a really quick dinner I would recommend buying the mushrooms pre-sliced, this will save quite a bit of time when cooking these Philly cheesesteak stuffed bell peppers.
Peppers: The Need To Know Info
There are many different types of peppers from green, yellow and red, mild bell peppers to the smaller, meaner and mouth-on-fire causing Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (the hottest pepper). If you are wondering, “What exactly is the difference in heat between all of these peppers?” Well, look no further, the chart below provides you with exactly that information.
First things first, the Scoville scale, this is how peppers’ heat levels are measured. More specifically, Scoville heat units (SHU) are what determine the amount of capsaicin (in simple terms, what makes you feel the heat) present in each type of pepper.
My Tastee Tips
To remove some of the heat from peppers (this works for jalapenos and other peppers along that level, I’m just guessing here, but I think once you hit a certain level on the scale, there is really no helping the amount of heat) you want to remove the seeds from the peppers as well as the membranes (the white or lighter parts inside of the peppers) there is a lot of heat packed into the membranes so be sure to remove those (unless of course you are from Texas or you are a heat-seeking brave human being).
The most important tip I may ever provide, wear latex gloves when working with peppers! This may seem like a no-brainer to some or it may seem like a thing only wusses (or some other noun that means the same thing) would do, to others. Either way, your hands and more than likely your eyes and other parts of your body, will be extremely grateful for protection against those feisty peppers.
Spicy Mango Shrimp With Coconut Lime Rice
This recipe for spicy mango shrimp with coconut lime rice is a household favorite. The flavors are absolutely amazing, between the mango, red bell pepper, freshly squeezed lime juice, soy sauce, fresh ginger and delicious shrimp your taste buds will be screaming “feed me more!”
I originally found this recipe through Southern Living but after several years of making this dish I have tweaked it to what I feel is perfection. The recipe below is my version of the spicy mango shrimp recipe found here (don’t worry I didn’t change anything drastic, all of the good stuff is still there, in fact there is even more of it in this adaptation).
The coconut lime rice recipe is the same as the original recipe. Sometimes I will double it, depending on how many people will be eating.
Ingredients
Spicy Mango Shrimp
- 2lbs. Shrimp
- 3 Medium Red Bell Peppers (diced)
- 1 Bunch Green Onions (diced)
- 3 Mangoes (diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 2 tbsp. Freshly Grated Ginger
- 1 tsp. to 1½ tsp. Dried Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/3 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
- 3/4 cup Soy Sauce (lower sodium)
- 4 tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- Olive Oil (Around 3 tbsp.)
- Salt & Pepper
- Coconut Flakes (toasted)
Coconut Lime Rice
- 1 cup Light Coconut Milk
- 2 cups Water
- 1½ cups Uncooked Jasmine Rice
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Lime Zest (a little extra never hurts)
- 2 tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice (about 2 large, juicy limes)
Directions
Step One
Peel and devein shrimp if needed, place in a bowl in the fridge until it is time to cook them.
Dice your green onions and red bell pepper and set on a plate or in a bowl. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger, add to the dish with the onions and bell pepper. Add the red pepper flakes and set to the side.
Dice your mangoes and set on a plate or in a bowl. Wash and chop the cilantro then add to the mangoes and set aside. Measure out your soy sauce and place in a bowl or cup then add the freshly squeezed lime juice.
(Doing all of this in advance will make the cooking process go so much smoother!)
Step Two
Get your rice cooking, combine the coconut milk, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rice and bring back to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low, cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the lime zest and juice.
Step Three
Toast your coconut, some packages will have directions on them, if not preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the coconut flakes on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 7-10 minutes stirring once or twice. The coconut flakes should be golden brown but not burnt.
Step Four
While the rice and coconut are cooking and toasting prepare the rest of the dish. Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and heat until it pops when you splash a bit of water on it (but before it begins to smoke!)
Add the shrimp (unless you have a jumbo pan you will need to do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook until it just turns pink, turning the shrimp only once, usually 2-3 minutes total. Remove shrimp and set to the side, repeat with remaining shrimp.
Step Five
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat in the saute pan. Once the oil is hot add the green onions, bell pepper, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring a few times.
Step Six
Add the mango, soy sauce with lime juice and cilantro to the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and stir to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients together, season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes over low heat.
Serve the spicy mango shrimp over the coconut lime rice and top with toasted coconut.
Eat & Enjoy!
My Tastee Tips
If you are unfamiliar with mangoes or are just not sure how to go about dicing them, check this out.
Save the shells from the shrimp, place them in a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to make a shellfish stock. This is awesome for sauces and gumbo…(I think I may have already discussed this in a previous post)…you get the point.
You are going to want a large saute pan, this recipe makes quite a bit but trust me it never lasts long, that is how good this spicy mango shrimp with coconut lime rice is, you will be wanting to make this at least once a week.
thetastee 