Now that the days are getting warmer I am mall about grilling!! This super simple and super tasty marinade is great for steak, chicken, or pork. I bet it is even great for shrimp! Let’s get into it!
Simple ingredients
What you will need:
1. 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2. 1/4 cup sliced green onion or any onion you have on hand
3. 2 garlic cloves, pressed or crushed. I give them a good chop
4. 1 tablespoon honey
5. 1 1/2- 2 lbs flank steak (or like I said above try on chicken or pork!)
What you do with it all:
1. In a small bowl combine the first 4 ingredients above and whisk together
2. Place meat in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over and close securely
3. Place in refrigerator and marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight
4. Remove meat and discard the marinade. Grill or broil steak or other meat to your liking!
This is so good to serve over a salad or with yellow rice!! Enjoy!!
Soooo…..if we have to be home, there might as well be beautiful weather! We have sure lucked out over here!
The warmer temps have inspired us to start grilling! I am sharing with you one of my favorite marinades for chicken on the grill. Warning, there are a lot of ingredients but I believe most of them are pantry staples!
Ingredients
First, what you will need:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar or other vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup lemon juice (or 2 fresh lemons or limes, I use whatever I have on hand. I bet an orange would be good too!)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
6 chicken breasts or 3.5 lb chicken
What to do with it all:
Mix the first 11 ingredients above together and then pour into a large ziplock bag
Reserve about 3/4 cup marinade to either baste the chicken or use as a sauce to pour over the finished chicken
Place the chicken in the ziplock bag and massage the marinade all over the chicken.
Place in refrigerator and marinate anywhere from 4-24 hours. It really doesn’t matter how long. I have done it for 4 hours and 24 hours. So good no matter what!
Preheat the grill to about medium high and grill the chicken approx 6 mins per side until cooked through.
Once done let the chicken rest for 5 mins with foil tented over it.
If you want to use the reserved marinade as a sauce put it in a small pot and bring to simmer for about 5 mins until reduced slightly.
ENJOY!!! I am sure you will be making this all summer long!!
Much like chili recipes, everyone has their favorite Beef Stew Recipe. After trying several different ones I took pieces of each and came up with my own! So if you are looking for one to try I am sharing mine with you all!! Let me know what you think!
First, this is what you will need!
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 1/2 lbs stew meat cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons of butter
Adobo
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 bottles, 24 ounces, of beer (I just use whatever is in the house)
2 cups low sodium beef broth
Small can of Tomato paste
Small bag of baby carrots
1 green pepper diced
3 stalks of celery
3 large red bliss potatoes, washed and diced
Second, this is what you do with it all!
1) In a Dutch oven heat oil and butter over medium heat. Season beef with Adobo and add the beef to the pot in a single layer. Brown on all sides, may need to do this in batches. Once done remove beef from pot and set aside
2) Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook until caramelized, approx 10 mins.
3) Sprinkle onions with flour and stir to combine for 1 min.
4) Return the beef to the pot and add the beer, beef broth, tomato paste diluted in 1 cup warm water. Bring to boil then lower and simmer for 1 1/4 hours.
5) Add the carrots, green pepper, celery, and potatoes to the pot. Return to boil then simmer for 45 mins.
Serve with a nice crusty bread!!
Ugh! I forgot to take a picture of the final product!!! Very amateurish, I KNOW!! I will add it next time……
We were lucky enough to spend an amazing afternoon at the Mathis House, Victorian Bed & Breakfast and Tea Room, to celebrate my Moms birthday. What an amazing place. This 122 year old, 8000 sq ft home resides in Toms River, New Jersey. If you live in New Jersey it is so worth a trip to enjoy an amazing afternoon tea service or a stay in one of their 5 bed & breakfast rooms.
Since we went for the afternoon tea service, I will start there! You walk up to your table so beautifully set and you choose your tea cup! All of the china throughout the service is beautifully miss matched. Makes for fun conversation.
This service includes a pot of tea for each person and a 5 course lunch. They have, I believe, over 80 teas to choose from on a regular day and also additional special teas during holiday season. We each choose a different tea for all of us to try such as Spirit of Christmas, Orange & Cranberry, Peppermint Bark, and Love Shack (such fun names, right?!). Each pot was served in these adorable cozies!
The first course was this delicious pasta salad followed by broccoli and cheese soup served in the prettiest tea cup. What I loved was that there was no rush and plenty of time in between courses to enjoy the food and your company.
The third, fourth and fifth courses were served all together on a beautiful 3 tiered server. On the bottom was finger sandwiches (cucumber, chicken salad w/ apples & grapes, egg salad, and artichoke tarts), next was scones served with clotted cream, then topped off with amazing sweet treats! I think my daughters face say it all!
I can honestly say that every single item tasted better than the last! I was so full I could not eat another thing for the rest of the day!
A super fun part of the experience is to really get into the role with these fasinators. They also have beautiful hats to chose from if you forgot yours at home! I loved looking around all the different rooms to see all the guests taking part in this tradition.
After our tea service was done, we were invited to take a tour of the second floor where the Bed & Breakfast resides. We were created by the owner who told us all about the amazing history of this historic home.
The stair case leading upstairs. There are beautiful stain glass windows all throughout. The landing at the top of the stairs surrounded by the rooms You will also find the unlimited wine service and coffee service offered to guests of the Bed & Breakfast As a guest you will also get a 3 course breakfast and beach tags for the beautiful Jersey shore!
Next, I was able to take pictures of 4 of the 5 beautiful rooms you can stay in! Each have their own en-suite and was more beautiful than the last. They are also named!
This is really just a taste of what awaits an afternoon or weekend spent at the Mathis House. If you get a chance to visit you will be completely taken care of and sure to thoroughly enjoy every minute of your visit. Check it out here http://www.mathishouse600main.com.
As soon as it starts to get cold outside I go into soup and chili making mode. Here is a super easy and tasty chili recipe my family loves. It makes approx. 10 servings and freezes great to feed the family throughout the week for those of us who scramble to make dinner Monday – Friday! You can also make it your own by adding or removing ingredients to your liking!
Ingredients:
2 large white onions chopped (to save time and tears I buy pre-chopped onion from the produce dept)
3-4 garlic cloves minced or grated
3 lbs ground beef (I use ground turkey to make slightly healthier)
Adobo to taste (I adobo the meat before I brown it)
28oz can crushed tomatoes
4 tbs chili powder
1 7oz can diced green chilies (if you like your chili on the spicy side then add another 7oz can), want to note I use the 1 7oz can and my kids love it, it is not too spicy for them
Salt and pepper to taste
3 15oz cans red beans (I use Goya red beans, but a lot of people like to use black beans or kidney beans)
Add on Ingredients. These are some my family likes to add, but feel free to change up to suit your taste:
Shredded cheddar cheese (I use low fat or fat free)
Sour cream (I like to use low fat)
Tortilla Chips
Hot Sauce
Black Olives
White or Brown Rice (sometimes we like to serve the Chili over rice)
Instructions:
Sauté onions until translucent over medium high heat. 3-5 minutes
Add the mince garlic and cook for 1 minute
Adobo the ground beef before adding to pot
Once the onions and garlic are done add the ground beef (or Turkey) and cook until all is browned. 6-7 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste
Add the tomatoes, chili powder, and green chilies. Bring to boil
Add the beans
Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed
Let simmer for 6 hours on the stove (feel free to transfer to slow cooker at this point and cook on low for 5-6 hours)
Enjoy!! I would love to hear what you like in your chili recipes!
The 2nd edition to our easy weeknight recipes during these crazy busy last couple weeks before the holidays! This meal is a one pot meal and is a cross between a soup and a stew. It is an old Rachel Ray 30 minute meal that I adapted a bit for my family and they LOVE it! Give it try and let me know what you think!
First: this is what you will need
1) 1 onion, diced
2) 4 celery stalks, diced
3) one bag of shredded carrots
4) 1 bay leaf
5) 8 cups of chicken stock (low sodium)
6) 1 lb ground chicken ( or turkey if you prefer)
7) 3 cloves garlic, minced
8) a pinch ground nutmeg
9) 1 egg
10) 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
11) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
12) 1 package gnocchi
13) 1 cup peas
14) a nice loaf of bread for dipping!!
Olive oil
Now, what to do with it all!
1) Over medium high heat in a large pot heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and bay leaf, salt & pepper. Cook for 5 minutes
2) Add the chicken stock to the pot, cover and bring to a boil.
3) In a medium bowl place the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, nutmeg, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese
4) Now wash your hands and get in there and mix it all together!
5) Form walnut sized meatballs and add them to the soup as you go.
6) Add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes
7) Add the peas and cook for 2 more minutes then turn off heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the stove before you eat
I like to sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top of each bowl and serve with a slice of nice bread and maybe a Caesar salad on the side. Makes about 6-7 servings.
****please note if you are making ahead do not add the gnocchi until you want to eat it. This stoup freezes very well, but do not add the gnocchi until the time you want to eat it.
With the holidays right around the corner, I am always looking for quick recipes for week night dinners. Here is one of our favorites Rigatoni with Sausage and Escarole.
First, here is everything you will need:
1 bunch of escarole chopped up
1 onion diced
1 red pepper diced (not too small)
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
2 lbs of rigatoni (I like to always make enough for leftovers. This recipe tastes even better the next day)
2 lbs bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup reserved pasta water (after pasta has cooked)
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
A nice loaf of bread to serve with!! Of course!!
Preparation steps:
1) In a large pot add rigatoni to heavily salted, boiling water. I use about a palmful of salt. Boil for about 12 minutes. Remember to reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
2) While the pasta is boiling, in a large sauté pan heat a large drizzle of olive oil and add the onions and red peppers, salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are soft. About 4 minutes
3) Next add the sausage to the veggies break up with a wooden spoon until browned. About 8 minutes.
4) Add garlic to the sausage and veggies. Stir for 1 minite
5) Add the escarole to the sausage and veggies an let wilt down mixing into mixture. About 5 minutes.
6) Take the sausage mixture and mix in with pasta. Add the reserved pasta water and Parmesan cheese. Mix everything together.
Serve with extra cheese on the side and a nice loaf of bread!!
As I was strolling through Target today I came across their amazing mug assortment. It reminded me of what great gifts they make, not only during the holidays but for any occasion all year long! Here were some of my favorites from today today! And for only $5.99 you can’t pass them up!
Snuggle Mug – Sold out online, but in stock in store!
Keep in mind that if any of you still have holiday gatherings this weekend or New Years parties coming up they make great hostess gifts!! Also a great add on gift to a throw blanket or their favorite coffee shop gift card.
