Learning the Ropes...One Recipe at a Time: July 2012

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Hungarian Goulash

You guys may remember a recipe for Gulyas that I posted a while ago. That recipe is fantastic, but some days you just want to make an effortless meal. Today was one of those days. It was 106 today which means my crock pot has been called upon once again. This year my crock pot is getting lots of use!

This recipe for hungarian goulash is a simple recipe with tons of flavor. I had two steaks in the freezer and decided to chop those up and use them in this recipe. It was excellent! Everyone enjoyed it and I look forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow for lunch. Hopefully I get to them first.

Hungarian Goulash
1 Onion, diced
1 Green Pepper, seeded and diced
1-1/2 to 2 lbs Stew Meat (or whatever you have on hand)
2 tsp Caraway Seeds
2 TBS Sweet Paprika
1 TBS Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp Sea Salt (or table salt)
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 - 14 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 - 14 oz Can Beef Broth
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Minced Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
2 TBS Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Cold Water

Place beef, caraway seeds, paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley in crock pot
Stir to combine
Combine tomatoes, beef broth, garlic, and worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and combines
Pour tomato mixture over beef mixture top with bay leaves and cook on high for 4-6 hours
15 minutes before serving combine cornstarch and water and stir into goulash to allow to thicken (you could also try using instant mashed potato flakes 1-2 TBS until you reach desired consistency)
Serve over noodles or rice and ENJOY!

Such a simple way to enjoy a favorite classic. One of my favorites. It smells wonderful and it is just a comforting meal. Don't let this hot weather stop you from enjoying a great meal :)

Below is the nutritional value per serving (without noodles or rice). This recipe yields approximately 8 servings.

Serving Size 184 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

249

Calories from Fat

105

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

11.6g

18%

Saturated Fat

4.5g

22%

Cholesterol

90mg

30%

Sodium

423mg

18%

Total Carbohydrates

6.7g

Dietary Fiber

1.6g

Sugars

2.0g

Protein

28.2g

Vitamin A 21%	•	Vitamin C 26%
Calcium 3%	•	Iron 24%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

Low in sugar
High in selenium
High in vitamin B12
High in vitamin C
Very high in zinc

Bad points

High in cholesterol

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Roasted Cranberry Turkey Breast

It's July and the temps have been in the triple digits for god knows how long. Well that's not true we are apparently on our 17th day of triple digit heat. I promise I won't complain too much ;) Instead I will make a dish intended for chilling air, changing leaves, and football. HA! Take that ridiculously warm weather!

OK...I really just wanted a good turkey dinner with mashed potatoes. So why not fire this baby up in the crock pot. It's something I have always wanted to do, but never tried. I gathered all of my lovely ingredients (this is not a clean eating recipe just letting you know that off the bat) and prepared to make my holiday feast.

This is so incredibly easy that it shocks me I never tried to make it. I mean you literally put the turkey in the crock pot, dump a couple of ingredients, cover, and cook a meal. We should be having turkey every week! Well maybe not that often, but definitely more than 1-2 times per year. Anyway enough with my rambling lets check this recipe out!

Now look at that moist, juicy goodness...A-MAZING!

Roasted Cranberry Turkey Breast
1 - 5 to 6 lb Turkey Breast
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1 can Cranberry Sauce (whole or jellied your choice)
1 packet Onion Soup Mix

Mix together orange juice, cranberry sauce, and onion soup mix in a small bowl
Place turkey breast in a crock pot
Pour sauce over turkey breast and cook on low for 8-10 hours (realistically mine was done in 6 hours so check with a meat thermometer and go from there to be sure)

You could definitely make a good gravy from all that yummy deliciousness!

See easy as 1-2-3! I think this one is a definite keeper! Super simple, easy, and delicious! Serve with some mashed potatoes and carrots or stuffing to really make it feel like the holidays. What you waiting for?!? Go out and get your turkey today and make a meal with no effort!

E-mail Updates

Alright looks like most of the site is switched over. The only thing I could not transfer was e-mail subscriptions. So if you subscribe and would like to continue to receive updates please sign up so you can continue to receive your e-mails from me. Also anything with the old name will not work. In the address just switch out the old blog name with the new one and you will be taken to the post. I think I have the site itself pretty much under control in that aspect, but let me know if there is a broken link and I will fix it. If you find anything else wrong don't be afraid to let me know. I am only 1 person so there is a great possibility I missed something :) Thanks everyone for your continued support and patience!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Ch ch ch changes!

Nope you guys aren't seeing things. I have made some drastic changes. I have decided this will be a blog dedicated to cooking. I still track my savings and grocery spending...obviously...I don't want to go broke ;) But I decided a change was needed. Hopefully no one will be too upset. I still love you if you are, but my blog has been changing direction for quiet some time.

I enjoy the cooking aspect and actually look forward to sharing recipes with you guys. I really hope the changes make it easier to understand what I am really about. Lets face it, the reality is that I will spend more money to eat healthy food than to get free junk. It's just the way I am and how I feel.

Not to mention I am thrilled on where I have come in the kitchen. Considering I am very much self taught. My grandma showed me a few things, my dad has answered many questions, and friends have always helped; but the fact remains that I have learned through trial and error and that my friends is something I am very proud of.

I really hope to continue to learn. Baking is something I haven't tackled very well yet. I can make a few things, but nope I am not much of a baker yet. So maybe you guys can give me some tips on that! I look forward to learning more and sharing more with you guys!

While I make this transition (which hopefully will be quick and smooth!) please be patient and I can't wait to get cooking again!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Flank Steak Roulade

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This is one of those meals where everyone will "ooohhh" and "ahhhh" over the wonderful presentations. However, it can be your little secret on how easy this dish is to prepare. Flank Steak Roulade basically means rolled flank steak. The beauty of this recipe is you can use whatever you want inside the "stuffing". Blue cheese and bacon, swiss cheese and mushrooms, roasted red peppers, artichokes, and really anything that would go good with steak.

I decided to do a cheesy spinach and tomato roulade. Yum! And as you can see the options are endless! It really is a beautiful dish that is simple to make and on the table in no time. You can also prepare everything ahead of time and then just pop it in the oven when you get home.

Flank Steak Roulade
1-1/2 to 2 lbs Flank Steak, butterflied (here's a video to help with this) or pounded out to 1/4 in thickness
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 TBS Minced Garlic
1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, roughly chopped
5-6 Basil Leaves, chopped
1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella
1-2 handfuls of Baby Spinach

Season steak with salt and pepper then rub garlic onto steak
Layer sun dried tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and baby spinach over steak leaving about 1/2 inch from edges
Tightly roll steak and secure with toothpicks or tie with butcher's twine (here's a video to help with that)
Place steak in a baking dish and bake for about 20-35 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until the steak is prepared to your liking
Place steak on a platter and tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes
When ready to serve slice into 1" slices and enjoy :)

I rounded out the meal with some homemade mashed potatoes and maple dill carrots. Get creative and make your own roulade. I guarantee this will become an easy dish that not only tastes great, but looks beautiful!

Below is the nutritional value per serving. This recipe yields approximately 6 servings.

Serving Size 172 g