Mongolian Beef

I love P.F. Changs. There, I said it. There's something about that place that keeps drawing me back in, and I'm not afraid to admit it. However, in my quest to avoid take-out or processed foods as much as possible, I decided it would be a good challenge to try to make some of my restaurant favorites at home. I have already conquered chicken lettuce wraps, so next I decided to try Mongolian Beef which is one of Andy's go-to meals at P.F. Changs. Beef strips are stir-fried until slightly crispy, and then they are coated in a sweet, salty, and sticky sauce and the whole combination is served over fluffy rice. This is a very delicious meal, and while it's not the healthiest thing I've ever made, it saved us a few bucks to make at home. Mongolian Beef will be added to list of recipes to make again and again (though maybe not for another 12 months!). Yum!

Mongolian Beef

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

4 tsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. ginger, minced or grated

2 tbsp. garlic, minced or grated

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar, packed 

1 cup water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup vegetable oil

2 lb. flank steak

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 green onions, chopped

Cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

Make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the 4 tsp. of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sautee for 1 minute until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Add the soy sauce and brown sugar and bring the sauce to a simmer.  In a measuring cup, whisk together the water and 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Once the sauce has simmered for about 5-8 minutes, whisk in the water/cornstarch and return to a simmer to thicken slightly. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside. 

Make the beef: Tilt your knife on a 45 degree angle and cut slices about 1/4 inch thick (against the grain). Coat the steak slices in cornstarch and shake to remove all excess. Lay the slices out on a cutting board and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the cornstarch to set to the meat.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet until it just begins to shimmer. Working in batches, fry the beef (carefully) until it gets brown around the edges, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the beef to a paper towel lined plate and continue working in batches until all the beef is cooked. Dump all of the oil out of the skillet and return all of the beef to the pan. Add the sauce and sliced green onions and cook over medium low heat until the sauce has coated and everything is heated through. Serve over cooked rice. Yum!

Greek Quesadillas

Thanks to Pinterest (my newest obsession) I have been discovering all types of new recipes and edible treats to try... where to begin?? Well, one particular idea that immediately made my mouth water was Greek Quesadillas. I love gyros, I love quesadillas, I love finger foods, so why haven't I thought of this before? We have come up with a wonderful version of easy-to-make lamb gyros, so I used that when making my own version of these Greek quesadillas. I think that these would be perfect for entertaining, tailgating, or for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. The best part is that each component can be made ahead of time (the tzatziki is better the next day, anyways) and then assembled and cooked right before serving. Rich and crispy lamb, cool tzatziki, and fresh crunchy vegetables come together for a delicious fusion meal. Yum!

Greek Quesadillas

Makes 4-6

Ingredients:

Tzatziki

1/2 english cucumber

1/2 tbsp. salt

6 oz. greek yogurt

2 oz. crumbled feta

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Lamb

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. ground lamb

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 red onion, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. tomato paste

4 tbsp. dry red wine

Assembly

1 tomato, seeded and chopped fine

1/2 red onion, chopped fine

1/2 cucumber, chopped fine

flour tortillas

shredded mozzarella cheese

Make the tzatziki: using a box grater, shred the cucumber on the side with the largest holes. Put cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes to draw some of the water out of the cucumber. After 10-15 minutes, rinse and squeeze out the cucumber to remove as much liquid as possible. In a small bowl, mix together the cucumber, yogurt, feta, and garlic. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to eat (the flavors blend really well after a day or so, but it's still really good right after you make it).

Make the lamb: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the lamb and stir frequently to break apart the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring for 8-10 minutes or until the lamb is getting brown and crispy, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the onions, garlic, and oregano and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the meat. Add the red wine and continue to cook until all of the liquid has evaporated.

To assemble the quesadillas: Preheat a nonstick pan or panini press. Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese on 1/2 of a tortilla. Layer some of the lamb on top of the cheese (it depends on the size of the tortilla, but I was able to make 6 quesadillas with the size I used). Sprinkle on some diced cucumber, tomato, and onion, then top with a little more mozzarella cheese for the glue. Fold over the tortilla and cook in a panini press or in a nonstick skillet until golden brown and the cheese is melty. Slice into wedges and serve with the tzatziki for dipping. Enjoy! :o)

Mocha Cupcakes with Kahlua Frosting

If you love coffee, you'll love these cupcakes! Ok, let's be honest, even if you don't love coffee you'll probably love these cupcakes :)  Recently, it was my co-worker's birthday so I decided to make some cupcakes to celebrate. When choosing a flavor, I remembered that she always has a large iced coffee with her, so incorporating that into a cupcake seemed like a logical idea. I happened to have instant espresso powder and Kahlua lying around at home, so I spun them into something truly delicious. Make sure you use instant espresso powder for this recipe as it will dissolve nicely into the batter and frosting. Regular espresso powder will not dissolve and will be grainy... yuck.  To date, I have received more compliments on these cupcakes than anything else I have ever made, so needless to say they will be a go-to recipe for a crowd pleasing dessert! Yum :o)

Mocha Cupcakes with Kahlua Frosting

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Mocha Cupcakes - This is my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe with a twist. I added a little espresso powder to try to make a chocolate-coffee (mocha) cupcake. The end result was a cupcake with a very mild coffee flavor, but a stronger chocolate flavor. I actually liked it so much that I think I will always add a little espresso powder to all of my chocolate cakes from now on!

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp. instant espresso powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat with a mixer until well combined. Add the boiling water and beat carefully until combined. Batter will be very thin… it’s ok!

For cupcakes, prepare pan with liners. Fill each cup 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. This should make around 30 cupcakes. (Batter could also be made into a cake by pouring into 2 9-inch round cake pans and baking for about 30-35 minutes). 

Kahlua Frosting

Ingredients: 

Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 tbsp. Kahlua coffee liquor
1 tbsp hot water
1 tsp instant espresso granules
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve the espresso in the hot water. Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla and set aside. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter in a separate bowl until light and fluffy.  Slowly beat in the confectioner’s sugar. Beat in the liquids and continue mixing until frosting is light and fluffy (you might need a little more or less sugar depending on how you pack or measure your sugar, but 3 cups worked perfectly for me).

Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost each with the Kahlua frosting. Top with a chocolate covered espresso bean (optional, but yummy!). Enjoy! :o)

Roasted Garlic Hummus with Pita Chips

While continuing on our healthy kick for January, healthy snacks have been difficult at times. When we decided to host people at our place to watch the Patriots play, I decided that it would be a good opportunity to try hummus and accomplish 2 things - it would be a healthy snack, and I would get to cross something off my 30 by 30 list! This recipe is originally from Cook's Illustrated, but I made a few changes to suit our tastes. If you love garlic, you will love this hummus. I can't wait to try other versions using the same basic idea. Enjoy :o)

Roasted Garlic Hummus

makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas

¼ cup liquid from canned chickpeas

2 heads roasted garlic (*see note)
1 clove raw garlic, minced (optional)
½ tsp. salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

pita chips for serving, recipe follows

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the garlic on paper towels and reserve the cooking oil. 

After reserving 1/4 cup of canning liquid, rinse and drain the chickpeas. In a food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, the roasted garlic, minced fresh garlic (this will make the hummus extra garlicky, so use with caution!), salt, and cayenne pepper. 

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and canning liquid. In another small bowl combine the tahini with the oil used to cook the sliced garlic.

With the food processor running, stream in the lemon/water mixture. Scrape down the bowl. Run the processor again and stream in the tahini/oil mixture. Scrape down the bowl and process again until smooth. 

To serve, top with the cooked sliced garlic and the chopped parsley. Serve with pita chips.

*note: to make roasted garlic, cut the top part of a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap tightly in foil. Roast at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until the cloves are soft. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the head of garlic to remove the roasted cloves. Discard any papery skins, and mash gently into a paste.

Pita Chips

Ingredients

1 package whole wheat pitas

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the pitas into 8 wedges. Combine the remaining ingredients and brush a light coating onto the pitas. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until toasted. Serve with hummus.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins were originally from the mother of my childhood friend Julie. I remember that whenever I would go over to her house, sure enough there would be a bag of homemade pumpkin chocolate chip muffins waiting for us in the freezer. All it took was a few minutes in the microwave to warm these tasty treats up and to get the chocolate chips ooey and gooey! Julie’s mom passed along the recipe to my mom (because I raved about them so much) who later passed it to me so I can make them on my own. Ok, so these aren’t exactly the healthiest muffins you’ll ever have, but they sure are delicious! I have made this recipe a little lighter by replacing oil with applesauce, but if you prefer you can replace the applesauce in this recipe with an equal part of canola oil. The pumpkin really makes these muffins moist and delicious (we often refer to them as “muffcakes” due to their cupcake-like qualities). Bake a full batch and freeze the extras. You can microwave one each morning for breakfast or as an after-dinner treat (about 20 seconds on high). Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield: 15 muffins (approximately)

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup applesauce
1 cup canned pumpkin or squash (not pumpkin pie filling, just plain pumpkin – check the ingredient list, it should only say “pumpkin”!)
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and one tablespoon of the flour.

In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining flour through the salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, pumpkin, and eggs until well blended. Slowly mix in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until well combined, being careful not to over-mix. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Bake according to the following times (it is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out crumbly):

Muffins, lined with cupcake liners, ¾ full: 17-20 minutes

1 loaf pan (pumpkin bread): 45-50 minutes

Yum! :o)

Source: Carol Garmin

Mussels with Fennel, Garlic, and White Wine Sauce

One of our first dates was at Stella in Boston and we had a delicious dish of mussels in a spicy, creamy sauce. That was my first experience with mussels and I was hooked! Initially, I was a little turned off by the orangey color and "new" texture of mussels, being so used to clams, but I was converted at Stella. Since then, I have seen mussel dishes similar to this one at all types of restaurants, but it is so easy to make at home. These mussels are a delicious, healthy meal - and very filling. Definitely invest in some good, crusty bread to soak up all of the extra liquid from the bottom of the bowl. Enjoy!

Mussels with Fennel, Garlic, and White Wine Sauce

yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
1 pound fresh mussels (I get ones harvested from Maine at Whole Foods around here)
1 tbsp. olive oil or butter
1/2 small bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup white wine, such as pinot grigio
Crusty bread, lightly toasted, for serving

Directions:
Scrub and de-beard the mussels (look for beards poking out of the shells and pull them out). In a large pot, heat the oil or butter over medium heat. Add the fennel and onion and cook until the fennel is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. Add in the mussels and cover the pot. The mussels will start to open after a couple of minutes - I find it helpful to shake the pot or give a big stir to help distribute the broth and also to help some of the mussels have more room to open. Once open, allow the mussels to cook for approximately 2 minutes, then remove to a serving bowl. Once all mussels have been removed, pour the cooking liquid over the mussels and serve with crusty bread on the side (discard any mussels that refuse to open after a few minutes - they don't want to be eaten, and trust me, you don't want to eat them either!). Yum! :o)

Breakfast Frittata

This past weekend we were very lucky to host the Fabbris for a fun-football-filled weekend (and other revelry). To help us prepare for tailgating, I wanted to make something simple for breakfast that was also satisfying... this frittata was the perfect thing. I wish I had a picture to add to this post, but once the frittata hit the table it was devoured pretty quickly! I had never actually made a frittata before, but I seemed to come up with an effective strategey that involves both stovetop and broiler cooking methods. The eggs didn't dry out, and the fillings were awesome! This is an easy go-to breakfast for any weekend morning, and it's delicious and hearty as well! Enjoy :o)

Breakfast Frittata

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

6 large eggs

2 tbsp milk or cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 strips bacon

1 link chicken or pork sausage, chopped into bite sized pieces (I'm into Al Fresco brand)

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup arugula leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp. blue cheese

You will need a large, non-stick, oven proof skillet for this frittata. Preheat the broiler.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. In the large skilled, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and wipe out excess grease. Add the sausage and onion and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the arugula and blue cheese. Pour over the egg mixture and make sure everything is covered. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the eggs. Cook over medium low heat for about 4 minutes or until the edges are firm but the middle of the frittata is still loose. Transfer the frittata to the oven and broil for about 3-4 minutes or until the eggs are set and the frittata is cooked through. Remove from the oven and slide onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve! Yum!

The best part about this recipe is that you can use whatever fillings you like - keep it vegetarian, add extra meat or cheese, or experiment with some new combos. The method remains the same.