Fig Balsamic Glazed Steak Kabobs

I am a huge fan of quick, flavorful,  uncomplicated cooking. When the weather gets warmer , I tend to grill almost every night. It is so easy to marinate meat, add a few veggies and maybe a starch, and grill outside. These kabobs are so good. I have been making them on regular rotation for a few years now, just switching up the veggies depending on what I have. Tonight it was just vidalia onions and red peppers, but normally I would have a zucchini or yellow squash to add to the skewers.
The glaze is super easy to put together and the fig and balsamic marriage is spot on. I tend to gravitate towards jellies to make my glazes. They always give me the consistency I want for a glaze. This one caramelizes the meat and there is a sweet contrast to the tangy balsamic.

FIG BALSAMIC GLAZED STEAK KABOBS

Ingredients
1 lb boneless sirloin steak, 3/4" to 1" thick
1 onion, cut into 12 pieces
1 large red pepper, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 c fig preserves *see note
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

* some fig preserves will have chunks of fig . Make sure you chop the figs into small pieces for the glaze.

Directions
1. Soak bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes  and pre heat your grill.
2. Cut the sirloin into @16 pieces
3.Using the skewers, alternately thread the beef, red pepper and onion onto skewers. Set aside.
4.In a bowl, combine the fig preserves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 for dipping.
5.Brush the kabobs with the fig sauce.
6. On a preheated grill. grill the kabobs 8-10 minutes, or until desired doneness, turning and basting with the fig balsamic sauce every 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve with reserved sauce for dipping.

Carne Asada Marinade

One of our favorite foods to eat on busy nights is tacos. We make a lot of ground beef, chicken, fish and shrimp tacos. My favorite are carne asada tacos. This marinade gives the meat a garlic citrus note that is so flavorful. You will want to plan ahead for this recipe. The meat has to marinate for 48 hours. To make the carne asada, just take the meat out of the marinade and grill to your desired doneness. Then you slice it very thinly and chop the strips into tiny pieces. The best taco meat! Serve on warm corn tortillas with cilantro and onion .

Carne Asada Marinade

1/4 c olive oil
1 c malt vinegar
1/3 c lime juice
1/3 c orange juice
1 c water
2 T minced garlic
1 T ground black pepper
1 T salt
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 T oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 orange, sliced
1 onion, sliced into half moons
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
5-6 lb skirt steak

Combine all ingredients except the skirt steak in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Place the skirt steak in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the meat and cover. Marinate for 48 hours in the refrigerator. Grill meat, slice, chop and serve.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

I never grew up eating corned beef. My nana and mama never made it, and I had never heard of it until I was in middle school and was served it at my friend Maria's house. Back then, I remember not liking it and making a note to myself  to not eat it again. Fast forward 25 years and I am now married to a man that loves corned beef. He has asked me for years to make it and I have always made excuses not to. Until this year. I bit the bullet, bought the beef and set out to figure out how to slow cook it . After finding a simple recipe in a local church cookbook , I decided to just cook it in the slow cooker with vegetables and a bit of water. I did add the spice pack, but that is it. Reading some recipes, some said to ditch the seasoning packet and add your own. I dumped it in for flavor. I figured  a simple recipe and method of cooking was my best bet for the first time. I just let it cook all day. the verdict: everyone loved it. There were no leftovers. kids and hubby went back  for seconds.I will definitely make it again, only using a bigger roast to make sure there are leftovers so we can have reubens for lunch the next day ( my husbands favorite) .

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 lb corned beef roast
2 medium onions, cut up
8-10 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
12-15 small red or yellow potatoes
2 c water
1 head of cabbage, cut into fourths

directions

1. Place the onions and carrots at the bottom of the slow cooker
2.Place the corned beef roast over the vegetables and put in the seasoning packet that came with the roast.
3.Add 2 cups of water and place the potatoes around the roast. Place the quartered cabbage on top of the beef and potates.
 4. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours, depending on your slow cooker ( some are hotter than others. I cooked mine for just a bit under 8 hours and it was perfect)
5. Remove the roast and serve with the vegetables and cabbage.

Guinness & Beef Stew

First off, let me confess that I am not Irish. At least I don't think I am.  And my husband is Italian. So I have no business celebrating St.Patrick's Day. But I can't resist anything Irish. From Dublin to Jameson to Rachel Allen, I am smitten with the emerald isle.  Every year I try to make a meal on March 17 that is quasi Irish. When my kids were little it was mostly green milk, mashed potatoes and lucky charms treats. Thankfully their taste buds have changed somewhat over the years and they willingly eat things like colcannon , Dublin coddle and corned beef. This year, since the holiday fell on a weekend I decided to make a Guinness Beef Stew. Slow cooked beef , veggies and stout was perfect for a Saturday night.  This recipe is full of flavor.  Take the time to render quality bacon, caramelize the onion and simmer slow for a few hours and you have a wonderful meal. I think any Irishman would be happy to eat this stew.

You can use a more economical cut of meat since it will cook for a few hours on the stove. I use chuck roast and it is very tender when it is done cooking. Make sure that you scrape the browned bits off the bottom of your Dutch oven when you add the stout. That is where the flavor is. Serve the stew with fresh soda bread and you have a complete irish meal.

Guinness  &  Beef Stew
Ingredients
8 oz thick bacon, diced
2 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
1/4 c flour
2 onions, chopped
5 potatoes, quartered (Yukon gold or red)
3 carrots, cut up
2 celery stalks, cut up
2 parsnips, cut up
1 bottle (16oz) Guinness Beef
1 cup beef broth
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c tomato paste
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1.Cut the beef into cubes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the flour and toss to coat. Set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in a dutch oven until done and remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan.
3. Brown the beef on all sides in the bacon drippings. You will need to do this in a few batches. Place the browned beef on a plate and set aside.
4. Add the onions and cook them until lightly browned, adding more oil if needed. Add the carrots, potatoes, celery and parsnips and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the Guinness and bring to a rolling boil, scraping the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the bacon, beef and all remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Beef & Broccoli

Summer is winding down , the kids have started football practice in the afternoons and school starts in a few short weeks. Which for me means slow cooker meals.  Fortunately  both kids are in the same school this year, so they will both be home at the same time, which will make dinner a whole lot easier than when they were home in shifts. I tend to rely on slow cooker meals to feed them a few nights a week. This beef and broccoli has been a staple dinner for us for years. Chinese food always gets smiles from them and this recipe is no exception. If my older boys are home I will double this recipe and use my large oval slow cooker, but now that there are just 4 of us at home, one recipe seems to work for us if I also make a salad and bread.
For the broccoli, I buy a bag of steamable broccoli and microwave it  for half the time it states  (you don't want the broccoli too mushy) and put the broccoli into the slow cooker the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking.  If you do not have fresh ginger , just use ginger powder. A few shakes to your taste. Or you can leave out the ginger altogether,  but I always use it. It makes the sauce super flavorful. Serve the beef over steamed rice and you have a great weeknight meal.

Beef & Broccoli

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 brown sugar, packed
1 T sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 T cornstarch
4 cups broccoli, steamed
White rice, prepared

Directions

1.In a slow cooker, add strips of flank steak, onions, garlic and ginger.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Pour sauce over the steak in the slow cooker.

3. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker and whisk in 2 T of cornstarch until smooth. Add back to the crockpot and stir.

4. Add the steamed broccoli and stir well. Cook for another 30 minutes and serve the beef and broccoli over rice.

Balsamic Beef Stew

One of the things that I love most about blogging is meeting so many wonderful bloggers and reaading their fabulous recipes. Over the years I have read hundreds of blogs and there are a few that I come back to time and time again. One of those blogs that I adore is Baked Bree . She has the most amazing recipes. I have never made a recipe from her blog that has not been wonderful. I was going through my very neglected Google Reader and I found this recipe for balsamic beef stew and knew I had to make it. My family loves beef stew and I knew that they would love this. I was right and it do not disappoint. The beef was tender and the gravy was just the right consistency with a hint of sweetness from the balsamic. If you can, use the highest quality ingredients. The earthiness of the fresh rosemary and fresh thyme and the boldness of the wine was wonderful.  The addition of the balsamic was great. I used balsamic from my favorite vendor in Pittsburgh, Olio Fresca and the flavors put the stew over the top good. The original recipe called for 3T of balsamic vinegar , but I used a scant 2T and it was enough. I chose Olio Fresca's Traditional Style Balsamic and it was ah-mazing. PS - the peach balsamic is my absolute favorite. So good on salads!

Balsamic Beef Stew
adapted from Baked Bree

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Place beef in a large plastic zipper bag. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Shake until beef is coated with flour.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the onions to the pot, adding more oil if needed. Cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Add the beef back to pot. Add red wine and beef broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.
4. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beef is fork tender. Add the carrots and cook for another 30 minutes more.
5. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water. Add to stew and bring to a bubble. Add balsamic vinegar. Serve hot on rice, potatoes or noodles.

Beef Stew

One of my favorite foods to cook and enjoy in the cooler months is beef stew. It is one of those foods that I find myself craving on cool, rainy (or snowy) days. This recipe calls for fresh herbs, and I highly recommend you do use the fresh herbs. The rosemary and thyme give it such a deep, fresh flavor that dried herbs can't. I also use a merlot or a cabernet sauvingnon and make sure there is enough left over for a glass for me and hubs at dinner. ;)

Beef Stew
Ingredients

• 2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 Tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Place beef in a large plastic zipper bag. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Shake until beef is coated with flour.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. (you might need to do this in batches, not to crowd the pan as they brown)
3. Add the onions to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Add the beef back to pot. Add red wine and beef broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.
4. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beef is fork tender. Add the carrots and cook for another 30 minutes more.
5. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water. Add to stew and bring to a bubble. Serve hot over rice, potatoes or noodles.

Teriyaki Beef Skewers

These beef skewers are so good on a warm  spring or summer afternoon. The flavor of teriyaki is loved by all who try them.You can use bottled teriyaki sauce, if you prefer. I always have oj on hand, so I just make my own. I serve these with steamed brown rice and whatever veggies are ready in the garden.

 Teriyaki Beef Skewers

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice (i use Simply Orange)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2  pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 large  onions, cut into wedges
• 2 green peppers, cut into chunks
• 
  

Directions

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients. Set aside 1/2 cup for basting and refrigerate. Add beef to remaining marinade; turn to coat. Seal bag; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
• Drain and discard the marinade. On metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternate beef, green peppers and onions. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Baste with reserved marinade. Continue turning and basting for 8-10 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness ..