I found this Mongolian Beef recipe on Pinterest and couldn’t wait to make it.  My husband is a huge fan of the Mongolian Beef Recipe from PF Chang’s, so I was hoping this Mongolian Beef Recipe would be pretty darn close to it.  To my surprise, it was just as good!  Honestly, if you didn’t know which Mongolian Beef Recipe was which, you probably wouldn’t know the difference.  It’s that good!

So, if you love the Mongolian Beef from PF Chang’s…you have to try this Mongolian Beef recipe out for yourself!

{Original Image from Pink Bites}

Mongolian Beef Recipe:

makes 2 servings

Ingredients

1 lb of flank steak, thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup of cornstarch

3 teaspoons of canola oil

1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic (about 2 -3 large cloves)

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of soy sauce (I use low sodium)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

3 large green onions, sliced crosswise into thirds

Prepare the meat:

First, make sure the steak slices are dry (pat them dry) and mix them with the corn starch. Using your hands or a spoon, move them around to make sure all pieces are coated. Place beef slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch.

Make the sauce:

Heat half of the oil in a large wok at medium-high and add the garlic and ginger. Immediately add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Don’t worry if the sauce doesn’t look thick enough at this point. The corn starch in the beef will thicken it up later.

Cook the meat and assemble dish:

Turn the heat up and add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned (this is a quick thing). Pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat. Now you can choose to cook it down and reduce the sauce or leave it thinner. Add the green onions at the last minute so the green parts stay green and the white parts crunchy.

Serve the Mongolian Beef Recipe hot with rice.

Hope you enjoy this Mongolian Beef recipe as much as I did!

I made this chicken and roasted balsamic peppers recipe last night and it was delicious!  It was very simple to make and you could actually prepare everything ahead of time and just cover and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.

Chicken And Roasted Balsamic Peppers Recipe

Ingredients:

Directions:

Toss the pepper and onion slices in a large bowl. In a large measuring cup, fork-stir your sauce using: balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, olive oil, broth, chopped garlic and herbs. Pour the sauce over the sliced peppers and onions and toss well to coat.

Loosely cover the pan with a piece of foil and place in the center of a pre-heated oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Spoon the sauce all over the peppers and chicken breasts to keep everything happy and moist, recover it and continue to bake until everything is tender (depending upon the thickness of the chicken, and the size of your pepper strips, and your particular oven it could be an additional 10 minutes or 20 minutes)

Serves 4.

We just celebrated my sister’s 30th birthday and we had so much fun coming up with 30th birthday party ideas. We chose to do a black, white and silver color scheme. Here are some of the 30th birthday party ideas that we decided to use for her party.

1. 30th Birthday Party Idea: Mason Jar Drinks

Creating mason jar drinks is really simple.  First if you don’t already have the mason jars, pick them up at your local grocery store, kmart or amazon.com. Second, buy cupcake liners and punch a hole in the center.  Third, purchase decorative straws for your mason jar drinks…believe me…it adds a lot of style! Lastly, decide on what drink you want to make in your mason jars.  I chose sangria…but you could make anything you’d like.

2. 30th Birthday Party Idea: Picture Story Board

This picture story board turned out to be such a neat idea and the perfect 30th birthday party idea.  You simply pull together as many photos as you’d like and tape them together in the shape of a 30 (or whatever birthday you are celebrating). I decided to turn all the photos black and white, but you certainly do not have to do that.

3. 30th Birthday Party Idea: Wine Bottle Candle Centerpiece

Lining your table with wine bottles and candles makes a dramatic centerpiece and stunning when the candles are lit.  We opted for a white table cloth over the table and a black table runner on top of that.  We also added a few decorative pieces to it.

4. 30th Birthday Party Idea: Float Balloons with Lights in a Pool

Floating balloons with lights in a pool is absolutely stunning, as you can see. We also added candles around the edge of the pool to create a cozy ambiance.

5. 30th Birthday Party Idea:  Create Food Name Tags

Creating food name tags as a birthday party idea is great because it not only looks awesome, it allows your guests to know exactly what they are eating.  Have fun creating your food name tags, there is endless options when you design them.  I purchased all my supplies at Michael’s.

6. 30th Birthday Party Ideas: Hang Mason Jars

Hanging mason jars with candles in them is also a really fun birthday party idea.  Mason jars can be hung from umbrellas, like we did or they can be hung from trees.

I hope these 30th birthday party ideas help you in planning your party.  If you have any questions, leave us a comment!

This past Sunday my son turned 2!  I can’t believe what a big boy he is now.  Since I’m due any day with baby #2, I wanted to keep his birthday celebration simple.  My sister came across an idea to set up a chili bar.  I thought a chili bar idea was perfect, considering the guys would be watching football and it’s relatively easy to do.

If you are looking for a fun, party idea…you have to try this chili bar idea!

Images from Celebrations at Home

Along with the Chili, I decided to make hotdogs, french fries, pasta noodles & corn bread.  But you could also pair the chili with fritos, baked potatoes or tortilla chips.  There are really a lot of options to customize your chili bar.

Since coming back from Europe I have been loving being back in the kitchen. Our entire 2 week diet consisted of gelato, croissants, wine, beer, more food, more food, and more food. Don’t get me wrong I am not complaining, considering I am a huge foodie but by the end I was excited to get back and resume my more healthy routine.

As I mentioned in the past, my favorite food blog, How Sweet It Is always posts the most desirable recipes. In our house when Fall arrives so do the pumpkin, sweet potato and warm weather dishes.

Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cream and Avocado

YIELDS: 4 BURGERS PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES

Ingredients:

2 cups coarsely mashed sweet potatoes (or yams), about 2 large potatoes

2 bulbs of roasted garlic

1 cup cannellini beans (rinsed and drained if canned)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup oat flour (or all-purpose, wheat, etc)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cumin

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 avocado, sliced

2/3 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream

1 teaspoon maple syrup

extra salt and pepper for seasoning yogurt/cream

Red Onions

4 whole wheat buns

Directions:

1. Roast the Garlic for the Cream Sauce

2.  Pierce potatoes (I used 2 large) all over with a fork and place on a paper towel, setting in the microwave. Microwave for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove, slice in half and let cool until you can scoop out the flesh.

3. In a large bowl, coarsely mash beans with a fork. Add in sweet potato and mash together, then add in spices, salt and pepper, minced garlic, egg, panko and flour. Mix together until combined, then place bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. This helps form them into patties, but as a warning they are still somewhat messy.

4. While mixture is chilling, combine yogurt/sour cream with 2 bulbs (squeezed out) of roasted garlic cloves, maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth then set aside until ready to use.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove mixture from fridge and form into 4 equal patties, then place in the skillet once hot. Since the mixture can be wet and messy, do not move until they are fully cooked and golden on one side! This takes about 5-6 minutes. Then, add more oil if needed (this really helps cook them) and flip burgers very gently. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Toast buns if desired.

Assemble by topping burgers with roasted garlic cream and avocado! We also used caramelized red onion and it was amazing!!!

Enjoy!

This past week we have been gearing up for our trip to Europe, which included clearing out our fridge since we will be gone. For those of you who know my husband he comes up with some crazy ideas almost all the time. He challenged us to use only what we had on hand to make all of our meals (3 meals a day). Ugh! Well I got creative and can confidently say we did it…all 21 meals!

Here is an amazing recipe we made with slight modifications. I have an obsession with Quinoa, although my husband would disagree, however he found himself loving these. This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, How Sweet It Is. Check her blog out for some amazing recipes.

CRISPY QUINOA SLIDERS

YIELD: MAKES 12 SLIDERS (BUT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF YOUR BUNS)

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup cooked chickpeas ( I only had Northern Beans)

1/2 cup freshly grated provolone cheese

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped carrot0s

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg + 1 egg white, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

12 multigrain slider buns or dinner rolls ( we only had sammies)

2 avocados, sliced for topping ( We didn’t have any, Darn. But we added some Tomatoes)

1/2 cup chipotle mayo, for topping ( I was out of Adobo Sauce so I added chopped Jalapenos to my burgers and just used regular mayo.

DIRECTIONS:

Add quinoa and stock to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15 minutes or until can be fluffed with a fork. You can do this ahead of time or even the night before (and store quinoa in the fridge) so the quinoa can cool.

While quinoa is cooking, slice the green onions, chop the carrots, mince the garlic and grate the cheese. Place it all in a bowl, then add panko and mix.

Coarsely chop the chickpeas and add to the bowl.

Once quinoa is finished cooking, add it to the bowl and mix well until incorporated. If needed, let cool or place in the fridge for a few minutes to cool.

Add in beaten egg + egg white, salt, pepper and mix well.

Form into patties (I really squeezed a handful of quinoa together and smoothed it into a round, it may take some squeezing and form to get the patties to stick) that fit the size of the buns you have. <- this will differ!

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, add 5-6 quinoa patties and cook until deeply golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.

Gently flip and cook 5 minutes more. Remove and continue with remaining olive oil and patties. Serve with sliced avocado chipotle mayo!

Enjoy!

I saved this peach and brie quesadilla recipe from my 2005 Cooking Light magazine and had completely forgotten about it.  We recently made this and I loved the twist on the traditional quesadilla. We combined sweet fresh peach with mild and creamy brie. Overall it wasn’t super filling, so if you are making it for a meal I would add shredded pork or add some rice and beans as a side dish.

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

Quesadillas:

1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches (about 2 large)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon brown sugar

3 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced

4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Cooking spray

Chive strips (optional)

Preparation

To prepare sauce, combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

To prepare quesadillas, combine peaches, 1 tablespoon chives, and sugar, tossing gently to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange one-fourth of cheese and one-fourth of peach mixture over half of each tortilla; fold tortillas in half. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are lightly browned and crisp. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges; serve with sauce. Garnish with chive strips, if desired.

Note

Placing the fillings on one side of the tortilla and folding the other half over (like a taco) makes the quesadillas easier to handle. Whole wheat tortillas would also be great, offering a sweet, nutty taste. The lime-honey dipping sauce balances the richness of the buttery filling.

Enjoy!

This past weekend my husband and I hit up one of our favorite Farmer’s Markets. I bought a bunch of zucchini as I have been dying to make some zucchini bread. I came across this Zucchini Bread recipe a few months back from All Recipes and had to make it. It has almost 4,000 positive reviews so it had to be good. It truly lived up to all the hype…this zucchini bread was so moist and flavorful, I will be sure to make it again soon!

Enjoy this delicious Zucchini Bread Recipe!

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

I came across this recipe from a blog I found called, The Good Wife. It reminded me of when I was a kid. My mom would make something just like this as an appetizer for family gatherings. It brought such a smile to my face as I had completely forgotten about this great snack. Although there are many different names for it . I love how she calls it “Cowboy Sushi”. I must make this soon! It sounds like the perfect dish for my pregnant sister! Yum!

{Picture from The Good Wife}

Ingredients:
6 large whole kosher dill pickles
3 packages Buddig Beef
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

Directions:
~Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over one slice of beef. Top with another slice of beef and spread cream cheese over the second layer.

~Roll the two slices of beef around one whole pickle.

~Repeat steps one and two so that the pickle ends up with four layers of beef and cream cheese.

~Slice the pickle into thick slices and serve cold.

~Repeat all the steps until all the pickles are covered.