Venison Steak... for breakfast!

I've never eaten steak for breakfast.  In the 32 years I've been alive, it's just not my idea of a breakfast meat.  But we had a small among of leftover venison steak from dinner the night before, so I figured I would try it.  I just quickly sauteed the sliced venison in a pan on the stove and served with the following:

I used the Smashed Red Potatoes from the night before to make some really killer home fries.  Just a little EVOO in the frying pan, dump the leftover potatoes in and saute until desired crispness! 

A 2 egg omelet with onions and tomato with a dash of parsley, black pepper and milk.  And a toasted everything bagel thin. 

And... ketchup.  Yes, I am one of those people who eats their eggs with ketchup.  Deal with it. 

All in all, it was a fabulous brunch.  I don't know that I would purposely cook a steak in the morning to have with breakfast, but I enjoyed it. 

Spring Fever

The temps have gone above 40, to almost 60 today and that has me dreaming of spring and summer. Don't get me wrong, I like cold weather more than hot, but what I am looking forward to the most....

farm fresh vegetables!

and all the mouth watering dishes that come with farm fresh vegetables...

Or even better, taking a bite out of a fresh picked tomato that is still warmed from the sun. YUM!

And best of all... grilled eggplant parm :).

Loads of Veggies Chili

We love Chili in our house. What's not to love? Throw a bunch of stuff in the Crockpot, let it simmer and you have dinner for a few nights. You can freeze it, you can bring it for lunch, you could even make a salad with it. Chili has endless possibilities and endless recipes. Turkey, Chicken, Beef, Venison, Pork, vegetarian. With beans without beans. You name it, it's been done. Here is a version we just made using a lot of veggies from our farm share.

Crockpot is loaded and ready to go:

Chili has been simmering on the keep warm setting for 12+ hours...

Chili

1 pound ground beef
6 cloves of garlic
4 small red onions
2 bell peppers
2 green peppers
1 orange tomato
1 red tomato
Scallions
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes w/chilies
2 cans of black beans, rinsed
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed
Cumin
Paprika
Red pepper flakes
Chili powder

Brown meat with garlic, onion and scallions. In large Crockpot combine the rest of the ingredients. Once meat is browned, add to Crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours of high for 3.

Serve with chips, sour cream, cheese or by itself.

Enjoy!

Simple Pasta & Veggies

There are so many nights that I don't walk in the door until close to 7:00. My bedtime is close to 9, so that leaves me very little time to cook, bake, spend time with fabulous husband, work on the house, play with the dogs and cats etc etc. So when I can pull off something really simple, but tasty, I'm all about it. This recipe was really easy.

1 box pasta - shells

Lots of veggies (carrots, squash, zucchini, onion, tomato)

Fresh Parsley

Salt & Pepper

Butter

Garlic

3 Cheese mix from Whole Foods

Cook past according to box. Brown butter and garlic. Add onions, salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes then add veggies and throw over the pasta.

DONE!

Tasty.

Enjoy. I did.

Not Your Mother's Potato Salad....

I love potato salad, especially in the summer. It just evokes summertime backyard grilling fun. Fabulous Husband wasn't so much a fan. So I searched for a recipe I thought he would like and then I stumbled upon this. He LOVES it, and so most people I make it for. It's not to heavy on the mayo, and has a nice spice kick to it. Plus, it's got that fresh flavor, not that sitting in a bowl of mayo blah flavor.



The inspiration is Mesa Grill's Southwest Potato Salad (aka Bobby Flay).



Ingredients
1 1/2 cups prepared mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chipotle pepper puree (Didn't have any so I omitted)
1 large ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
3 scallions, chopped, white and green parts (Whoops! Didn't have these either)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 new potatoes, about 3 to 4 pounds, cooked, drained and sliced 1/2-inch thick


Directions


Combine all the ingredients, except the potatoes, in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place warm potatoes in a large bowl and pour the mixture over potatoes and mix well. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.


NOTES: Even without the chipolte pepper puree and the scallions it was good this time around. I've made this a few times and this was the first time I didn't do it exact. This is a must for people who like their food a little spicy!

Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad

A trip to the farmers market inspired Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad. Everything I used in this recipe I bought at our local farmers market on Saturday.

I diced up some plum tomatoes, an orange tomato and red onion. Added some red wine vinegar.
I mixed melted Smart Balance with garlic powder (not from the farmers market). Grilled the corn...

De-cobbed (is this a word?) the corn and mixed.

Visually stunning and VERY tasty. Super easy and a great side dish to any summer meal.