Time for Ready, Set, Cook!
If you have not played before please click HERE for the rules of play before getting started.
Here are today's 3 ingredients:
water chestnuts
ramen noodles
imitation crab flakes (surimi or crab legs)
Get your aprons on~Ready, Set, Cook!
How about a big bunch of nothing? At least this time around.
I got to thinking last night about all the cravings I've had during each pregnancy (since thinking about food doesn't give me heartburn...yet) and they have all been so different.
First baby~a girl~I craved deep fried tacos. I had only ever had one in my life up until that point. When I was about 10 my best friend's grandmother took us to Sebio's Lounge in Bethlehem and I had my first deep fried taco there. By the time I was pregnant with #1 (10 years later) and had that HUGE craving, we went to the now-defunct Zapata's~same road in the same town. They had some really awesome Mexican food there and sadly, not only are they not open, the building was razed to make way for a *gag* Wendy's.
Second baby~a girl~I was working part-time evenings for the Globe Times in circulation and I would waddle on over to the lunch room to buy a King Size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. That's 4 cups in one package and I ate a full package every night. Somehow I only gained 11 pounds despite all that.
Third baby~a girl~I had a huge craving for plain boiled new potatoes; no salt, no butter, no nada-just potatoes. That was until my last month. Hubby was working a second job at a convenience store and brought home a pint of Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk EVERY night. I ate the whole thing EVERY night. Another tiny weight gain regardless~go figure.
Fourth baby~a boy~nothing. I had no cravings at all and kept waiting for one to hit but it never happened.
Fifth baby~a girl~I ate almost a full bag of Snyder's of Hanover Jalapeño and Cheddar Pretzel Pieces daily. No heartburn, no ill effects, no WAY I could do it now. I've tried eating them since then and I can't handle the heat. I also ate a version of peanut butter soup I found in an old Campbell's cookbook~PB and condensed tomato soup mixed together. I know, GROSS, I still like it but not like I did then. I also ate a ton of ice and didn't have any iron deficiency at all to blame that one on.
Sixth baby~a boy~nothing again. I did eat a lot of hummus and whole wheat pita and veggie burgers but not really because I craved them. I was just trying to do the healthier thing.
Seventh baby~supposedly a girl~nothing...and sometimes something. Make sense? Mostly I don't have cravings at all but I have an occasional taste for something and one or two bites does it. Like the chicken pot pie...I don't want it anymore now that I've had it. I have far too much heartburn to eat much of anything lately anyway so if I did have a craving I'd have to suffer through it or take some serious antacids before and after.
I keep having people tease me about boy/girl twins (it's definitely ONE baby) and if I did have them it would explain the craving issue based on my history; you think?
So....pregnant or not, what are you craving?
Awesome recipes, as usual. Please give the players a read at their blogs!
Thanks for playing you two!
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From Compulsive Writer at From the mixed up files of a middle aged mind:
Easy Grilled Flank Steak Over Pasta
Marinate steak overnight in any Italian-style salad dressing.
Cook up a batch of your favorite pasta--I would choose something long
like linguine.
Grill steak as desired.
Slice tomatoes in half; quarter a small red onion. Brush with oil,
sprinkle with basil. Grill alongside steak.
Toss pasta with butter, a bit of cream, sauteed garlic, salt and a
little white pepper, along with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Cut grilled steak in cubes or strips. Toss the steak strips or cubes
over the pasta. Top with tomatoes and onion.
Enjoy!
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From Ian at The Gallumphing Gourmand:
Marinated Steak Hoagies
makes 4
1 lb flank steak, about 1/2-inch thick
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 C dark soy sauce
1/4 C honey
1 tsp chipotle pepper flakes
fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
4 medium ciabatta rolls
8 slices Monterey Jack cheese
·Score the flank steak diagonally on each side to a depth of about 1/8 of an
inch, and place in a large Ziploc baggie.
·Add all other ingredients, except the bread rolls and the cheese, into the
baggie, and shake to combine.
·Place baggie in the fridge overnight to marinate and let the flavours
combine, turning often.
·Remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours before
grilling.
·Preheat the grill to high heat.
·Remove the steak from the marinade and set aside. Pour marinade into
saucepan and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally until sauce reduces by about one third. Remove from
heat.
·Place meat on the grill and cook over high heat for no more than 5 minutes
per side. We’re going for medium-rare at the most here, people.
·Remove meat from grill and let rest for about 10 minutes. Slice steak
diagonally in thin slices. Place steak on rolls, add two slices of cheese
each, and pour some of the sauce over the top.
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This is the recipe the ingredients came from:
Thai Grilled Beef Salad
6 servings
2 Garlic cloves; minced
1 ts Black peppercorn
1 tb Fresh coriander roots
1/2 ts Salt
2 ts Vegetable oil
1 lb Flank or flatiron steak - trimmed
3 sm Firm tomatoes
1 Bermuda onion- cut into 1/4-in slices
1 Sheet heavy-duty alum. foil- (8" x 18")
1 Head red-leaf lettuce
Dressing
1 ts Ground Dried Shrimp w/Chiles- (optional)
2 Garlic cloves; chopped
2 Red serrano chiles; sliced
2 Green serrano chiles; sliced
1 tb Roasted chile sauce-(nam prik pao)
3 tb Fish sauce (nam pla)
5 tb Lime juice
2 ts Sugar
1/4 c Coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/4 c Fresh coriander leaves-(coarsely chopped)
Pound garlic, peppercorn, coriander root and salt into a paste; add
oil and mix together. Rub the garlic mixture over the beef; marinate
for 30 minutes. Broil or grill beef until medium rare. Slice into
2-by-1/4-inch strips. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. Quickly char
tomatoes under a hot broiler, turning occasionally. Do not overcook.
Cool. Cut into wedges and add to the beef. Evenly spread the sliced
onions on 1/2 of the sheet of foil. Fold in half, seal the edges to
form a flat parcel. Place directly on top of a medium-high stove
burner for 1 minute--it should make sizzling sounds. Turn over; cook
for about 30 seconds longer until charred. Remove, unwrap and cool.
Add to the beef mixture. Line a platter with the large lettuce
leaves. Shred remaining leaves and scatter them on top.
Dressing:
In a hot, ungreased skillet, toast optional
ground dried shrimp until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Reduce to
medium heat. Add garlic, chiles, roasted chile sauce (nam prik pao),
fish sauce, lime juice and sugar; stir together until dissolved.
Cool. Add beef mixture, mint and coriander to wok; toss together
gently. Pour mixture over lettuce. Serve at room temperature.
Ok guys and gals, if you are new to R,S,C, please read the rules of play HERE before continuing on.
Today's ingredients are once again from a recipe I already have on hand. Let's see what other ideas you can come up with! Here they are:
1 lb flank steak
3 small tomatoes
1 onion (your choice)
Ready, Set, COOK!
What to do with this after Sunday Dinner?
This!
Not complicated in any way, chicken pie is easy and a true comfort food. Any pie dough will do but, as with many things, homemade is best. My favorite pie crust recipe is this:
Pie Crust
Single :
1 1/4 c flour
1/4 t salt
1/3 c shortening
3 to 4 T ice water
Combine flour and salt.
Cut in shortening until it looks like small peas.
Add water and knead a few times.
Let rest covered for 10 minutes and roll out as needed.
Double crust:
2 c flour
1/2 t salt
2/3 c shortening
6 to 7 T ice water
Same method as above.
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Simply cut up the leftover chicken, potatoes, carrots and onion (if you have that) into bite sized pieces and mix with about 2 cups of leftover chicken gravy. Season to taste (I like salt, pepper, thyme) and sprinkle the bottom pie crust with a tablespoon or two of flour before adding the chicken mixture. Top with the second crust, vent and bake at 350°until the crust is browned and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Easy second dinner and not at all like typical leftovers!
