Ribeye w/Mushroom Sauce

I LOVE the flavor of these steaks with the Mushroom Sauce. 

Ingredients:
Ribeye Steaks
Kosher Salt
Garlic
Pepper
16 oz. Cremini or Portobella mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
4 TBSP. butter
2 tsp. thyme, crushed

For the steaks, dry with a paper towl and lightly season both sides of the steaks with kosher salt and fresh garlic and rub it into the steak.  Place salted steaks in the fridge for at least 2 hours prior to grilling.  Remove from fridge 30 minutes before grilling.  Trim off 1/2 inch from the tip of each steak and mince up.  Save for the mushroom sauce.  Brush each steak with olive oil 10 minutes before grilling.  Heat the grill up to about 600 degrees.  Flame the steaks for one minute on each side, using a fresh part of the grill when you flip it.  This will trap in the juices and it makes nice lines on the steak too.  Then move to the upper rack and finish cooking while not on direct heat.  Remove the steaks when done and let them rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

To prepare the mushroom sauce, add the minced raw steak and a little olive oil.  Brown.  Add the sliced mushrooms and a little salt.  Saute until mushrooms are tender.  Remove mushroom mixture.  Add balsamic vinegar and turn the heat to a medium, high heat.  Cook until it is reduced to about 1/2 cup left in liquid.  Add butter, thyme and mushroom mixture.  Top steaks with the mushroom sauce and serve.

Lemon Cake

Keep this cake in your refrigerator.  It tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients:
1 white cake mix
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup instant lemon pudding (made)

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Icing:
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 box instant lemon pudding (dry)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8oz container cool whip
1 cup sour cream


Beat all the ingredients except the pudding.  Then add the pudding and mix well.  Put on top of cake and store in refrigerator.

Bacon-wrapped Teriyaki Shiskabobs

These bacon-wrapped teriyaki shiskabobs are a great summer dinner.  I love them served with brown rice and a salad.  The flavor has just a hint of sweetness.  The leftovers keep in the fridge and they taste good diced up on a cheese quesadilla for lunch the next day.  I always use the pre-cooked bacon, but that is because my bacon has to be crisp.  If it chews, its undercooked for my liking.  Brush olive oil on the kabobs a few minutes prior to cooking.  Then flame cook them on each side and they will cook up fast.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 TBSP. honey
4 TBSP. oil
mushrooms, cut in half (unless they are small), I prefer portobella
green onions, chopped
onions, sliced in wedges
6 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
bacon
pineapple (I used fresh and brushed a honey glaze on them, but you can leave them plain)
skewers

Directions:
In a large bowl or ziploc bag, mix together the first four ingredients.  Add the chicken chunks, mushrooms, onions, peppers.  Marinate at least one hour, but all day is the best.  Skewer right before grilling.  If using wooden skewers, pre-soak them in water for at least 30 minutes so they don’t catch on fire.

Garlic Wet Rub

I’m finally posting this recipe for one of my favorite rubs.  I love it on pork and beef.  You can double the recipe and marinate in the first batch and then baste on the second batch while cooking, but if you don’t want to spend the time marinating it, you don’t have to.  Just baste it on heavily while grilling and keep basting it on.  I get hungry just thinking about it!  It’s also great if you cut up the meat and marinate peppers and onions and do shiskabobs.  You can also bacon wrap the steak if you want.  

Ingredients:
7 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 1/4 tsp. salt
3 TBSP. olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP. lemon juice
3 tsp. worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. pepper

Put all the ingredients in your blender and blend to a liquid paste.  Baste while grilling.

Chocolate Pudding

June 26th is National Chocolate Pudding day!  My family started celebrating this just last year on a whim.  This year I decided to make our pudding from scratch.  Did I mention it’s Sunday? And I’m fresh out of instant chocolate pudding.  So, you see....it’s either from scratch, break the sabbath, or forego a National Chocolate Pudding Day celebration!  It turned out to be easy and fun.  You just have to be patient for the time that it takes to cool in the fridge.  I’m not so good with patience, so if you are curious, my personal review of the pudding warm, is that it’s still yum!  You do have to strain the pudding, as there will be a few lumps, despite how much you whip it.  We were headed to my parents house for dinner with my entire family.  I decided to throw together a dessert that would stretch out my pudding so that we could share with everyone.  I layered chocolate cake, graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, vanilla pudding and real whipping cream in a trifle bowl.  I also drizzled caramel ice-cream topping in between the layers because I happened to have it in the fridge.  I only let myself eat about three bites, but it was heavenly!  I’ve been really working to stay away from flour, but I caved and did eat a few bites.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

5 cups milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate, obviously the better quality the better tasting (F.Y.I. I only had hersheys on hand and I thought it was still good.)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler.  I don’t have a “real” double boiler, so I use a larger pan to boil water in and place a deep frying pan on top.  Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a rubber scraper until all the dry ingredients and mixed in and it is smooth.  Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides.  Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form.  After 20 to 25 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate.  Stir until melted.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Just so you know, it doesn’t really set up further in the fridge, so whatever thickness your pudding is when you stop cooking, will be how thick it is after hours in the fridge.  If you want a real thick pudding, add an extra tablespoon or two of cornstarch.