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This
week's menu is in the "easy" category.
Easy, yet, absolutely wonderful!
I'm always looking for new ways to prepare
beef, and this is just a superb recipe.
And this week, I'd like to challenge all teenagers to do something
special for Mom and Dad.....
Try making this dinner for them, then feel really good about it. (And,
if you REALLY want to make it special, leave 2 concert tickets on the
table beside their place settings to use after dinner. A night on
the town can work wonders!) Moms and Dads need a break once in awhile.....
And, if you're a mom or dad with a teenager who hasn't surprised you in
quite some time, print this out and let it sit on the kitchen counter for them
with a note that says... "Feel free to give this a try!!"
Entree
Creamy
Mushroom Steaks 4
beef top loin steaks (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
1 tablespoon butter Sauce: 1/2
lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 cups light cream
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Red and 1 Green Pepper Allow
steaks to sit at room temperature for two to three hours. Prepare
the mushroom sauce: Slice
mushrooms. In a saucepan, sauté the mushrooms in butter for a few
minutes until they begin to brown. Add chopped onion and sauté
until transparent. Sprinkle
with flour, stirring to blend well. Add cream, stirring a little
at a time. Simmer until thick and creamy. Add
soy sauce, grated onion and salt and pepper to taste. Brown
butter in a skillet. Add steaks. Brown slightly on both
sides, then reduce heat. Cover. Let steaks simmer for a few
minutes in their own juices. Add
mushroom sauce to skillet. Let steaks simmer in the sauce for a
couple of minutes until they are tender and done. Garnish with
pepper strips and serve. Makes
about 4 servings.
(Leftovers can be frozen in heavy duty plastic containers and re-heated
in microwave for another meal)
Side
Dishes
Potato
Wedges
6
medium-sized potatoes
Water
Dash of salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
Scrub
potatoes well and peel, if you prefer. (I like to leave the skins on the
potatoes.)
Cut
each potato in half length-wise. Then cut each half into wedges.
Boil potato wedges for about 5 minutes in salted water and then
drain. Let them sit on paper towels for a few minutes.
Spread
potato wedges in a single layer on a lightly greased (or sprayed) baking
sheet. Sprinkle with the oil, spices and herbs. Bake at 425
degrees for about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle
wedges with cheeses.
Bake
at 425 degrees for another 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are golden
brown and cheeses are melted. Serve immediately.
Makes
about 4 servings.
Sesame
Green Beans 3/4
lb. fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (sesame seeds are found in the spice
section of your grocery store) In
a pan, bring water to a boil and add green beans.
Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes
or until the beans are crisp-tender. Drain. Add
butter, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. Toss well to coat. Makes
4-6 servings. Old
Fashioned Bread Everyone
loves home-made bread. This loaf is so easy to make; there's no
yeast to fool with, so time and trouble are at a minimum with this
recipe. 2
cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/3 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
Dash of salt
1 pint plain yogurt, OR 1 pint of buttermilk
(either works well)
In a bowl, combine wheat flour and white flour.
Add baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
Add the yogurt OR the buttermilk. Mix and knead
the dough until it becomes soft. (Should still feel wet.)
Turn
onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, just until the
dough sticks together.
Form into a round loaf. With
a floured knife, make some slits across the top of the loaf. Place
on a sprayed or greased baking sheet.
Bake at 375-400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bread is golden
brown and the inside is cooked completely through.
Serve immediately so that it's piping hot! (don't forget lots of
butter to spread on it...)
So,
dinner was great...hearty and satisfying.
Have a little dessert, then grab those show tickets and enjoy a night on
the town. (Ok, teens...how about cleaning up the dishes just this
once for Mom and Dad??) Dessert Chocolate
Mousse Pie (This
pie is so simple to put together that you won't believe it! Anyone
can make this, and it'll disappear quickly. It's the perfect
ending to a perfect meal, and will meet every woman's basic need for
chocolate!) 1
Hershey bar with almonds (or without) - 7 ounces
(if you have a little more than 7 oz., it's ok, will just be a little
richer... and no one will pooh-pooh THAT idea!)
16 large marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
2 cups dairy whipping cream, whipped
1 graham cracker crust Place
the candy bar, marshmallows and milk in a saucepan and cook over low
heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture
becomes smooth. Let cool for a few minutes. Fold
in the whipped cream and pour into the crust.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. You
can decorate top with broken bits of a chocolate bar, or sprinkle
chocolate sprinkles over the top.
(Or serve just plain, too!)
Something
Extra... Just
before bed, if you're not too stuffed, try this excellent snack.
Core an apple, no need to peel it, just cut it into wedges and serve
with this dip. Peanut
Butter Apple Dip Dip: 1
8-oz. package cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (add another 1/4 cup if it's not quite sweet
enough)
1/4 cup milk In
a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with
apple wedges and keep the leftover dip in the refrigerator in a
container. Makes
about 2/3 cups. **Note
- if you should decide to serve this at a gathering, use red and green
apples, cut into wedges and arrange them side-by-side, alternately, on a
large serving tray or plate, in a large circle or a couple of rows in a
circle. Place the dip in a pretty bowl, and put in the center of
tray.  
 
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