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Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Flank Steak Salad

Posted in Easy Recipes, Salads, tagged , , , , on July 9, 2010| 3 Comments »

Flank Steak - a long and flat cut of meat that can get really tough if not prepared properly. Grill it quickly and it is so good!

The other day I had a wild and crazy idea that I didn’t want to cook dinner and declared it would be salad night. Hubby agreed, as long as there would be meat involved, so we settled on Flank Steak Salad. It was pretty tasty, so I’ll share what we threw together here.

Salads are a great way to eat light (in theory) and not heat up your kitchen by cooking. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Flank Steak Salad

Season the meat before taking out to grill.

Flank Steak cooking on the grill. The heat should be indirect.

Grilled Flank Steak - my mouth is starting to water.

The manly-man Captain Cavedweller version of Flank Steak Salad. Not for the faint of heart or those on a diet.

The prettier, lighter version of Flank Steak Salad. I tossed on a few crumbles of Feta Cheese and, boy, was that a delicious decision.

Flank Steak Salad

1-2 flank steaks per person

lettuce (whatever kind you like best is fine – yes I was lazy and used bagged lettuce)

tomatoes (sliced)

cucumber (sliced)

sliced black olives (again, lazy and used pre-sliced)

shredded colby-jack cheese (pre-shredded – lazy and yes, there is a trend developing here)

salt

pepper

Mrs. Dash (or whatever meat seasoning you like)

Flank steaks are thin cuts of meat that cook really fast. Season them with salt, pepper and whatever seasoning you like best. Get creative – Hubby usually does which is why I ask for half-seasoning on my meat!

Grill the flank steak for just a few minutes. Hubby put these on a hot grill with indirect heat. It took just shy of two minutes per side for them to be done to perfection.

Once the meat is done, let it rest a few minutes before slicing. I made long, thin strips of meat and Hubby whacked his into bite-sized submission.

Layer lettuce, tomato slices, olives and cucumbers in a dish or bowl. If you want the cucumbers to look fancy, peel and then run a fork’s tines down the outside of it all around. It creates a nice pattern when they are sliced.

Place the meat on top and then finish with a sprinkle of cheese. I added Feta cheese crumbles to my salad and it was tasty. Hubby added croutons, sunflower seeds and almost everything except the kitchen sink to his salad. My point would be, add whatever tastes good to you. I used a light vinaigrette dressing and Hubby coated his in salt.

So much for a healthy meal… maybe next time.

Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

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Cupcake Flag

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Holiday Recipes, Holidays, tagged , , , on July 2, 2010| 4 Comments »

Patriotic Cupcake Flag

Here we are, ready to start our entertaining for the 4th of July with barbecues, picnics, and so much more.

If you are looking for an easy but attention-getting dessert, try making a cupcake flag. So simple and easy to make and even easier to serve!

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Cupcake Flag

Line a muffin tin with patriotic cupcake liners.

The baked cupcakes, looking so uniform and delicious, just waiting for the cream cheese frosting.

The frosted cupcakes.... oh, the temptation.

The cupcakes in all their berry bedazzled glory.

Cupcake Flag

1 box Betty Crocker French Vanilla Cake Mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1 cup raspberries, washed and dried

1 cup blueberries, washed and dried

1/2 cup flaked and sweetened coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting (you can make your own or use it out of a can. The homemade version is sooo good, I encourage you to try it! The recipe is below.)

Combine cake mix, water, eggs and oil.  Line a muffin tin with patriotic cupcake liners. Fill cups with batter and bake according to  directions for cupcakes on back of box.

While the cupcakes are baking, mix up your cream cheese frosting, wash and dry the berries and try not to eat all the frosting before the cupcakes come out of the oven.

Once cupcakes are out of the oven and cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting and line up on a large serving tray. Place blueberries for the stars on the cupcakes in the left-hand corner and alternate rows of raspberries and coconut on the rest of the cupcakes to make the stripes for the flag. Make sure your outside rows are raspberries.

Try not to eat the cupcakes before the guests arrive or pick off the berries now covered in delicious frosting!

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1 box powdered sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Safe 4th of July!

Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

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Tasty Website offers a Taste of Home

Posted in Holiday Recipes, Holidays, Referrals, tagged , , , on June 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Whether you are into savvy entertaining, like to hold parties or are a designated host for the upcoming 4th of July weekend, you are most likely trying to think of a few fun recipes to serve.

My shout-out this week goes to a website that provides oodles of tested recipes that are simple and good – tasteofhome.com

If you are looking specifically for some great 4th of July recipes, go to Taste of Home and see all the delicious looking treats available.

Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

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Cucumber Dill Salad with Sour Cream

Posted in Easy Recipes, Salads, tagged , , on June 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

When Hubby and I venture to Leavenworth, WA., there is a restaurant we really enjoy called King Ludwig’s.  They serve great German food and, if you are so inclined, you can sit and listen to a German band. I’m usually not so inclined because I am much more interested in the fantastic food.  Like their Spätzle and Schweine Schnitzel (breaded, pan fried pork cutlet). No calories in either of those at all, by the way. Not only are they fun to pronounce, they are so, so delicious.

But my most favorite thing to eat at King Ludwig’s isn’t even always on the menu. It is a light and tangy cucumber salad. Sliced paper thin, the cucumbers float in a sea of sour cream and dill. I can’t describe it, but it is absolutely wonderful. Especially in the summer – cool, creamy perfection.

One time we went and the salad was not on the menu. I asked the waitress if they still had it and she hemmed and hawed if they did or did not. I begged and pleaded, cried and sobbed and told her how we had driven hundreds of miles just so I could eat their perfect cucumber salad. She finally gave in and brought me a plate of the salad.  It was divine. The last time we were there, it was back on the menu. I’m thinking the wait staff just couldn’t deal with too many customers like me.

I’ve tried to find the recipe so I could make the salad myself and have finally found one that tastes similar. Enjoy every refreshing bite!

Simple Ingredients

Slice the cucumber into very thin pieces.

Cover the cucumbers with plastic wrap then set a heavy bowl on top to help squish out the water.

Drain off the water and pat dry.

Mix with the sour cream and dill dressing.

Savor the cool, creamy salad with just a kick of vinegar and dill.

Cucumber Dill Salad

5 mini cucumbers (or a couple regular sized ones)

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

fresh dill, chopped

salt

Wash your cucumbers and thinly slice. I found the most wonderful mini cucumbers at Costco and left the peels on, but you can peel if you so desire.

In a shallow bowl, layer slices, sprinkling a little salt between each layer. Cover with plastic wrap and set a heavy bowl on top. You want to press the water out of the cucumbers, so let it set this way for an hour or two (or overnight – please put in the fridge if going the overnight route).

When you are ready to make the salad, drain the cucumbers and then pat dry. In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream and vinegar and the chopped dill. Mix well with cucumbers. To make it look pretty, add a few fresh sprigs of dill to the bowl and serve.

Enjoy and Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

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