Paprika Steaks with Tomato Gravy

I was scared that cooking this meat on the stove wasn't going to turn out well, but it actually did! I was pleasantly surprised. =D In fact it turned out way better than I ever expected!!!

Difficulty: Easy
Rating: *****

Steaks:
1T olive oil
1/4c flour
1tsp paprika
1/2tsp salt
1/4-1/2tsp pepper
4 4oz beef breakfast or skillet steaks, about 1/2in thick
2oz queso fresco or monterey jack cheese (I actually used mozzarella) thinly sliced

Tomato Gravy:
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut up
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2T olive oil
1-2T fresh sage
1/4tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper

For steaks, in 12in skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. In shallow dish combine flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. Dredge steaks in flour mixture (reserve remaining flour). Cook steaks uncovered, in hot oil ~20 minutes flipping every 4-5 minutes per side or until medium doneness; top with cheese the last 2 minutes of cooking. Set aside; keep warm. While steaks are cooking, place tomatoes in food processor. Cover and pulse, with several on-off turns, until tomatoes are coarsely chopped.
For tomato gravy, in the same skillet cook and stir garlic in the 2T oil over medium heat for about 1 minute or until garlic is golden. Stir in tomatoes, sage, reserved flour mixture, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until desired consistency. Serve steaks topped with cheese and gravy with a salad on the side! Makes 4 servings.

So good!

Peanut Butter Brownies

These are such good brownies! And they're really easy to make since you use a box of mix. ;)

Rating: ****
Difficulty: Easy

1 box brownie mix
water, vegetable oil, and egg called for on box

Filling:
1/3c butter, softened
1/3c creamy peanut butter
1 1/3c powdered sugar
1 1/2tsp milk

Topping:
3/4c semisweet chocolate chips
3T butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 8 or 9in pan with cooking spray or shortening. Make brownies as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour. In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base. In small microwaveable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on high 30-60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Cut and serve. Store covered in refrigerator.

Garden Vegetable Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

I found this recipe in Better Home and Gardens magazine as well, but the sauce they suggested to make for it wasn't very good. I had some leftover homemade spaghetti sauce in the fridge so I added a little of that instead!

Taste Rating: *****
Difficulty: Medium

Start with the Meatballs:
1 egg
1/2c unsweetened applesauce
1/2c shredded carrot
1/4c finely chopped green onions
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
1lb lean ground turkey
1/2c soft whole wheat bread crumbs
extra bread crumbs

In a small bowl stir together the egg, applesauce, carrot, green onions, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl combine turkey and bread crumbs. Fold the egg mixture into turkey mixture; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (so the bread crumbs can absorb the moisture).

Continue to Spaghetti:

8oz whole wheat spaghetti
2c broccoli florets
2c fresh corn kernels
1c chopped carrots
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2T fresh oregano or basil
1tsp finely shredded lemon peel
2T lemon juice
2-3T olive oil
a little spaghetti sauce of your choice (just to add a little flavor not to coat or anything)

Cook spaghetti with 1tsp salt added to water, according to package directions. Add broccoli, corn, and carrots the last 3 minutes of pasta cooking time; drain. Return pasta mixture to pan. Toss in tomatoes, oregano, lemon peel, lemon juic, and enough olive oil and spaghetti sauce to lightly coat ingredients.

Back to the meatballs:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Shape turkey mixture in 3/4in diameter balls. Place meatballs on a foil-llined baking pan. Bake for ~10 minutes or until they're no longer pink inside. Serve on top of spaghetti!

So delicious!

Apricot-Raisins Hot Cross Buns

Yay! Finally a post after almost a month! Sorry it's taken so long for me to post anything. My family and I went on vacation down to TX to see family and friends. Needless to say I wasn't cooking while I was down there. ;)

I found this recipe in Better Home and Gardens magazine. These Hot Cross Buns are sooooo good and definitely worth the almost 3 hours it takes to make them! We had a hard time eating just one. :)

Difficulty: Hard
Ratings: *****

4 to 4 1/2c flour
1pkg yeast
1/4c warm water
1/8tsp sugar
3/4c milk
1/2c butter (1 stick)
1/3c sugar
1/2tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2c finely snipped dried apricots
1/2c raisins, coarsely chopped
1 egg white, beaten
1T water
dried apricots cut into strips (optional)

In a large mixing bowl place 2 cups of the flour; set aside. In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm water, and 1/8tsp sugar. Stir until yeast is dissolved; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, butter, 1/3c sugar, and salt until warm and butter is almost melted. Add to flour mixture aloong with yeast mixture and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 mintues. Stir in apricots, raisins, and as much of the remaining flour as you can with a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft (not sticky) dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (~1 1/2 hourse). Punch down dough. Turn out onto a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 mintues. Grease 2 baking sheets; set aside. Divide dough into 20 portions; shape each into a smooth ball. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Cover; let rise until nearly double (45-60 minutes). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make a crisscross slash across top of each bun. In a small cup combine beaten egg white and water. Brush mixture over buns. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Top with apricot strips. Serve warm. Store remaining buns in an airtight container or large ziploc bag in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, place 1 or 2 buns at a time on a microwave-safe plate and heat 15-20 seconds. Makes 20 buns.

yuuuuummyyyyy!