Stir-Tuesday!

This is one of the first meals we made using our new spice rack. We started doing this not long after the wedding so I have made this one a few times already. Here is my inspiration for my blog, the spice rack.

The spice I used tonight was ginger. What I made was Pepper Steak Stir-Fry. I found the recipe in All You Magazine. My mom gives them to me after she reads them and I have found a few great recipes in there. 

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 lb. top round steak cut into strips
• Pepper
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded, chopped
• 12 scallions, white and light green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• Cooked rice optional

Warm 1/2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat. Season steak with pepper. Add half of steak to skilled and stir-fry for 4 minutes, until just brown. Remove to a plate; tent with foil. Repeat with another 1/2 Tbsp oil and remaining steak. 

Return reserved cooked steak to skillet. Add peppers, scallions, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet. Stir-fry for 3 minutes until steak is cooked through and vegetables are lightly browned but still crisp. Serve over rice if desired.

I don't put mushrooms in since we don't like them.The recipe does call for fresh ginger and the first time I made it I actually used fresh ginger. However, using the powder ginger in our spice rack was a lot faster, easier, and I thought it tasted better. The fresh ginger was too strong. 

Then I made Fried Rice to serve with it. This recipe uses ham but I leave that out since I'm making it as a side for the Pepper Steak. I also cook the rice longer at the end then the recipe says to. I cook it for 5 or 6 minutes and I think then it tastes more like restaurant fried rice. Also, I read that it works best if the rice is cold. So I cook the rice, put it in the fridge, make the pepper steak, then make the fried rice. This is a pretty time consuming meal for me cause there is a lot of chopping but it is definitely worth it and I think my husband would agree. And he now has lunch for the next two days!

Vegetable Alfredo

This is probably one of my favorite things to make. It has so many of my favorite things. Its Alfredo with onions and red peppers and cheese. I start by boiling the pasta and chopping the onion and red pepper.Then start cooking the onion and pepper in a skillet with olive oil. Always a great start to a meal.

I use frozen broccoli instead of the vegetable melody in the recipe. I cook it in the microwave for about 3 minutes then add it to the skillet. Then add the pasta, sauce, and cheese to the skillet and cook it for a few more minutes. I'm not really a measurer when it comes to stuff like this so I'm not sure how close it was to the recipe. But we made enough for supper for the hubs and I and two bowls for lunches. It makes great leftovers.  Here is the final product!

BLT's and roasted potatoes

I love making this meal because its one of the few my husband and I make together. We have been making BLT's for a while. We decided to eat healthier and started using turkey bacon. We really can't tell a difference in the taste. Just had to get over the weird look of it before its cooked.

We usually make fried potatoes with our BLT's. But I recently tried a recipe for roasted potatoes and they are awesome. So we made those tonight with our sandwiches. I cut up some red potatoes then in a bowl mixed up 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and 1/4 cup Oscar Mayer real bacon pieces. I coat the potatoes in the mixture then put them in a baking dish. I cooked them at 400 degree for an hour or a little more. They are better if they cook longer. This is like the third time I have made these potatoes and I think I finally got them cooked long enough this time. They were perfect. And I am so excited to finally get to use the Corningware that we received for our wedding. Its great for these and if there are any left I have just left them in the dish and warmed them up in the oven the next day. I like to eat my potatoes with sour cream, cause well everything is better with sour cream.

Italian Chicken and Peppers (for a crowd)

So last night for supper I made Italian chicken and peppers. I think this was the second time I have made it and it is super yummy. Its a great way to spice up our usual spaghetti. Here is the recipe from the Campbell's website.

It makes a lot so I cut it down for just Nathan and I. I use two chicken breasts, two green peppers and one onion. Then I just added as much sauce as needed. This made enough for supper for the two of us and enough leftovers for two lunches. I do wish we would had gotten a loaf of fresh French bread or something to go with it. Next time that will be a must.  Here is my lunch for tomorrow.

Introduction

My name is Missy, I have been married for almost two months. I love cooking for my husband and me and finding new recipes to add to our menu. I have a few tried and true recipes that I have been making for a while but love finding new things to make.

The inspiration for this blog is the very nice spice rack we received for our wedding filled with spices, some I have never even heard of. Husband and I have decided that we would pick a spice and find a recipe to go with each one. That has turned into quite the challenge but a very fun one.  So I thought I would post our spice rack meals and other meals that we love to make and even a few new ones.