Beef with Peapods

My last post was a great chicken and peapods recipe so I thought I'd share a beef version this time. This one actually came before the chicken version and it sort of paved the way for that and a couple others. The inspiration to make this came from a craving for some beef chop suey from our local Chinese restaurant. So instead of calling to place an order, I decided to create something with what I had on hand. I'm big on that, you know...

So I checked out what I had and a bag of peapods from Costco was staring back at me. I knew I had some steak - also from Costco - so I thought about combining them into a simple stir fry with some chop suey sauce similarities. It wasn't exactly like chop suey, but it's exactly what I was going for. I wanted a deep flavor that really highlighted the beef as the main ingredient. The sauce was mellow and not too overpowering so it really let me meat flavor take center stage.

Chicken with Peapods and Carrots

According to my 5-year old, this is the best dinner he's ever had. Now, he does seem to say that a lot, but this time he said that it was not only better than pepperoni pizza or chicken noodle soup, but it was also better Panda Express Orange Chicken. It's a special treat type of thing, but he loves that damn orange chicken....

This diner gets an A+ from all of us. I'm so happy when I'm able to create something that everyone likes and that can actually make people smile. My husband - who is even pickier than the boy - loved it! Now that is a big deal because he just honestly couldn't care less about food. I just don't understand that but to each their own I guess.

Chinese Beef with Vegetables

Oh man. I've inadvertently gone a month(!) without a new post. This was not intentional. Every once in awhile, my work life just takes over and I get pretty busy. This is the case right now. In fact, this whole year has been crazy. I love it though. If I wasn't busy, I'd go crazy myself. But, there's probably a little crazy in there already...

Anyways, I come back to the blog world with this easy dinner. I have to admit that the picture doesn't really do it justice. It was one tasty meal and my lighting didn't really like the rice enough to make it drool-worthy. Trust me though, this is some serious good eating.

Vegetable Fried Rice

I'm not going to lie, I hate fried rice. Whenever we order Chinese, I get white rice or rice noodles. If I don't have a choice, I'll give my portion of fried rice to my husband. I don't know what it is about the fried version, but I just can't stand the taste. It seems like it's almost burnt with a weird flavor that I can't even describe.

Well, I decided to try my hand at a homemade version one day just for kicks. I don't know what even sparked the idea but, why not have a go at it, right? Maybe since I hate the restaurant rice, I'd like my own...

Chicken Makes Perfect Potstickers

I made potstickers for the first time Thursday night. They were so good and I'm really proud of myself for creating such a yummy recipe. Yes, I create recipes a lot, but this was a new challenge because it was something out of the norm. I never really attempted them before because I was a little intimidated by how difficult they looked, but I'll tell ya, they were actually very easy to prepare! They were also very easy on the budget because there isn't much that goes into them. And, if you don't have one of the ingredients or want to try a different twist on it - go ahead because this is one of those recipes that is so versatile and can suit anyone's tastes.

A Meaty Sweet and Sour

I have been so incredibly busy this past week. Between creating new websites and brochures, working on a few wedding invitations, playing trains with a 2 year old, and taking care of daily errands, I haven't had much time to blog. It's been over a week since my last post and I'm going through withdrawal! It's time to end the streak of internet silence and write.

What to write about? Oh, how about the sweet and sour meatballs I made last week? This was the second time I've made them in the past few weeks and they're pretty darn good. I even got the 'Mom Seal of Approval' on these when I made them for my folks. The right amount of sweetness with the right amount of tang makes for a quick weeknight meal that should please even the pickiest eater.

My Mongolian Meal

Chinese food might be my 2 year old's favorite type of food. In fact, he would probably eat orange chicken every day if I let him! My husband and I also love it but ordering take out is pretty expensive. I like to make my own versions every once in while because it really cuts down on cost and it's much healthier. Since it's no secret that Chinese food is loaded with salt, cooking meals at home allows me to control the salt content a little bit. Most restaurants also fry the meat used in their dishes so I use minimal amounts of oil to saute the meat rather than have it soaked with oil.

My version is pretty basic but has all the flavor. It has just the right amount of sweetness without being overwhelming and it's a meal you can feel good about giving to your whole family.