Two-Beef Chili

Quick...before it starts to get too warm outside, you need to make this chili.

I've never been a big chili fan, but I decided to make a batch for some reason a couple weeks ago. I still have no idea what prompted that, but I'm glad it did because I'm putting this up there as one of the best things I've ever eaten. The spices are right on and the texture was awesome. The contrast of the two kinds of meats was unlike anything I've had and they worked so well together! It wasn't very spicy either so it had just the right amount of heat.

Oh, and this one is even better the next day.

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.

Basic - But Awesome - Steak Marinade

I'm one of those people who are always on a mission to make things better. Some are content to just leave things as they are, but not me. There is usually a better way to get a better result and I don't stop until I find it. This applies to pretty much everything in my life - especially food.

Braised Beef and Vegetables

What is it about slow cooked meat that just tastes so good? I haven't had any yet that wasn't up to par. Sure, some were better than others, but let's be real here - any slow cooked meat is always going to yummy. When it comes to the actual process of slow cooking meat, there are a couple different ways to go about it. My new favorite is braising. It took me a few tries to get the ingredients in this recipe 'just right', but it was worth the wait.

BBQ Round Steak

My photo skills were a little lacking when this picture was taken...

I buy round steak quite often because it's usually a pretty inexpensive meat. I took one out of the freezer one day and made this BBQ round steak recipe on a whim. Because I almost always have round steak in the house, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it. I've grilled it, sauteed it, braised it, made stew out of it (posting to come soon) and lastly, barbequed it. Well, sort of...

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.

Fun with Fajitas

Who doesn't love a good fajita now and then? Nobody, that's who! I dare you to find a person who hasn't enjoyed a yummy fajita at some point in their life. They're good with chicken or steak and you can even make them with just some veggies. I'm a fan of meat though so I definitely had to go that route. I've been craving some good fajitas for a bit now and decided to whip some up tonight. They are a fantastic dish that can turn a meal into a fun, little fiesta.

I'm one of those people who likes to use what they have on hand rather than go to the store to buy one or two specific items for just one meal. Well, usually. I guess there are exceptions to that rule, but this dinner was not one of them. Case in point: I didn't have any flank or skirt steak (which can get pretty expensive) so I improvised with some top round steak that I had in the freezer. It actually turned out to be really good and my son loved it! That's really what made this dinner worth it.