Beef Burgundy with Egg Noodles

This week for my Tuesday night dinner with Nazo, I decided to make something easy and delicious. This recipe is essentially just a pot roast, but served over egg noodles (yum!).

I got the entire dish prepped and ready in about 10 minutes in the morning before I went to work, and when I got home all I had to do was make some noodles and chow down. I would definitely make this recipe again!

Beef Burgundy with Egg Noodles

Courtesy of Cooking Light at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-burgundy-egg-noodles-50400000124208/

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat 
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 ounces) 
• 2 cups (1-inch-thick) slices carrot 
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine 
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces uncooked egg noodles 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme

1. Directions
2. 1. Place beef in a large bowl; sprinkle with flour, tossing well to coat. Place beef mixture, carrot, onions, mushrooms, and garlic in an electric slow cooker. Combine beef broth and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); stir into beef mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
3. 2. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Serve beef mixture over noodles; sprinkle with thyme.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet

As you probably know if you are reading this blog, Seamus is in Greenland until June. As you also probably know, Seamus and I love to cook together and for each other.

The first night that Seamus was gone, my friend Nazo invited me over for a delicious dinner. We had an absolute blast, and decided that we would start having dinner together once a week. This is the recipe that I decided to use for my first weekly dinner night with Nazo, and it turned out really well.

While of course I miss Seamus around to cook with, but I have to admit that I am excited to cook more new recipe's for Nazo!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet

Courtesy of the Ambitious Kitchen blog at http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/01/butternut-squash-and-black-bean-enchilada-skillet/

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 cups 1/2-inch-diced, peeled butternut squash (from about a 2-lb. squash)
• salt and pepper, to season
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 – 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 yellow corn tortillas, cut into thick strips
• 1-15 ounce can red enchilada sauce
• 1 cup reduced-fat colby jack or mexican cheese (or whatever you prefer), divided
• cilantro and low-fat sour cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large oven-proof skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add cubed squash, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. You want the squash to be fork tender, but not so tender that it starts to fall apart and become mush.
2. Next add the black beans, corn tortilla pieces, and can of enchilada sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir again and simmer for a few minutes. Turn on your oven broiler to high. Sprinkle an additional 1/2 cup of cheese over the top of the enchilada mixture and place in oven under broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts and tortilla edges become a tiny golden brown. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Feel free to add in cilantro. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, or hot sauce! Enjoy!

Stuffed Jalapenos

It's that time of year again... the Super Bowl! Last year we made Short Rib Nachos, and they were a huge hit. This year, Seamus (the real football fan of the house) was in Greenland, so I didn't go quite as all-out.

I love jalapeno poppers, but if I eat too much of them I inevitably get sick. This recipe is lighter than most out there, and cutting out the seeds and membranes really does help to keep these to a reasonable heat. They have a little bit of a bite, but aren't going to blow your taste buds.

I forgot to take a picture of these when I was at home, and they were eaten up right away when I got to my friend John's house for the party. So instead of a picture of the food for this one, you will get a picture of my friends at the Super Bowl party! Enjoy!

Stuffed Jalapenos

Courtesy of "Cook This, Not That" by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding

Ingredients
4 oz fresh Mexican style chorizo, casings removed
1 cup cremini or button mushrooms, diced
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 cup shredded Montery Jack cheese
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
12 jalapeno peppers

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cooke the chorizo in a skillet over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps that form. Once cooked through, remove the meat and drain off all but a thin layer of fat. Add the mushrooms and onion to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are lightly browned. Stir back in the chorizo.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the chorizo mixture, cheese, cream cheese, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Halve the jalapenos vertically. Use a paring knife to cut and scrape out as much of the white membranes and seeds in each pepper as possible.
5. Stuff each pepper half with a spoonful of the cheese-chorizo mixture. Line up the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese browns and bubbles.