Cookie-a-day: No Bake Oatmeal Cookies

Heather says:

These cookies may also be called penuche oatmeal drops.   Penuche describes the original flavor of fudge.  It’s what fudge was before someone brilliant decided to add chocolate.

It’ll be hard to wait for these goodies to cool enough to handle.  You may speed up the process in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups light brown sugar
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup milk
* 3/4 cup chopped nuts
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, stir in the sugar and milk.  Bring to a boil, stirring often.

In another bowl stir together the oats,  nuts, and vanilla.

Pour the sugar and butter over the oats and stir until they are thoroughly coated.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto wax paper.

Attempt to let the cookies rest undisturbed until they have cooled completely.  Really, stop snitching bites, I saw that.

Enjoy.

Beef Pepper Steak

Heather says:

Beef pepper steak is a great meal that can be prepared in about the same amount of time it takes to make rice. It’s also flexible enough to play with. Use different colored bell peppers for variety and if you’d like, toss in extras like: bean sprouts, snow peas, or mushrooms. This meal goes well with white or brown rice, rice noodles, lo mein, or even riced cauliflower. Varying the extras is a great way to make menu planning easier. Dishes like this are great to put into a rotation of once a month or so without having to hear “Are we having this again?” Lots of vegetables stretch the meat further, without relying on too heavily on starches. I am tagging this recipe as gluten free, but you must read the label of your soy sauce.  Many contain wheat but gluten free varieties are available.

Beef Pepper Steak with Mushrooms Over Rice Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 lb - 1 1/2lbs round steak (top or bottom) sliced in 1/4″ - 1/2″ strips. Be sure to cut across the grain*.
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1 cup beef broth or stock
• 1 small onion - sliced thinly
• 2 bell peppers (whatever colors you desire)
• 2 tsps cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium, if you would like)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; saute the garlic.

Brown the meat on both sides. You don’t need to cook it completely at this point.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and beef broth. Add any extra hearty vegetables at this time. Cover and simmer for ten minutes.

While the meat and vegetables are simmering whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch and water.

Add any delicate additions, such as mushrooms.

Add the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil stirring constantly.   Turn the heat to low and stir occasionally until thickened.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Enjoy!

Super Side-dish: Zucchini and Mushrooms

Heather says:

My friend has asked for more side dish recipes, so here we go.  If you’re cheap frugal like me, you wait until the vegetables you need are in the marked down produce.  I was able to get four zucchini for $0.99 and a 10oz package of  mushrooms for $0.89.  The other ingredients are what I consider pantry staples.  With this recipe the variety of mushroom is not important, button, portabella, or portabellini all work equally well and often go on sale.

Ingredients

• 4 zucchini - cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 -1/2″ chunks
• 1 10oz package of mushrooms - sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 TBSP olive oil
•  1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the sliced zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally until the zucchini begins to soften.  Add the minced garlic; stir. Scatter the sliced  mushrooms over the zucchini and cover.

Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth and pour over the vegetables, stir.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and allow to simmer for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

*variation* Serve over fresh spinach with grilled chicken as a main dish.

Enjoy