Cheddar Cheesesteak Sandwich

This easy, cheesy twist on a classic sandwich is stuffed with tender beef, caramelized onion and red pepper and of course, cheese! It ain't pretty, but it's pretty tasty!

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp olive oil 

1/2 lb Chinese fondue beef, or other very thinly sliced beef

Old Bay or seasoned salt to taste

Garlic powder to taste

2 tbsps worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp sriracha sauce

2-4 tbsps Cheese Whiz

2 slices marbled jalapeño cheddar

2 hamburger or sub buns 

Heat 1-2 tablespoons butter in a skillet on medium high. Add onions and peppers and sauté 6-8 minutes until golden. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Season the sliced beef with Old Bay and garlic powder. Using the same skillet as the onion and pepper, add 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil and cook the beef on medium heat for about 1 minute per side. Add the worcestershire sauce and sriracha and stir together for 30 seconds. Return the onions and peppers to the pan.

Divide the mixture in half in the pan then add a dollop of Cheese Whiz to each half. Top with a slice of cheddar, turn heat off and cover until cheese starts to melt.

Lightly toast the hamburger buns then lift the juicy, tender beef with onions, pepper and cheese onto the buns to serve. Oh, and don't forget to add the pan juices either poured over the meat or in a small bowl for dipping.

Serves 2

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The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

No need to look any further. You have just found the best Chocolate Chip Cookie! Loaded with chocolate and chopped walnuts, this big batch will have your cookie monsters coming back for more!

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 1/4 tsps baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 tsps vanilla

2 eggs

1 egg white

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup swirl (white and chocolate) chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Coarse sea salt for topping (optional)

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.

Next, cream the butter and sugars together, then add the vanilla, eggs and egg white. Beat until frothy. Add the dry ingredients in three additions just until combined and fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Take heaping tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls. If using the coarse salt (it really does add a nice sweet and saltiness to the cookies) lightly dip the top of the ball in the salt then place the ball on a lined cookie sheet.

Very gently press the top down, no need to squish it flat. You can also add more chopped walnuts or chocolate chips to the top if you like.

Bake at 360°F for 12-14 minutes.

This batch makes 53 cookies.

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Gazing Ball Bunny

Old is new again ... with a simple crafty solution this old garden bunny is glitzed up and ready to shine again!

This bunny used to have a large gazing ball on it's back many years ago. But it has long since been broken. Kept the bunny in the garden but always had to tip water out of the depression left by the gazing ball. 

Today inspiration struck! Just mixed up some all-purpose preblended concrete and filled the hole. Then I took three old unbreakable gold Christmas balls and stuck them upside-down in the concrete.

And voilà, bunny is ready to sparkle in the garden again!

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Pork, Veggie and Watermelon Kebabs

Super easy summer staple ... kebabs. And totally customizable. Use your favourite veggies and you can swap out Italian salad dressing for whatever's in your fridge. Grilled watermelon takes on a smokey, sweet flavour that becomes surprisingly firm. Don't like watermelon? Grill up some pineapple or peaches instead!

Ingredients:

3 or 4 pork loin cutlets

Onion

Bell pepper

Watermelon

Zucchini

Mushrooms 

Italian salad dressing

First, soak wooden skewers in water for 15 or 20 minutes.

Cut the pork in squares and pour some salad dressing over the meat to marinate for about 1 hour in the fridge. These cutlets were about 1/2" thick so they cooked up quickly!

Slice the onion in half and pull layers of onion apart. Slice the pepper in squares and cut the zucchini in thick slices. Cut thick chunks of watermelon and the mushrooms can be left whole.

Feed everything onto the skewers then pour Italian dressing over it all.

Grill on a hot BBQ about 15 minutes then serve with rice.

Serves 3 or 4

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Ravioli Sauce with Red Onion and Pesto

Fancy doesn't have to mean fussy. This pretty plate took under 30 minutes to make start to finish. Keep a bag of frozen ravioli in the freezer. Nothing wrong with dressed up store bought pasta!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 tbsp finely chopped marinated hot pepper rings

1/2 cup light olive oil 

2 tbsps pesto 

Fresh parsley chopped to serve

1 1/2 lbs (700 g) fresh ravioli (I used cheese and spinach here)

Start cooking the ravioli as directed.

Heat 1 or 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan. Add red onion and sauté until softened then add the hot peppers. Stir together then add the rest of the ingredients and heat through. 

Once the ravioli is ready, drain then add to the saucepan. Stir to coat.

Plate your ravioli with lots of chopped parsley.

Serves 4

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Tuscan Chickpea Salad

As a light summer meal (is summer ever going to get here?), a quick and nutritious side dish or a packed lunch that your co-workers will be envious of, you'll be wanting to make this Mediterranean salad on repeat all summer.

 

Ingredients:

6 oz jar marinated artichokes, drained

1 roasted bell pepper, diced

19 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

fresh parsley

Dressing:

1/3 cup light olive oil

3 tbsps red wine vinegar

3 tsps honey

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dry basil (1-2 tbsps fresh)

1 tsp dry oregano (2 tbsps fresh)

salt and pepper

Combine all the veggies in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a jar, shaking well to dissolve the honey. Pour into the bowl and toss to coat. This salad can be made a couple of days in advance. Just top with fresh chopped parsley.

Serves 6

Adapted from: asimplepalate.com

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Sweet and Sour Pork Meatloaf

We tend to think beef when we think of meatloaf, but consider ground pork as an economical and higher protein choice. And adding this sweet and sour glaze gives it that little extra oomph!

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 cup apple butter (see homemade apple butter recipe link at the end of this post)

1/2 cup shredded unpeeled apple

1 tbsp dry onion soup mix

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper or Mrs Dash to taste

2/3 cup oats

1 lb ground pork

Glaze:

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

2 tbsps apple jelly

2 tbsps apple butter

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp turmeric

black pepper to taste

Combine the egg, 1/4 cup apple butter, shredded apple, onion soup mix, minced garlic, salt, pepper and oats. Then add the pork and mix well, using your hands helps squish it all together. Form into a loaf shape about 7 X 3 X 2" and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Mix the glaze ingredients together. Reserve 1/3 cup of glaze for later then spread the remaining glaze on top of the loaf.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Brush on the reserved glaze and return to the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes. It's ready when the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Adapted from: mamagourmand.com

Crockpot Apple Butter recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2021/10/crockpot-apple-butter.html

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