Tuesday, November 30, 2010

::Maxi's Beef Stroganoff::

Looking for a quick but delish dish? Here is one that I "came up" with last night. Before my blogging days I had made a stroganoff, but lost the recipe. I knew it was a good recipe because during the middle of eating it my husband stopped and said "This is really good; you'll have to make it again!" Being the recipe connoisseur I am, I can't believe I didn't save it or that I lost it. Anyways, last night I planned to make stroganoff and was in search for a good recipe; that ended when I said to myself "I'll just concoct my own." Lets step back a little bit...have you ever wondered what "stroganoff" means? Okay, maybe I'm the only one!
Stroganoff: A dish of thinly sliced beef (usually tenderloin or top loin), onions, and mushrooms sautéed in a combination of butter and sour-cream sauce. Often served with a rice pilaf. Invented by Count Paul Stroganoff in the 19th century.
There, now you know! The recipe that I concocted last night follows the definition pretty well, except for the fact that the only mushrooms in the dish were that of the cream-of-mushroom soup. My husband isn't the fondest of mushrooms, as ALOT of other people I know, so the cream-of-mushroom soup is great because you don't get all those big chunks. Anyways; on to the recipe! Enjoy!

::Maxi's Beef Stroganoff::

Approximately 2 beef sirloin steaks
1/2 lg onion
olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup milk
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
Worcestersire Sauce- about 5-7 dashes
1 Tbsp garlic
salt/pepper
A couple dashes onion salt & onion powder
A couple dashes garlic salt & garlic powder

Unthaw steaks (easy to slice when still partially frozen) and slice. Dice onion and saute in olive oil with a little salt and pepper. Season steak with a little salt/pepper and any seasoning of your choice, if you desire. Add steak to onions and brown. When about done add dashes of worcestersire sauce and 1 Tbsp garlic. Cook until steak is done. When done, test a piece of the steak to see if more worcestersire sauce needs to be added. Add cream of mushroom soup, milk, and onion & garlic seasonsings (add a little bit at a time and test when done to see if more needs to be added) let simmer (stirring occasionally so soup doesn't burn); about 10minutes. Turn heat down and then add sour cream. Heat through and test to see if more seasonings need to be added as you like. Serve over rice or noodles.


I love living on beef-cattle farm; this is one of the benefits. If any of you ever get the chance to purchase beef from a rancher, I highly reccommend it. Fresh beef is WAY better than the store bought stuff.


I used about 2 steaks.


The onion; pre-diced.


Dice half of the onion.


Saute in plenty of olive oil with a little salt and pepper.


This will make vegetarians cry. Beef...it's what should be for dinner  :)
Sorry if that offended anyone; no harm intended...just a laugh or two.


Salt & peppa...
They were a great band weren't they.


Seasoned up.


Onions are done.


Steak added.


Garlic.


You say it.


The beef all ready and ready to be creamed up a bit.


Getting the mushroom effect...but not really..


The soup added.


Milk...I guessed I poured in about 1/4-1/2 cup. If you think it needs to be a little more thinner..just add more. And if you think you've made it too think...ummm...add flour?


Stir. Stir. Stir.


Simple seasonings. When in doubt...add these!


Ready for the sour cream.


I added what I figured to be about 1 cup.

Side note: With baking you pretty much have to follow the measurements to a T. With cooking..not so much..so don't let the "about 1 cup" phrase scare you. Measure out one cup and all will be well; and if you don't measure out one cup...all will still be well!


Ready to serve!


I already had a box of these open..so this is what I used. But use whatever your heart desires.


Enjoy!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

::Pumpkin Streusel::

Is Thanksgiving really over? Time really does fly! Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and was able to spend it with the ones they love; I sure did! I am so Thankful to have such a wonderful family! Anywho...this is another pumpkin recipe, excuse me, WONDERFUL pumpkin recipe! This is like a cake, but so moist, with a gooey middle layer and a sweet glaze. The presentation of this dish is so pretty and if someone doesn't like pumpkin, once they see this...they will want it! This seems like it contains alot of ingredients, and it might, but it is super easy to make. This goes great with morning coffee or a dessert with ice cream; enjoy!
One more thing...thank you to my aunt Amy who gave me this recipe! She usually brings this every year to Thanksgiving! :)

::Pumpkin Streusel::

Streusel:
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground all spice
2 tsp butter or margarine
Cake:
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
4 large eggs
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:

Combine 1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar and 2-3 Tbsp orange juice or milk in small bowl, stir until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease & flour 12 cup bundt pan.
For streusel: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice in small bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.
For batter: Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda & salt in medium bowl. Beat in granulated sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream & vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
To assemble: Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel over batter, not allowing streusel to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan.
Bake 55-60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan or wire rack. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with glaze.


It's bundt pan time!


Stars of the show!


Starting off with the dry ingredients...


Cinnamon!


Notice something weird about this pic and the last?....SiDeWaYs!


Pretty sure every recipe calls for salt.


The goods.


My mixer that I got as a shower gift from my Dad and Stepmom...L.O.V.E it!


Butter!


More than a spoonfull of sugar!...


Creaming together.


And then comes the eggs.


Action shot of blending in the eggs...


Creamy!


A big ingredient of the dish!


Along with the sour cream...


Wet ingredients all creamed together and waiting for the dry ingredients.


There they are..the dry ingredients...


Blending the two together.


All done...with the mixing of the batter!


Now on to the streusel!...and starting out with some brown sugar


...along with cinnamon...


allspice...which is a typical ingredient in "fall" type dishes


Ready for one more ingredient...


Butter of course! Ready to be "cut" in.


Slice butter into "pats"


Blend in with a pasty cutter or two knives to resember coarse crumbs.


Place half of the batter into a bundt pan.


Then place in the streusel on top; trying to not let it touch the sides of the pan (it's hard to not let it touch...but you can just move it with a knife :) )


Then add the rest of the batter over the streusel layer


Ready for the oven!


Baked!


Ready to be removed from the pan and cooled.


This was my first encounter with a bundt pan...I enjoyed it!


Can't turn the photos once uploaded...and i was too excited to post this instead of going back to edit..you get the drift.


You can kinda see where the gooey layer is! :)


And the stars of the glaze!


Sift. Sift. Sift.


No lumps. No lumps. No  lumps.


Pretty!


Ready to be whisked!


All ready!


All glazed! In order to get the "cool effect"...just pour the glaze around the top of the cake and the glaze will slide on its own down the sides.


mmmmm.....


I just think this makes such a pretty presentation...as you can see I got a little picture crazy!


View from the top!
Enjoy!