Jalapeno Poppers

I found 8 jalapenos in my fridge this morning! I've always wanted to make a jalapeno popper because I'm always so disappointed with the frozen kind. They are never hot enough. So I figured today was the day! After searching for some recipes I thought I'd give it a try.

Here's what I did.

In a bowl I combined 3 jalapenos that I diced in the food processor. Half a package of cream cheese, a handful each of grated cheddar and mozzarella, a few diced chives and a dash of Worcestershire sauce

Mixed that up and made them into balls.


Dipped each ball into flour, then egg, then cornflake crumbs



Pan fried them, turning each one so they'd get evenly browned



Yum


This made 10 balls, next time I'd put a little more cheddar and make the balls a little smaller so there is more breading to filling ratio. They were just the right amount of heat I thought.

Steak Sandwich

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound thinly sliced sirloin steak strips
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
10 slices provolone cheese
1 loaf French bread
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Pinot Noir or other dry red


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, and cook until browned. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper and onion; cook and stir until starting to become tender, about 5 minutes.

In a slow cooker, combine the beef broth, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes and red wine. Transfer the beef and vegetables to the slow cooker, and stir to blend. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, until beef is extremely tender.

Preheat the oven to 425. Drain the liquid from the slow cooker, and save for dipping. Slice the French bread loaf lengthwise like a submarine sandwich. Place slices of provolone cheese on both sides of the loaf, then fill with the beef and vegetables. Close the loaf and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.


I had a round Hawaiian bread loaf so I used that instead of french bread. Kirby said it was like eating a steak sandwich on a cinnamon bun. Kirby had a work friend over and he said it was the best French dip he had ever had and hoped we wouldn't think he was weird if he drank the au jus. We didn't and he did. Good stuff.

Stir-fried Rice Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables

1 8 oz package rice noodles or
12oz linguine
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1 lime
1 14oz package firm tofu cut into 1/2 in thick slices
2 carrots cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro
4 scallions thinly sliced

Cook noodles according to package, drain and return to pot

In a small bowl whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce.

Drain tofu and gently press with paper towel to remove excess liquid, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Saute the carrots and red peppers for 2 minutes, add tofu. Cook for 3 -4 min.

Toss the noodles with half the sauce mixture transfer to platter. Top with veg and tofu and pour remaining sauce over the whole dish. Top with cilantro and scallions.



This is a great go to recipe for the day before you go grocery shopping. You can use any veggies you have on hand and you can use chicken or beef instead of tofu. We like the flavor of tofu and its a nice way to add variety to you dinner repertoire. I like to add habaneros or jalapenos to the veggies mix, and top with cubed cucumbers to add a coolness to the dish. With the soy sauce mix its hard to go wrong with any combo of veg and meat.

Summertime Cucumber Salad

1 English cucumber
sliced white onion (as much as you want)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 c water
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp dill
salt to taste

Slice the cucumber and onion and place in a bowl. In a saucepan combine vinegar, water and sugar. Bring to boil and pour over cucumber mixture. Add dill. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Salt to taste and serve.

This salad is absolutely delicious. If you like sweet pickles you will love this. The flavor reminds me of a side salad we used to get at our favorite German restaurant. Kirby isn't a big fan of cucumbers or onions so next time I will add shredded carrots, double the liquid mixture and pour the whole thing over lettuce once its cooled.