Simple Yet Gourmet

These sliders may look unassuming, but they are seriously tasty!  The meatballs are flavored with Hoisin Sauce, fresh ginger, and a small amount of scallions. Once they are baked they get coated with a hoisin/rice vinegar sauce making them extra juicy and flavorful.   Not only are these sliders delicious, they are SO easy to make! In fact, the first time we ate them my daughter Brynlee made them by herself.  She "gets" to make dinner for us every now and then and this is a recipe she picked out from one of her cookbooks.  I’ll admit that I didn't have high expectations for them but we were all pleasantly surprised by how good they were, and have made them a few times since.   To make these extra easy and fast, store-bought potato rolls can be used, but if you have a little extra time and/or want to save a little money, our Homemade Hamburger Bun's recipe is easily converted to make the perfect slider.  

Korean Beef is so flavorful and fast! It's only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for a busy weeknight meal.  The ground beef is seasoned with garlic and ginger, and then simmered with a brown sugar/soy sauce mixture.  If you like a little kick to it you can add a little sriracha sauce, or just leave it out for a sweet and savory flavor.  I like to serve this over rice with a side of broccoli and a little extra soy sauce for drizzling.  

These tacos are so yummy!  So much better than traditional ground beef.  Grilled flank (or sirloin) steak is topped off with fresh corn, grilled zucchini, and tomatoes...or avocados, or whatever you want really.  But what really makes these special is the sauce and cotija cheese.  And don't forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top.  So, so good! As a side note, some days when I'm feeling like eating a little healthier, i nix the tortilla and just have eat the toppings in a bowl.

This recipe and lovely picture comes courtesy of the Pioneer Women.  As promised here is the recipe I told you about earlier this week.  For me, this comes as a surprise to actually like a recipe where red enchilada sauce is used.  I am NOT a fan of it and have tried many recipes to force myself into liking it, yet no success!  Well, that has all changed with this recipe from the Pioneer Women.  The red sauce combined with the chicken broth is out of this world, at least my world. The filling is simple, yet tasty.  There are a few steps to this recipe which some people might think makes this a hard recipe, but don't let that scare you away from giving this a try.  I can safely say, this has become my new favorite Mexican dish!  Like many of you know, I never make something just like the recipe, so we did serve this with diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado and a dollop of sour cream.  Also, I added the green chilies to the meat mixture whic...

With summer just around the corner, I am always on the hunt for some delicious and easy ideas for the grill.  I love to cook rather simple in the summer and use the grill as much as possible to help with the heat!  This recipe is fantastic!  I always hate when I get a recipe out and they say "allow 24 hours to marinate."  This recipe can take that long, but is great with just an hour.  Mike was in love with this dish and has asked for it again and again.  We made a big salad and fresh roll with is meal, but I think next time we need some grilled veggies as well.  This is a keeper and I am sure we will be grilling these again soon!  Enjoy.

    One of the staple in our house is a flank steak.   By no means to we eat this all the time, but I do like to have one in the freezer for a quick meal.  Sometimes I will marinade the steak, freeze it in the marinade, then defrost another night and toss on the grill.     This recipe is another quick, easy and delicious meal for those busy weeknights.

So here is another quick and easy recipe for those busy weekday nights.  I added a few of my own special touches, like always, but the main recipe is the same.  I made a very simple spaghetti sauce, but feel free to use your favorite canned spaghetti sauce.  I added some different cheese to mine, as we McCain's love our cheese!

If I had my way we would have Mexican food every day, but Mike on the other hand would not be so happy! I love anything Mexican, so when I found this recipe I was very excited to give it a try. I have a similar recipe, but I liked the additional flavors and textures added to this recipe,

This has to be one of my favorite dishes. It's much like a tostada, but with a thicker more bread like shell. I was introduced to this dish by a friend in Longmont that was part Navajo. She would have a big party with each of us bringing different toppings to share and she would make the Fry Bread.

I came across this great dish last week when I was in the mood for something easy and different!  It is much like a lasagna, but a lot easier and much faster.  Tyler liked it so much he asked to take it in his lunch the next day.  This has become my new favorite dish for the week.

So making a roast is not always as easy as one makes it out to be.  Sundays have always been my favorite day to make one.  Put it in the oven as you leave for church, then when you come home dinner is ready to eat.  I like to use real lean roasts which makes for a dry piece of meat sometimes.  With luck not on my side all the time, I decided to come up with a fail proof recipe.  So here is what I came up with, which turned out fabulously!!  This has now become my "go to" recipe for Sunday Pot Roast!  Let me know what you think if you give this a try, I would love to see comments with your opinion!

When I was first married I made these for Mike, he so surprised that I had made these from scratch instead of from a can.  It was really fun to cook for Mike because everything I made he was amazed with!  We have had many good laughs from those early years. These have become one of our family favorites as well as a McCain favorite as well.  I usually make a whole batch and we then have leftovers for lunch the next day or dinner the next evening.  I really love to serve these with the homemade hamburger buns I have posted in the past, but feel free to just by hamburger buns as well.  In the summer we like corn on the cob, but in the winter I serve it with sweet corn and fruit.  A very easy dinner for those busy weekday nights!

This is one of Mike and Maddie's favorite dishes. I have never been a fan of Shepherd's Pie, but this recipe changed my mind. You make a garlic mashed potato (which recipe I use all the time) for the top, with a layer of Havarti cheese, a layer of sauteed veggies and seasoned beef. The gravy makes the dish complete! I know it has the hated mushrooms, but I chop the mushrooms and onions really fine so my kids and husband don't notice! I love this dish because it's a complete meal in one dish. I like to serve it with sliced fruit, but other than that, dinner is served!

Okay, so I think I have finally come up with a chili recipe that I really like. For those of you who have a Sprouts Market around you, you might have tried there chili when they have it for the soup of the day. My dad was the one who turned me on to the wonderful dish. Whenever he comes to visit we take a trip over and fill our bowls until the lids don't fit and eat it in the car on the way home, love my Dad! I tried to find the recipe, but had no luck, so I made up my own! I combined a few recipes and added my own ingredients and have come up with this recipe. We love it over pasta, with sour cream, cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top. Always good for a cold winter night!

I was looking for a new meatball recipe and came across this recipe as well as a Roasted Garlic and Basil Marinara sauce. With my tomato plants in full bloom, I am always looking for a good way to use all my many tomatoes. Looking at the recipe for the meatballs you see mushroom, but do not worry, you grind them up very fine and what they add to the meatballs is moister . I promise you will like them, my family who all hate mushrooms, ate them all!! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Marinating is the way to go if you want a juicy, flavorful steak. This marinade, given to me by my sister-in-law Chelsea, is simple and delicious. I prefer to use filet mignon for my steaks, but it would go well with any type. Simply marinate the steaks, grill on both sides until cooked to your desired doneness, and there you have it...restaurant quality steaks at a fraction of the price.