Beef Kabobs

It was Justin's birthday a few weeks ago and he requested this meal as his birthday dinner. In fact, all 3 birthdays that I've known him, he's requested this same meal! We've now made this birthday dinner in Tucson (AZ), Hudson (OH), and now Maumee (OH). Hopefully there's no more moving for us!

Pieces of steak are marinated in a mixture of dry onion soup mix, ketchup, oil, mustard, and vinegar plus a few other ingredients. This may sound a little strange, but the marinade is simmered on the stove for a little bit, then cooled, and tossed with the steak. The steak is threaded onto skewers with cherry tomatoes, onion, and green pepper and grilled until charred. The whole thing is served over rice with extra marinade sauce.

LESSON LEARNED: Marinate the beef at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Recipe for Beef Kabobs

Curry Beef Noodle Bowls

I never worked with curry before, so I was super excited to try this recipe. I thought the curry paste that I chose was really flavorful because I tasted spices first and the heat slowly built up. It wasn't too spicy, but you can add as much spice as you like. Who knows, if I keep using curries, I might start making my own blend!

Thin slices of steak are browned in curry and stir fried with onions, garlic, red pepper, scallions, and edamame. A quick sauce is created from fish sauce and chicken stock. After the sauce simmers for a few minutes, you toss in cooked whole-wheat noodles and you are ready to enjoy this Thai inspired stir fry!

LESSON LEARNED: Don't be afraid of using curry. It adds a lot of flavor to a dish with little effort.

Recipe for Curry Beef Noodle Bowls

Nacho Burgers

Yes - these YUMMY dish combines two of my favorite foods - nachos and burgers! They were quick and simple to prepare too...

First, I made a quick salsa with tomato, onion, a chipotle chili, and cilantro. Then, I whipped up a quick cheese sauce using Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese. As I cooked the burgers, I let the cheese sauce cool so it became incredibly thick and spreadable. I pulled out our indoor grill pan to make the burgers, but you could easily grill them outside too.

The key to this burger is the assembly. Stack the burger on a lightly toasted bun, then topped with a generous amount of cheese sauce. Next, top the cheese with salsa and pickled jalapeno if you like a little spice. Finally, the burger is topped off with tortilla chips. I initially crushed up tortilla chips, but my husband and I both decided that adding whole tortilla chips was the way to go. The chips added a great crunch and really reminded me nachos.

LESSON LEARNED: Add whole tortilla chips on top of this burger to get maximum crunch!

Recipe for Nacho Burgers