Steak & Pepper Sandwich (Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman)

Last night, I made The Pioneer Woman's Marlboro Man Sandwich. It's essentially a steak sandwich with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and an oh-so-tasty sauce! It was A-MAZ-ING! Even The Hubs agreed.

Below is The Pioneer Woman's original recipe (with my notes in red) and my photos. And just so you know...I halved the recipe to make 4 sandwiches instead of 8. This sandwich was so tasty, I didn't mind having it for 2 meals, but 4 meals would have been a bit excessive. Y'all know how I feel about leftovers.

And as always...feel free to hop on over to her site via the link above if you'd like her step-by-step tutorial. Her commentary is way funnier than mine.

Ingredients

* 4 Tablespoons Butter
* 2 pounds Cube Steak (round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
* Kosher Salt
* Freshly Ground Pepper
* 1 whole Large Yellow Onion, Halved And Sliced Thick
* 2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Sliced Into Rings (I sliced into strips)
* 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Sliced Into Rings (again, strips)
* 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced
* 2 Tablespoons (additional) Butter
* 1-½ cup Sherry (regular Or Cooking Sherry Is Fine)
* 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (see note below)
* 4 dashes Tabasco (more To Taste) (again, see note below)
* 8 whole Deli Rolls (the Crustier The Better) (I used French bread loaves)
* 2 Tablespoons (additional) Butter
* 8 slices Cheese (Provolone, Swiss, Pepper Jack)

**Note: I didn't use quite as much butter as she did. I just put enough in the pan to do what I needed.



Preparation Instructions

1. Cut cube steak into strips against the grain. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.


2. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. As soon as it’s melted (but before it burns) brown strips of cube steak in two or three batches, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove meat to a clean plate when brown. Set aside.


3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onions, garlic, green peppers, and red peppers and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until relatively soft (but not flimsy.) Remove to a clean plate. Set aside.


4. Melt 2 add’l tablespoons butter to the skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and stir. Pour in sherry, then add Worcestershire and Tabasco. Cook over medium-high heat for five minutes, or until liquid has reduced by about a third.


5. Add in meat and vegetables, stirring to combine. Cook for just a few minutes to heat everything up, adding more sherry and Worcestershire (and Tabasco) as needed. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter at the end. Keep hot.


6. Toast halved deli rolls in plenty of butter until golden brown and crisp. (I buttered the insides of the rolls and put them face down into a hot pan until they were brown. Perfection!) Spoon meat/veggie mixture on the lower half of the bun, then spoon one or two tablespoons of pan sauce over the meat (it will soak into the bun.) Drizzle a little sauce on the underside of the top bun, too, for extra flavor and moisture. Top with cheese and broil for a minute or two, until the cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.



My Tid-Bits:

* As I opened my refrigerator to get out my Worcestershire and Tabasco, I realized that I was somehow out of both! How does that happen? Ugh! For the Worcestershire, I subbed soy sauce with a couple splashed of red wine vinegar. For the Tabasco, I subbed Frank's Red Hot that I had left over from making Buffalo Wings.

* The sauce is delicious! There's just something about sherry that creates such a great flavor. Next time I make this, I'm going to use 3/4 the amount of sherry, Worcestershire and Tabasco (rather than just half) so that I have plenty of sauce to drizzle on the bread. Yum!

Favorite Recipes From My First 100 Posts!

I cannot believe that this is my 100th post on this blog! Wow! Who knew I had so many recipes to share?

I thought for my 100th post, I'd dig up a few of my favorite recipes to highlight. If you haven't ever tried any of the recipes on my blog, I'd recommend you start with one of these...


BREAKFAST:

Praline Pull Apart Bread

Image: SouthernLiving.com

Mom's Waffles

Pumpkin Pancakes

English Muffin Brulee



SOUPS:

Mom's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Shrimp Creole

Taco Soup



CHICKEN:

Southwestern Chicken

Pineapple Jerk Chicken with Rice

Buffalo Wings

Chicken with Carrots & Onions



SEAFOOD:

Farfalle with Portebellos & Shrimp

Red Pepper Pesto & Shrimp Grilled Pizzas

Soy Ginger Fish with Roasted Zucchini



DESSERTS & TREATS:

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
Pumpkin Ale Bread

Praline Brownies

Reindeer Food


Okay, so I highlighted more than just a FEW, but there were so many good ones to choose from.

(Looking back, I have to laugh at some of my first photos. Not that my photos now are great, but I've definitely made an improvement. If only I could convince The Hubs that I really do need a DSLR....)

I hope that you all have found this blog helpful in trying to decide what to make in your kitchen at home. My goal has always been to share recipes that are tasty, yet simple to make any day of the week. I'm always open to suggestions for new recipes, so if you have one you'd like me to share (or try out first before you give it a go) please feel free to pass them along.

Thank you all for continuing to come to my little blog for new ideas.

Here's to 100 more tasty meals from Journey to Fabulous Foods!

Monday Morsel from Mom - Chicken Tortilla Soup

I've been on a big soup kick lately. I'm sure it has something do to with the cold, rainy weather we've been having. So, last week I made my mom's version of Chicken Tortilla soup. It was delicious and just what we needed on a cold night.

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion; chopped
* 1 large clove minced garlic
* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
* 4 corn tortillas
* 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies
* 6 cups chicken broth
* 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 to 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels (optional)
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro


Toppings:

* tortilla strips
* shredded cheese (preferable Monterrey Jack, but I had cheddar)
* chopped cilantro
* lime slices
* diced, seeded tomatoes
* chopped avocado



Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions, peppers, and garlic for 3 minutes.


2. Break 4 tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic.


3. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Cover & simmer 30 to 50 minutes, until flavors blend & tortillas fall apart.

4. Add chicken and corn and return to a boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes.


5. Add cream & 1T. chopped cilantro and cook on low 5 more minutes. Adjust seasonings- salt, pepper, cumin, oregano (if needed)


6. To serve, place tortilla strips in bowl, ladle soup over & garnish with cheese, tomato, cilantro & avocado. Serve with a slice of lime to squeeze over the top.


Mom's Tid-Bits:

* To make homemade tortilla strips: Cut 8 tortillas into narrow strips & fry in 1/2 inch oil until crisp (do them in batches- don’t crowd & stir so they don’t clump together).

* Feel free to use a store bought rotisserie chicken.

* One pot of soup will yield about 8 bowls with 270 calories each - not including your toppings.

* You can easily control the calories in this soup by choosing your toppings wisely. (I left out the tortilla strips. Hence why there are no photos of them. And I went easy on the cheese. - Nancy)

THEY'RE BACK!!

The oh-so-yummy Valentine's Cookies are back at Panera Bread!!

I've thought about these cookies occasionally since discovering them last year. Imagine my excitement when I discovered today that they're back!!

You must to get one! But you have to go early because they only make a limited amount each day and they sell out quickly.

A word of caution: Only purchase one at a time lest you be tempted to each several in a row. (Not that I'm speaking from experience).

Monday Morsel from Mom - Bean Soup

Last weekend, The Hubs & I traveled to the DFW area with some friends to go to the Cotton Bowl. We'll skip talking about the game. Ugh!

As we headed home on Sunday, it started to snow...HARD! It was so crazy! It snowed all the way from south Fort Worth to Hillsboro. Along the way, we made a pit stop at my parents house where my mom had just finished making a fresh pot of bean soup and some homemade cornbread. Lucky for me, she dished some of both into to-go containers for us to take home. (YEAH for not having to make dinner after traveling all weekend).

The soup was delicious and perfect for the cold weather! I asked her to share the recipe so that I could pass it along to you all.



Ingredients:

* 1 pkg 15-bean soup mix (found with the dried beans)
* 10 cups water
* 1 meaty left-over ham bone or 1 lb ham (or more) cut in pieces
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 to 3/4 t. salt
* 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
* 1 10 oz can original Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilis
* 1 4 oz can chopped green chilis

Directions:

1. Wash beans. Put in dutch oven & cover with water 2 inches above beans; soak overnight.

2. Drain beans; add water and next 4 ingredients. Cover & bring to boil; reduce heat & simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

3. Add remaining ingredients & simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Adjust the seasonings. It may need more salt - depends on how salty your ham is.

5. Serve with warm cornbread.


Mom's Tid-Bits:

* I actually save some of the ham back & add it with the final ingredients. Boiling the meat leeches the flavor, so adding part of it at the end gives you some bits with full flavor.

* If you don't have a bone, buy a ham steak with the little round bone. If using the ham steak, be sure to use the bone & don't remove the fat.

* This is actually better made the day before. It also freezes well.

* If you want to make your own bean mix- combine & divide into 2 cups pkgs:

1 lb barley pearls
1 lb black beans
1 lb red kidney beans
1 lb pinto beans
1 lb navy beans
1 lb Great Northern beans
1 lb dried lentils
1 lb split peas
1 lb dried black-eyed pea

Tacos Al Pastor

There's a relatively new restaurant in College Station called Fuego Tortilla Grill. Our friends John & Lindsay introduced us to their Tacos al Pastor during football season and OH MY...they were amazing!

In case you aren't familiar, Tacos al Pastor combine pork & pineapple, which make a yummy combination of spicy and sweet. Marinating the pork in the pineapple causes the meat to break down leaving you with an ultra-tender meat.

And even better? This is one of the most simple recipes. You basically dump all of the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and let time & pineapple (acid) do the work. I recommend mixing the ingredients together the night before and letting them marinate overnight. The Hubs gave this one two thumbs up!

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 (8-oz.) can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained (I used 1.5 cups fresh pineapple)
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon Mexican-style chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 6 (8-inch) soft taco-size corn or flour tortillas, warmed
• Toppings: extra pineapple, chopped radishes, fresh cilantro leaves, crumbled queso fresco, chopped onions, chopped jalapeño

Preparation

1. Cut the pork into 1" cubes.

2. Combine pork and next 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Mix it all up. Seal and chill 4 to 24 hours.

3. Cook pork mixture in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until pork is done.

4. Serve mixture with warm tortillas and desired toppings.

My Tid-Bits:

* I highly recommend using fresh pineapple for this, if you can. If you're lucky, like me, your HEB sells fresh chopped pineapple in the produce section! Be sure to add a little extra pineapple as a topping!

* Know what I love even more than tasty food? Tasty food that is low in calories! This recipe makes enough for 6 (very full) tacos. With a corn tortilla, each taco has 185 calories! I ate 2 for dinner and was STUFFED!

And finally...

Who else is excited for tomorrow night when the Aggies Beat The Hell Outta LSU at the Cotton Bowl??

Gig'em!

Shrimp & Vegetable Stir-Fry

This Shrimp & Vegetable Stir Fry recipe is adapted from a version I found in Cooking Light. I'll be honest, the ingredient list is long and the prep work took a while. But the end result was delicious, healthy and well worth it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 3 tablespoons sake (rice wine), divided
• 4 teaspoons honey, divided
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
  
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled & deveined
  
• 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
  
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
  
• 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
• 3/4 cup (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally cut carrot
• 1 1/2 cups snow or sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 4 ounces)
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
  
• 3 cups hot cooked wide lo mein, udon or rice noodles (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preparation

1. Combine the broth, 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sake, 2 teaspoons honey, chile paste, one clove garlic and sesame oil, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

2. Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sake, and 2 teaspoons honey in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Add shrimp; toss gently to coat.

3. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet or a wok over medium-high heat. Add shrimp mixture; sauté 4 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove shrimp from pan. Wipe the pan clean with paper towels.

4. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan. Stir in onions, ginger, and garlic, and sauté 30 seconds.

5. Add bell pepper and carrot; sauté 2 minutes. Add snow peas; sauté 1 minute.

6. While vegetables saute, prepare noodles according to package.

7. Stir in shrimp, water chestnuts and broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook mixture 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.

8. Serve over hot noodles.

My Tid-Bits:

* The original recipe called for you to butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. That's just more work than necessary. Just use EZ Peel shrimp.

* This dish was a bit spicy for my liking, but The Hubs said it wasn't too hot. Adjust the chili sauce according to your preference.

* If you use rice noodles, this recipe makes 4 servings with about 400 calories each.

Welcome 2011!

Where has the time gone and how is it already 2011?? I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and rang in the New Year in style! Things have been so busy/crazy lately & I've been such a blog slacker. I have to be completely honest, between the holidays, traveling, wisdom teeth removal & being sickly, I haven't done a ton of cooking. And when I have cooked, I've just made my good-old-trusty-favorites, nothing new.

Luckily, that changes this week!! I'm getting back into the swing of things and have several new recipes lined up to try. First up this week will be a Shrimp & Veggie Stir-Fry and Tacos Al Pastor. So stay tuned for some new delicious dinners & treats!

Wishing you all a very blessed 2011!

.