Stir-Fried Beef & Bok Choy with Ginger

 I love this recipe. It has a wonderful blending of flavors. Simple, quick to make, healthy, and tastes delicious!

  STIR-FRIED BEEF & BOK CHOY WITH GINGER

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound (500 g) flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 pound (500 g) baby bok choy

2 tablespoon sherry cooking wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon Asian chile paste

2 teaspoons peanut oil (or olive oil)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sherry, soy sauce, and chile paste. 

2. Cut the bok choy lengthwise into halves or quarters (depending on size).

3. In a work or large frying pan, heat 1 1/2 teaspoon of oil over high heat. Add the bok choy and stir-fry just until tender crisp (about 3 to 4 minutes). Transfer to a bowl.

4. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant but not browned (15-30 seconds).

5. Add the beef and cook, stirring, just until no longer pink (about 2 minutes).

One-Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies

This 30-minute Mediterranean style chicken recipe is a new favorite dish of mine. The combo of veggies, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes is delicious. This is an easy to make meal, very flavorful, healthy and hearty. 

ONE-PAN PESTO CHICKEN AND VEGGIES
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound chicken thighs or breast, boneless and skinless, sliced into strips

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil, chopped

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half, if large

1/4 cup basil pesto

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, yellow and red, halved

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, add sliced chicken. Season chicken generously with salt, add half of chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook everything on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping a couple of times, until the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove the chicken and sun-dried from the skillet, leaving oil in.

2. Add asparagus (ends trimmed), seasoned generously with salt, remaining half of the sun-dried tomatoes, and cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the asparagus cooked through. Remove asparagus to serving plate.

Fish and Chips

An easy and delicious recipe is from Nancy Fuller of Food Network's Farmhouse Rules. This is a great beer-batter recipe. It was light and crispy, the cod was moist, tasty and cooked to perfection. 

The homemade chips were also a big hit with my family. They were crispy, fresh and in my opinion just plain better than store-bought potato chips. Also, I liked the fact that  I could control the amount of salt I put on the chips and the thickness of the potato slices (slicing the potatoes using a mandolin slicer is fun!). 

BEER-BATTER FISH

Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Active: 55 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Intermediate

Fish Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust fish

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon baking powder

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 bottles wheat beer*

2 eggs, whisked

3 pounds cod fillets, cut in nice pieces

Lemon wedges, for serving

malt vinegar, for serving

tartar sauce, for serving

Homemade chips, recipe follows


Directions:
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 360 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, a big pinch of salt and some pepper. 

3. Whisk in beer, and then the eggs.

3. In batches, dust the fish with flour, and then carefully dip into the batter. Shake off any excess, and then gently place into the oil. 

Simple Succotash

Succotash is a dish packed with healthy vegetables such as corn, tomatoes, onions and lima beans. What makes this recipe extra delicious is the addition of bacon and fresh basil. You can serve it as an entree or as a side dish alongside batter-fried fish, pork chop or fried chicken. It is absolutely delicious! 

SIMPLE SUCCOTASH

Total: 30 minutes

Active: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Level: Easy

Ingredients:

4 thick slices bacon, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped

5 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut off (about 5 cups)

2 cups canned or frozen lima (or baby lima) beans, rinsed

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon, and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon has crisped, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, garlic and onions and cook until the onions have softened a bit, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the corn and cook for another 2 minutes. 

Pasta Puttanesca

This is an amazing pasta dish. All of the ingredients blends perfectly into a flavorful, rich sauce.

PASTA PUTTANESCA

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 canned anchovies, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons capers

3/4 cup (95g) pitted olives (black or green), roughly chopped

1 pound spaghetti

Salt

Olive oil for drizzling

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute onions, anchovies, garlic. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan. When the oil is hot, saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. While the onions are cooking, stir in the chopped anchovies along with some of the oil from the can. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

2. Mix in the tomato paste and cook it for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, chili pepper flakes, and olives. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.

4. Cook the spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water (5 quarts water, 2 tablespoons salt) to a boil. When you add the spaghetti to the boiling water to cook, add the capers to the sauce and continue to simmer it gently. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, to al dente, cooked but still slightly firm.

Salmon with Caper-Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

Healthy and low-carb recipe that is rich in lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The combination of caper, garlic, lemon and butter makes an excellent sauce and a delicious finishing touch that complements the salmon. It is salty, tangy, and buttery. It's a delightfully simple and tasty recipe. I hope you enjoy this easy dinner as much as I do! 

SALMON WITH CAPER-GARLIC LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 3 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds salmon or steel head trout (3 fish fillets)

1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning

salt, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons capers, drained

4 garlic cloves, diced

3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season the tops of fish fillets with Italian herb seasoning and salt (generously). Fish fillets will have skins on the bottom.

30-Minute Ginger Beef

I love easy to make recipes and when they look good and taste great, I am sold. This mouthwatering dish is flavorful and very delicious, it's definitely a keeper!

30-MINUTE GINGER BEEF

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skirt steak, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

2 cups carrots, julienned

1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss the skirt steak with the cornstarch in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and onions to a sauce pan. Saute for two minutes until onions are translucent.

3. Add the carrots to the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until tender.

Baked Lemon-Pepper Tilapia

A delicious and healthy recipe that takes no time to make. It is a total time saver as the whole meal is done in 20 minutes. The fish is light and simple but full of flavor. My husband and kids totally love this dish. I use tilapia but you can use any white fish of your choice. 

BAKED LEMON-PEPPER TILAPIA

Prep and Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

6 tilapia fillets (6 ounces each)

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Peach Cream Cheese Cake

I still have a few leftover peaches from our peach farm visit and while I love baking peach pie and peach cobbler, I looked for a different peach recipe. I found this recipe online and I got so excited because I have all the necessary ingredients to make it. 

What a pretty cake! Not only does it look good from the outside but it is delicious inside. A piece of this cake is perfect with a cup of hot coffee in the morning and/or tea in the afternoon.

PEACH CREAM CHEESE CAKE

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Yield: 1 cake (using 9x3-inch springform pan)

INGREDIENTS:

Streusel topping:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed

Cream cheese filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 peaches, sliced into wedges

half of one peach, for decorating

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line the bottom of a 9x3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter or cooking spray.

To make streusel topping:

2. Combine the sugar, flour, and butter (chilled and cubed) in a medium bowl. Mix with hands or fork, or a pastry blender until crumbly. Set in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

To make cream cheese filling:

3. In a medium bowl, using electrical mixer, beat softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth for about 30 seconds. Add vanilla extract and an egg, and beat for about a minute more until combined and very smooth. Set aside.

Make a cake:

4.  Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, together into a medium bowl.

5. In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, and 2 eggs until very light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes on high speed. Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and continue beating until very creamy and light in color, for about 1 more minute.

6. Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mix until combined. Do not overmix.

7. Transfer the cake batter to the springform pan. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on top. Top with sliced peaches. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the fruit.

Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler

  This peach cobbler recipe from Paula Deen is absolutely delicious! I love how quick and easy it is to make. My family loves it and we like serving it with vanilla ice cream on top.
If you want an easy and quick cobbler desert that tastes amazing, try this recipe. I'm pretty sure you're also going to like it! 

PAULA DEEN'S PEACH COBBLER

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 stick butter

1/2 cup water

2 cups sugar, divided

4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 cups milk

ground cinnamon, optional

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Peach Pie

Peach pie is my family's new favorite. This homemade goodness is everything you want a peach pie to be. A deliciously simple recipe that is easy to make and it is flavorful! Every time I make one, it is always gobbled up in no time. We like it even more with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Yummy!

 PEACH PIE

INGREDIENTS:

2 disks of Basic Pie Dough

3/4 to 1 cup of sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches)

4 tablespoons of flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg

dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups fresh peaches (peeled and sliced)

2 tablespoons of butter (cubed)

egg wash (made with 1 yolk and 2 tablespoons water)

sanding sugar*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lightly flour a large piece of waxed or parchment paper. Place a disk of dough in the center. Rolling from center outward, form into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to the pie dish.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F.

3. Combine sugar, flour, spice, and salt. Add the sliced peaches, mix lightly. Add the peaches to the pie shell. Dot with butter.

Peach Picking

 "What is paradise, but a garden, an orchard of trees and herbs, full of pleasure and nothing there but pure delights." 

~William Lawson

We are very fortunate to have locally grown Florida blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and peaches so close to our place. Last week (Friday) we had the pleasure of visiting a peach farm in our neighboring town for the very first time, Graham's U-Pick Peaches Farm. The trees are loaded with fruits (and they're huge!) and have good heights so that even kids can pick them without any difficulties.