Juuuuly

July's Cooking Adventure

Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola

Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 large onions, sliced (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound beef tenderloin (filet mignon) or sirloin steak, 1-1 1/4 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 steaks
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese


Preparation
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and brown sugar and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add broth, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the liquid has almost evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the onions to a bowl; cover to keep warm. Clean and dry the pan.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper on both sides of each steak. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn them over and top with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the steaks are cooked to desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Serve the steaks with the caramelized onions. Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola

Hi-heel Sneakers

By Elvis Presley

Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, oh yeah!
Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, yeah!
Well now wear some boxing gloves in case some fool might start a fight
You know what I'm sayin'

Put on your hi-heel sneakers, put your wig hat on your head, oh yeah!
Put on your hi-heel sneakers, slap that wig right on your head, yeah!
Well I'm pretty sure now baby, pretty soon you're gonna knock 'em dead

Oh gonna mess around baby
all right!
Da da da da etc.

Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, oh yeah!
Put on your red dress baby 'cause we're going out tonight, yeah!
Well now wear some boxing gloves in case some fool might start a fight
You know what I'm sayin'

Put on your hi-heel sneakers, put your wig hat on your head, oh yeah!
Put on your hi-heel sneakers, slap that wig right on your head, yeah!
Well I'm pretty sure now baby, pretty soon you're gonna knock 'em dead
Walk around baby!

Da da da etc.

Put on your hi-heel sneakers, put your wig hat on your head, oh yeah!
Put on your hi-heel sneakers, slap that wig right on your head, yeah!
Well I'm pretty sure now baby, pretty soon you're gonna knock 'em dead
All right take it home baby!

Da da da etc.

The 68' special

I just spent the last eight hours watching Elvis Presley 1968 special. There is a special four disc set that came out for the 1968 special. In eight hours, we only got through two and a half discs, so you can image. For an amazing performer he is, you also spend the whole time drooling at the TV screen.*giggle*

Richard Scarry

When I was growing up, my parents read Richard Scarry books and Bernstein Bears to us. As a child, you were addicted to what was read to you, and you never forget it. To this day, I love the books and will be reading them to my children when I have them.

Today, would have been Richard's 92nd birthday. Scarry is known for books featuring anthropomorphic animals living in the fictional Busytown. His first book, "Great Big Car and Truck Book," was published in 1951 by Little Golden Books.His books have sold over 200 million copies in 30 languages.Scarry was born in Boston in 1919,and died in 1994 in Gstaad, Switzerland.

June

June's cooking adventure goes CAJUN!

Cajun Crab Croquettes

Ingredients
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
1 pound pasteurized crabmeat, drained if necessary
1 large egg white
3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs, divided
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
This recipe calls for:
Zesty Rémoulade Sauce

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425nF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, corn and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add crab, egg white, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, mayonnaise and lemon zest. Mix well.
Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about 1/2 cup each). Form each portion into an oblong patty that's about 4 inches by 2 inches. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and 2 teaspoons oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of the breadcrumb mixture over the top of each croquette, then gently press it on.
Bake the croquettes until heated through and golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_meal_plans/500_calorie_dinners_chicken?page=10