kebab. kabob. whatev.

I'm always confused on the spelling of this genius on a stick. Who cares? It's so good and everyone knows what it is. Typically when you, or at least when I think of kebabs, I think of my old back yard and our pool and everyone being outside on a sunny day...grilling up a storm. That's just me.
Monday night I thought we'd have some sort of beef. I opened the freezer and behold, a purchase I'd forgotten we made the last visit to our neighborhood Kroger. No, our actual neighborhood doesn't have a Kroger, but that'd be wonderful. Sometimes the two that are within a two-mile-radius from our 'hood seem inconvenient to trek to!
Anywho. During our last visit to the store (sans a list, which I cannot stand to do!), Matt grabbed a package of "miscellaneous beef". Yep. Sounds a bit scary, right? By miscellaneous, they actually just meant lean beef tips. Good for stewing, normally. The fate of the miscellaneous beef was meant for kebabs AND kebab stew. Yep, two meals. WE WIN.
To compliment the beef, I used some of our favorite veggies. Delightful.

According to Matt "these are the best vegetables I've ever eaten".

You're probably wondering what I did to make them soooooo delicious, right?
Just keep on reading, then!

Miscellaneous Beef Kebabs

What you'll need:

~1 Lb. beef tips, er, uh, miscellaneous beef. If frozen,thaw completely.
~1/2 Red bell pepper
~2-3 Oz. sliced (or whole) baby portabella mushrooms
~1/3 Red onion, sliced and chunked
~1 Zucchini squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
~1/2 C. Worcestershire sauce
~1/4 C. lemon juice (fresh or from concentrate)
~1 Tsp. black pepper
~1/2 Tsp. garlic powder
~4-6 metal (or wooden*) skewers *If you're using wooden, soak them for about and hour, so that they don't splinter and/or burn on the grill. No bueno.


What to do:

~In a large mixing bowl, place the beef, sauce, lemon juice and seasonings and mix thoroughly until beef is well coated in the marinade.
~Set aside and let marinade for about an hour.
~Pre-heat grill on low-medium heat. You'll want to do this because the veggies will take a little longer, and you don't want to burn them!
~Assemble the kebabs with the beef and veggies onto the skewers (we made 4 GIANT ones)in any order you like and pour about 1/2 C. remaining marinade over the skewers.
~Grill for approx 10-15 minutes (or until you feel like everything's ready for you to eat).
~Enjoy!

My thinking is that these kebabs would be accompanied well by a brown rice/black beans/chopped tomatoes mix. We had them by themselves. It was just right for that night!

The only thing missing from that was the pool and the sunny day. Hmmm...maybe next time? I sure hope so!

do you groupon?

I'm Ron Burgundy? (Please, please PLEASE tell me you've seen Anchor Man.)
Anyway... Turns out Groupon is AWESOME. Why? Well, the deals typically run between 50%-90% off the original price. I know this is a food blog, but hear me out...this IS actually about food. It's just, well, we're not cooking it. So, the other day we purchased out very first Groupon. I signed us up for email alerts a long time ago thinking "this could be a good way to get some stuff". Since the New Year, Matt & I have taken turns planning a date night every week. Matt planned the first week, I planned the next...you get it. Last week was my week to plan and we got an email with a Groupon for $15 for $30 worth of sushi @ Zake Sushi Lounge Downtown. If you know us, you know we really (really, really) like sushi. And, two of our favorite people, my sister Maren and her hubs Phillip took us to Zake right after they started dating. It's so good...the atmosphere is very nice, too. Romantic/modern. I love it. So, all that goes to say, we're big fans of Groupon now! We're going to Zake tonight (YESSSSSSSSSS!) We were unable to have my date night last week so, we're having mine tonight and Matt's tomorrow. Woohoo! Double date weekend :)
Promise I'll post more recipes later.

~Meg

feelin' hot hot hot.

So, way back when, in 2004, my sister and I went to China to visit some family. It's funny how the title of this post took me straight to my brother's living room with my niece and nephews dancing in their pj's to the Eddie Bauer Summer Edition CD that we picked up at the store in oh, say, 2000. Yeah, that's about right. So, we're all dancin' and acting silly and the kids LOVED that CD fro some reason. So much so that when Maren and I left, we left the CD for the kids. How could we not? They're so precious dancing and singing without a care in the world. Anyway, one of the songs on the CD is "feelin' hot hot hot". I'm not sure if that's the title, but I know it's about 80% of the lyrics, so we'll go with it. Boston, our oldest nephew, was 4 1/2 at the time and he kept singing (SUPER LOUDLY) "feewin' hot hot hoot...ree hot ree hot!" One of THE cutest and most precious memories EVER. And yes, when he gets married, I'll be sharing that story about him dancing in pj's singing at the top of his lungs to that crazy song. You'll have to forgive me. Sometimes I forget this is a cooking blog! Right...cooking! So, the other night, oh man, I think it was last Monday, Matt and I went to the grocery store together and were having the discussion of what to have for dinner that night. It's so funny how much in sync you are when we both looked at each other and said "how about stuffed peppers?!" It wouldn't be so much of a surprise if that's something we whipped up often in the Hargrove Casa, but, I can honestly say, we've never done that. We both looked at each other and it went something like this "WHAT?! NO WAY...I JUST SAID THAT TOO. WHOA!" Crazy. So, stuffed peppers it would be that night! Here's what we had...

Meg's Stuffed Poblano Pepper with Black Beans and Rice

*NOTE TO SELF: Start taking pictures of the dinners before they're eaten!
We typically eat dinner RIGHT after we workout, so, we're crazy hungry and it's like we can't get it from the stove to the plate to the table fast enough!

What you'll need:

~2 Large poblano peppers, top and seeds removed
~1 Lb. 93/7 lean ground turkey
~Cooking spray
~2 Tsp. Olive oil
~1/2 C. Mexican mixed shredded cheese, divided
~1 Can black beans
~1 Bag brown rice, cooked according to directions
~1/4 C. bread crumbs (we used roasted garlic...HOLLA!)
~1 Fresh jalapeno, chopped
~Cilantro for topping
~1 Avocado, sliced, for topping
~1 Tsp. black pepper
~1/4 Red onion, chopped

What to do:

~Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
~Place seeded poblanos onto greased baking sheet and brush all sides of peppers 1/2 Tsp. olive oil
~Bake for 30 mins, then turn and reduce heat to 375 degrees for 25 mins, and remove from oven
~Place oven on high broil (500 degrees)
~Place remaining oil, jalapeno and red onion into heated skillet and saute until onion and jalapeno become soft
~Add ground turkey and seasonings and cook turkey all the way through
~Add ingredients from skillet to bread crumbs and 1/4 C. cheese in medium size mixing bowl and toss until mixture comes together. Add more cheese if you need
~Take a spoon and slide it down the middle of each pepper but make sure not to go through the bottom side
~Spoon turkey mixture into peppers (you'll probably have some mix leftover)
~Place the remaining cheese on top of the peppers and broil until cheese is bubbly
~Top with cilantro and avocado
~Heath the black beans in the microwave for 30 seconds and spoon on top of each serving of brown rice and top with cilantro

There ya have it! That's it!
Direct quote from Matt "I want to eat this every day for the rest of my life."

I think that sums it up! ENJOY!

thank you, cooking light.

Does anyone ever watch the Jimmy Fallon Show? You know that segment called "Thank You Notes"? Never mind. It's funny. Consider this my thank you note to Cooking Light magazine. It goes something like this "Thank you, Cooking Light, for making me look like super-wife for cooking this stew, when really I was stressed out and looking nothing like super-wife running frantic through Kroger in 35 degree weather wearing running shorts." No, seriously...you should have seen me.
OK, no more time for expressing my dreams of having my own TV show... I promised the recipe, right? Well, here it is!

Pork & Hominy Stew

What you'll need:

~2 Tbs. chile powder
~2 Tsp. dried oregano
~1 1/2 Tsp. paprika
~1/2 Tsp. cumin
~1/2 Tsp. salt
~1 - 1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2" pieces (I used pork loin boneless chops. Just as good and about 1/3 the cost!)
~1 Tbs. olive oil
~2 C. chopped onion
~1 1/2 C. chopped green bell pepper
~3 Cloves minced garlic
~2 1/2 C. fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
~2 14 Oz. cans hominy, drained
~1 14.5 Oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used 'salsa ready', which is almost a puree'...on accident. Delicious.)

What to do:

~Combine the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and remove 1 1/2 Tsp. and set aside
~Place pork into the bowl and turn to fully coat pork in the spice mix
~Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat and add the pork to pot and cook for 5 mins., or until fully browned. Stir occasionally, to ensure all sides are browned.
~Remove the pork and add the remaining oil to pot.
~Add the onion, pepper and garlic and saute' for about 5 mins.
~Place pork back in pot, along with the reserved spice mix, chicken broth, hominy and tomatoes and bring to a boil
~Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 mins

I was telling Matt what was in it. I got the part about the tomatoes and said I bought the wrong kind and he abruptly interrupted me and said "Don't change anything. Nothing. This is incredible. We need to write this in our recipe journal...and have it again. SOON."

Oh Matt, you are precious. And thanks for thinking I'm Super-Wife, even if I sport an over sized sweatshirt and running shorts in 35 degree weather.

ingredients in sweet "hominy".

Cheesy. I know. But hear me out. It started like this. A few days ago, during the "cold blast" here in H-Town (which really means it was yucky and about 35 degrees for a few days. Big deal...not), I was figuring out dinner plans for the evening when I felt the urge to dig through our cook book and cooking magazine cabinet. While thumbing through a super old issue of Cooking Light, I stumbled across THE recipe for the night! Pork and Hominy Stew. Thus the pun "sweet hominy". Get it? Get it? OK. Good. Anyway. I hopped in the car and hit the grocery store which was jam-packed with people dressed in what seemed to be every winter-ish related clothing item they owned. I'm in a sweatshirt that may or may not have had stains on it, running shorts (yep, SHORTS) and tennis shoes. I swear some people in there were sweating they were so overly wintered out. Oh well. To each his own and, trust me, I had my share of the classic "up and down" when I trotted in there in shorts. It happens. I'm not bitter. Really, I'm not. Moving along... this post is simply a teaser to the actually post containing the recipe that I'm absolutely positive you'll love, unless, of course, you're allergic to, or happen to despise any of the ingredients, in which case I'm sorry. Very sorry. I will say that accompanying the stew was Fresh Jalapeno Cornbread. OK, OK, I'll give you that recipe by now. Only because I know it by heart. It's so easy that every time I make it I feel like I should have a show called Semi-Homemade...wait, that already exists! I'll come up with something clever one of these days...you just wait! OK. Enough. Below is the recipe for the cornbread. Hope you enjoy! Just FYI, my mom, who was taught by her mom (NaNa), taught me some tricks to make pre-packaged cornbread mix something fabulous, as mom always said. I couldn't help but smile when I made it the other night. It's so true that mom, even though she's not here physically, is still everywhere and a HUGE part of so many things we do day in and day out. Miss her so much!

Fresh Jalapeno Cornbread

What you'll need:

~1 Pkg. Texas Style cornbread mix
~1 Egg
~Fat free sour cream (I believe it's 2/3 C. but make sure you substitute the same amount as milk called for)
~1/2 Can cream style corn
~1 Fresh jalapeno, chopped, seeds left in.
~1/2 Can Mexican style corn (sometimes called Fiesta Corn or Corn & Peppers)

What to do:

~Preheat oven, according to pkg. directions
~Place all ingredients into large mixing bowl. Mix well.
~Pour batter into greased* 8x8 glass or metal pan and bake according to pkg. directions.
*If you want crispy, buttery edges, place 1-2 Tbs. butter or SmartBalance into pan and place in oven until melted. Then pour batter in and the excess butter will go up the sides of the pan and, when baked, will become super yummy, crispy edges.

That's it. Feel like it was too simple? I know. Me, too. But it's so, so good.
So good, in fact, literally every time Matt eats the cornbread he says "I think this is the best I've had."

Be looking for the stew recipe!

acorn squash, baby.

I must say, when Matt asked "hey baby, what's for dinner?" and I say "squash" he looked a little concerned. I realized that squash should be accompanied by a protein, so we had some fillet Mignon's. He looked less concerned but, still somewhat leery about the squash. I kept telling him that I've made it before and he had the same preliminary reaction and, after the first bite he loved it, just like I knew he would. Still wasn't ringing a bell with him so, he played with the dogs and I got to cooking. If it's squash, I love it. Summer squash, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, you name it, I love it. My friend Jessica, her parents have a garden and they grow massive summer yellow squash. HOLY. COW. In the Summer, she gave Matt & I literally two entire bags full, and these bad boys of the garden looked like they were on steroids they were so huge. ENORMOUS. That's another post for another time, though...I will say that I made Jalapeno Bacon Sauteed Squash with those. And yes, I'll share soon! Anyway...moving along.
Back to the acorn.

Acorn Squash with Pearl Barley and Pea and Carrot Pilaf

What you'll need:
~ 1 Acorn squash. If you've never bought one, you can't miss it. It's the squash that looks like...you guessed it, an acorn.
~ 2 Tbs. melted butter/SmartBalance, divided
~ 3 Tbs. water
~ Pearl barley, cooked according to directions. Should take about 45 mins.
~ Salt & pepper, to taste
~ 1 pkg. frozen green pea and carrot blend, warmed according to directions

What to do:
~ Preheat the oven according to squash baking instructions that are on the produce sticker on the squash. Bake on baking sheet with water, and the flesh of the cut parts brushed w/1 Tbs. butter, according to baking instructions.
~ Mix the salt, pepper, cooked barley and peas and carrots all together with remaining butter
~ Spoon barley mixture into squash "cups" and serve and enjoy, of course!

It's such a good, healthy, hearty Fall/Winter-ish meal! It's super easy, too.

Matt loved it, just like I knew he would! Mainly because he loved it the first time I made it. Oh Matt!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time, happy cooking!!!

citrus cilantro butter

Put it on corn. Fresh, grilled corn. That's what we did. I'm going to keep this short. Matt grilled for us yesterday. My parents came over and it was such a great time! I've said a bazillion times but, I'll say it again. Matt= Grill Extraordinaire.
I wanted to pretend like I had anything to do with the meal, so I made this butter for the corn. Boy oh boy did it taste good!!!

What you'll need:
4 Lg. ears fresh corn, shucked
4 Tbs. SmartBalance
1/2 Tsp. black pepper
1/2 Tsp. salt
1 Tbs. cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 small lemon or lime (we only had lemons, but I think lime would be tastier)

What to do:
~In a small, 6 oz. ramekin or small bowl, melt the SmartBalance
~Add the rest of ingredients to melted SmartBalance and stir
~Using a pastry or basting brush, cover each pice of corn before OR after the corn is grilled.
*We did it before. It was delightful. However, I think if you really want the citrus and cilantro flavors, it may be better to add to the corn after it's grilled. I think we'll do that next time!

Short. Simple. Fresh. Yum.

The End.