Slow cooker flank steak

IMO the difference between a slow cooker and a crock pot is very simple. You can saute or simmer your meat or vegetables first in a slow cooker. It comes in two sections. The cooking pot and the heating element or cradle. The cooking time is very similar to a crockpot and the results are almost if not the same.

10/31/17

1+ lb. flank steak cut in strips
1 shallot sliced thin or yellow onion
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 green or red bell pepper cut into strips
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
2 T lime juice
1 cup beef broth
1- 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
Salt to taste
2 cups rice
Crispy fried onions(in a can) Optional

In a slow cooker brown sliced flank steak with shallots. Place on heating element and add bell pepper strips, garlic powder, oregano, salt and lime juice.  Add beef broth. Stir.  Cover and allow to cook for 4 to 6 hours on medium heat depending on degree of desired tenderness. Add drained and rinsed black beans 15 minutes before serving.

Spoon and Serve over rice. Top with some crispy fried onions.  Enjoy!

My Zinnia Garden 2020

A Very Happy Day to everyone.

If you enjoy flowers of any type and enjoy a very pleasant way to start your summer day.  Think Zinnias.  Easy to grow and so beautiful to wake up in the morning to these beautiful timeless beauties.

They are very easy to grow.  All you need is some healthy seeds and a little effort.  I use my zinnias as a backdrop to my shrubs as well as plant in containers.  

Here's what I do and you can too!

Whether your soil is healthy or not so healthy decide where you want to plant the seeds.  Wait until after May 31st.(around Memorial Day) or after so there is no possibility of frost or very cold soil temperatures.

My planting of my seeds is very simple and I will show in pictures what I do.

I first decide where I will enjoy them the most and I am lucky to have several windows I can look at them from inside and I can enjoy them everyday outside.

When you decide the location. I sprinkle a little basic garden(annual perennial fertilizer in the soil and rake it in.   Then get a garden tool or a large end of a screwdriver and make about a quarter of an inch indentation in the soil.

 Sprinkle your seeds in that indentation and cover the seeds LIGHTLY with good garden soil.  From that point water the area LIGHTLY (a fine mist) is the best for about a week or two or until you seeds the seedings start to surface.  Be patient!  They start to come through the ground pretty soon.  It all depends on sun and weather.

Once the seedings appear continue to water everyday unless you get enough rain then let them be.  From that point when I see them I fertilize about once a week with Miracle Gro until the plants are established.   Your garden of zinnias will grow faster than you think.  

Enjoy your garden and I hope 2021 will be your best Zinnia Garden ever.

Let me know how they grow in your garden.

P.s I also plant some in containers following the same instructions.

FYI:  You can start your seeds in early May if you would like but I have found it to be unnecessary once the ground is warm they grow quite quickly.

Happy Gardening from my garden to yours.

Sausage cream and Orecchiette soup

Hi and a very good day to everyone.

Hubby made himself a huge bowl and went to the store especially for crusty rolls.  I guess this will be on his favorite list of soup to make again.

My foodie friend Meredith Merriner made this soup and shared her recipe with me.  I made it to my liking.

 She used a few more spices than I did but my sausage had such wonderful flavor I felt it wasn’t needed. So yummy!

The below was my adaption of Meredith's version of this recipe.

1 lb. lean Italian loose sweet sausage

1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1-32 oz. container beef broth

1- 14.5 can beef broth

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cup orecchiette pasta (cook pasta according to directions before adding to soup)

8  oz. cream cheese ( softened)

8 oz. sour cream 

2 cups fresh spinach ( I used frozen washed and pressed) it equaled I cup)

In a medium Dutch oven sauté sausage until lightly browned.  Add beef broth, and crushed tomatoes.  Allow to cook until the broth starts to come to a light boil. *** Note:Add cooked Orecchiette AFTER  you have whisked in cream cheese and sour cream and continue to cook at a slow boil. . Add spinach right before serving.

Here’s is Meredith’s recipe.

I tweaked the Tortellini-Spinach Soup and used ground sausage and Orecchiette for this dish...It smells and tastes amazing! I used 2lb browned ground sausage, 2 cartons of organic beef broth, Penzey’s garlic powder, pepper, pink Himalayan salt, Herbs deProvence from “The Strip,” 2-29 oz cans of crushed tomatoes, one container of sour cream, one block of cream cheese, a 5 oz bag of spinach leaves, and 2 cups of Orechetti pasta, also from “The Strip.”

Thank you Meredith (our foodie group friend).

Come join we love to have you be part of our Facebook group..

It’s called "We like to bake and cook group"!

Easy Beef Enchiladas

I'm always curious about making a recipe that is posted on the back of an Can.  This recipe was on the back of an Enchilada sauce can... Today I decided was a good day to try the below recipe.

Note:  Be sure to heat your enchiladas in the microwave for about 5 minutes between paper towels to soften them.  I used store bought soft tacos..

I have made enchiladas before both chicken and beef but my recipes are not short cut recipes by any means.  I like using all my healthy ingredients.  No short cuts for me but now and again one will catch my attention.  Here goes.

Today’s recipe was made as it is described on the back of a can of Enchilada sauce.  Here goes! By the way it's an Old el Paso can of Enchilada sauce where the recipe is.  Enjoy!

My side was an easy rice recipe where I used Tumeric to give it the Saffron( yellow) rice. 

https://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2020/04/yellow-rice-saffron.html

My Tomato Pie

August 8, 2025

Generous onions and pepperincini added!

My tomato pie

I looked at several recipes for tomato pie and combined a few ingredients to make it my way.

Hubby loved it!

8/8/25

CRUST

2 cups Bisquick 

2T cold butter

1/2 cup milk

Place butter and Bisquick in food processor and pulse.

Remove from processor and add milk..

WORK INTO A BALL

AND PRESS into greased 9 inch pie pan.

Slice tomatoes and allow to drain on paper towels.  Place tomatoes directly on unbaked crust.

1 large heirloom or beefsteak tomato sliced medium 

1/2 to 1 cup chopped onions 

1 T Olive oil

Sauté onions in a T olive oil until tender. Allow to cool slightly and spoon onions over tomatoes. 

In a medium size bowl add below ingredients.

I cup mayonnaise 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper

Mix together 

Top tomatoes with above.  Spoon over tomatoes carefully. Top with fresh basil if possible!  I had to use dried basil because I didn’t have any fresh.. Bummer!

Bake 350  for 30 minutes or until it starts to brown on edges.

After the 30 minutes I turned My broiler on high and watched to get a little glow on the cheese.

Note:  next time I may cut back slightly on mayo although it did keep the pie moist.