Oven Roasted French Fries

These took five min to prep and then 45ish to bake.

Two russet potatoes
2 tablespoons fo smoked peparika
2 teaspoons of cumin
1 tablespoon of cornstarh
3 tablespoons of oil
salt and pepper to taste (I like seasoning salt)

Cut potatoes in to fries.  Then submerge into water to rinse off excess starch.

Place potatoes and cornstarch into freezer bag and shake vigorously.

Repeat with seasoning and salt.  Then add oil and shake.

If you have a baking rack place into a cookie sheet and evenly spread out potatoes into one layer.  If you don't place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 45 min at 425.  If you don't use the rack you need to flip with them half way through baking.

Remove from oven and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. We ate them with spicy buffalo chicken.

Chile Lime Steak with Tomatilla Salsa

 This didn't take long if you make the salsa a head of time and the set the steak with the spice rub before hand too.

Let's start with the salsa.  It can sit in the fridge for a few days.  It also makes a great dip mixed with sour cream or by its self.

Start by roasting the vegetables.
1/2 onion
2 serrno chiles seeded with membranes removed
1 lb (6ish) tomatillos

Remove paper from tomatillos.  Cut half of the onion into 3 pieces.  Seed and remove membranes.  Place in a baking dish and roast at 375 for about an hour and very tender.

Now on to the rest of the salsa.  It works well if you let the veggies cool a little before you continue

Now here is the rest of what you need:
Roasted veggies
1 cup of cilantro
2 limes
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt

 Blend the veggies and garlic using an immersion blender or food processor or blender work fine too.

 

Blend in a cup of cilantro leaves

 Blend in salt (I used Johnny's but plain is fine too), juice from two limes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Now on to the steak.  I used thin cut steak but flank stead would work fine too.  I prepped this a couple of days before we ate it.  

Steal

1-2 limes

1 tablespoon of chilli powder

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 tablespoon of sugar

3-4 cloves of garlic

 Mix together spices and sugar.  Cut a couple slashes in steak. 

 Squirt a little lime juice and zest a little garlic onto steak and then sprinkle with spice rub.  Repeat the process until all the steak is done.  Then cover and refrigerate.

Since I used thin cut steak I started with rice before I did the steak.  It just depends on your steak.

My husbands usally just says everything is good or okay but after he ate this kind he said not to make any other kind of rice to always make this one.  I didn't make alot of rice since it was just the two of us but you can adjust the amount of rice.  You want two parts water to one part rice ratio

Here is what you need

2ish tablespoons of olive oil(not in pic)

1ish teaspoon of salt (not in pic I like to use Johnny's)

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 jalapeno seeded

2 limes

Heat oil in a sauce pan and toast rice while you remove seeds and membranes from 1/2 jalapeno and finely dice.

Zest one lime and add minced/pressed garlic to pan. By this time the rice should have a slight color to it.

Add the water.  I used a cup of water to 1/2 cup of rice.  Bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat and cover for about 15ish min until the rice is light and fluffy.

Roughly chop 1/2 cup of cilantro and stir into rice then season with salt to taste and add the desired amount of lime juice.  I used two limes but I like a lot of citrus.

When the steak and rice are done.  Serve together with salsa and crema.  The salsa came out a little on the spicy side.  You can use jalapenos instead and be sure you have all the seed and membranes removed.  Also adding more lime juice helps too.  

Oreo M&M Bars

Not hard at all.  I made them in one pan plus anything with M&Ms and Oreos must be good.

1 cup of flour
1 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of M&Ms
18ish Oreos (whatever kind)

In a medium sauce pan place butter, brown sugar, egg and melt slowly stirring occassionally.

While melting roughly chop the Oreos.

Stir in a tablespoon of vanilla and the flour and then the Oreos

Place in a square pan and sprinkle M&Ms on top. Bake for 20 min at 350.

Let cool and then cut and enjoy.

Greek Chicken Sandwhich

This was light and summery and took 15ish min to make. 

Marinade:

Some chicken thighs (you could use breasts too)
1 teaspoon of salt (I like Johnny's salt)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3 tablespoons of dijon mustard
3ish cloves of minced garlic (not in pic_

In a medium bowl place oil, lemon, vinegar, mustard, and salt.  Then mince in the garlic and whisk together.

Submerge chicken and refridgerate overnight and then grill.  It is great by its self or lots of other ways.

Now on to the sandwich.  Just a quick note you can add lettuce.  I got it out and then forgot to use it. 
marinated chicken thighs
chewy bread like chibatta
tomatoes (I like cherry)
Tzatziki sauce (i bought some at the store) It was kinda hard to find.  Our store in East Wenatchee is small it was with the yogurt since its a yogurt based sauce)
pesto
fresh basil
some feta would be good too

Slice and toast the bread

Once the chicken is done.  Let it rest for five min to the juices can redistribute.  While the chicken is resting assemble the rest of the sandwich.  Spread one side with pesto and one side with Tzatziki sauce.

Place diced tomatoes on one side and fresh basil on the other.

Add rested chicken and close the lid.

Slice and enjoy.

Chilled Strawberry Soup

When I was growing up my family went on a cruise to Alaska.  Every night they had a different chilled fruit soup.  I decided to give it a try.  It was easy and tasted great. 

2 pounds of strawberries (I used one contained from Costco its 32 oz)
1 cup of dry white wine
1/3 cup of cream
1/4 cup of honey
3 tablespoon of lemon juice

Remove top from strawberries.  Place in a medium sauce pan with wine and honey.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer for 10 min.  Chill in the fridge over night or at least for 4 hours.

Remove from fridge and add lemon juice.  Then blend in the blender or food processor.  I have an immersion blender so I used that.

Reserve 1 cup of strawberry puree.  Add cream in and blend again.

Put some in the bowl.  Drizzle with reserved strawberries and cream.