Steak Soup

To help calm me while I was driving home on icy roads, I created a recipe in my mind - with ingredients I knew I had on hand, and Darn, I can hardly stand myself it was so good!

                                                                                                                 


Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb. steak, cooked, cut up into bite sized pieces (I used pork shoulder blade steak)
• 2 - 14.5 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, with peppers, celery, and cumin
• 1 - 6.5 oz. can mushrooms
• 1 - 11 oz. can Mexican corn
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 cups water
• 1- 16 oz. can Baby Butter Beans 
• 1 pkg  Gnocchi   
• 1 Tbs each of, Cumin, Oregano, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except Gnocchi in pot on a low boil for 1/2 hr.  Place Gnocchi in pot and allow to boil for 3 minutes until they rise to the top.  Serve with Parmesan Cheese on top and crusty hot- buttered bread on the side.




Pair with a lovely Merlot or Syrah ~


                                                         

                                                                                        Mel

Mango Tenderloin

                                                                           

     It's been two years since my last post here, and it hasn't gone unnoticed!  Many have asked me where I went, if I was okay ... Cooking, and this blog, were used as a source of healing for me during a tough time in my life.  When life got better, I stopped blogging. I did not stop cooking though! In fact, I have a boyfriend now - who loves to cook as well.  This recipe we created together, and when we took our first bites, I kid you not - our eyes connected, our forks trembled, and I believe one of us whimpered - this was some amazing stuff and we knew we were on to something big. Big like people would pay big bucks for a dish like this, and here I am offering it to you for free!  What a gal. All you have to do is purchase the ingredients, set aside an evening, and make some sweet love to some tender loins!  This is the perfect dish for a 3rd. date, especially if you want to have a 4th., and a 5th., and a 6th. .... You get the idea.  Enjoy!

                                                                                                       

Ingredients:

• 3 lb marinated, pork loin (we bought one in an apple marinade)
• 1/2 cup onion
• 2 orange peppers
• 4 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. ginger
• 3 mangoes
• 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

                                             just look at all that goodness melding together!

Let's get started!

  Heat the vinegar in a pan over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook until thickened some.  Add ginger and the mango, and continue to cook until softened.  Add the lime juice.  Puree until smooth in a food processor.

  Consistency will be jam-like.  You'll be tempted to stop right here and spread it on some toast, but Wait! Put this in a pan, or crock pot, along with the rest of the ingredients -   Cook until peppers and onion are soft.  In the meantime, cook your tenderloin to your choosing.

  Arrange your sliced tenderloin on a serving platter, Serve with the mango salsa on top, and be prepared to drool.  Man, this is good stuff Maynard!

  Don't forget your side of crusty warm bread ...

Make the final presentation as beautiful as the woman you made it for.

 .... and then dig in!

                                                                                                       

Mel