Steak Quesadillas at Home

My steak quesadillas have become a fave of my son's. They are a nice change from taco night.

These are so simple to make. The filling can be used throughout the week if you do not eat all 6 at once. 

You may use chicken in place of steak if desired. 

Steak Quesadillas 

Makes 6 

6 large flour tortillas

1 Tbsp. olive oil

 1/2 lb. beef round stir fry strips

1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 small onion, sliced

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp coriander

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup water

Shredded cheddar cheese

To serve: Shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, lime quarters

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil. Add beef strips and brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a dish.

In the same skillet, add green and red bell peppers and onion slices. Season with salt and pepper. Saute over medium high heat until soft. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and coriander. Return steak to the pan and add 1/4 cup water. Stir until well combined and heated through. Add more water if desired. Set aside until ready to assemble quesadillas.

To make quesadillas: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add tortilla to dry pan. Warm for a minute, flip. On one half of the tortilla, add a handful of shredded cheese spreading evenly. Top with 1/6 of the meat and pepper mixture. Top with little more cheese. Fold empty side of tortilla over the side with the fillings. Press down with tongs to seal the edges. Once browned, flip to brown the other side. Remove to plate. Cool for a minute, and cut in half.

Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. 

Serve with shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream and lime quarters.

Herb-Roasted Onions

A cook can never have too many side dish options, and this Herb Roasted Onions recipe from the Barefoot Contessa is a total hit.

The hardest part of preparation is not crying while peeling and quartering onions. (I run water in the faucet and look up and take breaks and pray).

I actually whisked together the vinaigrette in the big bowl first, then just placed the onions on top. Ina says to cut the onions first and place in a big bowl, and then whisk the vinaigrette in a small bowl and then pour the vinaigrette over them. But honey, that means more things to wash up. So, I'll keep my way. LOL.

This dish can be made ahead and would go wonderfully with any kind of roast: turkey, chicken, ham, lamb or beef. 

I served the onions with another Barefoot Contessa hit: Herb Roasted Turkey Breast and also my grandmother's amazing string beans.  And of course, mashed potatoes are always a side with any roast in this house. So delish. 

I used leftovers to make a quick pizza the next night. So good.

Here you go:

Herb-Roasted Onions

From "Barefoot At Home"

By Ina Garten

Serves 6

4 red onions

3 yellow onions

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 Tbsp. minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onions. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onions in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a large bowl.

Combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions once during cooking. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Pierogies and Sauteed Veggies

I always need more meatless main recipes in my arsenal. I hope you feel the same and add this to your stash: Pierogies and Sauteed Veggies.

While making homemade pierogies is totally on my culinary task bucket list, this recipe utilizes a good ole box of Mrs. T's mini pierogies that I usually have stashed in my freezer for emergencies.

The entire endeavor of making this takes no more than 20 minutes. And it is a hit with the whole family. My son asks for many extra servings.

You can sub out any veggies you love. I think this summery mix of zucchini and red and green bell peppers is really nice with the pierogies. I sometimes serve this on top of fresh arugula too for a salad situation.

Pierogies and Sauteed Veggies
(Makes 4 servings)

1 box (12.84 ounces) frozen mini cheddar pierogies, such as Mrs. T's (about 28 pierogies)
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 small zucchini, trimmed, sliced in half and cut into moon-shaped pieces
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream to serve

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pierogies to boiling water. Cook according to package instructions, usually about 3 to 6 minutes once water comes back to a boil. (I usually go longer, like 6 minutes.) Stir the pierogies occasionally while they cook. If you think they aren't cooked entirely, boil them longer.

Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter. Once butter is melted, add peppers, zucchini and onion. Toss frequently and cook until lightly browned about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper

Using a slotted spoon or a spider ladle, transfer cooked pierogies directly into the saute pan with the veggies. Toss the pierogies so that they become slathered in the butter and veggies. Add a ladle of water from the pot in which the pierogies boiled to the saucepan with the veggies and pierogies. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

Serve with sour cream.

Crackalicious Onion Dip

I'm just gonna tell you straight away: Get  your extra crunches in. Exercise at least an hour every day. Drink a vat of detox water. And eat as much as your heart desires of this insane in the membrane Pan-Fried Onion Dip.

Seriously. OMG. Seriously.

I don't even like chips.

Or onion dip.

I mean skeeve.

But the next time you have a party. Make this.

I'm sure you're like: Bitch, please. Where was this two weeks ago for the freakin' Super Bowl?

Yeah. I know I suck. Maybe you can get it in for those riveting World Cup qualifier games. Or March Madness. That's big, right? Right?!

So the ratio of real onions to the trifecta of  totally fattening clog-your-artery ingredients - mayo, cream cheese, sour cream  - is like 3 to 1. I believe. I told myself. I really don't know. But whatever. That's what it looked like. And, oh right: You cook the onions in vegetable oil AND four tablespoons of butter. But, I mean who's counting?

This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. So you know it's good. And she does not give a flying fig if this dip is healthy. And well, it's not!

This is more time consuming than opening a packet of tan chemicals labeled Onion Dip Mix and dumping it into a container of sour cream. But it so worth it. Your guests will love. Trust.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip

From the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
By Ina Garten

2 large yellow onions.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter.
1/4 cup vegetable oil.
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper.
1 teaspoon kosher salt.
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature.
1/2 cup sour cream.
1/2 cup good mayonaisse

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.