Happy Birthday to me - LC style

Dinner tonight was awesome. It's my birthday today and I said I wanted a birthday steak instead of a birthday cake. So, here's my rib-eye birthday steaks:




Yep, that's just 2 rib-eyes stacked on top of each other.
And no, candles don't stand up well when they are in a nice, tender, juicy rib-eye.




My entire birthday meal was excellent.
Grilled rib-eye steak, cauliflower poppers topped with Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, and fresh avocados. One of my favorite meals. I love all of it.

Mexican Chicken

Here's a fantastic crock pot meal for those days when you don't have much time to make anything. It takes about 10 minutes to prep and then cooks for 8 hours while you are gone or busy.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp adobo seasoning
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed
1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies, drained
Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1. Add the first 11 ingredients (from tomato paste to the green peppers) into the crock pot and mix well.
2. Add chicken thighs or breasts and stir well to coat the chicken pieces.
3. Add the black beans and chilies but do not stir.
4. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours
5. Stir thoroughly before serving.
6. Serve with cheese and sour cream if desired.

This recipe was from the Every Day LC Slow Cooker cookbook.

Pork with Camembert Sauce

Pretty simple dish with a very good sauce.

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless pork loin
2 oz Camembert Cheese
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp dry white wine
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Pepper - to taste

Directions:
1. Cut the pork loin into 3 portions about 3/4" thick.
2. Put the pork in a zip lock bag and pound to about 1/2 thick with tenderizing hammer.
3. Cut the rind off of the Camembert cheese and cut into 1/2" chunks.
4. Spray a big heavy skillet with nonstick spray and put over medium-high heat.
5. When the skillet is hot, melt the butter in the skillet and coat the insides.
6. Fry the pork a golden brown, being careful not to overcook them.
7. Set the pork loin aside and cover with tin-foil to keep warm.
8. Add wine to the skillet and stir around with a spatula to get up all the bits of pork.
9. As the wine reduces, add the sage and stir again.
10. Turn down the heat to medium-low and add in the Camembert, stiring as it melts.
11. After it is fully melted, add in the sour cream and dijon mustard and heat through w/out simmering again.
12. Pepper to taste and serve immediately spooned over the pork loin.

This recipe is from Dana Carpenders Every Calorie Counts Cookbook

Dude Ranch Soup

Here's a great crock-pot meal for those days when you won't have much time after work or at the end of the day.

Ingredients:
2 pounds round steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 15.5 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 14.5 oz can beef broth or home-made beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp adobo seasoning
1 cube beef bullion
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp dried minced onions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more to your liking)

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients except cheese to the crock-pot and mix well.
2. Cook on low for about 7 1/2 hours.
3. Stir in the cheese and cook for another 1/2 hour.
4. Serve with sour cream, cheese, or whatever other toppings you want to use.

The original recipe from The Everyday LC Slow Cooker Cookbook needed a bit of a boost, so I added the cayenne pepper to give it bit of kick. Overall a great recipe and a wonderful one for leftover lunches.