The 2 Spoons

Delicious Steak and Rice Noodle Salad

April 27, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

I have been obsessed with making this salad ever since I saw Bon Appetit Magazine April 2019 cover for their Steak and Rice noodle Salad. Not only is it delicious, but it is visually satisfying. I didn’t have the exact ingredients that they used, so I improvised, but that’s what cooking from scratch is all about. Rice noodles, peanuts, fresh mint, a yummy dressing….these are just a few of the ingredients that make up this salad.

The recipe calls for rice noodles that you can get from your local grocery store. However, I haven’t been able to find a wide rice noodle which I prefer but you can purchase online. I found them on Amazon after I used the thinner noodle, but I’ll buy the larger ones for next time. Here’s the link for different varieties on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Thai-Noodles-16-Ounce-Boxes/dp/B004I5IC5I/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=wide+rice+noodles&qid=1556394362&s=grocery&sr=1-4

Delicious Steak and Rice Noodle Salad

I can’t wait for you to try this! I think you will love it. This is my version of the Bon Appetit recipe! Enjoy! If you want something crunchy with this salad my breaded zucchini would be perfect: https://the2spoons.com/oh-so-good-simple-fried-zucchini/

Steak and Rice Noodle Salad

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad

CuisineAsian

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Servings servings

Ingredients

3 small serrano chiles
1 garlic clove
kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP fresh lime juice
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
8 oz steak of your choice, I used Ribeye, you could use sirloin or skirt you could use chicken also
1 head of romaine lettuce, coarsley chopped
1/2 english cucumber, thinly sliced
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped mint, plus leaves for serving
1/2 cup shopped, salted, dry-roasted peanutws jplus more for serving
flaky sea salt

Instructions

Remove seeds from 2 chiles, then finely chop with remaining chile. Thinly slice the garlic. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the chiles and garlic. Smash chiles and garlic with the flat side of a chef’s knife, alternating chopping and mashing, until a coarse paste forms. Transfer mixture to a bowl and lime juice, fish sauce, honey, and 1 tbsp oil. Stir vigorously to dissolve honey. This is the dressing.
Place the steak in a medium bowl. Drizzle 3 tbsp dressing over, holding back the chiles with a spoon; set remaining dressing aside. let the steak sit, stirring occasionally at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Remove from heat, add noodles, and cover pot. Let sit, stirring every minute or so to keep the noodles from sticking, until al dente, 5 -8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water; set aside.
Toss the romaine, cucumbers, and radishes in a large bowl with a little salt. Pat the steak dry and season very lightly with salt. The fish sauce in the dressing is pretty salty. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook the steak until browned, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.
Add the steak, lettuce mixture, reserved noodles, 1/2 cup mint, and 1/2 cup peanuts to a large bowl with reserved dressing and toss well. Season with more salt if needed. Divide among bowls, top with remaining mint leaves and more peanuts.

Delicious, Easy and Economical Hamburger Stroganoff!

April 24, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

Classic Beef stroganoff or this Hamburger Stroganoff is the ultimate cold weather dinner. Usually, dishes this hearty take hours of simmering or braising, but not this recipe because we’re using ground beef which is less expensive and so quick! This simple stroganoff is perfect for weeknights! What are you waiting for?!

This Stroganoff is another favorite of Allen’s. Yes, he has many! This dish is delicious and I honestly like stroganoff better with the ground beef rather than using another cut of beef.

Easy and Economical Hamburger Stroganoff

If I were making this recipe with traditional cuts of meat, like sirloin or tenderloin, not only would it be much more expensive but would take longer to cook. You want a really tender cut of meat so the less expensive cuts aren’t really an option because it’d take hours to braise those cuts. I love Beef Stroganoff with Beef Tenderloin but it starts at $13.48 a pound even from Sams Club. I’ve bought the Beef Tenderloin many times but for a simple weeknight meal this is perfect! https://www.samsclub.com/p/whole-beef-tenderloin/137420.

This dish can be a quick dinner for your family or you can feed a crowd! You could serve it with a green vegetable, a salad, and my homemade rolls are perfect with this! Theres’s something about this dish that just begs for a roll, especially a homemade roll!!https://the2spoons.com/my-best-dinner-rolls-yet/

Happy to share this recipe with you…..it’s delicious!

Easy and Economical Hamburger Stroganoff

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbeef stroganoff, hamburger stroganoff, stroganoff

Servings servings

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tbsp worcestershire
1 Can Cream of mushroom soup
1/2 Cup Beef broth
1 cup sour cream
12 oz egg noodles
1 tbsp butter for noodles
Fresh parsley

Instructions

Start a pot of salted water to boil and add the egg noodles. When the egg noodles are tender, drain and add a tablespoon of butter, the chopped parsley and toss. Cover and set aside while you make the stroganoff.
Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add the sliced green onions and garlic. Saute until the onions have softened. Add the ground beef and cook until the meat has cooked completely through. Add the salt and pepper along with cayenne if you are adding. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the beef broth, stirring to combine. Add the can of Cream of Mushroom Soup and combine and heat through. Lower the heat and add the sour cream and combine. You don’t want to boil the dish after adding the sour cream. Check for salt and pepper and adjust. Serve immediately over the buttered noodles. –

A Beautiful Rum Cake

April 24, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

This rum cake melts in your mouth! It is buttery and so tender! It is loaded with rum, how could you not love it?

I used a Coconut Liqueur Rum; however, that is not necessary. You can use a dark rum, or even pick another flavor you like. Captain Morgan has some really nice flavored rums you may like to include in the recipe. https://us.captain.morgan.com

A Beautiful Rum Cake

This is my daughter-in-law’s recipe. After you have cooked the cake you stick holes with a toothpick all over the top, then pour the glaze over. Yum! that creates the most amazing, delicious cake.

I served this for a birthday cake for my nephew after a meal of my Shrimp Scampi with Risotto. It was the perfect dessert for that dish. Here’s the link for the shrimp dish if you’d like to have it. https://the2spoons.com/shrimp-scampi-with-fresh-herb-risotto/

A Beautiful Rum Cake

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Ingredients

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 18.25 oz yellow cake mix
1 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rum ( I used a coconut liquer rum)
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the Glaze

1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rum (I used a coconut liquer rum)

Instructions

For the cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil, and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Stick holes all over the top of the cake and pour the glaze over. Allow the cake to sit and cool in the pan, while it absorbs the glaze. When cool, place a plate on top of the cake and holding the plate tight against the cake pan, flip the cake upside down. Enjoy!

For the Glaze

To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water, and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum.

Oh, so good! Simple Fried Zucchini

April 19, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

I love this Fried Zucchini. It is tossed in some beaten eggs, then breaded in panko and parmesan. What is there not to love? These are a perfect side dish, appetizer or just a snack dipping into your favorite dressing like your favorite ranch or blue cheese. Yes!

Oh, so good! Simple Fried Zucchini

Whether you serve this dish as a side dish or as an appetizer, I think the perfect dressing to use is a Ranch Dressing, and honestly, I think you can’t beat the Hidden Valley Ranch with the packages. I keep that dressing in my refrigerator for foods like this. There are some great recipes out there for homemade ranch dressing, but who needs to when all your seasonings are in a packet! https://www.hiddenvalley.com

I served these alongside my Eggplant Rollatini. I think this was the perfect side dish for that recipe. It would be great with my red sauced lasagna too! https://the2spoons.com/beef-and-italian-sausage-lasagna/

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Fried Zucchini

Print Recipe

CourseAppetizer, easy side dish, vegetable, Side Dish, Vegetable

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Servings servings

Ingredients

Olive oil for frying
1 3/4 cups freshly grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips

Instructions

Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
Stir 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, the panko, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk the eggs in another medium bowl to blend. Working in batches, dip the zucchini in the eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Coat the zucchini in the panko mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the zucchini strips on a baking sheet.
When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the zucchini sticks until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.
Arrange the fried zucchini on a platter. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and serve.

Simply Delicious – Bucatini All’Amatriciana

April 15, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Not only is Bucatini All’Amatriciana simple, but it is equally delicious. This is also one of my favorite kinds of pasta to use. The hole down the middle allows the sauce to fill them making such a difference.

What is All’Amartriciana? https://www.nonnabox.com/bucatini-amatriciana-sauce-recipe. ” A classic Roman recipe, a first dish representation and celebration of Italian cuisine based on bucatini, tomato, guanciale and pecorino cheese. The interpretations of the original recipe are varied but mainly involve different proportions between these four main ingredients. Pasta all’amatriciana is simple to make, delicious and easy enough that anyone can do it and guarantee excellent results.

Bucatini all’amatriciana is a starter dish regularly eaten in Roman households, like pasta carbonara, whose recipe has, over time, been tweaked and amended, normally in relation to the proportions and use of ingredients that go into the recipe. Starting from the thickness and shape of the strips of bacon, for example, or the different methods of frying them (without fat, with oil or lard) and how they are simmered (wine, vinegar, or neither). Another small but important variation relates to the choice of pasta, and the varying quantities of meat and pasta used in the recipe. Another point of contention is the amount of fried onion used in the preparation, if indeed there is any at all.”

Simply Delicious – Bucatini All’Amatriciana

I served this with some garlic bread and a nice salad. I don’t have a lot of salads on my blog yet…definately working on changing that, but as I’ve previously posted my Italian Salad would be a great side dish, or even a nice green vegetable, or just some fresh tomatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper. Here’s my salad link: https://the2spoons.com/italian-salad-with-lemon-olive-oil-vinaigrette/

Simply Delicious – Bucatini All’Amatriciana

Here’s the so very easy recipe!!

Bucatini All’Amatriciana

Print Recipe

CourseAppetizer, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineItalian

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 25

Total Time1 45

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil
8 oz guanciale, pancetta, or prosciutto (I used proscuitto)
2 large onions, cut in 1/2 inch dice
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
2 28 oz cans San marzano tomatoes, crushed with your hands or passed through the food mill
1 lb bucatini
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp minced chives or parsley for garnish

Instructions

Coat a large saucepan with olive oil. Add the guanciale and saute over low heat. Cook until it is brown and crispy and has rendered a lot of fat. Remove and reserve 1/3 of the guanciale for garnish. Bring the pan to a medium heat and add the onions and crushed red pepper. Season generously with salt, to taste. Cook the onions until they are translucent, starting to turn golden and are very aromatic. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for about 1 hour, tasting periodically. Adjust the salt, as needed.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package. Remove 3 or 4 ladlefuls of the sauce from the pot to a bowl, as an insurance policy. You can always add it back in but it’s harder to take out once the pasta is in the pan. You’re looking for the perfect ratio between pasta and sauce. Drain the pasta from the water and add to the pot of sauce. Stir to coat with the sauce. This is how you always finish pasta; you cook it in the sauce to perform the marriage of the pasta and the sauce. Add more sauce, if necessary. Add in the cheese and drizzle with olive oil to really bring the marriage together. Toss to coat and serve in shallow bowls garnished with cheese and the reserved guanciale. Sprinkle with chives to finish, if using.

Bucatini All'Amartriciana — Bucatini All’Amartriciana

Shrimp Scampi with Fresh Herb Risotto

April 13, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

This Shrimp Scampi with Fresh Herb Risotto is a beautiful and delicious dish. It accidentally came together, yet has become a favorite.

My nephew is in food service management with a local university and was bringing this herbaceous risotto for lunch with my mother and two sisters that he said they had served with shrimp scampi at a function. I told him I’d make the scampi and we could throw it together! Wow! What a success! The risotto was creamy and luscious, the shrimp was buttery and citrusy, a match made in heaven!

Use a good Arborio rice and have lot’s of chicken stock on hand for your risotto, oh, and fresh herbs! I used this brand Arborio rice: http://www.riceselect.com/products/arborio, but there are many other brands.

Shrimp Scampi with Fresh Herb Risotto

I served this dish with my prosciutto wrapped asparagus which was absolutely the perfect side dish. This risotto dish with the asparagus is a perfect spring lunch or dinner and both would be perfect at your Easter table! Break outside the box! Do something a little different! Here’s the link to my asparagus recipe:https://the2spoons.com/prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus-screams-spring/

I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!

Shrimp Scampi with Fresh Herb Risotto

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineItalian

Keywordshrimp scampi

Ingredients

For the Risotto

7 cups chicken stock
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups finely chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon, chives, chervil, dill, basil, chives and arugula (4 cups leaves) Pick one or a combination
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cups finely chopped onion or leek
salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot gregio or sauvignon blanc
freshly ground pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan

For the Shrimp Scampi

2 lbs 16/20 or less count shelled and devined raw shrimp
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 for sauteeing and 2 for finishing the sauce
cajun seasoning for the shrimp
fresh ground peppoer
1 cup white wine
1 lemon zest and the juice
1/2 cup prmesan cheese
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

For the Risotto

Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer on the stove, with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned. Combine the herbs and one of the minced garlic cloves in a bowl, and set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan. Add the onion or leek and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook gently until it is just tender about three minutes. Do not brown.
Stir in the rice and the remaining three cloves of garlic, and stir just until the grains of rice become separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed.
Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. When the rice is just tender all the way through but still chewy, usually in 20 to 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and correct seasoning.
Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the herbs, pepper, lemon zest and juice, and Parmesan, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy. If you put some on a plate and tilt the plate the mound of rice should flatten out. Serve right away.

For the Shrimp Scampi

Turn your oven on broil. Season the shrimp by sprinkling with a cajun seasoning like Slap Yo Mama or similar and set aside. Add the extra virgin olive oil and butter to a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, being careful not to burn. Add the white wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Add the lemon zest and the juice of one lemon and the 2 tablespoons butter. Add your shrimp and cook on one side about a minute or until turns pink, then turn to the other side and cook an additional minute or until it turns pink. Check your broth for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour your shrimp and the juices into an oven safe dish. Top with the parmesan cheese and place under the broiler for a minute or so until the parmesan starts to turn a light brown. This won’t take long and this is why you don’t want to overcook your shrimp while in the skillet, because it will cook additionally while browning your parmesan lightly. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Your combined dish

Place your risotto on a large platter. Place the shrimp over the risotto and pour the juices over the entire dish. Sprinkle fresh parsley or the fresh herb you used in your risotto and serve with lemon wedges.