slow cooker french dip sandwiches... 6 hours

the goods:

3 pound beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup Coca-Cola (not diet)
2 can (10.5 ounces each) beef consomme
1/4 cup dry minced onions
1 tablespoon beef bouillon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
6 french rolls or hoagie buns
6 slices provolone cheese
6 tablespoons softened butter

Heat olive oil over medium high in a cast-iron skillet. Using tongs to hold roast, sear on all sides until slightly browned. Add to the slow cooker and top with soy sauce, Coke, beef consomme
minced onions, beef bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook on low for 4 hours, then remove roast to a cutting board. Thinly slice across the grain. Place sliced meat back in the slow cooker and continue to cook on low for 1-2 hours more.
When ready to serve, remove roast and strain broth through a sine sieve, so it is ready for dipping.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split rolls and place bottom halves on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each piece of bread with beef followed by a slice of cheese. Bake for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Butter the top buns with softened butter and place face down on a griddle or skillet to lightly toast. Top sandwiches with toasted buns and serve with dipping sauce.

beef with broccoli... 30 minutes

the goods:

1 flank steak, sliced very thin against the grain
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 and 1/2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 head of broccoli, florets cut off
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
cooked rice, for serving
sesame seeds, for serving
2 scallions, chopped

Add steak and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon flour to a large zip-top bag. Seal, then squish to combine and evenly coat the meat. Place beg in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add remaining 1/2 cup soy sauce, remaining 1 and 1/2 tablespoons flour, chicken broth, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ground ginger, and red chili pepper flakes to a bowl, whisk to combine, then set aside.
Heat a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat, then add water and broccoli. Stir fry until broccoli is crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add red bell pepper to the wok and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until crisp tender; transfer to plate with broccoli.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the wok and add about half the marinated meat in a single layer. Let it sit, undisturbed, until seared, about a minute. Then stir fry until just barely cooked through. Remove to plate with broccoli, then repeat with remaining beef and an additional tablespoon of oil.
Add sauce to empty wok then simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add cooked broccoli, beef, and bell peppers back into the wok and stir to combine with the sauce.
Serve over rice and garnish with scallion and sesame seeds.

breakfast quesadillas... 25 minutes

the goods:

1 pound bacon
1 onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon butter
8 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
6 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced
salsa, for serving
sour cream, for serving

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium until crisp, drain on paper towels.
Pour the grease out of the skillet and return it to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook for several minutes until they start to soften and onions start to caramelize. Transfer them to a plate and reduce the skillet to medium-low. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-ha;f, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pan. Cook eggs, stirring them often, until they're set. Transfer to a plate.

Build the quesadillas: Melt some butter in a clean skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lay a tortilla on the butter. Add a sprinkling of cheese, some bacon slices, eggs, avocado, another layer of cheese (don't skimp on the cheese, this is the glue that holds it all together), and a layer of the sauteed veggies. Top with a second tortilla, then flip to the other side once cheese is starting to melt and tortilla starts to brown.
Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa.

chicken lo mein... 25 minutes

the goods:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

6 ounces dry lo mein noodles (can also use spaghetti)

3 teaspoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup snow peas, ends trimmed

2 cups baby spinach

sauce:

1 cup cold water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 and 1/2 tablespoons oyster flavored sauce

1/2 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon chili garlic paste or sriracha

 In a large pot of boiling water, cook lo mein noodles according to package instructions; drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a wok/large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cooked until browned and completely cooked, about 4 minutes per side. Remove cooked chicken to a plate.
Add additional 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and saute garlic, ginger, red peppers, and snow peas. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Toss in spinach and stir an additional minute until wilted.
Add drained noodles and chicken back into the pan and pour the sauce over it all. Toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients in the sauce.

enchilada beef nachos... 20 minutes

the goods:

1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 ounces) red enchilada sauce (or 1 cup homemade)
1 can (4 ounces) fire roasted diced green chiles
1 bag tortilla chips
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos
3 mini sweet peppers, thinly sliced
1 jar (15 ounces) salsa con queso
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salsa and sour cream, for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown, while breaking up with a wooden spoon. When fully cooked, drain the meat and add enchilada sauce and green chiles. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until sauce has reduced.
Meanwhile, microwave the queso, until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Distribute chips among plates, top with queso, meat, beans, sour cream, peppers, jalapenos, and cilantro.

chicken yakisoba... 25 minutes

the goods:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
10 ounce bag angel hair coleslaw
2 carrots, peeled and shreded
1 small crown broccoli
2 inches fresh ginger
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 packages (3 ounces each) ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sriracha, and sugar. (Use only half the sriracha if you don't want it spicy.) Stir until the sugar is dissolved; set aside.
Peel and finely grate the ginger. Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
Boil a medium pot of water.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the grated ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring so it doesn't burn. Add the chicken strips and cook for about 5 minutes until no longer pink and cooked throughout. Add all the vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, once the water boils, add the noodles and cook just until tender, 3 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Toss with the sesame oil.
Pour the sauce into the wok with the chicken and vegetables. Add the noodles, and stir to coat everything in the sauce. Heat through, a few minutes more.

mini pepper nachos... 15 minutes

this picture is HORRIBLE, but I ate this at night, sooo... sorry, they're too good not to post!

the goods:

2/3 cup corn (frozen, leftover, canned, doesn't matter)
2/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup salsa
1 avocado, diced
1 pound mini peppers, halved and seeded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Turn your oven onto broil.
In a medium bowl, combine the corn, black beans, salsa, and avocados; season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet, and fill each pepper with filling. Sprinkle cheese on top of each pepper. Broil until cheese is melted, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve!