Stovetop Granola

Not sure where I found this recipe. I printed it out years ago and only just now tried it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp butter
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp dried cranberries
I added chopped up chocolate bits as well!

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats, then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet and spread to cool.

Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries. Any additional nuts and fruit can be stirred in at this time also.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Very easy and so simple to make it however you like. I don't love granola but I do really like the sweetness factor paired with the crunchiness of the oats, so I have to admit I'm digging this as a snack.

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1/4 cups cornstarch
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic minced
3/4 cups soy sauce
3/4 cups water
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup grated carrots
green onions for garnish

Cut flank steak into thin strips. Place in a ziplock bag and add cornstarch Shake to coat.

Add olive oil, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and carrots in a slow cooker. Stir ingredients. Add coated flank steak and stir until coated in the sauce.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours until tender. Can serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Verdict:

This was so good. The thin flank steak was absolutely perfect for this recipe. I think we all agreed it tasted just like it would in a Mongolian restaurant (which we are really missing right now!) The flavor of this sauce was thick and sweet, and it also paired perfectly with the rice. It was almost as good leftover as it was the night I made it. I think this is one of my favorite meals I've ever made. A must-try!

Apple Fritter Rings

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
5 large tart apples
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a bowl, beat egg, milk and oil. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir into the egg mixture until smooth (batter will be thick).

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/2 inch rings. In a deep fryer or skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees. Dip apple rings into batter; fry a few at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over hot fritters. Serve warm.

Verdict:
Ohhhh my. These were SO good! They were incredibly easy to make, too. I have a ton of apples so I'm trying to find new ways to use them. I only used two apples because I wasn't sure how much we were going to like them. The outside was so much like a funnel cake, and then there was that burst of apple flavor on the inside. MORE, PLEASE!!

Stuffed Baked Apples

From: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
4 medium cooking apples
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
Cinnamon

Core apples to within 1/2-inch of bottom, leaving a 1-inch wide cavity. Peel around top third of each apple.

Arrange apples in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan. Fill cavity of each apple with 1 tablespoon raisins. Combine water and lemon juice; pour over apples. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until apples are tender.

Verdict:
I don't really love baked apples, but I am overrun with apples right now, so I'm trying a few new recipes. This recipe was good, but not my favorite. I feel like it was missing a little something but I'm not sure what. So if you've made a recipe similar to this with extra ingredients, let me know!

Teriyaki Beef Broil

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:
1 3/4 lbs top round steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp dry mustard
6 cloves garlic, minced

Partially freeze the steak; slice diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch strips. Place steak in a shallow container. Combine soy sauce and next 5 ingredients; pour over steak. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Remove steak from marinade, and thread onto skewers. Place skewers on a lightly greased rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for 6-7 minutes, turning once.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! You know I love a simple recipe with ingredients I always have in the pantry! These were so easy to make and totally delicious! We'll definitely eat them again.