yum!

I have a few new recipes to share. These are perfect for the hot summer days we have been having. First is the veggie and cheese sandwich. Eric loves this and asks for more even when he is full and runs to the store for cream cheese and bread and flowers and asks me to make it again.

I found the recipe on the Pioneer Woman Cooks. We chose to use these multigrain ciabatta sandwich rolls instead of bagels and I don't have presliced cheddar so it's not quite as pretty, but it's so yummy! I cut back on the onion just a little bit for myself, but Eric wants it all on his.

Ingredients

• ½ blocks Of Cream Cheese
• 2 whole (to 3) Green Onions
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Avocado
• Red Onion
• 1 bagel or sandwich roll
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• 1 Or 2 Slices Of Muenster or Provolone or whatever you like Cheese
• Slice Of Cheddar Cheese
• Lettuce

Place ½ a block of cream cheese on a plate and mash it a bit with a fork. Next, chop up 2-3 green onions and mix them with the cream cheese until thoroughly combined.
Slice all veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, red onions) thinly.
Slice bagel or roll in half. You can toast it if you prefer or not if you are in a hurry like I was today. Spread the cream cheese generously on both sides.
Layer the vegetables. First lay the avocados right along the cream cheese to help them stay put. Next the alfalfa sprouts and then one slice of each kind of cheese. On the other half of the bagel arrange the cucumber slices in a circle.
Next lay the onion slices on top of the cucumbers, then the tomatoes, followed by a slice of lettuce, and if you'd like another slice of cheese.
Then put it all together and enjoy :)

Another great idea for a hot summer day is a nice, cool salad. This one has an Asian flavor and is very filling.
Also found on the Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

• SALAD INGREDIENTS:
• 1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled
• ½ heads Sliced Napa Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• ½ heads Sliced Purple Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• ½ bags Baby Spinach, Or More To Taste
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
• 1 bag Bean Sprouts (also Called Mung Bean Sprouts)
• Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste
• 3 whole Scallions, Sliced
• 3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
• 1 can (about 10 Oz.) Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet
• _____
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
• ⅓ cups Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic Chopped
• 2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapenos, Chopped
• Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.
Note: dressing keeps for up to three days before serving, without cilantro.

The store was out of bean sprouts and orange bell peppers, but it still turned out great. It's a really, REALLY, big salad so you may want to save it for a potluck or shrink the recipe a bit if you aren't feeding an army.

And last, but not least and for those of you wondering if we had gone vegetarian.

These were sooo good! The meat turned out really tender and the veggies were roasted, yet still crisp. I found this one on Allrecipes. The only thing I changed was to use cayenne instead of hot pepper sauce because we didn't have any. Oh, and I added red bell pepper just because.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 3/4 pound beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 8 large fresh whole mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into chunks

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the first nine ingredients; mix well. Pour 1/4 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Add beef to the bag. Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Drain and discard marinade. On metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread beef and vegetables. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until beef reaches desired doneness, basting frequently with reserved marinade and turning once. 

We also tried a homemade steak sauce last week, but I have no pictures to share because it was eaten too fast. I am not a steak sauce person, but this was so good I was just licking it off my finger. I used huckleberry jam because that is what we had.

Devil's Steak Sauce