This is a fabulous recipe with so many flavors coming together to leave you wanting more.  It's simple, quick, and delicious.  We LOVED it.  It was so good, we will have to indulge again soon, very soon.  


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 broccoli crowns, cut up
1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger or minced ginger from a jar
dash sesame oil, optional
hot cooked rice

Directions:

1.  In a bowl, combine 2 T. cornstarch, 2 T. water and garlic powder until smooth.
2.  Add beef and toss.
3.  In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 T. oil until beef reaches desired doneness; set aside.
4.  Stir-fry broccoli, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in 1 T. oil for 5-7 minutes.
5.  Return beef to pan.  Add sesame oil, if using.
6.  Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, 1 T. cornstarch, and 1/2 cup water until smooth; add to the pan.
7.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
8.  Serve over rice.

Adapted from Food.com.

Potato skins = Yum.  These take a little work to put together, but the effort is worth the end result.  Save the potato insides for a quick potato salad later in the week.  The cooked potato insides will stay good in the fridge for a couple of days until you have time to throw together a potato salad.  Feel free to change up the potato skin toppings to your liking.  We love them with a dolop of sour cream.  

Ingredients:

9 russet potatoes
bacon, cooked and crumbled
olive oil
butter
salt
shredded cheese

1.  Wash and prick potatoes with a fork.  Rub with a little olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes or more until tender.  

2.  Slice potatoes in half and scoop out insides leaving some potato around edges for stability.  A grapefruit spoon works well for scooping.  Save the potato insides to make potato salad later.  

3.  Brush outside of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake about 5 minutes potato side down.  

4.  Flip potatoes over and place a small piece of butter in each potato skin.  

5.  Sprinkle with sea salt, cheese, and bacon.  

6.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.  

We love steamed artichokes for a Spring treat.  If you've never tried them you should, plus you can find them on sale this time of year.  

1.  In a large stock pot, place a couple of lemon slices, a clove of garlic, and a bay leaf with enough water to just reach the bottom of a steamer basket.  (a couple of inches of water)

2.  Wash artichokes.  Cut about an inch off of the stem.

3.  Use kitchen shears to trim the sharp edges off the leaves.

4.  Slice off about an inch off the top of the artichoke.

5.  Cover the artichokes and steam them until the leaves are tender and easily peel off, about 30-45 minutes.  I forgot to take a picture of the artichokes after they had cooked.  They will look more tender than these.  

Melt some butter and dip each petal in before eating.  To eat the petal scrape the inside fleshy part against your teeth.  Remove all of the petals and eat them this way.  Sounds weird, but it is delicious.  After removing the petals, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy covering over the artichoke heart.  Once you get to the artichoke heart, you can cut it into smaller pieces and dip into butter and enjoy.