Crockpot Philly Cheesesteak

I love Cheesesteaks. I've never made it from scratch. I used to just take roast beef slices and sautee them with onions, bell peppers and mushrooms and they came out really good. When I saw this in my crockpot cookbook, I wanted to give it a try. It came out very flavorful and really good. Hubby said it looked like restaurant quality. I topped it with some leftover cheese sauce I used for my macaroni and cheese and served with a side of fries.

2 lbs. round steak, sliced

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

4 onions, sliced

2 green bell peppers, sliced

1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 Tbsp. black pepper

1/2 cup water

2 tsp. beef bouillon granules

crusty Italian or French rolls

cheddar cheese slices, or cheese sauce

1) Combine steak, butter, onions, bell peppers, garlic powder, black pepper and salt in the crockpot. Stir.

2) Whisk together water and bouillon in small bowl; pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until tender.

3) Remove meat mixture and place on rolls. Top with cheddar cheese or cheese sauce.

Easy Dirty Rice

I've never had dirty rice. I always see the boxed version of it and always thought it looked yummy. I came across a recipe from my crockpot recipe cookbook and thought to give it a try. It was pretty easy, but thought that it tasted a little bland. I don't know if I would repeat this recipe again. Maybe, I'll adjust it to better suit my taste.

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage
2 3/4 cup water
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper/cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1) Brown sausage in a skillet for 6-8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat. Place sausage in slow cooker.

2) Stir in remaining ingredients, except parsley. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir in parsley.

Happy Valentine's Day and Gong Hay Fat Choy!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to all those in love and those who wish to be in love.

Today marks the 8th anniversary of when hubby proposed to me. *sigh* I can't believe we're now 7 years married. But still happily in love. Hubby and I don't normally celebrate Valentine's day. It doesn't turn out to be romantic when you're waiting in line at a crowded restaurant for 40 minutes to an hour. Even with reservations! So we usually celebrate it before or after the 14th. This year, we celebrated a week early by going on a movie date to see "Dear John." Then yesterday, we went out to lunch at Max's restaurant and had some Caldereta, Bicol Express, and Chicken Sisig. Yummy! I haven't had real Filipino food in a while. Its a shame that I'm not a good Filipino cook.

My parents took us all out to a Sunday brunch after church to commemorate Valentine's day and to treat some relatives who just came from the Philippines. We went to one of my parents' favorite places, Delmonico's Lobster House. I've never been here other than for brunch, but they have the same awesome spread every time.

Yummy Broiled Lobster, Lobster Thermadore, prime rib, eggs benedict, pasta.......I could go on and on.

Today also marks the year of the Tiger in the Chinese Calendar. "Kong Hay Fat Choy" to all my Chinese friends, family, and those who celebrate Chinese New Year. My mom somehow celebrates Chinese New Year, even though we're not Chinese. After our brunch, we hung out at my parents house for a bit. There, I saw the bountiful basket of fruits that they would usually place for New Year's. Like I said, my parents are pretty superstitious. So they always have something prepared for Chinese New Year to help bring in good luck.

Asian Ginger Beef with Bok Choy

Here's another great recipe from my never-ending crock pot cookbook. It tastes just like my crock pot korean short ribs or my crock pot korean bbq-style soup. Do you notice a trend here? lol. They're all delicious and all very easy to make.

2 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch piece
6 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. asian chili paste
9 ounces fresh udon or cooked vermicelli
3 cups bok choy, trimmed, washed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef on all sides in batches to prevent crowding. Sear last bach of beef with onions and garlic.

2) Transfer beef mixture to slow cooer. Add broth, water, soy sauce, ground ginger and chili paste. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beef is very tender.

3) Just before serving, turn crock pot on high. Add noodles and stir well. Add bok choy and stir. Heat on high until bok choy is tender-crisp. Garnish beef with cilantro and serve hot.