Here’s my deal. I love wonderful home-cooked meals.

I even love cooking them.

But I don’t always have the time to spend making our favorites to enjoy all week long.

That’s why I like shortcuts and ways to maximize my work.

Leftovers.

I like leftovers. But only if I can spruce them up and make them more enjoyable than just a rewarmed meal.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.

This amazing recipe for Honey Teriyaki Beef & Broccoli Salad is a great first meal. It’s delicious and I try to make more than I think my family will eat in one sitting.

Then, the next night I grill up some favorite veggies – peppers, onions – on skewers and then warm up the leftover beef from the salad. I put the beef on the skewers with the veggies and we have a reimagined meal that took very little time.

I truly, truly believe great food doesn’t have to take forever in the kitchen! Yum!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Homemade Corned Beef and Cabbage with Carrots and Potatoes

Corned beef and cabbage, a traditional Irish dish, starts off as a beautiful brisket and is “corned” or preserved in a salty brine.

Wanna do St. Patrick’s Day this weekend up right?

This article gives a great background on the dish and its roots in Ireland. Follow the simple instructions and you can create a beautiful meal for your brood. They’ll love it!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! Enjoy the day!

Some favorite dishes are fading fast from restaurant menus. But why?

Apparently, tastes change over time and, as is the case in this day and age, we simply don’t want to take the time for complicated recipes and cooking techniques.

An article at TheDailyMeal.com tells us about 11 menu items quickly disappearing. Two of which are Beef Stroganoff (yum!) and Salisbury Steak (double yum).

Sad, but the beautiful thing is . . . we can still make these dishes at home! And I don’t know about you, but I still do!

I love to use this Sweet Vidalia ground beef when I make Salisbury Steak. I mean, come on, the onions are already in it! Of course, you can use regular ground beef also and add your own onions to make it just the way you like.

Don’t depend on restaurants to dictate what “trends” you’ll be eating. Cook your favorites and let these classics live on!

Here’s one Beef Stroganoff recipe to try at home and here’s another.

Need to know how to cook a fab Salisbury Steak? Try this yummy recipe.

Read about all the disappearing menu items here and resolve to keep them alive in your home! I know I will!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.