The Cookbook Experiment: Quick and Easy Swiss Steak

Tonight's cookbook experiment is once again courtesy of Mr. Dick John. His Quick and Easy Swiss Steak intrigued me so I was determined to give it a try. The only problem? I really did not want to stand around and brown the steaks in shortening. No time for that! I work full time and I wanted it easier but not necessarily quicker.  I will fill you in on what I did after I tell you how to make it the way Mr. John makes it.

Quick and Easy Swiss Steak

(4) medium sized cubed steaks
(1) onion, sliced
(1) can cream of onion soup
(1) can beefy mushroom soup
(2) tablespoons shortening
(1) can water

Brown cubed steaks in shortening. Place in baking dish. Cover with sliced onions. Mix together onion and mushroom soups and water. Pour over onions and steaks. Bake in 325 oven for 45 minutes or until onions are cooked.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I did not want to stand around and brown the steaks. I knew that today being Monday that I would not have time.  I loaded up the crock pot with the steaks and the onions.
• I could not find cream of onion soup. I am not even sure they make it anymore. I guess I should hit up the Campbell's website and find out.
• I used cream of mushroom in place of the cream of onion.
• I knew I would need more liquid since I was using the crock pot.  I used two cans of the Beefy Mushroom soup and two cans of water.
• I cooked this on high from 12:00 Noon until I served it at 6:30 tonight. The steak was so amazingly tender.
• I wanted a thicker, richer gravy so I did two things: I added about 2 tablespoons from a block of Philadelphia cream cheese. I also mixed a little bit of the hot gravy with a tablespoon of corn starch. I beat the corn starch really well into the little bit of gravy to make sure there were no lumps. I let that go for a while until the cream cheese melted into the gravy and the gravy thickened up.
• It turned out so good! I made white rice to go under it and we also had some corn. I had to walk away from the crock pot because all I wanted to do was get bread and keep dipping it in the gravy it is so good! Thanks Mr. John!! Again!!

Potatoes, Parrots and other GREEN things

Tonight's dinner was cube steak, baked potatoes and corn.  I wanted REAL steak but feeding a family of five + one requires some frugalness!  I needed steak as I have been dying to make a chimichurri sauce ever since I had it at a restaurant. And I must say, it turned out beautifully!

This is what I did:

(1) large bunch of cilantro, stems chopped off
(1) large bunch of Italian parsley, stems chopped off
(3) cloves of garlic, chopped and smashed
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
water

I do not own a food processor.  If I did, I definitely would have used it!  I put the most of it in my Kitchen Aid blender.  I added the garlic and then (1) tablespoon of the oil, vinegar and water.  I pulsed it for a minute then continued to add the liquid ingredients a tablespoon at a time until I got a smooth-like consistency.

I then transferred the ingredients to a bowl and let sit and "marry" while my son (God bless him) went outside in the 29 degree cold weather on the back porch to grill my steaks! He put the fire pit on to keep his backside warm while the front side of him was kept warm by the grill! It was not too bad for him out there!

I guess by now you are wondering where the potatoes and parrots come in, right?  We had one baked potato left over after dinner.  Our parrot LOVES potatoes!  I cut open the potato and put it in his cage where he happily proceeded to eat it.  He is such a goof ball.

Dinner was successful overall.  There was no steak or chimichurri left over. And the last potato went to the parrot!  This is a picture of me and Louie! My lovable, crazy Yellow Naped Amazon Parrot!