Flavorful Fall Foods

Autumn means slow-cooked meals, hearty flavors, fire pits, and…barbecue? That’s right. With these recipes, you can easily whip up and enjoy southwestern style veggie fajitas and NY strip steak from the comfort of your kitchen using premium ingredients in LadyRen Chef’s Blend. One blend has all the spices and herbs you need to flavor your food naturally and speed up your cooking time.

VEGETABLE FAJITAS

INGREDIENTS:

 For the pickled vegetables:

·      2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

·      2/3 cup water

·      2 tablespoons sugar

·      2 teaspoons salt

·      ½ teaspoon LadyRen Chef’s Blend

·      1 cup (about 2 carrots), cut into thin strips (matchsticks)

·      ½ red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

For the fajitas:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 cups (8-ounces) cremini or shitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips

  • 2 cups butternut squash, diced small

  • 1 yellow squash, unpeeled and sliced into 3-inch strips

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

  • 1 large Roma tomato, diced

  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth

  • 2 tablespoons LadyRen Chef’s Blend seasoning

For serving: cooked rice or tortillas, sour cream, black olives, fresh chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Make the pickle: Bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and LadyRen Chef’s Blend to a simmer in a small saucepan, stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Place the carrots and onion in a glass bowl and pour the hot liquid over. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes before serving.

  2. Prepare the vegetable fajitas: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add all the vegetables and, optional jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper, cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a plate. To the same pan, add the diced tomato, vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon LadyRen Chef’s Blend and cook for 2 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits. Return the cooked vegetables to the pan and stir to combine everything.

  3. Assemble and serve: Remove the vegetables from the pan. Serve over warm tortillas or rice topped with the pickled vegetables, and garnish of choice: sour cream, black olives, fresh chopped cilantro.

·      ½ teaspoon LadyRen Chef’s Blend

·      1 cup (about 2 carrots), cut into thin strips (matchsticks)

·      ½ red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

For the fajitas:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 cups (8-ounces) cremini or shitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips

  • 2 cups butternut squash, diced small

  • 1 yellow squash, unpeeled and sliced into 3-inch strips

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

  • 1 large Roma tomato, diced

  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth

  • 2 tablespoons LadyRen Chef’s Blend seasoning

For serving: cooked rice or tortillas, sour cream, black olives, fresh chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Make the pickle: Bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and LadyRen Chef’s Blend to a simmer in a small saucepan, stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Place the carrots and onion in a glass bowl and pour the hot liquid over. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes before serving.

  2. Prepare the vegetable fajitas: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add all the vegetables and, optional jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper, cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a plate. To the same pan, add the diced tomato, vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon LadyRen Chef’s Blend and cook for 2 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits. Return the cooked vegetables to the pan and stir to combine everything.

  3. Assemble and serve: Remove the vegetables from the pan. Serve over warm tortillas or rice topped with the pickled vegetables, and garnish of choice: sour cream, black olives, fresh chopped cilantro.

Autumn Strip Steak

the maple syrup and brown sugar complements all the herbs and spices in LadyRen Chef’s Blend allowing the steaks to have a hint of warmth in the flavors.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pounds strip steak

  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar

  • ¼ cup orange juice

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon LadyRen Chef’s Blend seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Place steak in a casserole dish.

  2. Make the marinade: In a bowl combine and whisk together all the ingredients. Pour the marinade over the steak, turn to coat the other side. Cover and marinate overnight or for at least 2 hours. Remove steak from marinade, wipe off any excess marinade, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon LadyRen Chef’s Blend, if desired to give steak a little extra char when cooked. Grill or sear in a stovetop pan to desired doneness.

While this marinade is perfect for steak, it also works for pork chops, chicken breasts, fish steaks, and vegetables.