Cook with Love and Amber

  Around Christmas time last year my Nanni passed away. She left behind a beautiful and well lived life which made possible 4 children, 14 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild, and countless friends and extended family. She was a cancer survivor, an active member of her church, and enjoyed a cup of coffee and always had cookies on deck for the grandkids.  I wanted to honor her with a recipe from a beautiful book put together by her daughter, my Aunt Kim, which became a tearful Christmas gift because none of us knew last year that she wouldn't be there to share it. The cookbook contains recipes from Nanni's personal collection, both handwritten and typed, and also includes many recipes from other family members to create a Stilwell Family Cookbook across generations.  I decided to use Nanni's meatball recipe to highlight her skills in the kitchen with simple family style meal. The recipe below is my take on her original dish. If you're looking for an easy, delic...

This grilled elk steak recipe is great for summer and so darn easy!  Serves 2 Start to finish: 2 hours (includes marinating time) Ingredients : 🥕1-2 lbs elk steak 🥕1 cup lemon juice 🥕1 cup olive oil 🥕1 tbsp minced garlic 🥕Salt and pepper 🥕1/2 lb small red potatoes 🥕1 medium zucchini  🥕Corn bread muffin Directions : 👋Preheat the oven to 350 👋Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in a large bowl (you made a marinade!) 👋Pour 1/3 of the lemon mixture into a medium bowl 👋Salt and pepper elk steak on all sides 👋Add elk steak to larger bowl and flip to coat with lemon marinade 👋Let marinade in the fridge for 30-60 minutes 👋While the steak marinates, quarter the potatoes and cut the zucchini lengthwise into planks 👋Add the zucchini to the medium bowl and toss to coat with lemon marinade 👋Toss potatoes with olive oil, coat with salt and pepper 👋Bake potatoes in the over for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender  👋While the potatoes bake, fir...

We all need some comfort food these days! This goulash recipe is easy and packed with flavor to make everyone in your household say yummmmm!  I used ground elk meat, a special gift from my father, but you can use any ground red meat!  Special Tips: When using ground game meat, remember it is very lean. Always add in some fat like butter when pan frying to allow the meat to brown without drying out and giving your dish just a little more yummm! Serves: 2-3 Ingredients: 1 lb ground red meat (venison, elk, or beef will work great!) 1-2 tbs butter if using game meat 1 yellow onion 1/2 green bell pepper 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1.5 cups water 14.5 oz canned tomato sauce 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt pepper to taste 4 oz elbow macaroni, uncooked Directions: Add ground meat, onion, and green pepper to a large dutch oven. Add butter if using game meat Brown meat and veggies (5-7 minutes) 1-2 minutes before...