Grilled Steak with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Chimichurri Sauce

Wow... that word is the closest description I can give for this dish. It was so amazingly delicious. The recipe came from foodnetwork.com. At first I was a little afraid to try it because my dad is the grill man in our family and I wasn't so sure how mom and I would be able to handle it, but we did pretty darn good (if I do say so myself). The chimichurri sauce MADE the dish. Do not skip it if you try it. It has such perfect flavors! We had a leftover flank steak in our freezer so that was used instead of two strip steaks. The one steak came out to 1.5 pounds so it just needed to be on the grill for a little longer.

 

Yield: 4 servings

 

Ingredients:

3/4 pound green beans, trimmed

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grill grates

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 strip steaks (about 1-inch thick), about 1 1/2 pounds total, trimmed of excess fat and halved

Chimichurri sauce, recipe follows

 

Directions:

1. Place a double layered piece of heavy-duty foil on a tray or cutting board; fold and gather edge to form a rim. Toss the green beans and tomatoes on foil with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat a grill to medium. Lightly oil the grill grates and season the steak with salt and pepper. Slide the foil tray onto the grill; cook, tossing occasionally, until the beans char slightly and cook through, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add the steaks to the grill; cook until desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steaks to cutting board to rest 5 minutes. Slice, and serve steak and the vegetables with the Chimichurri Sauce.

 

Nutritional analysis per serving of steak and tomatoes

Calories 451; Total Fat 29g (Sat Fat 11g, Mono Fat 13.4g, Poly Fat 1.54) ; Protein 37g; Carb 9g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 94mg; Sodium 217mg

Chimichurri Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 small garlic clove

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint and cilantro

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

Combine the garlic, vinegar, herbs, olive oil and water in small food processor; pulse until herbs are coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Calories 33; Total Fat 3.5g (Sat Fat .5g, Mono Fat 2.7g, Poly Fat 0.3g) ; Protein 0g; Carb 0g; Fiber 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 120.5mg

Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Chicken and Blue Cheese

When I got home last night I was very glad to see that there wasn't a whole lot of effort needed to make this dish and even more thrilled that it tasted so amazing. All the flavors went to well together. I'll defiantly want to make it again. This recipe came from weightwatchers.com. When I made it, I used the left over chicken from the Roman-Style Chicken dish and even those flavors mixed well with it. We also didn't put in the radicci.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 oz fresh spinach, baby
2 cups uncooked radiccio, coarsly chopped
6 slices uncooked reduced-fat bacon
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 3.5 cups)
1 large uncooked red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper; set aside.

Toss spinach and radicchio in a large serving bowl; set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over low heat; add bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy and browned, about 7 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; let drain.

Set same skillet over high heat; add mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring often, until onions begin to brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add vinegar mixture and chicken to skillet; cook, stirring, to heat chicken, about 1 minute. Spoon over spinach mixture and toss to wilt lightly; garnish with bacon, apple and blue cheese. Serve warm. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

Last night I went to see Mary Poppins - The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Musical while it was in Orlando with my boyfriend. It was Matt's first broadway experience. It was just a great show and we had a lot of fun (... I still have the songs stuck in my head).

Before we went though, I made us dinner. My boyfriend is the MOST pickiest eater I have ever met, so I don't really like cooking for him a lot. I took a chance though and made him this dish with homemade macaroni and cheese (seriously, who doesn't like that?), broccoli (only vegetable I know he'll eat), and yeast rolls. For dessert we had brownies.

Like I said in an earlier post, I'm not a fan of bone-in chicken, so I made a few a adjustments. I got the recipe from foodnetwork.com and came courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. I used two boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half. I used the same amount of marinade though and the chicken turned out very tender and juicy. Since there were only four thin pieces I roasted them for only 25 minutes. By accident I didn't do the last part of the recipe after the roasting of the chicken. It still turned out awesome, but next time I'll try to remember the whole recipe.

Yield: 6 servings

 

Total Time: 3 hr 15 min

Prep: 15 min

Inactive: 2 hr 0 min

Cook: 1 hr 0 min

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Roman-Style Chicken

For the first time which feels like forever, I made a home cooked meal. My dad is off working and my brother is back at FSU, so mom and I are left to our own devices. Tonight I made Roman-Style Chicken. The recipe below came from foodnetwork.com and is a Giada De Laurentiis creation. I made a few adjustments though. Unless I'm eating buffalo wings or my Grandma's fried chicken, I'm not a fan of bone-in chicken. I'm also not a fan of chicken thighs, so I stuck with just 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Instead of prosciutto I used bacon (because that's what I had) and I think that turned out nicely. The meal was full of different flavors and absolutely delicious. I served it with rice and steamed broccoli. It was very filling and light on the calories.

Yield: 6 servings

Per serving: Calories: 266; Total Fat 13 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 28 grams; Total carbohydrates: 8 grams; Sugar: 4 grams; Fiber 1.5 grams; Cholesterol: 76 milligrams; Sodium: 1,307 milligrams

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs

2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

3 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions:
1.Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.
3. If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.



Mustache Cake Pops

A couple days ago I got a phone call from my roommate from college. Her and a friend were throwing a baby shower for a mutual friend from high school. They asked if I could make cake pops for one of the themes of the event and ship them up to Auburn, AL. The theme was mustaches... now I've made countless amounts of cake pops for myself and other people, but none that required piping a mustache on them. It turned out to be pretty easy and I think they turned out great.

 

Lebanese: Hummus and Fattoush

For a change of pace, I decided to make a meal from the top ten cuisines of the world. I pleasently surprised on some of the food we tried, but not so much on others. The tenth best cuisine (according to our source) was Lebanese.


Seved here with pita bread



Hummus

 Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans

1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas

3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
2. Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
3. Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).
4. Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Fattoush
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sumac powder

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1 medium cucumber, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup chopped purslane

1/2 (5 ounce) package arugula

4 pita rounds, toasted and torn into pieces

Directions:

1.Mix the water and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until thickened. Remove from heat, and mix in lemon juice, garlic, sumac, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2.In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, mint, bell pepper, purslane, and arugula. Toss with the dressing, and serve with pita.

Thoughts:

I liked the hummus, but I'm not a huge fan of the fattoush. In fact, if I ever had it again it will be to soon. It was just too sour tasting.

Spinach and Parmesan Souffles

Yield: 4 servings * Overall Price: ~$10 * Calories: 163

Ingredients:
Cooking spray

Served here with Watermelon-Peach Salad

1.5 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:
1. Place baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Coat 4 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, tilting and turning dishes to coat sides completely.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat can with cooking spray. Add spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Coarsely chop spinach.
4. Combine 2/3 cup milk and the next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a large bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cheese, and egg yolks.
5. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in  a large bowl, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently stir one-fourth of egg whites into spinach mixture, and gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on preheated backing sheet; return baking sheet to 425 degree oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake souffles at 350 degrees for 21 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Thoughts:
This was moderately difficult, but not too hard. It was really good though. The salad I served with it had a perfect amount of sour and sweetness to make the meal.