Balsamic Steak With Radicchio

I've made this before & it is worth repeating. It is very tasty & a quick work night meal! Plus, how often do you get to have radicchio as a side? The cashier at the grocery store did not even know what it is! Please try to teach your children to try new produce & veg & to be able to identify them. It's a great learning experience & nutritious. 

<3 Lishie

Balsamic Steak With Radicchio 

slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine

• 4, 6-ounce beef eye round steaks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 TBSp unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 tsp sugar, plus a pinch
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 2 heads radicchio, torn into pieces
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar (preferably aged)
• 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 c fresh basil leaves, sliced, plus leaves for topping

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steaks with salt & pepper. When the pan is hot, add 1 TBSp butter, swirling the pan to coat. Add the steaks, sprinkle them with a pinch of sugar, & sear until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip & cook until golden on the other side, 2 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board & tent with foil.

Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 TBSp butter to the skillet. Add the garlic & cook 20 seconds. Add the radicchio in batches, tossing until wilted. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the sun-dried tomatoes & vinegar & cook until the vinegar evaporates slightly, about 1 minute. Add the broth & cook until the radicchio is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil. Transfer the radicchio to plates using tongs. Continue cooking the sauce until it thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 TBSp butter.

Thinly slice the steak & add to the plates. Drizzle with the sauce & top with basil.

Balsamic Chicken & Avocado Sandwiches

  I had this yummy sandwich catered in for a lunch event at work… And it inspired me to recreate it at home. I used lowfat mayo because it tastes just.as.good & grilled the chicken. I LOVE baby arugula so along with my avocado adoration, I used it as a topping. This sandwich would also be a great panini & tastes great on just about any bread! It’s also delicious cold or warm, perfect for those of us carting their lunch to work!

<3 Lishie

Balsamic  Mayonnaise

• 1 c Mayonnaise     
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• freshly ground pepper 

Blend the ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Slice up grilled or roasted chicken, mix balsamic mayo…

Place on bread of choice & top sliced avocadoes & baby arugula.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake + Dinner's Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Ride-Side Up!!! Delish!

My wonderful Mother-in-Law, who never asks for anything, requested Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. I was so ecstatic I cannot tell you! As with all of my desserts, I made it from scratch, using this tried-but-true recipe from Betty Crocker: Betty Crocker Upside-Down Cake. 


I only changed a couple of small things... I used FRESH pineapple, which made the slices fresher, larger & have a "bite". An 8x8" Pan & I placed the maraschino cherries onto the cake AFTER it came out of the oven (for the nice coolness/cherry on top!). 


PLUS- butter was my starter of choice & I didn't measure out my brown sugar- I generously sprinkled it into the bottom of the pan so that there'd be that gorgeous, dark caramelization you see in the picture above! Yum, yum, yummmmmm. This cake is just sweet enough & perfect on a summer night. And it is so very easy to make- from scratch! Takes only a couple of minutes to put together, then finishes off in the oven...


& *Lishie tip? BBQ the leftover slices of pineapple.... THE.BEST.THING.EVER... The natural caramel of the pineapple when grilled is scrumptious!!!


 Speaking of Grilling...


With the days getting so warm, we'll be grilling a lot! Especially since we have a new grill- woohoo!!!! That means I'll be preparing the fixin's, sides, salads, sauces & dessert while my hubby grills... 


He grilled up some chicken today... & I made some yummy Balsamic BBQ sauce. Just go here for the recipe: Giada's Balsamic BBQ Sauce   


Ummm, have you entered my Melissa And Doug CONTEST yet? What are you waiting for?! Scoot, scoot... go do it! Thank you :)

Grilled Flank Steak w/ Mushrooms

This is the first thing I made for my hubby, Michael years ago on my stove-top, grill pan, when we began dating. It was a hit because 1) he found out I could cook & 2) he lovesssss mushrooms- "shrooms"! So despite the fact I had not blogged this recipe yet, I chose to exchange it for the grilling recipe swap. My friend Harriet was the recipient- And Harriet is so sweet, she said she'd guest blog! She does a wonderful job too- love her descriptions- see below recipe... Oh & I got Gianna's DELISH Marinated Flank Steak. Funny a flank steak for a... flank steak!  Grilled Flank Steak w/ Mushrooms 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. flank steak S & P 2 portobello mushrooms 1/4 lb. cremini mushrooms  1/4 lb. button mushrooms 3 large shallots, chopped 1/4 cup butter 2 scallions, chopped- greens only 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 4 TBSp low sodium soy sauce 3 TBSp sugar  Marinade: Cut the steak into 4 equal pieces. Season w/ S & P. Combine 2 shallots, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 TBSp sugar and 1 TBSp soy sauce in a resealable bag. Mix well. Marinate the steaks in the bag/mixture for 2 hours or more- overnight's best.  Cut all of the mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices. In a skillet melt 1/2 of the butter & add 1/2 of the remaining chopped shallot. Heat over medium for 1 minute. Add portobellos and season with S & P. Simmer for 15 minutes and transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Repeat process with the cremini mushrooms except reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes. Add cooked portobellos back into the skillet... In a small bowl mix 2 TBSp of sugar, 3 TBSp of soy sauce and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar. Add to mushroom skillet & boil for 3 minutes or until the liquid is slightly reduced. Add chopped scallions.  Preheat grill. Remove steaks from bag and dispose of marinade. Grill steaks until done, about 6-7 minutes per side. Remove from grill and cut into strips cross grain. Serve with mushrooms. Harriet's Take: I joined in on a recipe exchange on one of my message boards. The recipe theme was "grilling". I received Elisha's recipe for Grilled Flank Steak with Mushrooms. Normally, I'm not a big mushroom fan and don't cook with them too often (save for the Cream of Mushroom soup I make in my pressure cooker), so I was a bit hesitant with a recipe that was so full of mushrooms. Well, it was GREAT! The mushrooms were creamy in a balsamic and soy based sauce. It had a great tang. I'm a huge vinegar fan and really enjoy when it appears in recipes, especially in sauces. The flank steak (or in my case london broil) was marinated overnight and was very tender after grilling. I did make a few changes. I don't typically change a recipe the first time I make it, but I only did it because of the ingredient availability at my local supermarket.  I used porcini and shitake mushrooms as well as the portobellos. And I did substitute a london broil for the flank steak, because I never have luck finding flank steak at my market (I'm probably not looking hard enough). I'm going to keep this recipe on file. I'm sure I'll be making it soon since grilling season is afoot. Thanks Elisha!!!! Regards, Harriet Thank you, Harriet!!!!

Meatless Monday- Balsamic Portbello & Radicchio

So staying on the "even healthier than before" kick, I decided to switch red meat/steak in a favorite recipe of ours for portobello mushrooms & make a few adjustments. They are a great alternative as the main ingredient because the "meatiness" of the portobello is substantial.

Very purple-ly!

Balsamic Portbello & Radicchio

• 2 TBSp Canola Oil
• 4 Portobello Mushroom Caps, sliced
• 1/2 Radicchio head, shredded
• 1 TBSp Sugar
• 1 tsp dried Basil
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Stock

Heat 1 TBSp canola oil on medium-high heat. Add the sliced portobello to the saute pan. Cook until the mushrooms are darker and cooked down (smaller), continuously mixing. Add the shredded radicchio & stir together with the mushrooms. Keep mixing & sauteing until the radicchio is wilted. Add the sugar & basil & stir/saute for another minute. Add in the balsamic vinegar & allow it to cook down (become half it's amount & thicker). Then carefully add the vegetable stock & simmer for 5 more minutes. 

I served the portobello & radicchio with roasted broccoli to add some green to our meal. This is a great way for vegetarians or anyone who would like to cut some meat out of their diet to be satisfied for dinner. Enjoy!

*Lishie tip- Do not wash mushrooms- just dampen a paper towel & wipe any dirt off of the cap. Shrooms soak up water (& flavor) like a sponge!

Strawberry Layer Cake with Balsamic-Macerated Strawberries

I was going to make Carrot Cake for the good 'ol Easter Bunny & the family until my friend Amy posted this Strawberry cake recipe. I had a huge carton of fresh, beautiful strawberries on hand & this just seemed, perfect. I went with Amy's recommendation to cut the sugar... I only used 1 cup. And I completely omitted the red food coloring. When strawberries are this gorgeous, in season, why ruin their natural pinkish beauty in the batter? And to that effect, I also skipped Preparation #2's Food Processor suggestion. Instead, I mashed the thinly sliced strawberry slices with a pastry blender, then added them to the batter. I ended up with nice pieces of the fruit within the cake.  I used the frosting recipe, substituting orange juice as suggested, but instead of just strawberry slices, I made macerated strawberries to adorn the cake & to slather on the center before icing it. It was delish!

Happy Easter everyone!!!!

Lishie's Macerated Strawberries

• 2 Cups Strawberries, cut in fours
• 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 TBSp Orange Juice

Combine all of the ingredients together & refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

*Lishie Tip- Add chopped basil to the macerated berries for some extra delish flavor! These strawberries were also yummy on the chocolate cake that was served & are delicious on ice cream!

Roasted Red Pepper & Mozzarella Panini

My hubby prefers his sandwiches with out eggplant, plainer... This is delicious too:

Roasted Red Pepper & Mozzarella Panini

• Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
• 1 Jar of Roasted, Sweet Red Peppers or 1 Fresh Red Pepper, Roasted
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh Basil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Assemblage:
Put it all together- Bread, peppers, mozzarella slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splashes of extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. 

Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight up on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted. 

"Graceland" Eggplant Panini

Oozing, cheesy goodness!

Today was Book Club Sunday which means lovely ladies, wonderful conversation & a meetup at the local diner. I ALWAYS seem to get breakfast & the same thing for these days. Curious enough though, when I get diner at other times, I crave what is listed on the menu as the "Graceland" sandwich. I don't know why it's called that as it has nothing to do with peanut butter & bananas grilled (Elvis' purportedly favorite sandwich) at all. It's actually grilled- coated eggplant, roasted red peppers & mozzarella & it comes "drippingly" greasy &  delicious with a side of fries. YUM. So since I get breakfast for book club, I thought why not recreate the Graceland at home, for dinner?

Mine begins with the eggplant: 

Eggplant Panini

• 1 Eggplant
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1/2 cup Bread crumbs
• Approximately 3 TBSp Olive Oil
• Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
• 1 Jar of Roasted, Sweet Red Peppers or 1 Fresh Red Pepper, Roasted
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh Basil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Clean, peel, & slice the eggplant length-wise. Set up a mis en place: Whisked egg in one shallow bowl, Bread Crumbs in another. Heat the 3 TBSp Olive Oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat. Dip the eggplant slice first in the egg then coat the slices with bread crumbs & place in the saute pan. Cook until it is golden, about 2-3 minutes each side. Allow to cool on a paper towel lined plate.
After the eggplant is bread & cooked, assemble the sandwiches... Bread, eggplant, peppers, mozzarella slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splashes of extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. 
Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted. 


It is DELISH.

Here is the diner's Graceland:

Photo Courtesy of Stacey :)

*Lishie tip- "Panini" simply means "pressed" in the U.S. but in Italy, it means a sandwich customarily made out of a small loaf of bread, pane.


BTW, the month's Book Club read, which I highly recommend, was:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a fascinating story. It's non-fiction & 3/4 of the way through, I got slightly bored with the scientific part (although, written for the layman, me, to understand & it was indeed comprehendible). I wanted more of Deborah than of the actual HeLa cell history but am in awe of what the Lacks family went through. It terrifies me how little we've seemingly come from the '50s too, in many aspects, when Henrietta's cells were taken from her. Makes me wonder what my doctor does with my "bewildering" crohns saga & records.


View all my reviews

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic

It's well known how much I love seasonal, fresh veg & these asparagus were gorgeous peeking at me in the produce aisle!

Green Goodness!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic

• 1 lb. Asparagus, trimmed
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper 
• 1-2 TBSp Balsamic Vinegar (to taste)

Place the asparagus in a baking dish. Sprinkle the olive oil, S & P over it & toss to coat. Roast at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Drizzle with the balsamic before serving. 

The asparagus is stays a gorgeous green & still has a bite to it. It's absolutely delish as a salad, side or snack!

Yep- that IS an asparagus plate :) Shows I really love my veggies.

Dinner was ridiculously good! Balsamic Steak with Radicchio

Yummmmmm

My plate (minus the shrooms)

So I am always looking for new dinner ideas that I can make fast, with little preparation & that are tasty, filling & sometimes just, well, "not chicken". I spotted this idea in Food Network Magazine: Balsamic Steak with Radicchio, served it with sauteed mushrooms for the hubby & roasted cauliflower (with a little bit of olive oil/bread crumbs/parmesan cheese) &, quite frankly, it was ridiculously good! I left out the sun-dried tomatoes (we're not fans) but followed it otherwise. After the the steaks were browned on both sides, I placed them on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet into the oven with the roasted cauliflower to keep warm & to cook more medium-well than medium to our liking. The steak was juicy with & without the sauce! De-Lish!!!

I was in the house @4:30, Gabriel was greeted, I changed him, fed him (cod & carrots & pear)... I started dinner... It was cooked, eaten & cleaned up by 6:30! Awesome.

Roasted cauliflower! 

Hubby's sauteed mushrooms