Grilled Steak & Veggie Pesto Pasta

This was a fun & yummy recipe. I created shish kabobs for my hubby to grill... as he grilled them, I prepped the pesto & the pasta... Then we merged our separate pieces together & had a delish dinner!

<3 Lishie

Grilled Steak & Veggie Pesto Pasta

• 1 lb chuck eye steak, cubed into 2" pieces
• 1 large onion, diced into 1-2" pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, diced into 1-2" pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, diced into 1-2" pieces
• S & P
• 1 bag of noodles
• 1/4 C pesto (I made fresh)

BBQ skewers- soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling

Create bbq shish kebobs placing 
steak/onion/pepper/zucchini. 
Again, steak/onion/pepper/zucchini...
Sprinkle well w/ S & P... Grill... till the meat is cooked well, turning the kabobs... about 8 minutes on each side.

While the kebobs are cooking... cook the noodles. When kebobs are finished, take steak & veg off of the skewers & toss steak, veg, pesto & pasta together. Serve w/ fresh shredded parmesan.

Grilled London Broil

Oh warm weather how we've missed you! Welcome back :) No complaints in our family since the grilling days are here. This is one of my hubby's favorites. I don't eat much meat at all because it is difficult for my system, so usually I'll just take a piece of his broil, the end, where it is most well done & gorge on sides & salads myself. But that piece is delicious! Yummmm... Happy 1st day of June everyone!

<3 Lishie

Grilled London Broil with Cracked Pepper 

• 2 London Broils
• 2 TBSp of olive oil

Dry Rub:

• 4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp. minced onion
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix the dry rub ingredients in a bowl. Take the London Broils out of the refrigerator & allow it to rest/"warm" up about 15 minutes at room temperature... 

Massage the olive oil into both sides of each LB... Then coat generously with the dry rub pressing it gently into the meat . Grill London Broil for 5-10 minutes/side, until your preferred "wellness".
Enjoy!

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.

Steak, Peppers & Mushrooms Sandwich

March 21, amongst other things, is National French Bread Day. Who am I to deny celebrating this? So on my menu for the week... Peppered Steak & Mushrooms Sandwiches. Yum. Easy. Contentment.

<3 Lishie

Steak, Peppers & Mushrooms Sandwich

• 2 lb strip loin, trimmed
• olive oil 
• bell peppers (I used red), sliced
• mushrooms (I used white buttons), sliced
• s & p
• rolls (I used French rolls)

Place raw steak in freezer for 30 minutes; this makes it easier to slice the meat. Remove the meat from the freezer and slice very thinly. 

Heat saute pan on medium-high heat... Add olive oil, peppers & mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the veg is softer, then add the steak. When steak browns (pretty fast if thin) add S & P, to taste... Top rolls with mixture & serve.

On a more serious note, March 21st is also World Down Syndrome Day to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome in the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome and is used synonymously with Down syndrome.

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!!!!

Recipe Swap! Marinated Flank Steak

So this week's theme for the Recipe swap is Grilling. I love these swaps, they are so much fun. I gave a recipe I haven't blogged yet: Grilled Flank Steak with Mushrooms- THE 1st meal I ever made for my hubby when we started dating... & got this sort of similar one from my friend Gianna Marinated Flank Steak. We haven't been eating too much red meat lately at all for health's sake so this was a nice break.

Marinated Flank Steak 

I (Gianna) got this recipe from a friend and it's delicious!

(This is for 1 large steak, you may need to double or triple, depending on how many steaks you make.)

• 1/4 cup oil (I use olive)
• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. garlic powder
• 1 Tbs. minced onion (I sometimes use onion powder)
• 4 Tbs. Apricot Preserves (if you can't find that, you can use peach)

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl.  Put steak and marinade into a large zip lock bag.  Marinate for AT LEAST 3 hours...but it's best to do it over night....the longer it marinates the better for this recipe.    Make sure you toss the steak around the bag a bunch of times during the marinade process.

 

Get your grill as hot as you can and spray it with cooking spray.

 

Cook steak 3-4 minutes, then flip and do another 3-4 minutes.

Slice and serve!

Now because the recipe is from Gianna, this post, as her recipe, must be in comic sans font. No, really, it magically changed. It won't let me type in anything else now. ;-P 

I threw together the marinade last night... Using olive oil, red wine vinegar, LOW sodium soy sauce, 1-2 TBSp minced fresh garlic & onion & the apricot preserves (which I always have on hand for recipes- sweet & savory. It's a good pantry staple!) And mixed it all up into the Ziploc bag with the 1+ lb Flank steak & into the fridge.

I did not grill outside. Actually rarely do since I work then come home to cook & we live on the 2nd floor. Grilling outdoors is more of a weekend thing. Plus for the longest time, I had been a city apartment inhabitant. And A city resident's best friend? The grill pan! I absolutely love & cannot live with out mine- it's over 10 years old! It's the same pan I made the 1st meal for my hubby on. It's a square All-Clad. A-mazing! 

When I came home from work, I took the ziploc bag out & placed it on the counter top to come to room temperature. Then, along with hubby, took Gabriel outside for bubbles & sidewalk chalk time!  

Came inside, turned the burner on high, sprayed the pan with cooking spray, then seared the flank steak on both sides. I had the oven on making the side of roasted broccoli. I finished the steak off in the oven (we like it medium-well) by placing the entire grill pan in for 5 minutes.

Then I allowed the steak to rest on the cutting board for 10 minutes... Sliced & served with roasted broccoli & mushrooms. 

The steak was delicious!!! So much flavor from the marinade! I highly recommend it. We'll be making this on the grill too. It is easy & doesn't take a lot of time. Thank you so much, Gianna!

Stroganoff Sandwiches for Fat Tuesday!

Today is the day before Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday & while I can't throw all caution to the wind food-wise, I most certainly can make a tasty red-meat dinner! We tend to only eat it once a week anyway, so I planned wisely. I decided to make sandwiches because they make Stroganoff less stuffy & more fun & we can eat 'em watching tv if we like! But I smartened them up (or so I thought) by using sirloin. I served roasted cauliflower & broccoli on the side. Here's my variation:


Beef Stroganoff Sandwiches

• 2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 TBsp butter
• 1 lb. thin sirloin, sliced into thin strips
• S & P
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 large shallot or 2 small shallots
• 1 cup chicken or beef stock
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1 TBSp lemon juice
• 2 TBSp freshly chopped dill

Heat the olive oil & butter in a large skillet on medium-high.

Sprinkle the sirloin strip w/ S & P then coat in flour, shaking off the excess flour. Add carefully to the hot oil/pan. Mince the shallot over the meat.  Cook meat 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the stock & cook until it thickens, about a minute. Then stir in the sour cream, lemon zest plus juice & the dill.

Serve in crusty, yummy French rolls with your preferred topping. Some suggestions: arugula or watercress. Or you can eat the sirloin over egg noodles.


Hubby & I were just "eh" on this one. Next time, I'll use angus ground beef over noodles. Or, serve it on smaller, less "bread-y" rolls. And, as you'll see directly below, it is NOT pretty looking! HA!

Not photogenic at all!
So Dreadful looking in pictures.

*Lishie tips- You can cut the sirloin into strips before or after cooking it. But, like I said, if you are going to make sandwiches, perhaps you should try 1 lb. of ground beef instead.

*Lishie facts- Fat Tuesday, or mardi gras, is a legal holiday in New Orleans, LA. It occurs 46 days before Easter, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Crock-Pot Peppered Steak, Made, as always, with LOVE

Today was my local Moms Group's Valentines Party & it was so much fun! Everything was potluck & wow, so delicious!!! I decided, after checking on what everyone was bringing, to make peppered steak. When you hear "Crock-Pot", it generally brings to mind the words "simple" & "unattended". BUT when you are making food for 30+ people (not counting the 21 kids) it's never easy... I have tweaked a recipe for this a couple of times & I finally have it just right.

For the party, I DOUBLED the amounts below in my 6 Quart Crock-Pot:

Crock-Pot Peppered Steak

2 lbs. beef sirloin (I use Angus)
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 TBsp canola oil
1/4 cup hot beef stock 
1 TBsp corn starch
1 large onion, sliced
3-4 large bell peppers, sliced (I use a mix of green & red/yellow/orange)
1, 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 TBsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
1 TBsp A1 ;) My secret weapon! HA HA!
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp of both, S & P
**1/4 cup beef stock 


Let beef rest out of the refrigerator to get the chill off. Season with the garlic powder... (Either in your crockpot, if you have a stovetop dutch C-P) OR in a skillet, heat the canola oil on medium-high... Sear (brown quickly) the whole Sirloin on both sides, then transfer it to the crock-pot.
Heat the beef stock (I microwave the stock in my Pyrex measuring glass)... then dissolve the corn starch.  Pour it over the meat. Add the tomato sauce, soy sauce, A1, sugar, onion & the S & P. 


*Here's where you are forced to make a decision... convenience & very soft peppers OR a little extra work with the outcome of peppers with some bite still to them? IF you choose convenience, ADD THE BELL PEPPERS HERE... Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. When it's done, use tongs to "break" up the sirloin into bite-sized pieces.


IF you choose the "extra work" option... Place the cover on & cook on LOW for 8 hours... At 6 hours, use tongs to "break" up the sirloin into bite-sized pieces... Ladle the steak pieces out, leaving the liquid, into a bowl, refrigerate. Add the bell peppers into the crock-pot & **1/4 cup of beef stock... Cook on LOW for 1 & 1/2- 2 hours. At last half hour/end of pepper cook time, add in the meat & mix together... If your Crock-pot has a warming option, you are good to go!

Since I was serving to others, not just our little family who loves soft peppers, I decided on the extra work & "bite" option. I definitely think it paid off. The meat was so unbelievably tender, the sauce, delicious, & the peppers, in tact with a bit of a crunch. I *think* it was a crowd pleaser since I came home with an empty crock-pot!

[The "funny" for this post- since I began this @ 10pm  & the steak simmered all night... then I added the peppers early this morning (it was a lunch-time party)... my hubby said it felt like he had eaten it ALL night ;) HA HA! But, of course, he still had some!]

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