taste of tuesday: flank steak and garlic balsamic asparagus

It rained everyday last week, therefore I have been baking A LOT of goodies to warm the house. I took said goodies to the Bachelor viewing party last night and I now have a stomach ache from consuming too many sweets. So, for today's recipe, I wanted something without sugar and butter. I made flank steak, roasted asparagus and white sweet potatoes for our Sunday meal. It was really tasty and very easy. and the best part-Jack loved the meat. He is a "vegetarian" and the lack of meat in his diet is the reason for his excessive bruising (or so I think). This marinade would be great on other meats, i.e. London Broil (anyone know the difference b/n London Broil and flank steak?). The steak was tasty the next day and would be great for a sandwich or salad so make extra.Marinated Flank Steak
(Sister's Cafe)
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1 tsp ginger (didn't have this and it tasted great)
• 2 TB lemon juice (used lime juice instead)
• 2 TB canola oil
• 1 TB onion chopped
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. Place steak in ziploc bag. Pour marinade over steak and marinade over night. Another suggestion: freeze the steak in the marinade and it marinates while it defrosts!

2. Grill until cooked to desired tenderness. place meat on plate and tent with aluminum foil. allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

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Garlic Balsamic Asparagus
(Out Best Bites)
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. asparagus
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. minced or pressed garlic

Directions:

If roasting in the oven, heat oven to 425. If grilling, prepare grill to medium heat. combine salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, and garlic. Drizzle over asparagus and toss to coat. Roast/grill 8-10 minutes.

taste of tuesday: butternut squash orzo

wanted to cook something festive for dinner last night. nothing reminds me of fall more than squash. usually I steam my squash and serve with butter and brown sugar, but I wanted to try something different and a little healthier. this recipe received mixed reviews at the dinner table: Aaron liked it, Jack didn't want to try it (no surprise there), and I tho't it was just ok. so, I am still on the hunt for a good squash recipe...share if you've got one.Butternut Squash Orzo

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice)
• 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup Orzo pasta
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper
  

Directions:

1. In a skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook till it begins to caramelize. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. reduce heat to medium-low.

2. in large pot, bring broth to a boil. add orzo and cook until al dente, about 8 mins. drain any excess liquid.

3. while orzo is cooking, steam squash (in microwave) until tender. Add squash to skillet and cover.

4. add orzo to squash mixture and heat together for a few minutes. Pour into a bowl and toss with basil and cheese. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

taste of tuesday: eat your veggies

when planning my weekly dinner menu, I always try to incorporate a fresh vegetable (mainly b/c that is they only thing Jack will eat. he's kind of a vegetarian-prefers veggie burgers and edamame to ground beef burgers and fries). wish our climate was conducive to growing a garden. or we had a decent farmer's market. here are just some of our favorites that are simple and cheap to prepare:

Steamed Green Beans

• 1 bag green beans (the bag makes it so convenient to prep)
• spray butter (or real butter if you're not worried about your waistline or cholesterol)
• lemon pepper

directions: poke a few holes in the bag and microwave the beans for 2-3 minutes, until they are tender (careful not to burn yourself when you open the bag). spray them with the butter and add lemon pepper as desired. toss to coat. so simple and good!

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Roasted Asparagus

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• olive oil
• Salt& fresh ground pepper

directions: cut the ends off the tough asparagus (a good indicator as to where to cut is to take one spear and bend it. cut the other spears the same length). place on a foil lined (easy clean up) cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. add S&P as desired and place in oven. toss to coat evenly. cook @ 400* for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are (until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork).

*additional flavoring: drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving

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Lemon Parmesan Broccoli

• 1-2 heads broccoli
• 3 T. Olive Oil
• salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1 c. Parmesan
• 1 lemon, juiced

directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. cute broccoli into florets. Arrange the broccoli on a foil-lined cookie sheet, drizzle with some olive oil and season with a little bit of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. roast for 10 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and bake until the cheese melts and forms a crisp shell over the broccoli (about 10 minutes). Lift the broccoli out onto a platter and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.

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Honey Glazed Carrots

• 2-3 cups baby carrots, steamed
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
  directions: in microwave, melt butter. add brown sugar and honey. mix until blended. pour over carrots and serve

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Lime and Chili Corn

• corn on the cob, grilled or boiled (amount depends on how many people you are serving)
• chili powder
• 2-3 limes, cut into wedges
• butter or spray butter
• Salt & freshly ground pepper

directions: let your guests add the amount of flavoring desired. for me, I like lots of lime and lots of chili powder. you can always make your own chili lime butter as well.

now does anyone have a good recipe for eggplant?

stuffed peppers

photo courtesy of flickr

This recipe reminds me of my time in Russia. Serve with a bowl of warm borscht and apple pie and you've got a great meal that will please everyone. They taste even better the second day.

Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:

• 3 peppers, any color, cut in half lengthwise
• olive oil
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 lb sausage
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 6 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• S&P

Directions:

1. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.

2. Add water to pan and cook 5 minutes.

3. Add sausage and cook. Drain grease.

4. Mix cooked rice, sausage, Italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese, 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese and S&P to taste.

5. stuff peppers generously. Place in pan and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Fill pan with water (about 1/4 in.)

6. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350*.