Steak Chimichurri.

This is my new favorite steak recipe for the summer.  Actually, the first time we made it was in January! We had to relight the grill a few times, and it took three times as long as it should have to make, but it was delicious even then! I love it because it's quick, easy, (especially if you have a food processor, but even if you don't), and oh so tasty. I'm not a great fan of cilantro, but, even though its a major player in this dish, it doesn't bother me here. Serve with grilled tomatoes and grilled garlic bread for a complete meal.

 

Steak Chimichurri from So Easy, by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:

For the chimichurri sauce:

1/3 c. packed fresh cilantro

1/3 c. packed fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

3 T. olive oil

1 lg. clove garlic

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. water

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 t. salt

To continue:

cooking spray (optional, only for indoor grills really)

1 1/4 lb. shoulder center steak (ranch steak) or top sirloin steak, about 1 1/4 in. thick

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper

1 recipe Grilled Garlic Bread (see below)

1 recipe Grilled Tomatoes (see below)

Directions:

Puree all the ingredients for the chimichurri sauce in the small bowl of a food processor until it reaches the consistency of a sauce. Transfer to a bowl. Chimichurri will keep in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.

To continue, spray a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium high heat. Season the steak with the salt and pepper. cook the steak, turning once, for 5 minutes per side for medium rare, or to your desired degree of doneness. (We always do medium, which takes just a minute or two more.) Allow the steak to sitfor 5 minutes before slicing thinly.

Serve the steak with the chimichurri sauce, grilled garlic bread, and grilled tomatoes.

Grilled Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

4 large slices crusty whole grain country bread

1 T. olive oil

1/4 t. salt

-

1 clove garlic, cut in half

-or-

1 t. garlic bread or garlic salt seasoning (if using garlic salt, omit regular salt)

-

cheese (opt.)

Directions:

Preheat grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Brush both sides of each slice of bread with oil. Grill until toasted and grill marks are formed, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Rub both sides of the toasted bread vigorously with the garlic. Sprinkle with salt and serve. (I find this to be to strong for me, with raw garlic. Instead of rubbing the garlic clove on, we simply sprinkle garlic bread seasoning and sometimes cheese on top and serve.)

Grilled Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 large ripe but firm tomatoes (We use romas, since they're meatier, but use your favorite type of tomato)

1 T. olive oil

1/4 t. salt

Directions:

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze them gently to remove the seeds. Brush the cut side of each tomato with olive oil and season with salt. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Place the tomatoes into the pan cut side down and grill until warm, softened, and browned on the cut side, but still retaining their shape, about 10 minutes.

*Note: I'm not fond of tomatoes. I admit it. I don't like their seeds or their juice, which is why I cook almost exclusively with romas, which have less of both, and more meat. Despite this dislike, I do very much enjoy these grilled tomatoes. They turn out delicious, trust me. Enjoy!

Light Corn Chowder.

This recipe was delicious, light as promised, and dead simple to make. I love having soup for its filling yet light quality, especially when it's just packed with flavor. I topped this bowl with paprika, mainly for color, but it did add a nice depth of flavor to the bowl. 

Light Corn Chowder, from Family Favorites Made Lighter

Makes 4 side-dish servings (I count them as main dish servings, this is filling!)

Ingredients:

4 medium fresh ears of corn

-or-

10 oz. pkg. frozen whole kernel corn (I used Birdseye frozen corn (most Birdseye stuff is unsalted, which is lovely!))

1/2 c. cubed, peeled potato (1/2 med, I used 1 whole. It's soup! The ingredient amounts can be adjusted a bit.)

1/2 c. chopped onion (1 sm/med)

1/3 c. water

1 t. instant chicken bouillon granules

1/8 t. white or black pepper

1 1/2 c. skim milk (I used 1%)

2 T. nonfat dry milk powder

2 T. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. skim milk

1 T. cooked bacon pieces (not a fan of bacon, left these out, lower cal, balanced my use of 1% milk.)

paprika (optional)

Directions:

If using fresh corn, use a sharp knife to cut off just the kernel tips from the ears of corn, then scrape the cobs with the dull edge of the knife. ( You should have 2 cups of corn.)

In a large saucepan combine fresh/frozen corn, potato, onion, water, bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or till corn and potatoes are just tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups milk.

In a small mixing bowl stir together the dry milk powder and flour. Gradually stir in the remaining 1/4 cup milk till smooth. Stir the milk-flour mixture into the corn mixture. Cook and stir till mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with bacon pieces or paprika (or nothing.) Enjoy!

Smashed Potato Chowder.

I love this recipe in the winter. Every time I make it, it goes a bit quicker, and this is no longer a 'labor all afternoon' recipe, so I'm inclined to make it more often. (I used to peel the potatoes while watching tv, a movie, whatever...not the fastest method!) In any case, when there's a blizzard outside, I don't immediately think of having meatloaf, casseroles, etc. I think of soups, and this is one of my favorites.

Smashed Potato Chowder from Better Homes and Gardens, Anyone Can Cook 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 in. cubes (I like using yukon golds, but any kind will do)

3/4 c. chopped red or yellow sweet pepper (1 med.)

1 1/2 t. bottled roasted minced garlic (We mince fresh garlic and throw that in.)

1/2 t. ground black pepper

5 c. chicken broth

8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and coarsely chopped (We omit this. Our family is simply not into bacon, and I figure it saves on calories too.)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (We used 1 1/2 c. co-jack, and then monterey jack for garnish)

1/2 c. whipping cream, half-and-half, or light cream

1/2 c. thinly sliced green onion (about 4, we used a whole bunch)

1/2 c. dairy sour cream (Again, we left this off, not fans)

Directions:

In a 4-quart dutch oven combine potato, sweet pepper, garlic and black pepper. Stir in broth. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer covered for 20 to 25 inutes or until potato is tender.

Use a potato masher to mash potato mixture slightly. Stir in bacon, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, the whipping cream, and green onion; heat through. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and remaining cheese. Makes 8 main dish servings. Enjoy!

Couscous with Broccoli and Walnuts.

My apologies, dear readers, for missing my post yesterday. For the miss, you're getting two posts this week! The first is this lovely lunch recipe, Couscous with Broccoli and Walnuts. It's a variation on the original recipe, which called for cauliflower and almonds, and really, you can add any veggies you like to this, and it's still delicious.

This is a great Saturday light lunch, or, if you have the time during the week, a great lunch anytime.

Couscous with Broccoli and Walnuts from How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman

makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 c. walnuts

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 large shallot or small red onion (we used 1/2 med. white onion)

A few stalks of broccoli (about 3 cups)

salt and pepper

1 cup whole wheat or regular couscous (we used tri-color couscous)

1 1/2 c. chicken/vegetable stock, white or rosé wine, water, or a combination (we used white cooking wine and water)

1/2 c. fresh parsley leaves

bread crumbs, preferably fresh

Directions:

Put the walnuts in a deep skillet with a lid over med-high heat. (I would recommend medium heat, or you risk burning them and the onion after.) Cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Remove them from the pan and set aside to cool.

Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the shallot/onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to color, about 2 minutes.  Add the broccoli and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it is coated with the oil and starts to soften and turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the couscous and keep stirring until it is coated as well, and begins to toast, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat off. Let rest, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Chop the walnuts as finely as you can. (Mini food processors work great for this if you've got one, as do spice grinders...) Mix them with the chopped parsley, and stir into couscous, fluffing gently with a fork. Return the lid and let the couscous rest another minute or two, the taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve immediately, garnished with bread crumbs, or let cool and serve at room temperature, up to an hour later.

Enjoy!

Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast.

I love stuffed french toast, but I've never actually made it before. I'd order it at restaurants, whenever the opportunity arose, but I found that I was never quite filled, and often they were too sweet for me.

This recipe, on the other hand, is easy, filling, and sweet, but not too sweet. I wasn't too sure about the chocolate, actually, as I usually prefer strawberries with straight vanilla creaminess. Since the chocolate came in the form of chips, though, and not blended in to the cream, it turned out to really make this dish. Delicious.

 Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast, from Ellie Krieger's So Easy Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. nonfat milk (I used 1%)

3 eggs

1/2 t. vanilla extract (I eyed this, so, lots of vanilla here!)

1/4 c. part-skim ricotta cheese

8 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed

1 8-oz container fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (I imagine frozen would work here as well, though thaw and drain them first please!)

4 teaspoons bittersweet chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, which I definitely prefer.)

cooking spray

2 t. confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

Place 1 T. of the ricotta cheese in the center of 4 of the slices of bread and spread around slightly. Top each with about 6 slices of strawberries and 1 t. of chocolate chips. (Note here: your bread will hold together better in the end if you give yourself a small border around your filling of plain bread. If the filling gets to the edge, the bread doesn't like to stick together as well, and stuff falls out.) Cover each with another piece of bread to make a "sandwich".

Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. Carefully dip each of the sandwiches into the egg mixture until completely moistened.  Then place on the skillet and cook until the outside is golden brown, the center is warm and the chocolate is melted, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (If you have to turn the heat down a bit to ensure that everything is cooked, without burning, do so. It will simply take a bit longer.)

Transfer to serving dishes. Top with the remaining strawberries and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!