Cowboy Steak with Coffee and Ancho Rub.

This is yet another recipe from the lovely and talented Ellie Krieger, from the book The Food You Crave. I knew when I saw this recipe that the combination of the espresso, chile powder, brown sugar and other seasonings would be a hit with my husband. The flavor was amazing, though the texture was a bit strange to me, as the coffee grounds, though finely espresso ground, are still very present. Still, this is definitely a recipe we'll make often through grilling season.

Cowboy Steak with Coffee and Ancho Rub, from The Food You Crave, by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

1 1/2 t. ground ancho chile or regular chile powder

1 1/2 t. finely ground espresso coffee

1/2 t. dark brown sugar

1/4 t. dry mustard

1/4 t. ground coriander

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

1 1/4 lb. ranch steak or top sirloin, about 1 1/4 in. thick

Directions:

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray over medium high heat or preheat the grill.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except the steak. Rub it well into both sides of the steak.

Cook the steak five minutes per side, turning once, for medium rare, or cook to your prefered doneness.

Allow the steak to rest for five minutes before slicing thinly. Enjoy!

Enchiladas, Pioneer Woman Style.

I've been looking for a good enchilada recipe for awhile now. You see, I love ordering them at restaurants, but making them at home. Guaranteed to be a flop, every time. That is, until I was gifted the Pioneer Woman's cookbook and discovered that her recipes never flop. Seriously. Every single one I've tried has turned out famously, and most are simple to boot. When I came across her enchilada recipe, I admit, I hesitated. See, there's nothing obviously wrong with the recipe, nothing at all wrong with it. I was just afraid I'd ruin my streak with her recipes and have yet another flopped enchilada meal. I was so wrong. These are delicious, simple, properly messy (all enchilada recipes I've tried have that in common,) and quite filling. If you've had the same luck making enchiladas at home as I have, please, end your misery, make these. Tonight, if possible. You won't regret it. Enjoy!

Texas Meat Marinade from Former First Lady Laura Bush.

When Chris and I were wed, my mother gave us a lovely gift. She wrote to friends and family, as well as our current politicians in office, and asked for well-loved recipes. Pres. George W. Bush was in office at the time, so she wrote to First Lady Laura Bush as well. Some of the recipes received are of the sort that my family simply will not touch; this is not one of those.

This marinade is amazing, and simple to boot! There are no photos as I didn't think to snap one before we sat down to dinner, and also because, delicious as it is, it dulled the color of our steaks to a shade that would not make for a nice photo. :)

Any meat can be used for this, but I do highly recommend using beef. As I've not access to Yucatan Sunshine Habanero Pepper Sauce at my supermarket, I simply use Tabasco sauce. 

Texas Meat Marinade, from Former First Lady Laura Bush

Ingredients:

1/2 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. thyme

1/2 t. marjoram

1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

1 t. Yucatan Sunshine Habanero Pepper Sauce

1 T. Worcestershire sauce (I sub in soy sauce here)

2 t. chopped garlic

1/4 c. corn oil

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

Directions:

Mix the dry mustard, thyme, marjoram, and pepper together. Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce), hot pepper sauce, corn oil, and olive oil. Mix well and pour over your meat of choice covering entire piece of meat with mixture. Marinate for a few hours. Sprinkle with salt just before cooking. Enjoy!

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!

Colorful Nachos.

I came across the photos of the recipe in my library and couldn't believe I forgot to share!  Hubby and I have been enjoying this off and on as an after church lunch since November, when I found the recipe.  It's fairly quick, and very easy, and oh so rewarding in the end! And, bonus, it's a lot healthier than most nacho recipes out there. (I like to tell myself that, anyway.)

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 (1 1/8 ounce) package taco seasoning(you can get this in low sodium, and there's no noticeable difference, I highly reccomend it.)
1 (16 ounce) can refried bean (Hubby and I are not fans of refried beans, so we just leave these out.)
2 cups monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
1 (12 ounce) bag nacho cheese flavor Doritos
olives, sliced (optional)(we opt not to use these!)
tomato, diced (optional)(we like to use 3 or 4 romas, diced, without the seeds or juice(not as runny or gooey then!))
green onion, sliced (optional)(lots of these!)
jalapeno, sliced (optional)

Directions

Brown ground beef until all pink is gone.
Add taco packet plus 1/2 cup of water and stir until mixed in well.
Add can of refried beans to taco meat and add water until a good spreading consistency is reached (depends on how thick your beans are.).(Again, we leave the beans out, so this step is skipped. No harm comes of it, I assure you!)
In a 9x13 casserole dish, spread out half of the bag of doritos. Top with 1/2 of the meat/bean mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Put any optional toppings on now.
Place the 2nd half of everything on top of the first layer in the same order.
Bake in a 350* oven for about 15 minutes until all the cheese is melted.
Serve with guacamole, sour cream and salsa. (Or none of the above.  Hubby and I prefer the nachos as is, out of the oven.)