Tequila Lime Flank Steak Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette

ingredients:

tequila lime flank steak
1 (2 pound, 1-inch thick) flank steak
1/3 cup tequila
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
zest of 2 limes

1 head of red romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn
Margaret Bruya's Coyboy Caviar
1 ounce colby jack cheese, freshly grated
blue tortilla chips for topping (I recommend Garden of Eatin's Red Hot Blues!)

chile lime vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon red pepper or chile oil
2 teaspoons honey
the juice of 2 limes
a pinch of salt + pepper

directions:

tequila lime flank steak
Whisk tequila, olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper and lime zest in a bowl until combine. Add flank steak to a ziplock bag or baking dish and pour marinade ingredients over top. Marinate for 2-24 hours, flipping steak a few times. When you're ready to make the salads, heat the broiler in your oven on the highest setting and place an oven rack directly underneath. Broil steak for 5 minutes, flip and broil for 5 minutes more. If your steak is 1-1 1/2 inches thick, this will result in steak that is done medium-well. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice thin strips on an angle. Or, grill it, which is what I did!

After putting the steak in the marinade, make the Cowboy Caviar and put it in the fridge so that the flavors have a chance to meld.

To assemble the salad, place lettuce in the bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper, toss, and cover with flank steak, Cowboy Caviar, cheese, and tortilla chips. Top with dressing and toss!

chile lime vinaigrette
Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, shaker bottle or large bowl and shake/whisk until combined.

This was a MAJOR hit! The marinade was delicious and the vinaigrette is to die for! This will be a repeater for sure!

Recipe adapted from http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/02/tequila-lime-flank-steak-fajita-salad-with-chile-lime-vinaigrette/

Photo from www.howsweeteats.com

Crockpot Korean Beef Tacos with Cucumber Slaw

Ingredients:

For the Korean Beef:

• 5 lb. chuck roast
• 1 10 oz. bottle low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 T ginger, grated (Have you discovered the pre-grated/ground ginger in produce section yet? Love!)
• 6 T rice vinegar
• 2 T sesame oil
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T sriracha

For the Cucumber Slaw:

• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 c water
• 1 T Thai Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce
• 1 t salt
• 2-3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 c thinly sliced red onion

For the Tacos:

• 16 small tortillas or spring roll wraps
• Cilantro
• Shredded cabbage/cole slaw mix
• Greek yogurt or sour cream
• Sriracha

Directions:

1. To make the Korean beef for the tacos, spray your slow cooker crock with non-stick cooking spray and add the chuck roast.
2. Whisk soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar with the garlic, ginger, sriracha, and oils.
3. Pour over the roast in the crockpot. 
4. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove roast from crockpot and meat just falls apart.  Use the "shredded" beef for the tacos.
5. For the cucumber slaw:
   1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, water, chili pepper sauce and salt.  Stir, cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
   2. Add cucumbers to onion in an appropriately sized dish that will allow all the cucumber mixture to be covered with the marinade.
   3. Pour vinegar mixture over the vegetables and let marinate for 30 minutes.
   4. Remove cucumbers with a slotted spoon.
6. To assemble, serve the shredded meat on warmed tortillas topped a spoon of cucumber slaw, shredded cabbage, cilantro, sriracha and a dollop of yogurt.

This recipe is absolutely delicious! We actually used the coleslaw and ate it more like an asian salad, but it was absolutely delicious.  We actually used leftover cucumber slaw marinade and put some of the cabbage in there to marinate as well.  Delicious!  Everyone in our family LOVED it! This recipe inspiration (and the photo) came from the Confections of a Food Bride blog.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 2 large egg whites
• 10 oz frozen, chopped spinach, thawed with liquid squeezed out
• 3/4 cup feta cheese
• roasted red peppers (I used canned ones)

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients aside from peppers in a mixing bowl and combine with your hands. 
• Form into about 8 patties.
• Grill, top with roasted red peppers, and enjoy!

These were delicious! Even my toddler scarfed his down! The original recipe didn't recommend any condiments. We just used a bit of mayo. I think they would be even better with some chipotle mayo. We'll give that a whirl next time, because there will definitely be a next time!

Recipe from Green Lite Bites

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms 
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 medium zucchini (1-1/4 pounds)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) low-fat cream-style cottage cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

• In large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in some olive oil. Add beef and cook  over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to boil; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 1/4-in. slices the long way. In small bowl, combine cottage cheese and egg. Dust the tops of the zucchini slices with flour (this will keep the dish from becoming too watery). In a greased 3-qt. baking dish, place half of the zucchini. Top with cottage cheese mixture and the meat mixture. Repeat layer of floured zucchini. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings

"Cheese" Burgers with Cherry-Peach Chutney

 Ingredients


Burgers:

• 1 pound ground Angus beef
• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
• Cooking spray
• Romaine lettuce leaves
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns

Chutney:

• 1/3 cup prepared sour cherry or cranberry chutney
• 1/3 cup finely chopped peaches
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions

Preparation

1. Combine ground beef and next 5 ingredients. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
2. Heat your grill to medium heat; coat with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 6-8 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 165°.
3. Place 1 lettuce leaf on bottom half of each bun; top each with a burger. Spread 2 tablespoons Cherry-Peach Chutney on top of burger and then put other bun half on and enjoy!

Adapted from Cookinglight.com

Chipotle Flank Steak with Peach Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3-4 peaches, pitted and chopped
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded, then minced (I use 2, remember to wear gloves!)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 pound flank steak
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chipotle or ancho chili powder

Directions:

1. Peel and chop fresh peaches and place in a medium bowl with onion, jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Thoroughly tenderize the meat by pricking both sides with meat tenderizer or fork. Stir together garlic salt, cumin, oregano and chili powder in a small bowl and rub onto both sides of meat.
3. Place on grill over medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until meat is cooked to your liking. Let stand for 5 minutes before thinly carving at an angle against the grain. Transfer meat and juices to a platter. Serve topped with peach salsa.

This recipe is modified from one I found on The Nibble.  To make this recipe quick and easy, you could buy pre-made peach salsa from the store which is what I would have probably done had it not been August with ripe peaches everywhere.  Also, if you are not into spice, I would decrease the amount of chili powder.  My 8 year old ate it happily (and had seconds), but commented that it was spicy.  Hubby and I wouldn't have changed the spice.  We served with fresh corn on the cob.  Perfect summer dinner!

Fiesta Grilled Flank Steak

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 beef flank steak (1 pound)
• 1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
• 1/2 cup salsa verde
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Directions

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the pineapple juice, lime juice, garlic salt and cumin. Score the surface of the beef, making diamond shapes 1/4 in. deep; place in bag. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
• In a small bowl, combine the pineapple, salsa, avocado, green onion and cilantro. Cover and chill until serving.
• Drain beef and discard marinade. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill steak, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°).
• Let stand for 5 minutes; thinly slice across the grain. Serve with salsa. Yield: 4 servings.

I served this steak with sliced sweet potatoes seasoned with sea salt and pepper, which I also grilled right along side the steak. Delicious!

Garlic-mustard Glazed Skewers

 recipe courtesy of smittenkitchen.com

Ingredients:
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions for glaze:
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before using.

How to use the glaze: Marinate top sirloin steak and skinless/boneless chicken breasts in glaze.  First, cut both the steak and chicken into one-inch cubes and then place all meat in a tupperware or glass bowl.  Pour the glaze over the meat, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before grilling.  30 minutes before you are ready to make the meal, soak wooden skewers in water, or use wire skewers, with no need for soaking in water.  Then alternately place steak and chicken on the skewers, close together.  Grill over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes on each side.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burger with Red Onion and Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• Olive oil
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 4 hamburger buns

Preparation:
1. In a bowl, combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. On waxed paper, shape into eight thin patties. Place 1 tablespon of the blue cheese in the center of four of the patties. Top with the remaining four patties; pinch edges to seal.
2. Brush onion slices with olive oil.
3. Place burgers and onions directly over medium-high heat. Grill 5 minutes per side or until no pink remains in burger. Brush cut sides of buns with olive oil. Grill, cut side down, the last minute of grilling.
4. Serve burgers on buns with grilled onions, spinach, and top with blue cheese if desired.

If you are not a blue cheese lover like me, you can substitute with feta, which also makes a delicious burger!

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Taco Salad

This dinner hardly needs a recipe, but I'll add it as more of a reminder of what you can pull together quickly to make a dish your whole family will love.  I'll also throw in a few ideas to make it even healthier.

Usually I start with chips or crisped up tortillas (if you crisp your own tortillas, it will be even healthier!).  Then you can add a whole variety of toppings.  Some of these are pretty standard and some might peak your interest:

• lettuce, spinach, or cabbage
• grated cheddar or pepperjack cheese
• ground beef, ground turkey, pulled pork, or cubed/pulled chicken, fish for the meat
• chopped: tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers, 
• sliced: olives, green onions, jalapenos
• beans: my favorite are black also pinto (drained and washed)
• corn: my favorite is cut off the cob after being cooked/grilled
• dressing: fresh salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, plain non-fat yogurt, cilantro (or try mixing salsa with sour cream/yogurt together)

Knife & Fork Sirloin Burgers

 Ingredients:

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 large shallots, sliced or chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt and pepper
2 pounds lean ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2/3 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley (a couple of generous handfuls)
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups provolone cheese, shredded
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400°.

On a baking sheet, toss the tomatoes and shallots in 1 tablespoon of EVOO; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes; set aside.
Meanwhile, combine the ground beef, green onion, parsley and garlic and form into four patties, pressing your thumb into the center of each burger to prevent them from bulging when cooking. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, one turn of the pan, over medium-high heat and cook the burgers for 7-8 minutes on each side for well-done.
While the burgers cook, in a medium size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Add the provolone and, using a wooden spoon, stir in a figure-eight motion until combined; season with salt and pepper.
Toss the tomatoes/shallots with the lemon juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon of EVOO and salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve each burger with a pile of tomatoes and shallots and a small bowl of cheese sauce for dipping.

From Rachael Ray's website

Shish Kabobs

This "recipe" doesn't really even need a real recipe, but I am adding it to the blog as more of a reminder that this is a quick, easy, and very healthy meal that we often forget about!  It's delicious in the summer cooked on the grill, but really can be made anytime!

 Some of my favorite shish kabob ingredients are: 

• marinated meat (I usually use a teriyaki sauce for the marinade)
• red onion
• mushrooms
• zucchini
• yellow squash
• bell pepper
• pineapple

Obviously, you can get crazy and creative with what you put on them.  One tip I will share with you is to soak your skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before you prep your kabobs for grilling.  This will keep them from burning up on the grill.

Philly CheeseSteak/French Dip Sandwiches

 

Ingredients

• 1 pkg sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 sweet onion sliced thin
• 1 green pepper sliced thin
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef consomme
• 1 cup water
• 1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 4 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions

1. Saute onions for 10 minutes in a small amount of butter or olive oil.  Then add in mushrooms and green pepper for an additional 5-10 minutes.
2. Heat beef consomme and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat to make a rich beef broth. Place the roast beef in the broth and warm for 3 minutes.
3. Slice hoagie rolls and place face up under the broiler until lightly toasted.  
4. Arrange the meat and veggies on the hoagie rolls and top each roll with 2 slices of provolone. 
5. Turn the temperature down or lower rack and broil sandwiches just until the cheese just begins to melt. Serve the sandwiches with small bowls of the warm broth for dipping. Serves 4.

 

I recently found out that I am anemic so was looking for a beef recipe to add a little iron into my diet.  Since Natalie's husband doesn't eat beef, I gave them deli turkey instead of the roast beef (and obviously no dipping sauce) which made the meal more like a turkey "cheesesteak".  Emma really loved her sandwich (no veggies), and Roger ate two huge sandwiches.  I served these with sweet potato fries (nothing fancy, just from the freezer section in the grocery store).  Easy and hearty!

Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Chili)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup) - to save time, just chop
• 3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans w/liquid
• 1 15 oz. can great northern beans w/ liquid
• 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 12 oz. can of V-8 juice
• 1 T white vinegar
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 t oregano 
• 1 t basil
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/2 t thyme
• 2 c water
• 1/2 pound (8 oz.) ditali pasta
• dash of hot sauce or cayene pepper
• fresh parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat.  Drain off most of the fat.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and parmesan cheese, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. About 50 minutes into simmer time, add in the uncooked pasta and continue simmering for the final 10 minutes.
5. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese for topping.
6. Serves 8

This is a very slightly modified version of a recipe I got from my mother-in-law.  It's very hearty, healthy, and despite what seems like a long ingredient list, very easy to make.  I think it tastes best made with fresh herbs, but really... what doesn't.  This freezes very well too, just leave the pasta out.  I've also made a day in advance (minus the pasta) and reheated for large gatherings - it's easy to double.  Enjoy!

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

• 2  teaspoons  paprika
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (1-pound) beef shoulder roast or petite tender roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Non-stick spray
• 4  shallots, quartered
• 4  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
• 1 cup  chopped zucchini, big chunks

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add squash and zucchini; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until squash is tender.

I paired this with orzo.  After cooking orzo, scoop 1/2 cup orzo on dinner plate and mound the Beef Tagine on top, then sprinkle with shaved or shredded coconut.  The recipe would go really well with Jasmine or Basmati rice too. YUM!

Slightly adapted recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  Serves 4.