Grilled Flank Steak with Butter Chive Grilled Potatoes

August 28, 2012 by

Hi all! I’m back from Phoenix. It was a crazy week. Unfortunately, my house hunting was not so fruitful. I did sign a lease for a townhouse that I liked, but after really thinking about and measuring, I realized that our bedroom furniture would not fit very well because the bedrooms were too small. Our king size bed would take up the whole room. Seriously. And let me tell you right now, we are NOT giving up our king size bed. It is glorious. Our dresser and nightstands aren’t very big, but it would be a really tight squeeze and I think it would just drive us nuts. So, we took back the offer and are now holding out for something better. It’s a little scary since we are supposed to move in one month, but I am trying to remain positive that something will come up!

I wanted to make a nice dinner for my husband this weekend after his week of being a bachelor where he ate a bunch of frozen stuff all week long. Although fall is fast-approaching, it is still a gazillion degrees here in FL so grilling was the way to go! I love meals where you can throw everything on the grill! This meal is so simple. The marinade for the steak is so tasty! I also grilled some fresh corn on the cob and topped it with some extra of the chive butter that I used for the potatoes.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Butter Chive Grilled Potatoes

Prep Time: 6 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients

    For the Flank Steak:
  • 1 1/2 lb. flank steak
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tbs. Montreal steak seasoning
    • For the potatoes:
  • About 8 red-skinned potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed, then sliced in half length-wise
  • 2 tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1 tbs. chopped chives
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic salt (or to taste)

Instructions

    For the steak:
  1. Place the steak in a deep dish or baking dish. Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the Montreal steak seasoning in a small bowl. Pour the mixture evenly over the steak. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
  2. To cook the steak, heat grill on medium heat. Grill the steak for about 5 minutes and then turn over and continue to cook for another 4 minutes or so or until the meat is cooked to your preference. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
    3. For the potatoes:
  3. Boil the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes until they are partially cooked. Drain the water and let the potatoes cool enough so you can touch them.
  4. Melt the butter in a small bowl, stir in the chives and garlic salt. Brush some of the butter mixture on top of each of the cut, flat side of each potato. Place each potato with the buttered side down onto the grill. Grill for about 3-4 minutes until the potatoes are browned, flip and grill the bottoms (you can brush some additional butter if desired) for another 5 minutes or so until the potatoes are cooked thoroughly.
http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/08/grilled-flank-steak-with-butter-chive-grilled-potatoes/
Filed Under: Beef, Entrees, Sides · Tagged With: , , , , , , , 27 Comments

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

March 9, 2012 by


Ok, confession time.

My husband and I have a serious addiction to “Friends”. Like, seriously, we watch it every day. EVERY DAY! We own all 10 seasons and have them on constant rotation, especially while we eat dinner as there is usually nothing better on television. We quote our favorite lines from the show constantly. We watch the re-runs on Nick at Nite and on TBS. We’re nerds, but whatevs. And given that the show was on for 10 years, I can relate almost every real-life situation to an episode of Friends. Yeah, it’s scary.

I can even relate my love for delicious and toasty sandwiches to Friends. Case in point:

This is kind of how I feel about this Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. Don’t touch my sandwich! Especially this one. It is delicious and at just under 400 calories, it is way lower in fat compared to traditional Philly Cheesesteaks. You can cut out some calories and carbs by hollowing out the top and bottom halves of the bread. And trust me, you won’t even notice the difference because the filling is so yummy!

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

From Cooking Light

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

– 1 12-ounce flank steak

– salt and pepper

– 2 portobello mushroom caps (optional)

– 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

– 1 cup thinly sliced onion

– 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green pepper

– 2 tsp. garlic, minced

– 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

– 1/2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

– 2 tsp. all-purpose flour

– 1/2 cup skim milk

– 1 ounce provolone cheese, torn into small pieces

– 2 tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

– 1/4 tsp. dry mustard

– 4 hoagie rolls, lightly toasted

Directions:

1. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices (you can place it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before slicing to make it easier to cut). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If using mushrooms, remove the brown gills from the underside of the mushroom caps and discard. Remove the stems and thinly slice the caps; cut slices in half crosswise.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tsp. of the olive oil to the pan. Add the beef and saute for 2 minutes or until the beef loses its pink color, stirring constantly. Remove the beef from the pan. Add the remaining olive oil. Add the onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic. Saute for another 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat, add the beef back to the pan, and stir in the Worcestershire and soy sauce. Keep warm.

3. Place the flour in s small sauce pan and add in the milk, whisk until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the cheeses and the mustard. Stir until smooth. Keep warm and the mixture will thicken as it cools.

4. Hollow out the top and bottom halves of the rolls. Divide the beef mixture evenly amongst the bottom half of each roll. Drizzle the cheese sauce over the beef. Place the top half of the bread back on top and serve.

Notes: Don’t want to go through the trouble of making the cheese sauce? No problem! Just places a slice of provolone cheese on top of each sandwich and stick under the broiler until melted.
Filed Under: Beef, Low-Fat, Sandwiches · Tagged With: , , , 56 Comments

Mom’s Beef Stew

October 17, 2011 by

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you just don’t feel like doing anything?! That was me this entire weekend. It was definitely a relaxing weekend, but I didn’t feel like getting out much. My husband and I spent both Friday and Saturday night watching re-runs of The Wonder Years on Netflix. I’ve been waiting to be able to watch this show again for years! It’s just as awesome as I remember it to be! After a long weekend of nothingness, it felt like a one-pot meal kind of night. With the cooler weather, I had a craving for a big bowl of my mom’s beef stew! This stew is pretty easy to make, but it takes about 4 solid hours to cook, so make sure you plan this meal ahead of time!

Mom’s Beef Stew

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2-2 lbs. stew beef

– 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

– 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

– 1 tsp. salt

– 1 tsp. black pepper

– 5 cups water

– 1/3 cup red wine

– 1 tbs. tomato paste (optional)

– 2 cups chopped carrots

– 2 cups whole pearl onions, peel outer layer

– 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

– 1 cup frozen peas

– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large pot, dredge beef in the flour. Add to pot and brown meat on each side for approximately 3 minutes. Add water and wine. Simmer on low heat for 2 hours until the meat is tender.

2. Add in the onions and carrots. Add salt and pepper if you think it is needed. Simmer for another hour and a half. Then add the potatoes and cook for an additional 30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked. Add the peas during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.

Notes:
- My husband is not much of an onion fan, so I actually scooped out the onions in my stew right before I added the potatoes.
- I found myself adding salt and pepper throughout the cooking process. I recommend tasting as you go and add more salt and pepper if you think it is needed.
Filed Under: Beef, Entrees, Soups · Tagged With: , , , , 21 Comments

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

September 26, 2011 by

After last week’s sugar high, I am ready for some good dinners this week. Fall means time to pull out the crock pot and put it to some good use! Sundays are my cooking days and I always like to try to make a nice dinner for Sunday nights. It was a pot roast kind of night. This pot roast is SO easy to make and while it makes a lovely Sunday dinner, it is also great for any night of the week because you just have to throw it all together in the slow cooker and let it go! And while I only made this for the hubs and I, it would be perfect for a dinner party! The gravy for this pot roast comes out so flavorful and delicious and the meat is perfectly fork tender!

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Adapted from All Recipes

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

– 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

– salt and pepper

– 2 1/2 to 3 lb. pot roast

– 2 cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup

– 1 package onion soup mix

– 3/4 cup red wine

– 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. In a pan, heat olive oil. Try to trim away any large pieces of fat on the roast. Sprinkle salt and pepper to both sides of roast. Sear meat on both sides until brown.

2 In slow cooker, mix together the soup, onion soup mix, wine, and water. Add roast and cook on low setting for 7-8 hours or on high setting for 4-5 hours. If adding carrots or potatoes, I recommend adding these during the last 1 1/2-2 hours of cooking.
Filed Under: Beef, Entrees · Tagged With: , , , 46 Comments

Southwest Burgers

July 8, 2011 by

Ok, so I am kind of obsessed with guacamole. I think I could eat it every day whether it is with tortilla chips, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, veggies, grilled chicken, and now, these Southwest Burgers. Yeah, sure, I tried to infuse a “southwest” flavor into the meat, but really, all I wanted to do is slather copious amounts of guacamole on this burger. I was trying to think about what I was going to make for the 4th of July and figured I would make some sort of burger so after day-dreaming about guacamole, I decided to make these southwest burgers that I topped with some of my Best Dang Guacamole.

Southwest Burgers

Serves 4

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (or turkey, or black beans!)

– 2 tsp. taco seasoning

– 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

– 1 tsp. onion powder

– 4 slices of pepper jack cheese

– Toppings: guacamole and salsa

– Optional: If you want the burgers to be moister, try adding 1/3 cup of salsa into the meat. You can also add 2 tsp. of hot sauce if you want these burgers to have a kick to them!

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine beef, taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and onion powder. Form into 4 patties.

2. Heat grill or grill pan (spray with cooking spray first) to medium high heat. Cook burgers approximately 5 minutes on each side or until burgers are cooked to your desire. Add cheese slices on top of the burgers about 2 minutes before you remove them from the grill. Top burger with the best dang guacamole, salsa, and serve!
Filed Under: Beef, Entrees · Tagged With: , , 7 Comments

Coq Au Vin Fondue

June 29, 2011 by

Let the fondue feast continue! First of all, I have to apologize for the picture for this recipe (it was hard to take a picture in our poorly lit living room)! I posted my recipe for our first course, Cheddar Swiss Fondue the other day. This Coq Au Vin fondue was our second course. In French, Coq Au Vin means “Rooster in wine.” Well, no roosters were harmed in the making of this recipe, but I call it Coq Au Vin fondue because it is my take on The Melting Pot’s version.

This recipe works well with a variety of meats. We typically do chicken and steak, but shrimp and salmon also work really well! If you have been to The Melting Pot before, you might be thinking about all of those great dipping sauces they give you. My philosophy on this is if you want to do this at home and save some time and money, don’t try to make a bunch of sauces from scratch. Some sauces are worth making every once in a while, but a lot of the time, we just use bottled teriyaki sauce and BBQ sauce. If we do fish, I like to do a lemon, white wine, and butter sauce. If you are feeling adventurous though, give some of their sauces a try! My faves are the curry and their green goddess dip!

Coq Au Vin Fondue

Serves 4

Ingredients:

– 3 14.5 ounce cans vegetable broth

– 1 cup red wine (burgundy, or I sometimes use cabernet sauvignon)

– 2 garlic cloves, minced

– Optional: green onion, mushrooms

– Meat: If serving 4 people, I recommend you have at least 2 pounds of meat. Cut chicken, steak or salmon into bite-size pieces. Small red potatoes and vegetables also work well with this fondue.

Directions:

1. If you plan to do all three fondue courses, I recommend doing as much prep work beforehand as possible for each course so all you have to do in between is clean your pot out. For Coq Au Vin fondue, you can prep by cutting your meat into bite-size pieces and try to trim away any fat. I then sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, and put the meat back into the fridge until I am ready for it.

2. Heat fondue pot to high heat, add wine, broth, and garlic and simmer for approximately 3-4 minutes. You can tell that the broth is ready when you dip in a piece of meat and it immediately starts cooking. Chicken typically takes about 4 minutes to cook. Steak typically takes 2-3 minutes depending on how well-done you like to eat your steak.

Notes:
- Be careful when serving raw meat. No raw meat should be placed on the same plate that you plan to eat the meat off of when it is cooked. I serve the raw meat on a large plate with its own fork and knife (if needed) and then give each guest a separate plate with another fork and knife. Make sure your meat is fully-cooked before eating it.

- As your broth continues to simmer while you cook your meat, the broth will start to evaporate. Our fondue pot is rather large so I need to add 3 cans of broth in order to prevent the broth from getting too low. If you are using a small pot, you can start with 2 cans of broth and a 1/2 cup of wine.
Filed Under: Beef, Chicken, Dips/Sauces, Entrees · Tagged With: , , , , , , 3 Comments

Beer Burgers

May 30, 2011 by


Well, the air conditioner in our apartment is broke AGAIN! So grilling these beer burgers last night was a little difficult :) . The picture does not do these beer burgers justice. I don’t make burgers very often because they never come out right, but my brother gave me this recipe so I thought I would give it a try since we were in the mood for some BBQ for Memorial Day. My brother recommends using an ale or lager beer for this recipe so I used Sam Adams Summer Ale (also his recommendation) and the burgers had great flavor! The only thing my husband didn’t like was the diced onion, so the next time I make these, I am going to try adding onion powder instead.

Beer Burgers

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

Serves 4

– 1 lb. ground round
– 1 tsp. salt
– 1/4 tsp. black pepper
– 1/2 c. diced onion (or 2 tsp. onion powder)
– 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– *1/2 cup beer
– 4 slices of cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine meat, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onions, and beer. Combine and form into 4 patties.

2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high heat (Brush pan with olive oil to prevent sticking). Once grill is hot, cook burgers for approximately 3-4 minutes and turn over. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add cheese and cook until melted or until meat is cooked to your desired taste.

Notes: The original recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of beer, however, my brother recommended using 1/2 cup to get more flavor. If you use 1/2 cup, the meat mixture will seem a little watery, but most of it will cook off on the grill!
Filed Under: Beef, Entrees · Tagged With: , There are no comments