Showing posts with label steak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steak. Show all posts

July 18, 2014

July 18th: Family Steak and Vegetable Platter

From Foodland Ontario calendar, recipe for month of July. SADIE ATE EVERY SCRAP OF FOOD ON HER PLATE. Including potatoes. And tomatoes. I will make this recipe every single day from now on...

Family Steak and Vegetable Platter

1 lb (500 g) boneless Ontario Beef Top Sirloin or other grilling steak, 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick
1 lb (500 g) small Ontario Potatoes, scrubbed
8 oz (250 g) Ontario Green Beans, trimmed
2 Ontario Tomatoes, any colour, cut into wedges
2 Ontario Green Onions, thinly sliced
4 cups (1 L) torn mixed Ontario Salad greens

Dressing:
1/4 cup (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 cloves Ontario Garlic, pressed
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh Ontario Thyme
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) Ontario liquid Honey
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each coarse salt and ground pepper

Dressing: In small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, 2 tsp (10 mL) of the thyme, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Remove 2 tsp (10 mL) and brush one side of the steak with half. Place steak, dressing side down on greased grill over medium-high heat. Brush with remaining half of removed dressing; close lid and grill, turning once, until medium-rare, about 8 minutes, or until desired doneness. Transfer to cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Meanwhile, in large pot of lightly salted water, bring potatoes to boil; cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add green beans; cook for 5 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain vegetables and run under cold water; drain well.

Cut potatoes into quarters or halves (depending on size); arrange in section on large platter. Fill rest of platter with sections of beef, beans, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. Sprinkle with remaining dressing and with thyme; toss gently to coat.


Serves 4.




I skipped the platter presentation and did individual plates. I added watercress and radish to our plates, and for our dressing, I used Liquid Gold's Honey Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar. Delicious!



January 12, 2014

January 12th: Garlicky Pan-Fried Steaks, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Cherry Tomato Salad

This is our third time eating this meal, and it is a fan favourite in our household. These days, finding a meal that all four of us will enjoy is particularly challenging, but this one succeeds and so it has become a keeper. From November 2013's Chatelaine: Garlicky Pan-Fried Steaks, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, and Cherry Tomato Salad. For tonight's meal, I added sautéed baby spinach, since we had some wilting in the fridge. The head of cauliflower I had picked up was on the small side, and we all wished I had bought two. Seriously, all four of us mourned the end of the cauliflower. How amazing is that? Roasted cauliflower is awesome all the time, and this mayonnaise-based dressing takes it to the next level. So good. The Cherry Tomato Salad says it serves 4, but I double it to feed my 4, so I've doubled it below. To the recipes! I've listed them in the order you'll want to attack them, from longest to shortest prep and cooking times.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss a medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces, with 3 tbsp olive oil and 1/8 tsp salt on a large baking sheet. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Spread cauliflower in a single layer (it's okay if the pieces touch).

Bake in centre of oven until edges are golden, flipping halfway through, about 30 minutes.

Stir 2 tbsp mayonnaise with 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp grainy mustard and 1/2 tsp honey in a small bowl. Drizzle over roasted cauliflower, then sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped parsley.

Serves 5. (NOT TRUE! Double the recipe to please 5 people.)




Garlicky Pan-Fried Steaks

Stir 6 minced garlic cloves with 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 1/2 tsp salt. Rub on both sides of 3 strip loin steaks, about 1/2 inch thick.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add 2 tsp canola oil, then steaks. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates and let rest, covered, 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Drizzle any pan juices over steaks.

Serves 5.

(For us, I use half the rub on 1 strip loin, which we split 4ish ways. I recommend getting the pan juices out of the pan ASAP or else they stick and you can't do the drizzling.)



Cherry Tomato Salad

Whisk 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with 4 tsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp red hot chili flakes in a medium bowl. Toss with 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4.

(I gave my girls plain halved tomatoes, in case they found the salad spicy. Sadie kicked up a massive fuss over the tomatoes, didn't want to go near them, eventually had one forced in her mouth, came around to the flavour and ate them all, then demanded more. We gave her some from the salad and she didn't complain about the heat, so.)





August 31, 2011

August 23rd: Asian Caesar steak salad

This one's incredibly delicious: from 's Chatelaine: Asian Caesar steak salad. Olivia fell asleep on the couch while I was cooking, and Greg was out playing hockey, so I just went ahead and ate the whole steak myself. Mmm.


I had tomatoes rather than red pepper
and sunflower sprouts rather than Chinese noodles.

August 14th: steak & veggie kabobs

From the keeper book, and no idea where the recipe originates from: 


Steak & Veggie Kabobs


1 lb (454 g) boneless sirloin steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsps sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
red onion, cut in chunks
sweet pepper, chunked
mushrooms, whole


If using wooden skewers, soak in water.


Cut beef into chunks and place in a small bowl. Combine marinade ingredients in measuring cup. Chop veggies and combine in a large bowl. Divide marinade between beef and veggies. Stir. Let stand 30 minutes.


Skewer meat and veggies in an attractive pattern. Barbecue to desired doneness, basting as often as you like with the marinade from the vegetable bowl.


Makes about 3 servings.


I added zucchini, not on the ingredient list above

August 11, 2011

August 4th: zesty grilled steak

A long time favourite; from August 2003's Chatelaine: zesty grilled steak. It really is zesty. We reduce the cumin seeds by half and increase the garlic to lots. This recipe involves cilantro which means Greg is a little bit on the fence about it, but trust me, it is oh so good. You must like strong flavours. Be warned.


before


after
We traditionally serve this with fiesta potatoes. One of the best meals of the summer, every year.

June 28, 2011

June 28th: Teriyaki Beef Salad

I think I may be getting to the end of my favourite salad recipes. This one is a steak salad with Asian flavours; it's strongly flavoured, but could be mellowed by omitting the garlic and ginger. I've modified the original, from April 2009's Chatelaine: Teriyaki Beef Salad, by using 1/8 tsp bottled ginger purée. That's it.







June 26, 2011

June 23rd: Zesty BBQ steak, Sweet Peppers with Garlic-Herb Oil

This is a simple steak recipe that is a slight elevation of bottled sauce; I made it off a calendar years ago and continue to make it yearly. The Internet is such a wonderful thing; I had completely forgotten, but can now give credit to this and yesterday's recipe as coming from the Recipes Plus Calendar (potentially from 2004):


Zesty BBQ Steak


1/2 cup HP Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
About 1 pound top sirloin grilling steak, 3/4 inch thick 

Combine HP sauce, oil, vinegar, garlic, and pepper in a bowl. Coat steak generously with half the sauce.


Grill over medium-high heat 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness, brushing with remaining sauce and turning only once or twice. Serves 4.




I served this yummy steak with a recipe from June 2010's Chatelaine: Sweet Peppers with Garlic-Herb Oil. I made this one last year, loved it, and have made it a number of times since. It never disappoints.



June 16, 2011

June 16th: java steaks, sugar snap almond pilaf

My favourite part of tonight's meal was this Sugar Snap and Almond Pilaf from June 2010's Chatelaine. I didn't have almonds, so used walnuts, and I added a bit of butter and Knorr chicken broth to the rice water, but otherwise, I followed the recipe and it was deelish.




Aside: In the last month I've become a *runner*. Ha, double ha. See, last summer, Greg joined the Running Room, got all caught up in this whole running thing, started losing weight, fell in love with the sport, injured himself, healed, ran ran ran and ever since, has been nudging me to give it a go. I do not have a natural runner's body. I'm short, with short legs, I'm not graceful and I don't move quickly with ease. Give me BODYFLOW any day. To add to the pressure, my friend Janice got a job downtown in the building next to mine. She spends her lunch hours running. Therefore, to spend time with her, run I must. And so, around the beginning of May, she set out to train me to become a runner. News Flash: running is actually jogging. But I've irked Greg and Janice enough with that line I won't push it any further. But it is.


In any case, the whole reason I bring this up is tonight, Janice and I went running. I was midway through making supper when I had to leave the house, so Greg finished the cooking and took the above picture but forgot to take a picture of the steak. Well anyway, you know what a barbecued steak looks like. The really important thing is that you should give this steak recipe a try; it has long been one of our favourites. We keep a bottle of instant coffee in the house for this recipe alone: from June 2005's Chatelaine: Java Steak Rub. No need to look up the link, here's the recipe:


Java steak rub: Stir 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) instant or ground coffee granules with 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) each freshly ground black pepper and cumin and pinches of salt. Rub into strip loin, sirloin, porterhouse or T-bone steaks before grilling.


That's it! So good. Wish I had a pic to share.

May 2, 2011

May 1st: Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms


I’m going to give this one a quick mention because Greg loved it. I’m super tempted to toss the recipe, but instead I’m going to make some modifications and give it another go. From March 2011’s Chatelaine: Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms. This is essentially fancified fried hamburgers. The meat is super tender and flavourful. The modifications I am suggesting are to double up on the sauce recipe, that being the butter/mushroom/flour/beef broth combo. We loved the sauce and can never have too many mushrooms. Plus, if you are serving with egg noodles and green beans, as the recipe suggests, and as we did, the more sauce the better to pour over the noodles. This one came together fairly quickly and would be fine for a relaxed weeknight.

March 31, 2011

March 30th: beef shawarma ... on baguette?

We had a virus awhile back that ate a number of the pictures on our laptop. We have a goodly number on the Mac, so we haven't lost everything, but we have lost some gems. My blogspot profile pic exists on blogspot only. One of the less important pics, but one I had been planning to use for some time, was a picture of me looking sheepish as I hold up a copy of Company's Coming Inviting Asian Flavours. In January, I slagged Lindsay for asking me to cook out of a book I don't have. She responded forthwith, sending me said cookbook in the mail. Ask and ye shall receive. Though my asking was on the passive aggressive side, which is not so attractive.

I have made two recipes out of this book since receiving it. One I didn't write about, as I decided to spare you the descriptions of meals that don't turn out (unless I have a spectacular disaster to share!) and also gain some sleep for myself, a useless pursuit in general.

Tonight, I made a steak with shawarma flavours. Let's start with the recipe:


2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (more on this later)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp each: ground allspice, curry powder, ground cinnamon, salt and pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 x 225 g beef strip loin steaks


baguette, hummus, tomato, cucumber, red onion


Combine molasses, garlic and all spices, pour over steak and allow to marinate 6 hours. Drain and discard marinade. BBQ steak as desired. Split and toast baguette, spread with hummus, slice steaks and arrange on baguette with veggies. Makes 4 sandwiches.


The baguette does make for nice presentation, but see my comments below.

Except!: Pomegranate molasses: As explained in the book, pomegranate molasses "promote[s] a dark exterior that has a caramelized flavour." If you don’t have pomegranate molasses (as I do not), you can make it yourself by boiling down pomegranate juice. Easy peasy, thought I, as I bought a small but expensive bottle of juice at the grocery store. I measured out my ¾ cup, put it on the stove and let it boil away for several minutes, every once in awhile picking up the pot, swirling it around and measuring with my eyes how much more liquid needed to disappear before I would have the requisite 2 tbsp. Then, I made a novice mistake. I left the room. When next I came back (4 minutes later!), I had a smoke-filled kitchen, a pot containing a thick layer of unrecognizable, black, burnt-on juice, and a stink to high heaven. On went the fan, open went the door, water into the pan! (The water in the scorching pan caused a loud pop as a hole burst through the burnt-on juice. Although I haven't found time to clean it yet, I think my ever-abused Paderno pot came through the experiment unscathed.)


As this occurred post-10 p.m. on a Tuesday night, I didn’t bother with a second attempt. I decided some undiluted pomegranate juice would have to suffice. I mixed my juice in with my spices and garlic and poured the combo into a jar for the overnight time period. Wednesday morning, before leaving home, I quickly set my steak in a glass dish, poured my juice mixture overtop, and covered to rest in the fridge for the day.

I found the steak super flavourful, with an authentic shawarma taste. Next time, I'll slice the steak as thin as I can possibly manage, load it into a pita spread with hummus, and top with the suggested tomato, cucumber and red onion. I do not recommend serving this steak on a toasted baguette as per the recipe. I find baguettes really hard to eat (as in, their ridges cut my gums). I think a traditional pita is the way to go. Next time I will use straight pomegranate juice again and save myself the trouble of a messy pot to clean.

December 19, 2010

December 18th: Hoisin steak stir-fry

From the keeper book, as I don't have time to expend on unfamiliar recipes this week: from September 2005's Chatelaine: Hoisin steak stir-fry with egg noodles. We've made this one time and again and it's not the most amazing stir-fry ever, but it is consistently good. Go easy on the sauce; it's strong-tasting and you don't need much on the plate.

I used broccoli in place of green beans.

September 13, 2010

September 13th: Grilled steak and potatoes with buttered carrots

For the past seven months, I've been teaching three BodyFlow classes a week, plus an occasional sub. This fall I have just one class every other week. I sent an email to an instructor or two to let them know I am available for subbing, and I find myself this week teaching five classes, which is about the maximum my abs and legs can take. I know other instructors do more, but not this bod. Today was my fourth day in a row of teaching and I came home from the gym famished, which is the best way to arrive home when your husband is cooking for you.

Tonight, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Grilled steak and foil-wrapped potatoes (with rosemary from our garden!) with Buttered carrots. Yum all around. Easy to make too, or so I was told.

One of the ladies at the gym brought me cookies, so that was my dessert. Okay, I actually ate them in the car while driving home, so it was a pre-supper dessert. :) Then a lie-down with Liv with rain and thunder outside, very cosy. And now, bed.

September 3, 2010

September 3rd: Lime-Marinated Steak with Zucchini

Friday night!



Greg is a realtor and works impossible-to-predict hours. Today, O and I were on our own for supper again. After a chilly swim and a warm shower, I threw this supper together while talking on the phone to Rachel, and I didn't make any mistakes. It gets high points for both taste and easy preparation. Tonight's meal was from September 2010's Today's Parent (noticing a trend?!): Lime-Marinated Steak with Zucchini.

It tastes strongly of fresh lime juice and raw garlic, both of which I love, but you may want to proceed to caution! The zucchini flavoured with nutmeg was surprisingly good. With some corn on the cob on the side, we were good to go. Loving the local veggies this time of year.


When Greg ate his portion hours later, we agreed: this recipe goes in the "try again" binder. Yum!