Steak Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

 

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I have bought the pre-cooked sirloin at Costco a couple of times and love it for a quick, protein-rich lunch or dinner.  However, I was feeling a salad the other night and wanted to use the leftover sirloin I still had.  So, I googled "steak and goat cheese salad" and this one won out...and for good reason.  I made enough for Kate and me and she loved it so much that she made it again for lunch the next day!  

INGREDIENTS

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound flank steak or skirt steak (or Costco grass-fed pre-cooked sirloin in the refrigerated section)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 head lettuce greens
• 1 bunch arugula (young leaves), tough stems removed
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (smooth), or 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

1 Cook the steak: (If using un-cooked steak) Heat a couple teaspoons of oil in a cast iron pan on high heat. Pat the steaks dry. Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with a little salt. 

Sear the steaks in the pan on both sides, just until nicely browned. Remove pan from heat and cover. Let cook for a few minutes more, until the steak is done to your liking.

You can test with a meat thermometer. Remove steak from pan at 125°F to 130°F for rare, 140°F for medium rare, 150° for medium. 

2 Let the steak rest before cutting, then cut thin slices: Remove from pan to a cutting board. Let rest for a few minutes before cutting. Cut thin slices, on a diagonal so you slice wide pieces, across the grain of the meat.

3 Make the salads: Toss together the lettuce greens, arugula, bell pepper, goat cheese, and scallions. Arrange on individual plates. Sprinkle with avocado. Lay on top several slices of chilled sliced steak. 

4 Make dressing: Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle on salad.

Mom's Famous Freezer Bean and Beef Burritos

 With my kids being home all day every day, we have been going through food at an incredible rate.  Why is everyone so hungry all of the time?!  Add soccer practices right at dinnertime to the mix and I had to come up with a fast and hearty meal that everyone would love.  MKC is always my trusted source for meals that everyone in my house can get on board with and this one was no exception.   I just bought the Cilantro Lime Crema Dressing from Costco and it was so good drizzled on top.  I added some riced cauliflower at the end and it bulked up the burrito mix and added nutrition easily making 40 burritos.  Lastly, I bought these pre-cooked tortillas from Tortilla Familia and they worked great, saved time, and are delicious.

pic courtesy of MKC

Mom's Famous Freezer Bean and Beef Burritos 

Mels Kitchen Cafe

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey/beef (I used 1 pound of each so it made a lot more)
•  1 cup chopped onion
•  1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
•  1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground pepper)
•  3 cans (16 ounces each) refried beans- I used Trader Joe's
•  3 cans (4 ounces) green chiles (mild, medium or hot, depending on preference)
•  1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) green taco sauce or green enchilada sauce 
•  1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) red taco sauce or red enchilada sauce
•  1/2 cup (4 ounces) salsa, green or red
•  1 teaspoon ground cumin
•  1 teaspoon chili powder
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Frozen riced cauliflower, optional (adds zero flavor, but bulks it up and doesn't have texture once it heats so you can't see or taste it- I probably put 1 1/2 cups in)
•  6 to 7 cups shredded cheese (I prefer using a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack)
•  20 10-inch tortillas or 30 8-inch tortillas (I used these and they're delicious)
• 
  

1. In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef and onion with the salt and pepper until cooked through, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the cheese and tortillas) and mix to combine. Heat through, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
3. Let the mixture cool slightly. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the filling on each tortilla (depending on the size of the tortilla and how stuffed you want them). Sprinkle about 1/4 cup cheese (or so!) on the filling. Fold in the sides and then roll the burrito closed (see pictures in the post for a visual).
4. I roll all the burritos and place them on a large sheet pan. After they are all rolled, I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then put them in gallon size ziploc bags and freeze.
5. To reheat, unwrap burrito from plastic wrap and microwave for one minute. Poke holes in the semi-thawed burrito with a fork or cut the burrito in half and microwave for 1-minute intervals until heated through. They'll be piping hot! Eat carefully. 🙂

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

This is the second part of the recipe I posted last week- Salsa Verde.  This soup is seriously amazing!! You have to top with avocados to make it incredible.  Also- you could definitely make this vegan and/or vegetarian by skipping the meat and doubling the beans and veggies.  

Chicken Tomatillo Soup 

Lunchpails and Lipstick

Mirepoix Mix from Trader Joe's (or chop 1/2 onion, 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks)

8 cups chicken or veggie broth

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast

1 1/2 cups salsa verde 

1 large can (or 2 small cans) of Hominy beans (found in Mexican aisle)

Avocado for garnish

Sauté your mirepoix in your soup pan for 5 minutes. You can add a little olive oil if you want, but you don’t need to. Next, add your broth and bring to a boil. After it begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium and let it cook until all veggies are soft (about 8-10 mins). Add your chicken and can of hominy (drained) and let everything simmer for an additional 20 mins. Right before you are ready to serve stir in your salsa. Garnish with sliced avocado.

Chicken Burrito Bowls (Copycat Chipotle)

I'm making this for the second time tonight, its that good! And may I add healthy! It's another Pinterest find! Enjoy!

Chicken Burrito Bowls

babycenter blog

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
Pinch of garlic powder
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
Olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, or fresh corn cut off the cob
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked brown rice
Avocado, cilantro, and lime juice for garnish (optional)

In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle evenly over chicken pieces.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook through. Remove the from the pan and set aside.

If necessary, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the onion, pepper, and corn. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender, about 7 minutes. Add the black beans and heat through.

Layer rice, bean mixture, and chicken in a bowl and top with avocado, cilantro, and lime juice if desired.

Chipotle Chicken Kabobs with Avocado Cream Sauce

These were delicious! My husband said while eating these I should be on Master Chef. If you know my husband that is saying something. Then as we were going to bed he said that was the best dinner! These really were amazing and easy! I had all ingredients on hand too... We just ate them plain because we are trying to cut carbs at dinner and it was plenty!

Adapted from Annies Eats
chipotle chicken kabobs with avocado cream sauce

Yield: about 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken: 
Juice of 2 limes
½ cup of vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
¾ tsp. chili powder
¾ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and minced
2 lbs. chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into 1½-2 inch pieces
Minced fresh cilantro, for serving

For the avocado cream sauce: 
1 avocado, split and pitted
½ cup low-fat greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

• In a medium bowl or a baking dish/pie plate, combine the lime juice, oil, spices, garlic, brown sugar, and chipotle.  Whisk together to combine.  Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to ensure that they are all coated and mostly submerged.  Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate for 30-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates.  When the chicken is done marinating, thread the pieces onto skewers for grilling.  (If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them first to prevent charring/burning.)  Dispose of the excess marinade.  Place the kabobs on the grill and let cook, turning once or twice, until all sides are slightly browned and the internal temperature registers 160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.  Remove to a plate and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro, if desired.
• To make the sauce, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or a blender.  Process until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve alongside the kabobs for dipping.

Spicy, crisp chicken on Mint Avocado Salad

I made this for dinner tonight with Tofu and I really liked it, Beau not so much. I'm sure it would be great/better with chicken and has lots of great flavors. I've never cooked with mint but I loved it on the salad. I also added a little siracha sauce to make it more spicy. Panko can be found at the local grocery store in the asian isle. So when you're feeling adventurous I would try this salad out. Also I would add the dressing on individually rather then coat the entire salad in it before hand.

Ingredients

• 1 package regular tofu, firm or extra-firm, drained or a couple of chicken breasts cooked and sliced into strips
• 1/3 cup spicy Asian chile sauce, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup panko
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 heads butterhead lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup fresh whole mint leaves
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced lengthwise

Instructions

1. Cut the tofu in half horizontally (slicing parallel to work surface). Keep the tofu stacked; cut crosswise in half to make 4 rectangles. Cut each rectangle into 2 triangles.
2. In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 teaspoon chili sauce, orange zest, orange juice, and olive oil. Season the mixture with salt to taste. Set aside.
3. Pour the remaining 1/3 cup chile sauce into a shallow bowl. Place the panko in a separate shallow bowl. Piece by piece, gently coat the tofu in the chile sauce and then the panko, patting it on each piece to coat.
4. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat half the canola oil over medium heat. Gently place half the tofu in skillet. Pan-fry the tofu, turning once, until outsides are crisp and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Repeat the process with remaining oil and tofu.
5. Add lettuce and mint to bowl with dressing; toss to coat. Place equal mounds of salad in center of four plates; fan avocado slices on top. Arrange 2 tofu triangles next to the avocado and serve immediately.

Broccoli Soup & Turkey Avocado Paninis

Broccoli Soup & Turkey Avocado Paninis

Dagmar Jewkes

For the Soup:

1 1/2 lbs. broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

6 bouillon cubes

1 quart water

2 cups milk

1/3 c. flour

1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Cook the broccoli in the bouillon and water, stirring occassionally, until tender. Puree in blender with milk and flour (this will guarantee a smooth thickening of the soup). Put back in pan and cook slowly, until thickened. Add cheese until melted.

For the Paninis: (Makes 4 sandwiches)

4 slices of your favorite bread (or roll)

Mustard

Ranch dressing (light)

2 slices of cooked, crispy bacon

8-12 slices of turkey deli

1 avocado

Cheese

Spread a drop of ranch dressing and mustard on one side of bread. Cover with 1/2 slice of bacon. Add 2-3 slices of turkey, 4 thin slices of avocado (@1/4 avocado each), sprinkle cheese on top. Cook in oven at 375 degrees until desired browning occurs and cheese is melted.