Flank Steak with Balsamic Tomato Sauce

I was really excited to try this recipe and especially flank steak until I realized how hard it is to find! If you have the same problem skirt steak or top sirloin steak make great substitutes. And if you don't know how to "cut against the grain" it's easy to look up on the internet :)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 (1 lb) flank steak, trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup torn fresh basil, divided
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced and divided

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil, swirl to coat. Sprinkle steak with salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add steak to pan, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer steak to a cutting board, let stand 5 minutes. Cut against the grain into thin slices.
Add garlic and shallot to pan; saute 1 1/2 minutes or until lightly browned.
Add vinegar, and cook 1 1/2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup green onions and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper.
Cook 2 minutes or until the tomatoes soften and begin to release their liquid, stirring occasionally.
Serve tomato mixture over sliced steak. Sprinkle with remaining basil and remaining green onions.

Kale, Chicken and Beet Salad

The kale fairy aka my coworker Alicia made another appearance at the office! I've now made kale chips, kale smoothies, and kale latkes and have come full circle back to kale salads.

I'll warn you that this one is a little time consuming so you may want to save it for a special occasion. (I should have known that it would be based on that "one time" I made chicken noodle soup and vowed never to do it again!)

However, if you have the time and patience to boil chicken, cook quinoa and chop kale leaves (I bought my beets precooked, something had to give) this is a fantastic choice.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 beets (precooked)
1 16 oz boneless, skinless chix breast
1/4 tsp course sea salt, divided
Juice of two lemons
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted hazelnuts, chopped

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package directions
Meanwhile fill a large pot with water. Add chicken and 1/8 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool slightly. With two forks shred chicken.
In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, oil, honey, 1 tsp water and remaining 1/8 tsp salt until combined, set aside.
Fill a large, deep skillet with 1/2 inch water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add kale and cook, stirring until bright green and wilted, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chicken, kale, and beets. Drizzle lemon mixture over top and toss to coat. Garnish with goat cheese and hazelnuts.

Indian Enchiladas

When I came across this recipe my first thought was how can an enchilada be Indian? But after tasting these delicious creations I'm wondering exactly what is Mexican about them?! They taste just like samosas but a baked, and therefore much healthier, version. If you're grain free you can use coconut flour tortillas.
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
/12 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 tsp salt
1 16 ounce bag frozen, chopped spinach defrosted*
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
2 tsp curry powder
6 ounces feta cheese crumbles
8 flour tortillas
2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces shredded monterey jack (about 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat, add potato, onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Stir in spinach, 1/2 cup coconut milk and curry powder and saute 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gently fold in feta.
Lay a tortilla on a clean surface. Scoop 1 loosely packed cup filling mixture in center of tortilla. Fold in sides, top and bottom and place tortilla seam side down in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, packing them tightly.
In a small bowl, whisk together remaining coconut milk and cornstarch, stir in monterey Jack and pour mixture over enchiladas
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro if you must(!)

* I loathe frozen spinach so I used steamed kale

Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Frittata

Ok, I get it that it's officially spring but as I made this one a couple days please humor me with one more squash recipe. This will serve four or make for some tasty leftovers the following day:)

Ingredients:
5 large whole eggs
1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
1/8 tsp tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
4 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
2 1/2 oz white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup peeled and diced butternut squash (1/4 inch cubes)
1 large shallot, minced
1 spring fresh rosemary,  leaves minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, set aside.
In a 10 inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat oil on medium. Add Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, squash, shallot, rosemary and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Saute, stirring often, until mushrooms and squash are tender and Brussels sprouts are almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Arrange vegetables in an even layer in skillet.
Pour egg mixture over top and gently shake pan to distribute evenly. Sprinkle with goat cheese and Parmesan and cook undisturbed until edges set, about 3 minutes. Transfer to oven and cook until eggs are completely cooked through and cheese melts, 10 to 12 minutes. To serve, carefully invert into a plate.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Dave and I have a lot in common when it comes to food. We are both very adventurous about trying new things and share some of the same favorites including Indian, Japanese and Italian. However, there is one glaring difference in our preferences... my least favorite type of food is his most favorite... THAI!

I have surprised him by cooking it a couple times before though, I admit, the last time was shortly after we were married in 2012. So when I saw this recipe combining his favorite with one of mine (spaghetti squash!) I knew I had found a winner. And.....it was delicious! The best "Thai food" I've ever had.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
1 large spaghetti squash
7 tablespoons oil
3 eggs
Two chicken breasts. cubed
1 large red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, diced
6-8 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce (can be found in the "ethnic food" aisle at the supermarket)
3/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half with a large, sharp knife. Remove seeds and stringy guts, and brush the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of oil. Place spaghetti squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 45-60 minutes.
To test if your squash is done, scrap the flesh with a fork. If the strands come off easily, it's done. Let the cooked spaghetti squash cool for about 5 minutes, then scrape all the flesh into a beautiful pile of spaghetti strands.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large skillet over high/medium-high heat. Once oil is nice and hot, add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Once hot, add red onions and cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add carrots, bean sprouts, and scallions to pan and cook for 1 minute. Return the cooked chicken to the pan with 6 tablespoons of the Pad Thai sauce and stir.
Move the mixture to one side of the pan, crack the three eggs and add them to the other side. Scramble the egg with a wooden spoon and cook until just set, about 30 seconds. Combine into the Pad Thai mixture.
Add cooked spaghetti squash and gently toss everything together and cook for 1-2 minutes. Taste and if Pad Thai needs more flavor, stir in the other 2 tablespoons of sauce.
Serve Pad Thai immediately with lime wedges and chopped peanuts.

Kale and Leek Latkes

A coworker brought an entire crate of home grown kale to work last week and judging by the excitement you would think it was either Christmas day or that our entire department got a pay raise!

We began discussing what we would do with our kale - kale chips, smoothies etc. and I decided that as I've done each of those things dozens of times I would try to find a "unique" way to prepare it. A way that both Dave and my coworkers would enjoy so I could bring them samples.

On the same day I happened to get my produce delivery which included leeks and a potato and combining the three yielded the below. I can say I've never before had kale prepared this way... or a "hashbrown" with so many nutritional benefits:)

Ingredients: (makes 6) 

5 cups, tightly packed, grated potatoes (I used the shredding disc on my food processor)
2 large leeks, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced very thin
1/2 pound kale, stemmed, washed, dried and finely chopped or cut in thin slivers* (about 3 cups, tightly packed)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and coarsely ground
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
About 1/4 cup canola, grape seed or rice bran oil

Directions:
In a large bowl mix together the potatoes, leeks, kale, baking powder, salt and pepper, cumin, chives, and flour or cornstarch. Add the eggs stir together.
Begin heating a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the oil and when it is hot, take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture in one hand and, using both hands, squeeze all the moisture out of the mixture, then place in the pan. Press down with the back of the spatula to flatten. Repeat with more spoonfuls, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook on one side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slide the spatula underneath and flip the latkes over. Cook on the other side until golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes. Place on a drying rack to cool slightly.

* A quick and easy way to cut whole kale leaves into "slivers" is to slice lengthwise on each side of the thick stem to remove it. Then, stacking several leaves on top of each, other roll the leaves into a "burrito" and slice the burrito thinly. When the leaves unfurl you will have long slivers that you can cut one or several more times for shorter slivers. (This also works great for mint and basil leaves!)

Zucchini "Fettucine" with Tomato Sauce

Zucchini noodles aren't new to me but the vegetable spiraler is! A friend posted about hers recently and as much as I wanted one I had to remind myself that I have more cooking gadgets than I can fit in my kitchen cabinets.

Then I happened to see one at William Sonoma when I was shopping for a bridal shower gift last weekend and - oops - it somehow ended up coming home with me.



If you aren't ready to invest in a vegetable spiraler you can purchase a Julianne peeler for much less and create zucchini noodles as described here.

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
4 large zucchini or yellow squash
5 vine ripened tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

Directions:
Trim and peel the zucchini, then use a vegetable spiraler or Julianne peeler to create "noodles". Transfer to a colander and toss with 3/4 tsp salt; let drain in the sink. If serving cold remove and pat dry. If serving hot steam for several minutes and, this step is very important, press moisture out with a towel.
Meanwhile, peel the tomatoes using a sharp vegetable peeler. Puree 1 tomato with the olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper in a food processor or blender.
Roughly chop the remaining 4 tomatoes and combine with puree in a mixing bowl. If serving hot combine in a saucepan and simmer for several minutes.
Divide the zucchini among bowls and top with the tomato sauce + pine nuts, basil, oregano and salt to taste.