Flank Steak Salad with Chimichurri

I very rarely eat red meat but when I do I love to throw it on top of mixed greens to "health it up" a little.

Actually, red meat isn't too unhealthy as long as it's eaten in moderation and is a great source of protein and iron. One 3 oz. serving provides 23 grams of the recommended 60 grams of protein per day and 15 percent of your daily iron intake.

You will get even more iron from the leafy greens so you will be feeling pretty damn good about yourself when all is said and done. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 bunch italian parsley (fresh)

2 tbsps fresh oregano (leaves)
3 garlic cloves (peeled)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (chipotle)
11/2 lbs flank steak
8 ozs baby greens (mixed)
12 ozs fresh mozzarella balls (marinated small, drained)

Directions:

Prepare barbecue or stove top grill (medium-high heat). Combine parsley (with stems), oregano, and garlic in processor; blend 10 seconds. Add 1/2 cup oil, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce; blend until almost smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush grill rack with oil. Sprinkle steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steak to work surface; let rest 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss greens in large bowl with some dressing. Transfer to large platter. Sprinkle mozzarella over.
Thinly slice steak across grain on slight diagonal. Arrange steak on top of greens. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Turkey Meatballs with Panchetta

I tend to forget how time/labor intensive meatballs are. If you come home from work hungry you may get a little "cranky" while preparing them. (Especially if you are also making spaghetti squash which is a process unto itself.)  Given this I might suggest making the meatballs over the course of two days. Day 1: Mix all the ingredients, cover, and refrigerate. Day 2: Form balls, heat in oven, eat.

Whatever you decide to do it's worth it...:)


Ingredients:
3 slices italian bread, torn into pieces
1/3 cup milk
3 oz sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 lb ground turkey
3 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp tomato paste




Directions:
Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened. Cook pancetta, onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil with 1/2 tsp each of salt and peper in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about six minutes. Squeeze bread to remove excess milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with turkey, pancetta mixture, bread and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange in a sheet pan. Stir together tomato paste and remaining tbsp oil and brush over meatballs, then bake in oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Paleo Pumpkin Smoothie

Smoothies and green juice are two of my favorite things and I try to have one or the other as frequently as possible. It used to be every day when I had a "nice" long commute to work and ate breakfast on the go. Now I live so close to the office that I can ride my bike. And since my company offers a full breakfast spread every morning it's easy to get lazy and leave the cooking to the kitchen staff. (Yes, I realize how spoiled this makes me sound. But man is it nice!)

This morning I decided to finally give this paleo pumpkin smoothie a shot...and I'm glad I did. Depending on the amount of ice and/or sugar you use it can taste just like ice cream. (What better way to begin your Monday morning?) And it fits very nicely with the squash kick I have going.

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chilled, brewed ginger herbal tea
1/4 cup pasteurized liquid egg white
1/2 small avocado
4 large kale leaves
Crushed ice
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

Directions:
Combine first five ingredients and blend
Add crushed ice
Top with nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

Sweet Potato Biscuits

This past weekend it was in the 80s (hot for west la!) and fall was nowhere in sight. But it has drizzled on and off today making it feel a little more like chai latte and sweater weather. It also has me thinking about all things squash, pumpkin and especially sweet potato.

Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin A (betacarotene) and Vitamins C which are powerful antioxidants and B5 and B6 which contribute to fat loss. In addition, sweet potatoes are surprisingly low in calories, containing only 100 calories per potato. In that same potato you will get 13% of your daily allowance of potassium, 2 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.

Biscuits may seem like an odd choice for me since I very rarely bake and I try my best to stay grain free. However, with substitutes like coconut flour and Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour these biscuits are a guilt free treat.

Add a poached egg* and some spinach and you have the perfect breakfast sandwich.

Ingredients:

31/2 ozs sweet potato (cooked + well-mashed)
11/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsps unsalted butter (cold and cut into pieces)
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and whisk until combined. Using a fork, pastry blender or your hands, add butter pieces to the flour and mix until coarse little crumbles remain. Pour in milk and add sweet potato, stirring with a spoon until thoroughly combined.
Use a 1/4 cup measure to drop batter onto a nonstick baking sheet, or press dough on a sheet of parchment paper or cutting board, then use a biscuit cutter to shape the dough into rounds. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until biscuits are slightly golden and puffy. While biscuits are baking, prepare your breakfast sandwich ingredients. Enjoy!

* Thanks to all those who offered poached egg advice yesterday! To create the perfect poached egg boil water, add a bit of white vinegar, then stir quickly to create a "vortex." Drop the egg into the middle of the vortex and turn off the stove. Then wait 5 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon:)

Poached Egg White and Turkey Bacon Salad

Yes, this was my first attempt at poached eggs....how did you guess? But while my technique may need work it didn't affect the end result which was a delicious and very filling salad.

Vegetarians can of course hold the bacon though you may need to boil a couple extra eggs.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 cup white vinegar
4 egg whites
4 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp whole grain mustard
4 cups mixed greens

Directions:
Add white vinegar and salt to a large pot of water, bring to a simmer. Slide an egg white into pot slowly; let cook 30 seconds before adding another egg white. Repeat with remaining egg whites. Poach until opaque, 2 to 3 minutes each; with a slotted spoon, move to a plate. In a medium pan over low heat, saute turkey bacon until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together oils, red wine vinegar and mustard; season with salt and black pepper. Nuke vinaigrette 45 seconds. (This can also be done over the stove for those of us who don't have a microwave.) Toss greens and turkey bacon with warm vinaigrette.
Divide greens mixture between 2 bowls and create a nest in each; add 2 poached egg whites to each nest. Season with salt and black pepper and serve immediately.

Watermelon and Kale Salad

So...I know that it's technically fall. But as we're experiencing the warmest weather in months in west la and my Trader Joes still has a huge bin of watermelons out front (next to a bin of pumpkins oddly) I'm going for it.
This is a super simple salad to whip together, especially if you buy your watermelon pre-cubed. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 bunch/1 bag of kale
2oz Feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
2 cups watermelon, cubed

Directions: Roughly chop the kale and put it in a bowl with the olive oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and salt & pepper and massage the dressing into the kale.
Add the feta and watermelon.

Cod Veracruz

This recipe had me at pimiento stuffed olives. One of my favorite things next to garlic, anchovy and/or bleu cheese stuffed olives:)

Tilapia can be substituted for cod for a milder flavor and cilantro can be substituted for parsley...if you insist.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1-1/2- lb. cod fillet
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, halved
1 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:
Heat oil in deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook onion, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in Pasta Sauce and olives. Arrange cod in skillet, spoon sauce over, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 12 minutes or until cod flakes with a fork. Stir in lime juice. Arrange cod on serving platter. Top with parsley.