Carne asada style steak salad

When Mainstreet grill was open (for the second time) they had the most delicious steak salad. After they closed I went into mourning over the loss of that salad. This is my attempt at making my own version.

Steak:
1-2 lb Flank steak (I normally buy one and cut it in half and freeze the other half, it's too big for just two people)

For the rub:
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp lime juice

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and rub on the steak. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 min to 1 hour. Next, grill steak to desired doneness.


Cilantro-Lime vinaigrette (taken from our best bites) 
*This makes a lot of dressing,  I always cut it in at least 1/2
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped cilatro
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped

1. Place ingredients in a jar (I use my little blender so I don't have to chop the cilantro) and mix well.

Salsa:
*You could really use any fresh, chunky salsa recipe or store purchased one.

1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/8 cup red onion, diced
1 avocado cut into chunks
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
Cilantro, as desired
1 tsp salt
Juice of one lime

*To assemble salad first place your lettuce (I use spinach, but romaine or spring mix would also be good) on the plate. Next add some freshly grated cheese, salsa, tortilla strips and sliced steak and dressing.

Grilled Mongolian Pork Chops

Sorry about the picture.  NO matter what I tried, Blogger flipped it sideways.

So these are delicious.  The original recipe found here , includes a sauce to top it with.  I did not make the sauce.  I think this marinade would also be amazing on steak or chicken, but especially steak.  I served with some sweet potatoes I diced and cooked on the grill and string beans.

1/2 c. hoisin sauce (not gluten free)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 T soy sauce
1 T fresh grated ginger
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T rice vinegar
2 t. olive oil
2 t. white sugar
1-1/2 t. Hot sauce (I used less)

Combine all ingredients and whisk together.  Place pork chops and marinade in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.  Cook pork chops on a grill preheated to high.  Cook until brown grill marks appear then remove from heat and continue to cook over medium heat, brushing with marinade until no longer pink.  About 145 degrees.

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Filipino Chicken Adobo

This is a recipe from America's test kitchen. The recipe originally called for chicken thighs with the skin. I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts. I am not a big fan of thighs and wanted to eliminate the fat of the skin. It worked out just dandy. I did not take a picture--I am not as fancy as Christina.

-4-6 chicken breasts
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1 can coconut milk
-3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-6 garlic cloves
-4 bay leaves
-2 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Marinate chicken breasts in soy sauce for 30 minutes. Remove chicken breasts, salt and pepper the chicken and brown both sides in a hot saute pan (do not cook all the way through, just long enough to brown both sides). Save the soy sauce.
2. Combine left over soy sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, garlic cloves (whole), bay leaves and pepper, and whisk. Once chicken is browned add sauce to pan with chicken. Allow this to simmer, uncovered. Turn once and cook until chicken is 165 degrees. Remove chicken, cover with aluminum wrap and set aside. Allow sauce to simmer for another 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Serve chicken over rice and cover with sauce.

Spicy Chicken Shawarma

Below is the original recipe.  If you serve it as specified, it is basically a middle eastern Gyro.  I just served it as chicken breasts topped with the yogurt sauce. In doing so, it can be gluten free!   I served Naan bread on the side (not gluten-free).  It would also be delicious with some quinoa.  

This is the gyro-esque picture from Cooking Light.  

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• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or less if you are afraid of spice)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 5 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tahini (I had a really hard time finding this in the store.  It is by the asian food and is in a tall jar.  It is yellowish.  Apparently tahini is just ground up sesame seeds.  I'm not convinced it added a ton of flavor and you could probably do without it.  It was about $7 for the jar)

For serving as a gyro-type dish:

• 4 (6-inch) pitas, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber 
• 1/2 cup chopped plum tomato 
• 1/4 cup prechopped red onion

Preparation

1. 1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.
2. 2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini, stirring well. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons tahini mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 1 tablespoon cucumber, 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion.

Quick Margherita Pizza

This really is delicious, and easy.  From Cooking Light.  Give it a try!  I was actually pretty impressed with the store bought dough in a pop up tin, but if you have an aversion, any pizza dough will do!

• 1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• Cooking spray
• 1 t extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 5 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced (I used Roma)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 t balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Unroll crust dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 13 x 11-inch rectangle. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Remove crust from oven, and brush with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Rub crust with cut sides of garlic.
3. Arrange tomato slices on crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is golden.
4. Combine 1/2 teaspoon oil and vinegar, stirring with a whisk.
5. Sprinkle pizza evenly with sliced basil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over the pizza. Cut pizza into 8 pieces.
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7. (picture from Cooking Light)
   
   

Bistro Steak with Red Wine Sauce {Gluten-free}

This was tasty and simple.  The original recipe can be found here at Cooking Light.  I served it with green beans and diced potatoes.

 p.s.  I have found that adding the salt to any recipe from Cooking Light is a necessity!

• 1 tablespoon canola oil 
• 2 (8-ounce) top sirloin steaks, trimmed
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup full-bodied red wine 
• 1/2 cup unsalted beef stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter 
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. 1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle steaks evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add steaks to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. 2. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add shallots and thyme to pan; sauté 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add wine; cook 2 1/2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add stock; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, butter, and mustard; stir with a whisk.
3. 3. Cut steak across the grain into thin slices; serve with sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce {Gluten-free}

The original recipe from Cooking Light, can be found here. I made some alterations, such as adding chicken and omitting gluten

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
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  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 3/4 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
  • 1 (4-ounce) package presliced mushrooms 
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup frozen green peas
  • 3 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind 
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces uncooked penne 
  • 1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus

• 1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus (I used broccoli because asparagus was 4.99/lb

Cilantro Tandoori Chicken {Gluten-Free}

This recipe was on the Today Show.  It does not seem very traditional (the chicken isn't the red Tandoori that I'm used to, but it was really delicious.) They suggested serving it topped with pineapple salsa, but that seemed like a lot of work, so I skipped.  Here is the recipe if you are interested.  I served this with Basmati rice.  A hint on cooking Basmati.  I used my rice cooker and the suggestion is 2 cups of water to a cup of rice.  This worked out perfectly!

Tandoori Chicken

• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 4-pound chicken, cut into 6 pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs)

• Blend the yogurt, cilantro, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and salt in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare a grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill the chicken for 12 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.  

Naan Bread

I am slightly obsessed with Indian food.  Here was my first attempt to cook some.  Amazingly, even the kids liked it.  This recipe is from the food network and someone who actually appears to be of Indian ethnicity.  I did make a few changes.  But here is the original recipe.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


Melted butter for slathering on the finished naans
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions
In a large bowl , dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.

Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients  gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.

When you're ready to roll, make sure you have two bowls on your counter: one with extra flour in it, and one with water. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good! Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.

Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. (They will rise a little when you cook them, so if you like thin naans, keep this in mind) Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough. (If you're making the gluten-free version, you'll have better luck pressing the dough out with your fingertips, than rolling.)

Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. (I just used a large frying pan) 

Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up one of your naans, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.

After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don't worry - that's typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.

Paula Deen's Lemon Cake

You can find the original recipe here.  I only changed the frosting, to a cream cheese frosting.  This cake is delicious!  The cake part is a lot like a pound cake.  It's very dense so be careful not to over bake or it will be very dry!

Paula's Lemon Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon wedge, for garnish
Mint sprig, for garnish

Filling:
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 lemons, zest grated and juiced
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

To make the cake: Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter, then dropping flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

To make the filling: Place the ingredients in the double boiler over boiling water. Don't let top pan touch the water. Cook and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To assemble, add 1 tablespoon of filling to the cake pedestal. Run hands along the side of the cake to remove excess crumbs. Place the cake layers on the pedestal, spreading filling between the layers and on top. Spread the sides and top of the cake with the remaining filling. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a sprig of mint

Cream Cheese Frosting

Another recipe from Divascancook.com.  I used this on both the red velvet and lemon cakes. 

Note, the texture of this frosting is interesting.  I think it either needs more powdered sugar or less milk.  

Easy, Creamy, Fluffy Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: Frost 3 layer cake

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz) packs cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup milk, made need more (I would start with 1/8 a cup)
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Add softened cream cheese into large bowl.
2. Pour in milk, butter and vanilla extract.
3. Mix until well combined.
4. Pour in half of the powdered sugar.
5. Mix until combined.
6. Add the remaining powdered sugar.
7. Mix until smooth and fluffy.
8. Use a spatula to scrape down the side of the bowl if needed.

Read Morehttp://divascancook.com/2011/04/easy-creamy-fluffy-homemade-cream-cheese-frosting.html

Red Velvet Cake

This cake really is delicious!  The original recipe can be found here.  The only change I suggest is using parchment/wax paper on the bottom of the pans instead of greasing/flouring them.  I had a terrible time getting the cakes out of the pan and I followed her instructions precisely.  I also recommend freezing the cakes before doing any cutting or frosting.  They are so moist that they tend to fall apart.  The texture on this cake is incredible.  I will definitely be baking this one again!

Frost with cream cheese frosting!

The BEST Red Velvet Cake Recipe. Easy. Moist. Homemade

Author: Divas Can Cook – Monique

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 12

This is the best red velvet cake I’ve ever had! Super moist with the perfect, classic red velvet taste. Everybody that I make this for loves it!! Hopefully you will too!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoon of unsweetened, cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1-2 oz. red food coloring (err on the side of more.  My batter looked red but cooked brown)
• 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
• ½ cup of prepared plain hot coffee (don’t skip this ingredient)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring until combined.
5. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
6. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
7. Generously grease and flour two round cake pans with crisco and flour.
8. Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
9. Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools.
10. Let cool on a cooling rack until the pan are warm to the touch.
11. Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.
12. Remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool.
13. Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting when the cakes have cooled completely.

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This recipe came from Divas Can Cook which is
Old School Cooking For The Modern Woman.
Make sure you go check out the website for more great recipes.

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Read Morehttp://divascancook.com/2009/11/the-best-red-velvet-cake-recipe-easy-homemade-moist-with-southern-flair.html