Tangy Steak Pasta Salad

Well, I am not sure how it happened, but I it is actually hotter today than it was yesterday!  It is just miserable outside.  Poor Daniel wants to go out and play so badly, but one step outside and you can hardly breathe.  I definitely think it is time to hop on the plane back to Seattle!  

Anyway, in my effort to make "heat friendly" fare (that which requires little to no cooking), I came up with this pasta salad, inspired by a recipe I got from Hy-Vee.  Give it a try, it is quite yummy, and great for a hot evening!

• 
  

• Tangy Steak Pasta Salad
• 
  

1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak cut 1 inch thick

• 4 cups uncooked tricolor rotini
• 1 cup cooked broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper cut into julienne strips and diced
• 1 can sliced olives
• 2 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/4 cup homemade or store bought Italian dressing
• 1/4 cup crumbled parmesan cheese

Cook Pasta according to package directions, drain, and allow to cool.  Grill steak over medium high heat until desired doneness is reached (160 degrees for medium), turning once, let stand for 10 minutes.
Trim fat from steak. Cut steak lengthwise in half and then crosswise into thin slices, and then into cubes.
In large bowl, combine beef pasta, broccoli, bell pepper, basil, olives, cheese, and Italian dressing.  Yum!

Slow Cooker Country Beef Stew

I adapted this Beef Stew recipe from a recipe I found in my Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Although I like Betty Crocker's version, I happen to have a VERY hard time following a recipe without changing it in some way.  This meal is really easy on the pocketbook and makes great leftovers! Here's my version of Slow Cooker Country Beef Stew.


Slow Cooker Country Beef Stew

2 lbs beef, cut into 1 inch pieces I used bottom round steaks but you can use whatever cut you have, even a roast or beef stew meat
1 onion, chopped
3 cups baby carrots or three carrots, chopped
2 stocks celery, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup flour (I like to use Wondra but you can use all purpose if that is what you have on hand)
1 tbsp. herbes de provence (or dried thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, and basil)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 package mushrooms, sliced (optional- I LOVE them but David doesn't so I leave them out)
1/2 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. granulated garlic
Hot cooked egg noodles, rice, or potatoes for serving


Combine the carrots, onion, celery mushrooms (if using) and beef in the bottom of your slow cooker.  In a medium sized bowl (I like to use my Pampered Chef Classic Batter Bowl for this type of task), whisk together the wine, broth, flour, herbes de provence, diced tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic.  Pour over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker.  Set to low and cook for 7 hours.  Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook another 30 minutes on high.  Serve over egg noodles (my preference), rice, or  potatoes and garnish with fresh parsley if desired!


Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Yummy Nummy Steak Fajitas

Have you signed up for the 30 Day Fit Family Challenge? If not, head over to the challenge page and linky up! You can join us even if you don't have a blog! Win a chance weekly to have your post featured on my blog! Let's make our families healthier together!

When I make fajitas I usually make chicken, but tonight I thought I would change it up a bit and make steak fajitas instead.  I went ahead and used my chicken marinade thinly sliced flank steak and it turned out so delicious!  I paired this tender and flavorful beef with sliced green peppers and onions and served it in small flour tortillas with brown rice, shredded  cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  So yummy and so worth it!

Yummy Nummy Steak Fajitas

• 2 lbs flank or skirt steak, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 green peppers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 onion, chopped (or 1 bunch green onions, chopped)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/4 cup tequila or white rum (or you could use white wine)
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (I used garlic scapes because that is what I had from the farm)
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• cooked brown rice, sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa for serving
• 3 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil for cooking

Place the beef in a large ziplock or foodsaver bag.  In a bowl, mix the 1/2 onion through the 1/4 cup vegetable oil together.  Pour marinade over the steak and seal bag.  Marinate 2-24 hours in the fridge.  Massage the bag every few hours to tenderize the meat. 

In a large, deep sided skillet heat the oil over medium high heat.  Remove the meat from the marinade and add it to the skillet.  Cook until starting to brown about 5 minutes, then add the onions and green peppers.  Cook until the veggies are tender crisp and the meat is cooked through.  Serve piled into warm tortillas topped with brown rice, cheese, and sour cream and any other toppings you prefer.  So yummy!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Steak Rollatini with Arugula Gorgonzola Pesto and Sort of Pepper Sauce

Last week I got a TON of arugula from Abbe Hills, so I decided to make a meal that looks fancy, but really is super easy, and took me less than an hour to throw together!  The best part about this meal?  It looks REALLY fancy, so people will think you spent a ton of time and energy preparing it!  I served this with a lovely risotto and broccoli.  I was going to serve it with roasted kohlrabi, but didn't get to Abbe Hills today so a friend picked up my share for me - so, no kohlrabi until tomorrow.  


Steak Rollatini with Arugula Gorgonzola Pesto and Sort of Pepper Sauce

• 2 lbs steak, any cut you like (I used bottom round because I had it in the freezer but it was a bit tough in this recipe so I think I will use sirloin next time or tenderloin)
• 2 cups arugula
• 4 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup red wine (I used a pinot noir- you can use any kind you like)
• 2 tsp. garlic powder, divided
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. peppercorns (any color you like, I used black because that is what I had on hand)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter divided
• 1/4 cup sour cream or heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. herbes de provence
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place each steak between two large pieces of plastic wrap and pound out until 1/4 inch thick, and set aside.  

In a food processor, add the arugula, the gorgonzola, and the walnuts.  

Process, streaming in the 1/4 cup olive oil until mixture is smooth.  

Spread the mixture on one side of each of the steaks.  

Roll steaks up and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle steaks with half of the garlic powder and salt and pepper.   Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium high heat.  Sear the steaks about 30 seconds on each side until golden brown.  Remove the steaks to a plate and set aside.  In the skillet add the onion and cook about 1 minute or until starting to sweat.  Add the wine and deglaze the pan.  Cook another minute or two until the wine has reduced by half.  Add the peppercorns and steaks back into the skillet.  Cover the skillet and place in the oven and allow to braise about 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the oven, remove the steaks to a plate and keep warm.  

Put the skillet back on the stove, add the butter, sour cream, and herbes de provence and whisk together until slightly thickened (this will be a thin sauce, but will thicken just slightly).  Remove the toothpicks from the steaks and cut into strips widthwise.  Pour sauce over the rollatini.  

Voila, a very delicious meal, and fancy too!

On another note, I have a really awesome giveaway coming up sometime in the next two weeks sponsored by the Evergreen Baby and Family Boutique.  This will be the perfect prize for those of you who want to make your own baby food!  Stay tuned!  Thanks for reading everyone!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Rosemary Steak Dijon Skillet

Here is a really delicious recipe that is a great use up for those fresh summer veggies. I happened upon this recipe by accident. One day I was planning to make my Rosemary Dijon Steak Brochettes but it was pouring down rain and I figured I wouldn't be able to use the grill that evening. Instead, I changed up the marinade a little, and sauteed the steak in a skillet with the vegetables. It turned out so yummy and so the recipe stuck! I serve this over couscous or quinoa, but you could serve it over rice or noodles, or all by itself, whatever you like!

Rosemary Steak Dijon Skillet

• 2 lbs steak, cubed (I used bottom round but you can use any cut you like)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from the stems
• 1/8 cup dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. steak sauce
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 vegetable oil + 3 tbsp for cooking
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder or 4 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

Place the steak into a large ziplock bag or Foodsaver bag. In a bowl, whisk the next 7 ingredients together until well combined. Stream in the vegetable oil, mixing well and pour over the steak. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator 2-8 hours (or longer, the longer you leave it, the more flavorful it will be). After marinating the desired amount of time, heat the oil a large, deep sided skillet over medium high heat.  Add the steak and ALL of the marinade and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. 

Add the zucchini, the onion, and the mushrooms (if using) and continue to saute until the vegetables are soft, another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cover. Cook until the tomatoes easily pop and release their juices, about 5 more minutes, then continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, another 5 minutes. Serve over noodles, couscous, quinoa, or rice.

I put the mushrooms as optional in this recipe because I leave them out. I happen to LOVE mushrooms, but David can't stand them and will not eat them. It's really unfortunate because mushrooms are totally yummy!

Anyway, that is all for now. Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Oh, and here are some gratuitous shots of my adorable son playing in the sink. I'm not a proud mommy or anything =).

Teriyaki Beef

Here is a recipe that gives you the flavors of takeout asian food, without all the MSG, and it's easier on the pocketbook too!  I serve this Teriyaki Beef over brown rice, but it can easily be served over soba noodles or white rice!






Teriyaki Beef
1 lb beef, cut into strips (I used bottom round because that is what I had, but you can use whatever cut you like)
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 head of broccoli, cut into florettes (or 1 bag frozen broccoli florettes)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil

In a large skillet with deep sides, or a wok, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Lightly sprinkle the beef with granulated garlic, salt, and pepper.  Add the beef to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes or until browned. 

Add the onions and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add the broccoli and continue to cook until the broccoli is tender crisp. 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the rest of the ingredients together. 

Pour over the beef and vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Serve over rice or noodles.

More often than not, I will reserve about 1/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce and use it in my turkey teriyaki burgers which will be featured on Saturday. 

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Abridged Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon (or in English, Beef Burgundy) is one of my FAVORITE French dishes.  It is basically the French's version of beef stew but sooooooo much better because it is made with Burgundy wine.  My friends from the Burgundy region of France (Bourgogne) would definitely be angry with me for making it this way (hence the reason why I call it "abridged") but this is a quicker no worries version that comes out tasting just as yummy.  Please remember that I don't measure anything so measurements are approximate.

Abridged Boeuf Bourguignon (made in the slow cooker)

• 2 lbs beef stew meat, cubed (I used bottom round steaks because that is what I had in the freezer)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 cup baby carrots, left whole
• 1 cup red Burgundy wine like Macon Villages, Pinot Noir, or Cotes du Rhone
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 cup beef stock or broth
• 2 tbsp. herbes de provence
• 1 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 4 tbsp. butter, cut into 1 tbsp. sections
• salt and pepper to taste
• egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes for serving (I served it over Wacky Mac, cause well, I got it for free).

Place bacon slices between two paper towels and microwave on high for approximately 1 minute per slice.  Crumble bacon and set aside.  Place onion, carrots, and garlic cloves in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Add beef and bacon on top of veggies.  In a small bowl mix tomato paste, beef stock, herbes de provence and granulated garlic.  Pour over meat and veggies. Pour wine into crock pot over meat and veggies.  Place pads of butter in the crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Traditionally Boeuf Bourguignon is served over mashed or boiled potatoes but I happen to like it over noodles.  It can also be served over rice. 
Enjoy! Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway for a FREE package of Wacky Mac!  Winners will be picked on Friday!

As an added bonus, if you are a follower or become a follower of my blog, I will throw in an extra coupon or package if you are picked!

Beef and Tomato Linguini

Well Everyone, we are on day one of the dairy free diet for Daniel. I know I said gluten free last week but I was mistaken, we need to eliminate dairy first and see what happens. So tonight I made a yummy pasta dish, I broke down and added a little parmesan to mine, but Boonie's was completely dairy free and he went wild over it! I am not sure how much of it he ate but he kept cleaning his plate and saying "MORE!" I used Ronzoni Healthy Harvest linguini for my pasta tonight, but you can use whatever you want! I have a feeling we're going to be eating a lot of Wacky Mac in the coming months, to be honest!


Beef and Tomato Linguini

• 1 pkg. pasta (I used linguini, you can use whatever you want)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large sweet bell pepper cut into strips
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb beef (I used bottom round cause that is what I had on hand but you could use flank steak or tenderloin, or whatever)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside. In a large skillet with deep sides, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the steak, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook about 3 minutes or until starting to brown. Add the peppers and the onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the tomatoes and the italian seasoning. Stir and cover. Turn heat down to medium low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes or until beef is cooked through. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to coat with the beef mixture. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.

And here are some pictures of Daniel enjoying his meal:

The feet on the table is terribly bad manners but it was just so funny I had to add it!

I am off to knit! Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles

We were very busy today so I needed something for dinner tonight that was going to be quick and easy. This is a great dish you can just throw together in the morning. I found a recipe similar to this one on All Recipes and of course, I made some changes to make it my own. You can serve it over any shape of noodles you like, I used Rotini cause that is what I had on hand, but it would also be nice over egg noodles or Farfalle. If you don't want to serve the beef over noodles, it would also go well over rice or a nice bed of mashed potatoes! I served it with steamed carrots.

Slow Cooker Beef (and Noodles)

1-2 lbs beef, cut into strips - I used bottom round steaks but you can use whatever you like

1 cup beef stock

1 can diced tomatoes

1 stick butter, melted

1 zucchini, chopped

1 green pepper, cut into strips

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp. herbes de provence

1 tsp. granulated garlic

pepper to taste

Place the veggies in the bottom of your slow cooker and then layer with the meat, the herbs, granulated garlic, and pepper, then pour the liquid ingredients over. Place the lid on the slow cooker and then set it for 6 hours on low. RESIST THE URGE TO LIFT THE LID! At the END of cooking time, stir.

Serve over noodles, rice, or a bed of mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Rosemary Dijon Steak Brochettes with Couscous

The weather here in Cedar Rapids has been absolutely GORGEOUS this week. It was 85 degrees today, so I thought today would be a good day to use the barbecue. One of my favorite meals to grill is brochettes (also known as shish kebabs, but I prefer to use the French word). I usually make chicken brochettes, but tonight I thought I would find something new, especially since David LOVES steak.

Rosemary Dijon Steak Brochettes

• 2 lbs steak, cubed (I used bottom round because that is what I had on hand, but you can use whatever cut of steak you like).
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp. fresh rosemary, removed from stalks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• assorted veggies, cut into large chunks (I used sweet bell peppers, zucchini, and grape tomatoes, sometimes I add red or sweet onions).

Mix all ingredients except steak and veggies in a bowl to make steak marinade. Put steak in a large ziplock bag. Add marinade to the bag with the steak. Marinate in fridge for 2-24 hours, depending on how flavorful you want your meat.
Form the brochettes by using metal or wood skewers (if you use wood skewers be sure you soak them for a good hour before using them in water so they don't burn), placing the veggies and the meat on each skewer. Grill the skewers for 15-20 minutes over medium heat turning two to three times during cooking.

I served these brochettes with couscous. I love couscous, it is a really easy side and very versatile. You get it where you would buy rice in your grocery store. It is made from semolina, but you can also get whole wheat couscous. Yummy!

Until next time, happy cooking!

Yummy Nummy Steak Dip Sandwiches

I LOVE French dip sandwiches. I think that the French dip is my favorite sandwich, especially when it has cheese on it. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love cheese. Anyway, my only issue with French dips is the fact that in order to make them, you have to either buy roast beef from the deli counter or make an entire beef roast. The problem with deli counter meat is that it isn't very sanitary, and it can carry Listeria. The problem with making an entire beef roast is that I just don't really want to do that unless it is a holiday and I am feeding several family members. So here is my dilemma, I love French dips and I got a craving for this lovely sandwich, but did not want to go through the trouble of roasting beef or risking contracting listeriosis from deli meat. What is a girl to do? And this is where I came up with the idea of the STEAK DIP! I was thinking about all the components of the French dip and thought, what if, I used steak instead of beef roast, and cooked it in the slow cooker, then used the cooking liquids as the "au jus." So experiment started. I used 1 lb of bottom round steak, sliced it thin, and cooked it for 6 hours in the slow cooker with onions, peppers, beef stock, and red wine. The meat was so tender and flavorful and the sandwiches turned out AMAZING! Serve this sandwich with a tossed salad and you have the perfect dinner!
I made the sandwich rolls myself in my bread machine, though you can easily use store bought rolls. I will provide the recipes for both the meat and the rolls.

Sandwich Rolls:
2 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup all purpose and 1 1/2 cups wheat flour)
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 tsp. garlic salt or garlic powder
1 tbsp. herbes de provence
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. water

Add all ingredients EXCEPT water and egg yolk to your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer (I usually add liquids first, then dry ingredients, then yeast). Set machine to dough cycle. When cycle is finished, take dough out of machine. Knead dough briefly and then roll into a ball. Cut ball into four equal parts. Roll each ball out into a 4 inch by 8 inch square. Roll each square up into the shape of a small baguette. Score each roll and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour. Mix the water and the egg yolk and brush on each loaf. Sprinkle additional garlic powder, herbs, and parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Steak Dip Sandwiches

1 lb steak (I used bottom round but you can use any cut probably)

1 onion, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

4 large slices provolone cheese

2 cups beef stock or broth

1/4 cup worchestershire sauce

1/4 cup red wine

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp herbes de provence

black pepper to taste

Add ingredients to the slow cooker except for the cheese. Set slow cooker on low for 6 hours. Resist the urge to open the lid and stir! When meat is done, cut rolls in half and line with cheese. Using a slotted spoon remove meat from the slow cooker and pile onto the cheese lined sandwich rolls. Roll sandwiches in foil. Heat in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with a small bowl full of the cooking liquid for dipping.

This sandwich turned out SO yummy! Better than any French dip I have ever had. I served it with a lovely tossed salad to make for the perfect weeknight meal.
Until next time, happy cooking!