Grilled Steak with Lemon Butter Sauce on Texas Toast

Here I sit again out on the deck in my new favorite spot,our new lounging chair, with my laptop ready to blog about our latest meal. Tim and I don't eat red meat very often, but we do enjoy cooking up some steak about once a month. Today's recipe did not feel like a weekday meal at all, but to be enjoyed on the weekend. It made it that much more special.

Hard to really see how it came out due to the amount of broccoli, but they do say it's important to eat your vegetables.

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10 "It was a unique taste." 

*Disclaimer: It may have been unique, because I think I used too much lemon and garlic. Can you really use too much garlic?

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon whipped or regular butter, slightly softened
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, or shallot  (We used chives.)
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped (Left out.)
• 3 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram, or oregano, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, divided
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided  (Didn't use all of this. It was too much.)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, (1 minced, 1 peeled and halved) (Ha, used more than this.)
• 1 pound filet mignon, about 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 portions  (We didn't use filet mignon. This would work for any cut.)
• 4 slices whole-grain bread
• 4 cups watercress, trimmed and chopped (Did not use, because we couldn't find it at the grocery store.)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Mash butter in a small bowl with the back of a spoon until soft and creamy. Stir in 2 teaspoons oil until combined. Add chives (or shallot), capers, 1 teaspoon marjoram (or oregano), 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and place in the freezer to chill.
3. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons marjoram (or oregano), 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, rosemary and minced garlic in a small bowl. Rub on both sides of steak. Rub both sides of bread with the halved garlic clove; discard the garlic.
4. Grill the steak 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill the bread until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Divide watercress among 4 plates. Place 1 toast on each serving of watercress and top with steak. Spread the herb butter on top of the steaks and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare herb butter (Step 2), wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 303 calories; 14 g fat (5 g sat, 6 g mono); 80 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 5 g fiber; 438 mg sodium; 462 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (46% daily value), Selenium (44% dv), Vitamin C (28% dv), Iron (17% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

Again Today's meal was found at Eating Well.

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes and Basil

Now Tim and I make salmon pretty regularly, and it always tastes good. We usually cook it in some lemon butter sauce or olive oil, salt, and pepper. And we usually broil it, but this time to stick with the recipe we grilled it. In no way did this recipe disappoint. It made a great meal served up with some fresh steamed broccoli. 

I can't wait to make this when our tomatoes are ripe and our basil ready to snip. 

Here is the whole fillet before we served it. 

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil 
Makes: 4 servings 
Active time: 30 minutes | Total: 30 minutes 
This recipe is so beautiful and yet so simple to prepare—it’s perfect for entertaining. You just spread a side of salmon with minced garlic, sprinkle with fresh basil, then layer sliced tomatoes on top. Put it on the grill for 10 minutes and you’re done! Shopping Tip: Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska and Washington) are more sustainably fished and have a larger, more stable population. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, seafoodwatch.org.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole wild salmon fillet (also called a “side of salmon,” about 1 1/2 pounds; see Shopping Tip, above)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Mash minced garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt on a cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife or a spoon until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil. 
3. Check the salmon for pin bones and remove if necessary (see Tip, below). Measure out a piece of heavy-duty foil (or use a double layer of regular foil) large enough for the salmon fillet. Coat the foil with cooking spray. Place the salmon skin-side down on the foil and spread the garlic mixture all over it. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup basil. Overlap tomato slices on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. 
4. Transfer the salmon on the foil to the grill. Grill until the fish flakes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Use two large spatulas to slide the salmon from the foil to a serving platter. Serve the salmon sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup basil.

Per serving: 248 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 80 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 35 g protein; 1 g fiber; 367 mg sodium; 799 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Potassium (23% daily value), Vitamin A (22% dv), Vitamin C (18% dv), Magnesium (15% dv).

Recipe taken from Eating Well

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10 finger-lickins

"Restaurant Quality."

Chocolate Cheerio Treats

Just leftovers for dinner tonight. So much taco meat still remaining. Instead I made, chocolate cheerio treats aka rice krispie treats but with cheerios instead of rice krispies. They were good, but need some work. I saw a recipe to add hazelnuts. Looks and sounds good.

Here is a picture.

Ingredients

1/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups chocolate cheerios
a little less than a 16 oz. bag of large marshmallows

1. Spray a 13X9 inch pan with non-stick.
2. Melt butter in large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in vanilla. Stir in cheerios until well coated. Using lightly buttered spatula, pour into prepared pan. Using a piece of wax paper sprayed with non-stick, pat down the cheerios so that it’s flat.
4. Allow mixture to cool.

HUBBY RATING: 8 out of 10 finger-lickins

Crockpot Taco Shredded Chicken

I decided to make chicken for tacos in the crockpot. The result was some seriously tender and juicy meat.

Not pretty, but tastes good.

Shredded Crockpot Chicken

1. Place chicken breast in crockpot.
2. Sprinkle Taco Seasoning over chicken.
3. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth. (You can use water too.)
4. Pour in 1 cup of salsa.

Because of time, I cooked the chicken on high for 4 1/2 hours. We have a smaller crockpot. Other recipes recommended cooking it for 8 hours on low.

HUBBY RATING : 9 out of 10 finger-lickins when compared to making it in the skillet.


"It would be better if you just put it on a bun and ate it as a sloppy joe."




Here are the tacos all done up.

 I used some of the leftover corn, bean, onion, tomato mixture from the pizza a couple of nights ago. They would be better with a soft shell. I found the chicken tender but a bit too salty for my taste. I did use reduced sodium chicken broth. I may use water next time, buy different seasoning, or make my own seasoning to make it less salty.

Breaded and Baked Drumsticks

I made drumsticks tonight breaded using mayo, mustard and some other ingredients. They were yummy, but the breading didn't stick to the chicken as well as I would have liked.  I'll have to try something different next time, but I would definitely make these again. 

Hubby Rating: 7 out of 10 finger-lickins

Breaded and Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

Recipe adapted from a Deviled Drumsticks recipe in Bon Appetit, March 2001.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon or whole grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped chives or green onion greens
• Salt
• 6 large chicken drumsticks, about 1 1/3 lbs
• Olive oil

METHOD

1 Place rack on upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom of a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

2 Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Mix together the breadcrumbs and minced chives in a separate medium bowl.

3 Sprinkle each drumstick with salt. One by one, dip each drumstick in the mayonnaise mixture, turning to coat. Then dip the drumstick in the breadcrumbs mixture, turning to coat. Place the drumsticks on the prepared roasting pan.

4 Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, until just cooked through, and juices run clear (not pink) when poked with a sharp knife.

Serves 4-6.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/breaded_and_baked_chicken_drumsticks/

Mexican-ish Pizza

I made this tonight, but made a few changes. First, I didn't grill it. I bet it would be great grilled, but it was too windy to fire up the charcoal grill. I just followed the oven cooking instructions for the pizza crust. I also used frozen corn and added red onion which was great addition. I wish I had put more of it  on it, but was super filling anyway.

Hubby Rating: 10 out of 10 finger-lickins  

"You can't go wrong with barbeque sauce and cheese."

Makes hubby feel like this:

Smoky Corn & Black Bean Pizza
6 servings
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, preferably smoked mozzarella

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough.
3. Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 316 calories; 6 g fat (3 g sat, 0 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 14 g protein; 4 g fiber; 530 mg sodium; 94 mg potassium.