My New Food Journey!

Five weeks ago I made a decision to get back on track. I had plateaued with my post-pregnancy weight loss and I was feeling really down about it. It was time to stop making excuses and just start cooking again. I have been in a big time rut, but I am excited to start cooking again and making healthy meals for me and the boys! I am looking at food in a whole new way now and my goal is to cut out as much processed food as possible, and start making better choices about the food we eat. By doing this, I feel like I don't have to be on a "diet". Everything in moderation!

For tonights dinner, I made Flank Steak Salad with Plums and Blue Cheese that I saw in the August 2010 edition of Cooking Light Magazine that I picked up at the supermarket the other night. Salads are becoming a go to dinner when I don't feel like cooking. This one is very simple but very flavorful!

What You Need:
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1lb flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 cups loosely packed baby arugula
3 plums, thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

The Steps:
1. Combine pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a small bowl; rub over both sides of steak.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from pan; let rest 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, honey, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add arugula; toss gently to coat. Arrange about 1 1/2 cups arugula mixture onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 3 ounces steak, about 1/2 cup plums, and 1 tablespoon cheese.



The Verdict:
This was really, really good! I have never been a fan of arugula before, heck I have never really been into "Rabbit Food" (as my brother Dave calls it) before. To be perfectly honest, I turned my nose up at it before really giving it a fair chance. It wasn't half bad though! It definitely has more bite to it than a spinach salad would but I'll use it again.

The dressing was excellent! Very light and had a hint of sweetness form the honey. I loved that it had a "from scratch" dressing because it fits into my goal of cutting out processed foods. By making the dressing myself, as opposed to buying it from the store, I know what is in the dressing there are no fillers or preservatives!

I ended up using thinly sliced sirloin steak because the supermarket was out of flank steak. We also grilled it because, it's summer and that is what you do with meat in the summer! The Doc is the GrillMaster of the house and the steaks were perfectly grilled!

All around a fabulous dinner and when you eat a dinner like that you have saved yourself some room for some ICE CREAM!

Steak Sandwich

Tonight we had steak sandwiches or as the Pioneer Woman calls them, Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. This is yet another winner from her. It's perfect for those nights you don't really feel like cooking but still want something filling and homemade!

Ingredients:
1 whole Large (or 2 Small) Onions
2 sticks Butter (lots And Lots Of Butter)
2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or Similar Seasoned Salt)
½ cups (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
4 whole French/deli Rolls

The How To:
1. Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

2. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

4. Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.

5. Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.

6. To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

The Verdict:
I loved it, the Doc thought it was "pretty good" and the kids ate it because...well...we made them. The Doc didn't "love" them because he's not really a fan of worcestershire sauce. I think that is what made them taste so good! I had planned on adding mushrooms to the mix but I forgot them when I was at the supermarket. The Doc also added some provolone cheese to his to make it more like a cheesesteak.

Shepherd's Pie

We pregnant women get cravings, and those craving don't always like to wait to be satisfied. Tonight I was craving Shepherd's Pie, and I needed to make it fast! This recipe took me about 30 minutes (though it is not a Rachel Ray recipe) and was very delicious!

Ingredients:
- 4 medium red potatoes, cubed (peeled if you want)
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 egg (separate yolk and white and reserve both)
- 1/2c half & half
- 4 tbsp butter (divided into 1 tbsp, 1tbsp, and 2 tbsp measurements)
- 1lb ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1c beef stock
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1c frozen corn, thawed

The Making:
Boil potatoes in salted water till tender, about 12 minutes

Meanwhile, beat the egg white until stiff. Transfer to a mug and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the half & half, egg yolk, and sour cream and set aside.

In a large high-sided skillet melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they begin to soften. Add ground beef and crumble and brown.

Lower heat to medium-low and pushing the meat to one side of the pan get the juices on the other side. Add the butter to the juices and let melt. Add the flour and mix until there are no lumps.

Add the broth, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper and combine with the meat mixture. Let the gravy begin to thicken and take off heat.

Drain potatoes and add to mixer bowl with 2 tbsp butter. Start mixing and slowly add the sour cream mixture. When potatoes are smooth season with salt and pepper to taste and gently fold int he beaten egg whites.

Preheat the oven to broil on high.


Spoon meat mix into individual ramekins or a casserole dish. Top with corn and potatoes and place under broiler until browned. Serve warm.

Tips and Talk:
The potato topping on this comes out so light and fluffy from the beaten egg white and it really just kind of melts in to the corn and meat mixture. The only thing I can say is that it maybe could have used a bit more butter, but come on, I may be allowed to splurge and gain all this weight now, but at some point I'm going to have to lose it. I think the same flavor could be achieved if I had cut the garlic powder and used 2 tbsp minced jarred garlic in the beginning with the onion.

Phil had a meeting tonight and was unable to try this dish. He tells me that he really doesn't like Shepherd's pie, but will try it since I made it. Miles loved the potato topping, but wasn't thrilled with the meat (he doesn't usually like ground beef anyways, but I figured I'd try). For me, it definitely satisfied my craving in a timely manner.

As you can see from this one and the Chicken Pot Pie recipe, I like to use ramekins. That's because I'm not a huge fan of casseroles and dishes where you make this huge thing and as you serve it it falls over and nobody ever gets the same amount of the good stuff. Also, the ramekins make it so easy to wrap leftovers and heat them the next night, or transport them to work the next day for lunch.

Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade

Since the purchase of our grill, I have been trying to find new ways to grill steak. I am a big fan of marinades. The problem is, cooking for the Doc, I am limited on the variations of marinades I can try (nothing with Italian Dressing). I was searching for something different than the standard teriyaki sauce and came across this Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade on the Food Network's website.

It sounded great. I wasn't sure how the Doc would feel about the balsamic vinegar so I decided to put aside some meat and just use the bottled teriyaki sauce. That way he could try it but if he didn't like the flavor he wouldn't go hungry!

Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat

Directions:
Whisk coffee, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, peppercorns and salt in a glass dish large enough for meat to lie flat. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Armenian Rice Pilaf
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups uncooked fine egg noodles
3 cups uncooked long grain white rice
5 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
4 cubes chicken bouillon

Directions:
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the egg noodles and stir until they begin to brown, being careful not to burn the butter. Stir in the rice. Continue stirring until rice is coated with butter.

Pour in the chicken broth and add the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover tightly. Cook without uncovering pot until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.


The Verdict:
This is a fantastic marinade! I made it for my family also and everyone loved the flavor. The nice thing about this marinade is the flavors work so well together. There were a few who looked at me cross eyed when I said the marinade had coffee in it! Even the Doc thought it was great. The balsamic vinegar, while smells very strong when you prepare the marinade, is mild once the meat has been grilled.

The recipe above calls for 1lb of Flank Steak, but I used Sirloin Tips. Obviously increase the amounts according to how much meat you need to grill! Serve with Rice. The first time I just used a box pilaf but then second time when I was cooking for a large group of people I decided to try the Armenian Rice Pilaf (above) which was also a big hit! Though next time I would add some pepper to the rice when it's browning for a little more flavor.