steak + salad = yum

I am definitely not a vegetarian, but I really don't eat a lot of red meat. In a normal week, I cook chicken, pork, fish, and turkey as my main proteins. But every once in a while, I get a craving for some carne. When a craving like this hits and I don't want to splurge on a fatty burger or diet-busting filet, I opt for a steak salad. This salad takes flank steak, a relatively lean and sometimes bland cut of meat, to the next level of flavor. This is also one of the few salads that I find filling and satisfying enough to serve by itself for dinner.

Grilled Steak Salad 



Ingredients
1 flank steak (1 to 1-1/2 pounds)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 tomato, sliced into thin wedged
Chopped mint leaves
1 bag mixed salad greens

Directions:
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the steak with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the garlic, the mustard and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the steak and marinate for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber and bell pepper.

When the steak is done marinating, place it on a cutting board and pour the marinade into a small saucepan set over high heat to simmer, about 1 minute. Slice the steak into 1/4-inch-thick strips and add to the vegetables. Add the marinade, mint and salt and pepper to taste, and toss.

Divide the greens among 4 dinner plates. Top with tomato slices, steak strips and vegetables.


*Based on a recipe by Rachael Ray.

It’s all Greek to me!

I don’t care how you pronounce the word: Gyros are one of man’s great inventions. Deliciously seasoned meat, roasted on a spit and shaved off on demand, served on pita with creamy tzatziki sauce and veggies. Real gyros are a special treat, but who says we can’t enjoy those flavors in a more healthy way? This recipe is also delicious in a pita or on a bun as a burger. It makes great meatballs too. For now, we’ll stick with the most basic and low carb version, served with a Greek salad on the side. Enjoy!



Gyro Patties

1 lb lean ground pork
¼ cup minced red onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl. Divide into 4-5 equal portions and shape into patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking. Grill on foreman, grill pan, or grill. Serve with tzatziki sauce and Greek salad (Romaine, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, feta).

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt
4 garlic cloves
¼ cup finely chopped cucumber
½ lemon, juiced
2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
Salt to taste

Place whole, unpeeled garlic cloves in a small, unoiled skilled over medium low heat and cook for about 2 minutes per side - until lightly browned. Peel and chop finely. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Sauce is best if made ahead of time and allowed to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

The Easiest Dinner EVER

I love cooking... most of the time. Some nights, bouncing around the kitchen and creating something yummy feels like an escape from the rest of my day. Other nights, just the thought of chopping vegetables makes me want to curl up and order a pizza. We all have days where the things we normally enjoy just feel like too much effort. This is a super-easy meal that will not feel like a chore. It takes just moments to prepare, fills your home with yummy baking smells, and doesn’t skimp on flavor. This can be served alone for a light dinner or with salad or side of Spanish rice or black beans.



Baked Salsa Chicken

1 cup of your favorite medium or mild salsa
4 boneless skinless chicken breast fillets
Taco seasoning or a combo of Chili powder, cumin and garlic powder
¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 small bag frozen corn
1 cup shredded low fat Mexican cheese blend
low fat sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13” class baking dish. Sprinkle lightly on each side with taco seasonings. Spoon salsa on top of each piece of chicken. Pour corn and chicken broth around the chicken. Cook for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the chicken and cook for 3-5 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with a small dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Weeknight-friendly Faux-Roast Pork

When I was growing up, a good “roast” was a delicious Sunday night treat. Something special when we had company over. Something that required time and effort.  While I appreciate the value in a good traditional roast, I rarely have the time or patience to whip one up. Especially on a weeknight.

This recipe is a great, low fat way to have the tasty, tender meat of a slow-cooked pork roast in less than 30 minutes.



Broiler-roasted pork tenderloin

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preheat broiler. Pat pork loin dry with paper towels. Combine sugar, celery seed, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over pork loin. Place on broiling tray and broil approximately 7-8 minutes per side, until meat is cooked but still pinkish in the center. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into ¼ inch slices.

Super quick, super healthy salmon dinner

Salmon and spinach are both “super foods”.  Salmon is full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and Popeye’s favorite veggie is loaded with Vitamin A, magnesium, and iron.  Thank goodness pairing these two wonder foods can be both tasty and easy.  This is seriously one of the quickest meals to make, perfect for weeknights when you can’t bear the thought of chopping veggies but you still don’t want to fall off the diet wagon.  It’s faster than takeout and it will make you feel great.



Pan-fried salmon and garlicky wilted spinach

1 lb salmon fillets (with or without skin, your choice)
Low sodium Old Bay seasoning
Lemon pepper seasoning
Fresh ground black pepper

Large bag pre-washed spinach
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Season salmon fillets on each side with Old Bay, lemon pepper and black pepper. Place salmon skin-side down (if your fillets have skin) in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.

Slice garlic cloves into very thin discs. Heat some more olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place garlic “chips” in olive oil. Stir garlic often until lightly browned on both sides. Remove garlic from pan, and set on a paper towel to absorb any extra oil. Leaving the oil in the pan,  reduce heat to medium low and add spinach to the hot pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until just wilted and remove from heat.  Serve with the reserved garlic chips on top.

Enjoy!

Stuffed peppers!

For me, stuffed peppers are one of the ultimate comfort foods. Hearty, warm, and rarely found in restaurants, this classic is perfect for a cold winter night. Or if you’re in Los Angeles, maybe a slightly cooler than usual night.

At any rate, classic stuffed peppers usually involve a mixture of ground beef and white rice.  Not so diet-friendly, but that’s easy to solve. White rice is dumb. You heard me - stop eating dumb white rice.  It has no flavor and virtually no nutritional value.  If you absolutely HAVE to have rice (e.g. if you’re eating a spicy curry), make it brown rice.  But in the case of stuffed peppers, why do we even need rice?  It doesn’t add flavor, just filler. Let’s fill our bellies with delicious nutrients, not boring starch.  In my version, I promise that you won’t even miss the rice.



Low Carb Cheesy Stuffed Peppers

2 large red bell peppers (you can use green, but I like the sweetness of red peppers better)
olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1.25 lb ground turkey
½ tsp grill seasoning (I like Montreal steak seasoning)
½ jar tomato pasta sauce (Classico Spicy Red Pepper)
1 ½ cups low fat Mexican blend shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Slice red peppers in half lengthwise to create 4 pepper boats.  Place pepper halves into a foil lined casserole dish. Bake in oven for 7 minutes, and remove.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a swirl of olive oil to the pan.  Once the pan and oil are hot, add the chopped green pepper, onion, celery and garlic. Once onions begin to get soft, remove this mixture from the pan.  Place pan back on heat and add a little bit more olive oil.  Add ground turkey to the hot pan, and season with grill seasoning.  Cook, stirring often, until meat is well browned. If there is any excess fat in the pan, drain off of the meat.  Add onions and peppers mix back to the meat. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer on low until sauce and mixture have thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Fill pepper boats with the meat/cheese/veggie mixture and bake for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cheese onto peppers and bake for 5 more minutes.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving, and enjoy!

Chicken Pizza!

I am a sucker for baked chicken dishes. It's a great way to get your boneless, skinless breasts nice and moist with little or no fat. I've experimented with the stuffed, smothered, and saucy, but this is one of my favorites. Also, it's so easy that you will Freak Out. Big domestic nerd win.

This recipe was inspired by the South Beach Pizza from What Geeks Eat. While I'm not a strict diet person, there are a lot of great things about the South Beach diet, and I utilize a lot of SB-recommended recipes to keep us on the low-carb track.



Chicken Pizza
I'm not using measurements since this is so easy, you don't need to measure anything. I promise.

Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts (if you can find the thin-cut ones, great, otherwise slice and pound them thin)
tomato sauce
Oregano
Basil
Garlic powder
crushed red pepper (optional)
olive oil
turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
green pepper
onion
2% mozzarella cheese shredded

Heat oven to 350. In a non-stick skillet with a little bit of olive oil, cook the Italian sausage, crumbling with a spatula as you go. Thinly slice the green pepper and onion. Remove sausage from pan when fully cooked. In a small bowl, mix plain tomato sauce with a healthy sprinkle of basil, oregano, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. (Alternately, you can use pre-made "pizza sauce" but this gives you more control over the flavor.)




Spread the chicken breasts over the bottom of a pizza pan or other baking sheet with sides. Spoon a layer of pizza sauce over the chicken. Arrange the sliced peppers, onions, and crumbled sausage over the sauce. Top with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes until browned and bubbly. Enjoy!