Steak and [Sweet] Potatoes

image thanks to this site, not an image of our dinner - but similar, yes

 I got home from my long run yesterday and thought I was going to die.  Getting old stinks. In my twenties, I could run a marathon without taking a single drink nor eating any food during the race. Now, I need to bring water with me if I run more than 4 hours, I dehydrate that quickly. And more than 6 miles on the road, I really should bring food with me. I've never been a goo person, so I am trying to find ways to get back to where I can run further without food.  I'm OK bringing my camelback for water, but eating isn't really something I'd like to do.

So when I got home and was wondering if I should call family to say my last goodbyes, I googled recommended running diets, and found the same thing on many of the lists - sweet potatoes.  If you watched the 2008 or 2012 Summer Olympics, you know that the Jamaican runners claim the secret of their success is yams.  While sweet potatoes and yams are different things, I figure I'll give it a try. So this week, before the Ragnar I am running in Zions National Park this weekend, I'm experimenting with sweet potato recipes.

I was also craving steak after my run, so I found a new marinade recipe online and a sweet potato recipe in my new Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook for dinner tonight. First, the steak:

I bought four steaks from Costco. I don't have a super great butcher near me, so I hoped theirs would be OK. I made the marinade the night before so that the flavors would blend well before using on the meat. I used my tenderizing hammer before marinating.  I added the marinade this morning and marinated for 8-9 hours before grilling.  I pulled the steaks out of the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling and hammered them out again, and let them sit in the marinade for 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking. The temperature on my grill was between 475 and 500 degrees. I cooked them for 8 minutes on each side (they were thick steaks). There was a nice pink in the middle, but I'd say they were medium well. They were nice and juicy and tender.  Oh, the marinade. Here's the recipe:

2/3 c soy sauce (gluten free, if needed
1 c olive oil
2/3 c fresh lemon juice (I think I used 5 lemons)
1/2 c Worcestershire sauce
3 T garlic powder
6 T dried basil
3 T dried parsley flakes
2 t ground white pepper
1/2 hot pepper sauce (I used Sriracha hot chili sauce)
2 t dried garlic (I used dried sliced garlic that I have)

The recipe (found here) says to add it all to a blender and mix it up.  I think that is a good idea if you are making the marinade right before using, to blend the flavors well.  I didn't blend mine. Like I said, I mixed it together the night before and refrigerated the sauce. I added the sauce to the steaks, tenderized steaks, in a gallon Ziploc and put them back in the fridge for 8 hours.

Now, to the potatoes.  I actually prepared the potatoes, and put them in the oven. The cook time is 45 minutes. So I put them in the oven, and waited 15 minutes. I then went out back to turn on the grill and let it warm up for 15 minutes.  Then I put the steaks on the grill cook, 8 minutes eat side. I found the potatoes were done after about 35 minutes though, so I turned off the oven but kept the potatoes in the oven until we ate.

Recipe:

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Spices from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow (my changes in italics)

2 medium sweet potatoes (she recommends peeled, I just washed well and sliced with them on.  She recommends 1/3" slices, I used my adjustable slicer with my safety gloves purchased after an accident involving the upper corner of my thumb earlier this year. I used the 3.0 setting for the thickest slices it makes. 
1/3 c Vermont maple syrup
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t ground cloves
1 large orange I didn't have an orange in the fridge, out of season, so I used 1/2 c OJ
1 star anise I didn't have this, so not sure of the taste it will add in this recipe

 Preheat oven to 375.
Line casserole dish with parchment paper.
Slice potatoes. Lay potato slices out in baking dish. Because I sliced more thinly, I just used an 8x8 corning with a lid, lined with parchment.
Mix the sauce ingredients together.  If using thick slices, pour sauce over slices.  I added half my thin slices to the sauce, stirred well to coat all the slices, and then put those slices in my baking dish and repeated with the other half.  I then poured the extra sauce atop and covered.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  My thin slices were done by the time I checked them at  35 minutes - so check your thick slices too.

 Enjoy.

Greek Orzo Salad

I have tried a few of Rachael Ray's Recipes and not really been too happy with them, but I found this one in her magazine last month and thought it sounded good.  Well, we weren't disappointed because it was really tasty.  I have made it two times, once with Chicken and Veggie Kebabs and most Recently along side some nice tasty grilled steaks.  It was a perfect compliment to both meals!  I didn't put as much celery as she said and I added grape tomatoes sliced in half to the salad.  It was better this way so I'm going to add it to the recipe. 

Greek Orzo Salad
Recipe by Rachael Ray
Serves 4 (served 4 adults and 3 kids with a little left over)

Ingredients:
Salt and Pepper
2 Small Lemons
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4 cups (8 oz.) of Orzo Pasta, which is Half of a bag.
2 full stalks of Fresh celery including the greens (the greens have a lot of flavor, chop them well though)
1 chunk (4 oz.) Feta Cheese (this is half a package from the store, but you can make the salad twice.  I love that.)
8 Kalamata Olives, oil packed with herbs (I used black olives because the kalamata's were pricy.  Plus I hate olives, no one seemed to care)


Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil and add 2 tsp of salt.  Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook, stirring often, according to the directions on the package.  While the orzo is cooking, in the bowl you want to serve the salad in finely zest the 2 lemons.  Remember to not add the white part of the skin as it is bitter.  Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to the zest.  Mix well and set aside.


Slice the celery lenghtwise and then chop into small pieces, you should have about 1 cup.  Cut the grape tomatoes and olives in half.


When the orzo is cooked, drain it in a strainer and rinse well with cold water.  Add the cooled orzo to the bowl with the lemon oil and toss.  


To finish, add the cut veggies and crumble the feta cheese into the salad.  Gently toss the orzo to coat all the ingredients with the lemon oil and serve. 

Corn Soufflé

Every month when my aunt emails out our "dinner on the second Sunday this month will be..." email telling us the main dish, all of us 'reply to all' stating we will or won't be there and if we're coming, we let everyone know what we will be bringing. Three weeks ago, my cute cousin's wife replied their family would be there and she would bring Corn Souffle. I immediately replied to her, "You'll bring corn souffle and you'll bring the recipe for corn souffle." And she did, she brought a couple copies of the recipe for those of us wanting one. This is soooo yummy. It's basically fancy corn bread, not as dry as corn bread though. Typing the recipe out, since it's the first time I made it myself, I realize I added extra of one ingredient so I made a special note so you don't make the same mistake. I didn't have Jiffy corn bread mix (I honestly thought I had some in my food storage, but couldn't find it), so I found a recipe online for a homemade equivalent. It worked out OK still, but I recommend the original recipe if you can.
=)

Ingredients:
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 Jiffy corn muffin mix**
2 eggs
3/8 c or 3/4 stick butter, melted (I put the 3/8 c & 3/4 stick measurements more for me, who just realized while typing this recipe I read 3/4 stick as 3/4 c so my souffle is going to be really, really buttery today... oops! I don't recommend it, too buttery for a butter taste disliker like myself.)

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees
Grease a 9"x13" casserole dish (I probably didn't need to spray mine with all that butter I added)
Mix all the ingredients together
Pour into greased dish and bake for 45 minutes.

**Homemade Jiffy corn muffin mix
-->

2/3 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c yellow cornmeal
3 T granulated sugar
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 T vegetable oil

Enjoy!

Onion Roasted Potatoes

.


Ingredients:


2 lbs. red potatoes
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1\3 cup olive oil
1 cup Panko bread crumbs


Directions:


Dice your potatoes into desired size.

Place potatoes in a large ziploc bag.

Add soup mix, bread crumbs and olive oil to the potatoes in the bag. Swish everything around until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Let the potatoes marinade for about half an hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350

Grease a baking dish, and place the potatoes in the dish until they are spread out evenly.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

This is a great easy side dish, and they taste really good!

Splendid Spanish Rice

This Spanish Rice recipe is so easy and quick, it's hard to believe it would be delicious, too.

I made a batch of this last night to pair with our taco ring we had for dinner, and it was a great addition to the meal.

Enjoy!

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup chunky salsa

Cook your rice before hand, we have a rice maker and I love cooking my rice with it

After rice is cooked set aside for the time being

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Stir in onions and cook until they are tender

Add your rice to the skillet and mix together with onions for about 20 minutes, or until your rice starts to brown slightly (stir often)

Pour in chicken broth and salsa, stir everything together and cover.

Simmer for about 20 minutes on low until liquid has been absorbed

Oven Roasted Broccoli

(excuse the blurry photo, my food stylist and photographer was not home from work yet.)

I really really love oven roasted veggies. I think they taste way better than steamed, and are pretty healthy too. Sure steamed veggies have less fat, but what good is a vegetable if no one wants to eat it? Here's one of my favorite recipes for broccoli from Alton Brown:

1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed (drain water really well or broccoli won't get as crispy, I use a salad spinner)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Sharp Chedder

Direction:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite sized pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread the panko into a 13 by 9 inch metal cake pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Remove the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

Sunday Best Part Two

I love Ina Garten. I love her cooking style, I love that she uses real food and makes things from scratch. She loves cooking for people and it makes me want to cook for people too! This is a lovely side dish that I served with a roasted pork tenderloin. The Gruyere cheese is mild but very flavorful and accompanies the zucchini beautifully. It is so good, try it today!


Zucchini GratinRecipe courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for topping
1 pound yellow onions, cut in 1/2 and sliced (3 large)
2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (4 zucchini)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (I use panko bread crumbs)
3/4 cup grated Gruyere

preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a very large (12 inch) saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned (*Do not caramelize the onions. I accidentally did, and while it still tasted great, it made the whole dish take on a slightly tan color. Not as pretty as I think it could have been). Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8x10 baking dish.

Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

honey roasted red potatoes.

this was a delicious side for our dinner last night. i found the recipe on sweet basil.

ingredients:
1 Pound Red potatoes
2-3 Tb Melted Butter
2 Tb Honey
1 Ts Ground Mustard
1/2 Ts Salt
1/4 Ts Pepper

directions:
Heat oven to 375 and spray a cookie sheet. Cut potatoes in half or quarters depending on the size and line on the baking sheet. Mix the butter, honey, mustard, salt and pepper and drizzle over the potatoes. Bake for 30-40 min until tender

we served it with parmesan chicken and greek salad.

Grandma's Stained Glass Jello Salad

I seem to post more prep shots than finished product.
But maybe it's because I like the prep part best?
And it is usually for someone else, so I'm not always present when it's ready for service...This recipe is immensely popular in our family, and we aren't even from Utah.
My grandma is basically required to make it every time we all get together.
My cousin's have argued for years -
"this should be called Scott's Jello Salad"
or "this should be called Michael's Jello Salad" etc.
For the record, if it comes down to naming it after a cousin,
I'd side with Scott.
Oh, and there is always an argument over who gets the last portion.
I don't think I've ever gotten seconds.

Ingredients

5 small boxes of different flavors of Jello (it's best to get 5 different colors too - don't get lemon for this part)1 large box (or two small ones) of lemon Jello
1 small tub of Cool Whip

Instructions

Prepare the 5 flavors of Jello per the box's instructions. Allow to set completely.
Once the 5 flavors are set, prepare the lemon flavor (it's best to do prepare the lemon in a large bowl) with 3 cups boiling water - and that's it. Allow it to set until it reaches the consistency like that of an egg yolk (this will happen sitting out on the counter or in the fridge - but watch it carefully if you are using the fridge). Once it's yolk-like, mix with the mixer (I use my hand mixer) for three minutes and then fold in the Cool Whip with a spoon or spatula. Cut up the 5 Jello flavors into little cubes and add to the lemon mix. Mix it all up, pour into a casserole dish and allow to set (about 4 hours.)

It's so yummy. And if you use sugar-free Jello, it's not too bad for you. It could be a salad, a side or a dessert.

Rudy's Creamed Corn

I travel to Texas about once a year for work, and have had the privilege of tasting a whole lot of scrumptious barbecue. One of my favorite spots is Rudys - though what stood out more to me the first visit, more than the incredible meat, was the creamed corn. I search the web, tried some recipes and find this one to be the most like that in the restaurant.

Ingredients:
16oz frozen corn
1 stick cream cheese, cubed
1/8 c butter, cubed
1 T sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Mix everything together in a crock pot
Cook for high for about 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so
Then lower the heat, still stirring often until cream cheese and butter are melted
Serve nice and hot and creamy

some tips:
*I actually use more corn than the recipe calls for, about 24oz instead of 16, then you don't get quite as much cream in each bite a - healthier option right?
*Also, you can of course substitute milk for the heavy cream and use fat-free sour cream.

Now if I can just find the recipe for their secret sauce...

scalloped potatoes.

{sorry no picture, friends. but i swear i made them and they were de-lish!}

ingredients:4 cups peeled, sliced potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp onion, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

directions:
in a small bowl or cup, combine flour, salt & pepper. grease casserole dish and layer: potatoes, sprinkling of flour mixture, a few dots of butter, a tsp of minced onion {or slightly less}, sprinkling of cheese, potatoes {etc... ending with cheese on top}.

warm the milk in microwave or on the stove top to scalding. remove any skin that formed on the top. stir in baking soda {this helps prevent curdling}. pour milk over potatoes. cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. after 30 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until potatoes in the center are tender. optional: after the full hour, sprinkle extra cheese on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

*tip: this will almost always bubble up and spill over. to prevent the mess, put a cookie sheet or a sheet of tin foil underneath to catch the drippings.

So Easy Roasted Potatoes

However many potatoes you need for your crowd
Oil (Olive or Vegetable)
Steak Seasoning


Preheat oven 425. Wash and cut potatoes into about bite size chunks. Spead out evenly into one layer on cookie sheet. Drizzle generously with oil. Sprinkle with seasoning, as much as you like. Toss everything together with your hands so all the potatoes are coated evenly with oil and seasonings. Throw in the oven for 20-25 min till fork tender and a little golden. Enjoy!