asian steak fajitas

i know it seems a little silly to be posting another fajitas recipe, but this one was different. this was a fusion between asian and meixcan flavors. let me explain.

denise (meagan's mom) had us over for dinner on monday night. she made grilled asian flank steak and her signature hashbrown casserole (seriously you guys must make this asap.) she sent us home with leftover steak to eat up this week. meagan and i were craving something mexican so we decided to make fajitas. i sauteed up some sweet bell peppers and onion, re-heated the beef and topped it off with our favorite extras - sour cream, monterrey jack cheese and pre-made guacamole salsa from wholly guacamole.

i was a little skeptical at first to be mixing the two cultural flavors, but it actually turned out pretty delicious. the sweetness from the asian marinade paired nicely with the creaminess of the guacamole salsa and sauteed onions and peppers. below is the recipe for the steak marinade. it's best to let it sit over night to get the maximum flavors.

ingredients:
1/3 cup canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup diced scallions
s&p
2 pounds flank steak

directions:

combine the marinade ingredients together in a plastic resealable bag with steak. coat well with the marinade and chill/marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. preheat the grill (indoor or outdoor) with high heat. take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse s&p. grill about 5-10 minutes on each side, depending how rare/cooked you like it. meanwhile, make another batch of marinade. cook on stove over low heat while meat is cooking. 

remove steak from grill, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 20 minutes. make very thin slices, against the grain, and at a slight diagonal so that the slices are wide. serve with reserved marinade.

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the pumpkin post

let's face it - every food blogger knows that during the fall season we're going to have to write our obligatory posts about apples and pumpkins. i had this post planned already for sometime in october but it got bumped up a few weeks when i  received this email from one of my friends, brittany. she writes:

sis,
i don't know if you take requests for your fabulous blog but if you do, i've got one!  this new fall weather has left me with constant cravings for all things pumpkin spice (thanks alot starbucks, like i needed something else to crave).  as you know i am what i like to call "domestically challenged"  so here is my request: could you do a healthy pumpkin recipe for those, who like me, don't cook/bake often (or ever)?  thanks love!!
xoxo
B

p.s. love the blog, if you keep this up i may start, dare i say it?....cooking!

there is nothing i love more than a challenge, espeically a cooking challenge. i have found some really easy recipes and also some for the more advanced chef. let's start with what good housekeeping had to say regarding simple ways to introduce canned pumpkin into recipes:

1. stir pumpkin and green chiles into homemade chili for a creamier texture with a mexican twist
2. whip up a smoothie with chilled pumpkin, milk, vanilla yogurt, and a pinch each of sugar and pumpkin pie spice
3. beat 8 ounces light cream cheese and 1 cup pumpkin until smooth; add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and serve as a dip for fruit and cookies or as a spread for toasted bagels

now for the recipes...

1. pasta with mushrooms and pumpkin-gorgonzola cream sauce
2. easy pumpkin pancakes - basically just adding canned pumpkin to pancake mix
3. 15-minute pumpkin risotto
4. penne pumpkin pasta
5. pumpkin-cream cheese napoleons
6. pumpkin-shrimp bruschetta - elegant but easy
7. pumpkin spice whoopie pies
8. no bake pumpkin cheesecake
9. chocolate pumpkin pie martini
10. cumin pumpkin soup with popcorn
11. overstuffed pumpkin with cornbread, apples and turkey sausage - definitely a little labor intensive, but i think well worth it

after all this researching, i think i'm going to have to put some sort of pumpkin dish on the dinner menu this week. enjoy!

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tamale pie

suz is back at it again, showing all of us roomies just how southern food is done. i'm amazed every time she shares her family's recipes with us. they are so delicious, so comforting and just have that down-home feeling. last night was no exception when she whipped up a tamale pie - it's basically ground beef mixed with all your favorite mexican flavors and topped with a cornbread crust and baked to perfection.

ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon evoo
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
15oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (you could use black beans too)
8oz diced tomatoes
2 chipotles chiles in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon sauce from can
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilnatro
1 (8.5 oz) package cornbread mix + egg & milk

directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. grease 8 inch dish with butter and set aside. heat evoo in nonstick skillet over medium heat. add ground beef, onions, green peppers and garlic. cook until beef if no longer pink, about 8 minutes. drain excess fat and sprinkle meat with cumin.

add beans, tomatoes, chiles and adobo sauce and bring to boil over high heat. reduce heat to medium and simmer until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. remove from heat. add cheese and cilantro. spread beef mixture in baking dish, pressing down with spoon to make an even, compact layer. combine cornbread mix according to direction on box. spread batter evenly over beef mixture and bake until cornbread is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. let stand 5 minutes and cut into squares.

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roast beef french dippies with a side of sweets

call me crazy (suzanne did) but i have never had a roast beef sandwich before. i grew up being a very picky eater and rarely strayed away from my basics. whenever we went to arby's (usually because my dad had a coupon) i always opted for the chicken sandwiches, not the beef and cheddars. i had no idea what i was missing out on until suzanne made these for us the other night. she put her own twist on it by adding cheese and sauteed onions. i'm still drooling about them. the combination of the crusty bread, melted cheese, and juicy roast beef - all dipped into the salty, rich au jus sauce really made my night.

the recipe couldn't be easier and it's perfect for the week nights. we had a side of sweet potatoes fries to round things out. suzanne dipped her fries in honey - has anyone ever heard of that before?


ingredients:
1 lb sliced roast beef, from the deli counter
4 slices provolone cheese
1 onion, sliced
4 mini french bread baguettes
1 package mccormick® au jus gravy mix
3 cups cold water
evoo

directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. in a large skillet, heat evoo over medium high heat. add onions and cook until translucent. slice bread in half (length-wise) and add roast beef and onions - however much you like. top with cheese and wrap in aluminum foil. bake in oven for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.

meanwhile, stir water gradually into gravy mix with whisk in medium saucepan. stirring frequently, cook on medium-high heat until gravy comes to boil.

serve sandwiches immediately with a side of the au jus for dipping.

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roasted tomato soup with garlic olive croutons

"what did the mom tomato say to the baby tomato?"

"ketchup, little guy, ketchup."

this is a guest blog post from meagan kessler.

today marks the sixth consecutive day of school without even one minute of recess. i'm definitely over the rain and the only immediate cure was homemade tomato soup...oh yea, and a joke. campbells would have been easier, but this was definitely more delicious. try it tyler florence's way. just do me a favor, and USE the type of blender he suggests - once i figure out what it is, i'll probably invest in one for the next rainy day :) 

i topped it off with toasted garlic rosemary olive bread. i just cubed a loaf from harris teeter, sprinkled with olive oil and garlic powder, and popped them in the oven on 400 for about 10 minutes. it was the perfect addition. oh yea, then i ate the rest of them during gossip girl. good enough to eat all on their own.

p.s. my fortune cookie yesterday said "all things end." here's hoping it was referring to the rain :)

...i'm here for a good time, not a long time.

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mini turkey meatball sliders

i've been craving meatball sliders ever since sis and i went to the brooklyn flea market last weekend. for anyone who has never been, it's a lot like eastern market in capital hill. it's a fun event that showcases vintage pieces, homemade crafts, and my favorite - local grub. sis and i were about to leave when we spotted the meatball sub station. i thought to myself - why hadn't we seen this before we devoured the fish tacos, organic mozzarella/tomato panini, fresh watermelon lemongrass popsicles, dill pickles, and taken over the homemade dip station! cursing myself for being too full/eating like a pig, i decided i would make them once i got home.

i tweaked a recipe from ellie kreiger, using turkey meat and incorporating vegetables in the mix. i was a little skeptical at first because it calls for grated carrots. i was worried they would add too much sweetness and throw everything off, but you could barely taste them. these little meatballs turned out moist, delicious and perfectly satisfying!

ingredients:
sauce:
1 tablespoon evoo
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
s&p

meatballs:
cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
s&p
1 package mini whole wheat dinner rolls
provolone cheese

directions:
in a large saucepan heat the evoo over medium heat. saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. add tomato paste, tomatoes, spices and salt. (since i don't like big chunks of tomatoes in my marinara, i used a masher to break them up - totally up to you though.) bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. season with salt and pepper, to taste. while sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

preheat the broiler. spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.

add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce.

cut dinner rolls in half and place on another baking sheet. add one meatball to each one and top with small slice of provolone cheese. broil for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. serve immediately with a simple side salad and you have yourself a "that's-a spicy meat ball-a" - sorry had to do it.

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green with envy - pesto chicken | roasted asparagus | sauteed spinach

when i was planning this meal, i didn't realize everything was green. it doesn't make for the best presentation, but all i can say is that it still tasted good. this dinner doesn't involve any sort of effort. it's the perfect weeknight meal for a monday when you're still recovering from the weekend and don't feel like doing much besides laying on the couch to watch gossip girl/dancing with the stars.

for the main course i bought pre-marinated pesto chicken from trader joe's. you literally take it out of the package, place is on a cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes on 425 degress. it's that simple and the end product is always perfectly seasoned and juicy! i'm usually not into the whole pre-packaged thing, but trader joe's definitely got it right with these guys.

for the sides, i whipped up my favorite garlic spinach with tomatoes and roasted garlic asparagus.

i know this is nothing fancy, but it's still a great, healthy meal to keep in your recipe box! 

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