Try this at your next "cook-in"

Sorry I have been absent for a little while...Vacation tends to do that! As promised I am doing the London Broil! This is a great EASY meal for a crowd, or if you want to cook and have lots of leftovers! I have some ideas for that too. I had never made London Broil before this recipe, what I found was it is a fairly inexpensive cut of meat when it is on sale and I always buy what is on sale! Adam was going through a vinegar phase, don't ask...I do not know why, so I came across this and thought it was a great idea! I have always wanted to try a balsamic glaze and this gave me my shot!

A couple of things to say about a Balsamic vinegar glaze, first, it is a bit labor intensive the first time, because you do not want to over cook it, but it get easier. Also do not stand over it and inhale...lol...if you do you will know why...think hot vinegar up your nose...lol!

Also *big tip* with London Broil always cut against the grain!! That means the short way, not the long way...see pic! And thin slices are the best!

So here we go!

Balsamic London Broil

Ingredients

·                                 1 (3-pound) London broil

·                                 1 teaspoon kosher salt

·                                 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·                                 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

·                                 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

·                                 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

·                                 1 bay leaf

Directions

Preheat the broiler and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Season the meat with the salt and pepper. 

In a large skillet over low heat, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and bay leaf. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half and is a syrupy consistency, about 5-10 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf.

Put the meat on the baking sheet and slather it with the glaze. 

Broil the meat 4 inches from the heat until it reaches the desired level of doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. 

Remove from the broiler to a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes. 

Thinly slice the meat against the grain and transfer it to a serving platter.

Easy Leftovers:

Beef Pha: Take what is left of the meat and make your own Ramen noodles. Cook the Ramen as you normally would, but only use half the spice packet, throw  in thinly sliced carrots and snap peas. Poor in bowl with bean sprouts, jalapenos, and cilantro. Then slice the cold London Broil as thin as possible and add it to the hot soup! YUM!

Beef Dip Sandwich: You will need a McCormick Au Jus packet, onions. peppers and a sandwich roll, and cheese (optional).  

Again slice the cold London Broil as thin as possible. Meanwhile Saute a bell pepper of your choice and a thinly sliced onion. Bring the Au Jus to a boil, (If you have any juice from the London Broil, add it to the Au Jus) add the sliced London Broil. Leave it in the Au Jus for only about 1 min to warm it through! Take a roll, add London Broil, Onion and Peppers and a slice of cheese, I prefer Havarti, or Mozzarella. serve with Au Jus for dipping. 

Both of these leftover meals are great...they do not seem like leftovers at all. 

Enjoy!

I was going to post a London Broil recipe, but I happened across this recipe and had to give it a shot! I love Greek yogurt and I have been experimenting quite a bit with it in my cooking lately so I was really excited to have an actual recipe that called for it!

If you have not tried Greek yogurt....put yourself in the car and go to the store right now...buy a few different flavors and enjoy! It is so delish and is really a great snack. If you are trying to watch your weight it is the perfect thing for breakfast or an afternoon snack...it is rich and thick so you feel like you are indulging, but it is low in calories and high in protein...a great combo! 

Anyway back to the recipe. It includes a recipe for a Greek yogurt hot sauce...Adam is in love with it, he said he is going to eat it on everything now, and I have no doubt he will!

Below you will find my version of the recipe, the original called for herbs de Provence, which I do not have...so I substituted with fennel, basil and thyme! Also if you do not have Sriracha you can substitute any hot sauce you have! But I will say if you are a fan of Asian food Sriracha is a great Asian style hot sauce...but be careful, it is HOT! 

Serve with Asparagus and rice or potato and you have the perfect easy meal!

Lemon Grilled Chicken

 

 

Ingredients

·                                 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

·                                 1/2 lemon, juiced

·                                 1 tablespoon lemon zest

·                                 1 tablespoon olive oil

·                                 4 cloves garlic, crushed

·                                 1 tablespoon paprika

·                                 1/4 teaspoon fennel, basil and Thyme

·                                 1 teaspoon salt

·                                 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

·                                 4-6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

·                                  

·                                 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

·                                 1 tablespoon lemon juice

·                                 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

·                                 1 pinch salt

 

 

Directions

1.                       Whisk together the 1/2 cup yogurt, the juice from 1/2 lemon, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, paprika, fennel, basil, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

2.                       Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

3.                       Combine 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Set aside.

4.                    Grill chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 2 minutes. Turn each piece and move to indirect heat.

5.                       Grill, turning often, with lid down until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

6.                       Serve chicken with the yogurt harissa mixture on the side.

London Broil is next on the list! I promise this time! 

Happy Fourth of July!

Kale CHIPS!!!!

This is a Simple Easy Snack!

Let me say, I love almost every veggie, any way! But I was a bit skeptical of kale chips. When Denise from Winston mentioned them on the blog last week I knew I had to give them a try!

Again with kale make sure you wash it really well. It is a very hardy green and you can do so much with it! Experiment!!!

I made the kale chips the way Denise suggested, but I also put my own spin on some. Both batches turned out great!

Original Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of Kale
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t sea salt

Preparation 

   Preheat oven to 350

   Clean kale really well. Pull leaves off of tough stems. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Toss leaves in olive oil and salt. Place on sprayed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 min. Until edges are golden brown.

Amie's Kale Chip Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of Kale
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 2-3 T Soy Sauce

Preparation

  Preheat oven to 350 

  Clean kale really well. Pull leaves off of tough stems. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Toss leaves in olive oil and Soy sauce. Place on sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 min. Until edges are golden brown.

Both versions of this simple snack are great! The soy sauce added a rich flavor! You can also use a season salt, or add white pepper to add some zing! 

Stay tuned for my next recipe, London Broil. Easy, delicious and great to feed a crowd, or to make two meals and only cook once!

  

My first time! Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup

So this is by far not my first time cooking, but FOR SURE my first time blogging! I have decided to start this blog because I love to cook and try to cook as much as possible. For those of you who know me, you know I have two jobs...so cooking sometimes gets pushed to the back burner...lol...no pun intended! Anyway, my husband, who will eat anything, always praises my meals, but lately I have been getting praise from others too!

Being a busy young woman I love when people share easy, delish recipes with me...so I have decided to share mine with you. Also please feel free to email me at anytime if you have a recipe you would like me to try and/or share! agauthier231@gmail.com

My first recipe is in my opinion...Awesome!!!  It makes a ton and is simple and SO GOOD!

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup!

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Kale, Picked Over, Cleaned, And Torn Into Bite Sized Pieces (I actually use 1 bunch of Kale and one bunch of mustard greens for a little more flavor)!
• 6 whole Red Potatoes, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 pound  Mild Italian Sausage (I use a combo of chicken and pork to cut down on the fat)
• 1 (15oz) can of white beans seasoned with pork
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 3-4 cups water
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 4 cups Half-and-half
• Fresh Or Dried Oregano
• Salt & Black Pepper To Taste

Directions

Prepare the kale and set it aside. Make sure to wash it really well!!!

In a medium pot. boil sliced potatoes until tender. Make sure to liberally salt your water! Drain and set aside. only about 5 minutes or so because they will cook more in the soup!

In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage with onions and garlic, add salt and pepper. Drain as much as the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken broth, water and bouillon cubes,white beans, and half-and-half. Simmer for 15  minutes.

Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, and the kale. Simmer an additional 30 minutes, then serve

This is a cream soup but it is not to heavy which makes it nice! It is a new household favorite! Easy prep and easy clean up! And lots of leftovers! Enjoy! Any comments would be appreciated!