Steak Tacos

I'm not much of a meat-eater, so if you haven't noticed the majority of my recipes are vegetarian or have a small amount of protein. This week, I had some beautiful ribeye steaks from Whole Foods that I wanted to use but didn't have the heart to eat all by themselves. Luckily I had some homemade salsa in the fridge and all the other fixings listed below. I'm like my own grocery store sometimes. One of the highlights of this recipe is the smoked alderwood salt that I had. It's super smoky and gives the steak the extra depth of flavor it needs. (I happened to get mine at Target, but I'm sure you could find it at other specialty markets.) When you've got steak this good, you can't mess it up with anything else than the simple stuff.

Steak Tacos

Serves 6

1-1/2 lbs. beef ribeye steak (about 2 1-inch thick steaks)

smoked sea salt or fajita seasoning

pepper

1 medium yellow onion, sliced lengthwise then in strips

1 red pepper, seeded and cut into strips

olive oil

cheese (optional)

1/2 a head of red cabbage, shredded

1 avocado, sliced

salsa

sour cream (optional)

6-8 pita bread circles (look for the softest bag at the store)

Preheat grill over high heat. Allow the meat to adjust to room temperature and season with salt or fajita seasoning. Using a large sheet of tinfoil, pinch the corners to create a make-shift tray. Toss the onion and pepper with olive oil and salt and pepper in the tray.

Grill over high heat 3-5 minutes. Toss the veggies and continue cooking. After the first toss, place the steaks on the open flame portion of the grill. Cook 4-5 minutes per side until cooked to your liking. Continue stirring the vegetables. Remove veggies and steaks from the grill. Cover with fresh pieces of foil to keep warm.

When ready to eat (I recommend 5 minutes max after taking the steaks off the grill), slice the steak perpendicular to the grain so that the muscle is cut into the shortest strains possible (this makes it tender and easier to eat). Top with cheese, cabbage, avocado, salsa, and sour cream. I highly recommend homemade salsa (see previous post on how to make).

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

4 C. peeled and sliced peaches (about 2-3 lbs or 5-6 peaches)

1-1/2 C. sugar, divided

1/2 C. water

1-1/2 C. flour

2-1/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 C. milk

4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream

In a large pot, combine the peaches, 3/4 cup sugar, and the water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the flour, baking powder, and milk. Pour the melted butter into a 9x13-inch pan and slowly pour the batter mixture on top. Carefully spoon the peaches on top and pour the remaining syrup over the peaches.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until set and cake tester comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Even the dog liked it!

Birthday!!

Last week was my birthday, and I requested these special cupcakes for the big day from a local bakery. They were delicious! Plus check out the neat candles :) But shhhh...don't tell anyone I told you my real name...

Vegetable Alfredo Lasagna

If you're like the majority of us, you have a soft spot for Alfredo sauce. I'd think it's safe to say that we all feel a bit guilty when we have it, but it's sooo worth it. Here's the best of both worlds -- a healthier version of my famous sauce with a boat load of vegetables. And the Parmesan cheese is at a minimal but you wouldn't even notice. Love it!

I had even bigger plans for this recipe of adding pesto, ricotta, onions, and garlic, but this is perfect just the way it is. Feel free to layer it as you wish, but I recommend using the swiss chard and tomatoes for the top two layers. The chard gets just a bit crispy and the tomatoes dehydrate slightly taking on a sun-dried tomato flavor. Mmmm. Please try this!

Recipe fits a 9x13-inch pan.

Alfredo Sauce:

3/4 C. butter

1 C. heavy cream

1 C. chicken broth

1 C. grated Parmesan cheese

nutmeg

salt and pepper

Lasagna:

1 lb. lasagna noodles

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 butternut squash, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, seeded, and sliced again into 1/4-inch pieces

3-4 medium sized zucchini, sliced in half, then lengthwise

2 bunches swiss chard

2-3 carrots, peeled and diced

1 bunch broccoli, diced

4 large tomatoes, sliced

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the cream and broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the cheese -- a little at a time -- until incorporated. Season with a dash of nutmeg and salt and pepper. Keep warm, but set aside.

Fill a large stock pot with water and add the olive oil. Place the noodles into the cold water and slowly heat. Once the water is hot, turn off the heat and carefully move the noodles around to make sure they are not sticking. Let sit and start assembling the lasagna.

Pour a small amount of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the 9x13-inch pan. Layer with the noodles, squash, carrots, broccoli, sauce, then swiss chard. Repeat until there are no more ingredients. Top with the sliced tomatoes and pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Bake at 300 degrees for an hour. Check on the dish, then increase heat to 350 degrees and cook another 30 minutes until bubbly.

No Lettuce Salad

Can you tell that I've been making an effort to eat more vegetables? I have to thank my cleanse book for inspiring me. This week I wanted to pack a lunch but didn't have anything good to bring. Then this idea hit me using up what was in the fridge. I guess you could call this the kitchen sink salad. Adjust the ingredients as you like.

Red cabbage, shredded

Sprouts

Zucchini

Tomatoes

Avocado

Pumpkin seeds

Seasoned croutons

Caesar vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients. Toss together. Enjoy.

Simple Egg Bake

Need some energy? Big day ahead? Then this egg bake is meant for you. A couple weeks ago I participated in a volleyball tournament and this lasted me all day. And the good news, I cut a bunch of corners to save on time.

2 (5 oz.) pkgs. seasoned croutons

1 C. diced ham

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

1 small onion, diced

1 C. chopped asparagus

1-1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

16 eggs

1 C. milk

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.

Grease the inside of a 9x13-inch pan and fill with the croutons.

Top the croutons with the ham, pepper, onion, and asparagus. Pour the egg mixture over the croutons and toppings. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes or just until eggs are set.