Monthly Archives: December 2012

Date Night Steak

recipes December 9, 2012 Leave a comment

I rarely order steaks when I go out anymore because I have learned how to make such tasty ones at home.  This feels like a really fancy meal but it is easy and affordable, perfect for a date night.  It requires some attention, with timers and flipping the steak over but it isn’t hard and the results are amazing.  The great thing about this method of cooking steaks is that it makes any cut of meat taste great.  If there is a sale on meat this is, of course, best with a ribeye, strip, or filet. It is also absolutely delicious with a top sirloin or london broil if you are looking for an even more affordable meal.  New York Strip steak was on sale this week for $5/lb so I bought a 14 oz. steak for $4.38, one russet potato for 46 cents and 1 head of broccoli for 88 cents, so this entire meal with sides for 2 people only cost $5.72!  I’ll post the recipes for potatoes & broccoli separately.

Steak (Ribeye, Strip, Filet, Top Sirloin, or London Broil)
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

Set the steak on a plate about 30 minutes before you plan to cook and allow it to come to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees with a heavy bottom skillet inside. Make sure your oven is fairly clean or you will get a lot of smoke from remnants in the oven.

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While it is preheating, pat the steak dry with a paper towel.

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Rub a very small amount of olive oil all over the steak, then sprinkle salt, pepper, and seasoned salt on both sides of the steak.

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Turn a burner on your stove to high and pull the skillet out of the oven and place on the burner.  Get your timer, tongs, and potholder ready, the next 8 minutes will require your attention.  Sear the steak for  30 seconds on each side then place the skillet and steak in the oven.

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If the steak is about 1 inch thick, cook 3 minutes then flip the steak with tongs and cook 3 minutes on the other side for medium.  If it is thicker or you prefer a more medium well steak, cook another minute on each side.  I find that ribeyes typically need a little more time but the other cuts are almost always perfect at 3 minutes per side.  Pull the steak out and set on a plate to rest for 10 minutes or so, then serve.

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And there it is, a drool worthy steak that my pup begs for the entire time I am eating.  Serve this steak and you are sure to impress your dinner guest.

Chicken Noodle Soup (minus the chicken)

recipes December 4, 2012 Leave a comment

I absolutely love soup and I crave the comfort and convenience of a good canned soup when I am feeling under the weather, but I haven’t found any canned soups that fit my allergy restraints that actually taste good.  This is the simplest soup in the world, on purpose, so that I have the energy to make it for myself when I feel sick.  It’s so simple, comforting, and healthy, and I always have the ingredients on hand.

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1/2 cup Tinkyada Organic Rice Pasta – Penne, Elbows, or Shells – whatever you have in your pantry
3 cups Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth (Use vegetable broth to make this recipe vegan)
2/3 cup Organic Frozen Mixed Veggies (I use peas and carrots but the mix with those veggies plus corn is really good in this too if you can eat corn)
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Thyme
Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Bring the chicken broth, spices, and some salt and pepper to a boil in a covered saucepan.  Add the mixed veggies and bring to a boil again.  Add the pasta, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Watch the pot the first few minutes, it has a tendency to boil over while cooling from boiling to simmering.  Salt and Pepper to taste when you serve it.  This recipe is for 1 so adjust as necessary for the number of people you are cooking for, you may only need 2 cups of broth per additional person, you only need 3 for the first one to be sure there is enough liquid to cook the pasta and veggies.

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