Prosecco Cocktail

I found this cocktail when I was planning a date night for my fiance, Brian. You could also use this cocktail around the holidays. The bubbles in the prosecco help the seeds to float in the glass for a really festive look. Plus, once you open the prosecco bottle, you have to use it all so it's not wasted ;)

Ingredients:
1 Bottle prosecco, I like La Marca
1 Small bottle of pomegranate juice
1 Pomegranate, seeded or 1 small package of pomegranate seeds
Blood orange liqueur

Directions:
1. Pour 1 tbs. pomegranate juice and 1 tsp. blood orange liqueur into a champagne flute.

2. Top off glass with prosecco.

3. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. The bubbles in the prosecco help the seeds to float in the glass for a reall

Grilled Steak with Grilled Veggies and Sauteed Spinach

I love to have this meal when I'm trying to be healthy but still want something filling. It doesn't take too much prep and it's great for a hot day since you cook most of it outside. Will definitely make this one again!

Ingredients:
1 ribeye steak
1 red onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, julienned
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 lb spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Remove steak from fridge and cover with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Prep vegetables - slice onion and bell pepper. Make a foil boat and put cherry tomatoes in it. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Turn on grill to high heat. Place steak, tomatoes, onion and bell pepper on grill. Cook steak about 4 minutes per side until medium rare, set aside and cover with foil to rest. Cook tomatoes until they burst, about 8 minutes. Char onion and bell pepper until grill marks appear about 3 minutes per side. Put all vegetables on a platter and cover with foil.

4. While steak rests, put chopped garlic in a saute pan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Cook for about 30 seconds, make sure it doesn't burn. Add spinach to pan and cook for a few minutes until it wilts down. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

5. To plate, first slice steak. Put a mound of spinach on the plate then spread steak slices in a fan pattern over spinach. Put grilled veggies on the side and serve while still warm.

Asian Marinated Skirt Steak

Found this recipe for an Asian marinade. I used skirt steak but I could see using this with thinly cut meat like short ribs or brisket. I served it with some white rice, shredded carrot, and scallions. You could serve this with some fried rice or make tacos with an Asian flair.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 x 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and smashed
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 dried red chiles, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions, cut into thirds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large piece of skirt steak

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, garlic and dried chiles. Stir with a whisk to combine and season with a little fresh ground black pepper. Add scallions and beef then cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Heat a cast iron griddle pan over high heat until smoking. Remove steak from the fridge and brush off as much marinade as you can -- pat dry with paper towels if necessary. Remove scallions and set aside as well to grill. Pour the remaining marinade into a pot and set over medium heat to cook and reduce -- about 10 minutes. Add a little lemon juice and brown sugar to the sauce.

3. Season steak lightly with salt and grill with scallions. Cook steak for about 4-5 minutes on the first side then 2-3 minutes on the second side for a nice medium-rare. Let the steak rest for 2-3 minutes before slicing.

4. Using a sharp knife cut steak into strips and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with grilled scallions.

5. Grill skirt steak on a hot grill 3-4 minutes per side until medium rare. Slice against the grain to serve.                              

One Pot Garlic Lemon Pasta

This method of cooking pasta is a new technique I've seen but never gotten to try until now. It's much quicker because you don't have to wait for the water to come to a boil. You throw everything into one pan and let it cook together. I love this meal because not only is it quick, it uses ingredients that I keep on hand - pasta, lemon, garlic, parmesan cheese. I added some store bought rotisserie chicken and frozen shrimp which I thawed and sauteed in some oil, butter, and lemon. This would be a great dish to use up any leftover protein in a new way! 

Ingredients:

1 pound (16 oz. box) Linguine, uncooked
¼ cup butter, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic or 4 cloves, finely chopped
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil
1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
4 cups water

Directions:

1.       Heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and cook garlic for 30 seconds to a minute, just until fragrant (careful, as it burns quickly).

2.       Add water, linguine, remaining butter, lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper to the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce to medium. Continue to cook pasta until nearly all water is evaporated, stirring often to keep pasta from sticking, about 8-9 minutes. (If pasta needs more cooking time, add a little more hot water).

3.       Remove from heat and stir in about ¾ cup cup shredded Parmesan Cheese and fresh herbs.

4.       Divide into bowls and garnish with remaining Parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper and a quick squeeze of lemon juice (option).

Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups

This meal was super quick and easy to make. Plus it made me feel healthy while eating it so it's basically a win-win haha. I could see turning these into little bite size appetizers for a party. Just make the chicken ahead and then day off reheat and plate on lettuce cups.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp.  soy sauce

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs grated ginger

3 scallions, whites and greens separated and chopped

1 large head butter lettuce, leaves separated

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce and soy sauce with 1/3 cup water.

2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tbsp. oil over high. Add the chicken and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until browned, 4 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the carrot and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and cook 1 minute.

5. Stir in the hoisin mixture and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables, 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Divide the lettuce leaves among 4 plates. Top each leaf with the chicken mixture; sprinkle with the scallion greens.

Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

I love eggs benedict. Let me say that again, I LOVE EGGS BENEDICT! It's so creamy and decadent, it feels like a real treat. It's usually a pain to make at home because of the hollandaise sauce. I've made it in a previous post and the sauce took me at least 10 minutes and wasn't very stable. Then I stumbled on Julia Child's recipe on how to make hollandaise sauce in a blender. It's quick, easy, and much more reliable then my last sauce. I'm both happy I get to eat eggs benedict more and sad that my pants will never fit the same way again. This recipe makes about 3/4 cup of sauce which is enough for 6-7 eggs.

Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 to 2 tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:
1. In a blender, combine the egg yolks, salt, pepper, cayenne, and 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, add the butter and heat until foaming.

3. Blend the egg yolk mixture at top speed for 2 seconds then, with the blender running, remove the cover and pour in the hot butter in a thin stream of droplets. By the time 2/3 of the butter has been added, the sauce will be a thick cream.

4. Continue pouring, but don't pour in the milky residue at the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5. If not using the sauce immediately, set the blender carafe in tepid, but not warm, water.

Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast
salt and pepper
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
Canola oil
1 bag of arugula
1 container cherry tomatoes
olive oil
parmesan cheese
1 lemon
1/8 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Place tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir with your hands so all the tomatoes are covered in the seasoning. Place in a 375 oven for 20 minutes until tomatoes slightly burst.

2. Make vinaigrette - combine 1/8 cup lemon juice, 1/8 cup champagne vinegar, 1/2 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper in a small dish. Stir until combined. While stirring, drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.

3. Set up breading station - one dish with the flour, one dish with the eggs whisked, one dish with bread crumbs. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in flour, dust off excess. Then coat chicken in egg and wipe off excess. Finally coat chicken with bread crumbs and dust off excess. Set aside coated chicken on a plate.

4. Add oil to large saute pan so it is about 1/4 inch thick, Heat pan over medium high heat. Place breaded chicken in the pan and fry on one side until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook on other side another 4-5 minutes until golden brown. (Tip: if chicken is browning too quickly and meat is under cooked inside, place it on a foil lined pan in the oven at 350 for a few minutes until cooked through.)

5. Toss together tomatoes, arugula and vinaigrette in a small bowl. Place a chicken breast on the plate and top with the salad. Garnish with a few shreds of parmesan cheese and some lemon wedges and serve!