Asian Flank Steak Skewers

I made another flank steak skewer, but I think I like this one a little better. I grilled it inside on my grill pan and served it with veggie fried rice (both can be found HERE). Be sure to use reduced sodium soy sauce because I didn't and mine were a little salty. The kids called these "meat popsicles". 

Asian Flank Steak Skewers
1 1/2 lb. skirt steak
1 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime

Slice meat thinly against the grain. Place in a ziplock bag. Combine the rest of the ingredients and marinate overnight. Thread onto skewers (if using wooden ones, be sure to soak them for 30 minutes beforehand). Grill over medium heat about 5 minutes per side until done.

Adapted from SKINNY TASTE

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Herbed Pork Loin

Herb Marinated Pork Loin
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight.

When you are ready to cook the pork, heat a charcoal or gas grill. Brush the grate of the grill with oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the temperature of the grill) until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm with the juices that collect on the platter.

Or preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place pork in a 9x13 inch baking pan and pour marinade over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 135-145 degrees.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *** (I've tried several pork loin recipes and I've decided that maybe I'm just not that thrilled about pork loin.)
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Orange Thai Skewers with Fried Rice

Picture from Our Best Bites

Orange Thai Skewers
1 orange
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
1T sesame oil
1 t ground ginger
1 t coriander
4 cloves garlic
3 t Sriracha chili sauce

1 1/2 lb flank steak


Stick the flank steak in the freezer for about 20 minutes while you prepare marinade. Grab a bowl for your marinade. Zest your orange and add all of the zest to the bowl. Then cut the orange in half and add all of the juice as well. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice and anything more than that is just fine. To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then add Sriracha. Whisk the marinade so everything is combined. Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices.

When you're ready to get cookin' preheat your grill. Then take your skewers(pre-soaked if you're using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you're stitching.Place them on the grill. These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don't over do it! They should only take about 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip half way through.

Now these don't only cook fast, they cool fast. So get the rest of your meal all ready, set the table, gather the kids, etc. Grill these up at the last minute so you can serve them hot off the grill, literally.

Adapted from OUR BEST BITES

Fried Rice
3-4 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
soy sauce (I don't measure, just dump from the bottom)
cut-up zucchini, squash, mushrooms, or whatever veggies you like in your fried rice
1 cup white or brown rice, prepared from packaged directions, placed in a ziplock, and stuck in the fridge (I usually do this in the morning so it'll sit all day.)
a handful of frozen peas
sesame seeds

Turn the heat on a heavy skillet on as high as it'll go. Melt butter and sesame oil together and then throw in the veggies. If using mushrooms, don't throw these in yet because they cook faster. Drizzle with a good drizzle of soy sauce and stir around until cooked. Taste and add salt if needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Transfer to a bowl. Do the same with the mushrooms. Repeat with the cold rice, adding soy sauce a little at a time until tasty. Pour the veggies back in, stir, and serve.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *** (he liked the meat better than the rice)
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Grilled Shrimp and Polenta

I *heart* grilled polenta. If you like cornbread or grits and all things grilled, then you'll love this dish.



Photo from Tina Rupp

Grilled Shrimp and Polenta
1-2 lbs. shrimp, deveined and peeled with tail left on
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon, plus 1 tablespoon grated peel and wedges for serving
1/2-1 teaspoon paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (go easy on this because it can get hot quick)
One tube prepared plain or sun-dried tomato polenta (18 ounces), cut into 12 slices
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. In a shallow dish, toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons EVOO, the lemon peel, paprika and cayenne.

Brush the polenta with 3 tablespoons EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

Cover and grill the shrimp and polenta, turning once, until the shrimp is opaque and the polenta is charred, about 6 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over shrimp before serving.

Recipe adapted from RACHAEL RAY

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Nena: *****
Overall Family Rating: 23/25

Lemon Basil Pasta With Grilled Chicken

I made this for Brad for Father's Day this year, and as I cooked it, he was pretty skeptical since pasta isn't his absolute favorite thing. He likes it, but pasta dishes rarely get five stars. This blew him away!




Photo from The Pioneer Woman

Lemon Basil Pasta with Grilled Chicken

The night before, toss 4 chicken breasts into a gallon-size ziplock bag with the juice of four lemons, a generous amount of olive oil, a couple good squirts of dijon mustard, about the same amount of honey, and some course salt. Store in the fridge, mushing the bag a few times throughout the day, until ready to grill.

4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
1/2 stick Butter
3 whole Lemons, Juiced
3/4 cups Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Half-and-half
1-1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Recipe from THE PIONEER WOMAN

Family Rating:
Brad: *****
Jordan: *****
Eli: ***
Phoebe: *****
Nena: *****
Overall Family Rating: 23/25

Blue Cheese Burgers

My very favorite burger ever.



Photos and recipe from THE PIONEER WOMAN

Blue Cheese Burgers

2 pounds 80/20 Ground Beef
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Red Onion, Sliced
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Real Mayonnaise
Kaiser Rolls
1 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
Your Favorite Lettuce

Place the ground beef into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce. With your hands, mix the meat and seasoning well. Set aside.

Next, for the onions, heat a medium skillet over low heat. Add in 2 tablespoons butter. Dump in the sliced (not too thick, not too thin) red onions. Now add 2 generous tablespoons brown sugar. Give it a toss to combine the ingredients, and then allow the onions to caramelize over low heat for about twenty minutes, tossing occasionally.

While the onions are caramelizing, make the spicy mayo: Place ¼ cup mayonnaise into a small bowl and simply add a few dashes of Tabasco. Stir together and test for taste.

Next, slice the Kaiser rolls in half and spread each half with about ½ tablespoon of butter. Place them face down on a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Lightly grill the rolls so they’ll be tough enough to hold the spicy mayo. Let the rolls cool on a plate until you need them.

Form the meat into two patties and place on a grill pan or skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Allow each to cook about 3 minutes, then using a spatula, rotate 45 degrees, leaving it on the same side.

Flip the burger and cook it for a couple of minutes, rotating it 45 degrees again to get the nice grill marks.

Now add a large helping of caramelized onions over top of that glorious patty, followed by an equally generous helping of crumbled blue cheese.

As it finishes cooking, spread the spicy mayo on the Kaiser rolls and transfer the burger onto the bottom half of the bun. Top with a handful of greens and top with the bun.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***** (This is my very favorite burger to eat at home!)
Nena: **** (Yep, she had dinner with us.)
Eli & Phoebe had hot dogs so this is a skewed rating...only 15 stars total
Overall Family Rating: 13/15

Smoky Chicken Barbecue Kabobs

Photo from Southern Living

Smoky Chicken Barbecue Kabobs
1 pound skinned and boned chicken breasts
1/2 large red onion, cut into fourths and separated into pieces
1 pt. cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
8 (8-inch) metal skewers
Smoky Barbecue Rub
White Barbecue Sauce

Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Thread chicken, onion, and tomatoes alternately onto skewers, leaving a 1/4-inch space between pieces. Sprinkle kabobs with Smoky Barbecue Rub. Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve with White Barbecue Sauce.

Smoky Barbecue Rub:
Stir together 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon oregano.

White Barbecue Sauce:
Stir together 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 (or more) teaspoons sugar, and 1 clove garlic minced.

Recipe adapted from SOUTHERN LIVING.

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20