Best Quick Steak Marinade

 I found this marinade on-line and I gave it a try.  Oh my goodness, is this a great marinade for beef.  I marinated a boneless sirloin steak and the results were amazing.  I wanted to add this recipe to the Cafe.

Ingredients:

- 4-6 8 ounce steaks (or a Sirloin steak)

- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 2 T Worcestershire sauce

- 1 T honey

- 1 t dried Italian seasoning

- 1 t garlic powder

- 1 t dried mustard

- chopped parsely (for garnish)

Instructions:

1.  In a bowl, whisk together our balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, honey, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and dried mustard.

2.  Add the steaks and the marinade to a zip lock bag, tossing the steaks a few times to coat the meat with the marinade.  Press out the excess air, seal the bag, and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

3.  Prepare a grill.  Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Grill the meat to desired doneness and remove from the grill.  Place the meat on a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil.  Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minute, then serve.

Cook's Notes:

The original recipe said to only marinate for "15-30" minutes, but I marinated the sirloin steak for 2 hours and the results fantastic.  What I like about this marinade is that the ingredients are all fairly common to most kitchens.  Please give this a try the next time you grill a steak.  You won't be disappointed!

Grilled Rosemary and Mustard Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

- 2 boneless chicken breasts

- 2 Tablespoon diced fresh rosemary

- 2 Tablespoon spicy mustard

- 2 Tablespoon soy sauce

- Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 Tablespoons)

- 2 cloves garlic minced

- Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1.  In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients except the chicken.

2.  Place the chicken in a zip-lock bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.  Seal the bag and allow to marinate for 6 hours or overnight.

3.  When ready preheat your grill.  Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.

4.  Grill the breasts for 6-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through.

5.  Serve warm

Cook's Notes:

- We used Dijon mustard for the "spicy mustard," but I think that any mustard would do.  Next time, I might use a honey Dijon mustard.

Honey and Soy Grilled Pork Chops

I found this recipe in the interwebs recently and I wanted to give it a try.  I was not disappointed.  It is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I have made in a while.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients: 

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or pressed

- Red pepper flakes to taste

- Four pork chops (boneless or bone-in)

Directions:

1.  Sprinkle the red paper flakes on both side of the pork chops.

2.  In a resealable plastic bag, combined the honey, soy sauce, and garlic.  Add the seasoned pork chops to the bag and mix well all of the ingredients.  Seal the plastic bag.

3.  Place the sealed bag on a plate and place the plate in your refrigerator.  Let the shops marinate for at least two hours.

4.  When ready to cook the chops, prepare a grill.

5.  Remove the chops from the bag and discard the marinade.  Over medium-high heat, grill the chops until seared and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side.

6.  When fully cooked, remove the chops from the grill and place on a plate.  Cover the chops with aluminum foil and let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:

This was an incredibly simple recipe to make and the results were fantastic.  The honey perfectly caramelized the surface of the pork chops.  I marinated the chops for about 8 hours before grilling them.  This recipe is a keeper!

Honey-Lime-Sake Grilled Shrimp

 I found this recipe at finecooking.com, and I modified it for the grill.

Ingredients:

- 20-24 uncooked jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled

- 3 limes

- 1/2 cup sake rice wine

- 1/4 cup honey (I used clover honey)

- 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled

- 1 T fresh ginger

- 1 T fresh cilantro

- Kosher salt and pepper to taste

- 1 t Tabasco sauce (optional)

Directions:

1.  Cover 6-8 bamboo skewers in a shallow pan with water.  Allow the skewers to soak for at least one hour.

2.  Peel the limes and place the rinds into a food processor.  Add the ginger, garlic, and cilantro to the lime rinds and chop or process to 45-60 seconds.  Add kosher salt and pepper to taste, then add the sake and honey.  Add the Tabasco sauce if used.

3.  Slice the limes in half and press the limes to render their juice into the food processor.

4.  Chop or process the mixture for 60 seconds.

5.  Place the shrimp is a sealable container.  Pour the marinade over the shrimp and seal the container.  Place the container into your refrigerator and marinate for 4-6 hours.  Occasionally open the container and stir the shrimp in the marinade.

6.  Prepare a fire in your grill.

7.  Remover the shrimp from the marinade, and discard the marinade.  Skewer the shrimp.  

8.  When the grill is ready, place the skewered shrimp on the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning the skewers once.  Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

9.  When the shrimp turn pink and start to curl, remove from the skewers from the grill and serve immediately.

Cook's Note:

This recipe was incredibly easy to make the results were delicious.  The honey provided just enough sweetness to the shrimp, and it caramelized the shrimp as well.  I did not use Tabasco when I made the recipe, and frankly nobody missed it.  This recipe will become a staple in our house, much like our Garlic Skewered Shrimp recipe.

Green beans with feta and pine nuts

 I can't believe I have never posted this recipe! It's a staple for us during the summer months when the green beans are abundant. 

• Green beans, trimmed and cut into one-inch lengths
• Feta cheese 
• Toasted pine nuts 

I blanch the green beans, maybe for 15-20 seconds.  After draining the green beans, I wrap them in a paper towel and put them in a bowl to dry.  

I toast the pine nuts and set them aside.  

When we are close to serving dinner, I put the green beans in a frying pan to warm them up and toast them a little. I sprinkle the green beans with feta cheese and let the cheese melt.  I sprinkle the beans and cheese with the toasted pine nuts, toss and serve.  

It is an easy and delicious recipe! 

Low Carb Coleslaw and Creamy Dressing

Here is another great summertime recipe I had to share.

Ingredients:

- 18 oz. shredded cabbage or cole slaw

- 2 scallions, thinly sliced

- 1/3 cup low carb mayonnaise

- 2 T sour cream

- 2 t lemon juice

- 2 t apple cider vinegar

- 1/2 t garlic powder

- 1/4 t kosher salt

- Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  In a large mixing bowl combine the shredded cabbage and scallions  Set aside.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk together until smooth.

3.  Pour half of the dressing into the bowl containing the cabbage and scallions and mix well.  Continue to add the dressing until the cole slaw reaches your desired level of dressing.

4.  Season the cole slaw with additional salt an pepper to taste.

5.  Serve and enjoy.

Cook's Notes:

I used an 18 oz bag of shredded cabbage and other greens because that was what was easily available at my local grocery store.  I am really do not like cole slaw, but I found this recipe for my bride so she could enjoy a carb friendly dish.  She was not disappointed.  This recipe allows you to add seasonings to your taste, and it is very easy to make.

Dry Rub for Ribs

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a while, but I have been busy with other things.  I also wanted to get this posted so I can access it when I am on the road... so here we go!

Ingredients:

- 2 T brown sugar

- 2 T paprika

- 2 T garlic powder

- 2 T chili powder

- 1 T cumin

- 1 T black pepper

- 1 T kosher salt

- 1 t cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Use immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to a year.

Cook's Notes:

I substituted Splenda brown sugar for regular brown sugar and the results were amazing.  You can double the ingredients if you want more dry rub.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Garlic Crusted Roast Beef

 We had an English Roast in our chest freezer that we wanted to make for dinner.  I found this recipe and we were not disappointed.  Simply put, it was the best pot roast we have ever made.

Ingredients:

-  2 lb English Roast (you could use a chuck roast or eye of round beef roast

-  2 tablespoon olive oil

-  3 stalks fresh rosemary

-  4 teaspoons freshly minced garlic

-  1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

-  1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

-  1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1.  Rinse and pat dry the beef roast.  Rub the roast with olive oil.

2.  Chop the leaves of rosemary and combine with garlic, salt, and pepper.  Rub the mixture all over the outside of the roast to form a crust.

3.  Preheat a skillet with a dash of olive oil.

4.  Once the skillet is hot, add the roast and sear on each side until lightly browned (4-6 minutes).

5.  Place the roast into a slow cooker.

6.  Deglaze the skillet with balsamic vinegar and pour the contents of the skillet over the roast.

7.  Cover the roast and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

8.  When done, remove the roast and place it on a cutting board and loosely cover with aluminum foil.  

9.  Allow the roast to rest for 15 minutes, then slice to serve.  Pour the liquid left in the slow cooker over the meat as an au jus.

Cook's Notes:

This was incredibly easy to make and the results were nothing short of amazing.  I used the pre-program on my slow cooker, so the heat was on high for one hour, and then on low for eight hours.  All of the ingredients were readily available, and in the end we had three meals from this roast.