Marinated London Broil

 

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce

- 1/4 cup Olive Oil

- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)

- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

- 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. London Broil Beef

Directions:

1.  In a bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients.

2.  With a knife, lightly score both sides of the meat in a diamond pattern.

3.  Place the meat in resealable bag.  Pour the marinade into the bag and lightly squeeze the beef to work the marinade into the beef.

4.  Marinate the meat in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or for as long as 24 hours.

5.  30 minutes before grilling, take the meat out of the refrigerator to allow it to come up to room temperature.

6.  Prepare your grill.  When the grill up to 450F, remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade.  Grill the meat for 5-7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the meat and desired doneness.  Check the temperature of the meat with an instant read thermometer (125F for medium rare, 130F for medium).

7.  When the meat is done to your desires, remove it from the grill.  Place the meat on a cutting board and loosely cover it with aluminum foil.  Allow the meat to rest for 8-10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Cook's Notes:

I had a London Broil in the freezer and I wanted to use this recipe for our dinner last night.  We were not disappointed by the results.  I grilled the beef for approximately 11 minutes and checked the internal temperature.  The meat was at 127F, so I removed it from the grill.  I put the beef on a cutting board and covered it with aluminum foil and I allowed it to rest for 10 minutes.  The beef was a perfect medium rare when I sliced it.  

If you don't have a grill, you can cook the beef in an oven using the broiler.

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.