Thursday, September 22, 2011

Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kabobs

kabobs



Now that the summer is coming to an end, it is finally comfortable enough down here in Florida to start grilling out back again. In an effort to eat more protein and veggies, I am looking for recipes that are filling without having to add a carb-filled side dish. These kabobs are really good and the recipe is extremely flexible. I made these with tomatoes and mushrooms since that's what I had on hand, but any veggie that you can skewer with a stick would work. I try to limit the amount of red meat I eat, but if you get a nice lean cut of meat like a sirloin or flank steak, it's fine to eat every now and then. This makes a filling meal, perfect right before a jog or workout.

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean sirloin steak, cut into 1" x 1" chunks
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Button or baby bella mushrooms
Dash of your favorite steak seasoning
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash of salt and pepper
splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar (optional)
Kabob skewers (metal or wood)

Directions:

1. Rub steak seasoning into steak cubes

2. Combine soy sauce, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Add steak chunks to bag and marinade 30 min to 1 hour (or overnight for best flavor)

3.  If using wood skewers, soak for 10-20 minutes to prevent burning on the grill. 

4. Assemble kabobs using vegetables and steak, alternating each to fill the kabob skewer

5. Grill on med-high for 10-15 minutes, turning every few minutes to cook all sides of the steak and char the vegetables

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Savory Parmesan Oven Fries


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It's been a long time since my last blog post! It's not easy blogging while working full time, but I always try to come back to my blog and add the recipes I'm most excited about. I recently completed a large project at work that kept me extremely busy, but I've had some time in the last few days to get things together. I have also decided to add some content to the blog in the coming weeks that I hope you enjoy. The new content will deal a lot with my recent experience getting fit with the help of P90X from Beachbody. I've been trying to come up with healthy meals and snacks that will help me meet my goals.

Today's recipe has been a long time in the making. My family loves french fries, but they just don't fit into a healthy lifestyle at all. As easy as it can be to pop some pre-packaged fries in the oven for the kids, I knew there had to be a better way. I've recently perfected this recipe so that it makes tasty, crispy fries that taste way better than the fried version. The secret is to coat the fries with spices that add to the flavor without needed a ton of fat. I am also working on a sweet potato version to pack even more nutrients into this side dish. 

Ingredients:

2-3 Baking Potatoes, washed and cut into strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Cooking Spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

2. Soak potato slices in warm water for 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse clean. Place slices in a large bowl. *Do not skip this step, rinsing the potatoes removes starch from the surface of the potato and makes for a crispier fry*

3. Drizzle olive oil over potato slices and mix with your hands to coat every slice

4. Mix the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Slowly mix in spice blend with your hands to coat the potato slices. 

5. Spray a baking pan very well with cooking spray (or use nonstick pan, but these do STICK! so be careful). Lay out potato slices in a single layer on the baking pan. 

6. Cook fries for 30 minutes in the oven, turning fries with a spatula about halfway through.