Grilled Beef and Vegetable 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

Savory Parmesan Oven Fries

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. 

TGI Friday's Black Bean Soup

I found this on recipezaar.com when I was searching for some vegetarian recipes. I have never had TGI Friday’s black bean soup, so I can’t compare, but this recipe is fantastic! My 1 ½ year old son gobbles it up every time. I usually make this with a quesadilla or grilled cheese sandwich. This time, I made it with some baked salmon and crispy, oven baked tortilla chips and it was a wonderful dinner.



Ingredients
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•3/4 cup diced white onion
•1 cup diced carrot
•1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
•2 tablespoons minced garlic
•4 (15 ounce) cans black beans
•4 cups chicken stock
•2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
•2 teaspoons chili powder
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•1/2 teaspoon cumin
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon hickory liquid smoke

Garnish
• shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend, blend
• chopped green onion, sour cream

1.Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium/low heat.

2.Add onion, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to the oil and simmer slowly for 15 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

3.Keep the heat low enough that the veggies don't brown and be careful not to burn the garlic.

4.While you cook the veggies, pour the canned beans into a strainer and rinse them under cold water.

5.Measure 3 cups of the drained and strained beans into a food processor with 1 cup of chicken stock.

6.Puree on high speed until smooth.

7.When the veggies are ready, pour the pureed beans, the whole beans, the rest of the chicken stock, and every other ingredient in the list (down to liquid smoke), to the pot.

8.Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until soup has thickened and all the ingredients are tender.

SPICY Chicken Tortilla Soup

My husband and Son have both been feeling a little under the weather lately so I wanted to make them some soup. Instead of making chicken noodle, I decided to make a chicken tortilla soup that would have lots of yummy broth but would also be a hearty meal. I used a recipe I saw on “Rescue Chef” and change it up a bit to make it a more balanced meal. I found the two Jalapenos to be very very spicy, so just cut out one of them or use milder chili peppers instead if you don’t like super spicy food.



•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 small onion, finely diced
•2 tablespoons minced garlic
•2 jalapenos, finely diced
•6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (I used Hunt’s brand)
•1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
•1 cup instant brown rice
•3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
•2 limes, juiced, plus wedges for garnish (optional)
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
•1 (8-inch) flour tortilla, grilled, cut into thin strips ( I used pita, tasted just as good)

Directions
1.In a large saucepan heat the vegetable oil. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.

2.Once the onions have softened add the garlic and jalepenos and cook for another minute.

3.Pour the chicken broth, tomatoes and beans into the pot and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower heat to simmer and add your chicken breasts. Cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes.

4.Once chicken is cooked remove from pot. When cool enough to handle, shred it and return it to the pot.

5.Add brown rice and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes until rice is cooked.

6.Add lime juice and fresh cilantro to the pot. In a serving bowl, ladle soup over chicken and top with a lime wedge, and grilled tortilla strips.