Garlic Rubbed Steak with Blue Cheese & French Fried Onions

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Nothing screams summer like a perfectly grilled steak on a hot August evening.

I usually figure out what will be for dinner during the day and then I stop by the grocery store to pick up ingredients during my lunch break. Since we had frozen steaks in the freezer, I had already decided that we would be having them for dinner. The only problem? I didn't have time to marinate them.

I found this recipe that paired the steak with both blue cheese and french fried onions, and thought it was an interesting combination. Since I recently found out that I do, in fact, like blue cheese, I wanted to give this a try. The cheese melted into a creamy topping and the onions added a necessary crunch. This was much different than steaks I'm used to eating (aka smothering them with salt and pepper, grilling them and dousing them in A1 sauce), but a much welcomed change. I really enjoyed how creamy the blue cheese got and I love onions, so I couldn't go wrong there. Enjoy! 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 whole 1-inch thick New York Strip Steaks
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 2 pinches salt and pepper
• 2 tsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup french fried onions

Remove steaks from the fridge and let them sit for 30 minutes or so to take the chill off.

Preheat outdoor grill to high.

Cut the garlic clove in half and rub both sides of the steak with the cut side of garlic. The longer you rub them, the stronger the flavor. Drizzle canola oil over the steaks and spread evenly. Sprinkle both sides of the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Place steak on the hot grill and reduce heat to medium. Cover and grill 3-4 minutes and flip. (If you like a more well-done steak, leave on the grill to cook 4-5 minutes before flipping.)

Cook steak another 2 minutes covered. Top each with 1 teaspoon butter. As butter starts to melt, spread it evenly over the top of the meat. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of blue cheese on top of each steak. Replace the lid and cook another 1-2 minutes or until steak is cooked to your liking and cheese has started to melt.

Transfer steaks to a serving platter and cover with foil to let the meat rest.

After 5-10 minutes, remove the foil and top with French fried onions. Serve warm.


Source: Tasty Kitchen

Sausage, Peppers and Onions

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I recently went to New York with Chris, my mom, two of my brothers and my nephew to see a Yankees game in their new stadium. Besides the fact that it was 110 degrees and we were sweating beyond belief the entire game (oh, and they lost), we had a really good time and the new stadium was gorgeous. One of the things that made it so great was, quite frankly, the food. New York vendor food is just the best. The pretzels, dirty water hot dogs, knishes....there's just nothing else like it.

One thing I didn't get while I was up there was a sausage, peppers and onions sandwich. That's another one of my favorites, but my stomach just couldn't handle anything else after the seven other things I shoved in my mouth. Making this at home seemed like the next best obvious solution. Despite the fact that this only took about 20 minutes to make, it was sooo delicious. I used frozen strips of green and red bell peppers and onions, so that took away all of the chopping time. Always a bonus. I decided to use tomato sauce as the base and then lightly spruced it up with some seasonings. So good!! Hope you enjoy :)

Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients

• 6 Johnsonville sausages, mild or hot
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3-4 cups frozen bell pepper and onion strips
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and add sausages. Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Lower heat to medium-low. Carefully add the water. Cover and cook for about 12 minutes or until sausages are cooked through. Remove when done and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a separate large skillet. Add frozen vegetables and cook for a few minutes or until they begin to thaw. Add tomato sauce, garlic, basil and oregano and stir well.

Cut sausage into bite-size pieces. Add to vegetable mixture and cook until the sausages are heated through. Enjoy!

Source: SK Original

Easy Skillet Potatoes and Hot Dogs

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Have you ever been tubing? Like down a river? If not, I'd suggest driving to your local river, filling up a cooler, hopping in a tube, and drifting away. It's such a relaxing experience, and if you go with great people it makes it even that much better.

That's exactly what we did last weekend. Chris and I went with two other couples to the Shenandoah River where we had all rented a cabin. We grilled, played games, drank and made s'mores at night, and during the day we went tubing. The whole excursion took about 5 hours, but it was totally worth it. If you do go, though, make sure you don't tie your tubes together like we did. Because more than likely, there will be a part where the water gets a little rough. If you're like me and head straight for a rock, it's hard to push yourself away with four other tubes attached to you. Hence the huge bruise currently on my back side.

Anyways, Chris had bought the food that we grilled, and we took home all our leftovers. Since I didn't want them to go to waste, I made this childhood meal that my mom would often make us for dinner. It takes no time at all and is delicious. The potatoes get nice and crispy, and the hot dogs get a slight char on them, giving them a great flavor. If you're looking for a easy, fast (and child pleasing) weeknight meal, this is your recipe! We also used to eat this on a bun with American cheese...yum. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 Russet potatoes
• 6 hot dogs

Peel potatoes and cut each one in half. Cut each half into thin, half-circle pieces. Blot with a paper towel to dry off excess water.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add potatoes and cook, flipping occasionally. Cook until crispy on the outside and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut hot dogs into bite-size pieces. Once potatoes are done cooking, add the hot dogs to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes longer or until hot dogs are lightly browned and cooked through.

Eat by itself or serve on a bun with American cheese.



Source: Family Recipes

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

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I've been meaning to try a lemon pound cake for a while, and I came across this recipe where the batter didn't seem too difficult and it sounded like it would be moist, sweet and lemony. Plus it would be balanced out by the blueberries.

The lemony part is not under exaggerated whatsoever. If you loooove lemon, like would pick it over your first born child, then this is the cake for you. Two different types of sugar toppings are poured over the baked cake, with the intention of making it super moist and to add even more lemony goodness. Next time I would probably ditch the lemon-sugar mixture just because it was a little too heavy on the lemon for me and I think the glaze alone would suffice. But if you're obsessed with lemon, you'll greatly enjoy this!                            

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups blueberries, covered in 1 tbsp. flour

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil and blueberries into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Whoever said "You learn something new every day" is a genius. For example, I had no idea that I liked Brussels sprouts. I guess I've never really given them a chance, but I lived by the stigma that they just aren't good. Just like everyone believes Fruit Cake at Christmastime isn't good. You never know unless you give them a chance!

But one thing is for sure. I absolutely positively had no stinkin' idea that Chris liked them! Total shocker. He's not a picky eater, but he can be sort of selective about the vegetables he eats. But Brussels sprouts? I'm not going to argue there. If he'll eat it, I'll take it.

Roasting these little guys gives them a little crunch on the outside, but they remain soft and moist inside. The salt and pepper really brings out the flavor, too. It kind of resembles the saltiness you would find on a french fry.  These are definitely one of my new favorite side dishes. If you think you don't like Brussels sprouts, give these a try and hopefully they'll change your opinion of them!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the ends of each Brussels sprout and remove any discolored leaves. Combine them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Pour the Brussels sprouts into a roasting pan or sheet pan and cook for about 30 minutes, or until they are crispy on the outside and tender inside. Shake the pan every few minutes so they cook evenly.

Source: SK Original