Greek Chicken & Quinoa Salad

When coming up with new recipes, the best ones always develop from a place of love and what looks great at the market. On this particular day I was filled with a lot of love and excitement as my beautiful friend, who just had a baby, was going to spend the day at our house. And when eyeing the cheese section this Bulgarian Feta had me at hello. I had tried it before and knew that a fresh Greek salad with it as the star would make the new mama very happy. It is light and creamy, with a very mild taste. If you cannot find it (Heinen's has it for you locals) any feta would be lovely. 

I added Chicken to this recipe, but you could easily leave it out if you are not into it. I use light mayo to thicken the dressing as it saves a few calories instead of all the olive oil. You could just use oil if you would like (I know there are a lot of mayo haters! Although I will never understand it, I respect it). I make the salad in a way that allows for leftovers, just keep the greens to the side. This was the perfect light, but filling lunch that I know will be a staple to make all summer long. And if it gets that sweet baby over to my house often, super bonus points. 

Greek Chicken & Quinoa Salad

Imperfect Polish 2018

serves 2-4 

Dressing: 

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt & pepper

1/4 cup light mayo 

3 Tablespoons olive oil 

Whisk all of the ingredients together until well blended. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If too tart, whisk in a little more olive oil. Set aside

Salad: 

(note: measurements are loose, you more or less of what you love)

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 cup diced cucumber 

1/4 cup chopped red onion

7 oz Garbanzo beans, canned, drained and rinsed

2 cooked chicken breasts, diced (rotisserie or leftovers work great)

1 cup quinoa cooked according to box, at room temp or chilled

handful of chopped kalamata olives

Crumbled Feta (Bulgarian if you can find it)

Salad greens of choice

Place all the ingredients, except the greens, cheese, and olives in a big bowl. Drizzle with half of the dressing and taste. Add enough dressing to your liking. Place a pile of greens on each plate and spoon the salad mixture over the greens. Top with some cheese and olives and serve. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

SaveSave

Thai Chicken Chopped Salad

Not all salads are a meal. A real one. 

One that nourishes and satisfies the biggest appetites. 

This one fits the bill and has so many yummy ingredients that make it interesting. Plus, you can switch up the veggies and starch (or omit altogether) to make it your own. 

And because my little ones are not exactly diving into a salad bowl anytime soon, I just pull out the ingredients they like as I prep and everyone is happy. 

With lots of of my favorite comfort foods on the menu most nights, this is a nice way to break it up. 

Oh, and bonus points that we had leftovers that I threw in a wok with some brown rice the next day, added some more soy and it was delicious. 

Thai Chicken Chopped Salad

Imperfect Polish 2017

serves 6

For the dressing: 

1/3 cup olive oil 

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons white vinegar, I like rice

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (in produce case) or grated ginger

juice of one lime

couple splashes of fish sauce if you're into it

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 

Can be made up to two days before. 

For the salad: 

14 oz thawed frozen edamame

5 cups kale or greens of choice, chopped 

3 large carrots, diced or julienned

2 red bell peppers, diced or julienned

1 can chopped water chestnuts

2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken (I use rotisserie or leftovers)

1 cup rice noodles, softened and chopped (or quinoa, brown rice, anything you like)

handful of chopped cilantro

3 scallions, chopped

handful of peanuts, chopped

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. (This can be done a couple hours before and refrigerated if needed) Toss with the dressing a little bit of a time. You may use it all, you may not. Taste as you go until dressed to your taste. If it needs more seasoning, add more soy and lime juice. Top with sriracha if you like it spicy. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Tomato Soup That is Actually A Meal

Much to not one person's surprise, all I want to make for dinner is soup. The temperature is below 60 officially, so that is where I am at. 

But with very hungry roommates, the soup I make has to be hearty. 

And on the flip side, it would be nice if it was also healthful. Tomato soup seems to be an easy way to get a vegetable (or is it a fruit?) in my kids. And the secret to actually filling up their tummy's is that this soup also has beans in it that get pureed with the vegetables. It gives it body and thickness that is so comforting. 

Then to give it a bit of richness you add a dollop of savory whip cream (which you could leave out to keep it vegan or dairy free or lighter) that takes it from just soup to something that feels elevated and elegant. Lemon and rosemary also give it a bit of freshness that I love. 

I have made this soup so many times and every time I wish I made more to keep in the fridge, so double it for more leftovers. 

Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon & Rosemary
Giada's Kitchen 2008
6 to 8 servings

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 oz) can cannellini (white) beans, drained ad rinsed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 
3 cups chicken stock (vegetable would work too)
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, and the red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes covered. 

Puree the soup in a blender in batches, being careful to remove and discard the bay leaf. (note: do this one ladle at a time. Trust me, there will be soup all over your kitchen otherwise. I use an immersion blender, which is even easier) Return the soup to the soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. 

In a medium bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks (with a hand mixer). Fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon-rosemary whipped cream. Serve immediately. 

* Make Ahead: I made this soup the day before and made the cream right before dinner and it was perfect. 

 xo
Erin 

Favorite Summer Recipes

So when you think of Summer, you think of a lot of relaxing time in the sunshine with cold drink in hand. And while that happens, it is also a lot of juggling and strange new schedules and worn out kids parents. Cooking in the Summer is the absolute best, but I am having a hard time finding my creativity after I have been running around all day. I want to do all the relaxing then. ha So I have been going back to a lot of my old stand by recipes to keep things easy. Which everyone always loves, those that live in my house and those that are just visiting. Here is what will be on rotation in the coming months...

Brussel Sprout Salad with Almonds

Turkey Burgers with Grilled Avocado

 Banh Mi Burger

Chicken Burgers and Lemony Kale Salad

 Summer Chopped Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Greek Grilled Chicken with Lemon Couscous

Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Kale & Brown Rice Salad with Toasted Almonds

Orzo, Corn, & Avocado Salad

Pine Nut & Parmesan Crusted Fish

Pork Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw

Lemon, Quinoa, & Arugula Salad with Parmesan 

Santa Fe Quinoa Salad

Steak Caesar Salad

Tuna & White Bean Salad

BBQ Asian Sea Bass

xo
Erin 

Arugula, Burrata, and Lentils with Lemon

Sometimes what to make for dinner needs to stem from the question, "What do I want to eat for dinner." Now that seems obvious, but quite frankly what you are eating each evening is probably hinged on many other factors than that one simple question. Time is certainly a huge factor, then there are access to the ingredients, what everyone sitting at your table will actually eat, and any other dietary restrictions you may be under. This weekend though, I asked myself the question while at the market and this is the recipe that came out of it. Warm lentils spiked with vinegar and lemon, draped over fresh greens, with a heap of creamy burrata on top. That is what I want to be eating every meal right now. This will totally change and my kids may have only picked at the lentils (then ate chicken nuggets), but I am definitely going to keep asking myself the question if beauties like this come out of it. 

Arugula, Burrata, and Lentils with Lemon

Imperfect Polish 2017

makes 6-8 sides or 4 main dishes

1 cup lentils

juice of 1 lemon (or about 2 Tablespoons), plus some for serving

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable)

1/4 cup grated parmesan 

1 package of arugula or baby arugula

6 oz burrata, patted dry (you can used buffalo mozzarella as well)

Place the lentils in a heat safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Stir, then let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, whisk together 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl. Stream in 1/4 cup of olive oil while whisking. Salt and pepper to taste, then set aside. 

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then the garlic once hot. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the drained lentils. Stir to combine, then add the bay leaf, stock, and a bit of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Let cool for a bit, then add the parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed. 

To plate, place a pile of arugula on the plate. Top with some of the lentils, a portion of the cheese, a squeeze of lemon, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. 

To make in advance: Make the dressing and lentils up to a day before. Reheat the lentils over low heat on the stove. Then assemble as stated above. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Greek Night

I have made Greek inspired food a lot, but usually in the grilled chicken and hummus variety. I wanted to make something that had the flavors of gyro, but something everyone would like. Meatballs being the crowd favorite in the house, it seemed like the easiest choice. This is such a yummy dinner and all the components can be combined however each person would like to eat them. Perfect for company or the many different palettes in your house.             

                   

Gyro Meatballs with Greek Salad, Tzatiki, Hummus, and Pita

Imperfect Polish 2016

serves 6

Store Bought: Pita (get the good, fluffy ones), hummus (or make your own if you have a few minutes), olives from the olive bar (I like the herby, spicy, marinated ones, but get what you like)

For the Meatballs: 

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder (you 

2 cloves of garlic, minced

salt & pepper

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs (I like panko, but use what you want)

2 lbs ground lamb (sub beef, chicken, or turkey too)

For the Tzatiki: 

2 cups Greek Yogurt (I like full fat for this, but you do you)

juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 a cucumber, seeds scooped out, grated (use a box grater)

salt and pepper

For the Salad: 

2 hearts of romaine, chopped (about 8 cups)

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, diced 

1/2 of a cucumber, diced

handful of peppercinis, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

1. Prepare the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place foil on two sheet pans and spray with cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs, except the meat in a large bowl. Stir and combine well, then add the meat. Using a fork, lightly combine until mixture is well distributed. Using a measuring spoon (I like 1/2 tablespoon for small ones, tablespoon for larger ones), scoop out the mixture and roll into balls. Place on the baking sheet, repeat with rest of mixture. (Note: This takes some time and can be done in advance, just refrigerate and bake off later.) Bake for 20 minutes. 

2. Make the Tzatiki: While the meatballs cook, combine all ingredients for tzatiki in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning of salt and pepper. Refrigerate. 

3. Make the Salad: While the meatballs cook, place the romaine, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and peppercinis in a large salad bowl. In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic, and oregano. Whisk together and seasons with some salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly stream in the oil. Start with 1/4 cup and taste. If too strong, add more oil to taste. Refrigerate both bowls. 

4. To Serve: Toss the salad with enough dressing to taste. Then place all the components in the middle of the table and let everyone make their own plates. The more casual and rustic the better. 

Enjoy! 

xo

PS: I also made saganaki. Flaming cheese. If you have been to a Greek restaurant and heard someone yell Opa! and flames were around them. That was it. So delicious, and easy to make at home. Skip the brandy or ouzo part and just do lemon juice, much less dangerous. ha

SaveSaveSaveSave

Coconut Flour Snickerdoodles

While at the market picking up my usual bag of full-gluten-no-fiber-just-like-your-grandma's-flour I saw a pretty little bag of organic coconut flour. And while I had zero idea what I would do with it, I figured coconuts are delicious so flour from it has got to be good for something. So I got both bags and sort of forgot about it until I found it hiding in the back of the pantry looking sad, since my reg flour was still very much in the spotlight around here. The kids were sick at home and I needed to get them doing something besides watch tv, so baking with coconut flour was happening. I found this recipe on Goop and had all but one of the ingredients, but it being so healthful all my expectations were pretty low. My other forays into "healthy" baking have not been great. But I have to say, these are AMAZING. Seriously, make them and be wowed and pat yourself on the back with alternative flour greatness. Nothing can replace real flour and butter, but these are a great second place.  

                   

Coconut Flour Snickerdoodles

Goop

Makes 14 small cookies

1/2 cup almond butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon flaky salt (use any though if you do not have)

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup coconut sugar (I used regular sugar)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. To make the dough, stir together the almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the egg and mix to combine. Add the salt, coconut flour, and baking powder and mix well.

3. Combine the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Roll the dough into 14 equal balls, then coat each cookie in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Press the cookies down slightly, then pop in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.

5. Cool to room temperature before eating.

Enjoy! xo Erin 

From the Archives: Roasted Cod with Caponata

Have you evert tried caponata? My obsession runs deep from 2010 when I first started trying to make it at home. Imagine lots of veggies, rich tomatoes, and briney capers all melted together into sweet and salty perfection. Caponata is a great thing to make a pot of and use over the course of a week. Great for dipping bread in, tossed with pasta, grilled meats, or topped on your favorite white fish like this recipe. I like to use cod or halibut when I make this because it is a firm fish that can stand up to the strong caponata. This is the perfect recipe for even the harshest of fish critics, everyone wins. 

Roasted Cod with Caponata
forks & amusement 2010
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large celery stalks, large chop
2 baby eggplant, large chop
2 red bell peppers, large chop
1 onion, large chop
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon of oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons capers
salt & pepper
1 large cod filet (about 1.25-1.5 lb), you can use an firm white fish that you love as well, halibut would be great too

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the eggplant to the pan and cook for 2 minutes with the celery. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and add the peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. Pour in the tomatoes with their juices and the oregano. Bring to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste. Change heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and vegetables have softened. Add the vinegar, sugar and capers. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (this can be made in advance and stored for a few days in the fridge. Make extra and enjoy all week with bread, my fave)

Place fish on a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the caponata over the fish and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until fish is cooked through and firm to the touch. 

Serve in pieces, topped with caponata. 

xo
Erin 

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing

This salad is so simple and so unexpected. A nice departure from your usual rotation. If you brought this to your next backyard bbq, you would be judged as someone that clearly knows how to cook. And I promise it is all smoke and mirrors because it is so simple. Just a few ingredients and you have yourself a bright, healthy, nutty salad that took about 10 minutes of work. I roast extra vegetables so I can have it for lunch the next day. And extra dressing is perfect for dipping. So make more than you need, you will thank me. Oh, and tahini. Use the rest of the jar to make hummus or sesame noodles. 

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Imperfect Polish 2016

makes 4 side portions or two entree portions

For the dressing: 

Juice of two lemons

1/3 cup of tahini (in Asian/middle eastern food section or in refrigerated section near the hummus usually)

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon honey or agave

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil 

water to thin if needed

For the salad: 

1/2 sweet onion or 1 shallot, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

5 -6 asparagus spears, cut in 2 inch pieces 

1 eggplant, diced 

*Add or subtract and veggies you want! Anything works

olive oil

about 6 cups of greens/lettuce of your choice (use what you love best!)

handful of chopped cilantro or parsley if you have it 

Roasted pumpkin seeds, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients expect the water. Taste and adjust for seasoning and thin with a bit of warm water if it is too thick. Continue to add a bit until it is the consistency you like. The more water you add the more salt and pepper you will need. Refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. 

Cover 1 or 2 large baking sheets with foil depending on how much vegetables you have. place the vegetables in one single payer on the sheet(s), drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss with clean hands until well covered and spread out again. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, tossing once half way, until veggies are cooked and a bit golden brown. Place the cooked veggies on a plate or platter and let come to room temperature (the freezer or fridge helps move this along if needed). Can be made one day in advance. 

To assemble the salad, use a large bowl. Place the greens on the bottom, veggies on top, and dress with desired amount of dressing to taste. Sprinkle the chopped herbs and pumpkin seeds on top if using. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Weeknight Dinner: Chicken Burgers & Lemony Kale Salad

This is my favorite dinner right now. You can prep it in advance, but it also can come together in 20 minutes and you have a fresh, healthy dinner that is beyond satisfying. I have written abut this salad before, but it is good enough for a repeat. The kids are not into salad, (weird I know) so I just give them some fruit and extra rice dressed with olive oil, salt, and pepper on the side. Anything with lemon feels like Summer, and I think it is actually happening. So cheers to that and I hope you like this one! Ingredients are in bold to help with your grocery list. 

              

Chicken Burgers & Lemony Kale Salad

Serves 4

Step 1, make the burgers: 

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

1 egg

1/2 Tablespoon Worchestire sauce

1.5 lbs ground chicken (turkey would be fine too)

In a large bowl, mix together the first 4 ingredients with some salt and pepper. Add the chicken and combine softly, but well, with a fork. Form into patties (they will seem really wet, this is ok) and stick in the fridge to set for a few minutes or up to day before. 

Step 2, make the salad dressing: 

juice of one lemon

salt & pepper

1 minced garlic clove

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons light mayo (leave out if you are not into it)

2 tablespoons olive oil (4 if not using the mayo)

Whisk all the ingredients except the oil together in a small bowl, then stream the oil in and whisk to combine well. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If you have a really juicy lemon, you may need more oil/mayo. Set aside in fridge hours or even days ahead. 

Step 3, prep the salad: 

6 cups chopped kale, I like to slice thin, but any way is fine

2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled (I cheat and buy the pouches of it, perfect every time)

handful of chopped almonds, Marcona are the best, but any are fine

Combine all three ingredients in a large bowl and set in the fridge. 

Step 4, cook burgers: 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat on the stove or heat your grill up. Cook burgers for a few minutes on each side. Depending on the thickness, it should be about 3-5 minutes per side. When it is firm, it is done. 

      

Step 5, plate: 

While the burgers are cooking, dress the salad with the vinaigrette to desired taste and toss until well combined. Place a big mound on each plate. Then add the burgers to the plate and enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

New Favorite Salad

I have a new obsession in the form of dates. Yep, it is strange but I swear you will to once you start adding them to salads. I love the combination of a tart dressing, sweet dates, crunchy nuts or seeds, and leafy greens. You get all those flavors in one mouthful and I swear you will want to eat salad way more than you ever thought. Here is the current combo: 

                        

Place leafy greens in a big bowl. 

Cut up a creamy avocado and add that in. 

Slice some hearts of palm and thrown them in because you're so fancy.

Add a palm full of nuts or seeds (pepitas, almonds, pine nuts). 

Chop up some sweet dates (remove pit if there) and sprinkle in.

 Dice or shred some chicken if you have it leftover from the other night. 

Drizzle on your favorite vinaigrette. 

Toss and enjoy. This is restaurant quality non-cooking here. 

Love you. 

xo

Erin 

Weeknight Dinner: Sausage & Sweet Potato Fries

This dinner is one we have A LOT. The reason being that everyone eats all the components and it takes very little time and brain power. So everyone wins. The oven fries feel like a cheat, even though they are not. And the crazy good variety of sausages available these days can bring some variety to this meal.  I serve a salad on the side most nights. Really throw together whatever salad ingredients you like (current fave: arugula, avocado, pepita) and either make your own dressing or grab a bottle. I cut up avocado for the kids, too. 

                     

Ingredients: 

Enough sausage for all the mouths in your house (love a spicy Italian and a sweet chicken sausage right now. Use whatever you like)

Sweet potatoes (about 1 per person)

olive oil

salt and pepper

cornstarch

brown sugar

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place some foil on three big baking sheets.

Step 2: 

Cut the sweet potatoes into fries. About 1/3 inch thick, but don't torture yourself about it. And place on 2 of the baking sheets. You want some space between each of them, hence the two pans. If you run out of space use an additional pan. Drizzle with some olive oil, again don't torture yourself on measuring. Just enough to coat all of the fries. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, a little brown sugar, and enough cornstarch that each fry gets some. Then toss with your hands so everything gets coated evenly. You cannot screw this up, just make sure to give the fries some space. Put in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, tossing a couple times in between. They are done when they are browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Then let cool a bit to crisp/firm up. 

Step 3: 

Place the sausage on one of the other baking sheets. For regular sized sausage, roast in the oven for about 30 minutes. Smaller sausages, less time. When they are firm, they are done. You can also grill if you want! Grill over medium high heat until firm, about 20 minutes. 

Serve with salad and enjoy the very limited amount of dishes, hence the foil! 

xo

Erin 

Weeknight Dinner

                      How many nights do you cook dinner? Kind of depends on the week, right? I am at about three to four nights right now. That does not count the nights that I am alone with the kids and we have "snack" dinner (hummus, crackers, fruit, hard eggs, salami, etc.) or I just make some spaghetti and cut up fruit (kind of my fave night). The other nights we are out or get take out. Three to four feels good to me, and that usually gets upped as it gets warmer and its easy throwing burgers on the grill and roasting some sweet potato fries. 

But making dinner can be hard, even for the most seasoned cooks, even when you have planned it way in advance, even if your kids will eat everything (bless you if they do). So no judgment here if you have eaten leftovers all week or have to throw out food in your fridge you were certain you would cook one night. We are all doing it and it is totally fine. 

I am going to try and share more of our simple weeknight meals to hopefully give you some ideas and share timing. You will see these are simply prepared, mostly healthy, and not that adventurous. Because when 5pm rolls around the last thing you want to do is dive into a complicated recipe. That is what Sundays are for. Or your favorite restaurant.  

First up is this meal from last night. 

         

Grilled Flank Steak with Cauliflower Rice and Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients you need: 

Enough Flank Steak to feed all the mouths in your house 

white wine (that old bottle in your fridge is totally fine)

Dijon mustard

garlic

shallot (optional)

olive oil

salt & pepper

1 head of cauliflower

Asparagus (1 bunch for every 2-3 people)

Step 1. 

Marinate the steak: Whisk together 1/3 cup each wine, mustard, and olive oil. Smash a couple garlic cloves and chop up a shallot if using. Add it to the marinade . Using a small knife, score the very top of steak in a pattern like this ###.  Place the steak in a plastic bag, pour the marinade in and seal up attempting to get all the air out. Massage in the marinade and refrigerate. This is enough marinade for up to 2 lbs of steak. If making more, just add more of each ingredient, you cannot really mess it up. You can do this the day before all the way to 20 min before grilling. 

Step 2. 

Make the "Rice" (if you are over fake rice, just grab a couple of those brown rice packs that cook in 90 seconds and season yourself. Do it all the time): Working in batches, add raw cauliflower to a food processor or Vitamix, or whatever you have that blends things. Pulse until the cauliflower magically turns into the size of rice. Place in a bowl and repeat with the rest of the cauliflower. Can be done in advance, just refrigerate. 

Step 3. 

Prep the asparagus: Cut the ends off the asparagus and place in a plastic bag. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat them and season with salt and pepper. Close bag and shake it to make sure everything gets seasoned. Toss in the fridge. 

Step 4. 

Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Take meat out of the fridge.

Step 5. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a few slugs of olive oil. Smash two garlic cloves and add to the hot oil, cook for a minute or so, then add the rice. Sauté for fifteens minutes and season with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic before serving. Set aside and keep warm while you make the other food. 

Step 6. 

While the rice cooks, put the steak (throw some salt and pepper on it) and asparagus on the grill. The steak should cook about 5-8 minutes on each side depending on thickness and how you like it cooked. The firmer it gets, the more cooked it gets. The asparagus cooks for about 10-15 minutes and just flip once or twice. It is done the it is tender. Let meat rest on your cutting board for ten minutes. Keep asparagus warm in oven or put some foil on it. 

Step 7. 

Slice the meat in the opposite direction of the grain (those are the lines running across it). Serve up with the rice and asparagus and pour yourself some wine. 

Does that feel doable? Do you like the format I am writing this in? Suggestions more than welcome. And share your results with me! 

xo

Erin 

Note: Flank Steak recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa