Grilled Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak Tacos

Spring is in the air and The Basil Bee got a new look!

The Basil Bee is back and long overdue on recent posts- not that I've been on vacation or anything, more like just busy with life, work, and everything else in between, but no excuse. In the interim, I've been cooking up a storm and trying new things, just forgot to post and take pictures. I have so much to catch up on with you all, but I'm back and ready to blog!

It's officially the first day of Spring, however, we are waiting for somewhat of a snowstorm coming our way - crazy right? However, after redecorating my house with some 'spring like decor' i felt that I needed to have something festive and colorful last night for dinner. We don't often stay home on Saturday nights and cook dinner, but my hubby was home and I wanted to cook up something new and tasty!

Curtis Stone was on @RachaelRayShow the other day and featured Curtis Stone's recipe for Stone Grilled Chili-rubbed flank steaks tacos and I decided to use that as my base with a few modifications. I picked up some sweet jersey corn in the produce section, made some rice, and I whipped up a quick avocado creme sauce for the tacos too! If you're in and around South Jersey, I picked up all my items at Rastelli Food Market for this recipe-such a great store! It was a bit chilly out last night too, so I decided to use my grill pan on the stove to cook the steaks. Happy taco'ing!


Grilled Chili-Rubbed Flank Steak Tacos Ingredients:
(serves 4)

For the Steaks:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• Two 16-ounce flank steaks 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

Taco Accompaniments

• 1 pack of Confetti Slaw (found in your grocer- made my Eat Smart which includes green cabbage, broccoli, carrots, red cabbage.) If you can't find, just use what Curtis Stone's recipe calls for -1/2 head Napa cabbage, halved lengthwise and shredded crosswise (about 3 cups) 
• 1/2 red onion, chopped 
• 1 large carrot, grated 
• 8 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced on a sharp diagonal 
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro sprigs 
• Twelve 6-inch flour tortillas (I used El Paso tortillas) 
• Salsa (store bought or homemade- I used Tostitos Cantina Roasted Garlic). 
• Sweet Jersey corn 
• rice (cook to package directions) 

Creme Sauce:

• half of an avocado, diced 
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• Salt n Pepper 

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot with salted water and once comes to a boil, throw in the corn and cook until done. Season with Salt n Pepper.
2. To prepare the steaks: In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to blend. Generously sprinkle 4 teaspoons of the spice mixture all over each steak and coat with some EVOO; reserve any remaining spice mixture for another use.
3. Cover the steaks and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Prepare your outside grill or grill pan for medium-high heat and grill until they are brown on both sides and cooked to the desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
5. Transfer the steaks to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes covered with foil.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the tacos: In a large bowl, toss the confetti slaw, carrots, red onion, scallions, and cilantro together, set aside.
7. Place diced avocado, sour cream, S & P in a food mixer and mix until smooth and creamy. I actually threw mine in my Nutribullet and came out great and super quick!
8. Heat the tortillas wrapped in foil in the oven at 350 for 7 minutes or you can throw on the grill, turning occasionally, for about 1 minute, or until hot.
9. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
10. Time to eat! Cut the steak across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer the steak slices and any carving juices to a platter. Serve the steak with tortillas, cabbage mixture, avocados, limes, and avocado creme sauce.
11. Bring to table, build your tacos, indulge, and enjoy! Pour some wine or favorite cocktail and that's one colorful, tasty Saturday night dinner!

Prosciutto Arugula Pizza with Fontina and Truffle Oil

Three of my favorite things on a Friday night are a pizza stone, cheese, and truffle oil…and a nice glass of red wine (OK so 4 things)! So when I stumbled across this beauty, it just topped my Friday night. I also love that this recipe has just a few quality ingredients. The prosciutto was salty, the Fontina was buttery and nutty, and the wilted peppery arugula melts in your mouth. If you don’t have a pizza stone, go out and buy one pronto. It’s the best gift I received from my wedding registry a few years ago and we use it on a weekly basis. It’s also great for reheating leftovers, gets it nice and crispy, and it’s so easy to clean.

Also, instead of using diced prosciutto and sautéing prior with onions, you could simply add slices of prosciutto on top of the pizza after the cheese melts, there’s variations to this pizza online, so be creative, whatever makes your mouth happy… Happy Friday!

Prosciutto Arugula Pizza with Fontina and Truffle Oil on Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

• 1 ball pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 cup grated Fontina cheese
• Package of diced prosciutto
• ½ cup of diced yellow onion
• A couple handfuls arugula
• Truffle Oil

Directions:

1. Set the oven to 425 degrees
2. Roll out the pizza dough and prepare it on a pizza stone. 
3. Brush the dough with EVOO and some garlic and Italian seasoning (use any other seasons you like too!)
4. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes-this will get it nice and crispy and strong enough to hold all the deliciousness that’s about to take over the dough
5. In a sauté pan on stove, caramelize onions and diced prosciutto in ½ TB of EVOO. Once browned, remove from heat and set aside
6. Remove pizza from oven and top with Fontina cheese, onion, and prosciutto and brush some more garlic/olive oil mixture on the crust. Return to the oven until melted (about 5-7 minutes) and the crust is golden
7. Once out of the oven, and pizza is cooling, toss some arugula on top and drizzle with truffle oil. Cover warm pizza with arugula and let wilt for a few minutes and then enjoy this yummy pizza!

Grilled Pesto Shrimp Skewers with Tomato Avocado Salsa and Brown Rice

As you know, I love Basil, especially in a pesto. This is a two part recipe and easy enough to make on a weeknight either on your grill or a grill pan on your stove top! First make the salsa, it's a little bit of chopping, so get that out of the way first so  you're ready to go...

Tomato Avocado Salsa

• 3 Vine Ripened Tomatoes, diced
• ½ small red onion, diced
• ½ avocado, diced
• Basil, chopped
• Italian Seasoning
• Garlic Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ TB EVOO

1. Dice the tomatoes, onion and avocado and place in a medium bowl.
2. Add basil, garlic seasoning, salt and pepper, EVOO. Stir together and set aside in the fride.

Grilled Pesto Shrimp 

• 6-8 oz. Basil Pesto (packaged or homemade) *I used Wegman’s pesto from the Olive Bar
• 1 lb fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
• garlic seasoning
• 6 wooden skewers

1. Combine raw shrimp with pesto and seasoning in a bowl, and marinate a few hours in the fridge. Soak wooden skewers in water at least 20 minutes. Once marinated and ready to grill, thread the shrimp onto 6 skewers (about 5 shrimp per skewer) 
2. Heat an indoor grill pan (or outside grill, I don’t have one yet at my casa so indoor for me!) over medium-low heat until hot. Be sure the grates are clean and spray lightly with PAM. 
3. Place the shrimp on the hot grill and cook until shrimp turns pink on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes; turn and continue cooking until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Serve with tomato avocado salsa and rice on the side, enjoy!

Servings: 7  Serving Size: 1 skewer • WW Points+: 5 pts

Calories: 180 • Fat: 8.4 g • Protein: 25.3 g • Carb: 0.4 g • Fiber: 0.2 g • Sugar: 0 g

Sodium: 292 mg (without salt)

Source: original recipe adapted from Skinnytaste.com 

Tomates A La Provencale

I decided to borrow my sister’s Julia Child’s cookbook and take a look at a few of her side dishes. Some may think her recipes are tough, but they aren't too difficult, it just seems that way because it’s a lot of steps to follow. Be patient, it’s wonderful at the finish line!

Since I’m doing Weight Watchers, I decided to try one of her side dishes that has a vegetable in it. Summers in New Jersey, mean Jersey tomatoes, and they are the best! So when I scanned through her recipes and came across this, my decision was made. I actually used shallots and green onions and added some panko to the bread crumbs for more of a crunch. Her recipe asks you to roast them on third level oven rack at 400 for 15 minutes, but I let them roast in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350* in the middle then moved to the top rack for ten minutes and they were so juicy and browned on top. This is the perfect (and healthy) vegetable dish to accompany your summer dinners! Bon Appetite!

Tomates A La Provencale

• (8) firm, ripe, red tomatoes (about 3 inches in diameter)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1-2 cloves mashed garlic
• 3 TB minced shallots or green onions (I used both)
• 1/8 TSP Thyme
• 1/4 TSP salt
• Big pinch of pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 bread crumbs (I used a mixture of regular bread crumbs and panko for a bigger crunch)
• A shallow, oiled roasting pan just large enough to hold the tomatoes easily in one layer

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Remove the stems, and cut the tomatoes in half cross wise (the equator of the tomato). Gently press out the juice and seeds. Sprinkle the halves lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Blend all the ingredients except bread crumbs and oil together. Correct seasoning if needed. Fill each tomato half with a spoonful or two of the mixture. Sprinkle with a few drops of the olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes in the roasting pan; do not crowd them.*may be prepared ahead to this point*
4. Shortly before you are ready to serve, place them in the upper third of the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes are cooked through and the mixture has golden browned on the top. **I cooked these at 350* for about 45 minutes on the middle rack, and placed on upper rack for last 10 minutes and they were great!

Healthy Make ahead Breakfast Sammies TO GO

Have you ever rushed out the door  during the week en route to work and skipped breakfast? And as your driving you pass Wawa and think to stop for their sausage egg and cheese sizzlie because your stomach is grumbling? Or as your ordering your morning Dunkin Donuts coffee your salvating at the pictures of the donuts, muffins, and Big N Toasted Texas toast breakfast sandwich? Been there, done that.

Problem now solved!

Last week, I was on Pinterest and stumbled across Undressed Skeleton's blog where she makes ready to go homemade egg sandwhiches which are A. healthy and B. inexpensive. The only con, is that you need to put some time aside on the weekend to make, bake, and assemble. Well, I attempted it this weekend and it was super simple and super delicious! I watched TV as I assembled these bad boys and there are soooooo good! I used a few different brands and tried a few different cheeses to spice it up a little bit to! And now I have (5) sammies sitting in my freezer as we speak ready for my early morning rush to work! Bring it on Monday!

Total time making/baking/assembling: 30 minutes or a full episode of Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives

Total cost per sammie: $1.70
Makes 6 servings ( 1 sammie per serving)
About 260 calories, 5 g of fat, 31 g Carbs, 5 g fiber, 22 g protein

Ingredients:

• (5) egg whites and (1) whole egg
• (6) Thomas English Muffins (high fiber)
• Turkey Bacon
• 6 slices low fat cheese ( I used sharp cheddar, provolone, and mozzarella)
• tomato, sliced and diced
• salt and pepper
• dried oregano
• dried basil

*get creative and try diced bell peppers, spinach, onions., etc... 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350, and line cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Lay out 6 slices of turkey bacon and put in oven on middle rack for 6 minutes
2. scramble the eggs, add tomatoes, oregano/basil, salt and pepper and pour into 6 greased muffin tin cups
3. when the oven dings after 6 minutes, move the bacon one level down and slide muffin tray on to middle rack
4. plug in your panini maker or grill and slice your english muffins
5. slice your cheese and place on bottom english muffin.
6. When the oven dings again, remove the bacon, place on paper towels to soak up extra grease and leave eggs in for 3 more minutes
7. once bacon is cool to handle, cut each slice in half and place two pieces on top of the cheese.
8. after 3 minutes take out the eggs and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, take a spoon and take each egg cup out and put on top half of english muffin. 
9. place the sammies on the panini  grill and press down so egg is the size of the english muffin and let grill for 3-4 minutes or until golden
10. remove from panini maker and cool
11. place on wax paper ( or place in ziplock bags), wrap them up, and assemble with tape or stickers (I had some Trader Joe stickers in my drawers, pick them up while your at the store, they are free too!) which ever you have handy and place in your freezer for the work week ahead.
12. when your ready to eat, place in microwave for 2-3 minutes ( depends on your your microwave), grab some fruit and your ready to start the day with high protein, fruits, and veggies!

     

Shrimp and Sausage Cioppino

My girlfriend, D’yani , gave me Weeknights with Giada cookbook last year for my birthday and it’s my absolute favorite! She has a Shrimp and Sausage Cioppino recipe that I used as a base to start and then I tweaked  and added some things in my first attempt to this beautiful one pot dish. My hubby said it was an absolute treat for him when he walked in the door and knew something special was on the stove, so enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 large or 4 small shallots, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (can use spicy/hot sausage too)
• 2 cups white wine, such as Pinot Grigio (I used Yellowtail Pinot Grigio)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined ( I used frozen)
• 1 dozen fresh little neck clams
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes (I used Hunt’s diced with oregano and garlic)
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Additional variations:

Crusty sourdough bread

Cup of rice

Directions

1. In a separate medium sauce pan, cook your rice and set aside.
2. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn up the heat and add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Uncover the pan and add the clams, basil, and thyme. Wait for them to pop and then drop your shrimp in. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
7. Drop a ¼ cup of rice into your soup bowls and then ladle the Cioppino on top and serve with crusty bread.