Flank Steak Fajitas Adobo on Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tostadas

We celebrated my dad's 63rd birthday last weekend.  My dad is from south Texas, so Tex-Mex food is in his blood.  What better way to celebrate than to make everyone some healthy, super yummy Fajita Tostadas??

Flank Steak Fajitas Adobo

1 large flank or skirt steak (1.5 - 2 lbs)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup lime juice (3-4 limes)

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp ancho or new mexico chili powder

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

ground black pepper

Blend all ingredients but steak in a blender until a smooth paste.  Coat all sides of steak, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, turning 1-2 times.

Place flank steak on direct high heat, searing for 3 minutes per side.  Spoon 1-2 tbsp of leftover marinade on meat when flipping over.  Grill one more minute for rare or 2 minutes per side for medium rare.  Let steak rest under foil for at least 5 minutes on a cutting board or in a baking dish.

Thinly slice steak across the grain in thin strips (about 1/8"), and place in warmed serving dish.

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tostadas

I think I have covered these before, but the final product was dressed more for this occasion, so I'll repost and add what changed.  This served 7 adults, so I will put in the quantities that fed our number of people.  Generally, 1 to 2 tostadas per person is a good estimate.

12 8" whole wheat tortillas

2 tsp olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

8 oz plain goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 head romaine lettuce, thin chopped

4 roma tomatoes, diced

6 scallions, thin sliced

2 limes, cut in wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover oven rack with foil, to provide optimal area for tortillas to cook quickly.  If you're only making a few, you can use a baking sheet, but this is a great idea for larger quantities.

Spray both sides of tortillas lightly with cooking spray, and place in oven.  Bake until lightly puffed and brown, about 10 minutes.

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Stir in beans, and heat until warmed through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and turn off heat.

Top tortillas with beans and cheese crumbles; bake until cheese is melty, about 5 minutes.  Remove from oven, and set out for guests.  Make lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, lime wedges and Fajitas Adobo available for each person to create their own tostada.

Enjoy!

Umbrella Fun: Caprese and Greek Salad Appetizers

I recently received my first issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and was inspired by a small description and photo of a Caprese (fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil) salad skewered onto a fun little twistie skewer.  I thought it would be a great idea for Father's Day dinner, as an appetizer.  Then I expanded the idea to a Greek (feta, kalamata olive, baby cucumber) salad skewer as well...and so I went shopping!

My hopes were dashed when I realized that my local grocery didn't have cute twisty skewers.  I went home, empty skewered. 

Setting all the ingredients out on my counter, I pushed aside a large box of little Umbrella's, you know, for drinks and such.  OOHHH!!!  IDEA!!  Use the Umbrella's as skewers!  How cute!! 

And so I did.  And they were loved by all. 

Umbrella Fun: Caprese and Greek Salad Appetizers

Caprese Salad Skewer

1 container small mozzarella balls (or larger and halve or quarter)
2 stalks fresh basil, or about 20 leaves
1 container cherry tomatoes
2 yellow tomatoes, cubed small
3 tbsp olive oil
S&P

Greek Salad Skewer

1 8 oz block feta, cubed small
2 baby cucumbers, halved lengthwise and then again widthwise
20-ish pitted kalamata olives
3 tbsp olive oil
S&P

Simply combine ingredients for each of the two salads in separate bowls and stir to coat ingredients.  Then, skewer your umbrella's with alternating ingredients to create a varied appearance on the serving tray.  Wrap the basil leaves around the mozzarella ball/slice for a pretty effect.  You could also have fun with this and stick the umbrellas in an upturned cantelope or cucumber half for a fun presentation.

Hot Artichoke Dip

Yesterday we had Sydney Grace's 2nd Birthday party.  Last year Nick slaved over the grill for the entire party, and we barely saw each other.  He was asking me if certain people came over...he was that busy slaving for food.  This year we wisened up.  PIZZA!  Delivery!  I know, I have a food blog and thus should make fantastic food every day of my life, right??  I don't have time for that, especially on a day that I want to ENJOY the party and watch my little girl enjoy herself too. 

I did prepare ONE appetizer, in large quantities.  And by the end of the party, it was ALL GONE.

I'll share it with you, but its so easy, you'll laugh.  Here goes...

Hot Artichoke Dip

Here's what I used:

2 cups chopped artichoke hearts

2 cups Hellmann's Mayonnaise

2 cups shredded parmesan (not powdered)

Here's what I did:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine three ingredients in mixing bowl, and then transfer to 8x8 glass or ceramic baking dish. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve with Triscuits or your favorite crackers.

**Here's what makes this recipe so easy, notice the portions.  They're equal.  You can easily double, triple, etc. and still get the same result.  For the party...I made two 9 x 12 baking dishes full of this dip (using 4:4:4) in EACH dish...and it was delicious.  I quoted this recipe to at least 5 people.  I hope they try it themselves!

Homemade Pizza!

While on vacation with my husband's family, my sister-in-law Judy turned me on to a fun, easy, inexpensive dinner idea.  Making our own pizza!  Sydney loves to sprinkle the cheese on, and place the pepperoni's with me.  Its like a crafts project with food.  ;)  While the cost probably comes out close to your nearest delivery joint, I guarantee that the fun of making your own is enough to give it a try.  And the best part, is that the toppings are completely yours to choose...


Homemade Pizza

Here's what I used:

12" prepared pizza dough (I used a precooked Harris Teeter dough)
16 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
14 oz jar Ragu Homestyle Pizza Sauce
1 Roma tomato, sliced into rounds
1 stem fresh basil (about 8-10 leaves)
1 package turkey pepperoni

Here's what I did:

Follow directions for your dough.  Mine was ready to dress, so I preheated the oven to 375 and got to pizza making!

Nick likes pepperoni while I prefer the more vegetable and herb pizza, so I did a half and half.  First I used about 1/2 of the Ragu sauce (which is very good, I was shocked at the flavor of this.  You can taste the oregano and seasonings) and spread it evenly to about 1" of the edge all around the pizza.  Next, add the cheese in an even layer, using the entire bag.  I then dressed my side with the tomato slices, and placed one basil leaf atop each tomato slice, and added pepperoni to the other side.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crust is lightly golden brown on the edges.

Spicy Roast Cauliflower and Sesame Green Beans

Last night we celebrated Nick's Birthday, and I treated him to Lemon Oregano Roast Chicken with two super healthy vegetable side dishes.  Both came from one of my favorite cookbooks, The South Beach Cookbook.  They are also extremely easy with minimal ingredients and tons of flavor.

Spicy Roast Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florettes
1 tsp red pepper flake
2-3 tbsp olive oil
S&P

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to evenly coat cauliflower.  Then add to a foil-lined cookie sheet (for easy cleanup), and cook for 30 minutes.  Voila.

Sesame Green Beans

1 lb greenbeans, trimmed
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce

Bring saucepan with about 2" of water to a boil and then cook green beans for 2 minutes, drain and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, oil and soy sauce, and then add green beans.  Stir to incorporate.  Serve warm or cold.

Recipe Plans for this Week

Nick and I are constantly attempting to organize our busy lives.  One way we try to organize and save money is menu planning.  Often, I simply choose 4-5 proteins (chicken, beef, ground turkey, etc.) and 8-10 vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, etc.) and then pair them up with some quick cook brown rice.  Matching up one grilled/baked protein w/ 1-2 veggies, and then a whole grain carb...  But usually this results in Nick getting bored, or me being unimaginiative...and thus an empty blog.

Speaking of which (and off topic) we just returned from 8 days in Sarasota and Longboat Key, FL for the wedding of a close friend and his lovely new wife.  I know you all were reading this from St. Lucia...STOP!  Enjoy your honeymoon, the photos are breathtaking.  I digress.  Anyway, no updates since we were on vacation.  We did happen to be in Sarasota during the "Taste of Sarasota" restaurant week and had some fabulous food.  Most notably, the delicious cuisine of Euphemia Haye.  I could go on and on, but I'm already off topic...so I'll go back to it now...

Recipe Plans!  Essential for an organized and budgeted life!

Here are the plans for this week:

Chicken stuffed with Goat Cheese and Fresh Basil (also known as Chicken Chevre) w/ Steamed Broccoli and Brown Rice

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs w/ Mixed Green Salad


Lemon Oregano Roast Chicken with Spicy Roast Cauliflower and Sesame Green Beans

On another tangent, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing husband!  He is 33 today and is a wonderful, loving partner and "Dadda" and a wonderful provider to our little family.  I'll update on what I got him later...