Steak and tomatoes – BBQ season is here!

It might be warm enough to barbeque all year long in Vancouver but when it rains 7 out of the 7 days of the week for the majority of the winter months, it’s hard to want to stand in the rain waiting for dinner to cook itself. Now that the sun’s out, it almost feels as though the BBQ is begging to be used! This steak recipe is very simple and healthy enough that when my mom asked “but what about the salad?” I was able to say “there is tomato salad on the steak” and get away with not having to chop up any addition vegetables… My kind of meal!

P.S. Get ready for an abundance of crazy delicious grilling recipes!

This recipe serves two gluttons or a family of four :

2 Strip Loin Steaks

1 ½ cup of Fresh Chopped Tomatoes (roma or on the vine are the most flavourful)

1 Tsp Herbes de Provence – or basil for a completely different yet delicious meal

1 Tbsp Olive oil, plus enough to drizzle on the steaks

1 Tbsp Red Wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper

1. Pre-heat the BBQ

2. Drizzle some olive oil on the steaks, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, set aside

3. Chop the tomatoes.

4. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, vinegar, herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper

5. Stir the vinaigrette into the tomatoes and let sit while the steaks are on the grill.

6. Depending on how done you like your steaks, 4 to 7 minutes a side should do if these are as thick as the ones I used… Personally, I like them lightly seared (it seems I’m the only one out there on that boat)

7. Once the steaks are done, slice them thinly and place in a serving dish. Layer the thin steak strips with the tomatoes and serve immediately! We had it with a golden potato salad – recipe to come soon!

Bon Appétit!

Mushroom and Tomato Tart

I finally got my hands on some puff pastry to make Brie-en-croute but opted to make this tart instead. Let's face it: Puff Pastry is delicious with anything and can easily satisfy any craving. This was yet again, a very simple dish. I served it with fish (Surprise! I found out I STILL hate Sole!) and it was the perfect side dish.

Ingredients:

One square of puff pastry (the Tenderflake box comes with 2 squares it in, find it in the freezer aisle)

2 ripe tomatoes

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

2 Tbsp of Garlic Butter (It's the best ingredient for any dish)

Salt, pepper and dried basil

Cheese to top, not a necessity but I always opt for it.

1. Roll out the puff pastry and set it on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Pierce it with a fork so no huge bubbles form while baking.

2. Melt the garlic butter in the microwave, and paint it across the entire rolled out puff pastry dough.

3. Top the entire surface with thinly sliced tomatoes (don't forget to pat these dry once they are sliced, or else they make everything soggy!)

4. Evenly place the sliced mushrooms.

5. Season with the salt, pepper and basil, top with cheese.

6. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown (also long enough to cook the dough!)

7. Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

Lasagna Spinach Rolls

I made this for dinner earlier this week and it was so good. What made it good was not only the abundance of cheese (mmm) but the tomato sauce was excellent too. It was Mediterranean and was flavored with all kinds of olives, which everybody loved! It’s a quick meal and I feel like it’s a lot easier to make than a full lasagna would be. Try it out!

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of spinach, cooked and drained, and very finely chopped

A small yellow onion, chopped

2 Tbsp of Garlic butter (having garlic butter permanently stocked in the fridge is a great idea)

1 cup of Ricotta

Salt and Pepper

6-8 Lasagna sheets (depending on how big your baking dish is)

1 Can or jar of seasoned tomato sauce

1 cup of shredded mozzarella as well as some shredded Parmesan

Boil the lasagna sheets in a large pot until they are tender, but not overcooked… around 6-7 minutes. Once they are cooked, rinse with cold water and pat them dry.

While the pasta is cooking, fry the onions in melted garlic butter. Once cooked, stir in the spinach until well combined. Remove from heat. Stir in the ricotta, salt and pepper.

Lay the pasta sheets flat on the counter. Evenly place spinach mixture on sheets except for an inch or so at the end of each sheet. Roll them up gently starting by the end where the spinach is touching the edge.

Place a bit of tomato sauce at the bottom of the dish, place the rolls down side by side in the dish, coat with the rest of the tomato sauce. Finally, add the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes in a 425-degree oven. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes in a 425-degree oven, or until the cheese is nice and golden.

Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes before serving. Slice the cheese in a way to separate each roll, and serve with a Cesar salad.

Bon Appétit!