dinner Archives - A Byte of Life

Carne Asada Steak Tacos

Taco Tuesday is a long-standing tradition in our house. As we start to get the pockets of good weather in Seattle I get more and more excited about one of my favorite things, roof top grilling. Now, we are not just your casual everyday grill people. We’re Californian, which means we’re dedicated grillers; we grill in all-weather! Neither rain, nor sleet nor wind or snow shall keep us from the grill! True story, my dad’s been known to put on his boots and grill in the SNOW! Luckily Taco Tuesday was somewhat sunny so the grilling experience was more leisurely than it is when you’re all out fighting wind or snow.

As you may have seen from this weeks Mango Salsa post, I had some Carne Asada tacos at our local Farmers Market and that started the obsession fever. They were amazing tacos and I had to try my hand at replicating that amazing experience. I’m happy to report, this little recipe made it in the top 5 BEST MEALS EVER list from the mister! Even I was speechless after my first bite…and realized that my biggest problem in life at the moment was that I didn’t have a bigger stomach!

Carne Asada Steak Tacos with Pico De Gallo, Grilled Cabbage Slaw
(Various parts of recipe adapted from Food Network)

Flank Steak:

2 pounds flank or skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat
1 large baking dish, to prepare
1 large ziplock bag, to marinate
1 recipe Mojo, recipe follows
Olive oil, for coating the grill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mojo:
5 garlic cloves, minced*
1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 large handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

For Serving:
Tortillas (We ” Home-Style” flour tortillas)
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Cheese
Pico de Gallo, recipe here
Grilled Cabbage Slaw, recipe here
Mango Salsa, recipe here

*Conversions for garlic if you don’t have the fresh stuff: 1 clove = 1 teaspoon chopped garlic = 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder = 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes = 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic juice

Directions
If you are using the Pico de Gallo, Cabbage Slaw, or Mango Salsa prepare all of the herbs and veggies at the same time before you prepare the meat. Getting all the chopping done at once makes the job easier and all of these dishes and side dishes are better when they’re left to marinate for a while!

To make the mojo, wash and chop all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Lay steak out in a large baking dish and lightly coat with black pepper then pour the mojo over the steak making sure to spread out the clumps of cilantro and garlic. Fold the top of your plastic bag over itself twice, to keep any juices from interfering with the zip lock seal. Fold the meat over itself in quarters, with the mojo on the inside, and place in the plastic bag. Pour remaining mojo juices over the meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1- 8 hours. I prefer a longer marinate time so the juices really soak into the meat, but don’t marinate longer than 8 hours as the citrus in the mojo will break down the delicate cut of meat and render it mushy.

Once you’re ready to cook the meat, pre-heat the grill and start a pan on the stove to cook the cabbage slaw. (You can also broil the meat, but we prefer to grill if that option is available). Brush the grill with olive oil to keep the meat from sticking. Grill (or broil) the steak for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium-rare. (At once you do the first turn, you can get out the toppings and have them ready.) Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Thinly slice meat, heat up tortillas over open flame on the stove and assemble a masterpiece!

Mango Salsa

With the fresh feeling of spring, I trade my winter cravings of spaghetti squash and Ratatouille for the “fresh and light” fare. On Sunday I went over to our Ballard Farmers market and got the tastiest Carne Asada tacos I maybe have ever had! Seriously, I want to huddle in the corner and lick the plate they were THAT good!

Well, that of course challenged the cook in me that said, “Hey, can I make that!?” and off I was planning taco Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and likely Quesadilla Thursday. Since the Carne Asada steak needed to marinate (that’s for dinner tonight so check back for the recipe) I decided that tonight would be fish tacos.

Menu: Grilled halibut, Grilled Cabbage Slaw & Mango Salsa
Full Menu Prep time: 15 -20 minutes || Full Menu Cook time 20 minutes
This meal is actually pretty quick to make, it’s really just the prep-time that takes little time investment. The Mango salsa and cabbage slaw can be prepared earlier in the day but only take about 15 minutes of cleaning and chopping. Cooking the fish takes about 12 minutes on a pre-heated grill and the cabbage slaw will cook up in a pan on the stove in about 18-20 minutes.

Mango Salsa

3 Ripe Mangos, Peeled and cubed
1/2 Small White Onion
1/2 – 1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
Fresh Cilantro, washed and chopped with stems removed
1 Fresh lime, juiced
Cracked Pepper to taste

Wash and prep ingredients then combine in large bowl. Cover and let sit in refrigerator for an hour or over night to let the flavors mix! If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado.

Quinoa Veggie “Fried Rice”

I LOVE finishing things. It’s weird. The joy that I get from the last bit of toothpaste used up, or taking the last olive of the jar, or finishing a pen….okay that last one is quite a feat ADMIT it… but I digress! The female + Type A + Project Manager/List Lover in me LOVES to feel that sense of completion. Once something is opened in our house it immediately goes into that awkward “use me up” stage and has a bullseye on it. So, the half used bag of quinoa was starting to get on my nerves. Seriously, it was taunting me EVERY time I opened the pantry cabinet and I’d had enough of being laughed at by Quinoa!

Don’t worry, I’m not crazy. The quinoa didn’t actually laugh at me. But I vowed to incorporate into more meals because we both LOVE it and it’s quite the superfood! The mister taught me an amazing trick that makes the quinoa taste AMAZING! Have you ever tried toasting it first!? Serious, life meet changed! Check out the nutrients and protein that this little grain punches in my post for toasted quinoa here.

Well, I just have a little extra time on my hands these days So I decided to take up my reoccurring vow to cook through at least a FEW of my million recipes I’ve carefully drooled over and curated on my Pinterest boards. One of the dishes I REALLY wanted to try was for Quinoa Veggie “fried rice”. The mister has commented a few times that he REALLY likes fried rice while I’m not a big “rice” fan, BUT we both love quinoa. I found an AMAZING looking picture on Pinterest, pulled that quinoa out of the pantry and away I went!

I adapted the recipe since I prefer to use recipes as guidelines and then just change it up and see what happens and it was delicious!!

Quinoa Veggie “Fried Rice”:

Recipe adapted from Dam Delicious Blog Post
Yields 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

EVOO
4 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
4-5 large mushrooms, sliced (or to taste if you’d like more)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 zucchini, chopped
1 can corn
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups toasted cooked quinoa (recipe for toasted quinoa here)
soy sauce (to taste)
3 green onions, sliced
Baby Bok Choy, base cut off so leaves are free, amount to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat dash of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a Wok (or medium skillet) over low heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
In the mean time, start the quinoa (full recipe here). Short recipe: Toast quinoa until it starts to pop, like popcorn and the outer shells turn a light to dark brown. Rinse under cold water and return to pan. Add water (1 cup water for ever half cup dry quinoa) and bring to a boil, continuously stirring. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes then “fluff” with a fork or spatula.
Add mushrooms, broccoli and zucchini. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender. Add a bit of water and soy sauce, cover with large lid and let steam for 5-7 minutes.
Add corn, carrots and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until tender.
Push all veggies to one side of the Wok and crack the eggs into the hotter side of the pan and “beat” in the pan, turning once cooked on the bottom. Mix into the veggies and combine all the goodness.
Stir in green onions and bok choy.
Add quinoa, mix thoroughly and let heat for 3-5 minutes.

Options:

Cook eggs in Wok or Skillet first- fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping only once. Let cool before dicing into small pieces and add with the green onions at the end
Use 1/2 cup corn and half cup peas
Include fresh ginger
Grate carrots instead of chop them
Omit the Boc Choy
Make a sauce for the dish and drizzle it over the cooked veggies at the end

Slow-Cooker Braised Short Ribs with Honey Garlic Glaze

Well Seattle, we’re back. Back to the rain, wind and grey skies. Three weeks in Hawaii was quite a nice time to thaw out but, until the sad realization that I had to actually trade my daily uniform of shorts, a tank top and my bathing suit for real clothes pales in comparison to the AMOUNT of real clothes I have to wear hit me. Currently, I’m sipping hot water and alternating sitting on my hands while I sit here in my coat and scarf….I’m INSIDE! What gives!

Cold weather typically sends me reaching for the Crockpot, or curling up in front of the heater without moving. Since I was craving short ribs, the crock pot won. When we were on Kona, we made a …few…trips to Roy’s Waikoloa. Okay okay, we ate there THREE nights in a row! Can you blame us!? They closed our Seattle location so we had to eat all we could get! Well, on night two as we were bellied up to the bar sharing their AMAZING appetizer canoe, (yes, CANOE!) we saw the couple next to us dig into their amazing looking dinner and we flagged down our bartender Brandon (he was AWESOME if you visit that location) and he informed us that it was the Slow Braised Char Broiled Beef Short Ribs. So, night three you know what we ordered?

Yep, Ribs! It was SUCH an incredible dish that when we got home we immediately started searching for the recipe to try our hands at recreating such an impeccable dish! After an absurd time googling various versions and combinations of the words “Roy’s Waikolaa Short Ribs entrée Recipe” I found one that was said to be biased on the Roy’s recipe so I gave it a try! (Original recipe found here) I didn’t have all the ingredients so I altered a bit.

Delicious food deserves pictures…

Slow-Cooker Braised Short Ribs with Honey Garlic Glaze
Adapted from Roy Yamaguchi
Yield: 2 large portions

For the short ribs:
2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
Salt and pepper
EVOO
Beef stock, enough to fully cover the short ribs (about 32 ounces)
6 cloves garlic, sliced thick
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced thick
2 carrots, sliced thick
2 bay leaves
1 inch piece of peeled ginger, FRESH ginger

Honey Garlic Glaze:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/4 cup sliced green onions, both white and green

Allow the ribs to come to room temperature for thirty minutes. Season all sides of the ribs well with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Brown the ribs well on all sides, about two minutes per side.
In your slow cooker make a bed with the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf and ginger.
Place the browned ribs on top and add enough beef stock to just cover and Cook (Low for 8 hours or High for 4).
Prepare the glaze, cover and refrigerate until meat is done, or you can make it right before you pull it out. I like to have as FEW dishes as possible so I’m a “make ahead” kinda girl! The picture above shows you, if for some reason you wanted to eyeball the dijon, what’s left over after using a half cup. I was worried I’d have too much left over but hey, egg salad here we come!
When the timer goes off, remove the lid and take the initial wiff of your amazing deliciousness! The meat will be very tender and you may lose a few bones (which is a GOOD thing!) Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and, while still warm, pour the glaze over the ribs making sure they are well coated. Allow the ribs to sit for at least thirty minutes (or store in the refrigerator overnight).
While the ribs rest heat your grill, or a skillet, to medium high heat. Grill, or sear, the ribs for about one minute per side, or until the glaze sets and the ribs are brown and crusty.
Enjoy! I served with toasted quinoa and Blasted Broccoli

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken & Asparagus

January is about fresh starts, renewal, clean slates and expansive opportunity ahead. I’m not big on “resolutions” necessarily but I do like the atmosphere of new beginnings that January holds.

In an effort to combat the grey day and finding myself with a night at home to relax and unwind, I decided that it was time to cook a recipe from my many Pinterest “pins”. This meal finds its way to us from my “A Meal A Day” Pinterest Board, where I keep all my for a “Rainy Day” recipes to try, and today was as rainy as it will get!

The fresh light yet peppery flavor of the salad paired perfectly with the cured meat and cheesy flavors of the chicken!

Tips:
Measurements Everything on this meal should be “to taste”. I actually HATE having measurements on there since everyone likes their meals a different way but experiment with the flavors and ratios and have fun!

Prosciutto Choose a lean cut that isn’t too salty and ask your butcher to slice it a bit thinner than lunch meat so it will not be an overpowering flavor but will still hold its integrity when you wrap it.

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken & Asparagus
(Kale Grapefruit Salad with Avocado and EVOO Recipe Below)
Recipe Adapted from Inspired.ca

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
8 slices prosciutto
½ bunch young green asparagus, washed and trimmed
Shredded mozzarella, to taste (approx. ½ cup)

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Wash the chicken and pat it dry. Then, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make four equal sized cutlets and set aside. Depending on the ratio of chicken to prosciutto you like, you may want to half each cutlet. Lay out the chicken on a plate so you can crack fresh pepper on the surface of each chicken breast.

Pre heat a sauté pan on the stove. You’ll place the wrapped chicken in the hot pan to sear the prosciutto closed before placing on the baking sheet so make sure you have a spatula handy to transfer the wrapped chicken.

Lay two slices of prosciutto side by side, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Place one piece of chicken horizontally across the prosciutto so the prosciutto is vertical and the chicken completes a cross horizontally across the center.

Lay a few springs of asparagus on top of the chicken, also in a horizontal pattern. Carefully wrap the prosciutto around the chicken and asparagus tightly and place into the pre-heated sauté pan with the seam on the bottom. Sauté for a few seconds until the seam on the prosciutto is closed, then turn over for a few additional seconds to get a nice crisp to the prosciutto then transfer to the lined baking sheet with your spatula.

Repeat with the remaining prosciutto, chicken and asparagus.

Bake the chicken 15-18 minutes, until the internal temperate of the chicken reaches 165°F. When you transfer the chicken to the plate, there will be some juice from the chicken so let that drip into the lined baking sheet before placing on your plate. You can garnish with more mozzarella or cracked pepper if you desire, but we liked it just as it was!

Kale Grapefruit Salad with Avocado and EVOO
Kale
Grapefruit, cubed and peeled from the flesh
Avocado, cubed into whatever size you desire
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Wash the Kale and pat dry. Pull the leaves from the stock and chop. Wash the outside of the grapefruit and avocado, slice in half and cube. For the grapefruit, pull the each of the sections out of the fleshy membrane and use only the citrus “meat” portion.

Assemble all ingredients on the plate drizzle with EVOO . (Optional Addition: toasted Almonds)

Ratatouille

The obsession with Ratatouille started on our recent trip to Seville, Spain. We decided to meander the alleys and streets for the 30 minute walk from our flat to the city center . Bar Antigüedades caught my eye as an adorable little café from the exterior (of course…look at the photos!) and reading the menu board when we passed I made the mental note to come back for lunch. We did, and loved the Ratatouille SOOO much that we returned for dinner and had the exact same meal! It was so warm, hearty, tasty, flavorful and just… well… cozy! We ordered a bowl and cleaned and had I not ordered an actual meal I would have ordered another Ratatouille! As it was I had to refrain from licking the bowl since 1. it’s rude to do in public 2. we were sitting outside and I couldn’t sneak it 3. I’d be pegged as a ridiculous American for SURE! Three sadly legitimate reasons why I had to refrain from one last taste of the very miniscule remains of wonderful veggies. I vowed to make it once we got home.

Sevilla...where it all began — Sevilla…where it all began

Of course, in order to make the dish I first had to find 15 recipes, make an entire Pintrest board devoted to my found ratatouille recipes (yes I’m that ridiculous organized..or maybe obsessive?). Of course I had to print out each recipe, lay them side by side, and pour over each minute difference and detail deciding which was the perfect recipe. Which was possibly closest to recreating the most incredibly wonderful cozy meal. My perfection was finally challenged by my need to make a grocery shopping trip and get ON with the actual MAKING of the dish so I picked one to use as a guideline because, and yes I’m a total girl, the picture looked the yummiest. The recipe that I landed on was posted on the blog A Lady in France.

A brief history of Ratatoulie. It is usually served as a side dish but can also be a main, which is how we eat it with some crusty potato bread. For protein, I usually poach an egg or sprinkle some cheese on the top.

The hardest part of this meal is letting it cook those last 30 minutes without devouring it from the pan! The house starts to smell of wonderful cooked vegetables and herbs.

Tips:

The Pan: be sure to use a large deep pan so that the heat and evenly distribute and cook
Saute each round of veggies VERY well! Once you add the tomato it’s really just melding of the flavors and not really “cooking”
Don’t go light on the canned tomatoes! This is what makes or breaks the consistency of the Ratatouille. If it seems like the stew is a bit dry add another can of tomates or a 25 oz jar of basil marinera sauce. You’ll realize the consistency within 5-8 minutes and you really need to add within the 5-8 minutes so the consistency and the flavors are able to meld correctly.
Cook all the veggies without a lid until you add the tomatoes. The veggies really need to breathe and have the heat to saute up.
Liquid: keep stirring to move the liquid around and assure that it’s not too liquidy. If it feels like it’s becoming more soupy than thicker stewey, turn the heat up and if it’s sticking to the pan turn the head down a bit.

Cucina de Kate Ratatouille

½ large onion
2 tsp (heaping) minced garlic
drizzle of olive oil (to cook the onions/garlic)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 good sized eggplant, cut up in to chunks
4 small zucchini, cut up into chunks
1 ½ tbsp. herbs de province
few fresh basil leaf’s
1 ½ c. diced canned tomatoes (I sometimes add a 25oz jar of 365 tomato basil marinera sauce)

Instructions

Heat oil in your large pan while you chop the onions and garlic. Cook until translucent.
Chop and add peppers. When they start to look a little cooked, chop and add the eggplant in medium chunks. I like them a bit larger so they retain some form as opposed to getting a bit more mushy when they’re smaller.
Keep stirring the veggies in the pan until they eggplant starts to look a little cooked, then chop up and add the zucchini. Again, I liked keeping my chunks a bit larger to add to the stew-type texture and avoid a must consistency.
Once the zucchini starts to look like it’s a little cooked, add the herbs and chopped basil and assure it’s all mixed together well. Then add the tomatoes. At this point you’ll have to keep an eye and stir frequently but you can multi-task and just remember to stir every few minutes.
Keep stirring and cook for another 30 minutes (or so) until all the vegies are tender…and of course taste along the way!

Serve with a protein (egg or meat) and some rustic bread (or omit if you’re gluten-free)

Dinner Table of Ratatouille with Rust Bread and Menage a Trios Red

Ratatouille with Rust Bread for Dinner — Ratatouille with Rust Bread for

Simple Tapas Dinner

Everyone has had those days where you’d rather gnaw your own arm off than cook. No matter how much you usually adore it, there is just no inspirational energy left in your body. Those types of days pose a special problem for me because, surprise surprise, I’m picky. I like my food how I like it and when I want it and I want to use fresh ingredients. If you opened my freezer you wouldn’t find any Hungry Man dinners or Lean Cuisine Steamers.

But alas, last night I just did NOT want to cook and was so thankful that I’ve learned to plan ahead and stock the kitchen! It’s NOT hard to eat delicious enriching and nutritious meals, even on those days that come hell or high water you are NOT picking up a pan! Below is an illustration of a simple, healthy meal that I literally “threw” together from what was in the fridge.

Those are the days I’m thankful that it is so easy to eat wholesome food if you just plan ahead a bit and stock GOOD quality ingredients. Above is a little plate of broiled zucchini and yams, sliced heirloom tomatoes with cracked sea salt and pepper dusted with dried parsley, a few grapes, fresh basil and arugula and some balsamic drizzled grilled chicken breast and a few rosemary crackers. We recently tried a salad at Bisato in Seattle (my review posted here) with 20 year aged balsamic dressing and it was INCREDIBLE! We wound up ordering another of the salads and that weekend went on a hunt to Pike Place to find a bottle! Stocking your pantry with fresh ingredients and using quality oils/vinegar and spices really does wonders for sprucing up a meal! Even a simple meal like chicken and veggies becomes a work of art with the right flavors!

Shown in this picture at left clockwise from the wine 🙂 is….
Rook Wine
La Panzonella Rosemary Croccantini (Whole Foods stocks them)
Oven Grilled Zucchini
Baked pepper chicken with 20 year balsamic drizzled over the top
Fresh Basil
Oven Grilled Yam Fries
Heirloom tomatoes with fresh cracked salt and pepper
Red Grapes

How do you spruce up a simple meal?