Fresh Start: Sirloin Steak with a Basil Compound Butter, Snap Peas & Carrots

Juicy lean steak topped with a basil lemon compound butter with saute'd snap peas & carrots.  A lean, low carb dish made in under 30 minutes!

Sirloin Steak with a Basil Compound Butter, Snap Peas & Carrots

My New Year's "intentions" always include eating healthier.  Lately I've been making dishes that are lean, full or flavor, low carb, and easy to prepare.  Cooking an involved meal on a weeknight is NOT what I'm about.  This dish is simple to prepare and provides you with a healthy dinner, perfect for my "intentions".

Sirloin steak cooks up quick and turns out juicy.  Top it with an easy compound butter of lemon, basil, and garlic and your steak turns up a notch.  On the side we have a simple saute of snap peas & carrots flavored with the same profile of garlic and lemon.  This is one EASY and FLAVORFUL weeknight dish you can make in under 30 minutes!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• sirloin steak
• carrots
• sugar snap peas
• butter
• lemon
• basil
• garlic

Substitutions and Variations

• Use the lean steak of your choice

• Use chicken, pork chops, or fish as the protein

• Change up the vegetable combo: mushrooms and snow peas, zucchini and bell pepper, tomatoes and green beans

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Double the recipe for more servings

• Set out your steak about 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temperature

• Pat your steaks dry before cooking to get a good sear

• Slice your vegetables thin so they cook and get tender quickly.

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Sirloin Steak with a Basil Compound Butter, Snap Peas & Carrots

serves 2 - 3

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. sirloin steak
2 medium carrots
1 8oz pkg sugar snap peas
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon
4 Tablespoons butter, unsalted, divided use
salt & pepper

Cut the butter in small pieces and place in a small bowl.  Set aside to soften.

Zest 1/2 lemon into the bowl with the butter.  Cut the 1/2 lemon in to wedges and set aside.  Peel and mince garlic and add it to the bowl with the butter.  Add chopped basil to the bowl.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Pat dry your steak(s) and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the skillet and swirl to coat.  Add steak and cook from 2-5 minutes per side until desired doneness.  Transfer to a clean plate and cover with aluminum foil.

Meanwhile steak is cooking, peel the carrots and slice into thin rounds.  Add more butter to the skillet (1 Tbsp) and swirl to coat.  Add carrots and snap peas.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir fry veggies until fork tender, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Stir the butter and add-ins until smooth and blended.

Thinly slice the steak across the grain.  Divide steaks among the plates and top with a dollop of butter.  Serve with carrots and sugar snap peas on the side.  Squeeze lemon over the veggies.

 

Healthy Living: Grilled Turmeric Chicken with Cucumber Avocado Salad

Grilled chicken breasts are marinated in a turmeric yogurt are accompanied by a heavenly cucumber, avocado, and mint salad.  

Grilled Turmeric Chicken with Cucumber Avocado Salad

A new year brings new beginnings and one thing most of aspire to is healthier eating.  Grilled Turmeric Chicken with Cucumber Avocado is a perfect dish to start with.  Chicken provides the lean protein while cucumber provides a green vegetable full of vitamins and nutrients, avocado for healthy fat, and turmeric has a slew of health assisting properties such as anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants.

But healthy doesn't mean boring.  This chicken is moist and flavorful!  The cucumber and avocado salad is heavenly with the addition of chopped fresh mint which makes it refreshing.  The secret to this dish is actually a yogurt mixture using Greek yogurt, spices, and lemon and is used for both as a marinade for the chicken, and a dressing for the salad.  You will be amazed at the POP of flavors in this dish and never know it's healthy!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• avocado
• chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• English cucumber
• fresh mint
• lemon
• plain Greek yogurt
• shallot
• cumin
• turmeric
• olive oil

Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken thighs may be used
• Instead of mint try basil or dill

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• This recipe is for a serving of two.  Double as needed for more servings.

• The salad came be made and served along any protein.  

• Cut all the salad ingredients in bite size pieces.

• Additional salad may be kept for a day in the refrigerator as the yogurt has lemon in it, although fresh is best. 

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Grilled Turmeric Chicken with Cucumber Avocado Salad

Time:  35 minutes 
Servings:  2

1 avocado
1 lb chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 English cucumber
½ small bunch or package of fresh mint
½ lemon
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 shallot
salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine and mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper. Transfer half of the yogurt mixture to another medium bowl. 

Holding a knife parallel to the cutting board; cut the chicken in half horizontally to form thin fillets. Place the chicken in one of the bowls and coat in the yogurt mixture; set aside for 15 minutes. 

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Trim and discard the cucumber ends; small dice the cucumber and add to the other bowl of yogurt.  Halve and pit the avocado; scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. Small dice the flesh and add to the bowl. Peel and mince the shallot; add to the bowl.  Toss until combined and well coated.

Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan/skillet heats up, pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Add to the bowl and toss the salad until well combined. 

Coat a grill pan or skillet with oil. Wiping off excess marinade, place the chicken in the grill pan and cook until cooked through and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. 

Divide the chicken and cucumber-avocado salad between two plates.

Christmas Breakfast: Stollen Scones

Stollen Scones are my version of a wonderful German bread eaten at Christmastime.  Citrus enhanced dough is filled with rum soaked cranberries and raisins.  Nuts add a little crunch, and it's topped with some beautiful sparkling sugar.  Such a treat to make for your Christmas morning breakfast!

Stollen Scones

There are many holiday breads eaten around the world at Christmas such as the German Stollen, Italian Panettone, Norwegian Julekake, and Greek Christopsomo.  Today I wanted to bring the flavors of the wonderful German Stollen bread and turn them into a friendly breakfast scone using my Basic Scone Recipe.  

These scones are to die for and certainly scream holiday.  Filled with rum soaked dried cranberries and raisins, pecans, and a moist and crumbly dough that's laced with citrus flavors and cinnamon.  Theses are the perfect item to make for your Christmas breakfast, or any winter morning.  Hot scones with the flavors of the holiday will leave you wanting more!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• dried cranberries
• golden raisins
• dark rum
• pecans
• all purpose flour
• lemon
• orange
• sugar
• salt
• baking powder
• cinnamon
• butter
• egg
• whole milk
• sparkling sugar (optional) for the tops

Substitutions and Variations

• You can use white whole wheat flour for half of the flour amount.

• Gluten free and almond flours would work well too.

• Use shortening instead of butter.

• Use dried cherries or apricots, or dark raisins

• Use walnuts or hazelnuts or pistachios instead of the pecans.

• Add pieces of candied lemon and orange peel to the dough.  (Make sure to leave out the zests.)

• Soak the fruit in boiling water instead of rum for an alcohol free product.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• You can make either rolled or drop scones with this dough.  I've made drop scones this time around to give them a more rustic look.

• If you roll them out try using holiday cookie cutters to shape the scones!

• Scones will keep several days on the counter or in the refrigerator.  You may also freeze them individually for later use.

• These can be "made ahead" this night before.  Make the dough and create the individual scones placing them on the baking sheets.  Place them in the refrigerator overnight and bake them off the next day.

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More scone recipes you might enjoy!
Apple Ginger Scones

Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

Simple Chocolate Chip Scones

Lemon Blueberry Scones

Strawberry Shortcake Scones

Stollen Scones

Yield: 12 scones

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup dark rum

1/3 cup chopped pecans

3 cups all purpose flour

zest of one lemon
zest of 1/2 orange

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup butter (cold)

1 egg

1 cup whole milk

sparkling sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a bowl add the cranberries and the raisins.  Pour the rum over the fruit and mix together well.  Allow the fruit to sit 30 minutes to soak up the rum.

Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and combine.

Using a pastry cutter cut cold butter into flour mixture until there are pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.  Add the milk and egg and mix just until combined.  Drain the fruit from any remaining rum mixture.  Add the dry fruit to the dough and fold in until combined.

Remove the dough to a generously floured work surface and knead just until it comes together. Spray a 1/3 cup measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray.  Using the measuring cup spoon out the dough on to parchment lined baking sheets for drop scones. 

Sprinkle the top with sparkling sugar.

Place the scones in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for several minutes.  Serve warm.