How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo: Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

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Los Angeles is integrated with the Mexican culture in it's people, architecture, and their food.  So it's only natural that we love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

It's a great time to go out and have a margarita, but if you choose to stay home celebrate with some Latin food.  There are so many options such as tacos like my Grilled Chili Lime Fish or Chicken Tacos, or go for a family friendly, easy to make meal like this Sizzling Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Today I'm going to share a different Latin dish, Grilled Cuban Flank Steak.  Man or man was this steak good!  Flank steak is a great choice of meat.  It feeds a crowd, takes well to a marinade, and slices up tender and juicy.  The marinade is a combination of citrus juices and Latin spices and it makes this steak so flavorful.  You are gonna love it!

Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

We cooked this out on the grill, but you can do it on an indoor grill pan just as easily.  We served this with Cinnamon Thyme Sweet Potato Fries and a salad.  Both were perfect side dishes, but you could easily serve this with rice and beans and some hot tortillas.  Perfect to celebrate the holiday.

Try this delicious meal at your next gathering and see for yourself how wonderful this Cuban dish is.
Enjoy!








Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Kosher salt & pepper
1- 1 1/2 lb flank steak

In a medium bowl add zests and juices, plus olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

Place you flank steak in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the steak and turn to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes on the counter.

Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat.  Oil your grate if using an outdoor grill.  Remove the steak from the marinade and let any extra drip off.  Cook turning once, for 12-15 minutes per side for medium doneness.  Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes before cutting. 

Thinly slice the meat against the grain and transfer to a platter.  

Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken and Beef Kabobs with Roasted Veggies

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We're having a wonderful Spring so far and the weather is wonderful.  Taking advantage of the semi-hot days and the cooler evenings, it's time to break out the grill!  We just love kabobs and we both love beef and chicken.  So why pick when you can have both.

Today's recipe is all about basting sauce.  Don't get me wrong the chicken and beef are stars in itself but this lemon, garlic, and herb basting sauce just takes this over the top!  I love anything with lemon on it, but this combination is one of the best.  Why have plain old meat when you can jazz it up with flavors that carry a punch?  Can't think of any reason...

We decided to fire up the grill and make "all meat" kabobs and roast the veggies in the oven.  MGG also wanted Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Sauce as well so it was easier to just roast all the veggies at once instead of mixing them with the protein on the kabobs.  Not to worry though, the veggies got a good douse of the basting sauce as well, so they came out sizzling and delishhhh!

LEMON GARLIC HERB CHICKEN AND BEEF KABOBS

We used summer squash (yellow squash) and zucchini as the veggies.  Boneless chicken breasts were cubed and threaded onto skewers, and for the beef we used sirloin steak that was cubed as well and threaded onto skewers.

While the veggies were roasting in the oven MGG grilled the meat outside, rotating the meat and dousing them with this wonderful basting sauce.  The smell of garlic, and the tang of lemon, and the savory taste of the herbs is heaven.  This was definitely a favorite meal.  One that we will repeat over and over this summer!

Your whole family will love this easy to pull together meal, I promise.

Enjoy!





Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken and Beef Kabobs with Roasted Veggies

Kabobs:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 lb sirloin steak, fat removed, and cubed

bamboo skewers

Roasted Vegetables:

2 Summer Squash, cut lengthwise and sliced in big chunks

2 Zucchini, cut lengthwise and slice in big chunks

Marinade/Basting Sauce:
1½ tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 - 1/3 cup minced fresh herbs, I used a mix of oregano and thyme

1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Soak your bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Remove 3 tablespoons to a small bowl and set aside.  The larger bowl will be for basting the meat on the grill. 

Thread the chicken breasts onto skewers leaving a small amount of space between them.  Do the same with the steak.  Make sure to cook them on separate skewers as the chicken and beef cook at different rates. Set aside.  Preheat the grill to medium high.

Place the chopped vegetables in a bowl and pour the 3 tablespoons over them, tossing to coat.  Spread the veggies on a baking sheet in an even layer.  Place in the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Take the veggies out and turn them over and place them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Make sure to watch them so they don't burn.

Meanwhile, on a preheated grill the chicken first turning after 5-6 minutes.  Place the beef on shortly after and turn after 5 minutes for medium.  When you turn both meats, use the basting sauce and give this side a good dousing.  Grill chicken another 5-6 minutes, turning and basting.  Grill the steak to your desired degree of doneness, turning and basting all sides.  Remove from the grill and place on a platter.

Remove vegetables from the oven and arrange on the platter with the kabobs.  Serve with sliced lemons.

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry and a Product Review

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You know how much I love my stir frys.  Some of my favorites are my Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry , Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Noodle Stir Fry, and my Cashew Chicken.  And those are just the chicken ones!

So imagine my delight when I was browsing the fresh vegetable section in the grocery store the other day and I came across a Stir Fry Kit from Taylor Farms.  Yes! Jackpot!  This was a stir fry kit with all the veggies, chopped, and washed and ready to go, along with a sauce as well!  Now this is fresh cooking, convenience style.  They did most of the work for you so that you can take a 20 minutes stir fry and turn it into 10-15 be skipping all the chopping and sauce mixing steps.  Now that's a good deal!

You may have heard of Taylor Farms.  They are the ones that have those wonderful chopped salad mixes in bagged salad section.  Well they now have a line of stir frys.  I think there was 4 flavors to choose from but I gravitated immediately toward the Teriyaki Stir Fry Kit. 

The kit includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, carrots, red cabbage, snow peas, and it includes the  teriyaki sauce as well.  All good stuff for you.  All you need to do is add the protein and anything additional that you want.  I chose to make it with chicken (my go to protein) and added some cashews to the mix for some extra crunch.  Actually, I add cashews to a lot of things....that's my confession for the day!

This couldn't have been much easier since most of the work is done for you.  I used my usual method of cutting the chicken in bite size pieces, dipping in cornstarch, and then cooking that first.  Removing that to cook the veggies which cooked up quickly, then adding the cashews, chicken and the sauce.  BAM! you're done!  Serve alone or with rice and you have an easy, quick, and tasty dinner.

This isn't any kind of sponsored post, I just happen to run into this product and I love to share them with you when I feel they are healthy, helpful in the kitchen, and taste fresh and delicious!  This one is a winner, and I can't wait to try another version.  Hope you can find this in your store...and if you happen to come across it, try it.  You won't be disappointed!

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

serves 4

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 c cornstarch
3 Tbls canola oil, divided
1 bag Taylor Farms Teriyaki Stir Fry Kit
1/3 cup cashews, roasted
Optional:  hot cooked rice

On a plate toss the chicken with the cornstarch.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola and in a large skillet or wok.  Add the chicken and cook on medium-high until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from the pan, and turn the heat up to high.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the skillet.  Add all the vegetables and cook 4-5 minutes, until they are crisp tender.  Add the cashews and stir until slightly roasted.  Return the chicken and any juices back to the skillet.  Add the stir fry sauce from the kit and toss to coat.  Serve over hot cooked rice if desired.

Slow Cooker Easy Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Spring is here and full force but we are still getting some sporadic rain and chilly evenings.

This calls for soup, because you can never get enough good soup!

I'm in the mood for a nice Latin dish.  One that reminds me of my favorite enchiladas over at Casa Vega.  Nice and slightly spicy, creamy, and filled with chicken.  So let's pull out the slow cooker and make a delicious soup!

Slow Cooker Easy Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

This really is a dump and go meal.  A definite pantry go to.  Most of the items are canned, so this soup recipe is easy to throw together in the morning on a weekday.   You will come home to the wonderful smell of Mexican spices and with a little additional tasks you will have a wonderful creamy, steamy soup on the table in no time!

The added beans and corn lend substance and make a healthy addition to the soup.  The sour cream that is mixed in toward the end will give that creamy goodness that takes this soup to another level.  This is a soup the whole family will love.  Have fun topping it with you favorite toppings (some ideas listed below) and savor the goodness that can come from a slow cooker on a chilly Spring evening.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip:  I found the Cuban black beans used in this dish at Trader Joes.  If you can't find them substitute 2 cans of regular black beans and add one small can of diced green chilies. 

Slow Cooker Easy Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans Cuban black beans, drained (found at Trader Joes) 

1 can sweet corn, drained
3 10 oz cans enchilada sauce
1 14-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
1/2 tsp salt

1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chicken broth + 3 tablespoons flour
optional toppings: crispy tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, queso fresco 

Add chicken, broth, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and spices (though sour cream) to the slow cooker.  Turn on low and cook for 6-7 hours, or on high 3-4 hours.

About 1 hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.  Return chicken to the soup.  Add sour cream and stir until combined and dissolved.  Whisk together 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 3 Tablespoon of flour.  Pour into the soup and stir.  Cover and turn the slow cooker to high for one hour until thickened.

Serve with optional toppings if desired. 

Stonefire Grill’s Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce

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Do you love Stonefire Grill?

We eat there quite often since we have one near our home.  In fact, I don't know many people that don't love it.  Oh! the Tri Tip with Garlic Peppercorn sauce is my favorite!  But we love the pizza, salads, chicken, salmon, and many other dishes there too.

The other day MGG and I were planning dinner walking around the grocery store picking up some vegetables to go with our kabobs we were making that night.  He asked "Can you make  roasted cauliflower like the one at Stonefire, you know the one with the Tahini sauce?"  I promptly replied "sure, no problem!" Ha!  now I have to figure that one out.  So off we went with our veggies and a head of cauliflower.

STONEFIRE GRILL'S ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Thank god for the internet!  I searched google and came up with Stonefire's original recipe!  They even had a video of a Stonefire Grill chef to show you how to do it.  Perfect!

And let me tell you it was perfect MGG loved it, gave me a BIG kiss, and it really tasted just like the side dish you get at Stonefire Grill.  Although this recipe does have quite a few steps and takes about 50 minutes to make, all the steps are easy and the result is totally worth it.  (I'd make anything for MGG, especially since he doesn't ever request anything special)

Nicely roasted cauliflower has a caramelized flavor from the roasting.  It's accompanied by a nice Tahini sauce which combine the nutty tasting tahini with garlic and lemon.  The sauce really makes the dish so don't skip this part!

This is perfect as a side dish to any main meal.  It would be perfect at your Easter table too.  We chose to eat it along with other roasted veggies and kabobs, and it was perfect.  Make sure to try this soon, it really is a winner!

Enjoy!





Stonefire Grill’s Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce

Yield: 4 servings 

1 large cauliflower, whole, thoroughly washed
2 - 3 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt


Lemon tahini sauce:
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place a large pot on the stove full of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile wash the cauliflower and cut off a thin slice of the bottom of the stock so the cauliflower will sit up on the baking sheet. (leaves and most of the stalk should remain intact )  Add a tablespoon of kosher salt to the boiling water.

Add the cauliflower and allow to simmer 10 minutes. Cauliflower should be submerged under the water.  Remove cauliflower from water, drain and place on rimmed baking sheet stalk-side-down to cool for 3 minutes.

Pour oil on top of the cauliflower and rub over the entire surface.  Roast approximately 30 minutes, turning as needed for even roasting. If additional browning is needed turn on broiler and broil until nicely browned (watch carefully to prevent burning).

To prepare lemon tahini sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in small bowl and whisk for approximately 1 minute. Set aside. Serve with cauliflower.

recipe adapted from OC Register

Inspiration for an Easter Tablescape

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Easter is one of my favorite holidays, and since I love setting a pretty table for any occasion I took the time to put together a wonderful tablescape for Easter.

I hope that this provides you with some inspiration to decorate your table this year!

I enjoy runners as a base for my table.  Since Easter is all about the outdoors I chose a runner made of linen that is cream colored with a tan border to represent natural fibers.

As a center piece I choose an arrangement of green hydrangeas with a pop of color and whimsy by adding a berry spray in the middle that shoots up and droops wonderfully.  This bring the colors of spring flowers indoors.

Next up are the place settings.  I love layers.  I start with a round charger made from natural fibers to again bring out the nature aspect.  White dishes are a workhorse in my tablescapes.  You can use them everyday or dress them up for more formal settings.  In this display I layered white dinner plates and white salad plates.  In between I added a wonderful cabbage green dinner plate.  Cabbage screams Spring and pulls this together well.  On top I set a wonderful white footed bowl.

Small cabbage bowls are set to the side and can be used to hold Easter treats, or a small side dish.  I've put a wicker nest filled with green wood grass and a decoupage egg at each place setting this year.  It lends a touch of elegance and whimsy. 

Attention to small details will also help pull this together.  I've pair some sweet lace edged light green napkins with a big yellow flower napkin holder.  Again with the spring theme these colors compliment the whole table.

What's Easter without bunnies?  I love bunnies and would not have a table without them.  Here they are depicted in a wonderful platter, and a sweet little teapot!  Pull out all your bunnies and scatter them around.

 Last but certainly not least I've taken a little time this year to decoupage some eggs.  Using blown eggs and a couple of napkins you can create these treasures that will elevate your table to the next level and add that extra special touch.  I was so happy with how these turned out and they are more vibrant than show in the pictures.  These will keep for years, and I can't wait to make more!

I hope you found some inspiration to decorate your table this year. 

Happy Easter!