Korean Steak Lettucs Wraps

Ingredients
1 pound flank steak
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup diced peeled cucumber
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 head lettuce, leaves separated

Instructions
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack. Grill the steak for 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.

3. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, shallot, mint, basil and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and crushed red pepper in a small bowl and then combine with solid veggie ingredients.

**This dish is all about the veggie relish...it's packed with flavor and simply delish! We wrapped the steak, veggie relish, and cilantro lime rice (reference earlier post) in lettuce leaves. You could also do this is as a salad or to add a little more girth to the recipe, roll it all up in a tortilla. Maybe you just want to top rice and eat it all with a fork. The options are limitless. Since the meat doesn't require any special seasoning, I'm sure that chicken or tofu would be delish as well! One last thing, if you don't have shallots, I recommend red onion, but 1 shallot was perfect and added an incredible flavor. Yes, this coming from a self-proclaimed onion hater.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.


This is so easy. We like to toss pasta in the sauce right before serving, but you could also just spoon it onto your pasta if you wanted. Michael and I cut it in half and it is plenty of food for two people and leftovers.

Quinoa Banana Bread

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/user-post-quinoa-banana-bread-2461303/

I have not yet tried this recipe, but I am most intrigued. It comes at an opportune time, as my bug has been advised to eat more big people food, especially that which is rich in protein!

Quinoa Quick Tips:

• Quinoa expands to 4x it's size when cooked, so if you need one cup of cooked quinoa, start with 1/4 cup of dry quinoa.
• Use a 2:1 ration of liquid to quinoa when cooking. So if you are cooking 1/4 cup of dry quinoa, use 1/2 cup of water (or broth...but not for banana bread, silly!)
• Combine dry quinoa and liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook for approximately 15 minutes.

John Stamos' Greek Marinade

A marinade as yummy as it's namesake!

• 1 Cup Olive OIl
• 1/4 Cup White Wine
• 3 T Lemon Juice
• 6 Cloves Garlic
• 1 T dry Oregano
• 1 tsp salt

Makes enough for 1 lb. of chicken or shrimp. Mmmm. Mmm.

S'mores "Pizza"

Ingredients

• 12 Graham Crackers
• 3/4 Cup butter
• 3/4 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 Cups mini marshmallows
• 6 oz (or more if you dare) of chocolate pieces (e.g. broken candy bars, chocolate chips, or M&Ms)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Line 15x10x1 inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on ends; spray foil with cooking spray. Place graham crackers onto foil so sides touch.
2. Melt butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan over MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture just comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Pour evenly over crackers.
3. Bake 5-6 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Remove pan from oven; sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate pieces. Continue baking until marshmallows begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Cool completely. Lift from pan using foil. Cut into bars.

Larry's Favorite Chicken Fingers

INGREDIENTS

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt*
• 1/4 tsp pepper*
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

*Salt and pepper are the most basic seasoning you can use. I generally jazz up my flour mixture with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or any variety of seasoning mixes (like Famous Dave's Steak & Burger seasoning).

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut chicken into 1/2 x 2-inch strips.
2. Mix flour, salt and pepper (or seasonings of choice) in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk. Roll in flour mixture to coat well.
3. Pour 1/4 inch of oil into a large heavy skillet. Heat over medium high heat to 350.*
4. Divide chicken into batches. Place chicken in an even layer in hot oil. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce of choice.

*You can also use a deep fryer and fry for 3-5 minutes.

Spinach, Poblano and Cheese Enchiladas

1 poblano pepper, diced (I just used a large poblano--tasty and tangy!)
1 chili pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
10 ounces frozen spinach (I used a bag of fresh spinach and chopped it coarsely)
12 ounces queso quesadilla, or other mild melting cheese, shredded
12 6-inch corn tortillas
1 jar or can red sauce or enchilada sauce (I used homemade Rio sauce)

Add the peppers and garlic to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the peppers begin to slightly soften. If using fresh spinach, stir in and cook until slightly wilted. Remove from heat. Combine peppers, spinach, and cheese in a large bowl and toss to combine.
Spoon a little bit of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a baking dish – just enough sauce to create a very thin coating.
To form the enchiladas: Place a small hand full of the spinach and cheese mixture onto each tortilla. Fold up the ends, then fold over one of the sides. Use your fingers to press any filling that needs it back into place, then roll the whole thing over itself so that you have a neat little package. Place in the baking pan and repeat with other tortillas. Cover with the rest of the sauce, and top with a light sprinkle of cheese if you didn’t need it all for the filling.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Serves 6. Approx. 325 calories, 14.5 grams fat, 6.5 grams fiber, 16 grams protein