#27 Grilled Steak and Potato Salad with Garlic Corn on the Cob

My summer in the states was not filled with as many vegetables as I normally eat during the week, so I decided to remedy that with a salad and some corn. Even if you're not a salad person (like my boyfriend who prefers the meat and potato dishes), this is a good one for you. And, the corn on the cob was excellent. I ended up cutting mine off the ear and adding it to the salad. Yum.

Grilled Steak and Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp granulated sugar

3/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

1 pound thinly sliced steak

1/2 pound white mushrooms, rinsed and thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed and thinly sliced

1 tomato, sliced

Lettuce, cut for salad

Directions:

1. Whisk together vinegar, garlic, salt, thyme, pepper and sugar. Add olive oil; whisk until thoroughly blended.

2. Place steak in re-sealable plastic bag. Pour on-third of dressing over meat. Marinate 30 minutes.

3. Place diced potatoes in large pot. Cover with cold water; add salt. Bring to boil on high heat. Boil for 12-15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain. Place in large mixing bowl. Toss with half of remaining dressing.

4. Prepare grill.

5. Add mushrooms, red bell pepper, onion, avocado and tomatoes to potatoes. Toss gently to mix.

6. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Season steak with salt and pepper.

7. Grill steak to desired doneness; allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing in thin slices across the grain.

8. Arrange lettuce leaves on plates/bowls. Top with vegetable mixture. Place steak slices on top; drizzle with remaining marinade.

Garlic Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:

Ears of corn, husked and cleaned

1 tbsp of butter/per ear of corn

1 tsp. garlic powder/per ear of corn

Directions:

1. Preheat grill for medium heat, or preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

2. Place each ear of corn on a separate square of aluminum foil. Place 1 tbsp. of butter on each one, and sprinkle with garlic powder.

3. Place ears of corn on the grill in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes; turning over occasionally.

Buen Provecho!

#26 Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup

There are times when you need to "wing it" while you cook and that's how the new recipe happened today. It was originally going to be chicken tortilla soup, but that was a little too difficult when there were no tortillas in the house. So here is a somewhat spicy, hearty and tasty alternative.

Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

4 Tbsp. oil

2 cans Mexican-style tomatoes, chopped (with jalapeno if you want it to be spicier)

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups beef broth

1 1/2 cup chicken, chopped

1 Tbsp. cumin

chili powder to taste

2 pkgs. ramen noodles (I was desperate, you can use whatever noodles you choose)

Garnish with: shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce

Directions:

Saute garlic and onion in oil. Add all tomatoes, peppers, broths, chicken, cumin and chili powder. Mix well and simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour. For the last 5 minutes, add the ramen noodles to cook. Serve and garnish with whatever toppings you prefer.

Provecho!

#25 Greek Turkey Burgers and Rosemary Red Potatoes

Last summer, I was lucky enough to travel around Greece for a month. This summer, I have been traveling around the US visiting family. I currently am in Atlanta, Georgia watching my niece and nephews for a little over a week. And tonight, making one of their favorite meals and a new one for me, we brought Greece to Atlanta. Thanks big bro for the recipe, as we always said growing up, "It's good stuff Maynard!"

Greek Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 slightly beaten egg white

1 tbsp. milk

1 0.6 pkg Italian salad dressing mix

1 pound lean uncooked ground turkey or chicken

4 pita bread rounds (toasted if you please)

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Greek Salsa Ingredients:

2 tbsps. white wine vinegar

2 tsps. olive oil

1 cup finely chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 cup kalamata or ripe olives (if available)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine bread crumbs, egg white, milk and half of the salad dressing mix. (Keep the remaining half for the Greek Salsa). Add turkey; mix well. Shape turkey mixture into four 6-inch-long x 1/2-inch-thick oval platters.

2. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 11 to 13 minutes or until no longer pink (165 degrees F), turning once halfway through broiling time.

3. While broiling the turkey burgers, mix the Greek Salsa. In a small bowl stir together white wine vinegar and olive oil and the remaining half of the salad dressing mix. Stir in tomatoes, cucumber and olives.

4. Serve the burgers in pita bread rounds. Top with Greek Salsa and feta cheese.

( This recipe for Greek Turkey Burgers is from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook.)

Rosemary Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 red potatoes, washed and cut into wedges

3 tbsp. butter, melted

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. fresh or dry rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F

2. Mix together melted butter and oil, then pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place the potatoes into the dish, and stir until coated. Sprinkly with rosemary, salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

(This recipe is from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bellas-rosemary-red-potatoes/detail.aspx)

Buen Provecho!

#24 Sesame Chicken Noodles

Looking for a new taste this week and knowing that there is a much wider selection in the grocery store in the States, we enjoyed some sesame chicken this week. My niece loved it so much, she had 3 helpings. So thanks to some yummy chili sauce from Thailand, here's another winner!

Sesame Chicken Noodles

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. box of spaghetti

4 tbsp. peanut butter

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. Thai chili sauce (or more if you like spice)

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped

4 tsp. sesame seeds

2 chicken breasts, boiled with salt, pepper and garlic

1 cup of cooked broccoli

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the spaghetti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occassionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. (As I taught my niece and nephews, if you throw a piece of spaghetti at the wall and it sticks, that means it is done.) Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

2. Melt the peanut butter in a large microwave safe bowl, 15 to 20 seconds (depending on your microwave). Mix the honey, soy sauce and chili sauce into the peanut butter, then stir in the sesame oil and ginger. Stir in the garlic, green onions, cooked chicken and broccoli and pour the entire mixture over the noodles. Top with the sesame seeds.

Buen Provecho!

Thanks for this recipe goes to: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/my-favorite-sesame-noodles/detail.aspx

#23 Grilled Fish Tacos with Fresh Corn Salsa

Every family has traditions, some are less common than others. For example, my family has tacos every Christmas Eve and to be honest prefers tacos at most every meal. Normally we have beef tacos, so I decided to switch things up a little and make some grilled fish tacos. Too bad my dad was working and missed this winner of a meal. I will definitely be doing this recipe again!

Grilled Fish Tacos with Fresh Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cups corn (I used fresh corn off fresh corn on the cob)

1/2 cup red diced onion

1 diced tomato

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons salt

6 fillets tilapia

2 tablespoons olive oil

corn/flour tortillas warmed on the grill

shredded cheese if you want to make quesadillas on the grill

Directions:

1. Preheat grill for high heat

2. In a medium bowl, mix together corn, red onion, red pepper and cilantro. Stir in lime juice and zest.

3. In a small bowl, combine cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and salt. Brush each fillet with olive oil, and sprinkle with spices.

4. Arrange fillets on grill grate, and cook for 3 minutes per side. Make quesadillas as you go and/or warm the tortillas as you grill the fish.