Here is an easy steak recipe you can make for your guests that is mostly prepared in advance but finished off at the last minute before serving. It’s perfect because you basically re-heat it while finishing it off. It’s almost so easy you might even be tempted to make it on a….weeknight!
Ingredients:
Pat steaks dry, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet until very hot.
Saute steaks in 2 batches, turning once, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.
Transfer to a platter and cover with foil. This can be done in advance.
Pour out fat from skillet and add in garlic and remaining oil. Cook over medium high heat until garlic is light brown, be careful it does not burn. About 30 seconds.
Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping brown bits from bottom. Cook until mixture is reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
Add water and soy sauce, boil again until mixture is reduced by half, 3-4 minutes.This can be done in advance.
Reduce heat to medium low and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until slightly thickened. Do this right before serving.
Slice steaks, pour sauce over steak and serve right away.
Serves 4-6 people.
Looking for delicious side dishes to go with this steak dinner? Try Sweet Potato Hash Browns, Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Corn Cakes Recipe, or Simple Salad.
Eleven days ago, I had a baby—my third boy! It has been a very busy time filled with lots of emotions. One of my main goals has been to not let my older two children feel neglected, and a large part of that is making sure they are well-fed and nourished. My dinners are not usually complicated to begin with, but especially during these busy times I have been making simple yet good-for-you meals that have let us all feel like things are not that crazy or out of control.
Here is a rundown of our meals and snacks since I have been home with our new baby. Hopefully you can get some ideas for your own dinners. They are perfect for weeknights whether you are welcoming a new born baby into your home or just having a regular crazy day!
Ready-Made Pizza Crust
This is the most popular dinner in our house. Everyone loves eating pizza in my family, and instead of ordering in or buying a frozen ready made pizza, buying the ready-made crust, available in whole wheat and multi-grain, and adding your own toppings can be part of a delicious and healthy meal. Letting your children put the toppings on themselves makes them feel like they are part of the dinner process, and you might even get them to try a vegetable or two on their pizza.
Miami/Korean Ribs, Corn on the Cob, Roasted Sweet Potato and Smilers
Even though it is starting to get cold out, there is no under-estimating the convenience of barbecuing. I buy these ribs marinated from my local butcher, but you can buy a delicious marinade and do it yourself. Boiling corn on the cob, throwing some pre-cut sweet potato (tossed with some olive oil and salt) and smilers in the oven (my kids LOVE these) makes an easy and delicious meal.
Party Sandwiches
Have these on hand when times get busy. Someone brought some to me in the hospital, and they are the perfect snack when you don’t have time to make yourself a sandwich. I bought peanut butter and jam ones but any of the varieties are delicious.
Clubhouse Bag N’ Season
This is a great new product I will be writing more about in a future post, but I had to mention it here because the convenience of it makes it a lifesaver. Put your cut-up vegetables and chicken in the bag (included), mix with seasoning (included), and place in a 9x11 casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. It makes a delicious chicken and vegetable dinner that you can serve with pasta or rice. My favourite was the paprika.
Smoothies
Filling, delicious, and easy, I have a smoothie every morning for breakfast. My middle child also loves them, and by adding some ground flax, I know he is getting some fibre each morning, too. I buy large bags of frozen fruit from Costco (the cheapest place to buy frozen fruit) and add yogurt and skim milk and you could also add protein powder. Smoothies are also great if you are running out or just running around the house because they are easily portable.
Granola & Yogurt
Right before I had my baby, a friend of mine shared a delicious granola recipe with me. When I came home from the hospital it was great to have healthy homemade granola I could mix with yogurt and fruit for lunch and snacks. The last thing I felt like doing for my lunch was actually making something, but throwing everything into one bowl was a no-brainer. Have you tried Activia’s rhubarb strawberry yogurt? It’s delicious.
When I became a writer for Yummy Mummy Club I had no idea I would get to attend great events with delicious food like the one I attended this past summer. On August 28th Blue Goose, a company that produces antibiotic-free, pesticide-free, hormone-free, steroid-free and additive-free chicken, beef, and organic rainbow trout invited me to Common Goods, a booth they have at Queens Quay to sample some of their products.
I had the opportunity to taste Blue Goose products in dishes such as a bun free organic beef burger and Vietnamese chicken tacos with hoisin bbq sauce, pickled carrots, daikon, jalapeno, thai chili and sour cream. The Vietnamese Chicken Tacos were so good I have not been able to stop thinking about them.
My kids loved the Blue Goose organic beef hot dogs.
Blue Goose has kindly agreed to share the recipe with me and now I am sharing it with you. Not only are they delicious, they are good for you too!
Blue Goose Products are available at Sobeys, Pusateris, and Loblaws.
The Blue Goose Soft Taco or Wrap Recipe
Ingredients:
Make the fennel slaw as noted below and reserve for up to 1 day. Make the chimmi churri and reserve all summer or season long, in the refrigerator. Cut the tomatoes into 1/6 ’s. Quickly sauté the peppers, in a drop of olive oil, season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. To assemble, warm the tortillas on a grill or in a pan, warm the beef, chicken or trout and divide into each shell, spoon some slaw, sprinkle the cheese, arrange the tomato, fold the shell and as you are about to dive in, spoon on some chimmi churri and squeeze fresh lime juice.
Fennelslaw
1 bulb of fennel, shaved thin
2 granny smith apples, julienne
1⁄4 red onion, finely diced/bruinose 100 ml sour cream
1 Tbsp mayo
1 lime juiced
1⁄4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 pinch smoked paprika
1 tsp Tabasco
Salt/pepper to Taste
Recipe for Chimmi Churri
1 bunch basil
2 Tbsp cilantro
4 Tbsp parsley
6 shallots cut in 1⁄4s
4 garlic cloves
1 cup white wine vinegar 2 limes juiced
1 cup olive oil
1⁄2 Tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp sugar
salt
In a pot, add the shallots and garlic cover with vinegar and bring to a boil. Add the paprika, sugar and salt. Pick all the herbs and roughly chop them. After the shallots are tender (soft), add the herbs, puree in the blender for quick bursts. Add the lime juice, then whisk in the olive oil. Portion in small jars and store in the refrigerator.
Yield 750 ml
Serves 4, makes 12 open faced soft tacos
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