Artichoke - grilled and steamed!!

Well wow -- HUGE family fav!!!  We were torn between the steamed and grilled version of this but both were AMAZING!!!  B man killed 2 artichokes himself!!!

1. Remove stem– just snip the stem so it’s about an inch long

2. Trim the bracts– Take a pair of kitchen shears (or a clean pair of scissors) and snip the tips all the way around. You can take a sharp knife and just cut off the very top.

3. Steam–  Bring to boil a couple inches of water in a pot with a steamer insert (a mesh strainer will work if you’re in a pinch), place artichokes in stem side up and cover pot with a lid.  If you are going to eat your artichokes just steamed then they’ll need to stay in there for anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on the size. For these Fire Roasted Artichokes, just steam for 20 minutes and then remove and let cool until cool enough to handle.

4. Slice artichoke in half

5.  Remove the choke– remove purple flesh and use a spoon to scoop at choke.  Slicing with a knife will make choke removal easier.

6. Oil and Season– Brush both sides of artichoke with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper

7.  Grill– place artichoke on a preheated grill (medium heat) center side up.  Grill with lid closed for about 10 minutes and then flip.  Continue grilling for another 5-10 minutes until you have nice grill marks and the flesh appears soft.

8.  Serve and eat! Place on a serving dish with your desired dipping condiments.  We love this Garlic-Herb spread and melted butter is always a classic.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast

Gotta love myself an easy meal that feels like a restaurant made it :)

Ingredients

·       4-5 pounds Beef Chuck Roast

·       2 cups Beef Broth

·       1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

·       1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

·       1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

·       1 tsp Salt

·       1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

·       3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, pressed

·       Zest of 1/2 an Orange

·       Red Potatoes, washed

Place meat and potatoes into crock pot and turn on low heat. Whisk together all the other ingredients and pour over the top of the meat. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

This was delicious and perfect for a day on the boat!!

Ingredients

1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (we prefer murky organic ACV like Bragg’s)
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 cup grated onion
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Instructions

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the macaroni according to package directions (cook just to al dente…you don’t want to over cook this).

While the pasta is cooking, make sure the vinegar, onion, and carrots are measured and prepared. Set aside. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain. Do not rinse! Immediately transfer to a large food storage bowl. While still hot, drizzle with apple cider vinegar and toss. Add onions and toss, then add the carrots. Allow to cool slightly (15-20 minutes on the counter).

Reserve 1/3 cup of the dressing in an airtight container. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the pasta and toss to combine. If desired, add any mix-ins. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours. Immediately before serving, add reserved dressing. Season with freshly ground black pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary.

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Notes

OPTIONAL MIX-INS

·       1 cup shelled peas

·       1 cup diced ham

·       1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or cheese cubes

·       1 cup chopped celery

·       1 cup chopped red bell pepper

·       green onions for garnish

·       3-4 chopped hard-boiled eggs

Garlic Balsamic Flank Steak

This was DELICIOUS and I highly recommend grilling the zucchini with it!!!

Ingredients

1 flank steak
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoon Worcestershire
4 tablespoons oil*
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
4–5 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced

Kosher salt and black pepper

*Feel free to use an oil of your choice.  I tend to use vegetable oil over olive oil in this recipe because olive oil will solidify in the fridge.

Combine all marinade ingredients except salt and pepper in a 9 x 13 pan and whisk until smooth.  Lay your flank steak in the pan, turning a few times to cover in marinade.  Marinade at least 6-8 hours minimum for best results, and overnight is great as well.  During the marinade process, flip your meat at least once to evenly distribute.

Preheat outdoor grill or indoor broiler to high heat.  Remove meat from marinade and salt and pepper one side.  Place that side down on the grill or facing up if you’re broiling in the oven.  Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, sprinkling remaining side with salt and pepper when flipping.

Cooking time will vary depending on steak size.  Check for temperature in the thickest portion and remove from heat around 135-140 degrees for medium rare.  Flank Steak cooked to the upper 140’s and beyond has a tendency to be tough so try not to overcook!

Cover with foil after removing from heat for at least 5 minutes before slicing.  Always slice against the grain- for flank steak, that means slice parallel to the shorter side of the rectangle.

Tuna Melt

I'm not really a fan of tuna but thought I would give this a try -- it was delicious!!  

INGREDIENTS

1/3 c. mayonnaise

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 (6-oz.) cans tuna

1 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 dill pickles, finely chopped

1/4 c. finely chopped red onion

2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 slices bread, such as sourdough

2 tbsp. butter

1 tomato, sliced

8 slices cheddar

1.      Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (if using).

2.    Drain tuna then add to mayonnaise mixture. Use a fork to break up tuna into flakes. Add celery, pickles, red onion, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

3.     Butter one side of each bread slice. Top an unbuttered side with approximately 1/2 cup of tuna salad, 2 to 3 slices tomato, and 2 slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side facing up. Repeat with remaining ingredients and place on a large baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melty, 5 to 8 minutes.

Big Mac Sloppy Joes

Well this was delicious and actually tasted BETTER than McDonalds (healthier too!)  Hard to eat though - just fell apart and boys ended up eating just the mixture and taking bites of buns -- hahaha

INGREDIENTS:

GROUND BEEF MIXTURE

·      1 1/2 pounds ground beef , (85/15)

·      1/2 yellow onion , finely chopped

·      1/4 cup hamburger pickles , chopped

·      1 teaspoon kosher salt

·      1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

·      2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

MCDONALD’S SECRET SAUCE RECIPE:

·      1 cup mayonnaise

·      1/4 cup French dressing

·      2 tablespoons sweet relish

·      1 tablespoon ketchup

·      1 teaspoon white vinegar

·      1/4 teaspoon onion powder

·      1/8 teaspoon salt

TO ASSEMBLE (DOUBLE DECKER):

·      8 hamburger buns , (with seeds)

·      2 cups iceberg lettuce , shredded

·      12 hamburger pickle chips

·      4 slices American cheese

·      Additional sauce , optional

1.    Brown your ground beef halfway, about 3-4 minutes, in your large skillet then add in the chopped onions, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

2.    Cook the beef until fully browned, about 3-4 minutes, then add in the chopped pickles and stir.

3.    Mix the McDonald’s Copycat Big Mac Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well.

4.    Add 1 cup of the secret sauce to the pan, reserve the rest for your buns.

5.    Cook 1 additional minute then serve on sesame hamburger bun (stacking order in notes below).

Reuben Sandwiches

I made an N-Ron classic tonight -- I went through her recipe cards when I was at my dads once, so made up this yumminess and it made me think of my Momma!  She usually did this open face and had them at her parties :)