Tag Archives: dinner

Steak & Rice bowl, Mexican style

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Sliced steak, grilled vegetables, Mexican seasoned rice and a refreshing tomato cilantro garnish – top it all off with this Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette and you’ve got a winning dinner.

 

We love a good dinner bowl that packs a lot of flavour.  This dressing kicks everything up a notch with the combination of sweet, smoky and spicy.  I use it on everything, and tonight it did triple duty as a dressing to brush on vegetables before grilling, a marinade for the steak and then a drizzle over the completed dish.

  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and simply whizz it up until smooth and creamy.

RICE

In the same blender you used for the dressing, whiz up 1 tomato, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chicken stock and some minced cilantro stems.  Supplement that with water to give you enough for your usual ratio of water/rice.

VEGETABLES

Season the vegetables with the dressing above and grill until just cooked and still slightly crisp.

STEAK

Brush the steaks with a little of the dressing above and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour – Grill to desired temperature.  We like ours medium rare.

GARNISH

Quarter mini tomatoes and mince up cilantro.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and give it all a squeeze of lime.

 

Pile it all on top of the rice and drizzle the dressing over – I guarantee you will be making this on repeat. Go ahead and buy the good steak – you don’t need much to complete your dinner.

I think this would work equally well with any protein you chose to make – and at this time of year when the vegetables are coming in strong locally it would make an amazing vegetarian meal if you just added more of a variety of vegetables. I missed grilling onions tonight and I think that would have added a great punch of flavour.

The vinaigrette came from Love and Lemons, a great website with so many amazing recipes.

Shrimp Stuffed Sole with Caper Butter Sauce

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I felt like making a special dinner tonight …. will be away for 9 days without Grant, in Phoenix.  Nope, not for shopping, or golf, or even the spring training going on at the ball diamonds.  No, Hayley is having surgery again, and we are putting our trust and all our hope in the physicians that we have grown to know and love at the Mayo Clinic.  

I often make a rolled, stufed sole dinner but this one was so delicious it had to get on the blog before I forget what I did … something I am known for….

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Serves 2, but of course, feel free to adjust for however many people you are serving.

Preheat oven to 350

2 good sized sole fillets (of the same size)

4 large fresh shrimp (or prawn)

1 shallot (minced)

2 tbsp capers

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (or whatever herb you have on hand that you feel like using)

1 tbsp olive oil

butter

In a small saucepan soften minced shallot in 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp butter.  When softened, remove half the shallots to a small bowl.  To the rest of the shallots, add 2 tbsp good, dry white wine and 1 tbsp white wine vinegar.  Allow to cook just enough to reduce a bit, and add the capers.  Add another 1 tbsp of butter and allow to keep warm.

To the reserved shallots add the bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste and 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley.

Season the sole fillet with salt and pepper, lay the shrimp/prawn down at the thick end and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on.  Roll up tightly and allow to rest.

Heat an oven proof saute pan, melt a little butter with oil and gently place the rolled fillets in.  Place in preheated oven (350) and cook for 25 minutes.  Be watchful for this – depending on the size of your fish, and your stuffing, it could take as little as 20 minutes, or as much as 30.  Do not overcook your fish – as soon as it flakes easily it is done.

Remove from heat, stir the remaining parsley into the butter caper sauce, and season with freshly squeezed lemon juice and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.  Drizzle over the fish.

Citrus Marinated Chicken

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Chicken thighs that have been marinated for at least 24 hours are perfect for grilling

6-8 chicken thighs

1 generous tbsp dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lemon, sliced

1/2 lime, sliced

1 tbsp freshly chopped herbs, i.e, basil, rosemary, parsley – experiment…

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

Put all marinade ingredients in ziplock bag and give it a good squish.  Once all ingredients are smooth, add the chicken and marinate – the longer the better.

Grill and enjoy!  Serve with freshly sliced lemon/lime and chives.

Perfect with Orzo Greek Pasta

Orzo Greek Pasta

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I think all pasta recipes are really just a starting point …. I felt like a greek inspired pasta dish tonight so it was off to my favorite deli.

good quality olive oil (I prefer unfiltered)

2 cups raw dried orzo pasta

1/2 cup diced fire roasted tomatoes (canned is fine if they are really good quality)

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives

1/2 cup diced canned artichokes

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the tomatoes, feta, olives, and artichokes.  Drain the pasta, (reserving a bit of the cooking liquid in case the pasta needs it later).

Once pasta is cooked, toss with remaining ingredients and finish with:

freshly chopped chives, freshly minced basil leaves, a generous splash of olive oil, and salt and pepper  (if you like lemon give it a generous squeeze now also)

Serve with citrus marinated chicken, grilled eggplant and maybe even some roasted fennel for a mouth watering, but quick and easy dinner.

Toss well, taste and adjust seasonings.Image