Grilled Steak with Ginger Mushroom Broth and Radish and Orange Salad

Source:  winning dish on Hell's Kitchen

3 T grated fresh ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1 t sesame oil
4 cups chicken broth (I used my homemade vegetable broth)
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup enoki mushrooms, sliced thin
1.5 c sliced rainbow chard
5-6 radishes sliced thin
1 orange peeled and sectioned
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/8 t Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1.5 lb grilled flank steak, sliced thin


In a large pot, saute ginger and garlic in sesame oil for 2 minutes.  Add broth and soy sauce.  SImmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and add mushrooms and chard.
Combine radishes and orange sections, vinegar, oil and mustard.  Season with salt and pepper.

To serve:  Pour broth into a bowl.  Top with steak and radish orange mixture.


I had to try this recipe.  It sounded so weird, and so different.  All the elements -- I love, so I thought why not try it.  It was pretty easy to make.  The broth simmering on the stove smelled divine.

This is a fantastic dish.  Fantastic.  I'll be honest -- if you are not willing to suspend preconceived notions on how a dish is supposed to be -- don't try it.  But if you are up for a delicious and unique twist on an Asian noodle bowl -- this is it.  The elements work perfectly together. Alone, the broth is overly salty.  But add thin slices of the grilled beef and it's delicious.  The chard is a little bitter, which is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the orange, and the radishes are a welcome fresh texture.  Fantastic dish -- MAKE IT.

Flaxseed Muffins

This week's post is going to be a little bit different.  The flaxseed muffins were a complete failure.  I am not even going to put the recipe here, b/c, well, it was just bad.  I don't even think that there is a way to salvage it, or tweak it.  The recipe is chock full of good things for you -- flaxseed meal, oat bran, shredded carrots, grated apples, raisins, pecans -- I was excited to come up with a healthy breakfast muffin.  BTW, the recipe also didn't have any fat in it - -other than what is in the nuts, eggs and milk.  So, off I went baking these muffins.  I had to specially find oat bran at the store (think gluten free section).  I already have flaxseed meal in my freezer b/c I like to sneak it into my daughter's yogurt.  So, the muffins are super healthy, and they taste exactly like that -- super healthy -- you can "feel" all the fiber you are eating, the moisture is the "fake" moisture coming from the carrots and apples and not the silkiness that comes from fat, they are not sweet, and they don't have much flavor despite generous addition of cinnamon and vanilla.  So. I remain on the hunt for a healthy and tasty breakfast treat, and won't make these again unless I have taste for "cardboard muffins."

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Source:  Dannon Yogurt container

2 T canola oil
1 large sweet onion sliced
2 t ground cumin
3 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (I didn't bother peeling the potatoes -- you don't even notice the peels once you've pureed the soup)
1.5 qt chicken broth
1 3/4 c plain yogurt
2 T chopped parsley or cilantro  (I used parsley)
1/4 c pumpkin seed

In a soup heat oil, add onion and cumin.  Sautee for 3-4 minutes.  Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes.   Puree soup with 1.5 c yogurt and parsley.  Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

You ask -- why do a hot creamy soup right when the weather finally got warm?  There is no reason other than I like soup, and this looked incredibly intriguing.  Let me just say up front that I find the combination of cumin and sweet potato heavenly.  The soup simmering away smelled incredibly delicious.  It was fairly easy and straightforward. The pureeing of hot soup in batches is a bit of a pain -- those of you with an immersion blender probably would have a much easier time with this recipe.

The soup is delicious.  Creamy, sweet with a bit of heat from the cumin, and the salty crunch of the pumpkin seeds is the perfect garnish.  Be aggressive with the seasonings -- salt and cumin, the soup can take it.  Also, fair warning, this makes a HUGE batch of soup, making it perfect for company. Also, very healthy -- I used fat free yogurt, and my home made vegetable broth -- so low fat, no preservatives, beta carotene from the sweet potatoes, probiotics, calcium from the yogurt - -a delicious, healthy and different meal.  Would be perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich in the winter.

Mexicali Cube Steaks

source:  Schnucks circular

4 cube steaks (1-1/4 lb)
1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 t ground pepper
2 T oil
2 green peppers, sliced
1 large onion sliced
15.5 oz chunky salsa


Place cube steaks in large zip-loc plastic bag, add flour, salt and pepper.  Seal bag, then shake to coat steaks with flour mixture.  In nonstick skillet, heat oil.  Remove steaks from flour mixture, shaking off excess.  Don't discard flour.  Cook steaks 2 minutes on each side or until browned.
Meanwhile, in slow cooker bowl, toss bell peppers and onion with remaining flour mixture in bag.  Stir in salsa.   Place stakes over onion mixture.  Cover and cook 7-9 hours on slow.  Serve over rice.


This seemed an appropriate recipe after Cinco de Mayo.  And, we can repeat my little rant from last week's post about the virtues of slow cooker cooking.  You have to be a little organized for this recipe unless you have 20 minutes in the morning to do the chopping and searing of the steaks.  I did that the night before, and had everything to just put together in the slow cooker in the morning before I left for work.  Oh, and I had some leftover diced tomatoes, so I threw them in the crockpot too.

Sure enough, there was a heavenly smell when I got home for work.  Smelled like someone was cooking for me all day, and smell of onions, tomatoes and peppers cooking together evoked childhood memories.

The meat was a little dry, the sauce tasted great -- I used a medium salsa, so there was a little heat in the sauce.  This a good workhorse of a meal -- easy to put together, ready by the time your get home.