Balsamic Glazed Sirloin

This is another recipe that I found in my latest Clean Eating Magazine.  They have a lovely picture that some food stylist spent hours on I'm sure.  The picture did it's job though because I couldn't wait to make the recipe at home.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly (like I ever do) because I didn't want to buy things like safflower oil, which I would only ever use for this recipe.  I was a little disappointed with this.  The vinegar taste was a little overwhelming but I did like the way the steak came out.  I feel like a spoon of brown sugar would go a long way with this dish.

Balsamic Glazed Sirloin:
(adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, March 2012)
4 servings, 7 WW+

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onions
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed of any fat
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Ground black pepper to taste
1 carton sliced mushrooms

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, onions, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder.  In a large pan add the sirloin and top with 2 tablespoons or the vinegar mixture, turning to coat.  Marinate for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, fill a pot with 2 inches or water and insert a steamer basket.  Steam the potatoes  until tender, about 13 minutes.

Carefully remove the potatoes and dump out the water.  Transfer the potatoes back into the pot and beat with an electric mixer.  Add the milk, salt, brown sugar, and ground ginger.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Remove the sirloin from the marinade and add to the skillet.  Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, transfer to a cutting board, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add the remaining vinegar mixture and the mushrooms to the skillet, bring to a boil and let cook for 1-2 minutes until reduced, scraping and stirring with a wooden spoon constantly.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining salt and pepper.  Slice the sirloin against the grain.  Serve with the mashed potatoes and reduced vinegar sauce.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I love sweet potatoes.  I will eat them pretty much anyway I can.  I've had a bunch of sweet potatoes to use up since Thanksgiving and this is one of the ways I've been eating them.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries:
(Ina Garten- Barefoot Contessa)

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into 3 long spears. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil. Spread the potatoes in one layer. Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Hash

Sunday afternoon I was digging through the kitchen to try to find something to eat for lunch.  I found a sweet potato, left over black bean patties, bell pepper, onions, garlic, carrots, and regular potatoes.  I decided to experiment with everything and came up with a black bean sweet potato hash.

If you don't have left over black bean patties feel free to use half of a can of black beans, slightly smashed.  Just use what you have.

I love it when I can use up leftovers.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Hash:
(inspired by The Pioneer Woman's Breakfast Potatoes)

1 sweet potato
1 yukon gold potato (or whatever you have)
1-2 left over black bean patties, broken apart
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
salt and pepper to taste
paprika to taste

Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until they are easy to poke with a fork.  When finished peel the sweet potato and cut all of the potatoes into cubes. 

In a large skillet heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon canola oil.  When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper.  Spread out the vegetables so that everything has the chance to brown.  Once the veggies are nice a crispy add the potatoes and the black bean patties, stir to mix everything together.

Let the potato mixture cook until nice and brown, then flip and cook the other side.  Add salt, pepper, and paprika and cook until they are as crispy as you'd like.

I would consider this a main meal.  It's also one of those meals that you could add or subtract any vegetables that you would like to have.

Breakfast Potatoes

My wonderful dog Bowzer woke me up at the crack of dawn on Saturday.  (Thank you sweet dog).  We went on a long walk, ran around the dog park, and came back up stairs to relax (or chase the cat around) until Mr. T got out of bed.

As we were watching our favorite tv shows I decided that it would be a nice surprise to make breakfast when Mr. T got out of bed.  After going through the pantry and vegetable bowl I decided on breakfast potatoes.  I took The Pioneer Woman's basic breakfast potato recipe and added a couple of more things to it.

Breakfast Potatoes:
(The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
4 whole (to 5) Large Red Potatoes
1 whole Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, Diced
2 cloves of Garlic, diced
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Or Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 Teaspoon Paprika

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover entirely with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. When they are ready, place the potatoes on a cutting board and dice them into 1-inch pieces.

In a large skillet heat oil and butter over medium-low heat. Put the onions, bell pepper, and garlic in the skillet and sauté until they start to turn brown.

Next, throw in the diced potatoes. Stir well and then slightly press/pack then. Now you will cook them without stirring for several minutes. You want the pan to be hot enough to crisp the potatoes but not hot enough to char them. Sprinkle a spoon full of flour over potatoes as they cook.

Cook for several minutes and then flip them with a spatula. Salt and Pepper them as they cook. Cook until desired brownness.

Southwest Cheddar Steak Fries

I made steak fries the other night.  I usually make ranch fries but in my quest to try new recipes  I decided to go with this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine.  They were great and the red bell pepper really added flavor to the steak fries.

















Southwest Cheddar Steak Fries:(Clean Eating Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 lb red or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar
1/2 cup finely minced red bell pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the potatoes in a ziploc bag.  Add the olive oil, paprika, and garlic.  Toss inside the bag until all of the potatoes are covered.  Arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then flip and stir, baking for 7 more minutes or until lightly golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese, pepper, and salt. Bake for 2 more minutes or until slightly melted.

Parmesan Potato Fans

Potatoes are an easy side dish.  It's a good thing because we are still using some of the last batch of Yukon Gold potatoes from Mr. T's boss.  This dish is adapted from a potato dish that my mom made when I was a kid.

This dish would make a great appetizer if you used little new potatoes.

Parmesan Potato Fans:

(from my Mom)

4 potatoes- whatever kind you like

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon season salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375* F.  Mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a bowl.

Cut the potatoes,about 3/4 of the way through.  Be careful not to cut them all the way through.  I make about 8 slices.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and brush with the olive oil mixture.  Bake for about an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked all the way through.

Parmesan Oven Fries

Guess who got some more produce from Mr. T's office?!  This time it was a bag of Yukon Gold potatoes.  Thank you UF College of Agriculture!

Parmesan Oven Fries:

 

3 potatoes, cut into wedges

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Add everything to a bag and toss until the olive oil, cheese, and spices cover the potatoes.

Place the potato wedges in a pan and bake in the oven at 425, turning halfway through.

Hashbrowns

I have a confession to make.  I cannot make hash browns to save my life.  They never turn out right.  Mr. T on the other hand makes great hash browns.  They are crispy and delicious every time.

Crispy Hash Browns:

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
1 lb Russet baking potatoes, peeled and grated
1 white onion, chopped small or grated
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat.

While the pan is heating, squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated potatoes. Either use a potato ricer or a kitchen towel.  Mix the potatoes and onion together.

When the oil in the pan heats up add the grated potatoes and onion to the pan, in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. After a few minutes, lift up one edge of the potatoes and see how done they are. If they have fried to a golden brown they are ready to flip. Use a large spatula to flip the potatoes over.   Continue to cook until they are golden brown on the bottom.

Hashbrown Casserole

My family does a big brunch for Christmas every year.  It's awesome.  We wake up, make breakfast, enjoy the time with friends and family, and then open gifts. 

The menu usually consists of waffles, quiche, fresh fruit, and an assortment of breakfast meats.  We also have hash brown casserole.  It's awesome and everyone loves it.

Hash Brown Casserole
 

Ingredients:
2 lbs frozen hash browns
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 11 x 14 baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix the above ingredients together, place in prepared pan and top with more cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top.

Ranch Oven Fries

I had some potatoes to use up this week and I don't have the best track record with homemade french fries.  It was time for me to make a comeback!    These turned out really good too and were really easy.














Ranch Oven Fries:(Inspired by Tyler Florence)

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, halves cut lengthwise into fourths to make 16 big, fat wedges
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet ranch dressing powder
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

While the baking sheet is heating, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, ranch dressing, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a ziploc bag. Then dump the potatoes out onto a baking sheet, spreading to a single layer. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, until the potatoes are cooked through, brown and crispy. When the fries are finished toss them with the cheese and the rest of the salt.

Potatoes au Gratin

When you add cheese to potatoes (and why wouldn't you?) you end up with potatoes au gratin.  This recipe is amazing.  This dish has quickly made it to the top of the potato list.

Potatoes au Gratin:
(Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
4 whole Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean
2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
1-½ cup Heavy Cream
½ cups Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Flour
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated
8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled *optional

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish.
Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish.













Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.  Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture.














Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving

Bacon-Ranch Potato Salad

Confession: I'm not the biggest fan of cold potato salad.  I think i'm the only person in the south that feels that way.  I'm learning to love it.  My family on the other hand loves it.  I decided to compromise.  I'd make a potato salad for them and add bacon and ranch for me.

Bacon- Ranch Potato Salad:

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed
1 (12 ounce) package sliced bacon
1 ½ cups sour cream
½ cup + 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ red onion, minced
1 pinch Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing

Directions:

Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender enough to pierce with a fork. Drain, cool enough to handle, and cut into cubes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve bacon grease.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, green onions, red onion, Italian seasoning and ranch dressing. Crumble the bacon into the bowl and pour half of the reserved bacon grease over all.  Stir gently until everything is evenly distributed.

Refrigerate over night for the best flavor.

For reals... this is amazing.  I love it and I have spread the bacon-ranch potato salad love to my friends and family.   :)

Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes.  Whenever we have a large family dinner i'm in charge of brining them.  I also love cheese.  There is something about the creamy potatoes and the bite of the cheddar cheese.  It's amazing.  My mom loves to make her potatoes with a little bit of chicken or beef stock to make them richer. Just something to think about.

Cheddar Mashed Potatoes:

3 large Idaho potatoes
1/3 stick of butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup half-n-half or cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut up potatoes into cubes and boil until soft.

Using a stand mixer or a hand held potato masher mash the potatoes until they are at the consistancy that you like.

Add half-n-half, sour cream, salt and pepper, cheddar cheese, and butter.  Mix everything together so the butter and cheese melt.

Depending on what's going on with the weather and potatoes you have at the time you're making this you might need to add a little more or a little less butter, sour cream, or half-n-half.  Just keep tasting them until they are how you like it.

Enjoy!