Happy New Year!
It’s been a great past few weeks here. Not only were my two older stepkids home from college, but my husband was off for eleven days straight-which hasn’t happened since I’ve known him. Between Christmas, New Year’s, and our epic painting project (master bedroom and bath)-we’ve been busy.
We did a lot of reveling, food-wise. I figure I consumed my entire ration of cookies and chocolate for 2012 in the last two weeks of 2011, so in order to help “reset”, I’ve been making green smoothies for breakfast. Surprisingly, I’m really enjoying them and I think it’s something I can safely say will be a new part of my morning routine. In the meantime, however, we’ll be eating dinner as usual!
I’ve taken a decidedly different route than I recently have for this week’s menu. The past few months have been full of crockpot meals, casseroles and other comfort foods, so I think it’s time to lighten up just a little. But while I’m all for lightening up, I’m keeping it in moderation. Along with a fabulous pizza and steak sandwiches, I’ve included a few salads that are pretty fabulous in their own right. Enjoy!
Steak Baguettes with Pesto Mayo and Roasted Garlic Fingerling Potatoes
I made these tonight, and they were awesome! I used pesto that I had frozen using leftover basil from the garden last fall, which was a nice taste of summer in the midst of pretty much the first snow we’ve seen this winter. This recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine, and one serving size equals only 350 calories-but it’s still incredibly yummy! I did adjust the recipe a bit by marinating the steak in balsamic vinegar and sprinkling with Adolf’s Meat Tenderizer (which I think is magic on steak-I use it on everything but filet mignon). On the side, I made the roasted fingerlings which were a wonderful accompaniment.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/steak-baguettes-pesto-mayo-50400000114450/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_356414_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html
Chicken Satay with Ponzu Sauce
One of my perennial favorites, Chicken Satay, gets lightened up with a super flavorful ponzu sauce. Can’t wait to try this one!
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/quick-easy-grill-recipes-00400000049369/page8.html
Cheapskate Salad
This salad is from Food Network Magazine, in an article which compared the cost of purchasing items from a salad bar vs. purchasing items individually for a salad. Fortunately, I had all the ingredients on hand and plan to serve this with a honey-vinaigrette dressing. The salad calls for mesclun greens, cooked chicken, bacon, dried cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese (which I’ll be omitting-my homage to the “Cheapskate” name-I don’t have any!) I’m excited to make this hearty salad later this week.
Chicago Style Italian Sausage and Pepper Pizza
One of my favorites from Beer Barrel gets a homemade spin with this recipe by Emeril Lagasse:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicago-style-italian-sausage-and-pepper-deep-dish-pizza-recipe/index.html
BLT Sandwich Salad
I thought this was a fun take on salad-and as I’ll be making bacon anyway this week, why not?
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/blt-sandwich-salad-recipe/index.html
Fried Shrimp with Tartar Slaw
Definitely a splurge-but we have so much leftover shrimp from Christmas that I really need to use. And what better meal to end the week than batter fried shrimp? :)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/fried-shrimp-with-tartar-slaw-recipe/index.html
Have a great first week of 2012-and happy cooking!
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