Marinated pork loin

Main Man actually executed this meal so I will give him full credit, and credit is needed to be given to someone for this masterpiece!  I have started buying small pork loins to marinate and throw on the grill since they are fairly cheap and very easy to throw together for dinner. Plus, Main Man gets all excited when he knows we're having a big hung of meat for dinner...must be a guy thing. This one was a throw together marinade of things I had in the house...I've gotten pretty good at discovering what will penetrate the meat well after all my marinations this summer, if I do say so myself, (and I do). No messing around Monday....let's get to it!

 

white balsamic vinegar (sweeter and less bitter than normal balsamic)

soy sauce

olive oil

lime juice

garlic powder

cracked pepper

cayenne pepper (optional, but we like a little kick in the panties)

 

I didn't really measure the ingredients, just threw them together and put a finger in there to taste after I mixed it up...that's the best way to cook, in my opinion! :) I put the loin in a large plastic baggie and dumped the mixture onto it to marinate overnight. When I got home from visiting the hospital the next night, Main Man had dinner on the table ready to be served. He actually took our meat syringe and injected the loin with the excess marinade before grilling, which I think was an excellant idea that really enhanced the flavor of the meat.

 

ALWAYS, always, always let your meat rest before slicing into it after grilling or you will lost all your juice, and that's no way to ruin a hunk of beatiful meat! This was a perfect Friday night in meal for the hubs and I...those pork loins in our freezer better be worried about their fate :)

 

Last long week before the holiday, I hope everyone has their shopping done, their menus planned, and Im (not so secretly) hoping for some snow to grace our presence for a traditional white Christmas...it just doesn't feel right this year with the warm weather we've had!  Happy Monday, all!

 

Horseradish

The last time we were at Big Dan and Mama K's house, they mentioned how overrun they were with horseradish plants. You should have seen Main Man's face light up...it was like a kid who heard the words "no bedtime" or a dog that heard the words "truck ride". So we did what all 30-somethings who enjoy a little nasal blastage with their meat would do...we dug a plant up and took it home.

MM: We are old.

Me: Why?

MM: Not only do we have a garden, we are going to be growing horseradish in it.

Me: Why does horseradish make us old?

MM: It's an old person food for sure...like sour kraut, rhubarb, and radishes...shit, I love all those too! All the crap my grandparents would eat and I thought was the nastiest stuff in the world, and now here I am planting it to eat myself.

Me: Do you like sardines?

MM: No way.

Me: I think we're safe then.

Before we planted the old people food, we cut part of the root off to make our first experimental batch. Nothing off the horseradish plant gets eaten but the root, so if you grow it, you have to dig it up to get to your bounty. Cut a hunk off and re-bury it and it will continue to grow, this stuff is tough to kill and spreads like wildfire from what I hear!

So he used my garlic press to mince the horseradish root (he was very excited about this and made it before I even had a chance to figure out what he was doing).  THIS LINK explains the process in more detail and you can use a food processer too. Horseradish is very aromatic so you will be able to smell it immediately after it's processed. Just add 2 T water, 1 T white vinegar, and a pinch of salt to it before letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours to meld. We tried it immediately after it was made and it didn't have the depth of flavor it had after letting it mingle.

And now, Main Man has fresh horseradish to put on his ham, steak, prime rib, and whatever else he decides to use as a vehicle for the old people food...and he is a happy dude. Go ahead and make this to make your dude happy, if he's old like mine :)

Rotini with trapanese pesto and deer sausage

Since starting this blog, I've become an avid reader of other blogs. Depending on time, I get to quite a few of them each week, but there are a few that I check every single day...I'm addicted to their writing styles just as much as I am their gorgeous photos and fresh recipes.  I've mentioned Iowa Girl Eats before and have tried quite a few of her recipes (like spicy italian pasta salad and caprese lasagna), but this is the first time I've tried a recipe from Bev Cooks. I've been visiting her site to giggle at her sense of humor with cooking, writing, and everything she posts for months but have just never gotten around to trying any of the recipes. saw this one for trapanese pesto a few weeks ago (I didn't even know such a thing existed) and had everything on hand to throw it together...so I pretty much had to give it a shot.

2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup almonds (I used pine nuts because I had them on hand)
2 cloves garlic
12 basil leaves
1 banana pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 T olive oil
1 lb rotini pasta
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb spicy deer sausage (the original recipe was vegetarian but you know how us carnivores roll)

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, almonds (or pine nuts), garlic, basil, banana pepper, cheese, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to get it going. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain.

Cook your sausage in a skillet until done, add the sauce and pasta to the skillet. Mix thouroughly and add the entire mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with shredded fresh mozzerella cheese and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Look at that perdy sauce...you can see each ingredient separately with their colorful specks but the taste is so cohesive, it's like they were made to live together in saucy heaven for all to share. Mmmmmm....I'm telling you guys, this was even good as a cold sauce for a pasta salad. But a little mozz on top put this right where it needed to be...in my tummy! The sauce had a little kick but nothing kids couldn't handle as we had the Bentons over for dinner that night and both chillins loved it.

Oh, and don't fret...I will share with you the recipe for the most fantabulous garlic bread eva-eva tomorrow. Mallory's king's bread is not something I need to be consuming before fitting into a wedding dress, I can't be trusted with this stuff. Every time I walked by it, I was snatching a piece to throw down the hatch. Because calories don't count if your head doesn't know what your mouth is doing...get it down quick and it fits right in your diet. Stay tuned....and prepare to have your mind blown tomorrow! Happy Monday, all!

Pork chop marinade

Ready, set, MARINATE! As you know, marinades are my fave way to infuse my meat with flava without a whole lotta work involved besides the throwing it on the grill part. This one did not disappoint....a little sweet, a little bite, a lot of love. I usually just stick with my standard chipotle pork chops marinade but have been venturing out lately so I thought I would give this one a shot. I used to shy away from anything with honey in it but I've grown to love the subtle sweetness it lends without going overboard. This is going to be made again, you can bet on that!
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 T vegetable oil (I always substitute olive oil in recipes)
2 T green onion
1 t curry powder (I'm not big on curry so I left this out)

Mix all ingredients together and marinate 4-6 pork chops overnight. I halved the recipe and only did 2 pork chops. Grill and enjoy :)

Please excuse the short, simple post as it is Monday and I am working on getting my brain right after a phenomenally relaxing weekend....I'll work on being more witty tomorrow :) In the meantime, just go ahead and drool over those charred grill marks there...mmmmmm!!

Flank steak with chimichurri sauce

This recipe was from Kalyn's Kitchen, and I have tried and loved everything I've ever made from this blog. Do yourself a favor and give her a read next time you're looking for something phenom for dinner....

This was our Mother's day meal at the lake, well, it was Justin and I's, we had ribeyes and filets and chicken brats for the others ...perfect weather for a nice grillout after getting some work done and then heading on a boat ride to cap the day off. I think Mama Stensland had fun, I know if I was a mom, you couldn't really beat a day like that for me! Wishing Mama K could've joined us, but she is in the throes of a study sesh the next few weeks so I wasn't allowed to distract her...we will celebrate Mom day another weekend with her soon :)

I had the steak marinating for a day before grilling, and made the sauce early to just bring along and throw on as well. I have never done a chimichurri sauce, but am trying to expand my horizens with sauces and such so I gave it a go. I think I was actually the only person who used it, we had so much food going on that I don't know if anyone knew what it was. Chimichurri sauce is a South American condiment for beef based on fresh spices, so it really seemed like a no brainer that I would enjoy it. It had a very fresh taste to it...a lot of cilantro flava too if you like that sorta thing!

1 piece Flat Iron Steak, 1 1/2 - 2 pounds

1 T Steak Rub (the recipe called for Montreal steak seasoning but I used my boot camp instructor's steak marinade called Sarinade...you can use your favorite steak marniade instead)

Chimichurri Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
2 T minced garlic
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup olive oil

Grill the flank steak just like we have in the past few recipes....you don't want to overdo it or it becomes tough. About 5-7 minutes on each side usually does it for me, and then give it 5 more minutes to rest a bit...you should be good to go!

Spoon the sauce onto the steak and the yumminess spread all over your plate...you will want to lick it clean with your potatoes when the meat is gone!  I would say this amount of sauce will feed 6 people with steaks...

Oh, and just a little piece of advice from me to you...I will now be refraining from cutting/eating steak with plastic utensils. It was a little concerning to lose a tine off my fork, and never find it in the process of the meal. I'm pretty sure the steak was so good, I must've inhaled it and not noticed...yikes!!!

Butch's pico de gallo

I now have to replenish my Butch's recipes file since I've made all the ones he's given me and I loved every. single. one. Let me know what you've got for me next, sir! :)

5 roma tomatoes
1/2-1 jalapeno
1 seranno pepper
handfull cilantro
1/2 small red onion
a few green onions
2 T roasted red pepper (I left this out since I didn't have it on hand but you can buy it pre-packaged at the store so you don't have to roast your own)
1 T roasted garlic (you can also buy this in the store pre-roasted)
salt and pepper to taste
juice from 2 limes

Dice all these ingredients up and stir to mix. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors, or just start eating it immediately and ruin your dinner like I did. Serve over tacos (this was the perfect addition to the carne asada tacos that I posted yesterday), eggs, chicken, or with chips...pretty much whatever you can put this stuff on, do it.

This stuff was AH-MAZE-BALLS! I will be making this time and time again. I've made my own pico before but never really had a recipe...using 2 different types of onions and 2 different types of hot peppers just takes it to another level...and I can't wait to try the roasted red pepper in there next time, I'm sure it gives a certain smokiness to the equation.

Carne asada tacos

Here's your flank steak recipe for the week (you know I have to post at least one per week)!  This is another Butch recipe, I posted his chicken marinade yesterday, and I will be posting his pico de gallo tomorrow....so we may as well just call this the Week of Butch! If you look below, you may notice that this post made the favorites tab...Main Man and I were simultaneously chipmunk talking to each other with our cheeks full about how good this was the whole time we were eating. I would venture to say it's my favorite Mexican dish made at home yet! 

4 garlic cloves minced
1 jalapeno minced (original recipe calls for 2 but I didn't want to kill my main man)
handfull chopped cilantro
juice of 2 limes
juice of 1 orange
2 T white vinegar (I had to use apple cider vinegar since I was out of white)
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix it up...

Pour it on...

Grill it up...

Load them up....and you're in business!

Yes, there is a bite out of one of the tacos...I literally couldn't wait. Sorry, folks :)

I marinated the meat overnight so it was ready to throw on the grill right when I got home from hyperventilating and sweating profusely working out so I didn't have to wait long for dinner. Remember when you're grilling flank steak to cook it Medium Rare or it gets really tough. This should mean about 5-7 minutes on each side on the grill. Also be sure to let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing so you don't lose all your lovely juices! The meat is by far the big star of this taco show, I didn't even use lettuce, tomatoes, or sour cream.

I just warmed the tortillas up in the microwave for 20 seconds (heavenly little piece of advice, I would recommend you follow it), layered some slices of the carne asada with a mix of authentic Mexican cheese (the blend I got was queso quesadilla, asadero, and manchengo), and threw some pico de gallo on top (I will be sharing that recipe tomorrow, so you can start sending thank you notes now....it's sooooooo good).

If you find a better carne asada taco recipe than this, I will drive to your house to get it from you because this was right in our wheelhouse of favorite flavors...thanks again, Butch! You really made Main Man happy last week :)

Grilled chicken cordon bleu

It's funny the things you can learn on Facebook. I've known Butch for more years than I want to admit, from bartending in downtown Ames during my college years. In allllll those times we hung out, I never once knew he was a master in the kitchen! Since starting this blog, I've also learned about a few people from high school that have gone to culinary school...talk about my dream! Anyway, Butch likes to share pics of his food and post about what he's making for dinner just like I do...so I find myself jealous of all his meals and begging for the recipes...lucky me that he's nice enough to share them with me, and lucky for you he is letting me share them with you as well :)

I've been wanting to try his chicken marinade for quite a while. As you know, I'm really into marinating meat to throw on the grill each night lately....if you couldn't tell from the rosemary ranch chicken, the balsamic garlic pork tenderloin, and the cuban flank steak.  Butch said he came up with the perfect marinade for chicken, so of course, I was intrigued!

Butch's Chicken Marinade:
1/2 cup zesty italian dressing (I used fat free)
1/4 cup mayo (I used fat free)
1 T spicy mustard
1 T honey
4 chicken breasts
Put the chicken in a shallow container laying flat, and mix all the ingredients in a separate bowl before pouring on top of chicken. Let the chicken sleep in the marinade overnight, and have lovely dreams of hopping on the grill for dinner the next day...

Chicken breast doesn't take long on the grill so after about 5 minutes on each side, I put some fresh shaved ham on top of it. Then add a half slice of fat free swiss cheese to the top and shut the lid of the gril so the yumminess can melt together in peace. They should look like this when removed from the grill (look at those grill marks), and they should taste like this (oh how I wish I could give out taste tests over the internet)...

There is a hint of sweet, a hint of zestiness, and a whole lotta flava in these babies, AND they kept their moisture very well which is a big deal with chicken breast on the grill! This is super simple and is a little different so if you have food ADD like I do, this is def for you...stay tuned for some more Butch posts this week :)

Caribbean grilled flank steak

Yep...flank steak again. I'm sure that's what you're saying in your head.  That's not what my main man was saying though, and it's not what was going through my head...I've been waiting all week to do our flank steak meal! I have now been given a couple more recipes to try that will be coming up, and I wish I had better patience. I always want to eat the same meal over again when I finish with any of these flank steak meals, like the recently posted balsamic grilled flanks steak or the cuban grilled flank steak salad.

I did have a disappointing experience with it lately though...I ordered it at a restaurant.  It was thinly sliced, not seasoned enough, and way overdone...seemed more like roast beef strips. Did I say I was disappointed? Because I was disappointed. Sadface.

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that I just won't order it in restaurants anymore since I can make it so much better at home (which seems to be the case with all steaks, tacos, and most pastas).  So now that we've decided that...here's the next flank steak recipe for you to try!

2 t minced garlic
1 t ground cumin
1 t minced onions
1 t oregano leaves
1 t crushed red pepper
1 t salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 lb flank steak

Mix all ingredients up into a marinade, and pour over the flank steak to soak overnight. It will soak up all of the liquid so don't be worried about that. Fun fact: I heard on Chopped the other night that citrus juices break down tough meats so marinating with those will actually give you more tender cuts of steak. Just a little fyi...knowledge is power :)

When you're ready to grill, follow the same directions that we've talked about before. Don't overcook it! Flank steak needs to be MR or under in order to keep from being tough...trust me, and trust the restaurant who served the roast beef slices to me and called them flank steak.

Grill 4-5 minutes per side for a rare to medium rare cut of meat. Let the meat rest 4-5 minutes before slicing so you don't lose all the yumtastical juiciness....and that's it. You just hit another dinner homerun...circle the bases and have a seat on the couch. You deserve it.

The sides are just some steamed asparagus with salt, cracked pepper, and low fat parmesan cheese.....and then the balsamic parmesan portabellos with green beans. 

Grilled balsamic flank steak with grilled artichokes

I'm obsessed. I literally make flank steak once per week now.  Since I've been trying to stick to the "no carbs after 5 pm" thing, it seems that red meat is the most fulfilling main dish, and doesn't leave me wanting a pile of taters or pasta afterwards (I don't think Olive Garden should be able to advertise with photos after 5 pm...same with Pizza Hut).  Flank steak has many health benefits, but it does take up 20% of our daily fat intake, so it's not something we eat every day....but every week is fine :) It's a great source of protein so it's perfect for nights we've done weights in Kosama (rebuilds the muscle I tore up), and it's low in carbs so my body won't turn it to sugar in the evening and just sit on it. It's literally perfect and tastes soooooo naughty without actually being a diet buster!

I made the cuban flank steak salad a couple weeks ago, and Justin and I were both in heaven! I immediately went to the store and bought a few more to keep in the freezer and try some other concoctions I've found online, like this balsamic flank steak I did last week.  I was not disappointed.  The only thing you want to be careful of with flank steak is not to overdo it.  It gets very tough if overcooked, so if you like your meat done over medium-rare, flank steak may not be the cut for you. Lucky for me, I love my meat pretty rare!

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb flank steak

Combine first four ingredients in a large ziplock bag or container. Add steak, turn to coat. Marinate overnight before grilling to desired doneness (flank steak is best served medium rare as it gets tough if you go over medium). Let the meat rest for 6 minutes before cutting so you don't lose the juice!

Does anyone know how to really carve a fresh artichoke? I've never bought real ones before, but my Aunt Chris works at HyVee so she gets me some freebies of the giveaways they have at work sometimes....yeah, that's right, I know people. Anyway, she gave me two containers of fresh artichokes and I had no clue what to do with them. Got a recipe for grilled artichokes to go with my steak and thought I would give it a go....

Grilled artichokes:
6 fresh arthichokes
2 lemons, halved, plus 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 T parsley
1 t minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Trim the stem from each artichoke to 1 inch long, then bend back and snap off dark outer leaves. cut top inch of artichokes with a serratd knife. Using a vegetable peeler, peel dark green areas from stem and base of artichoke. Quarter each artichoke an cut out the choke  and remove the purple, prickly tipped leaves from the center of each wedge.

Place finished artichokes in a large bowl of cold water and squeeze 2 lemons into the water and stir. Continue with remaining artichokes.

Once finished, drain the artichokes and place into boiling wter and cook until crisp-tender, about 12 minutes. Drain the cooked artichokes and place onto preheated grill. Cook until tender and lightly charred in spots, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, add remaining lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste.  Gradually ddrizzle the mixture onto the artichokes after taking them off the grill.

This is how the recipe I got online directed me to clean a fresh artichoke, but I think I was a little off on the whole process as I wasn't a fan of these artichokes at all (which sucks because I love me some artichoke dip or artichokes on my pizza so I was pumped to grill them). Some of my artichokes were done perfectly and were very tender, but most of them were very hard and chewy, like I didn't cut off enough of the outer layers when I was cleaning them. The food hoarder in me didn't want to throw that much of the veggie out...so, I ask you, how would you explain to me how to clean an artichoke? If you don't know how, I wouldn't recommend trying this recipe....the artichoke part, I mean...you HAVE TO try the flank steak part. Did you see 'have to' in in all caps? That means do as I say :)

Look at the crust on that steak, but the middle is still juicy...mmmmm, I might have to move this week's flank steak meal up in the rotation!

Chipotle grilled pork chops

This is not a recipe. I repeat, this is not a recipe. This is a command. I have a whole compartment in my fridge for these Lawry's marinades. A list of all of the flavors can be found HERE, but I personally recommend the Steak and Chop for filets on the grill, the Baja Chipotle (pictured below) for a PERFECT pork chop on the grill, the Caribbean Jerk for grilled shrimp, and the Balsamic Herb for grilled chicken.

Marinated meat is easier than walking...you just can't do it wrong. Pour the marinade on the meat, refridgerate (it says 30 minutes, but I like to do overnight), and throw on the grill when you're hungry. This is my go-to pork on the grill, and you'll see why if you give it a shot...

I steamed some broccoli and threw some leftover parmesan tomatoes with each chop, and it was a fully satisfying, rub your tummy afterwards, fiance-pleasing, type of meal for under 500 calories.  I plan on trying all the other Lawry's flavors this Summer...now that's going to be a fun goal to work towards!

Cuban flank steak salad

I've been searching for some good flank steak recipes since I've heard it's one of the best cuts of red meat you can get, healthwise and cost-wise. Who doesn't love cheap and healthy? This is one of 2 recipes I'm giving a shot to, and I was not even slightly disappointed! I got this from a blog I found on Pinterest, go check it out at www.KalynsKitchen.com!

1 large piece of flank steak
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t ground chile powder

Mix all the ingredients up into a marinade and let the flank steak love it up overnight. Let the meat come to room temperature before grilling, and grill 4-5 minutes per side for a rare to medium rare cut of meat. I wouldn't cook flank steak more than medium or it will be pretty tough. Let the meat rest 4-5 minutes before slicing so you don't lose all the yumtastical juiciness....

Here are all the ingredients I used for the salad...basically just whatever a search of my cupboards turned up...and they all worked great with the flavors of the marinated meat! The feta gave it a nice saltiness, the crispy jalapenos put forth a small bite to it, the almonds were a nice crunch, and who can have a salad without cherry tomatoes??

I then used white balsamic vinegar and regular old olive oil as my salad dressing. Let me tell you: this is still my favorite combo.  The white balsamic doesn't have the bitter bite to it that normal balsamic does.  Justin even loved this and he never does the oil and vinegar thing with me!

I love when I find a salad that is totally filling, super yummy, and stays with me all night so I'm not hungry later....and this is it! This marinade was perfect, it gave the meat tons of flavor without being overpowering. I will be making this again...and again...and again. 

Grilled balsamic garlic pork tenderloin

I've been on a "carb free after 5 pm" thing lately....well, kinda. When I say carbs, I mean no pasta or bread, I still drink milk and eat veggies with carbs in them (corn, etc). I honestly think if you're trying to kick start some weight loss, sticking to protein and veggies late in the day is key. The best part is, I never go to bed hungry when I have a plate full of meat so it's a win-win!

It's worked...although I've been working out at Kosama since January 9, when I did my last test out the scale hadn't moved. Yes, I had lost fat mass and gained muscle (they have a special scale that tells you all that) but it's disheartening to know after all that work that you still weigh the same. It's taken this long to start seeing the scale shift, even though my clothes are fitting better, and I think dinners like these should get partial credit for that. 

P.S. This was fantabulous! I thought pork loin was expensive but I got a little guy at Hy-Vee for $4 that was enough to feed Justin and I...can't really beat that!

5 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 T balsamic vinegar
2.5 t salt
.5 t ground pepper
2 T olive oil
pork tenderloin

Stir together all the ingredients and then add to a baggie with the pork tenderloin to marinate overnight. Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Just like chicken, you want to keep a good eye on pork, if you get it overdone, it will not be juicy and tasty, it will get dry and lose a lot of flavor. Let the meat rest 4-5 minutes before slicing.

I served this with one of our favorite veggies, the roasted brussel sprouts, and that was that!

I'm a huge fan of marination lately...soak that yumminess up all day while I'm at work so I can put you in my stomach after my workout! Mmmmmmmm, I'm such a carnivore!  :)

Rosemary ranch chicken

Or as the blog I got the recipe from called it....The most delicious chicken in the whole wide world!!  How could you not make something that claims you will scream in ecstasy from the taste in your mouth? It was hook, line, and sinker for me...

This blog is insane, by the way.  Tons of fresh, yummy recipes...some have a lot of ingredients but there are quite a few that are very easy to replicate.  This one looks like a lot of components but I realized when I stumbled upon it that I had every single ingredient at home already...no trip to the store makes this girl a happy camper even before I taste the food! You should definitely click here and go check it out! But before you do that, throw this marinade together so your chicken can soak up all the loveliness that is this rosemary ranch chicken breast up in order to stuff it in your face ASAP!

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing (I used light ranch)
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T rosemary
2 t salt
1 t lemon jice
1 t white vinegar
1/4 t ground black pepper, or to taste
1 t white sugar, or to taste
1 t garlic powder
dash of Montreal steak seasoning (or any other steak seasoning)

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl and then add to a baggie with chicken breasts in it to marinate for 24 hours.

Preheat the grill for medium-high heat and grill chicken for 8-12 minutes, or until it's no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear.

I love grilled chicken. Just love it. But it does tend to get dried out if you don't cook it correctly, so keep an eye not to overdo it. This marinade is in my recipe box to use again, it gives more flavor than the standard Italian dressing marinade, and is a little thicker so it seems to stick to the meat better. I realized the week I made this that I had 3 meats marinating all at once waiting to be thrown on the grill each night for dinner...can you get any easier than just tossing fully flavored meat on the grill and getting a veggie to pair it with? No, you can't. And if you can, pretty please let me know how! Happy Monday, all! :)

Homemade ravioli with pesto alfredo cream sauce

Every other month or so, the ladies and I get together to have a Saturday cooking afternoon....we spend the day chatting and catching up, drinking wine (for the non-pregos), and preparing an all day feast to dine on for dinner that night. The first couple of times we used my grandmother's pasta machine, and both meals have turned out fantastic! I don't know why I never tried fresh pasta before...but you can bet it's now one of my faves if I have the time to throw it together. We've discussed Mexican next time and making our own shells, etc...I love that I have such fun girlfriends :)

Ravioli dough:
2 cups flour
1 pinch salt
1 t olive oil
2 eggs
1.5 T water

Pesto Alfredo cream sauce:
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 T prepared basil pesto sauce
2 cups heavy cream (we used milk)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Have a jar of marinara sauce for this as well, but keep it separate.

Egg wash:
1 egg
1 T water

Cheese ravioli filling:
1 (8 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 (4 oz) container cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 egg
2 t dried parsley

Spinach ricotta ravioli filling:
1 lb fresh spinach
1 T salt
1 lb ricotta
1 egg
2 T heavy cream
4 T grated parmigiano reggiano
1/4 t nutmeg
pinch black pepper

Italian sausage ravioli filling:
1 lb Italian sausage, browned
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Mound the flour and salt together on a work surface and form a well. Beat the teaspoon of olive oil, 2 eggs, and water in a bowl. Pour half the egg mixture into the well, and begin mixing the egg with the flour with one hand while using your other hand to keep the flour mound steady. Add the remaining egg mixture and knead to form the dough.  Knead until dough is smooth (add more flour if it's too sticky), and then form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for an hour.

While the dough was resting, we prepared our fillings. Each was just mixing different ingredients into a bowl so we could spoon it onto the raviolis once our dough was done. Set those aside.

For the pesto alfredo cream sauce, heat 2 T of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and pesto sauce and cook for one minute. Pour in the heavy cream (or milk), raise the heat to high, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese an stir until it melts. Keep the pan warm until time to serve. Meanwhile, in a spearate saucepan, warm the marinara sauce over medium low heat. Start a large stockpot of water to boil.

Back to the pasta: Roll out the pasta dough into thin sheets no thicker than a nickel. To assemble the ravioli, brush the egg wash over all your sheets of pasta. Drop the filling mixtures on the dough (on the side brushed with egg) by teaspoonfuls about one inch apart. Cover the filling with the top sheet of pasta (egg washed side down), pressing out the air from around each portion of filling.  Press firmly around the filling to seal, and then use a pizza cutter or kitchen shears to cut the pasta into individual raviolis. We used a fork to seal the edges of each ravioli better and, of course, to make the quintessential ravioli marks around the pastas.

Drop the raviolis into the boiling water, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the ravioli float to the top and the filling is hot (4-8 minutes).  Drain well. 

To serve, put ravioli on a plate and top it with marinara sauce, and finally drizzle it with the pesto alfredo cream sauce. TO. DIE. FOR. I think the meat ones were the least favorite of the group, the cheese raviolis and the spinach ricotta raviolis were both awesome! The final verdict was, these were a great Saturday activity for our ladies group, but we won't be making them again anytime soon. They were A LOT more work than our original bout with the pasta maker when we did fettucine and bolognese sauce a couple of months ago. 

P.S.  Aurey tested, Aubrey approved.  :)