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Chipotle Steak Rice Bowls

October 3, 2021October 3, 2021 FloraD

I’ll get to the point. We love tacos and fajitas. So much so that I came to the conclusion that we needed another Taco Tuesday, but let’s say on a Friday. I decided mix it up a bit and make these tasty fajita steak rice bowls, which feature juicy slices of homemade fajita-seasoned skirt steak along side sliced onions and peppers over rice. I promise the effort is worth the reward. What am I saying?! You’ll find this recipe is a quick and satisfying meal. This recipe comes from The Recipe Critic and will not disappoint.

First, bring out all your ingredients, which are your seasonings, olive oil, limes, soy sauce, skirt steak (try to pull it out an hour ahead of time because meat cooks more evenly when it’s at room temperature), peppers (any color you want), some butter, and rice (brown or white, your choice).

Go cook some rice.

Next, make the fajita seasoning. A lot of stuff (seven!) goes into this, but that’s where all the flavor. Please do that skip the chipotle chili pepper powder, which you can find among all the other spices at the grocery store. I hate buying spices that I never use again, but you can use this instead of your regular chili powder. It’s worth the purchase.

Mix it up, spoon out some for your veggies, and put the rest aside for the marinade.

Time for the marinade. You don’t have to marinate the meat for hours. Love it. If you’re like me, you usually forget to marinate ahead of time. Not a problem here. In a gallon size zip-top bag, add olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, and the fajita seasoning. Throw your steak in the mag, close the bag, and squish the bag around to coat the steak. Let it hang out on your counter while you slice and cook up the peppers and onion. BTW, you can use any color of bell pepper. Any type of onion too. I used yellow and red peppers with red onions.

Now you’re going to cook your onions. I used an iron cast skillet because it makes a nice crust on the steak and it makes me feel fancy (which is super important when cooking as it boosts your confidence level), but any skillet works. After you’ve softened the onion a bit, add your peppers and reserved fajita seasoning. Give it a stir. I don’t like overcooked, soft peppers so I only cooked them for about 4 minutes. These are perfect.

Transfer them to a plate and set them aside.

Next is the steak. I did sort of make a mess, but that’s okay. Melt some butter in the skillet and gently place it in the pan so you don’t splatter the butter like I did.

Sear the steak for about 4 minutes on each side. When you think it’s ready, take our your trusty instant thermometer. Wait, you don’t have one? You need to buy one (and no, I’m not making any money from this recommendation). It’s perfect when making sure your meat isn’t raw. Ick. I like mine around medium rare, which is about 145F. If you want it medium, cook until 160F. Let’s not discuss any other acceptable level of rareness.

When the steak is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and slice it as thin as you like. Fill a bowl up with hot, cooked rice. Throw on your steak and veggies. Add any toppings you like. Cilantro is a must in our family. We also added spicy pickled carrots and avocado. Yum.

This is a make again. Two thumbs up. This meal pleases everyone because it’s both adult and kid friendly. The perfectly seasoned steak is flavorful without being too spicy. You can customize the bowl to however you want. My picky eater skipped everything but the rice and steak while throwing some cheese on top. Perfect! There’s no wrong way to make your bowl. Because I tend to low carb it, I skipped the rice and put it on a bed of kale (yes, I’m weird that way), but cabbage would have worked too.

Go make this. Please and thank you.

Chipotle Steak Rice Bowls

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Servings 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili pepper powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil divided
2 limes juiced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
2 medium bell peppers any color
1 medium onion any type
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups rice
your favorite toppings

Instructions

About an hour before cooking, place the steak on the counter so it comes up to room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine the chipotle chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reserve 1 1/2 teaspoons for the vegetables.
In a large zip-top bag, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, and the remainder of the fajita seasonings. Add the steak, seal the bag, and press the bag to coat the marinade onto steak. Set it aside on the counter while you prepare the vegetables.
Remove the onion skin and slice into thin strips. Core the bell peppers to remove the seeds and thinly slice.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12" cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the bell peppers and sprinkle with the reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons of fajita seasoning. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Transfer and set aside on a plate.
Melt butter on the same skillet and sear the steak. Allow to sear for 3 to 4 minutes (or more depending on how done you like your steak) on each side. Internal steak temperature should be 145F for medium rare or 160F for medium. Transfer steak to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
Fill bowls with rice. Top with steak, onions, peppers, and your favorite toppings.

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Italian Marinated Sirloin Steak

September 26, 2020September 26, 2020 FloraD

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The final days of summer are gone. It’s officially fall, but the hot, breezy weather isn’t convincing me to bring my sweaters out just yet. There’s still time to grill.

Keeping with that theme, you must try this easy steak marinate. I chose sirloin steak because it happens to be one of the more “inexpensive” steaks. Beef prices have gone up so inexpensive is a relative term compared to the other pricey cuts of beef. Sirloin is not as tender as filet mignon or marbled like a rib eye, but it’s a dependable, lean hunk of meat. It’s the friend that will never fail you.

This recipe comes to you from The Food Network. I changed a couple things, but that’s because I did not plan in advance and did not have fresh herbs. I was too lazy to run to the store, too. Dried herbs are never as good as fresh, but this marinade is pretty damn good so I think it’s fine to use whatever you have on hand.

Make your marinade the night before. Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, grated garlic, a trio of herbs, a little honey, and some red pepper flakes.

In a gallon size resealable bag, add your steaks. The recipe calls for one large 2-pounder, but that’s crazy. I can’t find that anywhere. I plopped in 4 nice pieces totaling to about 1 1/2 pounds. This is plenty of meat for a small 3-person army with leftovers. Reserve a little marinade if you want to drizzle some over your cooked steaks. Pour the rest of your marinade into the bag, and squish the meat and marinade around until the meat is well coated. Seal it up and stick it in the fridge overnight. I like to put it in a glass pan in case the bag leaks. I hate cleaning my fridge, especially after the exploding soda incident. Let’s not speak of that.

When you are ready to grill, remove the steaks from the bag, dripping the extra marinade off, and place on a plate. Heat up your grill or grilling pan in my case because I didn’t want to send my husband out to grill in the unhealthy smoky air. I’m a nice wife.

What you end up with is perfection. The rosemary, parsley, and oregano give it a delicious herby quality while the sweet honey and garlic/pepper kick rounds it out. Everyone gets along and you end up with summer on a plate.

Italian Marinated Sirloin Steak

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Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves grated garlic
1 tablespoon dried chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
sirloin steaks

Instructions

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, rosemary, parsley, oregano, honey, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Combine the remaining marinade with the steak in a large resealable bag. Turn the bag several times to coat the meat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to high. Transfer the steak to a plate or baking sheet, letting the excess marinade drip off. Season the steak with salt and pepper. If possible, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Grill the steak until a thermometer inserted into the thickest side reaches 130 degrees F. For a 1 1/2 to 2 inch steak, this is about 16 to 20 minutes for medium rare, flipping every 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest 10 minutes. Serve whole or slice the meat to your preferred thickness, against the grain. Serve with the reserved marinade.

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Slow Cooker Cube Steak

April 19, 2020May 24, 2020 FloraD

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I haven’t been cooking anything new lately. With all the uncertainty of the world lately, I just want what’s familiar. Spaghetti and meat sauce. Stroganoff. Tacos with carnitas or ground beef. (Yes, with the little taco mix seasoning packet. Don’t judge. It’s not authentic, but it’s tasty. You know you love it too.) I also bought plenty of chicken thighs, which I’ve been marinating and grilling. We ate a sugar glazed ham for Easter, which I heated up in the slow cooker. But I haven’t made a single new dish. I’ve been stress baking cookies and bundt cakes lately too.

A few million days ago (ok, March, but it seems like forever ago), I made something completely new that I ended up loving. I want to make it again, but that would require me to go to the grocery store, which I’ve been avoiding like the plague. Pun intended. I found the recipe on Delish: Cube Steak.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had cube steak before. For those of you who are familiar with it and maybe eat it all the time, you have my permission to laugh. I’ve seen it, but didn’t know what to do with it. Or even what it is. But in a particularly brave moment, I decided to buy some and learn what it is.

News flash. It’s just a round or top sirloin steak that has been through a tenderizing that puts these cube shaped indents in it. It’s commonly used for chicken fried steak, which I love so I’m a little embarrassed I didn’t know that until now. Duh.

This recipe is really simple. Take a few steaks and season them with salt and pepper.

Throw them into a slow cooker. Slice up some onions.

Add garlic powder, onion soup mix (yep…this is home cooking, folks), and beef broth. Set it to low for 8 hours. About an hour before it’s done, mix water and cornstarch, and add it to the slow cooker, which magically turns the liquid to gravy. Sever over buttered egg noodles or rice, which is what I did.

Not only is it super easy, it’s both tasty and comforting. Maybe I should don on my face mask and brave the grocery store.

Slow Cooker Cube Steak

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Servings 4

Ingredients

2 pounds cube steak about 4 pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 large onions sliced into 1/4" rings
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 ounce onion soup mix packet
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
buttered egg noodles or rice for serving

Instructions

Season steaks with salt and pepper. Add to slow cooker. Slice onions and add to slow cooker. Then, add garlic powder, onion soup mix, and beef broth.
Set slow cooker to low for 8 hours.
One hour before you’re ready to serve, mix cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir into slow cooker. Cook on high until gravy has thickened, stirring periodically. Serve over buttered egg noodles or rice.

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Creamy Steak Fettuccine

December 8, 2019January 7, 2020 FloraD

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The method to my madness is to blog the recipes I’ve tried that have had relative success. Some do flop. I haven’t any of those lately, thank god. Some are loved by one, but not the other. But this one got two thumbs up. I suspect it’s because steak is always a welcomed favorite in this household, especially after soooo many chicken dishes. What can I say? I like chicken.

I didn’t change up the recipe too much so let’s give credit to Delish. They have reliable recipes and great videos so I like their recipes a lot.

First, boil a pot of water. Add salt like it’s the sea. Do not add oil to prevent the noodles from sticking. This also prevents your sauce from sticking, which is not a good thing. Throw your pasta in and let it do its thing.

While this is going on, work on your sirloin steak. Season it well with salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of salt. I know…between the pasta water and the steak, you would think you’re going to do some serious damage, but unless you’re on a salt-restrictive diet, you can handle this. Mine practically has a crust on it and you’ll notice the payoff. It takes steak up a notch. If you are really uncomfortable with this much salt, skip it.

Cook the steak for about 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. You can cook it longer if you want it completely dead, but I’m sort of opinionated about the doneness of my steak. It should be somewhere between mooing and pink. I would have sliced this to show you, but the steak was still resting (it was exhausted!), which is really important. Never slice into a steak for at least 5-10 minutes after you’re done cooking it. Some magical science happens here. Letting it sit allows it to continue to cook slightly and prevents the steak from oozing every where. Don’t I have a way with words? But that’s really the truth of it. If you complain of bloody steaks, it’s because it didn’t rest before you cut into it.

While the steak is resting, work on your sauce. The seasonings are pretty simple: Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. I used fresh parsley, but dried works too. The recipe calls for freshly grated cheese, which is always best, but you can use the pre-grated stuff form the store.

Half your cherry tomatoes. I used both red and yellow, but it’s up to you.

I have to be honest. I’m a little intimated by sauces. I’ve never made an alfredo sauce from scratch. I like my trusty friend, Rao’s alfredo sauce from a jar. But for purposes of this recipe, we’re going to be brave. Take charge. Melt your butter, add some garlic, whisk in some flour, pour in the milk, and tell it who’s boss. Simmer for about 5 minutes. It will thicken. Add your plate of seasonings, and then add the halved tomatoes.

It’s sort of hard to gauge by the picture, but I tried to show how thick your sauce should be. The tomatoes don’t sink to the bottom. There’s substance. Not to thin, not too thick.

Add your cooked pasta and then spinach. Toss until the spinach is wilted. To be honest, with the spinach and tomatoes, it’s practically a salad, right?

Don’t get too frustrated with the spinach. Four cups seems like a lot, but it’s just the right amount. It took longer to wilt than I liked so this was really testing my patience. Putting a lid on it will help a lot.

Pile it on a plate, top with sliced steak (note doneness), and drizzle a little balsamic vinegar if you have some. It makes for a colorful plate that will impress your family, causing them to think you are some sort of gourmet chef. I’m ok with that.

Creamy Steak Fettuccine

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Servings 6

Ingredients

12 ounces fettuccine
1 pound sirloin steak
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to season steak
2 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
4 cups baby spinach
Balsamic vinegar

Instructions

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Coat both sides of steak with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook steak until your desired doneness, 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a plate to let rest, 10 minutes, and then thinly slice.
Meanwhile, make alfredo sauce: Add butter to skillet and let melt. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute more. Add milk and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes and cook down 2 minutes.
Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss until coated. Then, add spinach and toss until wilted.
Top with sliced steak and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.