Steak Lettuce Wraps

I've posted a few times now about how awesome flank steak is.  I've tried it and really liked it in wraps, pasta, and Mexican dishes.  Plus, when you marinate it over night you can pretty much cook and eat it straight, that's how delicious it is!  I did just that for this recipe, and it turned out awesome.

Salt and pepper both sides of the steak and marinate 8-12oz flank steak over night in soy sauce, and a little olive oil.  You can add any other spices you might enjoy as well.  I like things a little simpler so I stuck with the basics.

You can grill it or saute the steak in a pan.  I chose to do the later, I cut it up into slices and sauteed it over medium until it was no longer pink.

In a separate pan saute until tender any vegetables you'd like in your wrap.  I used onion, green, red and yellow peppers. 

Serve over a piece of iceberg lettuce, I also added some avocado on top of mine.  These were really delicious, I made them as a meal for one and had leftovers for the next night as well.  This is a great summer dish as you can grill or spend minimal time in the kitchen and stay cool... drinks help too!  Happy Monday!

Steak Lettuce Wraps
Serves 2 (or one with leftovers!)


Marinade:
8-12oz flank steak
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Wraps:
1/2 white onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 avocado
6 leaves iceberg lettuce


Salt and pepper both sides of the flank steak.
Combine soy sauce and olive oil and marinate the steak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Slice the steak into two-bite size pieces.
Saute in a pan over medium heat or on the grill until no longer pink.
Saute or grill any vegetables you choose until tender.
Serve over iceberg lettuce and garnish with avocado.

Steak w/ Mushroom and Red Wine Sauce

I recently subscribed to Bon Appetit magazine, and have fallen in love.  I love getting mail, but I especially love getting mail that's full of recipes and food pictures.  This steak  recipe came from the October magazine, and it was delicious. 

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl, set aside.

Season 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of hanger steak with salt and pepper.

Add rosemary and garlic to the skillet.

Add the steak and cook for around three minutes on each side, for medium rare.  Cook longer if you like your steak cooked medium or higher.  Transfer to a cutting board and let rest while preparing the sauce.

Disguard the garlic and rosemary from the killey, and pour off all but one tablepsoon of the fat.  Add wine, and cook until reduced fo 3/4 of a cup.  Strain and return liquid to the skillet.

Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about five minutes, and remove from heat.

Whisk in 3 tablespoons of butter. 

Stir in the mushrooms and one tablespoon of tarragon.  Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mushroom mixture onto plates.  Thinly slice the steak and serve over mushrooms.  Garnish with additional tarragon if you like.  I served this with spaghetti squash that I posed earlier this week and it was amazing.  The steak was very tender, and I was happy I picked some random mushrooms to serve with the steak because they added a lot of flavor.  Thank you Bon Appetit!

Hanger Steak w/ Mushroom and Red Wine Sauce

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

12 oz assorted mushrooms, torn or cut into large pieces

salt and ground pepper to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 garlic cloves

1 6 inch sprig rosemary

1 cup dry red wine

3/4 cup low salt chicken stock

2 tablespoon chopped tarragon

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.

Add mushrooms and cook until soft and golden.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

Melt one tablespoon of butter with the remaining oil in the same skillet.

Season steak with salt and pepper.

Add the garlic, rosemary, and steak to skillet.

Cook for around 3 minutes on each side, for medium rare.

Transfer to a cutting board, and let rest while you make the sauce.

Discard garlic and rosemary from the skillet.

Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat.

Add wine, and cook until reduced to 3/4 cup.

Strain and return liquid to the skillet.

Stir in the stock and bring to a boil.

Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, around 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons of butter.

Stir in the mushrooms and one tablespoon of tarragon

Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mushroom mixture onto plates.

Thinly slice steak and serve over mushroom mixture.

Garnish with remaining tarragon.

Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli

I'm trying to seek out some different low fat recipes, and found this stir fry that was perfect.  It also used the flank steak I had in my fridge which was even more of a bonus! 

Steam broccoli over an inch of boiling water until green.  Drain and set aside.

Cut the flank steak with the grain lengthwise into 2 inch wide pieces.  I made the mistake of having the butcher tenderize the meat before I bought it because I was using it in another recipe.  I don't recommend doing that for this recipe, makes it very difficult to cut.

Combine the steak with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl mix the Chile sauce and remaining teaspoon of sherry, to add to the mixture later.

Heat a flat bottomed pan over medium high heat until a bead of water vaporizes.  Swirl in one tablespoon of oil.  Carefully add the beef in one later.  Cook for one minute, letting it begin to sear.  Then stir fry until lightly browned but not quite cooked through, about one minute.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Swirl the remaining one tablespoon of oil into the pan and add the onions.  Cook until just translucent, around 30 seconds.

Add the broccoli and stir until just combined.  Return the beef and any juice to the pan.  Stir  the sauce into the pan.  Stir fry just until the beef is cooked through.  Season with more Chile sauce if desired.

I served on top of these buckwheat noodles, but it would also be great over rice.

This was really delicious, and you won't believe the nutrition.  In 1 1/4 cup there's only 246 calories (without the noodles.)  Although you don't marinate the meat for very long, it's still full of taste and makes this dish complex and great. 

Happy Monday!

Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli

Adapted from Eating Well magazine

Serving size 4

5 cups bite sized broccoli

12 oz flank steak

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoons fresh ginger

2 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons, +1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon hot Chile sauce

2 tablespoon peanut oil

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Steam broccoli over boiling water until green.

Drain and set aside.

Cut steak with the grain into 2 inch wide pieces. 

Combine the steak with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sherry , cornstarch, salt and pepper. 

In a separate bowl mix Chile sauce and remaining tablespoon sherry.

Heat a large flat bottomed pan over medium-high heat.

Swirl in one tablespoon of oil and carefully add the beef in one layer.

Cook for one minute, letting it sear.

Then, stir fry until lightly browned, and transfer to a plate.

Swirl in the remaining oil and add the onion.

Cook for around 30 seconds and add the broccoli.

Stir until just combined and return the beef to the pan.

Stir in the sherry and Chile sauce and swirl into the pan.

Cook until cooked through, and season with more Chile sauce if desired.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Flank Steak & Pasta

When C and I first started dating we were long distance and would travel back and forth between Milwaukee and Texas every month.  During one of his trips to Milwaukee we went out to an authentic Italian restaurant.  We really enjoyed ourselves, but my favorite part of the whole meal was when C was trying to order.  The whole menu was in Italian, so we were kind of guessing what each dish was.  When it was his turn to order he asked the waitress (who had an Italian accent and all) what he should get that had steak and pasta.  She seemed very offended, and told him that no Italian eats steak with pasta.  It's now a joke between us whenever we order either of those meals.  I dedicate this post to him, because even if it's not true Italian, it sure was delicious!

I bought this flank steak from whole market.  At the time I thought it was going to serve around 8 people, but we ended up eating a little more than normal just because of how good it was.

Place the steak in a casserole dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder on each side.  How much you use of each spice is up to your taste.  I added a little extra chili and garlic powder.

Sprinkle each side with Worcestershire sauce, about two tablespoons on each side.

Place the the steak in a zip lock bag and cover with 1/2 cup of soy sauce.  Roll the bag, removing as much air as possible.  Leave in the fridge for at least two hours, up to 24 hours.  I let it sit overnight and cooked for dinner the next day.

Grill to medium or medium rare. 

Slice against the grain.

I cooked until medium rare, and served over pasta with a light tomato sauce on it.  You could also use the steak for burritos or fajitas, or even serve by itself with potatoes.  It was so tasty, and letting it marinate over night adds so much flavor.  No matter what you serve with, you'll enjoy it. 

Flank Steak Marinade

Serves 4

Adapted from Blue Bonnets and Brownies

1 lb flank steak

salt

freshly cracked black pepper

cumin

garlic powder

chili powder

1/2 cup soy sauce

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Place steak in a casserole dish. 

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder on each side.

Sprinkle each side with Worcestershire sauce, about two tablespoons on each side.

Place steak in a zip lock bag, cover with 1/2 cup of soy sauce.

Roll bag, removing as much air as possible.

Leave in the refrigerate for at least two hours, but up to 24 hours.

Grill to medium or medium rare and slice against the grain to serve.