Asian Inspired Asparagus

Yum. This is perfect paired with the Soy-Ginger Flank Steak. It's perfect by itself too. It's perfect cold. It's perfect hot. Did I mention it's perfect?

Ingredients

3 lb asparagus

1 tablespoon honey (or brown sugar)

1/8-1/3 cup sesame oil (I usually do about 1/4 cup)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced finely

1/4 inch fresh ginger, grated

black pepper

chili pepper flakes

Directions

1. Put all marinade ingredients into a ziploc bag & shake to combine. Add asparagus and marinate for 1 hour or overnight.

2. Cook on a hot grill for 5 minutes, turning often, til just lightly browned.

Soy-Ginger Flank Steak

Living in southern California means that we pretty much bbq all year long but summertime (and the desire to leave the stove & oven OFF as much as possible!) means we bbq even more! I found this recipe in Food & Wine Magazine 6 years ago and it has been a favorite ever since! I love that I can prep it the night before, allow the marinade to soak in & then let Kurt throw it on the grill for a quick, delicious dinner.

Ingredients

One 2 lb flank steak (TJ's just started carrying all natural flank steak and it's only $1/lb more than Costco)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger (highly recommend using a microplane grater/zester)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper (I usually omit this)

Directions

1. Using a small sharp knife, score the flank steak on both sides in a shallow crosshatch pattern and transfer to a shallow baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lime juice & ginger.

3. Pour 2/3 cup of the soy marinade over the flank steak and turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes (I let it marinade overnight sometimes). Reserve the remaining marinade.

4. Heat your bbq up to moderately high heat.

5. Remove the steak from the marinade & pat dry. Brush the steak with the olive oil & season with pepper if desired.

6. Grill the steak about 11 minutes for medium to medium-rare meat, turning occasionally.

7. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain. Drizzle with the reserved marinade and serve.

Massaged Kale Salad

I was hesitant to make this salad and I was hesitant to keep its title....I mean come on....MASSAGING a salad! Who has time? Who wants to massage lettuce? But guess what..it was SO good and the reviews were positive, so I decided to post it.
I got the recipe from Aarti Sequeira, a Food Network chef. It is a very easy recipe to make, very delicious and summery and super healthy. Kale is extremely high in Vitamins A, C and K and can pack a punch (a good punch) of nutrition to your diet.
Without further ado here is the recipe:

Ingredients
1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons honey
Freshly ground black pepper
1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons

Directions
In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.

I didn't have pepitas on hand so I substituted with toasted slivered almonds and it was so good I think I would suggest making that substitution permanent. Also avocado would be excellent to add for additional protein.

Orzo Salad with Roasted Vegetables

The last thing I want to do when it's hot outside is spend a bunch of time heating up my oven (& therefore my house!) to cook dinner. This salad is the perfect thing for a warm summer evening... especially if you roast the vegetables the night before when it's cool! Serve this as the main or pair it with a light protein like some white fish! The leftovers are pretty tasty too!

This recipe comes from my friend Lara who has a fun little blog you should check out called mylittleluxuries. She's the source of some of my favorite recipes too. :)

Ingredients

• 1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
• 1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 inch diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb orzo pasta or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

To assemble

• 4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
• 1/4 cup pignolis, toasted (pine nuts)
• 3/4 lb good feta, 1/2 inch diced (not crumbled)
• 15 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan.

3. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

4. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender.

5. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

6. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

7. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables.

8. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil.

9. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Kobe Beef Sliders

I was having one of those days. AND, it was my day to prep dinner for that week's swap. I pulled into Trader Joe's and had no clue what I was going to do. So I said to myself, "Whatever the sample is tonight is what I'm doing for swap this week." It's no secret that we're pretty fond of TJ's samples around here but this particular night??? Yeah, it was a winner!

Ingredients (all available at Trader Joe's, obviously!)

* 1 lb Kobe beef (TJ's sells it in the freezer section) You could also use ground turkey, ground sirloin or your burger ingredient of choice

* TJ's Fresh Bruschetta Sauce

* Shaved Grana Padano Parmesan Cheese

* Organic Micro Greens

* Mini Slider Buns (I've also done this with King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls... YUM!)

* TJ's Garlic Herb butter

Instructions

1. Prepare 8 small burgers with the meat and either pan fry or grill.

2. Spread garlic herb butter on the inside of the buns or rolls and broil or toast for a few minutes to melt the butter and brown the bread a bit.

3. Assemble: Burger, some shaved parmesan, a scoop of bruschetta & some micro greens.

4. Enjoy!!

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is an incredibly easy meal to make and you probably already have most, if not all, of the ingredients at home. Simply chop some onion and place in a hot pot with a bit of olive oil. Simmer for a few minutes. Add chopped up chicken and continue cooking until chicken is almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add some freshly chopped veggies. I added zucchini, carrot, potato and celery. Cook for a few more minutes. Then, add some chicken broth to cover the chicken and veggies. I used some frozen homemade chicken broth. (Did you know how easy it is to make your own broth? Take a whole chicken, place in boiling water for hours with some celery tops and viola!) Then add some cans of beans you have on hand. I used some black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans. I also threw in a can of turkey chili for some thickening power. Then toss in a can of corn or a frozen bag of corn or heck some freshly cut corn. Add a can of diced tomatoes. Finely chop some fresh cilantro and add to the pot. Let the soup simmer for an hour or more to blend the flavors. Add some salt if needed.
Serve in a bowl with some fresh cojita cheese and mexican crema or sour cream. Top with fresh cilantro, avocado and crumbled up tortilla chips. Then, if you are like me, dump some cholula or your favorite hot sauce, stir and enjoy the goodness! Slice up some freshly baked cornbread and you've got yourself a meal.