Stuffed Steak

I found steak cut for roulades in the grocery store the other day. I love making rolled steak but really I had no idea what I was going to do with it when I picked it up. I had some asparagus and red bell pepper that were getting a little past their prime. I pulled out the steak, asparagus, and bell pepper.

I tried to think what would go with all of these things. I decided to make a mustard and horseradish marinade and roll up the vegetables. It turned out delicious. My husband raved over it. I knew then I had to quickly put down what I did with the marinade so I would not forget. I need to go back and pick up more of those roulades because I am not sure if it is something they will always have because I had never seen them before that day.




For the marinade:

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons horseradish
Olive oil to thin
3 cloves minced garlic

Rub over the meat and let marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Take the roulade and put two asparagus stalks cut in half, thin sliced red peppers, a thin slice of onion and a slice of fontina cheese. I skewered the rolls and grilled them about 10 minutes on each side.

They were so tender and the vegetables were crisp. The cheese melted and turned almost into a sauce inside the meat.

I can not wait to make this again but with different vegetables and a different marinade but I will also make it just like this again because it was so good.

French Onion Steak and Asparagus

Again, it's all about Rachael Ray. I am hopelessly devoted to her recipes. They are quick, easy and Yummo! I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself. This time it isn't a recipe from the 365 book, but from her Big Orange Book. It was also featured on her show.

We eat a lot of chicken breasts here because they are so versatile and quick to cook. I've been looking to expand our protein horizon. I saw this recipe which uses london broil. I do not use it often because I am always afraid it will turn out more pot roast like than like steak. This one came out perfectly tender and juicy, just like a sirloin. The price of london broil is much better than sirloin or other steak cuts so we may add this cut to regular rotation.

I was trying to round out the meal but wanted something other than the regular salad and baked potato usually served with steak. I found some of the year's first asparagus and decided to make homestyle potatoes. The Gruyere sauce was great for dipping the asparagus.

To find the recipe and instructions, check our Rachael Ray's daytime show site.

Spring time tart: Asparagus and Gruyère

Three delicious ingredients when put together make a tart so divine you can almost hear the angels sing. Or wait, maybe that was just us in a chorus of mmmmmmmm's. It made a terrific appetizer to our dinner but I can also see this as our main course during the summer with a salad for a light meal.

Ever since I picked up Everyday Food: Great Food Fast I've wanted to make this tart. It is so simple. With the tiny spring asparagus out now, this was so tender and the pastry was so flaky.




Ingredients

* Flour, for work surface
* 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
* 5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyère cheese, shredded
* 1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyère. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyère, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

A spring favorite: Asparagus

I love spring and I love the things spring brings, like asparagus. In spring the stalks are small and tender. Plus they are so good for you: full of folic acid, potassium, and fiber. Our favorite way to have them is grilled with just olive oil, salt and pepper. They get a bit crispy and are just delicious. Who needs french fries when you can have crispy asparagus.



Asparagus was something I never had growing up. I can credit my time in New Jersey for my love of asparagus. Between a friend who loved them and watching hours of food network, they became a regular at our table. I hear so many people say they do not like them, then I find out they were forced to eat the canned ones growing up. Please, if you hated the canned ones, give fresh a try. Asparagus has become a favorite vegetable in our house.

We had grilled baby back ribs to go along with our asparagus tonight. Just a little salt, pepper and a bit of Scott's Barbeque Sauce, and adding mesquite smoke chips to the grill.



Do you see the pink smoke ring around the edge of the meat? That is what adding mesquite will do for your meat besides adding extra deliciousness.