The Best Steak EVER!

Are you paying attention? Does this look like the best steak you have ever had?

Just look at it? Isn't it beautiful? Not only is it Organic Montana Grass Feed Beef, but it's got the best Steak Rub in the History of the Universe on it! I kid you not! And the rub is only 4 ingredients! And you won't beleive what the star ingredient is....

Coffee Grounds! I know.... It's amazingly delicious! Just try it you won't be disappointed!

Just look how juicy and tender it is! All that yummy red meat! It really doesn't get any better or easier than this. And it's the perfect thing to relax on a Saturday night with a nice glass of Cabernet right!

I had to stab it just to keep anyone else from taking my bite! My family is swarming around me like vultures!

And I served it up with some delicious grilled veggies that I marinated in a Ginger Soy dressing. Oh, just read the recipe below. You'll get the idea and get your grill going I bet you anything! The vegetables were the perfect combination and loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins, and fiber! 

Plus, be my guest and use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, I only made suggestions, just use the marinade and follow the cooking instructions and you are golden!

Now, let's get on with the recipe shall we? It is so easy you will just want to scream! (Okay, maybe that's just me, but we've already covered that I have a lot of issues.. so let's move on, okay?)

And if by chance you have any leftovers.. I'll show you what to do with them soon! I can't wait to show you my delicious recipe!



Grilled Asian Steak Salad with Soy Ginger Dressing

2 (12 ounce) Ribeye Steaks (or your favorite steak)

For Steak Rub:

4 tbsp. Fresh Coffee Grounds

1 tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. Black Pepper

Preparation for the Steak:

1. Take some delicious coffee beans and grind them.

2. Then rub both sides of the steak with the coffee grounds. Go ahead and get your hands dirty!

3. Sprinkle each side evenly with the salt and pepper and the garlic powder. Oonce both sides are thoroughly 'rubbed down' let the steaks sit for about 30 minutes.

4. When you are ready, get your grill nice and hot and place the steaks on the grill and cook until desired done-ness. Our steaks were pretty thick so we cooked them for 6 minutes on each side over medium high heat, closing the grill after each flip and they turned out medium. Perfect for us!


Servings: 4 ounces of steak per person


Nutritional Skinny:


210 calories / 7 g fat / 0 g carbohydrates / 0 g fiber / 34.4 g protein

Grilled Soy Ginger Vegetables 

1 Small Zucchini

1 Bell Pepper

1 Medium White Onion

2 cups White Mushrooms

1 Large Head of Romaine Lettuce

For Vegetable Marinade:

1 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

4 tbsp. Garlic; minced

2 tbsp. Sesame Oil

2 tsp. Ginger; minced or powder

Juice of one Lemon

Garnish:

Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

 

1. Slice the zucchini, bell pepper, white onion, and mushrooms into 1/2 inch rounds. Place in a shallow baking pan.

2. Combine the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and lemon juice in a separate bowl whisking together until incorporated. Then pour half of the marinade over the vegetables and marinade for 30 minutes. Reserve half of the marinade for the salad dressing.

3. Separate the romaine leaves into 4 bundles tied with wet twine.

4. When ready, heat the grill to 450 degrees. Add the veggies to the grill cooking them for one minute on each side with the grill open. Then place them in foil creating a foil packet on the grill. Continue to cook them in the foil packet on the side of the grill for another 10-15 minutes.

6. Add the heads of romaine to the grill and quickly grill on each side for one minute.

To plate: Add the romaine lettuce to each plate and add a generous helping of grilled vegetables. Thinly slice the steaks and add to the top. Serve with Gorgonzola cheese sprinkled on top and the drizzle the reserved marinade over the top.

Servings: 6


Nutritional Skinny:


98.5 calories / 4.7 g fat / 10.3 g carbohydrates / 1.8 g fiber / 3.4 g protein

Mental Health Benefit: With the warm weather slowly creeping into our minds and our realities I am itching to get outside and start grilling again. This is a great first grilling recipe. It gets our minds into the grilling spirit and loads our bodies and souls with tons of lean protein and fresh vegetables and fiber. Plus it is really low in carbohydrates so we won't have that slump at the end of the meal. We will have enough energy to laugh with friends, take a walk, or play a quick game of chase after your neighborhood pets!

CORRECTION... The Real Montana Breakfast

The REAL Montana Breakfast.....

This is Abby’s boyfriend, and I’ve taken over Abby’s her blog for today.  She is preoccupied at the moment and will not be able to get to the computer.  That duct tape is great stuff.

I’m here to inform you of a slight misguidance made in a previous post by our beloved Hot Mess Abby.  Her pies are always quite good (especially her apple pie); however, pie is only but a slice of that which embraces the term “Montana Breakfast”.  Anything labeled Montana I get very sensitive about.  If you’re going to label something “Montana” you better have it right.  I’m a born and raised Montana boy, 5th generation, and pie alone simply isn’t worthy of being the breakfast that is Montana.  So, please sit back, loosen your belt, take a Lipitor and prepare yourself for the gorging and indulgence of a Montana man’s breakfast that is nothing short of a serious health risk.  Yes, I’m about 25 lbs over weight, but I’m dead sexy!

Montana Breakfast (noun):  A hearty, greasy, salty meal, usually served before 11am, and requires a noon nap time.  Designed to feed two or three, but prepared for one.  Piled with meat, eggs, potatoes, biscuits and gravy.  Finished with a slice of apple pie.

Take notice that I said apple pie.  I didn’t say cherry, nor peach, nor some lemon meringue pot of pudding sorry excuse of a pie.  Apple pie.

Best Ever Biscuits

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup butter; cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp salt. 

1.2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 cup low fat milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder combining with a whisk. Gradually cut in the butter. Using your hands (yes, get in there) combine the flour and butter until a course meal is formed. Add the baking powder and milk and stir to combine making a thick batter.

3.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and drop 1/2 cup sized biscuits onto the cooking sheet. This recipe will make 4-5 good sized drop biscuits. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes. Then remove and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Gut Stickin' Gravy

1 pound package sage sausage

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1. First, the gravy.  The number one ingredient is sausage (sage flavored sausage to be exact). 

2. Brown the sausage, don't drain it.  Some use vegetable oil for the gravy, but they’re wasting their time, and good sausage grease. Wasting good bacon and/or sausage grease is a sin, and you will lose a hand in some countries if caught doing so. 

3. Add the flour and continue browning the sausage over medium heat until the flour has cooked... Approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and stir using a wooden spoon until the gravy has thickened to resemble a creamy custard like texture. If it is too thick, feel free to add a few tablespoons of water, one at a time to thin it. Add the salt and pepper and the gravy is ready to go.

 Chicken Fried Steak

1 cube round steak (ours was large enough to serve 2+)

1 egg
1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Place the round steak between two sheets of suran wrap and beat with a mallet until the steak is thinned to 1 inch.

2. Create a dredging station. In one bowl crack and scramble the egg. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cayanne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (or bacon grease if you have that lying around like I do). Place each steak first in the egg and then in the flour mixture. Then drop in the heated oil in the skillet. Brown on each side for 3 minutes. Once both sides are cooked remove from skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Homemade Hash browns

 4 red skinned potatoes; shredded

1/4 white onion shredded

1/4 cup fresh chives; minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large oven proof pot combine the shredded red potatoes and onion. Why red potatoes? Because they are simply the best, just like our Hot Mess Abby.

2. Brown on both sides. Add the chives and salt and pepper after 7-10 minutes of browning over medium high heat. During the last 5 minutes  add the cheddar cheese over the top and place under the broiler for 3 minutes to brown the top of the hashbrowns.

Eggs

Eggs should be done over-easy, end of story, let’s move on. The plating and eating starts now.

To Plate:

1. Take your biscuit and cut in half and lay open faced on the plate. Add a hearty portion of hash browns next to the biscuit. Place your chicken fried steak over your hash browns and add your eggs on top of the steak. Place a hearty portion of gravy over the whole plate and add salt and pepper and maybe Tabasco to taste. You can also add bacon to this meal, cooked the way you like it. Dipping bacon in gravy.. Is there anything better? I think not. That's why I'm a Montana guy.

Mental health tip:

You’re in Montana.  Go big or go home.

 Okay folks, It's Abby again... The duct tape has been removed. It was fun to go big for breakfast and if your going to do it, breakfast is the right time. It gives you the rest of the day to digest. To be honest, it reminded me of breakfast with my grandma cooking in the kitchen biscuits and gravy... we used her recipe even. In the end the kitchen was a mess, our stomachs were full, and Scott was happy. That is what cooking should be: sharing food, memories, and making each other happy. 

 He cooked, making me happy. He shared his Montana recipes, making him happy. You and I both know that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. As you can tell my the picture... He is happy.

Remember, Go big or go home. No matter what you do... Do it with all your heart.

~ This little Hot Mess in a dirty kitchen, but with a morning off!

Steak Tostados with Spicy Coleslaw

I am back to cooking for three, my mom, dad and I. It has been a while since it has just been the three of us and I have to readjust my measurements for cooking for three instead of cooking for the two or fifteen I have been used to! Tonight I am trying my hand at re-creating a meal that I had for lunch at Taco Del Sol. I tried a fish burrito and it was delicious wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and packed with fish, spicy cream sauce, and crisp cabbage. In truth, I think it is that bite of cabbage alongside the spicy sauce that really took this lunch over the top for me.

I have been bragging about it so much that I decided to try my hand at re-creating it using steak instead. It turned out so good, that I had one of my, now all too familiar, food-gasms. The flavors in this recipe are spicy, creamy, and crisp. It was totally delicious and I pulled it together in under 10 minutes. However, I had cheated and pre-cooked the steak on the grill the day before, but still. It was a quick, healthy, and delicious meal that my family loved and it got them around the table. And it perfectly fed three! Mission accomplished.

Steak Tostadas

9 oz. Sirloin Steak (or your favorite)

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tbsp. Minced Garlic

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp. Chili Powder

3 corn Tortillas

1/2 Cup Salsa

1/2 Cup Fat Free Cheddar Cheese; Shredded

1. To prepare the meat, slice into 1 1/2 inch cubes and sprinkle with chili powder, cayenne pepper and set aside.

2. Heat a large saute pan with olive oil and garlic over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add the steak cubes and saute for 3 minutes per side. This will make a medium steak which is perfect for this tostado. Add the salsa to the top of the steak and cover and remove from heat to allow the steak to cool and continue cooking and the salsa to heat up.

3. In a separate skillet, heat the corn tortillas through on both sides; about 30 seconds a side.

4. To plate, place a tortilla down, sprinkle with cheese and add the steak mixture on the cheese. The cheese will melt and the meat with be perfectly tender. For the perfect meal, add the coleslaw from the recipe below on top and devour! It is the perfect combination of spicy, creamy, and juicy textures. Your family will love this simple meal and be begging for you to make it over and over again!

Servings: 3 (one tostada)


Nutritional Skinny:


350 calories / 14.7 g fat / 14.4 g carbohydrates / 8 g fiber / 33.1 g protein

Spicy Cabbage Slaw

1/2 cup Fat Free Sour Cream

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

3 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro; Diced

Juice of One Lime

3 tbsp. Hot Sauce (Tabasco works great but you can use your favorite)

2 cups Shredded Red Cabbage

1/4 Cup Green Onion; Minced

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Combine the sour cream, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, and hot sauce. Mix it all with a whisk to create the dressing. 

2. Thinly sliced the cabbage and red onion using a sharp knife. Toss in the cabbage and green onion and turn to coat all of the cabbage. Refrigerate until ready to plate. This is delicious alongside the tostada's above. It is the perfect combination and can even be made a day ahead if need be! And there will be left over for more later!

Servings:6 (1/2 cup approximately)


Nutritional Skinny:


39 calories / 2.4 g fat / 3.5 g carbohydrates / .9 g fiber / 1 g protein


Mental Health Benefit: Do you ever have those days where you can't seem to do anything right? You piss of your best friend, break your tooth (and you don't have health insurance), trip over the cat, miss the picture of the sunset, and finally end up in a heap at the end of the day? Well, this is the perfect meal for THAT day! It is easy to prepare, fool proof, and people will think you are a genius. Go ahead and try it. Today isn't a day for something hard. Save that for tomorrow. Today give yourself a break and make this easy, healthy, and fool proof meal for your family. Tomorrow you can make up with your best friend, kiss your cat, forgive yourself for breaking your tooth, and have your camera ready for that sunset. Today is a day for something far more easy. Save the hard stuff for tomorrow.

Go easy on yourself from my kitchen to yours!

~ My little Hot Mess Self still in the kitchen!

Springin' Forward in the Kitchen

There was a special occasion last week and we decided to cook up some decadent food. It was my mom's birthday and I wanted to make everything special for her. We decided to cook up homemade Chili Relleno's. I had never made them before, but felt confident that I could do it. My mom even helped me video myself cooking it so that we could enter it into a cooking competition. Check out my step by step video below!

These were absolutely amazing. But they wouldn't be complete without the delicious Spring Tomato Tart I made and you can also check out the step by step video of me making that on my You Tube account!

Now get in your kitchens and get cookin!

Chili Rellenos

10 ancho chillies
8 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese



~Lay chilies on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat source for 15 minutes. Turn every minute until the skin on the pepper begins to blacken and bubble. Remove from the oven and transfer immediately to a brown paper bag  and wrap in a towel and set sit to steam for 15 minutes. My mom and I actually took a joy ride to the local store for 30 minutes.

~Then carefully shake the brown bag to loosen the skin. Then carefully peel the skin from the peppers.

~Once the peppers have been peeled. Mix the shredded cheese, cream cheese, and chili powder, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder until smooth and creamy using a spatula.

~Next, slice a long slit in one of the peppers and stuff with the cheese mixture. Using toothpicks, close the slit and place on a plate. Repeat this for the remaining peppers. When this is complete you are ready to fry.

~First create a dredging station. Get out two dishes or deep plates. Place 1 cup of corn meal and 1 tsp. salt in one plate. Then scramble 3 eggs until light and fluffy and pour into the other plate. That is your dredging station. Now you are ready to fry.

~Heat a skillet with 1/4 cup vegetable oil. To test the oil, sprinkle a drop of water in the oil. If it pops and sizzles you are ready to go. Grab a pepper and roll in the egg wash and then lay in the cornmeal and coat the chili with the cornmeal. Then transfer the coated chili to the hot oil. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until brown. Repeat the dredging and frying for the remaining chilies. Serve with the Spicy Tomato Sauce recipe below.

Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 can chunky tomato sauce (28 oz)
1 can salsa de Chile Fresco (7 oz) by El Pato
1 can diced chilies (4 oz)
Juice one lime
2 tbsp. garlic
1 jar salsa (12 oz)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 can tomato paste (8 oz)

Add all ingredients to a large sauce pan and cook on low heat for 1 hour, but can be longer if you want. The longer it cooks the better it will taste!

Tantalizing Tomato Tart

2 cups cherry tomatoes; sliced
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese; shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil; chopped
1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp. capers; chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
Athens Phyllo dough sheets
salt and pepper to taste
 
~Place cherry tomatoes, capers, basil, and olive oil in a large bowl and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

~Combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, and mozzarella cheese in a large mixing bowl until ingredients are well incorporated.

~To create the crust, separate phyllo sheets and grab 2-3 sheets per layer and place on a greased cookie sheet. Spray with olive oil, continue to layer phyllo dough creating a lip over the edge of the cookie sheet and continuing to spray with olive oil until a layer of 10 phyllo sheets have been layered.

~To assemble, crumble the cream cheese mixture over the crust. Then spread the tomato mixture over the top. Roll up the edges of the phyllo to create a crust for the tart. Spray the crust with olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt along the crust.

~Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and slice into thin squares and enjoy!



Mental Health Benefit: These recipes are easy to prepare and delicious! I took a risk creating something new that seemed difficult and I did it! It proves that we can do anything that we put our mind to. Whether it is to build a new shelf, make a million dollars, or make a difficult recipe. We can do anything that we have determination to accomplish. The only one getting in our way is ourselves! So get in your kitchen, get in your workshop, and get going! Accomplish what you really want! I am rooting for you!

~ "Too Lovely" Hot Messes from my Kitchen wonderland!