Leftover Steak & Caramelized red onion Naan

This is so delicious. A great party food appetizer, if you are entertaining, the blue cheese pairs well with good bottle of red. 

Serves 2 as appetizer

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb leftover pre-cooked chilled steak (I used filet, but anything you like)
• 1 naan bread
• 1 red onion
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat broiler
2. In medium skillet on low heat, add butter, oil and red onions cook for 5 minutes or until sugars release and gets sticky
3. Add brown sugar to onions, cook 3 minutes
4. In small pot on med/low heat, bring balsamic vinegar to simmer, turn down as low as possible, reduce vinegar until consistency of maple syrup
5. In dry skillet heat naan for 1 minute each side, just to soften, put to one side
6. In skillet, high heat, lightly oiled, add waffer thin sliced steak, cook 1 minute
7. Build: naan, generous layer red onions, steak, top with blue cheese
8. Broil on high 1 minute
9. Evenly drizzle over 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction, cut and eat.

 WATCH ME MAKE THIS >>>

STIR FRIED STEAK & SNOW PEAS

Not sure much is easier (and healthier) than this. 

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 lb New York steak – put in freezer 10 minutes, remove fat strip, finely slice across the grain
• 1 big handful snowpeas (remove the tough end)
• 2  1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon seasame oil
• 1'' cube fresh ginger, peeled, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1/2 orange, zest and juice
• 2 teaspoons seasame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the broth, corn starch, soy
2. Preheat wok on high, add 1 tablespoon oil and snowpeas, keep them moving, cook 1 minute, remove
3. In same hot wok, add 1 tablespoon oil and beef, break up clumps, keep it moving, cook 1 minute
4. Add snowpeas back in wok with beef
5. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds, mix well
6. Add broth mixture, add orange zest and juice, stir on high heat, cook 1 minute – until sauce thinkens
7. Sprinkle over seasame seeds and eat!

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... 

Quick polenta with Spinach & mushrooms & fried egg

Under 15 minute and only approx 300 calories, gets you a healthy and totally delicious breakfast... I think it's worth it, for school mornings or before work. Honestly, the time could easily be wasted going to drive-thru.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup polenta
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup Crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove, finely diced garlic
• 4 big handfuls of spinach
• 2 eggs
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, add polenta, salt, water, mix well, cover with cling film, microwave high 8 minutes
2. While that cooks do the rest....
3. In hot pan, add 1/2 teaspoon oil, mushrooms, cook 2 minutes, turn down heat, add garlic, cook 2 minutes 
4. In another medium heat skillet/wok, add 1/2 teaspoon oil and spinach, cook 1 minute
5. Season spinach and mushrooms with pinch Kosher salt and 3 grinds fresh pepper
6. Fry 2 eggs over-easy
7. Remove polenta (careful of the steam!!) whisk polenta until smooth, season pinch Kosher salt, 5 grinds fresh pepper, add butter, mix well
8. Serve it up! Polenta, spinach, mushrooms and top with fried egg (or Poached if you want to be super healthy). 

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KALE QUESADILLA

Don't overlook Kale for a quesadilla filling, it stands up well and holds it's texture, I love this. Try it.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 Green Hatch Chile, diced
• 1  1/2 cups Organic red Kale leaves, washed, middle stem and vein removed, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 small flour tortilla
• 1/2 cup shredded Monteray Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup Sour cream
• squeeze lemon
• pinch Kosher salt
• pinch cumin

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat large skillet/wok on medium/high heat, add oil, onion, red pepper, chile, cook 4 minutes
2. Turn down heat, add garlic, mix cook 30 seconds
3. Throw in kale, mix and keep it moving in pan cooking for 2 minutes
4. Warm 4 tortillas, evenly sprinkle half the cheese on two of them, then layer kale mixture, sprinkle another layer of the remaining cheese, top with tortilla, flip and cook another minute or 2, until cheese is melted 
5. Mix sour cream, lemon, Kosher salt and cumin
6. Slice quesadillas, dip and eat

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... 

Salami omelet

This was love at first sight!  

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs
• 25 thin salami slices (I used chili and fennel flavor)
• 3 tablespoons, finely diced salami
• 1 green pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small skillet on medium, brown diced salami and pepper, keep to one side
2. At same time, in another medium skillet, brown the remaining green pepper and sliced salami
3. Beat eggs, pour into the skillet with sliced salami and peppers, cook for 2 minutes on low/medium heat
4. Drop in the sour cream while still cooking and spread roughly over surface, cook until mostly set, then flip
5. Top with more sour cream and the diced salami and green peppers, fresh black pepper

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Pastrami reuben

Makes 1 sandwich

Sometimes less is more and in this case I mean in words. Just..make…it.

INGREDIENTS

My "Russian" Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup (I used, Sir Kensington Ketchup... anything will do)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon horseradish (to your taste)
• 2 grinds fresh black pepper
• pinch kosher salt

Sandwich:

• 4-6 deli pastrami slices
• Bag slaw mix
• 2 slices Swiss cheese slices
• 1 egg, over easy
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 slices Jewish rye bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the slaw. In separate bowl, mix all dressing ingredients
2. Heat the pastrami in skillet on high heat for one minute, flip, layer cheese on top, heat for 1 more minute
3. Cook egg
4. Butter one side of each rye slice, grill that side only
5. Start layering, generously... Bread, dressing, pastrami/Swiss cheese, slaw, egg, top with other slice!

WATCH SAM MAKE IT >>> 

RED PEPPER & TOFU STIR FRY

Serves 2 as main

Perfect for meatless monday – fast and healthy dish I love any day of the week.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1lb firm tofu, drained, 1/2'' cubes
• 2 teaspoons sesame chili oil
• 1 red pepper, 1/4'' strips
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot or corn starch
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely diced
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 green onion, finely diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat wok on high, until smoking, add peanut oil
2. Add tofu, let it brown then flip and brown for another minute then keep moving cooking for 5-6 minutes
3. Add sesame chili oil, red pepper and red onion, cook for 4 minutes
4. In small bowl mix corn starch, hot water, soy, sugar and chicken broth – keep to one side
5. Add to wok, garlic and ginger fry for a minute
6. Pour in sauce, cook for 2 minutes to thicken
7. Serve over rice, garnish with green onion