Bowl of Berries

This is about 2 weeks late but come on, I had to post about this guy’s big day

I went back and forth on what to do for Scottie’s birthday.  Last year we went Boston but I made it clear he wasn’t getting another trip.  Our friend got a new tri bike from his wife for his birthday but I told him he sadly wouldn’t be getting a tri bike either.  I kept things low key this year, still trying to be financially responsible and with all of my extra money going towards savings for next year’s Ironman I decided to put extra thought and love into the day.

I ended up getting him a transition bag since he sorta became jealous of mine :)  I also got him an hour massage since he has decided to do an Ironman in November, I figured he would need it.

For dinner I was researching different restaurants but after an amazing dinner Saturday night with his parents I didn’t know if I could find a place as awesome so I went with a nice home cooked meal.

Caprese salad, roast beef with horseradish sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes, garlic spinach, bread and some lovely Clos du Bois vino.

Delicious!

And really so easy!  The beef is simply local bottom round rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper and rosemary and baked at 375 for 20 minutes per pound.  After that I take it out and cover it with foil to allow it to continue to cook a bit.  Potatoes were roasted in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes (cooked those while the beef rested) and garlic spinach takes less then 5 minutes total.  Slice up some bread and mozzerella and tomatoes and dinner is served.

So much better then dealing with a restaurant!  And I think much more thoughtful.  Happy Birthday (again) Scottie!

How cute is he!

I think I can consider this meatloaf a success!  At the last minute I posted a request for meatloaf recipes on one of the forums I frequent and the first response was the recipe I used.  It sounded so good!  I tweaked it just a bit but for the most part I followed it as is.  It was super easy to throw together then bake while I went on a short run.  When I came back I whipped up a small portion of mashed potatoes for Scottie, and I put some green beans in the oven to roast.

Let me tell you, roasting green beans is the way to go!  I have never been a fan of water logged veggies (who is!?) which I probably why green beans were never my favorite.  However I had them from the Papa Spud’s delivery and did not want them to go to waste.  I simply washed them, Scottie snapped off the ends, then I tossed them in a baking dish, sprayed them in PAM then tossed with salt and pepper.  They roasted for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees (the meatloaf temp) and then increased it to 425 degrees for another 10 minutes or so until they looked a tad crispy.  The beans hold their shape, their flavor intensifies and they are overall FANTASTIC!  I will be roasted green beans from now on.

I baked the meatloaf on a sheet pan covered in foil but you could bake it in the traditional loaf pan.  The thought of all of that grease re-absorbing back into the loaf kinda grosses me out.  Though I know for some the thought of meatloaf grosses them out to begin with.  Eh, I only had one slice, a ton of green beans and a dollop of mashers (too full for my baked sweet potato) and I was completely satisfied.

Steakhouse Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef
1 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
about 3 T of steak sauce
1/2 Cups Bread crumbs (plain)
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten slightly
1/2 T Basil
1/2 T Oregano
1/2 T black pepper
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 T Steak seasoning
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp. Horseradish
Ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauce pan, heat olive oil (or PAM.) Add garlic and onion and cook on medium heat until the onions become soft and slightly caramelized.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ground beef, steak sauce, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestshire, and all the seasonings. Mix together. Then add the cooked onion mixture to the bowl and incorporate it all together.

Spread into a greased loaf pan or form into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Dot the Horseradish over the top, and spread out.

Drizzle the ketchup over the top.

Bake for 50-55 minutes.  Let rest for about 5-7 minutes.

It’s no surprise that everyone is watching what they spend and with the economy it way it is and the uncertain job market I am joining the masses.  In an attempt to cut down on waste and make my dollars stretch more I am really trying to focus on using everything I have, this means cleaning out the freezer, pantry and using the dreaded….leftovers.  I am not a huge leftovers fan, I can tolerate some and I think  some dished even taste better the second re-heat…but in general I get pretty bored with the same thing everyday (unless it is fried egg sandwiches- I will never get sick of those!)  So I had a rather large london broil that I picked up a while ago and felt it was time to defrost it and put it to good use.

I marinaded the beef in my favorite sauce ever, I actually swiped it from one of those dinner prep places, I have used it multiple times, usually with flank steak but it really lends itself well to other cut of meat.  The first time it was sliced thin and and served with a veggie couscous.

The next day I had a head of romaine that was on its last leg so I washed it up, added some asian pears and chopped it into bite sized pieces with my mezzaluna.  This is my new way of preparing salads, I find they are easier to eat by making everything the same size.  I then chopped the steak into bit sized pieces then tossed everything in a big bowl with some toasted sesame dressing (not from scratch- form Kraft- shame on me. )  I added some no-knead bread (post coming soon) and dinner was served.  I was so proud of myself!  Two completely different dinners using the same protein.

If I was trying to stretch it once more I would add the steak to a wrap for lunch the next day.  But alas, there was none left this time.

Sweet and Tangy Steak Marinade

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 T. sesame seeds
1 T. Minced garlic
1 T. grated ginger
1 T. toasted sesame oil

Add to any flank steak, london broil, even pork!