Tag Archives: dinner

Jul 7 2011

High Flavor, Low Carb Dinner

Article first published as Recipe Review: South Beach Diet Mustard Crusted Steak on Blogcritics.

I decided to try out a few new recipes from my South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook for dinner. The first was a mustard crusted steak. As the book promised, it was simple to put the coating together and cook. The steak looked tasty and had good flavor. I had to broil it a bit longer than the 4 minutes per side that the recipe advised. The London broil I picked to use in the recipe was thicker than the 3/4″ they suggested so it took longer to get to medium-rare. It was an easy adjustment to make and the dish was still done very quickly.

Flavorful Steak Dinner

“Mustard-Crusted Steak”, page 219

Prep time 15 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBSP coarse-grain Dijon mustard

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ pounds boneless top round steak, 3/4 inch thick

  1. Heat oven to broil.
  2. Whisk together garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
  3. Line a broiler pan with foil and place steak on top. Coat evenly with mustard mixture and let stand 10 minutes.
  4. Broil steak to desired doneness, 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
  5. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

While the steak was marinating with the mustard coating I started the next recipe, a side dish of “Stuffed Baked Tomatoes”(p.272). Again, the recipe was simple, didn’t include too many ingredients and was very fast to assemble. This was a nice side dish that had a great flavor from the basil, garlic and parmesan cheese. A lot like eating bruschetta without the bread. I will definitely make this one again.

Also pictured is a side dish not from the cookbook. I like to take some baby spinach and saute it in olive oil, soy sauce and garlic. The flavor is intense and stands up well to the natural strong flavor of spinach. I use about a tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons of soy sauce, and one teaspoon of minced garlic. I saute heat that in a large skillet and add several cups of fresh baby spinach leaves. It only takes a few minutes to cook down.

Together these recipes created a very flavorful and easy South Beach Diet dinner.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/tastes/article/recipe-review-south-beach-diet-mustard/#ixzz1RIpyNzOL

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May 24 2011

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Looking for an easy and delicious family meal?  Try livening up spaghetti night by making your own meatballs!

It’s very easy to make meatballs that turn out great every time.

Here’s how:

1 package Mild Italian sausages (uncooked)
2 lbs. ground beef
½ c. shredded parmasean cheese
½ c. plain bread crumbs
3 TBSP dried parsley
2 eggs
*optional: add minced onion and fresh garlic

Remove the casings from the sausages by cutting lengthwise and peeling.

Break up the meat into small pieces and put it in a large mixing bowl.  Break up ground beef and also place it in the bowl.  Add the parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and eggs.  Mix by hand until combined.  Roll the meat into small balls, about 1½-2 inches in diameter.  Place formed balls into two 9″x13″ baking dishes.  Bake uncovered at

400° for 45-55 minutes.  At the end of cooking time take a meatball out and cut it open to check doneness.  It should be cooked through – no pink.  Makes approximately 40 meatballs.

You can cook the meatballs ahead of time and place in a covered container in the refrigerator until dinner time.  When you are ready to start dinner, place the cooked meatballs in a 12″ skillet.  Add 2 small jars of your favorite pasta sauce and simmer until meat is heated through, about 15-20 minutes.  While meatballs and sauce are heating, cook pasta according to package directions.

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Jan 30 2011

Steak Dinner for Two: $7

Yes, that’s right.  I made a nice steak dinner for Paul and I for about $7 total for both of us.  I found a nice package of two steaks at the store for only $4.25.  I cooked them both to save time, but we really only needed one between the two of us.  I did a quick saute of onion, bell pepper and mushrooms as a hot side veggie and added some bagged romaine salad with carrots and dressing.  This was one of the tastiest South Beach -style meals I’ve prepared since starting the diet. It tasted great – I hadn’t had steak in quite a while. 

This was the first time I used my cast-iron grill pan.  It is a double-burner two-sided grill and griddle, so I have used the smooth side for pancakes and quesadillas.  I was a little nervous, but I put a little oil on the grill side fired it up.  It has been too cold lately for barbecuing so it was really a treat.  I look forward to trying it again.  If you don’t have a grill pan, I would recommend you look into getting one.  Mine is a Lodge brand cast-iron and it wasn’t too expensive, around $40.  Here’s the info on the grill:

Lodge LPG13 Logic Pro Grid Griddle – Cast Iron

Lodge LPG13 Logic Pro Grid Griddle - Cast IronOne side of the griddle is flat, ideal for pancakes and eggs, and the other side is ridged, perfect for meats or anything with drippings involved. This sturdy cast iron griddle can perfectly sit atop two stove burners or a campfire, and it is pre-seasoned with a special vegetable oil formula for both convenience and easy clean-up.

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Jan 24 2011

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili with Cheese & Sour Cream

Tonight I discovered I was missing an ingredient for the dish I intended to make.  So in a pinch I had to make something from what I had on hand.  It was cold tonight and I had plenty of canned items in my pantry so I made chili. 

It turned out very tasty!  Even my picky little kids ate some of it.  Of course, they mostly ate the cheese and sour cream off the top.  This is South Beach friendly as well!  Here is the recipe I used:

2 TBSP olive oil

1  small onion, chopped

1 cup chopped bell pepper (I used some red, yellow and green since that’s what I had)

1 TBSP minced garlic – I like to use the paste, so much easier

Salt & Pepper

2 cans Caribbean style black beans (black beans with chili, bell pepper and lime)

1 can cannellini (while kidney beans)

1 can diced tomatoes – do not drain

1 can vegetable broth

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

Heat the olive oil on med-high and add onions and bell pepper.  Stir and watch until they begin to soften.  Add the garlic and some salt and pepper.  When the peppers are tender, add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer on med-low for about 15 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream, if you like.  If you are not doing South Beach,  some cornbread or tortilla chips would go great on the side!

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Jan 22 2011

South Beach Phase 1 Easy Dinner

Once again the end of the day found me tired and pondering what to make for dinner.  The kids have been sick and although I haven’t caught their cold, I think fighting it off is wearing me out.  So what to make?

I had on hand a package of turkey kielbasa and assorted veggies, so this is what I made:

keilbasa and veggie stir-fry

1 pkg turkey kielbasa

3 TBSP olive oil

1/4 head of cabbage, chopped

1/4 red onion, diced

1/2 green bell pepper

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup baby carrots, chopped (this is only if you are in Phase 2)

Slice the kielbasa thinly in to rounds.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high.  Start by adding the broccoli and cook for a few minutes.  Add onions and bell pepper (and carrots for P2). Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, veggies should start to get tender.  Add the shredded cabbage and stir-fry two minutes more.  Lower the temperature to med-low and add the kielbasa - it’s already fully cooked so you are just warming it though.  Continue to stirring until kielbasa is hot and veggies are tender.  Plate up and serve hot.  My husband added a little teriaki sauce to his – he’s not doing South Beach with me, but eating whatever I cook to support me.

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