Easy Top Round “London Broil”

Technically London Broil is made with flank steak but the majority of  the time I see something labeled “London Broil” at the grocery store   it’s actually Top Round. This cut can be made the same way and is usually a lot less expensive. This time of year a lot of grocery stores sell 2 packs (buy one get one free deals) and I never pass those up.

This recipe is a staple at our house. I love the leftovers over a salad or or in a sandwich the next day or two. It’s a stupid easy way to prepare this and it’s impossible to mess up.

• 2 Lb Top Round (or flank steak)
• 1 Container Italian Dressing (whatever your favorite is)
• Kosher Salt & Pepper

1. Poke the meat all over with a fork. everywhere. A million times. On both sides.
2. Put it in a big ziplock bag and pour the italian dressing in there. Let it marinate in the fridge for as long as you like. (4 hours minimum, 2 days max)
3. Preheat your grill or broiler. Let it get really hot by preheating for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the meat from the marinade and season with salt & pepper.
5. Put on a broiler pan and broil (or cook on the grill) for 10 minutes per side for medium. (8 minutes for medium rare, if you prefer).
6. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then slice it across the grain in very thin slices & Serve!

I love serving this with bread and an “easy greek salad” (spring mix, red onion, cucumber, and tomato tossed with italian dressing & topped with feta), personally… but any of your favorite sides will work!

p.s. Sorry for the lack of upadates over the last few months. Our newest addition, Cameron Rose, joined us on 2/15/09! While I’ve done a whole lot of cooking with Joshua and Cami, I didn’t really have time to post. Hopefully that’s about to change!

 

Simple Meatloaf

This may sound too easy to be good, but it is perfectly tasty! I actually made a loaf of this yesterday and Joshua and I already finished it up! Yum! The recipe can easily be doubled if you want to make more.

• 1 lb ground Beef
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup ketchup (plus a little more for drizzling on top)
• 1 tbs seasoned salt
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 1 tbs dried minced or chopped onion flakes

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with your hands until combines well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf. 
3. Squirt some ketchup on top. I like to make a little squigly design because I am a geek.
4. Bake for one hour at 350.

Serve with whatever you want! I usually do mashed potatoes & corn. Leftovers make amazing sandwiches, too!

 

Sweet Lamb Chops

This is another cut of meat that always seems to be on sale (especially at stop & shop). My husband hates pork chops with a passion no matter how they’re prepared – but he just LOVES when i make lamb chops.

On the side I served mashed potatoes (leftover from the night before), carrots tossed in a little butter and brown sugar, asparogas (i had a few spears in the fridge that were not going to last much longer, and brussel sprouts (i can’t help myself, i love just them). Oh, and if you look,you’ll notice some hot sauce on the side…. well, because I’m weird and i like everything spicy. It was AMAZING!

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs Lamb Chops
• 1/4 cup duck sauce (or 6 packets from a chinese restaurant)
• 2 tbs worcesterchire sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Season pork chops with worcesterchire, salt, and cayenne pepper.
3. Bake for 45 minutes
4. Remove from oven and brush both sides of each chop with duck sauce.
5. Return to oven for 15 minutes
6. Remove & Serve
7. Drizzle pan juices over any veggies you may be serving on the side.

One of my favorite things about this recipe (other than the taste) is that it breathes new life into the leftover duck sauce packets we always end up with after ordering chinese food. I hate wasting stuff!

 

Simple Split Chicken Breast (Bone-In)

 It makes no difference what day of the week or time of the year it is – you can always find split chicken breast at a great price. You just have to shop around a bit. This week, I found a package of three (almost 3 pounds of chicken) for $4.89 at stop & shop. It was a manager’s special, of course. Oh how I live for those!

A split chicken breast is nothing more than a “regular” chicken breast with the skin on and the tenderloin and a bit of rib meat attached. In my opinion, it’s one of the best cuts of chicken to cook. The skin makes sure that the breast stays juicy and the bone just makes it tastier. You obviously don’t have to eat the skin, but i suggest cooking it with it on and then removing it before serving if that’s what you like. My husband LOVES the skin, so I usually take it off of my piece and give it to him to eat. Everyone wins!

This is an extraordinarily simple way to cook split chicken breast and it always comes out tender and delicious.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs split chicken breast
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic or onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or paprika, if you prefer)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash the chicken breast and pat dry with a paper towel
3. Use your hands (or a brush) to coat the skin lightly with olive oil
4. Season (on both sides) with the kosher salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper
5. Roast on a rack or tin broiler pan for 1 hour
6. Let sit 10 minutes and serve!

I usually make this with home made macaroni & cheese, a salad, and some biscuits, but tonight I’m feeling a bit lazy. Joshua didn’t take a nap yet today so I didn’t have time to prep the home made mac & cheese. Instead I’m serving the box kind (I love the shop rite brand white cheddar mac & cheese, so that’s what i’m going with tonight).

 

Pan Seared Top Sirloin Steak

This is my favorite cut of steak for three reasons. One: It’s cheap, Two: It takes 10 minutes to cook to my liking (medium), Three: It comes in cuts big enough to serve 2-3 people (aka the husband, toddler, and I).

It’s so easy to make and comes out really tender and tasty. I always serve this with a romaine salad and a side of pasta (with spinach) in garlic & olive oil.

Ingredients

• 3/4 Lb Top Sirloin Steak
• 1 Tsp Garlic Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Pepper
• 1 Tsp Olive Oil

Directions

• Season Steak on both sides with garlic salt & pepper
• Heat oil in a grill pan or skillet on med/high heat
• When the oil is hot, add the steak to the pan
• Cook for 5 minutes on each side
• Remove from pan and let sit for 5 minutes
• Slice thinly accross the grain and serve!

It really doesn’t get any easier or tastier than that!

 

Chick Pea Noodle Soup

This is fast and easy to make and my toddler absolutely loves it.

Indredients

• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 16-ounce can chick peas, drained
• 1/2 cup small pasta
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Throw everything in a pot, bring to a boil, cover & reduce heat to low. Simmer for an hour. Season with salt & pepper to taste. (this freezes well too)

 

Curry Corn Fritters

When I was a child, my parents sent me to a sleep away camp in PA for a month every summer. One of my fondest memories from there is eating corn fritters for lunch. I absolutely adore these things. So, here’s my (fast and cheap) version…

Ingredients

• 1 can of corn, drained
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp curry powder (i use madras)
• 2 tbs self rising flour
• 1tsp soy sauce
• 1 egg
• vegetable oil for frying
• sweet chilli sauce (dip)

Directions

1. Mix everything but the vegetable oil and chili sauce in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for an hour.
2. Add 4 tbs veg oil to a frying pan and heat on medium.
3. drop tablespoons of the mixture into the pan (don’t crowd) and cook for 3 minutes on each side (till golden brown).
4. Serve with a little bowl of sweet chilli sauce for dipping

 

Tonight’s $5 Dinner: Kielbasa, Potato & Saurkraut Casserole

I love manager’s specials. Pretty much every day you’ll find me cruising the aisles of shop rite looking for that pretty orange sticker and spectacular price. Those stickers usually dictate what’s for dinner, tonight included. I love kielbasa, so when i saw a pound of it on sale for $1.85, i jumped up and down. It’s a good thing Joshua isn’t old enough to be embarrassed by me.. because if he was, this reaction probably would have made him scream out “Help! This crazy lady is NOT my mommy!”.

Anyway, here’s my super cheap and delicious version of a german classic.

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Polish Smoked Kielbasa (1.85 haha!!!) – cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 Can Shop Rite (or any store brand) saurkraut, drained & rinsed (0.85)
• 1 Can Shop Rite (or any store brand) peeled white potatoes, drained, rinsed, and halved
• 1/2 Cup Apple Juice or Cider (0.75)
• 1/2 Onion, Chopped (0.50)
• 2 Tbs Salted Butter, Divided (you MUST have this already, but let’s say 0.25 for fun)

Instuctions

1. Add 1 Tbs butter to a dutch oven on med/high heat
2. Add onion and saute until carmelized
3. Add another tbs butter and the saurkraut. Stir until soft and just a little brown.
4. Add apple juice or cider and reduce heat to low.
5. Add potatoes and kielbasa, stir, and cover.
6. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour
7. Serve with rye bread & butter, if you have any.

That’s all. Everything’s already cooking on the stove and the house smells amazing. I guess I better go take a shower before Joshua wakes up from him nap!

 

Home Made Hummus

Anyone that tells you not to use canned chick peas is out of their mind. I’ve tried making this about a million different ways and I always come back to this recipe. It’s simply the BEST ONE OUT THERE! My version is based on one that i found in Finger Food.

• 2 cups canned (I like Goya) chickpeas with the liquid
• 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled (or more, if you love garlic)
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayanne pepper
• 1& 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt & pepper to taste

Put everything in a food processor and process. Add the chickpea liquid as needed so that it’s smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste!

 

Home Made Marinara Sauce

I usually double this recipe and freezer half of it for another night when I’m not really in the mood (or the baby just won’t let me) spend time cooking. Doubling the recipe will not effect the times. The money you can save by making your own sauce is INCREDIBLE… and it tastes SO much better than the bottled stuff.

 

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs Olive Oil
• 6 Garlic Cloves (sliced thinly)
• 1 Onion, Chopped
• 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper (dried)
• 1 (28 oz) Can Plum Tomatoes (chopped up, juices reserved) 
• 1 (15 oz) Can Tomato Sauce
• 1 Tsp Sugar
• 1 Tsp Basil (dried)
• 1/2 Tsp Oregano (dried)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. 
2. Add the onion and stir until tender.
3. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add crushed red pepper and tomatoes with juices.
5. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add tomato sauce, sugar, basil, and oregano.
7. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Uncover and cook until slightly thicker.
9. Add salt & pepper to taste.