Sunday Steak Night

Shells and I have been trying to reduce our red meat intake, but I still tend to enjoy Sunday night "steak night."  With that said, I agree that an eight ounce filet is much better for me than a 16oz dry aged ribeye.  Don't get me wrong, I would prefer the ribeye any day ... I'm just talking purely from a health perspective.

In an order to healthify (is that a word?) our steak intake, I've gone to 4-5 oz filet for Shells and a 7-8 oz filet for me.  The other trick to making the steak night healthy is to look for better sides.

For this dinner I went with home-made potato chips, baked of course and a veggie mix.

For the chips I used 1 medium baking potato, sliced thinly & evenly (I used a knife, you can use a mandolin if you struggle to slice evenly).

Chips go onto a non-stick baking tray (use a little baking spray if needed) at 425F.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes (until browned evenly), turning every 5 minutes to ensure they don't burn or stick.

Tasty, and healthy, side.

For this second dinner I went with one of my traditional standbys, garlic white beans.

These beans are simple to make: 1 14.5oz can Cannellini beans (with liquid), 1/2 can of water, 4 garlic cloves (smashed and chopped).  Put all ingredients in a pot and cook over medium-low heat (stirring frequently) until the water has evaporated and a gravy has formed.

The beans stick to your sides and provide a filling and healthy side that paired well in this dinner with the steak and steamed veggies.  Try them both and enjoy!

When you need a last minute, "one pot" meal ... turn to the versatile white bean

I know that when we're getting towards the end of the week at my house, I'm usually scrambling to figure out what I can make that is easy and makes use of whatever food is still around.  As many of you will know from past posts, typically the end of the week means sausages or meatballs are the main protein.

Typically I lean towards tacos since tortillas never go bad, and it's pretty easy, but another easy thing is a "one pot" meal.  For this meal to the right, I tossed whole, uncased, sausages into a 3qt pot with a can of white beans (including the liquid), about 1/2 can of water, diced onion and some chopped basil.  I left the pot slightly un-covered and cooked over medium-low heat until the liquid had reduced to a "gravy" consistency.  I removed the sausages and sliced them in half and then served them over rice and then topped with the beans.  Simple, easy and filling.

For this second dish I used a drained can of white beans and a cup of beef stock in addition to some pre-made meatballs.  I added some diced onion and sliced garlic and then seasoned with salt and pepper.  I again cooked the bean concoction slightly un-covered over medium low heat until the beans had absorbed most of the liquid.  I served this dish with asparagus and some avocado puree.

I highly recommend giving one of these dishes a try, or create one of your own ... either way, enjoy!