Category Archives: How-To

Strip Steak Salad with Roasted Hatch Chile Relish Recipe

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There are many things to love about the end of summer. Stocking up with anticipation on new supplies for school yet slowing down to enjoy the last moments of lazing around with the kids. Oh, and the food – the boundless bounties of August produce in all its assorted sun-ripened, juicy and (in this case) spicy goodness.   I’m talking about HATCH GREEN CHILES – love them, love them, love them and have been in fire-roasting cahoots with bushels of the New Mexico superstar long before they became the “IT” food of August.


Oh, and in case you aren’t aware of my, ahem, celebrity – I am a past Central Market Hatch Green Chile Cook Off Winner (and have also placed 2nd and 3rd in other years. People, I KNOW my PEPPERS! Check out the video if you want to know how to roast, peel and seed them!

It’s so (yawn) common for people to pair Hatch green chiles with pork or chicken.  Well, I’ve put Hatch chiles in everything from gnocchi to cheesecake (seriously). Also, one of my favorite burgers (and bunless, too) is my Hot Mess Hatch Green Chile Burger on Grilled Squash “Buns.”  Today, I have delicious recipe for Strip Steak Salad with Roasted Hatch Chile Relish – it’s easy and will take your mouth to a happy place.

wet steak rub recipe

First, order of business is seasoning the beef. Strip steaks are very tender and don’t require a marinade to break them down – only a rub to enhance the natural flavors.  My “No-Flub Wet Steak Rub” can easily be made in any quantity you need – use it generously so it makes a nice crust!

beef steak salad with corn green chile relish

Strip Steak Salad with Roasted Hatch Green Chile Relish Recipe

  • 2 8-oz strip steaks

For Rub:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning

For Relish:

  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels
  • ½ pint grape tomatoes
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • ¾ cup fire-roasted Hatch peppers, peeled and seeded (you can buy them like this at most stores)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

For Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

8 oz baby spring lettuce mix

  1. In small bowl, mix together olive oil and spices into a paste. Apply liberally on the front and back of steaks.
  2. Grill steaks over 400 degree heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until instant read thermometer reaches 135 degrees.  Take steaks off grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
  3. Toss together corn kernels, tomatoes and red onion with 2 teaspoons olive oil and sea salt. Place in rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees in oven or on grill until edges starting to brown, approximately 15 minutes. Stir as needed.
  4. Remove vegetables and chop up roasted tomatoes. Add in roasted Hatch chiles, stir to combine.  Set aside.
  5. For dressing, shake together olive oil, vinegar, chile powder, garlic and cilantro in a mason jar. Set aside.
  6. To assemble, place lettuce on platter. Top with strip steak that has been cut thinly across the grain. Top with relish and dressing. Serves 4.

strip steak whole with hatch relish

There is no shame in saying, “no salad for me tonight.” The Hatch Green Chile Relish (roasted with corn, red onions, and tomatoes), also makes a tasty accompaniment atop a whole steak.

Do you have a favorite topping or salad recipe for steaks or are you strictly carnivorous?  

Quick & Easy Avocado Ideas and How To Freeze Leftovers

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We love avocados!

Everything I need to know about avocados, I learned from my dad!

A box of bliss was delivered to my door last week – a case of Bravocado Avocados from my friends at the California Avocado Commission.  With the peak season being from May though September, California avocados are always on hand for my summer entertaining and I’ve been known to use avocados in everything from guacamole and “green eggs” to salads and smoothies.

Avocado Corn Relish

In fact, this latest windfall of ripe avocados was a reward for winning first place in the 2014 All-American Recipe Contest. You’ve might have seen my recipe for  Mom’s Black Bean Avocado & Corn Salad, it’s a favorite on Pinterest and has been popular pick at potlucks and family get-togethers.  The judges said it was packed with flavor and “combines sweet corn, black beans, bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar and spices with fresh avocado for a flavor combination that stands strong all on its own, but goes perfectly with grilled meats or tortilla chips as a dip. Put this one on your must-try list stat”

There are just so many delicious things you can do with a case of creamy, dreamy avocados – but two of my favorite ways to eat them are just so simple. And, surprise – these quick and easy recipes not straightforward guacamole (although, if I could jump in a bathtub of mashed avocado with lime and jalapeno, I would).

Bacon Avocado Stuffed Tomatoes: These cute little cups made out of super sweet Campari tomatoes are the perfect vessels for avocado blended with lime, jalapeno, cilantro – okay, I guess that is guacamole. But, sprinkle on some crumbled bacon and serve on a bed of lettuce with black beans and corn and you have a light and healthy summer meal.

Salad with Guacamole Stuffed Tomatoes

Avocado and Lime on the “Half Shell”: It doesn’t get any easier than this – slice your perfectly ripe an creamy avocados in half lengthwise and pull out the seed. Sprinkle with sea salt and squeeze fresh lime – and eat with a spoon!

avocado halves with lime

If, in the rare instance, you find yourself with too many avocados to eat before spoiling sets in, you CAN freeze them. Earlier in the year, I did a tutorial on how to freeze guacamole — check out the link. You can also freeze avocado slices with a pretty good outcome too! The texture is not quite as creamy when you thaw the frozen slices, but it’s still yummy and so much better than tossing your ripe avocados out.

freezing avocado slices

 

Do tell, what is your favorite way to eat avocados?

Summer Vacation Snacking with Blue Diamond Almonds

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Almonds make a good travel snack

Whoohoo, I’m a little bit nutty! When I jump in front of national monuments or execute yoga poses in public places, my kids always roll their eyes, hide and later say “sheeze, mom! Aren’t you embarrassed to do that?” Absolutely not, no way, nope! That’s one of the freeing things about being an adult and no longer caring what people think! I’ve done the Chicken Dance in the grocery store, cartwheeled down the sidewalk and wear my pajamas during early morning carpooling while singing along to music with the windows rolled down (the horror!)

almonds healthy travel snack

But on a recent vacation to Washington, D.C., I had selfish motives for embarrassing my 3 ‘tween and teen children – I was greedily keeping those human vacuum cleaners away from my Blue Diamond Almonds!  As a Blue Diamond Tastemaker , I was sent a couple of cans of healthy, yummy almonds to incorporate into my summer entertaining plans. However, we don’t entertain much in the summer because the family is too busy attending family reunions, heading off to camp or exploring new cities on vacation.  Instead, we let our adventures entertain us!

In my opinion, there is no better healthy snack to take on a trip than almonds. Nutritionally dense, they don’t take up a lot of space in a purse, backpack or airline carry-on. Almonds are also loaded with protein and heart-healthy fats that keep the hunger pangs away longer than carbohydrate-heavy food.  One of my favorite quick travel “recipes” is to set a whole natural almond on top of a dried apricot and top it with a chocolate chip – only 20 calories and totally delicious!

blue diamond natural almond and apricot snack

Blue Diamond’s Whole Natural Almonds are very versatile -you can eat them plain, put them in trail mix or even whip up into your smoothie.  They can also be easily toasted at home and incorporated into so many breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. Toasting whole natural almonds only takes about 10 minutes and makes them super fragrant and crunchy – Cooking Light has a great tutorial on how to toast nuts.

toast almond video tutorial

The other almond flavor I sampled was the Rosemary & Black Pepper. These little guys pack a bold punch without being too overwhelming. While I gobbled mine straight from the can, these salted, herbed nuts would be great on a salad, alongside a cheese board, or crushed up and used as a topping for salmon.

Blue Diamond provided me with compensation and product for this post. However, the opinions and nuttiness are completely my own!

Best Watermelon Tips – Day 7 #LivingOnTheWedge

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#LivingOnTheWedge Watermelon Tips

Did you know the average person eats 16 pounds of watermelon per year?  That’s pretty close to the weight of a typical medium watermelon – but I’m not typical nor am I average when it comes to most things and I could eat another person’s annual allotment in two days – now that’s #LivingOnTheWedge!  My friends and family will agree that I often like to take moderation in moderation — sometimes over-the-top is under rated!  There’s that time I tried to set a Guinness World Record in 6th grade for “Sitting on the Wall.” I held the hideous, quad-burning position for 1 hour and 37 minutes before the school nurse made me stop. Or, when I decided to run an out-of-town, 50 mile ultra-marathon race on a whim literally, on the morning of the event with no training or preparation other than serendipitously having packed my running shoes   . . . . or, that time I won a beer drinking competition on my honeymoon.  I don’t really even like beer.

But I do love watermelon! Here are some tips you should know about picking out, storing and serving watermelon:

good watermelon picking tips

Storing watermelon:  The general rule of thumb is to keep your melons chilled between 32 and 55 degrees. Watermelons won’t ripen any further once they’ve been picked from the vine. However, a watermelon will stay fresh for around a week at room temperature. Freezing doesn’t work well for watermelon, except in the case where you want to use it in a smoothie or frozen treat recipe.

Cutting watermelon: As with any fruit or vegetable, you should wash the exterior before slicing into the flesh. You don’t want your knife to cross-contaminate the inside with any germs that were lurking on the outside.  There are many ways to cut up and serve a watermelon – if you have the patience, you can even use a melon baller for a nice presentation. However, I like to cut my watermelon in half and cross-hatch it into spears for the quickest, most convenient way to serve.

watermelon cutting tip

If you have a watermelon tip to share, please post it in the comments. Or, better yet, join the group at my #LivingOnTheWedge Pinterest board.

watermelon prize pack

If you haven’t already, enter my giveaway for a great Watermelon Prize Pack.

This is the last post in my #LivingOnTheWedge week but please go back and visit all the other the other watermelon love I’ve been sharing since July 1st, the start of National Watermelon Month.

 

 

The National Watermelon Promotion Board is providing me with compensation to share my love of watermelon. However, the opinions and content (unless otherwise noted) shared are my own and NWPB did not tell me what to say or how to say it.