35 Minutes to the Heart of San Francisco

On evenings such as this one, I love the fact our farm is only a 35 minute drive to the heart of San Francisco.  I LOVE living and raising our kids on a dairy farm, where it's peaceful, we're surrounded by green grass, soon to turn golden, wildlife and animals all around.

But on this particular night, I took the 35 minute drive, crossing the gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge into the heart of San Francisco to meet a friend for a little shopping, drinks and dinner.

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A Wild Fox Girls Night Out~ and Tomato-Herb Flank Steak Recipe

I had the pleasure of celebrating my friend Kellie's birthday with her and three other really great girlfriends last night at Wild Fox Restaurant.
We started out with what I think is going to be my 'new favorite cocktail'....the 'Woo Hoo' I think it's actually called a Woo Woo but after a couple of these, it quickly became renamed to the Woo Hoo! The cocktail is a blend of vodka, grapefruit juice, peach schnapps and cranberry juice......absolutely delicious! Woo Hoo!! I have always had a great dining experience at Wild Fox and I just love the atmosphere. There's a nice long bar, an outdoor patio with fireplace, and it's all dark wood and cozy on the inside. There are a bunch of meat eaters in this group. Three of us had the Flat Iron Steak special, all with different sides. Kellie's with a side of mash potatoes and butternut squash.... Devi's with a side of swiss chard and asparagus..... And Jody's with a side of green beans and butternut squash....... Debbie ordered a Pesto Pizza with tomatoes and pine nuts.......Yum! I ordered Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry which was so good. They served a huge portion so I was able to eat the remaining half for lunch today...... Dinner paired so wonderfully with this fabulous bottle of Ledson Zinfandel that Jody brought to share......thanks Jody! Kellie's gooey smore-like birthday dessert (yes, those are toasted marshmallows you see emerging from the glass)..... Apricot, chocolate chip bread pudding with a scoop of mocha ice cream on top we ordered to share..... We all had a fantastic time and an even better visit. Nothing like a Girls Night Out... Flat iron steak makes me think of this recipe..... Tomato-Herb Marinated Flank Steak In this recipe, a dual-purpose sauce is made from garden-fresh tomatoes, shallot, marjoram and rosemary. Using half the sauce to marinate the steak and the other half as a basting sauce. Pasture-raised, grass-fed beef is gentler on the environment, free from growth-promoting hormones and typically lower in fat and calories than grain-fed beef. Marinating grass-fed beef for a full day helps make it tender. Look for it at natural-foods markets or find it online - Grossi Natural Beef. 


Ingredients 1 medium tomato, 
chopped 1 shallot, 
peeled and quartered 
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed 


Preparation 
1.Puree tomato, shallot, vinegar, marjoram, rosemary, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup, covered, in the refrigerator. Scrape the remaining puree into a large, sealable plastic bag. Add steak and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24hours. 


 2.Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade). Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the steak 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or 6 to 7 minutes per side for medium, turning once and brushing the cooked side with some of the reserved sauce. When the steak is cooked, turn it over again and brush with more sauce. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak crosswise and serve with any remaining sauce spooned on top. 


Tips & 


Notes Make Ahead Tip: Marinate steak for up to 24 hours. 


Kitchen Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) Nutrition Per serving: 169 calories; 7 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 47 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 0 g fiber; 275 mg sodium; 440 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (29% daily value). Exchanges: 3 lean meat


Happy Friday! Cheers!

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The Wife of a Dairyman ~ Seared Steaks with Carmelized Onions and Gorgonzola ~ & Some E. Coli Information

When it comes to e. coli 0157:H7,the key is proper cooking.

For ground beef (this means any ground beef product: chuck, round, etc…), should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

The best way to measure this is by using a meat thermometer (especially for thick burgers) or cook ground beef until the interior is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Since whole muscle meats (steaks and roasts) are ground up to make ground beef there is more surface area that could have come in contact with e. coli 0157:H7. The only way to ensure a safe hamburger is to eat it well done.

Steak lovers, no worries, you can still enjoy your favorite medium or rare steak.
When you grill a steak, the surface of that meat is the only part that has to be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees. To make your grilling easier. I recommend using this grilling chart.





















Photo by Eating Well

Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola•

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 large onions, sliced (about 4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, (filet mignon) or sirloin steak, 1-1 1/4 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 steaks
• 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola, or blue cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and brown sugar and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add broth, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the liquid has almost evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the onions to a bowl; cover to keep warm. Clean and dry the pan.

2. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper on both sides of each steak. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn them over and top with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the steaks are cooked to desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Serve the steaks with the caramelized onions.

Nutrition
Per serving: 338 calories; 16 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 69 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 36 g protein; 2 g fiber; 468 mg sodium; 565 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (40% daily value), Potassium (16% dv), Iron (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 5 lean meat, 1 fat Pin It

The Wife of a Dairyman ~ Flank Steak Pinwheels

I know it's mid-winter and almost too cold to use the outdoor grill, but somehow barbequing helps to give me the much needed feeling of warm summer.....a girl could dream, right?

These festive wheels of steak, Boursin cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes look fancy, but they're quite easy to make. For a party, arrange them on a platter atop a bed of spinach.

Instead of using the cheese spread and the sundried tomatoes, I used feta cheese and red roasted peppers.....so good!




Photo from Eating Well

Flank Steak Pinwheels

• 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons light herbed cheese spread, such as Boursin (see Variation)
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; pour boiling water over them and let steep until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and chop.
3. Meanwhile, place steak between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound each side of the steak thoroughly with the pointed side of a meat mallet until the steak is an even 1/4-inch thickness.
4. Rub garlic all over one side of the steak. Spread cheese lengthwise in a 3-inch-wide strip down the middle of the steak. Top with the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Starting at one edge of a long side, roll the steak up tightly, tucking in the filling as you go.
5. Carefully rub salt and pepper all over the outside of the steak roll. Turn the roll so the overlapping edge is on top. Push 8 skewers, evenly spaced, through the roll, close to the overlapping edge to hold the roll together. Slice the roll into 8 equal portions, roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, with a skewer in each. Lay the slices on their sides and push the skewer through so it sticks out about 1 inch.
6. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the pinwheels 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Use a spatula when turning them to prevent too much filling from falling out. (Don't worry if the ends of the skewers burn. They will still hold the pinwheels together.) Remove the skewers; let the pinwheels rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the steak roll (Steps 2-4). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. When ready to grill, proceed with Steps 5 and 6.
• Blue cheese variation: Substitute 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers or 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts for the sun-dried tomatoes (skip Step 2). Mash 1/2 cup blue cheese with 2 tablespoons milk until smooth and substitute for the Boursin in Step 4.

Nutrition
Per serving: 226 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 46 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 2 g fiber; 332 mg sodium; 278 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (27% daily value), Iron (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat Pin It