Marinated London Broil

I started making this tasty version of beef many, many years ago. I discovered London Broil as an inexpensive, yet delicious, cut of meat and began preparing it a number of ways. This is one of my favorite. It can be made on the grill or in the oven (under the broiler) so it's great year-round. And the marinade infuses it with delicious flavor.

London Broil is a cut of round steak that is very lean, so it needs marinating or tenderizing (pounding with a meat mallet!) and doesn't need to be cooked very long. You'll get the best results for London Broil when it is rare to medium-rare.

Prepare the marinade by combining the condiments and sugar in a blender.



Add the ginger, garlic and the chopped onion to the liquids. (I didn't have fresh ginger so I just used a couple "shakes" of powder.)



Whirl until combined!



Place the steak in a shallow baking dish, or other container with a lid (I just use tupperware.) Cover with the marinade.



Refrigerate the steak for at least three hours or overnight. You can grill or broil the steak, about 6 or 7 minutes on each side for rare.



When it's done, let the meat stand for about 5 minutes before slicing. This helps the steak retain its juices (although you wouldn't know from the juice all over the cutting board!).



I also love the leftovers from this recipe - slices of steak go well in salads and in sandwiches. Yesterday I made a great sandwich using the steak, sauteed onions and mushrooms, roasted red peppers and fresh tomatoes on garlic bread! Yum!! I can hardly wait for lunch today!

For more great recipes, visit Mouthwatering Mondays, the Recipe Swap at Our Chaotic Life, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, and Tuesdays at the Table.

Marinated London Broil

3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. Oriental sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chopped, pared fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 round steak for London Broil (2 pounds)

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, mustard, oil, onion, ginger, garlic and pepper in a blender. Whirl until combined. Place steak in a shallow baking dish or other container that you can cover. Pour marinade over steak and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.

Grill or broil steak for 6-7 minutes each side for rare. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Creamy Brownie Frosting

Brownies are delicious. Brownies with this frosting are divine. I really can't believe how much better brownies are when you frost them with this frosting! Seriously. It turns regular brownies into transcendent decadence.

And, did I mention, it's SO easy, and takes just a few minutes.

First, beat together the butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla until blended.



Then add the powdered sugar and milk.



Beat to a spreading consistency. That's all there is to it!



This recipe makes enough frosting for a 9" pan of brownies. I had used my leftover brownie batter from waffles to make these mini muffin brownies - this recipe frosted 24 mini muffins.

For more inspiration, visit Stop and Smell the Chocolates, Foodie Friday, Family Recipe Friday, Food on Fridays and the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Creamy Brownie Frosting

3 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup OR honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

In a small mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to a spreading consistency. Spread over 9" pan of brownies.

Brownie Waffles

This is really less of a recipe, and more of an idea, or a kitchen tip.

I like having dessert (have you noticed?) but I try not to run my oven too much in the summer. We don't have A/C, and I just don't want to heat the house up more than necessary!

So I decided to try making brownies in the waffle iron! And it worked!

I made the brownies from a box mix, as the package directed. Then I poured the batter into the hot waffle iron, just as I would make waffles.



Leave the batter in for about the same time as you would for waffles.



The brownie batter kept for several days in the refrigerator - so if you don't want to make them all in one evening (or morning! ha!) you could make fresh brownie waffles every night...

Top with ice cream and your desired toppings. Brownie sundaes without the oven - that works for me!

Find more great things to eat at Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesdays and Stop and Smell the Chocolates.

Twisted Chicken Tetrazzini

I'm always on the look out for interesting new skillet dinners, especially in the summer when I don't want to use the oven. (You can find more of these here, here, here, here and here!) This is a recipe from Campbell's, but I adapted it (as usual) for my taste. It's a great way to sneak in those veggies!

First, put a pot of water on to boil, and then add your pasta. This recipe is called "twisted" because it calls for corkscrew pasta - I used gemelli, which is sort of the same.

While you're waiting for the water to boil, you can shred the zucchini and carrots. I have a mandolin so I use that for the zucchini. If you have a food processor, that would work too.



I love seeing a bowl of perfectly shredded zucchini!



I was using baby carrots so I didn't shred them, I just sliced them. Next, chop your onion and mushrooms, and saute them in olive oil for 2-3 minutes, until tender.



Add the zucchini, and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.



Add the carrots to the pasta when it is nearly done cooking, maybe about a minute left.



Now add the soup, sour cream and milk to the skillet with the vegetables.



Stir well to incorporate all the sauces, then add the chicken. I used some leftover grilled chicken. You can use chicken from your freezer stash, or canned chicken if you're in a pinch.



Drain the pasta and carrots, and add them to the skillet. I found I had too much pasta for my taste so I didn't add it all - next time, I'll cook less!



Stir well to mix all ingredients together, and then top with parmesan.



Parmesan adds such a nice finishing note to so many foods - don't skimp on this! I buy a big jar of shredded parmesan at a wholesale club (WAY cheaper!) and then keep it in the freezer. It's what works for me.

Stir well again and season to your taste. I added about 1/2 tsp. salt.

Get more great ideas at What's Cooking Wednesday and the In-Season Recipe Swap.

Twisted Chicken Tetrazzini

2 1/2 cups uncooked corkscrew pasta
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tsbp. olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Bring large pot of water to a boil; add pasta. Add carrots during the last minute of cooking time; drain in colander.

In large skillet, saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil for 2-3 minutes til tender; add zucchini and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add soup, sour cream and milk and stir well. Add chicken and drained pasta/carrots. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Add parmesan and salt and pepper to taste, stirring one last time.

Grilled Rubbed Pork

I like to experiment with different "treatments" for meat on the grill, but this is one I come back to again and again. It's subtle, but gives the meat a delicious kick. And it takes all of 45 seconds to prepare, which leaves more time for reading in the back yard!

This recipe is for two pork tenderloins - I usually only make one at a time, so I just cut the rub ingredients in half. If you like, you could also make more ahead of time and keep the rub in an airtight container. But, since it only takes 45 seconds to prepare, you could just make it fresh each time, too. (Okay, that was a circuitous paragraph.)



In a small bowl (I actually use a ramekin), combine the brown sugar and spices.



Stir these up so they are all mixed together. Place your tenderloin(s) on a plate or in a cake pan or cookie sheet (your preference!) and rub the spice mixture all over it/them, top, bottom and sides.



Cover and refrigerate the meat for up to 3 hours.

Grill the pork over indirect medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. With pork, you want the internal temperature to reach 160 degrees.



Let the meat stand for 5 minutes before slicing.



Need side dishes? Try roasted vegetables , almond wild rice and cranberry salad with this pork.

For more great ideas, visit Mouthwatering Mondays, Recipe Swap, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table and the Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Grilled Rubbed Pork

2 pork tenderloins (1 pound each)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper

Place pork in a 9x13 dish. Combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano and pepper and stir well to mix. Rub over pork, covering all sides. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.

Grill over indirect heat for 15-20 minutes until pork reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, turning occasionally. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 6.

Summer Pasta

My friend Michelle gave me this recipe and I'm glad she did! It's a great way to use zucchini and squash, and smoked sausage is a nice change of pace from beef. This recipe freezes well, so you could make the sauce ahead and freeze it in a ziptop bag for a quick meal later. Or you could make a double batch, and freeze half (I'm all about options).

This is a recipe you can use when you need to put food on the table quickly: the sauce doesn't take any longer than cooking the pasta. It's also one that can be changed based on what you have that's seasonal or from the garden. I use zucchini and summer squash, but you can also use or add carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, whatever you have and your family prefers.

Put on a pot of water to boil, then add your favorite pasta. I usually use spaghetti for this, but gemelli or penne or something else would work just fine.

For the sauce, first cut up the smoked sausage (I used keilbasa cause that's what I had!) I cut it crosswise into slices, and then cut each slice into quarters. Saute the sausage just til it starts to brown. (This is really an optional step, but I prefer the texture of this after it's been browned. If you don't care, just add the meat into the sauce when you add the tomatoes.)



Remove the sausage from the pan, and add a bit of olive oil. Saute the squash and onions until tender.



Add the tomatoes and sausage to the pan and stir well. Simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors combine. (I puree my tomatoes first cause I don't like chunks! You can just pour them in straight from the can.)



Drain the pasta. Serve the sauce over the pasta, and top with parmesan cheese.

There are more great ideas for squash at the In Season Recipe Swap.

Get more recipe inspiration at Friday Feasts, Food on Fridays, Family Recipe Friday, and Foodie Fridays, Ingredient Spotlight.

Summer Pasta

1 pound spaghetti or your favorite pasta
1 pound smoked sausage or polska keilbasa, sliced and diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise and then crosswise
2 small summer squash, sliced lengthwise and then crosswise
1 small onion, chopped
1 28-oz can seasoned diced tomatoes (I used olive oil and garlic)
parmesan cheese


Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta; cook til al dente. Meanwhile, saute sausage in a large skillet until just starting to brown. Remove from skillet. Add olive oil to the skillet and saute the vegetables over medium heat until tender. Add the tomatoes and sausage to the vegetables. Lightly simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Drain pasta. Serve sauce over pasta and top with parmesan cheese. Serves 8.

Peanut Butter-Banana Cream Pie

This is one of my favorite desserts! It's great in the summer because it's frozen, but I make it year round. This recipe was originally from Cooking Light, but I've made a few modifications.

If you don't have all the "light" ingredients called for in this recipe, feel free to use the "full fat" counterparts - I've never used reduced-fat peanut butter because I never have any! Even with the light ingredients, this pie is surprisingly rich and filling. I recommend 10 slices for this pie, which makes it a great option for when you have company. Since it uses 1/2 a block of cream cheese, it's also easy just to double and make two pies, helping you to feed a crowd!

First, to make the crust, crush the vanilla wafers. You can use a food processor, a mini chopper, or just a rolling pin, whatever you like best and is convenient.



To the crushed cookies, add the brown sugar and melted butter.



Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9 or 10 inch pie plate.



Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, then cool completely. (Note: if you have friends or family with gluten or carb issues, this pie is equally good without the crust! Just layer the bananas in the bottom of the pie plate, they serve the purpose of a crust!)

While the crust is cooling, make the filling. Using a mixer, cream together the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth.



Then fold in the whipped topping.



Next, slice the bananas and arrange them in the bottom of the crust. Spread the filling over the bananas.



Drizzle with chocolate syrup.



I usually use a table knife to cut through the syrup and the filling to make a little design on top. (Emphasis on little, artistic I am not!)



Cover the pie with cling wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours. Remove from the freezer about 15 minutes prior to serving.

Get more great ideas at What's Cooking Wednesday and I am Blissfully Domestic, This Week's Cravings.

Peanut Butter-Banana Cream Pie

Crust:
1 cup vanilla wafers (about 20)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz.) reduced fat cream cheese (or regular)
1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter (or regular)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 8 oz. container whipped topping, thawed
1 1/2 cups sliced bananas (about 2)
3 Tbsp. chocolate sundae syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Crush cookies into fine crumbs and combine with brown sugar and melted butter. Stir well to combine. Press crumbs onto bottom and up sides of a 9 or 10 inch pie plate coated with non stick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes; cool completely.

For filling, combine brown sugar, cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl; beat with mixer until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Arrange bananas in the bottom of the pie crust; spread peanut butter filling over bananas. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Cover and freeze 8 hours; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before esrving. Serves 8-10.