The Best Plan of Attack is a Flank Steak

Are you in the mood for a steak but don't want to pay a bunch at a steak house and have your steak come out over cooked, over seasoned, and under flavorful? Well this recipe is for you! Flank steak is a super easy option for families that want a nice meal that is relatively cheap. Paired with a simple vegetable and optional bread the flank steak makes a great well rounded meal for about 5 dollars per person.

The flank steak is super easy to cook! Start your grill and bring the temperature up to between 350-375. While the grill is heating season the steak with McCormicks Montreal Steak Seasoning liberally on both sides. Place the steak on the grill and let it cook with the lid closed for five minutes on the first side. [NoProTip: Don't flip the steak more than once, allow most cooking to be done on the first side. This helps the steak hold on to vital juices!] After five minutes, flip the steak and allow it to cook for about two to three more minutes. [This will bring the steak to a Medium Rare state, which is how I like it, if you like your meat to be medium cook for five minutes after flipping, medium well six minutes pre-flip and five minutes after the flip and well done, well just go back to the store and get beef jerky cause that should be illegal] Once the meat has finished cooking, set aside for a minimum of five minutes to allow the juices to settle in the meat and the fibrous tissues to loosen up.

Before preparing your meat, you will want to start on the side dish that accompanies it. A dish that I just learned of, thanks to Pinterest, is a Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato and Bacon mixture. I'm not going to lie, before I made this I was pretty skeptical about it, but I will be cooking this again! Pre-heat your oven to 400 first of all, then start out by chopping two large sweet potatoes into chunks, you can decide the size of each chunk, and cutting the sprouts in half. Liberally coat a baking sheet with EVOO and set aside. With your sprouts and potatoes cut up, place them in a large bowl and drizzle EVOO over the top. Sprinkle some thyme, roughly a tablespoon, and some salt and pepper to taste over that. Mix that thoroughly with your hands, extra virgin olive oil is the best moisturizer you will ever find, and scatter evenly on to the baking sheet. Bake the mixture for 20-25 minutes, until you can easily put a fork through the potato pieces. While that is baking, fry up about five pieces of bacon to a crispy level and set aside on a paper-towel to cool. Once the vegetables are done, place them in the serving bowl and crumble the bacon over top. Mix it all together again prior to serving.

After the steak has rested, and you can not skip that part, slice it into small strips on about a 45 degree angle. Serve on the plate with the steak presented to show the inside of the meat, allowing the diner to admire the deep reds and see the juices, juxtaposed to the greens and yellows of the vegetables. If you decided to add a bread portion, that is best served in a basket on the table so that each diner may grab as they please. Serve this with meal with a Merlot or Chianti, these wines will bring out the bold flavor of the steak and assist in tasting the smokey notes of the seasoning!

What you need

Flank Steak [NoProTip: Flank Steak will shrink quite a bit during cooking]

McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 Sweet Potatoes

16 oz bag of Brussels Sprouts

Bacon

Rosemary

EVOO

Salt and Pepper

"Slap Yo Mama Good" Pork Loin

Pork Loin. The most versatile pork meats. You can smoke it, grill it, bake it, fry it. However you want to cook it you can. I like to bake it at low temperatures for a good amount of time to allow all the flavors to seep into the meat and fill each bite with wonders! Well, I guess more like garlic and Italian herbs. Yep, you guessed it! The "Holy Trinity" gets used again in this recipe, which, I mean really, why wouldn't you?

To start off set your oven to preheat to 350. While its heating up grab your loin, the pork loin that is, and season it up. [NoProTip: Season the side of the loin that doesn't have the wall of fat on it, the flavors will absorb more easily!] First drizzle some EVOO over the top, then I like to put the "Holy Trinity" [basil, oregano, thyme] and a little garlic salt on it. I use about a tablespoon of each. After you have seasoned it up, let your loin have a spa day! Give it a good massage, making sure those seasonings really get in to the meat, try working out all those tension knots the butchers put in there when they cut off the slab of meat! After it has been relaxed by a nice massage, its time to rest in the sauna, a.k.a. the oven. The pork really needs to relax so it's going to sit in there for at least an hour, maybe even an hour and a half. The best way to check if the pork is cooked is to simply cut all the way through the middle and take a peak. [Don't worry about the look of the pork because you are going to be slicing it when its done] If you feel the pork isn't quite done, still a little slimy pink in the middle, cook longer at ten minute intervals until the internal temperature is 145 degrees.

While the pork is resting in the sauna, you can prepare your sides! The pork is a great source of protein so you'll want to round off the meal with a yummy, yet semi healthy, starch and a vegetable. I like broccoli and sweet potato fries! I have to admit, Ore Ida has the best sweet potato fries I've had outside of a restaurant! All they need is a dash of salt over the top and they are perfect! The bag says to cook them at 400 for about 20 minutes, but that temp would cook the outside of your pork too fast and dry it out, so we don't want to cook them at that temp. Leave the oven at 350 but cook the fries for 30 minutes. This way all your parts of the dish will be perfectly cooked and done at relatively the same time.

For the broccoli, all you have to do is boil some water. If you are using fresh broccoli, good for you! That means you have bought it recently and planned out your meals and now exactly what your going to cook and when you're going to cook it! However, if you live in the real world with an ever changing life schedule that is pretty unpredictable, frozen broccoli works just as good! Once the water is boiling, place the broccoli in the water for five to ten minutes or until the outside of the broccoli begins to feel tender to a forks prodding. Drain the water and place off to the side until the rest of the items are done. Don't cook the broccoli too early though, you don't want it to turn cold.

Once the pork is done, place it onto a cutting bored and slice it into thin slices. Two pieces is usually a good portion size, unless you can slice it deli thin. Add a serving of the sweet potato fries and broccoli and serve!

This meal is perfect for a Sunday dinner where you have time to let the meat cook for a while and absorb all the wonderful flavors! Pair this with a crisp Chardonnay and you will be very pleased!

What you need

Pork Loin

Garlic Salt

Herb "Holy Trinity"

EVOO

Sweet Potato Fries [Ore Ida Steak are the best!]

Broccoli

Juicy Chicken Italiano

Have you ever baked chicken only for it to be dry, or chewy, or just unappetizing in general? Well, there are several ways to combat that. The best way is with a marinade! Just like the Purple Chicken recipe I posted earlier, marinades can completely change the flavor of chicken. However, marinades don't have to be as complicated as the one used there!

The easiest way to ensure your chicken is juicy and delicious is with a little bit of EVOO. If you want delicious and moist chicken you should make my "Juicy Chicken Italiano." It may change the way you view chicken for the rest of your life! But, don't worry, thats O.K.!

Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziploc and drizzle in a generous portion of EVOO. Top that with the Holy Herb Trinity [basil, thyme, oregano] and seal the bag while pushing as much air out as possible. Shake the bag up to evenly distribute the marinade over the pieces of chicken. Place the chicken into the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours while the EVOO penetrates into the meat.

After allowing the chicken to rest in the marinade for four hours, remove the chicken from the fridge. Place the chicken into a baking dish that is lightly greased. When the chicken is in the baking dish, take some fresh rosemary leaves and scatter them over the chicken. Place the chicken into a preheated oven at 400 degrees. Cook the chicken for thirty minutes, or until the juices run clear.

When I was looking through my fridge, pantry, and freezer for something to have as a side, I found mashed sweet potatoes! That sounds perfect!!! Now, these sweet potatoes were already mashed, and mixed, and deliciously prepared. But, here's how to make them from scratch! Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil while you peel 4-5 large sweet potatoes and cut them into quarters. Once the water is boiling place the potatoes into the boiling water for fifteen minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and place them into a large bowl with half a stick of butter, half a cup of cream and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mash the potatoes together with the ingredients until you have reached the consistency that you prefer.

After the chicken is cooked thoroughly, remove from oven. Place the chicken on to a cutting board and out of the baking dish to allow oils and juices to settle while you plate a serving of sweet potatoes. Once the chicken has rested for a few minutes, place the whole breast  on the plate opposite the potatoes.

This meal is a great option for families that are looking for something simple and delicious to cook and it pairs well with a sweet white wine, like Pinot Grigio!

What you need

Chicken

EVOO [Extra Virgin Olive Oil]

Holy Herb Trinity [basil, thyme, oregano]
Rosemary

Sweet Potatoes

Salt

Butter

Cream

Cinnamon

Potato masher [optional]