Main Dish

Tips and Tricks for a Great Steak Grill-Off

1 · Apr 2, 2013 ·

One of my favorite things that happens when the weather starts to warm up, is the grilling season shouldn't be too far behind. I LOVE grill season. I truly think there is nothing better than a good steak right off the grill.

My husband has become quite the grill master at our house and his steaks are by far some of the best that I've ever tasted. He just has a sense for when the meat is ready to turn and ready to rest. However, when we first married, we had a differing opinion as to how to prepare the lovely meat before we cooked it. I came from a marinade family and he came from a simple salt and pepper family. To be fair, he has a bit of a cattle background. His grandparents helped run a cattle ranch for several years when my husband was younger. So, he had learned this simple lesson, that it's better to season the meat with just a good crust of salt and pepper and let the natural flavor of the meat shine through. Bobby Flay the famed grill master has the same philosophy.

I, on the other hand, loved to marinade the meat in all kinds of lovely flavor enhancing goodies like olive oil, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. It gives the meat a nice rich flavor and has always been my favorite way to dress a good steak. But which way is better? The enhanced marinated steak or the rustic version? We decided to have a grill-off!

We each had a lovely premium ribeye steak from Walmart's meat department and went to town.

Just check out that marbling of fat throughout the meat, that's where flavor town resides. Always look for a steak with a fair amount of marbling, that's the kind of steak that is full of flavor and has a nice texture as well.

We actually used our indoor grill pan and finished the meat in the oven. It's a perfect alternative to an outdoor grill. Here's the secret though…

Preheat a oven safe pan (cast iron if you have it) in a 450 degree oven. Get you grill pan screaming hot on the stove top. Generously season your steak with salt and pepper and cover it with olive oil and place in the hot grill pan. Turn your heat down to medium high and grill on the first side for two to three minutes. Turn and do the same on the second side. Then place the steak in the preheated pan in the oven and finish your steak to it's desired temperature. This is how a good steak house generally cooks your steaks. You get some great grill marks and smoke flavor and then place it in the over for a good all over heat to finish the steak off.

We had the family give each steak a try and I will humble admit, that my husband and Bobby Flay are right. The rustic treatment of the meat with just a simple salt and pepper crust was by far the best!!

The steak was buttery and tender full of flavor that draws you in and compels you to want more. Our Walmart steaks were amazing and trust me, we've tried many different kinds of steak. The only thing I added was a pat of a garlic basil compound butter that just kicked the whole experience up a notch.

What about you? Are you ready to experience Walmart’s Steak-Over for yourself? Find out why you should choose your steaks at Walmart here. We shared our winning grilling tips – now tell us yours!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

Ham and Cheese Egg Boats // Recipe

1 · Mar 14, 2013 · 12 Comments

Spring Egg Boats // Have you ever had an ah ha moment that makes you feel pretty silly? When I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago, my first thought was… Holy cow, why didn't I think of that!! I've been making all kinds of egg / bread dishes for years. Why hadn't I ever thought of just putting the egg right into the bread itself and baking it just like that. Total paradigm shift for me. What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is to make and yet it presents really well. This would be a fabulous Easter brunch dish idea, your guests will think you are a culinary genius! Yet it's simple enough for an easy weeknight meal as well. It's the best of both worlds.

Ham and Cheese Egg Boats

This recipe is an adaption of a recipe originally found on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Large loaf of french or sour dough bread

6 eggs

1/4 cup whole milk or cream

Tabasco sauce to taste

1 cup of diced ham

3/4 cup of shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend of shredded cheese but cheddar would work fine too.)

Goat cheese (optional)

Directions

Cut a long narrow trough in the bread and scoop out a bit of the bread to make room for the egg mixture and set a side. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, Tabasco (I usually put in about 6-10 dashes, but that's up to your taste), and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Once the mixture has been whisked well, add the ham and carefully pour into the bread. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the egg boat. If you are a goat cheese lover, you can add some little dollops of goat cheese on top as well. I love goat cheese but other members of my family do not. So, I made one with and one without.

Now to bake this, if you are using a full size french loaf can be a little tricky. The loaf does not fit on a traditional baking sheet, so I had to improvise. I turned the baking sheet over and then used aluminum foil to create a baking dish for the loaf. That way if there were any spills, the foil would catch the mess and the inverted baking sheet provided stability. It worked like a charm.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until the egg has fully set. Let the egg boat cool for 10-15 and then slice into sections for your family or guests. I served mine with a lovely salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, goat cheese and pine nuts with a bright lemon vinaigrette.

Now that I've found this gem of a recipe, I can't wait to try all kinds of different variations. I can see all kinds of fun combinations with mushrooms, spinach, sausage you name it… Anything that would normally work in an omelet would be lovely. What combination would you try? Leave a comment and share and let's see what other amazing ideas we can all come up with!

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

4 · Nov 21, 2012 · 5 Comments

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie // I didn’t grow up eating Shepherd’s pie, not sure why… It just wasn’t in my Mom’s repertoire which kind of surprises me. Now that I am master of my own kitchen, I pull out this humble show stopper every once in a while and I LOVE it! I went a little crazy this time and created a sinfully fabulous Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie rather than the traditional potato Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie as it is known in other circles…

Traditionally Shepherd’s Pie is made when you have some leftover meat and you toss it together with some veggies and add a topping of mashed potatoes. I’ve had good and bad renditions of this casserole type dish and so far this one is hand’s down my favorite! It took a little time to think about all of the different layers and I played around until I came up with the perfect combination, but now I think I have a fabulous recipe that is perfect for these chilly fall and winter evenings. Just remember to season every layer in order for it to turn out aaaamazing!

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Sweet Potato Topping:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes

1 stick butter

8 oz. pumpkin cream cheese (if pumpkin isn’t available just use regular cream cheese and add 1 T sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon. 1/8 t. nutmeg)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Meat Filling:

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 –2 medium onions, diced

1 c red wine

2 lbs. ground beef

2 T flour

1 c beef broth

2 T tomato paste

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

4 c frozen peas and carrots

1-2 parsnips, peeled and diced

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Sweet Potatoes

In large pot, place the cubed sweet potatoes and cover with water. Let pot come to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Place potatoes into a mixing bowl with the butter, cream cheese, salt & pepper. Mash & whip the potatoes until light and fluffy. Taste to make sure they are seasoned well. Add more seasoning if needed.

Meet Filling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large skillet, heat oil and then add onions to caramelize, this will take 15- 20 minutes over medium heat. Once the onions are caramelized remove them from the pan and set aside. Put a skillet over high to medium high heat and brown the ground beef. Season the ground beef with salt & pepper. Once the ground beef has browned sprinkle the flour over the meet and cook for 1 minute before you add the red wine, stock, tomato paste & Worcestershire Sauce. Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes then add the vegetables and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Check the seasoning level and add salt & pepper as needed.

Place the meat mixture into a 9×13 baking dish (or,12 individual baking dishes) and cover with sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20. Garnish with chopped green onion.

Serves 12-14 people \\ This is a large recipe, cut in half for a smaller gathering.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Save Print

Prep time

50 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

Your family will love this scrumptious meat pie topped with luscious whipped sweet potatoes!

Author: Heather Thoming // WhipperBerry

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: English

Serves: 12-14

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Topping:
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
1 stick butter
8 oz. pumpkin cream cheese (if pumpkin isn’t available just use regular cream cheese and add 1 T sugar, ½ t. cinnamon. ⅛ t. nutmeg)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Meat Filling:
2 T olive oil
1½ –2 medium onions, diced
1 c red wine
2 lbs. ground beef
2 T flour
1 c beef broth
2 T tomato paste
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
4 c frozen peas and carrots
1-2 parsnips, peeled and diced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Sweet Potatoes
In large pot, place the cubed sweet potatoes and cover with water. Let pot come to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Place potatoes into a mixing bowl with the butter, cream cheese, salt & pepper. Mash & whip the potatoes until light and fluffy. Taste to make sure they are seasoned well. Add more seasoning if needed.
Meet Filling
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large skillet, heat oil and then add onions to caramelize, this will take 15- 20 minutes over medium heat. Once the onions are caramelized remove them from the pan and set aside. Put a skillet over high to medium high heat and brown the ground beef. Season the ground beef with salt & pepper. Once the ground beef has browned sprinkle the flour over the meet and cook for 1 minute before you add the red wine, stock, tomato paste & Worcestershire Sauce. Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes then add the vegetables and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Check the seasoning level and add salt & pepper as needed.
Place the meat mixture into a 9x13 baking dish (or,12 individual baking dishes) and cover with sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20. Garnish with chopped green onion.
Serves 12-14 people \\ This is a large recipe, cut in half for a smaller gathering.

Let me know what you think. Do you have other sweet potato recipes that you just adore. Let me know, I would love to try them!

Parmesan Balsamic Poached Eggs with Parisan Side Salad| Poached Egg 101

1 · May 16, 2012 · 8 Comments

Here is a fun new recipe inspired by my trip to Paris for Parmesan Balsamic Poached Eggs with a Parisian Side Salad…

I am one of those people who, how shall we say this… loves a good challenge. One of my church leaders when I was about 14 told me once, "learn how to make one thing in the kitchen REALLY WELL, and the rest won't matter so much." At that point in my life I decided that I was going to learn how to make the perfect pie crust and consequently all kinds of perfect pies. Even at a young age I actually got pretty good and baking pies. My crusts were always golden and flaky with a special little sugary topping on them. Then I married a man who could really care less about pies or sweets in general… FOR REAL!!! Not wanting to have to ingest all of the sugary calories in the house, I turned my sights to learning how to make the perfect poached egg. Why, I don't know… I like eggs, and this cooking method presented a bit of a challenge for me.

I studied and practiced {cue scenes from Julie & Julia} My family became my guinea pigs and they started running to the closest Taco Bell. It took a little bit, but I finally {I would say,} have mastered the perfect poached egg! {My family doesn't run away from me anymore at least.}

A few Saturdays ago I was putzing around in the kitchen, looking for something to eat for breakfast and I started pulling things from the fridge and came up with this divine concoction for my parmesan balsamic poached eggs on toast… But before I give the recipe, let's have a little poached egg 101.

Poached Egg 101

There are several tricks to poaching eggs that are not widely known:

First of all, the fresher the eggs the better. Now, if you can’t find fresh eggs don’t worry. What you need to do is warm them up before placing them in the water. What I typically do is place them in a bowl with hot tap water for a few minutes before I cook them. This brings the eggs up to room temperature quickly and allows for the whites to stay together once in the poaching water.
Next, the poaching water needs to have some type of acid added. I use white wine vinegar, but you can also use lemon juice as well. This again helps the egg stay together once added to the water.

Most importantly: the water… In a sauce pot, add about three inches of water and about 2 tsp. vinegar. The water needs to come up to about 190 degrees. This is just below a boil. Once you reach that temperature turn the burner down to low. Take a spoon and stir the water so that the water is gently swirling when you add the eggs.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl or measuring cup and then gently add them one at a time to the water.

When you see the egg in the water at first, don't freak out, you'll be amazed at how it will come together by the end of the cooking time.
At this point start timing the eggs. If you like your yokes runny, try about three minutes. For a medium egg, three and a half minutes and a firm yoke four minutes.
With a slotted spoon take the eggs out and place them on a paper towel to take care of the excess water.
It's easy to make a large batch of eggs a few at a time, place them on a paper towel and when you are ready to serve them, place the eggs in the hot water to re-heat for 30-60 seconds.

The bottom line is practice makes perfect when it comes to making the perfect poached egg. Once you feel like you have a good grasp on that skill, you are ready for this scrumptious, easy to prepare light meal.

Recipe | Parmesan Balsamic Poached Eggs on Toast

4 large poached eggs

2 slices of toasted French bread

shaved parmesan cheese

a drizzle of balsamic cream – This is a condiment that I discovered while traveling in Europe and FELL IN LOVE with it. I brought several bottles home with me but, most major super markets are now carrying balsamic cream in the vinegar section. You can also order it online if you can't find it locally.

Place two poached eggs on top of one of the slices of toasted French bread. Season with salt and pepper and then drizzle with the balsamic cream and then sprinkle the shaved parmesan on top. This recipe serves two,

On it's own this is a great light meal, paired with my Parisian salad and it's divine!

Recipe | Parisian Side Salad

A few years ago my family and I traveled to Paris for Christmas and the first night after arriving in the city, we made our way to the Eiffel Tower to see the sites. Walking around we found this cute little bistro right down the street from the Eiffel Tower were we had our first meal in Paris. {ahhhh sweet memories!} I had this amazing salad with my dinner that was so simple, yet so good. They put chilled, boiled potato in the salad and it was tasty. Here is my version of that salad.

3 cups of green leaf or red leaf lettuce

1 cup of grape tomatoes sliced in half

1 cup of boiled and chilled fingerling, small red, or small white potatoes

1 scallion thinly sliced

shaved parmesan cheese

In a large bowl combine the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes and scallion. Drizzle with the vinigarette and toss. Once tossed, sprinkle with shaved parmesan. Serve on the side of the parmesan balsamic poached eggs on toast.

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup of white wine or champagne vinegar

3/4 cup of olive oil

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon of agave or honey

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, mustard, agave, salt & pepper. Drizzle over the salad. This recipe serves two.

Now, you can have a quick little trip to Paris on a lazy Sunday morning without needing your passport!

Main Dish

Ham and Cheese Egg Boats

Directions

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Sweet Potato Topping:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes

Meat Filling:

Directions

Sweet Potatoes

Meet Filling

Poached Egg 101

Recipe | Parmesan Balsamic Poached Eggs on Toast

Recipe | Parisian Side Salad

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