Spicy Mediterranean Steak Salad

Well, I managed to survive vegan week, but it confirmed my joy for meat and dairy, so while I may enjoy a vegan meal every now and then, there won't be any big changes on Apron Adventures.

BUT, speaking of changes, this Apron will become a Mrs! My photographer, taste-tester and fellow contributor Luke proposed last week. Stay tuned for wedding details! In the meantime, be on the lookout for more health-conscious meals as this apron works to fit into the ultimate - a wedding dress! But, I do need to satisfy my palette, so no frou-frou here!

Spicy Mediterranean Steak Salad

1 pound skirt steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 small golden potatoes
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
6 ounces mixed greens
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup pitted olives, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette

Marinade the skirt steak in 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper for about an hour. In the meantime, slice potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, spread on a baking sheet and coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, finishing on a broil if needed.

While potatoes roast, preheat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat, add remaining olive oil and cook steak 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set to rest about 5 minutes, then slice.

While the steak rests, saute onions, bell pepper and jalapeno for about 3 minutes. To assemble salad, toss greens, feta, olives, and vinaigrette with roasted potatoes and cooked vegetables, then top with steak. Enjoy!

Chicken and Grape Couscous

I love those Thursday night meals that come together with a flash of inspiration, and this one was no different. We recently helped Zoes Kitchen open their Austin location a few weeks ago for work, and I got some of their famed "Spice of Life"- a secret mix of Mediterranean spices. Since it's secret, I'm not sure what exactly is in it, but I'd recommend subbing with salt, pepper, garlic, basil and oregano if you can't get your hands on some. I used that as my muse for Thursday night's dinner and was not disappointed :)

Chicken and Grape Couscous

2 cups whole wheat couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups grapes, halved

1 cup olives, halved

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Zoes Spice of Life

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook couscous to package instructions. Set aside, keep warm. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and warm olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and cook until done, about 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Add to a large bowl with cous cous and toss with grapes, olives and lemon juice. Season with Spice of Life and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in feta cheese. Enjoy!

"Potato Salad"

1 pound potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

3 tablespoons oil, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Zoes Spice of Life

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

8 ounces fresh romaine

1 ounce parmesan, grated

Preheat oven for 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and season generously with salt and pepper and Spice of Life. Bake about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet on medium heat and warm 2 tablespoons oil. Add onions and saute 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and add to a bowl. Toss with romaine and parmesan, and potatoes when slightly cooled. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Vegetarian Mediterranean Panini

You know me, I love a good sandwich! I also tend to get in a very comfortable produce rut, so I decided to switch things up, while still making one of my favorites. What did I throw into the mix? A big, beautiful portobello mushroom. Mushrooms are such a nice meaty food without the heaviness that some of my go-to proteins lend to an otherwise light meal. Since I tend to go pretty heavy-handed with my sandwich toppings, the portobello mushroom was the perfect addition.

Vegetarian Mediterranean Panini

1 large portobello mushroom cap, stemmed and cleaned
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 red onion, sliced
2 roasted red bell peppers
2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
8 large sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf ciabatta
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil on both sides of mushroom and sprinkle with rosemary. Grill about 6 minutes on each side until grill marks are formed. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, then slice and set aside.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat and warm other tablespoon oil. Saute garlic and onion 2 minutes, then add bell pepper, artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes and saute 3-5 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

Reheat grill pan or panini grill. Cut ciabatta in half to form a top and bottom, then slice into 5 pieces. Pile mushroom slices, vegetable mixture and a few crumbles of goat cheese on each bottom half, then place top on the sandwich. place sandwiches on grill pan and place a heavy skillet on top (I used my cast iron) and let it cook 4-5 minutes, then flip and let it cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Enjoy!

On the side:

Blackberry Spinach Salad

5 ounces baby spinach leaves
3 ounces fresh blackberries
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together vinegar, oil and salt and pepper and drizzle over salad.

Chicken, Artichoke and Pesto Pizza

I love to chop things by hand, but I also love getting to pull out my food processor for some tasty homemade pesto, which I substituted for sauce on the pizza.

Chicken, Artichoke and Pesto Pizza

1 refrigerated thin pizza crust
1/3 cup oregano pesto (recipe below)
2 cup cooked chicken breast
2 cups artichoke hearts, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted olives
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll pizza dough out on a large baking sheet and spread pesto over crust (add extra oil as needed). Top with remaining ingredients and bake 15 to 20 minutes until cheese has melted and crust is browning. Serve!

Oregano Pesto

1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
2 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper ot taste
3/4 cup fresh oregano
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine pine nuts and garlic in the food processor. Add parmesan and salt and pepper and pulse again. Mix in oregano and spinach leaves. With processor on, stream in olive oil.

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta

I've recently discovered my affinity for olives and have therefore started to include them more in my meals. I'm in Kingwood this week celebrating Christmas with my family, and since we usually eat out a lot whenever I come in town, I thought it might be a treat to cook dinner for them. We usually have a good bit of wine around, so I thought a Mediterranean pasta with a wine sauce would be the perfect thing.

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup artichoke hearts

1/2 cup pitted olives

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes

8 ounces fettuccini

4 ounces fresh spinach

1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese

Cut chicken breasts into pieces and sprinkle with herbs. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add oil. Cook chicken breasts until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Add onion and garlic and sautee about 3 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts and olives and cook addition 2 minutes. Stir in broth, wine, salt and pepper and tomatoes, cover, reduce heat and let simmer about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water until boiling. Salt well and add fettuccini, cook until al dente. Drain and reserve.

When chicken mixture is done simmering, stir in spinach to wilt, about 2 minutes. Then divide fettuccini evenly among 4 plates, top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!

My mom and sister loved it :)