New York Strip with Baja Slaw

I've been wanting to do the Baja slaw for a while.  I got the idea from a local favorite restaurant. They no longer serve the baja slaw, so I was very sad to see it go, however I feel this is  the perfect opportunity to perfect my own.   Let's just say this is a slight variation or twist on 'their' recipe ;)  I think this slaw is very versitile-by itself,  as a side dish, as a salad, or used as a garnish if you'd like.

Sherry Berry's Baja Slaw

1/2 red cabbage

1/2 green cabbage

1 red onion

2 1/2 carrots

3/4 cup of fresh cilantro

1/2 jicama root, julienned (optional)

Directions: 

Coarsely chop the  red and green cabbage.  

Cut up the red onion, . . . 

  

Grate the carrots, . . . 

and cut (or chop) the cilantro.  

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl.

Toss in a cranberry orange (or similar) vinaigrette dressing.  I used about a 1/4 cup. 

For a shortcut,  I used this one by Organicville  but you can also use the recipe shown below*:

Let slaw sit in fridge for about ten minutes for flavors to settle. 

This Baja slaw is a  delicious pair with a steak, grilled chicken or barbecue (ribs, sausage, brisket, etc.)  and has quickly become a summer grilling accomplice, so this may not be the last time you see the slaw, or variations of it in this blog. 

Now let's get to grillin'!

1. Pick a nice cut of meat- (below are my recommendations, but I chose a NY strip this time.)

• Steak:   Porterhouse, flank, filet mignon, strip, tenderloin, bone-in ribeye or a T-bone.
• Chicken:  Grilled or smoked chicken quarters, drumsticks, breasts, or thigh filets.
• Fish:  Grilled salmon, halibut, sole, seabass, tuna steak, or snapper.

2.  Marinate meat overnight.  I chose to use a McCormicks Grill Mates steak seasoning, but you may use onion powder, chopped garlic gloves, and pepper in lieu of prepared seasoning.  I rubbed the marinade over the steaks, and poured a 1/2 cup of vinegar over them and let sit overnight covered in the fridge.  You can marinate for as little as 30 minutes if you wish;  Just allow time for the flavors to marry.  Puncture the steak(s) with a fork many times on each side (50-60 punctures on each side will suffice.)

 

3.  Heat the grill to 375, and grill steak(s) for 7-10 minutes on each side.  For desired internal tempertures, depending on how you want your steak prepared, you may use a meat thermometer.  You may also baste the steaks with a steak sauce after flipping each side. 

4.  Once steaks are done, serve with a side of Baja slaw, and you're ready for a backyard barbecue (or dinner party indoors- where there's no mosquitos...lol)

*Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup cranberry juice concentrate
  1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
  1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  1/4 cup olive oil
  1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon pepper
  

Combine all ingredients in a jar, shake well, and pour over salad (or slaw in this case).   Refridgerate for up to five days.  Always shake well before serving.

Asian Stir Fry with Chicken

The hubby and I were in need of some major veggie intake. I thought of going to Pei Wei to pick up some take out, but I figured we could save money buy making our own Asian dish. I came up with the idea of doing a stir fry; Hubby liked the idea. So, I picked up a pack of chicken breast tenders and some fresh veggies - a broccoli crown head and two carrots. Then, I came across the section with asian seasonings, and picked up a NOH Asian stir fry seasoning packet. I had onions, bellpeppers and rice at home already.

*I used half the package of chicken breast tenders (approx. 8 tenders) , but feel free to use more if you'd like.

1. Rinse chicken tenders, and place in a skillet. I used a frying pan with three inch sides.

2. Season chicken with a sprinke of paprika and garlic powder and a dash of salt. Cook for ten minutes on a medium high heat on both sides.

3. Add a half cup of water, and simmer chicken on low heat, covered for another ten minutes.

4. In the meantime, prepare your water for your rice and cut veggies:

• In a sauce pan, bring 1 1/2 cups of water and a dash of salt to a rolling boil. After water starts boiling, add 3/4 cup of rice. I used Mahatma Whole Grain rice. Simmer covered on low heat for approximately 12-15 minutes.

• Julienne one bellpper.
• Coarsely chop a half of onion.
• Cut off the stem of the brocolli and break or cut the individual heads off.
• Use a potato peeler to remove outter skin from carrot (I used one carrot, but again, you may use more if you'd like.) Cut the ends of the carrot off, and proceed to shave the carrot in short strokes until all the carrot is complete. {Note: I shave my carrots for a stir fry because it takes less time to cook. You may prepare your carrots any way you like.) It's easier to shave if you cut the carrot in half.
• Please all veggies in collander, mix and rinse with water.

5. Chicken breast should be tender and moist at this point. Break up chicken into bite-sized pieces with a spatula or fork. Prepare seasoning packet according to instructions (You just have to add water and whisk in the powder in the packet.) Add all veggies to chicken in the skillet and increase heat to medium temperature. Pour in sauce mixture.

Cover and cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the veggies are tender enough to stick a fork through, but still firm and bright colored.

6. Check rice to make sure it's fluffy and no water remains in saucepan. If there is still water in the pan, replace cover and continue to cook for a few more minutes.

Serve stir-fry over rice in a bowl. Add salt/pepper or low-sodium soy sauce to taste if needed. Yummy, quick and healthy.

**I also purchased a General Tso's seasoning packet as well. I'll let you all know how it comes out!

Enjoy,

Sher~