The Best Grilled Steak Sandwiches

A couple of weekends ago Kyle and I had such a great time grilling out steaks with some friends. Everything about the evening was fun- the food, the conversation, the company and the game night that ended the evening! Then, it was a bonus because the following Monday we had pretty much everything we needed for these incredibly delicious and incredibly easy steak sandwiches! I don’t know about you guys but we just can’t let good steak go to waste. Actually, I really don’t like letting any food go to waste. However, I don’t want to eat it the exact same way on round two. I have learned that everyone has a leftover preference. I’ve learned that my husband’s family loves turning steak from the night before into steak & potato burritos the next morning. I know of other friends who love steak and eggs. Me? I love a warm and savory steak sandwich. I’ve made this a couple of ways over the years, but I have to say that this one is the best! I was seriously loving every. single. bite. of this sandwich! The flavors all combine perfectly and the spread that I whipped up pretty much seals the deal. I knew that my husband even liked it when he dipped the spoon back in the bowl to slather on a little more of that creamy spread (he is somewhat of a purist, especially when it comes to meat, and so sauces are something with which he is a bit hesitant).

This sandwich is so simple to make. I think I started pulling out the ingredients and cooking the other parts of the sandwich around 6:15 and we were sitting at the table by about 7. I pulled the steak out of the fridge to take some of the chill off. Then I broiled / roasted my red bell pepper just like I always do. You can find quick instructions on that here (or you can buy jarred roasted red bell pepper, of course). Then I heated some olive oil in the skillet and started to saute my mushrooms on medium heat, which probably took about 10 minutes or so. While those cooked on the skillet I was able to quickly whisk together the spread. I have been experimenting with garlic infused olive oil recently and so far am LOVING it! You can use fresh garlic in the sauce if you want, but, I think a tiny bit of the garlic-infused olive oil in the sauce is absolutely delectable and really makes the sauce what it is! After the mushrooms are done I removed them onto a plate and covered to keep warm. I then sauteed some white onions so Kyle could put them on his sandwich. You can definitely do that too if you want!

The next time you decide to grill out steaks, make sure to grill a little extra so that you can enjoy these sandwiches for one of your dinners to follow. It has carbohydrate, veggies, and protein all in one bite. It’s filling, it’s satisfying, it’s nutritious, it’s delicious and I hope you find the time to give it a try!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

THE BEST GRILLED STEAK SANDWICHES

Makes 2 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

For the Sandwiches:

• 4 slices of sourdough bread

• Already grilled steak (about a couple of ounces per sandwich, or however much you want!)

• 1 large Portobello mushroom, sliced into about 1/4 inch-thick slices

• 1 medium red bell pepper, roasted & skin removed (see easy instructions here. Or you can buy jarred already roasted bell peppers at the store)

• 1/2 cup of packed spinach

• Dill Aioli

For the Dill Aioli:

• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic-infused EVOO

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

• sprinkle of salt (1/8 teaspoon or less)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Follow the directions here to slice and roast your red bell pepper.

2. While your bell peppers roast, heat about 2 teaspoons of olive or canola oil in a medium skillet on medium heat.

3. Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms begin to sweat and become fork-tender.

4. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

5. Your peppers should also be done at this point. Once peeled, keep sealed in foil or covered on same plate as the mushrooms to keep warm.

6. Reheat the steak in the oven or in the microwave (about 1 minute in microwave)

7. Whisk together all of the ingredients for your Dill Aioli

8. Toast the sourdough bread.

9. Now it’s time to assemble the sandwiches! To assemble each sandwich:

   1. On one slice of bread spread about 2 to 3 teaspoons of the aioli.

   2. On the other slice add your spinach, followed by slices of your steak, followed by about half of the sliced roasted red peppers followed by about 4 mushroom slices.

10. Press your sandwich together and enjoy!

Italian Zoodles & Shrimp

This is another recipe that came about from pure curiosity - (1) I have always been curious about all of these zucchini noodles I see in stores and have heard people talk about (I know, slow to jump on the zoodle train), (2) we got a zucchini spiralizer as part of a wedding gift, which spurred my intrigue, and (3) when trying to search for zucchini noodle recipes for clients, I surprisingly came up with very few results!  Now, don't be mistaken here - I'm all about those regular old fashioned pasta noodles.  However, I just had to try these zucchini noodle creations and, of course, my fun new kitchen gadget, and, to my excitement, I got a new recipe for friends and clients along the way!

Now, I had somewhat expected for this to turn into a recipe I could recommend to others, but what I didn't quite expect was for it to become a new quick and simple dinner staple for our table at home.  I made it the first time as a complete experiment, and was able to get it on the table in about 30 - 40 minutes.  So, this past Sunday when we were pressed for time to get to an evening event, I didn't hesitate to turn to this simple and delicious zucchini and shrimp dish that Kyle & I had enjoyed so much on its first debut at the table.

I quickly grabbed all of the ingredients out of the fridge, spiralized (or as I like to say, "zoodled"), did some quick slicing and mincing, and got the skillet ready to go.  

Friends, this recipe is yummy and so fast (and even faster if you prep a few things ahead)!  The zucchini gets cooked down in the cooking process and mixes with all the other flavors and I tend to forget I'm eating a rather bland (on it's own) vegetable.  The hearty mushrooms, salty Parmesan and zesty seasonings make this a refreshing but still filling dinner for the family to enjoy.  I hope you enjoy this as well and that it, or some variation of it, can also be used as a staple to get you through some of those crazy busy days or nights!

So here you go, the recipe for my Italian Zoodles & Shrimp.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

ITALIAN ZOODLES & SHRIMP!

Recipe Serves about 2 - 3 people (or 2 people and leftovers for lunch the next day)

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 pound raw shrimp

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Italian dressing (whichever is your favorite!)

• 3 medium zucchini

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used a garlic press)

• 2 cups sliced white button mushrooms

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• Zest from 1 medium lemon

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese + more for serving

• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

Directions:

1. Pour Italian dressing and shrimp into a sealable plastic baggie (like Ziplock). Seal and place in the refrigerator to marinate for about 2 hours or more.

2. Peel off the skin of each zucchini (use a vegetable peeler or a knife) and slice the ends off of each zucchini.

3. Using a hand-held spiralizer or one that attaches to a Kitchen-Aid (I used a mini hand-held that you can see in the pic here and it worked great), spiralize your zucchini into a large mixing bowl. This should make about 6 to 7 cups of "zoodles".

4. In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium heat.

5. Add minced garlic and saute in the olive oil about 3 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic.

6. Add the marinated shrimp to the skillet (I had larger shrimp so had to cook them in two batches). Don't add the marinade to the skillet - only add the shrimp.

7. Cook the shrimp about 3 minutes per side (may vary depending on size of the shrimp). Remove shrimp from the skillet and set side, covered, while you prepare the zoodles. Leave any juices / spices in the pan.

8. In the same skillet where you just cooked the shrimp, add the mushrooms and cook about 5- 7 minutes until they start to soften.

9. Add the "zoodles" and cook for about 10 minutes until they start to soften. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest about halfway through cooking, sprinkle with salt and gently toss to incorporate all ingredients.

10. After the zoodles have softened, add the Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, toss to combine all ingredients and get all of those great flavors mixed together.

11. Add the shrimp to the skillet, toss and serve!

NUTRITION NOTES:

Zucchini -  fiber; fluid; some vitamin C

Mushrooms - riboflavin, niacin, copper, vitamin D (varying levels depending on the mushroom);

Shrimp - protein; niacin; B12; iron; phosphorus; selenium

Garlic - an allium with a rich phytochemical composition that may help reduce atherosclerosis & the risk of stomach and colon cancer 

Lemon - vitamin C