Jalapeño-Lime Skirt Steak with Bell Peppers and Onions

This recipe was a quick to put together; we marinated the skirt steak, seared it on our cast iron skillet, and then threw it in the oven in our awesome new cookware.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 jalapeño, diced
1 skirt steak
1/2 large onion, halved and sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced 
    Method
    Place steak in a large zip lock bag.  Add coconut oil, sea salt, black pepper, lime juice, garlic, and jalapeño to the bag for the marinade.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the marinade.  We placed our steak in the refrigerator, which solidified the coconut oil; it might be better to leave it on the counter for this time.

    Put the cast iron on the stove and preheat to medium-high heat and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side.  First things first you should also set the oven temperature to 350ºF.  We let the steak rest for a few minutes while preparing the onion, jalapeño, and bell pepper.

    Place the skirt steak into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.  We took the skirt steak out when the internal temperature hit 135ºF.

    Slice the steak and serve over the vegetables.  Enjoy!  And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out our give away of Diane Sanfilippo’s Balanced Bites here!

    Our First Giveaway! (CLOSED) Diane Sanfilippo’s Practical Paleo!

    We’re finally doing our first giveaway!  We were fortunate enough to receive Practical Paleo early and review it (read that review here).  This was a great experience, and we frequently reference back to the book.  If you’re looking for a book that is informative, fun, and full of delicious recipes, this really needs to join your library.  

    We’re so convinced that we are giving a copy away!  The giveaway starts today (Friday the 14th) and will end on the 28th.  Then we will announce a winner and they’ll be the lucky recipient of a copy of Diane’s book!  Just take a look at the entry form below and get started.  ‘Like’ us and Diane on Facebook, and then comment at the bottom to let us you’ve done that.  Bonus entries go to those who follow us on twitter, and you can get an extra entry each day by tweeting the giveaway.  We’re so excited!
    (Apologies for all of the exclamation points––they’re a little over the top, but so are we.)
    UPDATE:  Thank you to everyone who entered!  This was a great time, and we will definitely be doing more of this in the future.  Keep your eyes on the prize, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to get updates on the next one.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Fiery Harvest Turkey Legs

    Turkey legs are probably one of my favorite foods.  From the first time going to the Renaissance Faire to Thanksgiving, they stand out a lot in memorable moments growing up.  I always get a drumstick at Thanksgiving, and I always pass out promptly 45-60 minutes later for a few hours; there’s something about the leg that really makes you feel like a caveman/carnivore.  This was a fun experimentation with different spices and flavors, and I think it turned out fantastic.  I can’t wait to make this again sometime soon.

    Fiery Harvest Turkey Legs:
    2 turkey legs (approx 1.75lbs)
    2 tbsp ghee/bacon fat/coconut oil
    1 tsp whole coriander
    1/2 tsp whole cloves
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1/4 tsp ancho chili pepper
    1/8 tsp garlic
    1/8 tsp smoked paprika
    First you’ll want to take all of your dry ingredients and add them into your mortar and pestle and crush into a fine powder.  While you’re working on that, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
    After you’ve mixed the ingredients, heat your fat and brush it on all sides of the legs as well as the inside of the baking dish you’re using.  Then cover legs with the dry rub.
    Now they’re ready for the oven.
    Bake for 90 minutes, and enjoy how the house starts to smell.  We took the opportunity to go for a run, and when we got back it was magical.
    When you’ve wrapped that up, let them sit for around 5 minutes to cool, and dig in.  Silverware is optional.  
    Also, keep an eye open for our upcoming giveaway––it should be live on Friday! NOW! Enter here!(Closed 9/28/12)

    Cedar Planked Pork Chops and Vegetables

    This recipe was a bit of an experiment, as we had the cedar planks left from an earlier cooking adventure, and it felt like the right time to break them out.  Most directions recommend soaking them for at least an hour, but we only soaked them 30 minutes and lived to tell the tale.

    You’ll need:

    • 2 pork chops
    • 2 cedar planks
    • roughly 1 cup chopped of each:
      • mushrooms
      • red onion
      • broccoli
    • tbsp olive oil/coconut oil
    • 2-3 tbsp Koops Horseradish Mustard
    While the planks soaked in the sink, we placed the pork chops in a bag with the mustard to marinate.  We probably used 2-3 tablespoons, but feel free to add/subtract to your liking of mustard.  We cooked the chops at 350ºF, so if you’d also like to preheat your oven now, that’s not a bad thing.
    If you don’t already have an egg slicer, do get one.  I’m pretty sure I got mine at the dollar store.  They’re great for the obvious slicing of eggs for salads and the like, but also amazing for mushrooms, as you can see.  More uniform cuts, less fuss, less muss.  Ok.  Informercial done.

    Once your oven is ready to go, place the planks in a baking dish (or create a pseudo-baking dish with foil on a cookie sheet), and add on the chops and assorted vegetables.  We then drizzled the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkled some sea salt.  

    And into the oven they went for 30 minutes.

    Afterwards they looked great.

    And tasted greater.

    On an unrelated note, we will be doing our FIRST EVER GIVEAWAY next week, so keep your eyes here (or on twitter and facebook) to get more details.  Sorry for the ambiguity and build up, but I can’t help it!

    Dill Oregano Dry-Rubbed Rack Of Lamb

    This Labor Day weekend we decided to get a rack of lamb for a special dinner.  We were planning on salmon, but when we went shopping it all was farm-raised and looked a little ragged.  I couldn’t remember the last time we did a rack of lamb (have we ever?!), but decided I was up for the challenge.  This recipe was so fantastically simple, I hope you all give it a shot sometime soon.  Tender, juicy, and flavorful––I will put this back on the menu sooner than later.

    Dill Oregano Dry-Rubbed Rack of Lamb

    • 1/8 tsp lemon zest
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/2 tsp dill
    • 1/2 tsp oregano
    Process:
    Let rack of lamb rest on counter to come to room temperature.

    Combine all ingredients into your mortar and pestle and grind to a medium-fine consistency.

    Rub this herb mix onto the entirety of the rack of lamb.  Preheat oven to 450ºF while the rub rests on the lamb.

    Once the oven is preheated, place lamb in the oven (fat side up) for 8 minutes.  The top should be slightly browned at this point.  Then, lower the oven temperature to 350ºF and cook for approximately 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on the lamb’s internal temperature using a meat thermometer, and adjust the time to suit your preferences: an internal temperature of 120ºF will result in a rare cooking and 140ºF medium.  We took the lamb out after 21 minutes with an internal temperature of 130ºF, which was medium rare.

    After removing the lamb from the oven, allow the meat to rest on a plate or serving platter for approximately 5 minutes tented with tin foil. Serve with a side or two of veggies. We enjoyed steamed broccoli and cauliflower with it.

    Take a moment and let us know what you thought of the recipe, or reach out to us on facebook or twitter.  Also, we’ve added an email subscription on the right-hand column if you’d like new recipes to come straight to your inbox.