Recipe of the Week! Roadhouse Steaks with Ancho Chile Rub

Can you just smell the grill? For me it's charcoal. You just can't beat the flavor! (In my opinion!) Sure I love the convenience of gas, but nothing makes people salivate more than the smell of the BBQ...
I grabbed this recipe off of CookingLight.com and L.O.V.E. everything they have to offer. It's always easy, always satisfying and always a healthier approach to preparing a meal, versus being too 'health crazy'. In this recipe you'll fine ancho chile powder which is made from ground, smoked, dried poblano peppers, and it gives this rub a subtle smoky heat. For a milder flavor, cut back on the ground black pepper or ancho chile powder, and omit the ground red pepper.
For a hearty steak meal, feel free to pair it with a great red wine such as Barefoot Shiraz.
Total time: 32 minutes.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 steak)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Prepare grill.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over steaks; let stand 10 minutes.

Place steaks on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Recipe of the Week! Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo

Sear the scallops while the orzo cooks. Serve this easy but impressive meal with a green salad, garlic bread, and a crisp white wine, like Barefoot Riesling... So simple. So good. Make sure you buy 'SEA' scallops and not the 'BAY' scallops. Bay scallops are about 1/3 the size and will cook very differently and much faster than the others.

When shopping for fresh or thawed scallops, look for ivory or creamy-colored meats, even as dark as a light tan; a stark, bleached white can be a sign of heavy phosphate treatment. There should be little or no milky liquid in the tray, another sign of heavy soaking. In fact, the best dry-packed scallops are often a bit sticky. A fairly strong sweet-briny aroma is also not a problem, but a fishy or sour smell indicates spoilage. {from an article on www.sallybernstein.com}

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup prechopped onion
• 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. Stir in chopped chives and lemon juice. Keep warm.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with pasta mixture.

Recipe of the Week! Seared Beef Tenderloin Mini Sandwiches with Mustard-Horseradish Sauce

I might be biased, but these little morsels are to die for! Let me tell you! Technically an appetizer, but when paired with a couple other light dishes, makes a great brunch-y sort of wonderful... Dig out the wine because the horseradish / beef combo pairs wonderfully with a medium bodied red... Wonderful dish and it will impress your guests!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups trimmed watercress (about 1 bunch)
• 1 (8-ounce) French bread baguette, cut diagonally into 16 slices
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Cover and chill.

Secure beef at 2-inch intervals with twine. Sprinkle beef with pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; cook 15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning frequently. Let stand 15 minutes. Cut into 16 slices. Sprinkle with juice.

Arrange watercress evenly on bread slices. Place 1 beef slice and about 1 tablespoon chilled sauce over each bread slice. Arrange capers and cheese evenly over sauce.