Before I proceed with the menu plan for the week, a quick update on the weekend. Friday I made steak and black bean quesadillas with the leftover skirt steak. The same as the shrimp and black bean except for the fact that I substituted the steak for the shrimp:
Steak and black bean quesadilla
- Leftover skirt or flank steak
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 – 2 tsp pureed chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (if you are making for the first time, start with 1 tsp until you see how much heat you like)
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup Monterey Jack, Pepperjack or Mexican cheese blend
- 1 6″ flour tortillas per person
- 1 additional TB of olive oil
- sour cream (I use reduced fat)
- salsa
- 1 avocado, chopped
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, butter, garlic and pureed chipotle. Stir to combine for 1 minute. Add steak and cook until warm. Pour in beans and combine. Remove from heat to a bowl and stir in cheese so it partially melts.
Divide filling between tortillas, putting filling on one half and then folding over. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 425 for about 10 minutes until top is golden brown and crispy. Top with a dollop each of sour cream, salsa and chopped avocado (or guacamole). Enjoy!
Samantha made hers look like a face:
Last night we made pasta with tomato sauce from the fridge and Italian meatballs from the freezer:
Meatballs
- 2 lbs meatloaf mix (a combination of ground beef, pork and veal
- 1 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 TB chopped parsley
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup red wine
- olive oil
- Jarred marinara sauce
Preheat the oven to 400 and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. (This will make cleanup much easier!)
Put the meatloaf mix in a large bowl and toss with your fingers. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese and seasonings in a separate bowl and add to meat mixture. Add the eggs, wine and 3/4 cup water. Mix with your hands until well combined.
Roll into balls about 2 oz each and place on parchment. (Samantha said mine weren’t evenly shaped and were more like meat blobs but they still tasted good.) Brush with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and then refrigerate if making ahead. They can also be frozen.
Heat marinara sauce and add meatballs to heat through. Serve over pasta or polenta.