I came across this scrumptious-sounding recipe for the holiday this weekend and it sounds really tempting — light and healthy, perfect for summer.

We’re going to be grilling some steaks, too, this holiday. Try it and see what you think!

Steak Mediterranean

2. Grill steaks, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees) about 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness.

3. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, vinegar, sugar and oregano; bring to a boil. Add olives, capers and lemon zest; simmer until heated through.

4. To serve, arrange steaks on a serving platter; top with sauteed mixture and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

So, we’ve been talking a lot about what to do with leftover steaks. Sister-in-law Chef Sandy has a fantastic idea for steak chalupas you can make from any steak you have in the fridge.

Check out what she has to say!

Leftover Steak Chalupas

When I cook, I like to cook green and thriftily.  Healthy, conscious of our environment, not wasteful of food or energy resources (or my own efforts.)  So if I am firing up the grill, I like to make sure that I am using most of the square footage (square inchage, to be exact…) of the heated grill grate.  Often times we end up with leftovers, which just happens to make the next nights’ dinner easier, right?  Who can argue with that? 

This week we had t-bone steaks from the grill one night, standard meal with baked potato and salad.  I had purchased an extra one, knowing exactly how much would fit on our grill.  The one very large t-bone that I knew was going to be leftover from our meal I took off the grill a little early – a little rare for our liking, because I knew it was going to be heated up when it made an appearance later in the week.

Two nights later, when time was short and everyone was hungry, I just had to heat up some chalupa shells in the oven for 5 minutes, heat up some black beans with salsa in the microwave and toss together a quick Mexican-inspired salad to make a tasty treat.  I did sauté some onions, and would have added a bell pepper if I had had one handy, then while they were cooking I sliced up that leftover steak and added it to the hot skillet just for a second to warm up the meat. 

Dena here again. I always marvel at how Sandy (and so many of you!) can think outside the box. I love the standards, but I can easily get stuck making the same things over and over again.

Boring, right?

That’s why I need this blog. And Sandy. And you. To help me keep it fresh and interesting around here.

Thanks for the ideas!!

Last week, I wrote a post asking you what to do with a leftover steak. Check it out here.

I got a really great response with some fantastic ideas and I wanted to make sure you saw it. I’ve included the “meat” of the comment here (yes, pun intended!): 

A leftover piece of steak like that wouldn’t be all that much trouble to warm back up, but it’s really more fun to think outside of the box. From your photo I see a couple of quick and easy dishes.

1.) Steak fajitas – warm the steak back up while sauteing onions and peppers
2.) Steak salad with some sort of blue cheese, chipotle, southwestern, name your favorite dressing
3.) If it’s a tender cut, you could slice it very thin and place it into some beef gravy or drippings, warming it back up and placing it into a sandwich. French dip? Hot beef sandwich?
4.) Steak and eggs?
5.) Steak quesadilla
6.) Hash

So, thank you, friend! I LOVE these ideas — especially the steak quesadilla and hash. Good thoughts!

Check out Wolfgang Puck’s steak quesadillas here . . .

Don’t these look exquisite? Wolfgang apparently thinks you’re on to something here.

Keep your ideas coming and I’ll share them with EVERYONE!

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com.