Peachy Keen Steak Bowl

This dish *started* as a riff on a Mediterranean steak bowl … and then my local grocery had nice peaches. So we went a different way. FYI, hummus pairs quite well with peaches.

gluten-free

Peachy Keen Steak Bowl

Steak:

1kg. flank steak or something similar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. onion powder

Liberal cracked black pepper.

First, combine all steak ingredients in a bag or vessel of some sort and marinate at least an hour and up to over night. When it’s time to cook, remove the steak to a prepared baking sheet. Toss the marinade.

Salady bit:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 red onion, fairly thinly sliced

1-2 peaches, sliced into quarters or eighths

1 small cucumber, chopped

Splash rice vinegar

Splash oil

Salt & pepper

Juice of 1/2 a lemon (I halved and roasted mine along with the veggies)

Set your oven to broil. Add the cherry tomatoes, halved lemons, peach wedges and onion slices to the prepared sheet with the steak.

Pop into the oven for 4 minutes, flip the steak, and back into the oven for 2 more for rare (if your steak is thin); more for not-rare. When the steak is cooked to your liking, remove and let sit 4 – 10 minutes to rest. Slice thinly against the grain with rested.

While the steak and veggies are broiling, make the dressing.

When the tomatoes are blistered and the peaches have some color, add to a large bowl with the cucumber (chopped). Add the rest of the ingredients, toss, and taste for salt and acid.

Dressing:

1/2 cup yogurt (I was lucky enough to find plain soy yogurt this week)

1 Tbsp. neutral oil

The other half lemons’ juice

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried dill

1/2 tsp. salt

A little black pepper

Stir all dressing ingredients to combine. Taste for salt and add more if necessary.

Bowl:

Hummus

Microgreens (optional, I used radish)

Toasted pepitas (Optional)

Chives or green onions (would also be lovely)

To assemble the bowl, lay a Tablespoon or a few of hummus down. Top with greens if you’re using and some salad. Lay the steak on top, top with dressing, and sprinkle with the optional garnishes. Hit with a few grinds pepper & an extra sprinkle salt.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Broiled Peachy Chicken

I love summer peaches. Like, eat them every day for lunch and dream about them during dinner love. My DH: not so much. So, I was happy to jump in the kitchen and make a riff on this NY Times roasted chicken recipe when he was out one night last week – and I must say, this dish worked out just fine.

Gluten-free, paleo

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Broiled Peachy Chicken

2 peaches, pitted and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 oz. double-smoked bacon, sliced into batons
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. vermouth
2 Tbsp. sliced garlic stalks (can sub regular garlic)
1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
1 bunch baby spinach
2 radishes, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. fresh basil (optional: I didn’t have it, but it would have been lovely)
Kosher salt & black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Halve and slice the peaches, chop the chicken, slice the bacon and garlic stalks and grate the ginger – adding to an oven proof dish as you go. Sprinkle with the rice wine vinegar and vermouth. Toss to combine. Hit with salt and pepper. Toss. Hit with salt and pepper again.

Bake 20 – 30 minutes or until the chicken and bacon are cooked through.

Serve over a bed of baby spinach with sliced radishes.

Serves 2 for dinner

Paleo Peach Crumble

I don’t go for desserts often, but I find myself lately with a glut of fresh almond meal that needs using (more on why later) – dessert seems like the logical outcome. Plus: peaches. Can we talk about peaches that have been graced with heat?

d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s

This recipe isn’t instant, but scales beautifully to serve more – these peaches would be absolutely fabulous with some of that coconut whipped cream I made for a party, or some of my favorite 1-ingredient ice cream.

Vegetarian, Vegan, gluten-free, paleo

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Paleo Peach Crumble

2 peaches, halved and pitted
1/4 c. almond meal (either plain from the package, or leftover from making almond milk)
1-2 Tbsp. melted ghee
1 tsp. vanilla (optional – if you use plain flour, it would be a nice touch)
Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
Kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 375 fahrenheit. While your oven is coming up to temperature, either grab some oven-proof ramekins or line a cookie sheet with foil. I love the ramekin for baking this item because it looks pretty, feels fancy, and puts my ramekins to better use than being a handy cherry tomato-to-mouth conveyance method.

Place your halved peaches cut side up in/on your cooking vessel and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt.

In a small bowl, combine the almond meal and ghee and work with your fingers until you have crumbly flour. Sprinkle over the peaches (you don’t want a whole heap here – go for a moderate amount and the crumble will toast more evenly).

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the peaches offer no resistance to a fork and the topping is nice and browned.

If desired, drizzle with some honey or maple syrup and top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream or scoop of 1-ingredient paleo ice cream.

Serves 2-4, depending upon how heavy a dessert is warranted. 

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

Sometimes I try to pretend that I don’t wait for this season all year long with varying degrees of patience. Some years, I’d like to think that it’s the corn I’m really after. The berries. Burgers on the grill. But who am I kidding? It’s tomatoes. Tomatoes are what I crave in the deep recesses of winter – tomatoes are what I pine for. Sweet, umami-laden globules of liquid sunshine.

This salad highlights their peak season glory perfectly – and lucky for me, I’m the only tomato worshipper in the house. It’s a dead simple thing to whip up for lunch – barely a recipe, really.

Mine… all mine 😀

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

Mixed heirloom tomatoes – a cup, cup and a half – thinly sliced
1 ripe peach, pitted and sliced thinly
1 tsp. thinly sliced basil ribbons
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. sambal oelek (hot garlic chili sauce – I use the brand with the white chicken – it should be located near the squeeze bottle sriracha with the same chicken and comes in a clear plastic jar with a green lid) – sub for Whole30 sriracha if going that route

Your favorite finishing salt – I used some grey sea salt, but I could see black or Maldon salt being fabulous here, or even citrus-infused kosher

Arrange your tomatoes on a plate. Scatter peaches about until you have something that looks exciting and alive. Sprinkle with basil.

In a small bowl, mix the grapeseed oil and sambal oelek. Beat with a fork to combine.

Drizzle oil mixture over salad. Sprinkle with salt to finish.

Serves 1 for lunch. Feel free to scale up to feed a crowd. If you are making for a party, prepare as close to go time as possible. This salad is best at room temperature (I would never suggest refrigerating fresh tomatoes as it kills some of their taste) or even a little above.

Update: After writing this, my DH came home from work not hungry in the slightest for dinner. I ate this salad again for dinner beefed up with slivers of fennel, crumbles of feta and citrus salt. Yum. I might just have to hit the greenmarket this weekend so I can try a version with rosemary-infused olive oil, smoky cheese and orange….