A Weekend Full of Good Eats!

This weekend was a busy one, but I somehow managed to turn out some pretty awesome food, with the exception of one meal out at a restaurant.  My father stayed overnight for the first time in a while, so he got to experience not only the paleo diet, but also my new-found cooking skills. 

On Friday night, I made a new recipe, Honey Garlic Flank Steak.  I paired the steak with steamed asparagus and re-heated the last of my mashed cauliflower and then I served it to my father!

 Mmm...bloody meat! 

I know I've said this before, but these pictures truly don't do the food justice.  I was so excited to sit down and eat, that I didn't realize they were slightly blurry.  But blurriness doesn't change the taste, luckily!  The flank steak was heavenly.  The marinade of honey, minced garlic, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper was simply brilliant and I owe my perfect broiling of the juicy medium-rare steak to my new instant read meat thermometer that I bought earlier in the day.  It even alarms me when the temperature of the meat reaches the correct cooking temp...I have a feeling this will be my new best friend!  After dinner, my dad even helped me bake another batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies and they were just as good as last time I made them.  I still can't believe how easy it is to love something that has replaced what I used to pride myself on making!

The next morning (Saturday), my dad had to leave to go back home, so I cooked him my normal breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and then added in a little fruit salad.  

My dad's overall reaction was actually much better than I anticipated.  He liked the mashed cauliflower (which I was thinking he wouldn't like) and he couldn't stop raving about the flank steak!  I didn't think I was going to have enough left to put on my salad today, but turns out I think I'll get 2 more salads out of it...yum!  So now that my dad knows this paleo thing is quite yummy, I'm trying to convince him to stay with me for his Spring Break and I'll cook for him all week.  It will be like a paleo challenge and I'll make him weigh in at the beginning and end of the week, but the hardest part for him will be that he will have to give up his favorite thing for a whole week...BEER!  We'll just have to see if he takes me up on the challenge ;)

Saturday night I ended up going out to dinner with friends at Applebee's.  I got the 7 oz. sirloin (medium rare) and steamed broccoli and other mixed veggies (all without butter).  Not that the meal was bad, but it just made me appreciate my own cooking even more.  The steak was definitely overcooked and it just didn't have the flavor that the meats I've been buying have. Granted, I know it's steak at Applebee's (not Ruth's Chris) but it still just wasn't as satisfying as it might have been a while back.   

Tonight, I made Cajun Spiced Pork Chops.  I used thick pork chops, omitted the sage from the recipe, and grilled them outside, but I think they ended up much better than they would have if I would have followed the directions perfectly.  Again, I used my handy-dandy meat thermometer and the pork chops were juicy and spicy!  The seasoning really opened up my sinuses, but it was the perfect amount of spiciness. I also paired the pork chops with white asparagus (which I've never had before) and the kale/dried cranberries/pine nut mixture that I've made before.  It was a totally rewarding dinner which took hardly any time at all and it just made me realize that I'm truly getting better at this cooking thing!  

SO GOOD!!!