A good steak makes any recipe that much tastier. Here’s a soup recipe from Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation. And if they’re endorsing it it’s got to be heart-healthy as well! How could you go wrong with this one?

Steak and tomato soup

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Buy a small steak to create a full meal soup for two. Chockfull of vegetables and beef, this soup tastes fresh and delicious with little effort to get it on the table.

Ingredients

• 1 beef grilling steak, about 6 oz/175 g (such as rib eye, striploin or tenderloin)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 3 cups (750 mL) low sodium beef or chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) diced canned tomatoes with juices
• 2 cups (500 mL) frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Trim visible fat from steak and discard. Thinly slice steak and place in bowl. Add garlic, oregano and hot pepper flakes and toss to coat; set aside.
2. In nonstick skillet heat half of the oil over medium high heat and brown steak on both sides, reserving any garlic and herbs for onions. Remove to plate.
3. Add remaining oil to soup pot over medium heat and add onion, celery and any remaining garlic and herbs from steak and cook, stirring for 7 minutes or until softened. Add stock, tomatoes, vegetables and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Add browned steak; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes for flavours to develop.

Tip: Use frozen diced vegetables like carrots, peas and corn or green beans for the vegetables. Any small vegetable mixes will work well too.

Nutrition information per serving

• Calories: 242
• Protein: 19 g
• Fat: 9 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 25 g
• Carbohydrates: 24 g
  • Fibre: 5 g
• Sodium: 517 mg
• Potassium: 841 mg

Developed by Emily Richards, P.H. Ec. ©The Heart and Stroke Foundation.

You can see the recipe and their other great resources here.

You’ll find stories about and recipes for steak everywhere:  newspapers, magazines, books, BLOGS, movies, even your local TV news.

Here’s a piece from News 14 Carolina. Steak sure is photogenic . . .

Ingredients: 

• 2 12-ounce steaks

For the marinade:

• 2 Tbs fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
• 4 Tbs soy sauce
• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 1 heaping tsp Dijon mustard
• 4-8 vegetable skewers with assorted vegetables (like zucchini, onion, pepper etc.)

Procedure:

Plan ahead and let the steaks marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours before you grill them. 

For 2 12-ounce steaks, and enough vegetables to feed 2 to 4 people, combine 2 Tbs of finely chopped rosemary, 1 Tbs of minced garlic and 2 Tbs of grated or minced ginger with 4 Tbs soy sauce, 4 Tbs olive oil and a heaping tsp of Dijon mustard and whisk it up.

Use a pastry brush to brush half of the marinade onto both sides of the steaks, and keep those in the fridge for a couple of hours. Assemble the vegetable skewers and then just before you’re ready to grill, brush the rest of the marinade onto the vegetable skewers.

Preheat the grill and throw the steaks on and throw the vegetable skewers on. Make sure you bring a clean plate out with you so you can bring the steaks back in on a clean plate when you’re done.

The skewers will probably be done before the steaks so take those off when they’re cooked through. When the steaks are cooked to your liking, it’s time to eat. Just make sure you let the steaks rest for 5 minutes or so before you cut into them, so the juices have a chance to redistribute themselves.

Hints:

Two 12-ounce steaks could serve either 2 or 4 people depending on how much meat you need and you could also make meat and vegetable kabobs instead of cooking things separately.

Serves 2-4

You can check out the entire article here. There’s even a link to some video.

Just found an interesting set of recipes for a full “date night” steak meal over at naninpachat.blogspot.com. The author mentions her significant other “Aaron” in the recipe so if you have an “Aaron” that means somebody in your life likes to eat a lot — so allow for that.

Here’s her scrumptious lineup . . .

Delicious Steak Night
12 oz Angus beef shoulder london broil

Marinade:
2 counts Balsamic vinegar
2 counts Red wine (I prefer Malbec)
1 good squirt Spicy brown mustard
1 count Soy Sauce
2 counts Orange Juice
1 count Lemon Juice
2 dashes Salt
1 dash Pepper
1 Finely chopped garlic clove
Dried herbs: parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil, sage

Marinade as long as possible (even 24 hours ahead). I only had 3.5 hrs, and it was still delicious. Flip the meat every few hours or so.

Preheat broiler.
Lightly spray broiler pan with a coating of extra virgin olive oil.
Place the meat on the pan. Drizzle some of the marinade on top, and keep it 5 inches or so away from the heat. Depending on how cooked you want it, follow this guide:

Medium: 5-6 minutes on each side
Medium-Well: 6-8 minutes
Well Done: 8-10 minutes

Be sure to carefully flip the meat half way through. Before putting it back into the broiler, drizzle some more marinade on top.

While the steak is still in the broiler, make the gravy.

Heat a pan on medium, and slowly add 1 tablespoon of honey. Slowly stir it as you introduce half a pat of butter. As it bubbles and develops a creamy caramel color, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour (a little at a time) until fully incorporated. Lower the heat and slowly add the rest of the marinade and continue stirring in a figure eight. The color should look like cafe au lait. Turn off and remove the pan to a cooler part of the stove.

After the steak is done, remove from the broiler and immediately cover with aluminum foil. It is time for the meat to rest so that the juices are retained. Let it sit for 6-8 minutes.

Cut the steak on the diagonal, and dress with gravy.

Mashed potatoes
6-7 potatoes
2-3 heaping tablespoons of sour cream
Dried or fresh herbs (sage, basil, cilantro, parsley, etc.)
Salt to taste.

Bring to a boil a pot of water that has already been salted.
Quarter potatoes and place in pot.
After 10 – 15 minutes (depending on quantity and firmness fork test) drain potatoes.
Place potatoes back into the pot, and begin to mash them.
Add sour cream.
Add herbs.
Salt to taste.
Mash a little more depending on your preferred texture/consistency.

Feel free to use the gravy on these taters even though you won’t want to. 🙂

Quickie Spinach
1 package of frozen spinach
1 oz water
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1 finely minced clove of garlic
1 scallion completely chopped
1 tsp evoo (extra virgin olive oil)

Heat pan and coat with EVOO.
Add scallions and cook until slightly translucent (2 minutes or so)
Add garlic, and salt.
Add spinach and water.
Cover and turn heat to low and allow to simmer/defrost for 5 minutes.
Uncover and break up spinach block.
Add salt and sugar.
Cover and let cook for another 5-6 minutes.
Heat uncovered for 3 minutes to allow some evaporation.

Everything serves 3-4 people. In my case, it serves 2 (Aaron and myself) and leftovers were his lunch today.

Check out her entire post here.