Here’s my deal. I love wonderful home-cooked meals.

I even love cooking them.

But I don’t always have the time to spend making our favorites to enjoy all week long.

That’s why I like shortcuts and ways to maximize my work.

Leftovers.

I like leftovers. But only if I can spruce them up and make them more enjoyable than just a rewarmed meal.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.

This amazing recipe for Honey Teriyaki Beef & Broccoli Salad is a great first meal. It’s delicious and I try to make more than I think my family will eat in one sitting.

Then, the next night I grill up some favorite veggies – peppers, onions – on skewers and then warm up the leftover beef from the salad. I put the beef on the skewers with the veggies and we have a reimagined meal that took very little time.

I truly, truly believe great food doesn’t have to take forever in the kitchen! Yum!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

One of the first things that can’t be overlooked before cooking a nice, juicy steak at home is a clean, healthy workspace.

Health.com features an article with great tips about keeping food prep areas safe and hygienic. For instance, using separate cutting boards — one for meat and the other for veggies. We don’t want any cross-contamination.

Another important piece of cooking advice is to remember is use a meat thermometer. Cooking beef to the proper temperature (145 degrees F) is imperative.

Read on for more advice on cooking beef in a healthy kitchen.

Then, have fun cooking steaks at home!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

It’s Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras is in full swing. But you don’t have to be in New Orleans to get in the spirit!

Try some Beef Jambalaya for a new twist on an old Cajun standby.

Everything’s better with beef, right? And this recipe calls for sirloin steak. You could try out tenderloin tips or another cut that tickles your fancy.

It’s Mardi Gras, for heaven’s sake! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Click here for that fabulous Beef Jambalaya recipe – then make it your own!

Photo courtesy of TescoRealFood.com.