Steaks with Broccoli and Bacon with Ranch Dressing

I saw an awesome bunch of broccoli at the Farmer's Market and knew the perfect use for it: this recipe in the September 2001 issue of Food and Wine. My paleo version is a quite a treat...and it looks pretty cool, too! This dressing is REALLY good and easy.

Inspired by www.foodandwine.com.

Serves 3-4, with leftover dressing.

Ingredients
3-4 steaks of your choice
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Dressing
1 cup paleo mayonnaise
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely minced
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed and ground to a paste with a little sea salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad
1 large head of broccoli, cut lengthwise into long pieces
1/2 pound bacon
snipped fresh chives

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium high.
2. Combine mayonnaise, coconut milk, and vinegar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine.
3. Add dill and garlic and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Season steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Grill for 5 minutes on each side or until they reach your desired degree of doneness.
5. Arrange broccoli and whole slices of bacon on plates. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Season with additional pepper, if desired. Serve with steak.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Kabobs with Broccoli

I decided to jazz up our basic shrimp kabobs tonight by adding bacon. Everything tastes better with bacon, right? This meal has no waste since you use the bacon trimmings in the broccoli side. I recently read that only 20 percent of the U.S. shrimp supply is wild and that purchasing frozen shrimp is your best bet since fresh-caught shrimp is frozen almost immediately, but you never know how long the shrimp at the fish counter has been thawed. Fortunately, I found that Target stores sell frozen wild shrimp in their Sustainable Seafood section. The bacon on these kabobs is cooked through, but not crispy. The bacon fat keeps the shrimp from drying out on the grill and from overcooking. I use bacon from Wallace Farms, but if you purchase it from the store, be sure to get nitrate-free bacon without a lot of additives.

Serves 2-3.


Ingredients
18 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 head broccoli, broken into uniform-sized pieces
9 slices uncooked bacon
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon
two-pronged metal skewers or 6-8 wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes
bacon fat, extra virgin olive oil, or coconut oil

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium high.
2. Wrap each piece of shrimp in bacon. Use 1/2 slice bacon per shrimp. Slightly overlap the ends of the bacon, then trim the excess and set aside. 
3. Thread 5 to 6 shrimp on two wooden skewers (like a ladder) or one two-pronged metal skewer. Use skewers to hold bacon around the shrimp. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
4. Grill for 4 minutes or until bacon is lightly browned. Turn the skewers and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side.
5. While shrimp cooks, chop excess bacon and saute in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add a little bacon fat, coconut oil, or olive oil if pan is too dry. Add broccoli and toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp tender. 
6. Remove from heat, season with pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Serve alongside shrimp kabobs.

Duet of Grilled Sausages with Broccoli

Well, the kids are off of school for the summer, which leaves me a lot less time in the kitchen. I think you'll agree that summer is best spent enjoying the beautiful weather. This meal is quick and delicious, and all done on the grill. Just leave 30 minutes to marinade the broccoli. Feel free to substitute your favorite sausage, just be sure you know what's in them, they contain a short list of ingredients, and they're nitrate-free.

Ingredients
1 lb Italian sausages
1 lb nitrate-free andouille sausage
2 heads, about 8 cups, broccoli, trimmed and cut into pieces
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Toss broccoli with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Let broccoli marinade fro 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill to medium and set a grill-topper on the grate. Grill broccoli for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until crisp-tender.
3. While broccoli is grilling, grill sausages according to package directions, until cooked through.
4. Serve immediately.