We love flank steak, it’s a favorite “go-to” meal at our house. I usually make THIS version, with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar.

For a change of pace, I tried something new, that was even easier. My boys – Dave, Connor, and my dad – gave it six thumbs up!

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I went to Costco yesterday with the sole purpose of buying a package of their fantastic ahi tuna. If they didn’t have any, I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner… I was craving ahi and ahi it was going to be… hopefully.

Connor came along with me and as we walked toward the back of the store, we passed a very tall older gentleman wearing a blue pinstripe seersucker suit. He was holding an extra-large reusable “cold” bag. You know, the insulated kind you take shopping to help keep your groceries cold on the way home. He was talking rather loudly and animated toward the guy selling the cell phones. Not in a mean tone, just really loud and attention-drawing.

On our way to the seafood, we got distracted by some cool maps we saw, and in the process, Mr. Seersucker passed us by.  When we arrived at the seafood area, he was already there, filling his bag with salmon, crab legs, lobster tails, and more. Basically, he was just going down the aisle, putting one or two of every sort of seafood in his bag. As I scanned down the open refrigerator for the ahi, I walked past him. There it was, at the far end of the refrigerator, the ONE and ONLY package of ahi left. I snapped it up and put it in our cart. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mr. Seersucker, near the center of the long refrigerator, looking in my direction, he did not look pleased.

Connor and I headed to the bakery to get the rolls for our ahi sandwiches and I watched as Mr. Seersucker called over an employee and proceeded to ask him about finding some more ahi tuna for him. The employee shook his head and told Mr. S. that no, there was no more ahi today.

Linda scores with a mere second or two to spare! Sorry, Mr. Seersucker, the crab legs, lobster, and salmon will have to do for you today.

The other thing from Costco that I used was this tasty Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Sauce as my marinade. But use whatever sort of marinade you like, such as teriyaki sauce.

The ever-popular roasted raspberry-chipotle sauce would be a great choice too.

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After driving by literally hundreds of farms and thousands of acres of corn fields in Minnesota and Wisconsin, during our vacation to the North Woods, I’ve had corn on my mind.  I took dozens of photos of as many of the charming farms and barns as I could, as we sped by in our rental car.  We even came upon a flock of wild turkey on the side of the road.  I made Dave turn the car around so I could get a picture.  They took flight just as I clicked the shutter.  That, and more barn pictures are at the end of this post.

The first meal I made when we returned home was this pasta with shrimp and fresh corn off the cob.

Even though the pasta is in a cream sauce, it is still lite and perfect for a summer supper. Instead of clam juice, I used some lobster stock I had in the freezer (the continuation of my perpetual freezer clean-out!), and wow, did it make a delicious sauce! And that is the reason my sauce is a little darker than yours will be if you use clam juice.

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Initially, I was going to label this “new and improved” taco salad. But after going back and looking at the original taco salad I posted in November, 2010, I determined that it isn’t improved, just different, and a whole lot easier!

I love this dressing, it is so smooth and creamy. Feel free to add whatever else you’d like to the salad toppings; black beans, diced red or green onion, and pickled jalapenos are just a few things that come to mind.

I used the multi-grain Tostitos Scoops as my chips of choice. Connor thought that was a waste of the perfectly formed Scoops, so I dumped out the package and picked out all the broken pieces, so we wouldn’t waste a single “Scoop”!  Then I had the brilliant idea of making Individual Taco Salad Bites as a party appetizer. If you decide to make these cuties for your next party – be sure to chop the lettuce finer, place the shredded cheese in the “Scoop” first, then the rest of the ingredients, and fill at the last minute to keep them from getting soggy too quickly.

I used some of this delicious Jalapeno Olive Oil that I’d bought last year at The Olive Press store which was located inside the Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma, California. But any olive oil you have or prefer will do nicely.

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This is the final entry of my quick and easy party food ideas for the week… and it may be the easiest of them all. Only four ingredients take only minutes to assemble and bake.

Get the kids to help and put them together, assembly-line style, and you’ll be chowing down on these puppies in less than 20 minutes.

Tip: I always keep cooked bacon pieces in my freezer. Anytime a recipe calls for bacon that is chopped and cooked crisp, I will cook up a full pound, use what I need, and place the rest in a freezer ziplock bag. Then when you need a small amount, such as for these poppers, you just pull out what is needed.  Perfect for a quick omelet any morning of the week too.

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These individual lasagna servings are a fun and less-mess way to serve lasagna at a casual party.  They are delicious straight from the oven or even at room temperature.

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Buffalo Chicken “Wings” without the bones or the mess. Yum!

Buffalo Meatballs

Meatballs
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons diced celery
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot
1/2 stick unsalted butter

Celery sticks

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For the next several days I will be giving you quick and easy party food ideas. Finger food or individual serving-size portions of what would normally be a larger dish.

These six-ingredient spirals are an example of that. You may think of chicken cordon bleu as an elegant dinner entrée, but with this preparation, it becomes a fun bite-size treat.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Spirals

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning
4 thin slices of deli ham
4 thin slices of provolone cheese
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

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Here is soup number two from the big refrigerator clean-out.

Mixed Potato Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
3 pounds russet, sweet, and red potatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

Add oil to a large pot over medium heat, until melted. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook until the onions or soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and let cook for 8 minutes without browning.

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When classes ended on the last Friday of June, I still had a refrigerator full of vegetables and I was leaving town on Sunday. Summer squash, bell peppers, onions, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeno, eggplant, russet, red potatoes, and sweet potatoes. If you know me, you know what I made with all that – SOUP!  The first, I am calling Rataouille Soup since it has all the makings of the classic Provencal dish.  The second is a mixed potato soup, which I shall post tomorrow.  It’s too hot for soup, so it all got packaged up and went into the freezer to await a cool spell.  I know that won’t happen for another 4 months, but when it does, I will be ready!

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