Well as most of you know by now – I like to keep things simple when it comes to food. The odd time I go all “chef like” and kick it up a notch but most times I tend to stay pretty regular and simple. Last night was no exception. I was sitting at the office wondering what to make for supper – debated some roasted salmon, some olde fashion spaghetti and then a thought rolled in my head from a commercial iI heard on the radio. Two for One Sirloins at Sobeys!

That was all my little brain needed – as I packed up may bag and headed home, all I could think of was sizzling steak on the barbecue. Some other thoughts creeped along side as I wondered what I could make with the steak. Being on PEI, and being somewhat of a meat and potatoes boy one side dish was pretty easy… potatoes.  Too add a little more health to the meal I thought lets steam a little cauliflower and broccoli.  When cooking vegetables – I pretty much always follow the technique for perfectly cooked vegetables as the results speak for themselves.

So I quickly made my way home with two delicious pieces of sirloin steak.  I say hi to the family and then march out to fire up the barbecue.  I turn the barbecue on to high heat to warm up the grill and prepare the meat to sizzle. 

Preparation

Getting back to the simple things in life – I just take olive oil and rub a small amount on both sides of the meat and then follow it up  with some fresh black ground pepper.  I do not salt the meat as it tends to tense up the meat and extract the natural juices ( which we do not want to do )

• Bring Steaks Out of the Cold: Have steaks at room temperature before grilling.
• Check the Oil: Lightly oil the grilling rack before putting steaks on (it keeps meat from sticking and cracking while keeping the natural juices in).
• Get the Grill Hot: Preheat grill to 600 to 800 degrees F and keep it at this temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before putting steaks on.
• Avoid the Flip-Flop: Only flip once after five minutes of grilling.
• Ditch the Fork: Use tongs or a spatula (A fork allows juices to spill out).
• Don’t Perform Surgery with a Serrated Knife: To see if steak is finished, press on it with the palm of your hand. It will feel spongy when rare, have some resistance when cooked to medium and be firm when well done.
• Rare: Squeeze the pad at the base of your thumb. It should feel spongy and feel very little resistance.
• Medium: Press on the middle of the palm of your outstretched hand. It should feel firm.
• Well Done: Squeeze the base of your small finger. It should feel firm with no give.
• Give it a rest. After grilling, give the steak a rest for a couple of minutes to let the juices redistribute before cutting into it. A drizzle of olive oil or a pat of butter gives the steak a handsome sheen and spectacular flavor and finish.

While the steaks are resting i grab the potatoes , add some butter and spoon up some fresh vegetables and relax with the family and enjoy an old classic summer meal.

Growing up with a mother and grandmomther who loved to bake – it was evident I was going to have the same passion when it comes to pastries and a sweet tooth.

Below I put together some simple tips to take to your kitchen the next time you decide to throw some flour on the counter top to ensure a delicious fruit pie.

Keep in mind I just added a few of my favorite flavorings – so feel free to switch it up and try your own twists.

Pie Chart for Double-Crust Fruit Pies

5 Steps to Perfect Pies

1. Line 9 inch (23 cm) pie plate with pastry.

2. In a large bowl, combine prepared fruit, sugar, flour, 1 tbsp lemon juice and flavoring

3. Fill pastry shell with fruit mixture; dot filling with 1tbsp of butter

4. Moisten edges of bottomw crust. Cover with top crust. Trim and flute edges. Cut steam vents. Brush top with milk or cream; sprinkle lighty with granulated sugar.

5. Bake in 425 degree (220 C) oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45-60 minutes longer or until fruit is tender, filling in thickened nd crust golden.

You can also freeze well-wrapped unbaked pies or up to 4 months, with the following changes: increase the amount of flour in each pie by 1 tbsp and don’t cut steam vents until just before baking. Bake still-frozen pies in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees for up to 60 minutes longer or until filling in thickened and crust in golden brown.

If you don’t have time to bake pies now, you can freeze fruit without sugar in the quantities needed for pies (see pie chart), then thaw just enough to separate; make pies following the 5 steps to Perfect Fruit Pies, increasing flour by 1 tbsp, then baking for up to 60 minutes. If fruit has been frozen with sugar, subtract the amount of sugar in the fruit from the amount of sugar you add to the pie.