My April :)

Wow! What a menu...for our very first one, this one gets the HOLY BATMAN! rating of star quality! It was also a great menu to do with someone else in the kitchen. My friend Jackie came for a visit and helped me prep and prepare all the food and it was nice to have two hands, and two mouths to enjoy the deliciousness! So we'll start with the best dish of the menu in my opinion....Stuffed Flank Steak!


This is the food prep for the roasted red pepper spread to go inside the flank steak. This really added so much flavor to the steak and is a great substitute for steak sauce-this is enough!! I did put in a whole teaspoon of garlic instead of the 1/2 tsp. called for. I love garlic, what can I say?

Here is the steak butterflied open and ready for the "stuffing part". I will say this was the most difficult step in the steak. Watch your fingers! Having the steak a little frozen is essential to make this work. I kept tearing different parts of the steak so when it was stuffed there were holes where the cheeses would ooze out...but it was GREAT just the same!
My most favorite part! I had 6 slices of the provolone because I don't prefer a lot of cheese in dishes. But I put them around the steak and then placed the spinach next. Then the PEPPER SAUCE! So yummy! When I did roll it a lot of the sauce came out. I just took the brush and put it on top of the rolled steak in addition to the olive oil called for. I also used tooth picks instead of twine (because I forgot to get some!!)
Here we are out of the oven! It turned out so moist and full of flavor. I did have a bigger steak than called for, mine was closer to 3 lbs. If you have a bigger steak, put it in the oven for 55-60 minutes if you don't want it medium. Ours was mostly pink but tasted awesome! It also reheats wonderfully- we have no leftovers!

Next we have the couscous and salad. Both were great side dishes. If you have never had couscous before it is easily flavored with what you put with it. It's a cross between rice and pasta and is just a great grain to have in a hurry! I will say the couscous was my second favorite and Jackie's first! :) The salad was very good, a great summer salad. I forgot to take pictures of that one but it was very good! Gal 1 and 2 will have to supply those pictures!
With the couscous, you can definitely play with the flavors. We followed the directions called for except, we used one large shallot and more of the lemon zest and juice. If you like lemon flavor but not strong, be sure to follow the amounts called for. I love lemon so it was just perfect putting a little extra in! This is such a simple recipe to follow and will become a staple in Gal 3's kitchen!

And presenting....the Apple Turnover Dessert....

YUMMMM!!!!!!!!!! This is just a simple and light dessert. Perfectly paired with a heartier main course like the Stuffed Flank Steak. I really loved everything about this dessert. I especially appreciated using the saved juices to brush the tops and to seal the turnovers together. What a great alternative to butter! And it was so apple-licious tasting! It would be fantastic served with vanilla bean ice cream or a light caramel sauce from the store. Let's just say...even with a fantastic meal as the one above...save room for dessert!

Overall the meal gets the HOLY BATMAN applause from Gal 3! Super fun, super easy-to-follow recipes, super hero fantastic food! Way to go Gal 1 for making our first month a HOLY BATMAN grand slam!