December 26 - Flank Steak Pinwheels

We invited our great friends and neighbors, Joy and Kortney, to join us for a post-Christmas dinner and Wii dance party last night. We were pretty stoked that we *finally* got a Wii...little behind the 8 ball...and I was planning on making flank steak pinwheels that would make twice what we could eat. What better way to wrap up the holiday weekend than with great friends, yummy food, and a whole lotta dancin?!?

The pinwheels turned out amazingly well (and so pretty! I rarely make "pretty" food.), and we had some garlic red potatoes to go with them. Joy and Kortney seemed to enjoy the countless rounds of dancing and Wii bowling, and the food was a hit! They ended up leaving around 8ish and then the boy and I put the kids to bed and went back to dancing. He found out his office was closed around 10ish, so the rest of our evening was determined from there...we were up until 1 a.m. dancing. And in those 5 hours, I think I beat him twice :( I thought I was a good dancer, but evidently my husband is far better?! I swear he was in a boy band in his former life...

And here's the recipe for the pinwheels and potatoes!

Flank Steak Pinwheels
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped shallots (or onion)
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a large resealable bag, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper. Squeeze the bag to blend well. 
2. Pierce the flank steak with a knife, making small slits about 1 inch apart. Place the steak into the bag, and seal. Refrigerate overnight to marinate. (I forgot to do it overnight and marinated for about 8 hours and it was just as good.)
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Remove the steak from the bag, and discard marinade. Rub the salt and minced garlic over top of the beef.
5. Place layers of chopped shallots, bread crumbs, spinach, and cheese over the garlic. 
6. Roll the steak up lengthwise, and secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks (dental floss is also an acceptable substitute for the twine). Place the roll in a shallow glass baking dish.
7. Bake uncovered for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature of the roll is at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees F) in the center. Let stand for 5 minutes to set, then slice into 1 inch slices to serve. 

Honestly, it sounds much more labor intensive than it really is...it was a fairly quick meal to make and the results were really excellent! And here's the potato recipe - posted a few times, but definitely a fan favorite.

Roasted Garlic Red Potatoes
Ingredients
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup butter, melted (I used low-fat)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish. 
3. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. 
4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes. Bake in preheated oven for at least 60 minutes (often a little longer).