ArcaMax

Problem is I’m not sure what it is. It was not marked. I think it’s a protea hybrid of some kind. Proteas are South African orchids; one of my favorites. This is skinnier and taller than a protea but it does have some of the same qualities.

So I’ve been trying to find out what it is...and of course there’s an app for that! I found an on line ap. You submit a picture of the plant and they get back to you with an answer. I’m still waiting on the response as I write this, so I thought I’d toss it out to you, dear readers. Does anyone know what this plant is called?

And does anyone know when it’s going to stop raining?

Italian Grilled Steak with Balsamic Onions

Get out the grill! This is one way the Italians do steak. I took a Food Network recipe and Zolafied it to come up with this option for a healthy steak dinner.

Serves 2 Can easily be doubled or tripled

2 6-ounce beef tenderloin steaks
1 package of arugula or a greens mix of your choice
Juice of one half of a lemon
Grated sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat your grill to medium high. Lightly spritz your steaks with olive oil spray and season them to your taste with sea salt and pepper. Sear the meat on one side for 3 minutes. Then turn the steak over and grill it to your liking.

When ready to serve, spritz the greens with a bit of olive oil spray. Just enough to make the greens glisten. Toss with a drizzle of lemon juice to your taste. Plate the greens and put the steak on top.

With Plan Z dieting you are not limited in your amount of greens. In the picture you’ll notice I served just a handful.

For the Balsamic Onions:

You can use any type of onion for this recipe. The Italians would use cipollini onions. I love cipollinis but I am too lazy to peel them. My grocery store offers what they call bulb onions. They are about the same size as cipollinis and come with the greens sticking out the top. I use those because it’s so easy just to cut off the greens and trim the bottom. They are ready to cook. You could also use pearl onions if you can find those. I get them in the freezer section sometimes. Those will cook faster.

2 bunches of bulb onions or your onion choice. You’re looking for 2 cups cooked in the end
1 tsp of Truvia
¼ cup of balsamic vinegar

Trim the onions. If using the bulb onions just trim off the greens and toss them. Cut the root bit off the bottom and put them all in a medium sauce pan. Cover with water. Turn on to boil lightly for 10 minutes or until onions are cooked through. (If using pearl onions they will cook faster). Turn off the heat and drain the onions, leaving just a quarter inch of water or even a little less in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on the Truvia and the balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook on medium low, stirring often, until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. You’ll be left with saucy onions.

Serving size equals one cup of onions.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola