I feel like I’m constantly on a quest for a hearty meal that will keep for a week and still be delicious on day seven. In the past year, I’ve discovered that this kind of meal is divided into three categories: frittatas, casseroles and roasts. Frittatas are seasonably adaptable dishes that can be served hot or cold, at home or on-the-go. I couldn’t survive without them (or their mini-frittata counterparts). Casseroles are for the busy weeks – the weeks when I’m home long enough to sleep, shower, throw on clothes that I hope are clean, and run out the door again. They’re delicious, but usually need to be heated up / spiced up as the week goes on. Nobody likes a cold, flavorless casserole. The third category has come to be my favorite. Cooking a roast turkey or chicken or pork tenderloin feels like something that only an adult feeding a family of six would do. It’s luxurious and reminiscent of the holidays and home – and easier to prepare than anything in categories one or two. Furthermore, any roast will last for up to a week and can be repurposed into any number of meals – salads, soups, wraps, protein bowls, and more.
This roast is probably the prettiest meat dish I have ever made, with flank steak encasing zucchini, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and spinach in a spirally, savory roulade that really makes heads turn. I wasn’t expecting this to last as long as it did, but it kept my dinners satisfying for a full week. It’s not the best for taking on the road, but I can definitely testify that it’s perfectly delicious when leftover cold over a green salad.
Flank Steak Roulade
adapted from Nom Nom Paleo
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. baby spinach
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 – 2 lb. flank steak
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 slices bacon, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
5-6 crimini mushrooms, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tsp. Cajun spice mix
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat large pan over high heat until very hot. Add spinach and water to the pan and cover, allowing spinach to wilt. Uncover and allow spinach to cool. Drain and press spinach to get all the water out.
3. Butterfly the flank steak with the fibers running parallel to your stabilizing hand – be very careful not to slice it into two pieces. Season inside of steak with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Heat a separate sauté pan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes. Toss in peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and onion and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Season mixture with Cajun spices, garlic and ½ tsp. each of salt and pepper. Mix well and continue to cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and cool.
5. Spread vegetable mixture over evenly over butterflied steak. Cover with steamed spinach. Roll the flank steak and tie with butcher twine. Season the outside of the roulade with salt and pepper.
6. At this point, you can refrigerate the roulade for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Heat the large sauté pan over high heat. Add coconut oil until it starts to smoke. Sear all sides of the roulade until golden brown. Place roulade in oven and cool until internal temperature reaches 120 degrees (medium rare). This took 20 minutes in my oven. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil for 20 minutes to rest. Slice and remove twine before serving.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes – 1 hour
Serves: 6 people
