2 for 1!

I had my parents and sister over for dinner on Sunday, and even Miss Picky Eater herself (my sister) liked the potatoes. (The secret was not telling her what was in them until she ate it, but it's food/condiments she likes anyway).

You can find the recipe for the roast beef here.

Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (adapted from Kraft)

• 4 medium sized red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1C fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1.5T grated parmesan cheese

Place potatoes and broth in large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring after 8 minutes. Uncover and stir potatoes. Simmer uncovered for 5-6 minutes or until potatoes are tender and most of the broth is absorbed. (I cooked mine a little less since I cut the original recipe in half, except the broth, I kept the original amount).

Add cream cheese and reduce heat to low (or you can do what I did and just turn the heat off at this point). Mash potatoes slightly until cream cheese is melted. Add sour cream and parmesan cheese and stir until ingredients are blended. Season with salt and pepper.

The result? Delicious! This is only the second time I've made mashed potatoes (I usually roast/bake them) but they were a big hit, and my dad, who usually gives me an "it's not bad" said everything was delicious.

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus:

• 1 bunch asparagus, ends removed
• 2T balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and spread asparagus on sheet, spraying asparagus with non-stick spray as well. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Toss lightly to coat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until asparagus is tender. 20 minutes was just a tiny bit overcooked for my liking, but my mom said it could have been cooked a little longer. Roasting the asparagus along with the balsamic vinegar gives it a great taste, and it couldn't be a more simple side dish to make.

Roast beef

I LOVE roast beef sandwiches. London Broil is my favorite to get at the store, but buying from the deli counter can get expensive (and unhealthy). Typically, it goes for $8.99/lb and is loaded with sodium, so, I hit up Google for an alternative way to enjoy a sandwich without feeling guilty.

Alas, I stumbled across this great tutorial from The Hungry Mouse.

I did mine a little different, using rump roast instead of the eye roast she used, because it was on sale for $2.99/lb.

Following the basic directions, I rinsed and patted dry the meat, and seasoned it with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. I placed the meat on the rack as directed and baked at 500 degrees for 20 minutes (I was a little apprehensive about this at first, 500 degrees?! But the result was a beautiful crust) and then dropped it to 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Internal temperature? 126 degrees, a perfect medium rare.

Covered it with foil for 20 minutes and then sliced, against the grain, on the thin side (if this keeps up I might have to invest in a meat slicer!).

The result? Well, man-friend was here and I gave him a slice and he topped it with some horseradish and well, he was a happy man. I tried a slice plain and it was beyond delicious. Sandwiches aside, I could see just eating this with mashed potatoes for a classic fall dinner.

Total cost of this deliciousness? $5.44. I think I'll be going back to the store this week while it's still on sale.