Tomato Beef Roulade with Vegetables

A Roulade is a dish which is made with rolled Meat or Pastry, and a Rouladen is a more typical German Dish which incorporates different ingredients then what I am using, but the concept is the similar. Any way you roll it, a Roulade is an excellent way to make your meals more interesting.



For this meal idea, I had Flank Steak, Spaghetti Squash, Fennel, Peppers and a few more common Vegetables I usually have on hand. I wanted to show a healthy way to prepare a lean cut of meat, that didn't incorporate the use of additional fats or extra long cooking times. Everyone is busy these days but good food can be quick to make.




This is a simple dish, very flavourful and easy to prepare. It's also easy on the budget as Flank Steak tends to be a less expensive cut of meat. There doesn't need to be a hard and fast recipe when making a Roulade either, this is simply one way of using the technique and incorporating it into an easy dinner idea. I made this with simple ingredients I had at hand, but there is a wide variety of spices, vegetables, cheese and sauces which can be incorporated into a Roulade and several side dishes you could choose from.



Getting creative and using your imagination in the kitchen  as you learn to cook will inevitably be the way you create your own favourite meal ideas.





Tomato Beef Roulade with Vegetables


Pre-heat your oven to 350 F before you start.

You will need a baking dish with a tightly fitting lid.


NOTE: The ingredients you use will depend on the size of the Flank Steaks you have and the quantity. In essence, per serving, you want a Roulade which is smaller than your fist, after you have incorporated the filling.

You can use Larger cuts of meat and slice them as individual portions after it has finished cooking. The size of Flank Steak I picked up was perfect for individual portions.





The Flank Steaks I had were roughly 3" x 5", a quantity of 3. That made two portions for dinner and one Roulade I placed aside to split between the both of us for Dinner. I will leave the size of the Flank Steak up to you.


1 Medium sized Carrot
3 Mini  Sweet Bell Peppers
1/8 of a small Fennel Bulb.

1/4 Cup Tomato Sauce per portion (Organic/Gluten Free)

A sprinkle of each, per portion, Basil, Oregano, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder



HINT: The tops of Fennel can be used to flavour your Soup Stocks with. Fennel adds a hint of Liquorice and is a beautiful Vegetable to use for adding unique flavours to your meals, Stocks and Gravies.





Pre-prepare your vegetables to start with, to save you time.


I used Julienned Carrots, Red and Orange Pepper, Fennel and fresh Spinach leaves for this filling. I cut them to 3" to fit. Any remnants of the vegetables you have, dice and  sprinkle over the Roulade before you place in the oven.


Once the vegetables are cleaned and sliced use the mallet on the Flank Steak and lay out the meat on a plastic cutting board, or clean surface to make it easier to roll.


To make the Flank Steak more tender, I used a meat mallet to further break down the tissue prior to adding any other ingredients. The use of the mallet additionally gives the Flank Steak a bit more surface area to work with as you are thinning the the tissues and stretching it out a bit more. The thickness of the Flank Steaks when I was finished was 1/8" or more. Very thin.


Season the upwards facing side of the Beef


Take your cut vegetables, place them at one end of the flank steak and roll the ingredients into the meat so the ingredients are completely covered and secured.


You can tie the Roulade if you are at all concerned the stuffing may fall out. but if you create a tight roll, the ingredients should remain intact. This is a quick meal idea, however, if presentation is at the top of your list, I will post a variation of this recipe in future for entertaining purposes. (they make great little appetizers too!)



Place the Roulades into a Baking Dish or Roasting Pan, Cover each portion with your Tomato Sauce.


Sprinkle your remaining Vegetables over the Sauce, Cover and place into the oven.


Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Take out and and let cool 5 minutes prior to plating.


Cooking times will vary if you have a LARGE flank Steak versus small individual portions such as these. The larger and thicker the portion, the longer the cooking times. The thicker the piece of meat, the more sauce you may wish to add and lower the temperature of the oven as well.


Our side dishes were a simple Garden Salad and Baked Spaghetti Squash in lieu of actual Pasta. We are both moderating our meals with Gluten Free options at the moment. The more I read about food, the more I think we really need to mix up our ingredients more often.



A Quick note on Spaghetti Squash, Microwaving versus Baking.


You can Microwave a Butternut Squash for 15 to 20 Minutes and Serve it if you wish, but I recommend softening it in a microwave for 5 to 7 minutes, cutting it in half and baking it in the oven. Just like Butternut Squash.


Microwaving doesn't give you the hint of caramelization and nuttiness you get when you bake a Squash face side down on a baking sheet. You miss out on some of the flavours.


Healthy eating and Options, I'm all for it, but those little Tips and Tricks to add more flavour to your food...that's what I'm blogging about.

Please enjoy!

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: