TGIF: Healthy Tuscan cooking

In Tuscany, we fell in love with the people and the food.
Siena is three hours north of Rome by car.
Florence is an hour away. Both are worth the trip.
The people are friendly but most speak Italian only.
Carry a small Italian-English dictionary. It helps.
Their cooking isn’t the traditional pasta we think of.
Spinach is one of the staples of many Tuscan dishes.
Most Tuscan dishes are low fat, low sugar, high health.
This recipe calls for lean flank steak or London broil.
It feeds four healthy diners.

Tuscan Grilled Steak
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb. flank steak or London broil
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp low-fat ricotto cheese
4 tbsp no fat milk
2 cups fresh spinach minced
2 large garlic cloves crushed
Make steak topping by whipping cheese, milk, finely minced spinach and 2 crushed garlic cloves in small cooking pot over low heat until all four are well blended.
In a small bowl, mash garlic and oil into a paste. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Rub garlic paste over both sides.
Preheat grill to high heat. Grill steak 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until medium-rare. To check, cut into meat with a knife and remove from grill when meat is slightly less done than you want. It will continue to cook from its own heat. Transfer to cutting board. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Slice very thin, against the grain and at a slight angle. Drizzle with any accumulated platter juices. Serve immediately with sauce on side to top steak slices.
A good Chianti, warm bread and a small salad create a feast for four.
Next week we’ll talk about getting better organized. See you then.