Do you wish you could carve out more time into your 24 hour day and have more energy?

Then we have to spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying life. Grilled Flank Steaks served with herbed butter, mile high spinach served and bacon bashed potatoes is a complete and tasty meal that you can get on your table in less than 30 minutes (excluding marinating time).

This time of the year can be draining. A main trigger for feeling exhausted can be anemia (low iron level) and just the pure fact that you have to fight through the crowds and cue up for everything during this time of the year can be very mentally tiring. It just zaps the life out of you. I can't make the cue lines shorter or make the hustle bustle go away but I can share with you one meal that will make you feel energized and carve more time into your busy weeknight meal routine.

Sometimes when my iron level is at a very low-level, I will actually crave steak. It is my body's way of letting me know it is time to take care of myself. This week I was craving the tender succulent herbed marinated beef over the hot coals.

A delightful way to add extra flavor and depth to a dish is to make a quick herbed butter and you can even make this in advance and store it in the freezer. Herbed butter is lovely on top of the flank steak and potatoes and brings the whole dish together.

Garlic infused mile high Fresh spinach quickly stir fried to keep in all the vitamins, minerals and iron with just a tad bit of salt and pepper was exactly what my body was craving. To fill up my hungry teenage boys I microwaved some potatoes, bashed them with my fist and sautéed them in a pan with a little bacon and seasonings to make a full and complete meal. My teenage boys will let you know that, "Bacon makes everything taste better".

Iron Boosting Grilled Flank Steaks with Herbed Butter and Mile High Spinach

Serves 4 adults or 1 hungry teenager

Herbed Butter:

• 1 cup room temperature butter (if lactose intolerant there are many brands of margarine without milk products)
• 2 teaspoons or so of mixed fresh and/or dried herbs (herbs de Provence, rosemary, chives, basil, garlic, thyme, or whatever your little heart fancies)
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest (optional but it gives it a nice zip)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sheet of plastic wrap

Step 1: Mix the butter with the herbs, salt and pepper and set aside.

Step 2: If serving right away just place in serving dish. If you want to make and have available for other dishes then take one sheet of plastic wrap and set on your counter. Lay one long rope of butter onto one edge of plastic wrap but leaving room on the edges so that you can tie.  Roll the butter tightly and then tie the edges. Place herbed butter roll in a plastic sealable bag and label with contents and date and place in freezer. Use within 3 months. Just cut off a little wedge any time you need it and put back in the freezer for safe keeping.

Step 3: Enjoy herbed butter on top of steak, potatoes, bread, pasta or any dish when you need a little extra creamy herbed flavoring.

Grilled Flank Steaks

• 2 pounds of flank steak
• dash of Olive oil
• dash of balsamic vinegar
• dash of tamari (soy sauce)
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons of dried or fresh herbs ( I used a combination of fresh rosemary, herbs de Provence but use whatever you like or have on hand)
• lots of fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon of steak seasoning just before you place on grill (optional)

Step 1: Place the steaks, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tamari, garlic, onion, herbs and pepper in a plastic bag and marinate for at least 6 hours of even over night in the refrigerator. (If you do this step before you head off to work, you will have dinner on the table in no time)

Step 2: Preheat grill to medium high. (You can also use a grill pan on your stove top if you do not have a grill) Take the steaks out of the refrigerator and remove excess marinade. Sprinkle steaks with steak seasoning and allow your steaks to come to room temperature before grilling. (Don't put cold steaks on a grill)

Step 3: Grill flank steaks for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. Do not overcook the flank steak as will be very tough. A perfect tender flank steak will be medium rare and nicely pink in the inside and still have some bounce when you touch it with your fingers. Please do not be sticking any thermometers inside your meat or you will lose all of those delicious juices. Instead, please review this message on the finger method for deciding when you steak is done. http://bamskitchen.com/2011/07/19/grilled-australian-steaks-with-bams-zip-sauce/

Step 4: Take your steak off the grill and let it rest while covered for about 10 minutes while you make your other side dishes. Slice flank steak very thinly across the grain and serve with herbed butter or maybe Bam's Zip sauce.

Bacon Bashed Potatoes

• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried or fresh herbs of your preference
• 3 slices of bacon chopped
• pepper to taste

Step 1: Use your trusty microwave and place your potatoes in a microwave dish with a little sprinkle of water and poke a couple of holes in your potatoes with a knife. Cover your potatoes with a damp tea cloth and microwave for about 8 minutes or until you can easily poke with knife. (If you do not have a microwave oven you could boil them on top of stove whole until tender or bake in oven but this takes much longer to prepare)

Step 2: Place bacon, onion and garlic in frying pan and cook until done and onions are translucent.

Step 3: Take your potatoes out of the microwave oven and bash them lightly with your fist. (Go ahead and take out that holiday frustration on your potatoes...long lines and cues of the holidays season cause a lot of stress. I know you want pulverize your potatoes but have a little self-control as we are aiming for just bashed potatoes and not whipped potatoes.)

Step 4: Place you bashed potatoes in the pan with the bacon and brown lightly on both sides. Season to taste and enjoy with your grilled flank steaks, chicken, fish, pork or any lovely meal.

Mile High Spinach

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of fresh minced garlic
• 4 pounds of fresh washed spinach (it cooks down)
• salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: In a large pan place olive oil and garlic and saute just until aromatic and then add fresh washed spinach

Step 2: Season to taste and it takes only about 2 minutes for it to quickly cook down. Stir well and quickly remove from pan and serve as a favorite "Popeye the sailor man". high iron side dish for any western meal.

This meal would be lovely for a dinner party as well. I found this lovely simple dessert, dark chocolate and orange mousse, from one of my dear fellow bloggers, Neha. This dessert would be the perfect ending to this meal.  Please take a minute to check out her dessert and all of her lovely recipes. http://feedingyourappetite.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/dark-chocolate-and-orange-mousse/