Balsamic Steak & Veggie Rolls

Recently I found a recipe on Pinterest (of course) that looked so good that I knew I wanted to try it.  However, like most recipes, I would have to make a few Paleo substitutes, particularly because the recipe included things like butter and Worcestershire sauce, which are a no-go for Paleo-ites.  So, I made a few adjustments and came up with this delicious meal!  It was really yummy, and even though it was a bit time-consuming, it was worth it.  The only problem I had was that mine did not coming out looking as perfect as the original picture... Do things ever look as good as they do on Pinterest though?  Oh well, regardless, I would recommend you try this out!  Here is what I did:

Balsamic Steak & Veggie Rolls
(serves 2-3)

• 1 carrot
• 1/2 zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/4 onion
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 - 1 lb flank steak
• salt & pepper
• 1-2 T shallots (or sweet onion), finely diced
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 2 T raw honey
• 1/4 c chicken or beef broth

Preparation
I started by prepping the veggies. You want to slice them into matchstick pieces, so you can use a knife, a mandolin, or a peeler/julienner like I did.  Slice the carrot and zucchini this way, and slice the bell pepper and onion into thin slices as well.  FYI I did this a few hours in advance and just let them sit in a bowl in the fridge.  Here is what my veggies looked like:

To prep the steak, slice it into 2-3 inch strips. I also cut mine in half to make the meat slab thinner, which you might want to do if yours is a bit thick.  My strips were only about 1/4-1/2 inch thick, which I think is best.  Then, season them with salt and pepper and set them aside.  Here are my strips (I got 6 out of my steak):

Next, make the sauce.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add about 2 T olive oil.  When it is hot, add the shallots/onion to the pan and saute until translucent.  Then, add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and broth and stir until smooth.  Allow it to bubble up and thicken for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then pour off all the sauce into a bowl.  Set aside.

Reheat the pan to high heat and add another 1 T olive oil and the clove of garlic.  Stir the garlic around for a minute or so to flavor the oil, then you can fish it out.  Dump in your veggies and stir fry them around for just about 2-3 minutes until just cooked.  Add the Italian seasoning and salt and stir a bit more.  Once it was all cooked, I removed the veggies back to the bowl they had been in so I could start to prep the rolls.

To assemble the rolls, pile a stack of the veggies onto the middle of one of the steak strips, roll it up, and fasten with a toothpick.  Repeat with the other rolls.  Mine were not beautiful but they looked like this:

Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat and add a little bit of oil to the pan.  Once it is hot, place the rolls seam side down into the pan.  Do not touch them for a few minutes so they can brown up, then turn the rolls to cook them on all sides.  Mine were medium/medium-rare in just about 5-7 minutes total.

FINALLY, take the steak rolls out of the skillet, remove the toothpicks, and serve with the balsamic sauce spooned over the top of each roll.  Check them out!

So, the instructions look pretty complicated, but I would say the most time was spent just prepping the veggies.  I think I could have done a better job on making the rolls look pretty, but they still tasted great!  I served these with some sauteed tomatoes for extra veggies, and it was definitely a VERY Paleo meal- all meat and veggies!  Try it for yourself and see how great this meal is!