Surf and Turf Roll--Ups

I made up a concoction the other night that I have to write down so I don't forget it. It was delicious and pretty too, which you know is most important to me. (Next time I make it I'll take a picture.) As a bonus, it's also healthy and inexpensive to make, so it's going into my weeknight menu rotation.

This was an after-work dinner on a Tuesday night, just for DD and I .... but it was dinner-party quality. I'm even thinking I can turn it into an appetizer for my Christmas party. Hmmm ... will have to think about that. Anyway, I made this up as I went along, so I'm sure I'll tweak over time. But for now, here's the creation:

* And of course, I'll give you my usual disclaimer: I never measure anything, so quantities are my best guesstimate.

Surf and Turf Roll-Ups

• Marinate a pack of round steak for braciole (the stuff that's pounded very thin) in soy sauce, fresh-squeezed lime juice, fresh garlic, a teensy bit of extra virgin olive oil (notice I shun the Rachel Ray acronym ... God she's annoying!!!), salt and pepper. Let this soak for hours ... the longer the better.
• There were 3 pieces of meat in my package that were kinda the size and shape of an oven mitt. I halved them lengthwise and then cut each strip in half to make them shorter. I ended up with 12 strips that were about 6x2.
• By the way, 12 roll-ups were enough for dinner (DD ate 4, I ate 2) and leftovers for lunch the next day.

For assembly:

• Butterfly 24 shrimp.period. (2 per piece of meat). I know this sounds like a pain in the ass, but it really isn't if you get the cleaned and deveined shrimp.
• Get a big bundle of thin asparagus. If you want to use the thick spears that's fine, but I think thick asparagus is tough and kinda gross. I guess I'm an asparagus snob. Cut 'em in half, so they're about 4 inches long.
• Lay the strip of meat flat. Put the shrimp on top. Put a small bundle of asaragus (I used ~8 thin halves per bundle) near one end.
• Start rolling!!
• Toothpick that baby so it doesn't come undone. Now I know toothpicking automatically raises the hassle factor to the highest level, but be not afraid of a recipe with toothpicks. It'll be okay, and the end result is worth it.

Cooking:

• I cooked the 12 rolls in a glass baking dish. I add a concoction of beef broff (low sodium), some more soy, a little more lime juce, and a dusting of corn starch to thicken things up a bit. (It didn't make gravy, but it kept it from being too watery.)
• The baking dish was filled about halfway with liquid. This serves two purposes: 1) it helped steam the rolls 2) it kept them from drying out while they cooked.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until the shrimp and beef look cooked, but not like shoe leather. Chances are, as soon as the shrimp is done (completely pink), the beef will be done too and you're good to go. Turn these over after 20 minutes.

While the rolls are cooking:

• I carmelized some onions for the top. I just think it's wrong to eat meat without carmelized onions --- I don't know why, that's just the way I like it.

Voila!!! That's the recipe. Let me know if you try it out.