This is one of our favorite "fancy burger" recipes courtesy of Cooking Light. The burger is nice and spicy and the salsa is also excellent with tortilla chips. It's also quick to assemble.
I didn't use ground round. instead I used ground grass fed chuck which had a higher fat content as I do not like a dry burger(who does?). I also grind my own meat so I have no fear of eating a medium rare burger.
Recipe HERE
Blueberries are in season and they're on sale so I've been buying a lot of them. I usually freeze them for smoothies but also love them in savory dishes.
This was really scrumptious and a recipe I'll be making again for as long as the berries last. I think this dressing would also work with grilled chicken.
Spinach Salad with Steak & Blueberries
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sp...rry_salad.html
From EatingWell: July/August 2010
Combine steak, walnuts, blueberries and feta cheese in this simple salad and you have yourself a healthy and satisfying supper. Serve with grilled baguette and a glass of rosé.
Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
3 tablespoons fruity vinegar, such as raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons walnut oil or canola oil
1 pound sirloin steak or strip steak (1-1 1/4 inches thick), trimmed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preparation
Preheat grill to medium.
Pulse 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup walnuts, vinegar, shallot, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor to form a chunky paste. With the motor running, add oil until incorporated. Transfer the dressing to a large bowl.
Sprinkle steak with pepper and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Oil the grill rack. Grill the steak about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, 6 minutes per side for medium. Let rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes.
Add spinach to the bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Divide the spinach among 4 plates. Thinly slice the steak crosswise. Top the spinach with the steak, feta and the remaining blueberries and walnuts.
Nutrition
Per serving : 392 Calories; 26 g Fat; 5 g Sat; 7 g Mono; 50 mg Cholesterol; 11 g Carbohydrates; 29 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 494 mg Sodium; 748 mg Potassium
I haven't had a Sloppy Joe in years and this has been on my "to try" list forever. I wish I had made this sooner as it is the best Joe I've ever had. there are layers of flavors but none of them overwhelm each other.
Oh and like a traditional Joe it couldn't be easier. Not as easy as opening a can of Manwich (yuck!) but there's minimal chopping and attention required. This is an easy weeknight meal if you're pressed for time.
I'm expecting the leftovers will be awesome since the flavors will have marinated.
Recipe from Gourmet magazine, Oct 2007, HERE
Last night was meat and potatoes night. I've been craving meatloaf for some odd reason.
I also wanted to put my meat grinder to use.
This recipe for mini meatloaves is adapted from Ina Garten with modifications. She broke her portions down to 6 10oz loaves. That's not really "mini" to me so I broke it down further into 10 6 oz portions. Baking the meatloaf in muffin tins is also an option but I like the free form.
I also used ground sirloin instead of chuck because it's leaner and cut back on cooking time to accommodate both of those changes. Store bought bread crumbs have a billion unnecessary ingredients so I make my own from leftover good bread and herbs. And finally I added garlic to the sautee.
It was very good and the rest of the loaves are vacuum sealed and in the freezer for future use.
Recipe for Individual Meatloaves HERE
The potatoes are just steamed Yukon gold wedges, sauteed in garlic onion thyme and olive oil then smashed.
This was just OK for me. I think part of the reason is the Asian salad mix I used was a bag of Dole which consisted of lettuce and cabbage. I remember why I don't buy bagged lettuce. I think a trip to the Asian grocery could have reaped some better greens. Or even a few bunches of greens at the regular grocery store. But I'm going on vacation at the end of the week and don't want a crisper full of produce.
The dressing was also too sweet for my taste so I ended up adding more lime juice.
What I did like was the flavor the marinade gave the beef. I'll definitely do that again. But instead I'll make it with the Thai Lime Beef Salad from this blog and add in the noodles. A fusion of the two salads would be excellent.
The recipe for Asian Steak and Noodle Salad, courtesy of Gourmet June 2006, can be found HERE.
This was listed as a healthy choice on the Epicurious site but not in the June 2009 Bon Appetit magazine. Hmmmm...The steak is a lean cut and I did only use 4 oz on the salad(thank you food scale). I happen to think eating quality food in reasonable portions is a good thing.
Anyway the salad is very very good. And fast! I loved the addition of the chipotle hot sauce to the chimichurri. I added a few extra drops and an extra clove of garlic. If you do this you may want to limit the amount of dressing one the salad. No vampires will be visiting me tonight! And in case you couldn't tell I like my beef on the rare side.
I have leftover steak and chimichurri so I will be making this again. Probably tomorrow.
Recipe HERE
Sorry no picture. I realized too late the batteries in my camera were dead. Normally I wouldn't post without a picture but this was too good not to share.
But I assure you that mine looked every bit as scrumptious as the photo on Serious Eats.
It was THIS PHOTO that enticed me to make the recipe.
It was also so incredibly easy! I did have one roll break apart on the grill but the upside of that was I could see how done they were. I'm paranoid about ground beef with all the recalls.
The rolls were very very tasty. I loved the grilled basil/mint/chili combo. I only used 4 chilis and chopped them very fine in my mini-chopper.
The word sweet really shouldn't be in the description of the sauce. There's a little bit of sweet and a whole lotta spicy!!
These are definitely going on my rotation and I'd like to try it with ground pork or chicken.
Yeah hell froze over. I sat through an entire episode of Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals. Is it me or is she less irritating these days? Anyway, my boyfriend saw the same episode and requested I make this for Labor Day. You can use any cut of meat. I bought grass fed ribeyes.
The steak was amazing. I loved the rosemary crust and the salad on top of the steak. The potato salad concerned because I am not a fennel fan. But with all the other spices and the mild pepper rings it was quite good. I may scale the chili powder back if I serve it for a crowd as it was pretty spicy.
And if you're wondering the meal really would have taken 30 minutes to make if I din't clean as I cook.
Rosemary Garlic Steaks with Arugula Tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano
Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals Summer Simplicity
4 sirloin steaks, 1-inch thick, about 10 to 12-ounces each
2 cloves garlic, cracked from skin and halved
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
4 sprigs rosemary very finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or grill seasoning, if desired
4 cups arugula leaves
1 pint multi-color, yellow or red cherry heirloom tomatoes or 2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lemon
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating
Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high to high.
Rub room temperature meat with cut garlic. Drizzle the meat with olive oil, rub with rosemary and season liberally with salt and pepper or grill seasoning. Cook steaks 4 minutes on each side for medium, let rest 5 minutes then slice.
Dress greens and halved or chopped tomatoes with the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Pile salad on top of sliced steak and garnish with long grates of cheese made with vegetable peeler.
Potato Salad Fra Diavolo
Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals Summer Simplicity
This salad is as red as the Devil, very spicy but flavorful.
2 1/2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
Place potatoes in pot, cover with water, bring to a boil then salt the water. Cook potatoes 12 to 15 minutes until tender.
While potatoes cook, combine spices and mustard with vinegar, whisk in EVOO and add the onions, celery and parsley to the bowl. Drain potatoes and toss them in dressing while they're still hot, they'll absorb more dressing and flavor. Garnish salad with chopped hot peppers.
I love watermelon! And knowing that the skewers would be a little spicy I though it would be a perfect side with a twist.
Bittman has a grilled watermelon recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian only he uses rosemary and lemon juice. I thought mint would compliment the Asian dishes and I had some in the fridge that was looking a little wilty.
Simply cut a slice of watermelon rind intact, seed as well as possible without smashing the flesh, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush with a mixture of olive oil and fresh mint. Grill over high heat, about 5 minutes on each side and sprinkle with fresh lime juice before serving. The juice carmelizes, almost becoming a syrup and the flavor intensifies. I think you could try a variety of herbs and spices. You could even do mint or basil and feta cheese.
Since watermelons were two for one at Fry's I plan on experimenting.
The skewer recipe is courtesy of uber-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and appeared in the May 2008 issue of Self magazine. It's very food and not too spicy. You can adjust the Siracha if you want more of a kick.
8 wooden skewers
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 lb lean beef sirloin, cut into 1/8-inch strips
1 each red, green and yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Dipping sauce
1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise(I used regular because low fat has HFCS)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce
Preparation
Soak skewers for 30 minutes. Puree cilantro, garlic, soy sauce, orange zest, sriracha, fish sauce and sugar in a food processor. Transfer marinade to a resealable plastic bag; add beef. Seal bag, toss and set aside up to 30 minutes. Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl. Thread 4 pieces of pepper and 2 beef strips on each skewer, alternating beef and peppers. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; heat grill to high; cook until meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 122 calories (with bell peppers), 3.7 g fat (0.6 g saturated), 14 g carbs, 1.9 g fiber, 9.7 g protein
Summer to me means lots and lots of salads. It gets so darn hot I absolutely hate turning on the oven.
We painted walls over the weekend so the air wasn't on. I discovered my breaking point is 105 degrees. Today it was 110. It seems to early in the year for this and Mother Nature must agree as it's going to be back down in the 70's on Thursday. Go figure.
Today I have three salads, two I've never made before and one old favorite. What's great about these is that I usually have most if not all the ingredients on hand.
Salad #1 is Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Sweet Slaw from the June 2008 issue of Bon Appetit.
This was excellent although I must have had a turbo charged jalepeno. It was green since Fry's didn't have red. When I cut it open I could tell it would be strong so I used one half of one jalepeno seeded. The dressing was still a little too spicy and I am not a wimp to spice.
I also like that this is incredibly easy and you can chop the veggies and prep the dressing while the steak is marinating.
Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Sweet Slaw
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1 1/2-pound flank steak
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 red jalapeños, thinly sliced into rounds
5 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (about 9 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Mix soy sauce, oil, 3 teaspoons ginger, and garlic in resealable plastic bag. Add flank steak and seal bag; turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
Stir sugar and vinegar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves; remove from heat. Add jalapeños and remaining 2 teaspoons ginger. Place cabbage and 1/2 cup green onions in medium bowl.
Pour vinegar mixture over and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand while grilling steak, tossing occasionally.
Grill steak until cooked to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to work surface. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice steak thinly against grain. Sprinkle 1/4 cup green onions over slaw.
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The following night I made Grilled Chicken and Romaine with Caper Dressing. I love grilled radicchio and was intrigued by the grilled romaine. I would say this is a salad that is good but needs some tweaking. I liked the grilled lettuce and the dressing is very similar to my standard home made vinaigrette but it needed more veggies. Grilled veggies!
Grilled Chicken and Romaine with Caper Dressing Bon Appetit, March 2008
3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise, core left intact
Shaved Manchego or Parmesan cheese
Preheat barbecue (medium-high heat). Puree vinegar and next 4 ingredients in small processor until almost smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Combine chicken and 1/4 cup dressing in medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Place romaine, cut side up, on baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup dressing; turn to coat. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Grill romaine until charred and slightly wilted on all sides, about 2 minutes.
Transfer 1 chicken breast and 1 romaine spear to each of 4 plates. Drizzle chicken with remaining dressing, sprinkle generously with cheese, and serve.
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And finally we come to the classic Nicoise Salad which I've been making from memory for quite some time. The best Nicoise salad I ever had was in Nice of course. Mine will never be as good but that's ok.
And yes I know I have to turn on the oven for this one but it's worth it!
Unfortunately I don't measure when I make this. I just eyeball it until it looks right. Generally I use one egg, one small red potato and one 3 oz can of water packed tuna and a tablespoon of dressing per salad.
I use my basic vinaigrette dressing which is 1/4 cup olive oil and 3 tbs white wine vinegar whirled in a blender to emulsify. I then add some rough chopped shallot and dijon mustard, salt and pepper and whirl again, adjusting ingredients to taste. I keep this in a jar in my pantry.
For the salad make sure you have a hard boiled egg. You can also roast the green beans and red potato ahead of time. Just toss with olive oil salt and pepper and roast at 450. I start the potato first then turn at about 8 minutes, add the beans to the pan and roast another 8 minutes or so.
The salad consists of greens (I use romaine or whatever other greens are in the fridge), chopped hard cooked egg, canned tuna, capers, kalamata olives, and the roasted green beans and potato.
This is probably one of the most unphotogenic meals I've ever made. Take my word for it when I say it was tasty.
Not only tasty but it took a heck of a long time. I started it at 9 am and it wasn't finished till about 3:00. I'm not used to cooking low and slow so I had to resist the urge to call it done when it obviously wasn't.
Beef, goat and, if you're not Muslim, pork are proteins reserved for celebration in Malaysia and Indonesia because they're expensive. This dish comes from The Cradle of Flavor and was served to the author at a 3 day wedding ceremony.
Every freakin' pepper I found at the 4 grocery stores I visited was green. I suppose I could have gone to the Mexican grocery store but after a lot of running around I just didn't feel like it.
I used fresh turmeric but dried is fine as I didn't notice an overpowering tumeric flavor. The paste did turn my fingers yellow though.
I served this lemongrass scented coconut rice and pickled cucumbers and carrots.
Beef Rendang
Rendang Daging Sapi
West Sumatra, Indonesia
flavoring paste
1 whole nutmeg, cracked
5 whole cloves
6 shallots coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
5-20 fresh red Holland chiles or other long red chiles such as Fresno or cayenne
1 2" piece fresh turmeric peeled and chopped or 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 2" piece ginger peeled and chopped
1 2" piece galangal chopped
5 candlenuts or unsalted macadamia nuts
2 lbs well marbled boneless beef chuck or bottom round cut into 2 to 2 1/2 inch pieces
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3 thick stalks lemongrass tied into knots (smash with the flat end of a knife to make them pliable)
1 4" piece of cinnamon stick
7 kaffir lime leaves
5 daun salam leaves(optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tbs shredded kaffir lime leaves
Place the nutmeg and cloves in a food processor and grind into a powder. Add the shallots through the candlenuts and pulse until the mixture resembles cooked oatmeal.
Combine the paste and the meat through the salt in a wide skillet or sautee pan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer at a slow steady bubble stirring every 15-20 minutes.
The coconut milk will cook down and the fat will render and the mixture will become darker and thicker. Continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced by 95 % stirring every 15 minutes. this will take 2-3 hours depending on the pot you use. Test the meat, it should be tender enough to poke with a fork. taste for salt and add more if necessary.
When all the liquid has evaporated reduce the heat to low and allow the meat to brown slowly in rendered fat. Stir every five minutes to prevent burning. Continue to sautee until the beef is the color of roasted coffee beans about 5-10 minutes more.
Remove and discard lemongrass cinnamon and leaves. allow meat to rest 30 minutes before serving. It's even better the next day.
Lemongrass Scented Coconut Rice
Nasi Uduk
2 cups jasmine rice rinsed well
3 stalks lemongrass tied into knots
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp salt
Place all ingredients in a pot with a tight fitting lid. bring to a boil, stirring to prevent scorching. Boil 15 seconds then reduce heat to low and cover pan. Cook 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to steam, covered 10 minutes more(no peeking)
Uncover pot, remove lemongrass and fold rice allowing flavor to permeate.
I can't tell you how excited I was to be cooking in banana leaves! Yes I'm easily amused.
All these recipes come from the excellent September 2007 Latin issue of Gourmet magazine.
For the ribs I used the guajillo peppers because the New Mexico peppers I had on hand are hot and I wanted to see how the other spices came through without being overpowered by heat. Plus I like the tangy smokiness of the guajillo's.
The ribs were wonderful and the guacamole was a perfect tangy accompaniment. I actually forgot the bay leaf but I wasn't left thinking, "this would be perfect with a bay leaf" so it was no big deal. I will definitely make these again! I may even try it with the New Mexico Chiles.
I liked the rice but it was a pain in the butt to make. I'm not sure the end result was worthy of a repeat. Also my rice wasn't getting brown and my arm was getting tired from stirring so maybe it would have been better if I had browned it.
I suck at frying because I never do it so my Sighs of the Bride could have been crispier. The fruit on the other hand was marvelous.
Ribs in banana leaves
And unwrapped
Sighs of the Bride with Mixed Fruit in Cinnamon Lime Syrup
Mixiote De Carne
Gourmet Magazine, Sept 2007
Adapted from Estela Salas Silva
Ingredients:
3 oz dried guajillo or New Mexico chiles(I used guajillo) seeded and stemmed (I did this over a bowl with kitchen shears)
3 tbs annatto seeds
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
6 lb beef short ribs or lamb shoulder with bone cut into 16 pieces(I used beef ribs)
3 banana leaves or 8 (11 inch square) pieces of parchment paper
8 Turkish or California Bay Leaves
-Fill a 2 qt sauce pan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add chiles to boiling water and remove from heat. Let stand, uncovered until chilis are softened and have turned a brighter red, about 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, toast annatto and cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring until fragrant and a shade darker. Transfer to a bowl to cool then grind to a powder.
-Transfer chiles to a blender with a slotted spoon, then add 1 1/2 cups soaking water, seeds garlic, vinegar and 1 tbs salt. Blend until smooth at least 2 minutes. Pour sauce into large (3-4 qt) shallow container and cool to room temp for 10 minutes.
-Sprinkle meat with 2 tbs salt, add sauce and turn to coat. using tongs or wearing gloves to prevent staining. Marinate meat, covered and chilled for at least 8 hours.
-Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the middle.
-Holding both ends of a banana leaf, drag leaf slowly over a burner on medium high heat until it changes color slightly and becomes shinier. Repeat on other side and with remaining banana leaves.
-Cut off tough edges from banana leaves and cut 8 11 x 11 inch squares, discarding remainder. Put each leaf on a 12" square of foil, then arrange 2 pieces of meat and some sauce in the center of each leaf using all of the sauce, and top each mound with a bay leaf(if using California bay leaves use 1/2 leaf). Fold in all sides of banana leaves, then wrap tightly in foil. Arrange packages, seam side up, in 1 layer in a large roasting pan and add just enough water to measure 1/8 inch in bottom of pan (about 2 cups).
-Bake adding more water as necessary to prevent pan from becoming dry until meat is tender and falling off the bone(open package to test) about 3 1/2 hours for beef and 2 1/2 hours for lamb. Discard foil and bay leaf and serve meat in banana leaves. Do not eat banana leaves.
-Notes: Meat can be marinated up to 24 hours in a bowl. Leftovers keep for 3 days. Reheat, wrapped in foil 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.
Tomatillo Guacamole
Adapted from Roberto Santibanez
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh serrano chiles including seeds or to taste
1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh epazote leaves or 1 tsp dried(I used dried)
1 large garlic clove minced
1 tbs fresh lime juice or to taste
3 firm-ripe avacados
6 oz small fresh tomatillos(about 6) husked rinsed and chopped
1/3 cup minced white onion
Stir together chiles through lime juice and add one tbs salt in a bowl, mashing slightly with a fork. Halve and pit avacados, then scoop flesh into chile mixture. Stir in tomatillos and onion mashing avacado coarsley with a fork.
Mexican White Rice
Gourmet September 2007
Though this rice mainly functions to sop up the meat's red sauce, a quick sauté with garlic and onion and the use of chicken broth as well as water means it can hold its own.
Makes 8 servings
Shelley Wiseman
3 cups long-grain white rice (1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup finely chopped white onion
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
Bring about 6 cups water to a boil and pour over rice in a bowl. Soak rice until it has turned a more opaque white, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well and spread out on a clean kitchen towel to dry, at least 1 hour.
Cook onion and garlic in oil in a wide 4- to 5-quart heavy pot or deep skillet over medium heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 5 minutes, then add broth, water, and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Cooks' notes:
Rice can be soaked up to 4 hours.
Rice will stay warm, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Suspiros de Novia
Sighs of the Bride Fritters
The magazine said they got their name because they're delicate.
Adapted from Estela Salas Silva
1/2 cup warm water
2 large egg yolks
2 tbs unsalted butter melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup olive oil for frying
confectioners sugar for dusting
-Blend water, yolks, butter, flour and 1/4 tsp salt in a blender just until smooth.
-heat 1/4 inch oil in a heavy 12" skillet over medium heat until it shimmers
-Spoon 1/2 tablespoons of batter into the oil about 8 at a time and fry (the batter will flatten into 2 inch wide discs), turning once until crisp and golden brown.3-4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool completely. Dust with sugar and serve with fruit.
-can be made 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.
Mixed Fruit in Cinnamon Lime Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tbs fresh lime juice
1 8 inch piece Mexican cinnamon stick broken into 4 pieces or 1 3 inch piece if cassia cinnamon halved.
3 lb mixed fresh fruit cut into wedges(they suggested peaches, plums and figs which are out of season so I used a red delicious apple, a gala apple bartlett pears and calimyrna figs)
1 lime thinly sliced 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
-Bring water, sugar, lime juice and cinnamon to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
-Stir together fruit and hot syrup in a shallow serving dish. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Just before serving, top with lime slices and pecans.
-can be made 2 hours ahead and chilled. Bring to room temp before serving
I won't be cooking much because I'm going to Iowa next week. I'm going get creative with whatever ingredients I have on hand.
I added some new cookbooks to the list at the right so you'll know what to expect when I return.
This recipe comes from The Notes from a New Orleans Foodie... in exile blog It's not so much a recipe as much as a technique. I bought a cast iron grill pan and have been itching to cook a steak in it. I bought my grass-fed ribeye at Wild Oats and topped it with mushrooms and Maytag Blue Cheese.
Warning-this will heat up your kitchen and smoke a bit so use your vent fan. You simply heat your oven to the highest temperature it will go to and put your cast iron pan inside. When the pan is the temperature of the oven, remove it and put it on a lit burner. Your steak should be at room temperature. Season your steak(I just used salt and pepper) and brush one side with olive oil. Put the steak,olive oil side sown, and sear for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn with tongs(no turner-use tongs)and sear the other side. Finish the steak off under the broiler. I cooked mine about 3 minutes because I like it on the rare/med rare side.
On the side is Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter which is a Cooking Light recipe. Roasting is my favorite way to prepare cauliflower with or without the brown butter. Sometimes I just toss it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
6 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons butter
Preheat oven to 400°.
Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with
cooking spray. Coat cauliflower with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes, turning cauliflower twice.
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until
lightly browned. Combine cauliflower and browned butter in a bowl, and
toss gently to coat.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 53(37% from fat); FAT 2.2g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g);
PROTEIN 3g; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 45mg; SODIUM 183mg; FIBER 1.3g; IRON
0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.5g
I always take a dozen pictures of my finished dish for my blog. Is it any wonder my dinners are never hot?
Anyway I couldn't decide which picture was better so I'm posting two.
This recipe is from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisine. I loved it although I was tempted to add more cheese. I love cheese! But I used the amount the recipe called for and it was perfect. You could also use shredded chicken or make it without meat if you wish.
The wine is a Pinot Noir Rose and was recommended by the owner of my local wine store. I don't think I've ever had rose before but I really liked it with this dish!
Tomato Rice Casserole with Poblanos and Melted Cheese.
This main dish recipe offers great everyday flavors: roasted tomatoes and green chiles baked with shreds of beef, tender rice and gooey cheese.
Without the meat, this casserole is a substantial side dish to serve with grilled or roasted meats or poultry. To set on a buffet, double the recipe and bake it in a 13 x 9-inch dish.
Serves 6 as a casual entrée
For 2 cups essential roasted poblano rajas
1 pound (6 medium-large) fresh poblano chiles
1 T vegetables or olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 t dried Mexican oregano
1 pound ripe tomatoes
Salt )
1 cup medium grain rice, uncooked
1 cup grated Mexican Chihuahua or other melting cheese such as brick or Monterey Jack
1 1/2 cups boneless, shredded, cooked beef
1. Making 2 cups Essential Roasted Poblano Rajas. Roast the chiles directly over a gas flame or on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on all sides, about 5 minutes for open flame, about 10 minutes for broiler. (If using broiler, the tomatoes from step 2 can be roasted at the same time.) Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand 5 minutes. Peel, pull out the stem and seed pod, then rinse briefly to remove bits of skin and seeds. Slice into 1/4-inch strips.
In a medium-size skillet, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until nicely browned but still a little crunchy, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano, toss a minute longer, then stir in the chiles and remove from the heat.
2. The Tomatoes. Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes, then flip and roast the other side. Cool, then peel, collecting all the juices. Chop tomatoes coarsely and combine with the juices. Return the chiles to medium-high heat, add the tomatoes and their juices and stir until the juices are nicely reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt, usually 1 teaspoon.
3. The Rice. In a large (6 quart) pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the rice and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, until the grains are tender but not mushy or splayed. Pour into a strainer, then spread onto a tray to cool.
4. The Casserole. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread half of the rice over the bottom of a lightly greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Spoon on half of the chile-tomato mixture, spreading it to the edges, then sprinkle over about half of the cheese. If you’re using any meat, distribute it over the cheese at this point. Cover with remaining rice, chile-tomato mixture and cheese (in that order), and bake until bubbling and brown, 20-30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.
I haven't had time to get to the Asian grocery store and I've been short on time so I chose this simple recipe. There's a more elaborate Khmer recipe I'm going to try when I have some time.
Cooking fish sauce stinks to high heaven but the resulting dish is very good.
Look for young unwrinkled ginger otherwise you'll get the "cat hair" effect.
Khmer Stir Fried Ginger and Beef-Saiko cha k'nye From Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford
1/2 lb boneless sirloin or ribeye cut into thin slices
1/2 lb ginger peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 tbs vegetable or peanut oil
3-4 garlic cloves smashed and minced
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
Heat a wok over medium high heat and add oil when hot. When oil is hot stir fry garlic until it starts to golden. Add meat and stir fry until it changes color. Add fish sauce, sugar and ginger and cook until tender about 4-5 minutes. Serve over rice.
I got a request for Khmer food. That person would be my brother, a chef, who lived in Cambodia for over 10 years. My sister-in-law is Khmer.
Tomorrow I'm making a Peruvian dinner so it will have to happen next week. Meanwhile...
I'm not a big beef eater but Wild Oats had some beautiful grass fed ribeyes on sale. I'll spare you my rant on why you should eat grass fed beef(better for the cow, better for you).
Seeing them made me crave Chimichurri, which is my favorite condiment for beef.
This recipe comes from The Greatest Dishes!: Around the World in 80 Recipes by Anya Von Bremzen. The book is pretty much the worlds greatest culinary hits and is a great choice for those who want to dabble in international cuisines but who are wary of being too adventurous.
The CLBB is a bad influence. I had posted that I didn't have any cast iron cookware and was immediately told to get a cast iron skillet NOW! Someone mentioned Marshalls had Lodge for $9.99 and, well, my car happened to find the Marshalls across the street on my lunch hour. I didn't find the skillet but I did find a really nice cast iron grill pan for $14.
Unfortunately I couldn't do this steak in the cast iron skillet. It's still 110 degrees here and heating up the house and opening the windows is not an option. Maybe this winter.
Chimichurri from The Greatest Dishes by Anya Von Bremzen
1 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
6 large garlic cloves chopped
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 to 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp Goya adobo seasoning(I skipped it)
salt
1/4 cup mild olive oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
In a mini processor process parsley and garlic until minced but not pureed. Add a little vinegar if necessary to help processing.
Scrape into a bowl and let sit 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste and let the sauces stand at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. It will keep refrigerated for a week.
serve on steak.
Back to Asian food! I wanted to make something refreshing that wouldn't heat up the kitchen.
I've made this salad twice and love it! The blend of herbs in the salad and seasoning in the dressing is perfect. I grilled my meat instead of broiling.
I got this recipe off The Monthly Challenge Blog but it's originally from the Bon Appetit (May 2001). The original source is The Blue Elephant Restaraunt in Paris (http://www.blueelephant.com/
Thai Lime Beef Salad
For the dressing:
7 T. fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
7 T. fish sauce (nam pla)
3 T. minced, seeded jalapeno chilies
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. sugar
For the salad:
1 lb. flank steak
1 head romaine lettuce, torn in pieces
4 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 tomatoes, quartered
3/4 c. chopped shallots
1/4 c. matchstick-size strips peeled cucumber
1/4 c. diced celery
1 T. chopped fresh mint
1 T. minced fresh lemongrass, or 1 t. grated lemon peel
1/4 c. thinly sliced radishes
Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temp. before continuing).
Preheat broiler. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Broil to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer meat to cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat across grain into 2.5 inch wide strips. Cut strips crosswise into thin slices. Combine meat slices, lettuce, cilantro and next 6 ingredients (through lemongrass) in large bowl. Add enough dressing to taste (may not need all) and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with radishes.
