Recipe #318: Tuscan Steak Salad with Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes

I haven't forgotten about my blog!  The fact that I haven't posted in two months tells you how crazy life has been.  But I'm back!  Here's a great one from Cooking Light magazine, June issue.  I doubled it for three of us.

THE SALAD:

1 large garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 (8-ounce) boneless strip steak

Cooking spray 

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 cups Italian-blend salad greens 

2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese 

1. Mince garlic on a cutting board. Sprinkle garlic with salt; mash with the side of a knife to form a paste. Combine garlic paste, 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, rind, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Rub garlic mixture evenly over steak. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.

3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add greens; toss to coat. Place 1 1/2 cups salad on each of 2 plates; top each serving with 3 1/2 ounces steak and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

THE TOMATOES:

3 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved horizontally (I used hunks of a tomato I already had)

Cooking spray 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Place oven rack in middle of oven. Arrange tomato halves, cut sides up, on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan (I put them on a rack above a cookie sheet). Coat cut sides of tomatoes with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 8 minutes. Combine cheese, garlic, and oregano in a bowl; sprinkle over tomatoes. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts and is golden.

Recipe #317: Broiled Salmon with Bleu Cheese, Lemon, & Dill

I don't remember where I linked to this recipe from, but I knew I had to make it the second I saw it.  It was awhile before I finally planned it out, for whatever reason- I regret waiting so long.  FANTASTIC!!  So much flavor!!  I adjusted the amounts for 2 fillets that were about a half pound each, but I'm leaving measurements here how the recipe originally had them.  Adjust according to your needs.

INGREDIENTS:

One 4 1/2-pound wild salmon fillet with skin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper (I only had black)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS;

Preheat the oven to 450°. Lay the salmon skin side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season the salmon with salt and white pepper and dot with the butter. Roast the salmon in the upper third of the oven for 8 minutes, until just starting to brown on top.

Remove the salmon from the oven and preheat the broiler. Set the rack 6 inches from the heat. In a medium bowl, using a fork, blend the cheese with the dill, shallot, wine and lemon juice. Dot the mixture evenly over the salmon fillet and broil for 10 to 12 minutes, until the salmon is golden brown on top and just cooked through.

Recipe #216: Carne Asada Tacos

I don't know what took me so long to find a recipe for carne asada.  I've had some great versions of it at different restaurants and looked forward to making this fresh dish myself.  I made a couple changes (in red) to the recipe I found on allrecipes.com.  This is definitely worth putting in the permanent rotation of regular favorites!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin, cut into thin bite-size slices 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper crushed red pepper to taste 1 lime 1 (28 ounce) can tomatillos 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded  (I just used one) 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

12 (6 inch) corn tortillas  (I used flour) 1/2 large onion, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (Omitted) 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place sliced meat into a shallow bowl, and season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Squeeze the lime juice over the meat, and turn until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2.	In a blender or food processor, combine tomatillo and jalapeno. Puree for 15 to 20 seconds, or until thick. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Carefully pour in tomatillo mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until mixture coats a spoon. Transfer mixture to a serving dish.
3.	Heat tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in 1/3 of the beef, and saute for 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish. Repeat with remaining beef. Meanwhile, heat tortillas in the oven or microwave, according to package instructions.
4.	To serve, place two tortillas on top of each other. Add desired amount of meat, spoon over some tomatillo mixture. Top with onions, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. Garnish with a wedge of lemon, to be squeezed over taco before eating.  (I cooked the onions before I added the meat because I prefer cooked over fresh.)

Recipe #315: Chicken Mole

Chocolate? Cinnamon?  Cloves?  Raisins?  With chicken and tomatoes and onions?  YES.  Trust me.  It's WONDERFUL!  Allrecipes.com again for this winner.  I didn't have sesame seeds, unfortunately.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into pieces 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup raisins 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken pieces in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in the bay leaf, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, cloves, and cinnamon until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.

Stir in the tomatoes, brown sugar, and chicken broth, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, stir in the chocolate chips until melted, then return the chicken pieces to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink at the bone, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the raisins, and cook 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Recipe #314: Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

This is definitely going into my regular rotation.  It's is a Martha Stewart recipe that I modified based on what I already had in the kitchen, and I love how it turned out- I would keep my version of the recipe for next time.  Feeds two and is an easy but delicious one-pot meal.  I made this in my French pot, my favorite cooking tool in the kitchen!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces  (I used four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced  (I used a bunch of minced garlic)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard  (I used whole grain mustard that I bought in Paris!)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In batches, cook chicken until browned, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, then add brussels sprouts and shallots to pan. Saute until golden brown, 3 minutes. Stir in mustard and cook 1 minute. Add vinegar and broth, return chicken to pan, and bring to a rapid simmer.
2. Transfer pan to oven and braise until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Add cream to pan and swirl to combine; season with salt and pepper.  (I removed the chicken before adding the cream, and then spooned it over top once plated.)

Recipe #313: Baked Whole Trout

My first trip to Costco resulted in my first time purchasing (and then cooking) whole fish.  It was so fresh and moist baking it this way.  The bones are a little annoying, but the work is worth it for how flavorful this turned out.  The trout was already gutted and cleaned, so it was a simple dish to make.

Prepped and ready for the oven

INGREDIENTS, amounts as needed/to taste:

Whole trout

Dried dill weed

Dried thyme

Salt

Pepper

Lemon slices

Sliced Onions

White wine (or chicken broth or water)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Oil a metal baking/roasting pan.  Season insides of fish with dill, thyme, salt, and pepper, and stuff with onions.  Oil the outside of the fish and season the outsides too.  Lay lemon slices on top.  Pour over a little white wine on each fish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Pour more wine over and bake another 10, until the fish flakes easily.  Remove heads and tails and serve.

Recipe #312: Caprese Garlic Bread

My sister was raving about this recipe, so I had to try it.  Her high praise wasn't for nothing- this is delicious.  I used four mini loaves of ciabatta and a whole stick of butter.  I also found a bottle of balsamic glaze at the store instead of having to make it myself.  This is from twopeasandtheirpod.com.

ingredients:

1 loaf ciabatta bread, horizontally cut in half
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place both sides of the baguette on a large baking sheet with the cut side up.

2. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic and spread evenly on bread halves. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the bread, making sure the cheese covers the bread completely. Bake the bread for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

3. While the bread is in the oven, make the balsamic reduction. Place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring the vinegar to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about half. This should only take about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

4. Remove the bread from oven. Top the bread with tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Cut into slices and serve.

Recipe #311: Slow Cooker Maple Country Style Ribs

My friend told me about this recipe from allrecipes.com.  I love the sweetness from the syrup and the hint of cinnamon.  They fell right off the bone.  The changes I made was to double the sauce PLUS one extra tablespoon of maple syrup, because I had more than 1.5lbs of meat (2.7lbs, to be exact).  I also used half of a fresh onion instead of dehydrated.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds country style pork ribs 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons dried minced onion 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 dash ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine ribs, maple syrup, soy sauce, minced onion, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, garlic powder and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours.

Recipe #310: Bacon-y Potato Soup

Oh man this one is just perfection.  I made a couple changes, marked in red.  It makes a LOT of soup (serves 7-8) and is perfect for this cold weather we're having.  This is another winner from allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound bacon, chopped 2 stalks celery, diced 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes

3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro  (I used green onion instead) salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
2.	Cook celery and onion in reserved bacon drippings until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.  (about 25 minutes or so- test with a fork)
3.	In a separate pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon, and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup (I used a potato masher to lightly mash the entire thing, but leaving plenty of potato chunks), and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Top with shredded cheese.

Recipe #309: Sausage, Peppers, and Pasta

I was craving this for several days before I found a recipe and tried it myself.  I'd only had it in restaurants previously, but now this is going to be a staple in my own kitchen.  So easy, but restaurant quality.  This one is from simplyrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Italian sausage links (sweet, hot, or a couple of each)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into 2 to 3 inch long strips
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 2 to 3 inch long strips
• 1 bell pepper of another color (yellow or orange or purple), sliced into strips 2-3 inches long
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced into slivers
• 1 large sweet or yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
• 1 small (15 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 cup Marsala or red wine (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt to taste.

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan that has a lid. When the oil is hot, add the sausages and brown them slowly. If they sizzle and crackle too much, turn the heat down. You want a gentle browning, not a sear. Cook for several minutes, turning them occasionally so they brown on all sides. When the sausages are browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

Increase the heat to high and add the onions and peppers. Toss so they get coated with the oil in the pan and sear them as well as you can, stirring every so often. You want some blackening. Once the onions and peppers soften, sprinkle some salt on them. Once you get some searing on the onions and peppers, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the Marsala or red wine if you are using, and with a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the browned and blackened bits. Let the wine cook down by half.

Add the tomatoes, oregano and red pepper flakes (if using) and stir well to combine. Add the sausages back in. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the peppers are soft the sausages are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Serve over polenta, or with penne pasta, or load up in a hoagie roll.