Steak, Asparagus, and Chimichurri Pasta

Is it Spring, yet?

I'm still waiting for the time where delicate flowers begin to poke their heads out of the ground and start to bloom.  Fat robins hatch their young and begin to chirp. Fresh produce can be found and it becomes warm enough to begin grilling again.

What I have to share with you today is a dish that envelopes the concept of Spring to me.  Fresh grilled steak slices covered in a light and flavorful chimichurri sauce.  Tossed with bright green asparagus and pasta. It's fresh, healthy, and can be thrown together in a pinch!  For those that are on Clean Eating diets, you could easily adapt this recipe to use 100% whole grain pasta.

In case you've never had chimichurri before and are not sure what to expect, I call it Green Goodness.  It's essentially the Argentine version of pesto.  If you love garlic and herbs, you'll love this!

Two Years Ago: Fish Tacos

Steak, Asparagus, and Chimichurri Pasta

Ingredients

For the Chimichurri

• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cups Italian or curly parsley, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to your desired heat tolerance...I could have used more!)
• 1 tsp salt

For the Pasta

• 1 lb pasta (I used Rotini but the original recipe called for Rigatoni)
• 1 lb skirt steak
• 1 lb thick asparagus, tough ends removed

Directions

1. Make the chimichurri by placing all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulsing until all large pieces of parsley, cilantro, and garlic are gone.  You can also do this by hand by finely chopping the garlic, parsley, and cilantro then whisking together with the remaining ingredients.
2. In a gallon sized ziplock bag, combine flank steak and about 1/4 cup of the chimichurri sauce.  Return to the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
3. When ready to cook, heat your grill to medium-high heat.  For those in colder climates still, you can use a grill pan on your stove.  Here's the one that I use!
4. Once the grill is hot, place the steak on and cook to desired doneness (I do about 4-5 minutes on each side), flipping once.  Grill the asparagus , turning often to ensure it doesn't burn.  Remove the asparagus when it is tender but still crisp, about 4-6 minutes.  Remove the steak and allow it to rest 5 minutes.  Slice the steak into thin strips and cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
5. While grilling, bring a large pot of water to boil.  Salt the boiling water then add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.  Drain and return to the pot.
6. Toss the pasta and asparagus with chimichurri sauce until well coated (about 2/3 of what remains).  Top with slices of steak and drizzle with additional chimichurri before serving.  Any extra chimichurri sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Source: Slightly modified from Bitchin' Camero

Meet Ribeye and T-Bone + Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

Since Monday was a vegetarian recipe, today here's one for the carnivores.  Remember when I said I'd be partaking in a cow share?

Meet Ribeye and T-Bone.

Ribeye (left) and T-Bone (right) as babies.

The email I received about them from their owner said "Ribeye and T-Bone Say 'Hi We're Tasty!'".  When I saw their baby picture, it made me sad to think that in a few short months, they'd be food.  I thought you weren't supposed to name the animals that you eat but what do I know.  My friend Amy said she visited the farm herself and saw how they were raised.  She assured me they had a really good life and quite well taken care of while alive.  They were grass fed cows that were raised using organic methods by her co-worker on his personal land.  Amy bought 1/4 of T-Bone and of that, we purchased 1/4 of that for a total of 1/16th of a cow share for our personal consumption.  It was a hot, dry Summer here in Ohio which resulted in less grass for T-Bone and Ribeye to graze upon.  Thus, they ended up smaller than anticipated.  Just about 1000 pounds.  After all the processing, our total yield was just roughly 20 pounds of meat.  A lot of time and effort goes into such a small amount of meat and now I understand why it is better for our planet if we would reduce our consumption of it.

In all, our part of the share included:

• 1.2 lb stew meat
• ~2 lb round steak
• 2.58 lb flat iron steak
• 1.27 lb sirloin strip steak
• 1.10 lb filet mignon
• 1.5 lb brisket
• 1.58 lb soup beef bones
• 3.33 lb beef chuck steak
• 1.04 lb ribeye steak
• 8 lb ground beef
• 1 ox tail

Our 1/16th cow share in our side-by-side freezer.
We needed surprisingly less room needed than we anticipated.

Now here's where the story gets a little bit sad.  We stored our beef in our spare refrigerator which is kept the basement.  Sometime over Christmas, the circuit broke on that outlet along with 3 others in the house.  While we noticed our outdoor Christmas lights mysteriously stopped working, it never occurred to us that other outlets could also have been affected.  It wasn't until 2 or 3 days later that my husband went to the basement and to his horror, saw a bloody puddle forming underneath the refrigerator.  We felt the beef and though it felt cool to the touch, it clearly had thawed almost completely.  We deemed it too risky to try to eat or save and with a heavy heart, threw away nearly all our precious cow share.  I had only used the tail (mom made a great soup out of it), the stew meat, and the round steak.  The brisket is safe at Amy's house because it's a part of a giant chunk of meat which we could not divide as it was frozen.  We had plans to grill the steaks when the summer got warmer.  I felt so guilty that T-Bone had died in vain...

So this brings me to the meat that we DID get to enjoy.  This stew was sweet and salty and comforting.  I enjoyed the use of sweet potatoes instead of the regular run of the mill potatoes.  The flavor contrast was lovely.  It was by far the most tender, rich beefy tasting meat I have ever had.  Given this wasn't even that premium of a cut, it makes me lament the more prime cuts that will never be tasted.

RIP T-Bone.  You were a good cow.

Two Years Ago:  Cookies and Cream Oreo Look-Alike Cake and Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Three Years Ago: Vegetable Soup (with Optional Sausage for the Men)

Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour with a big pinch of salt and pepper 
• 1 1/4 pound stew beef, cut into 1-inch chunks 
• about 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely diced 
• 2 cups peeled and thickly sliced carrots 
• 3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half 
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1/2 cup light beer (I used red wine)
• 1 pound sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks 
• 4 cups beef broth (more if you’d like it more soupy) 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• couscous, rice, or pasta and parsley to serve 

Directions

1. In a large ziplock bag, place flour, salt, and pepper. Add diced beef. Close the bag. Hold it tight and shake, ensuring that all of the beef is lightly coated in flour and seasoning.  Set aside. 
2. In a large dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add as much beef as will fit along the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Cook, browning on all sides. The beef doesn’t need to be cooked through, just browned. Once all of the beef is cooked, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Set aside. 
3. In the same dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and heat through. Deglaze the pan with the beer or wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the beer steams. 
4. Add the sweet potatoes, and cover with beef broth. Add bay leaf, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. 
5. Add beef. Turn heat to low and let gently simmer for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Taste and add sugar (this helps the acidity), salt, and pepper as necessary.  Remove the bay leaf. 
6. Serve stew over couscous, rice, or pasta with fresh parsley if desired.

Source: Joy the Baker

Balsamic-Honey Glazed Roast Beef Sandwiches with French Dip

Oh my god this is without a doubt the best sandwich I have EVER eaten!!!  And it's a crockpot recipe so dinner was on the table in under 15 minutes which was perfect since my husband had to eat early in order to digest before his running group training session.

I'm a fan of French Dip Sandwiches but this juice and the balsamic-honey glaze brings this particular version to a whole new freaking level.  I mean it is phenomenal!  I literally inhaled my dinner and had to refrain from eating a second sandwich.  Then, I rushed to my computer to blog about it because keeping this recipe from you would be a crime.

The au jus dip juice is full of yummy beefy and slightly acidic flavor (from the balsamic vinegar).  The beef is incredibly tender and sopping in the flavored juices.  The cheese is perfectly melty and the glaze just puts everything over the top with its syrupy sweet sour perfection.  I used rye hoagie rolls as my bread and wish I had used something a little more substantial because the tender bread wanted to fall apart under the weight of the beefy goodness as I drenched it with dip juices.  The cheese acted a bit like glue as it precariously held the sandwich together!

Yep.  My mouth is still watering a bit as I write this post.  I cannot wait to eat the leftovers for lunch  tomorrow!

PS:  Happy Birthday, Mom!  I love you!

Two Years Ago: Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

Three Years Ago: Sushi, Zuppa Toscana, and Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan Muffins

Balsamic-Honey Glazed Roast Beef Sandwiches with French Dip

I was so eager to eat this sandwich that I smooshed my two halves together
before I realized  the photo would look way better if I kept it open...
hence the onions and some beef stuck to the cheesy side.  Oops!

Ingredients

For the Sandwiches

• 6 sub rolls (I love rye!)
• 1 recipe Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef with Onions (recipe below)
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• Mayonnaise (optional)
• Balsamic Honey Glaze (recipe below)

For the Balsamic Slow Cooker Roast Beef

• 1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

For the Balsamic Honey Glaze

• 2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tbsp honey

Directions

1. Place onions in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Then add the roast beef.
2. In a large bowl, mix together  the remaining roast beef ingredients.  Pour over the beef and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.  (I'd recommend the latter for the most tender beef!  Cook it low and slow!)
3. Once the roast beef has cooked, remove it from your slow cooker and transfer to a serving dish.  Shred the beef lightly with two forks.
4. Transfer the juice and onions to a fat separator (I have and recommend this one from Oxo).  Put the strained onions into a bowl and set aside.  Then pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the juice over the roast beef.  Reserve the rest of the au jus juice for dipping.  Throw out the fat.
5. Make the glaze by combining the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan.  Bring to a boil then lower heat to low and allow to simmer while stirring constantly. The glaze is done when it is thick enough to coat your spoon.
6. Turn on your oven broiler.  Open a bun on a baking sheet and if desired, smear a bit of mayonnaise on the top half then add a slice of cheese.  Place meat and some onions on the other half of the bun.  Put the baking sheet under the broiler and heat until the cheese begins to bubble and get slightly browned.  Remove the sandwiches from the oven then drizzle with balsamic-honey glaze.  It's strong so start light and add more as desired.
7. Serve sandwich with au jus for dipping.  Close your eyes and be amazed by how delicious it is.  Try not to eat more than one!

Source: Barely adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody as modified from Add a Pinch

Guest Post by SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl: Grilled Filet with Bourbon Butter

Here we are with my final guest blogger.  Did you enjoy all of the new blogs that I shared?  As I said from the beginning, I hope you found a new one to love and follow.  There was a bit of something for everyone because bloggers come from all life-stages...from high school to young professional to mommy.  All of us are so different and yet we all share a love for cooking and blogging!

Desiree (or Desi for short) the voice of SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl, is a fellow Cincinnatian and Secret Recipe Club Group C member.  I'm always excited to meet others in the area that share my passion for food.  Desi and I even joked about how we annoy our (not-as-food-loving) friends by taking pictures of our food whenever we go out to eat.  I told her we really ought to get together for dinner or drinks sometime :).

When Desi sent me her recipe, I could practically smell and taste the steak through my screen.  Like...I wanted to go over to her house immediately to eat this thing!  My husband's favorite cut of meat is filet and yet we have never tried to make it a home ourselves.  We did take a cooking class together once at The Learning Kitchen where we made filet on a grill pan but that was the end of that (so much for using our newly acquired skills, huh?).  But now, between this recipe, her Filet Mignon with Creamy Mushroom Sauce, and the fact that we're buying 1/16th of a cow this fall, we have no excuses!  (Seriously, you can come back and ask me later if I made some succulent filet mignon with those cows...who...oddly enough are named T-Bone and Ribeye...but that will be a story for another day.)

I'd also love to try making her Bacon Pancakes with Maple-Peanut Butter Syrup (BACON!  And breakfast foods again with peanut butter for the hubby...surprised?  I think not.).  After all is said and done, I'd wash everything down with Cherry Limeade Slushies, my favorite drink to order when we go to Sonic Drive-In.

I'll be seeing you all with a personal post next week if I'm not entirely jetlagged.  Hello to all of my new (and veteran) readers!  Where do you come from?  Any other Great Cincinnatians?  Leave me a comment and stay tuned, okay? :)

One Year Ago: French Onion Soup
Three Years Ago: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Why hello there! I'm so happy to be guest posting on Christine's blog today! My name is Desi and I host a little blog called SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl. It's so cool that Christine and I are both part of the Secret Recipe Club, and both live in the Cincinnati area. 

I love bacon, salted caramel, margaritas, and steak and potatoes of course :) 

But I realized something. I don't have many steak recipes on my blog. 

And I'm the steak n potatoes kinda gurl! 

So here's my attempt to change that. 

A delicious and simple grilled steak recipe that I personally love...

...Grilled Filet with Bourbon Butter.

The perfect steak with the perfect topping. 

Grilled Filet with Bourbon Butter

Bourbon Butter from Traeger

• Two filet mignons
• Salt and pepper for seasoning, if desired

 Bourbon Butter

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Note: Butter can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until serving time. You may want to let the steaks sit out of the fridge for 10-20 minutes also to come to room temp.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, bourbon, green onion, parsley, salt and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon.

Season steaks with salt and pepper, if desired. Place steaks on the grill on medium-high and cook, turning once, until done to your liking in the center of thickest part. Transfer the steaks to a plate and top with the bourbon butter. 

Printable Recipe

You can use whatever cut of meat you like but we like tender filet steaks. The bourbon butter was a nice topping and the bourbon wasn't overpowering, for me at least. And we like our steaks cooked medium with a touch of pink inside.

You can even make the steaks indoors using a skillet. And the bourbon butter is oh so easy. 

This is definitely going in the grilling rotation! And it's been a pleasure guest posting here at Christine's Kitchen Chronicles :)

Peace, and bacon grease!

 

Guest Post by Whisks & Ruffles: Beef with Black Pepper Sauce

Good morning friends!

As this post goes live, it is currently 7PM on Wednesday in Asia and I am STILL on a plane.  Yep, I left just before 7AM on Tuesday (September 11th...still gets small gasps from people...) and will not arrive to my final destination in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia until nearly 10PM local time (10AM for those in the US Eastern Time Zone).  Aye!

So, while I'm gone, I have several guest posters that I will be featuring here on my site.  I am so extremely thankful for them to be helping me out with posting or I'm pretty sure I'd lose my mind.  I highly encourage you to check out their sites and hopefully you'll follow them regularly as I do, too.

My first guest poster is Angelina of Whisks & Ruffles.  Though she's new to blogging, you can tell she's dedicated to her nurturing her blog because she invested in a custom domain name AND a received a new DSLR to take those beautiful photos that make you drool on your keyboard. A couple of  recipes I would love to try sometime are her Korean Samgyeopsal (Pork Belly) with Ssam Jang (Soybean Past Dipping Sauce) and Pajori (Green Onion Salad) and Fancy 4-Cheese Mac and Cheese (omg am I sucker for a good mac and cheese!).

Angelina volunteered to guest post when I put out a request on my facebook fan page.  When I looked at her profile on facebook, I realized we had a mutual real-life friend in common.  She went to college with my good friend Jackie.  But that's not all we have in common, as you'll see from her introduction below.

By the way, everything she says about growing up in an Asian household and trying to replicate "recipes" is totally true!  If you don't believe me, check out my post on Grandpa N's Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns) - See the theme with the recipes scrawled on tiny scraps of paper! - and family recipes tag to see my own (mis)adventures!

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Hello! This is Angelina from Whisks & Ruffles. Like Christine, I’m a twenty-something engineer by day and a cooking wife by night. I love to cook, bake, decorate, party plan, and anything wedding-related! Yes, I’m a newlywed and I just can’t help it! Head over to my site to read on my adventures!

Beef with Black Pepper Sauce

Growing up in an Asian household, I’m always in awe of what my mom whips up in the kitchen. It’s so hard to pin-point her recipes though, since she always seems to eye-ball the ingredients. Her food always tastes so amazing, and it’s difficult for me to replicate, because well… her eye-balling is not the same as my eye-balling I guess... but with time, I became wiser, and I learned. At least I’d like to think so!

Whenever I feel like an easy Asian stir-fry, I use the Beef with Black Pepper recipe I found on the Taiwan Center website as a guide. This recipe actually has been posted on my fridge door for quite some time, but whenever I feel like making this dish, I only use it to remind me of the ingredients, and I find myself eye-balling the amount of sauces I add in.

For my guest post at Christine’s Kitchen Chronicles, I attempted to pin-point my recipes, so that you readers can actually try this at home! As I added ingredients, I actually measured them and wrote them down. Finally, I updated the recipe on my fridge! Hooray!

Here’s the before and after recipes (pardon my Disney magnets)

Ingredients:

• ¾ - 1 Lbs. Beef
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic
• ½ Large Onion, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 1 Broccoli Bunch

Beef Marinade (mix all together)

• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• ½ Tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 tsp. Rice Vinegar

Black Pepper Sauce (mix all together):

• 3 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
• 2 tsp. Sugar
• 4 Tbsp. Water
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper (use less if you don’t like your food spicy!)

Directions:

Marinade the beef for about 30 minutes using the marinade recipe above. I used “beef hanging tenders” that’s already pre-sliced, but you can slice your own beef sirloin.

Cut up broccoli and steam. Set aside.

In a large wok, heat up canola oil and toss in chopped garlic and onion. Stir until onions are starting  to brown and garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Introduce the marinated beef and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until beef is half-cooked.

Pour in the Black Pepper Sauce, and continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes, until beef is fully cooked.

Serve beef on top of a bed of steamed broccoli from step #2. You can also use Chinese Broccoli (Gai-Lan) or Bok Choy. If you don’t feel like eating veggies you can also skip this part.

I ate my Beef with Black Pepper with a bowl of steamed rice. Delish!

Thank you Christine for letting me guest-post on your blog!

When I ran across the street to buy my last-minute much-needed oyster sauce from a local grocery, I saw some corn on sale, and it reminds me of your Creamed Corn! I wish summer never went away, but Ican’t wait to try this recipe and reminisce the good summer days…

Xo,
Angelina

Grilled Steakhouse Pizza

This pizza is a man's dream.  It is pizza.  And it has steak.  With lots of sauce.  Don't tell me your husband or other men in your life wouldn't go crazy for this.

And, a leftover repurposer's, fast meal, too!  It was a great way for me to use up leftover steak that I had already grilled on a previous night, used pizza dough that I always have frozen on-hand, and made use of the Heinz 57 steak sauce that I bought for the Pulled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches.  Win for the husband and win for me!  Of course, if you don't have leftover steak, you can just throw one on the grill, just before/while the pizza grills, too.

I loved all of the flavors in this pizza.  Very bold and manly.  Pioneer Woman originally baked this but I wanted to try grilled pizza and figured why not try it with this recipe since it was like 110 degrees outside.  It worked out fantastically.  Grilled pizza has a little extra oomph of char flavor and will be my cooking method of choice during the hot dog days of summer.  Try it!

By the way, just a couple more days to enter my Daelia's Biscuits for Cheese giveaway!  My husband ate the remainder of my Almond Raisin ones last night and I was so upset when I went to snack on them only to discover they were no more.  It was only in this moment that I realized how much I really loved them!

One Year Ago: Persian Turkey Kofta Kebabs and Tomato Basil Orzo Salad
Two Years Ago: Fajitas
Three Years Ago: Chicken Parmesan Meatball Subs

Edited 7/15/12: A really awesome thing happened on Friday the 13th.  This post was listed as #3 on the FoodBuzz Top 9 list!  What a total honor and thank you!

Grilled Steakhouse Pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 Recipe pizza crust
• 1 Skirt steak or flank steak, grilled to medium rare and cut into thin slices
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Red onions, sliced thin
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
• Shaved parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup steak sauce (more if desired)
• Green onions (optional)

Directions

1. To Bake: Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Arrange rack in the bottom half of the oven.To Grill: Heat grill to medium-high heat (450F) and generously oil the grate (I use a paper towel wad soaked in oil and held with tongs).
2. Saute red onions in butter and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar over medium-low heat until dark and caramelized, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Combine marinara sauce with 2 tablespoons balsamic and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
4. Roll out pizza dough until very thin. If grilling, make 2 smaller individual sized pizzas so that it's easier to handle.  
5. To Bake: Top with marinara mixture and spread to coat dough. Lay caramelized red onions all over the sauce, then top onions with slices of mozzarella cheese. Bake pizza for 12-15 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly (but watch to make sure it doesn't burn.)
   To Grill: Carefully place dough rounds onto the grill and cover.  Allow to cook until nicely browned on bottom and large bubbles form on the surface (about 3-4 minutes).  Carefully remove the dough from the grill and with the cooked side facing up, top each pizza with marinara mixture.  Lay caramelized red onions all over the sauce, then top with mozzarella cheese.  Carefully return the topped pizzas to the grill and cook until the bottom is browned and cheese is melted (about 4-6 minutes).
6. Remove pizza from the oven or grill, then drape slices of steak all over the surface. Drizzle the top of the pizza with steak sauce (use squirt bottle if you have one) and top the whole thing with Parmesan shavings. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.  Cut and serve immediately.

Source: Pizza recipe from Pioneer Woman.  Grilling directions from Annie's Eats.

Korean Style Short Ribs

I'm still here.  And I have a great reason for not posting lately.  But I think some pictures will explain that the best...so here goes and we can make a game of it:

There are mountains and ice in this place.

Sunsets always beautiful but this one was absolutely breathtaking...

An iceberg...know where in the world I went, yet?

How about somewhere with penguins?

Are you my twin?

Yes, I was in ANTARCTICA.  And it was simply AMAZING.  Every single thing that I saw was so beautiful and awe inspiring that I literally had sensory overload.  One of my favorite memories was having a baby penguin come right up to me and stand in between my legs on a windy day as if it was seeking shelter and I was its mommy.  I also saw the most gorgeous sunset of my life. The last photo is me designating that it is the 6th continent that I have visited (the only one left for me is Africa which was originally planned for last year before the Egyptian riots spoiled my plans).

But, now I've been home for a few weeks and I realized that between my new job and vacation, I've severely neglected my blog.  So today I'm sharing with you a recipe that has been circulating the blogosphere awhile ago and I made it in roughly the same time period.  When I dusted it off for posting my mouth started watering.  It was quite possibly one of the most flavorful pieces of meat I have ever eaten and it was so easy to make.  I served mine over rice but I've seen some people making tacos out of them, too.  The flavor gets even better in the event that you have leftovers...but like that would happen! Ha!


Korean Style Short Ribs

   

Ingredients

• 1 c. soy sauce
• 1 c. packed light brown sugar
• 4 T. sesame oil
• 3 T. red wine vinegar
• 2 T. fresh ginger, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 t. red pepper
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 1 t. black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds beef short ribs (I went with boneless)
• 2 green onions, sliced

Directions

1. Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, fresh ginger, garlic, and water in the crockpot, stirring until well incorporated.  Sprinkle in the red pepper, ground ginger, and black pepper.  Mix well.
2. Place the ribs in the crockpot and spoon sauce over top of ribs.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Remove ribs from crockpot and serve over rice.  Top with green onions.

Source: As seen on and adapted by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks from What's Cooking Chicago

Roast Beef with Onion Gravy

I love family recipes.  They always seem to have that extra-special magic touch to them that make them extra delicious.  Perhaps it's the fact that you know the idea comes from someone special to you.  This particular recipe isn't from my family but from Sarah from A Taste of Home Cooking's step-mom.  I can tell you that it's now going to be part of my personal family recipes.

This dish is very easy to prepare and yet yields restaurant quality results.  I never knew how easy roast beef was.  Seriously, anybody can make this.  All you need is time to allow the beef to slowly roast itself to tender perfection.  My husband told me that this was the best meal he's eaten in a long time.

Oh and by the way, I'm going to count this against my Prime Rib recipe for 23 Things in 2011.  It's pretty much the same idea and basically, I just wanted to challenge myself with roasting a big hunk of red meat this year.  Besides it's my list so I make the rules ;).

Two Years Ago: Get ready to get your Gobble Gobble on in less than 2 weeks with these great sides, including another family tradition! Corn Casserole and Sweet Potato Souffle
One Year Ago: Chicken and Cheddar Dog Treats

Roast Beef with Onion Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2-4-lb) beef roast
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 3 cups cold water, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all sides of the roast. Place roast on a rack set in a roasting pan and put in the oven. 
2. Dissolve the onion soup mix with 3 cups of cold water (doesn’t completely dissolve) and add it to the bottom of the pan with the roast 15 minutes after putting it in the oven. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Baste the roast with the mixture as it cooks, about every half hour. For medium the roast will take about 2-2 1/2 hours. Add water to the bottom of the roasting pan, as needed so the drippings and soup mix don't dry out and burn. 
3. When the roast is done, take the remaining drippings and pour into a small pot and bring to boil, adding water as needed to make the amount of gravy you want. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until cornstarch is dissolved, then add to the gravy until it thickens. 
4. Serve the gravy on the side, with the sliced beef and choice of sides.

Source: A Taste of Home Cooking

Singapore Mei Fun

Remember my 23 Things in 2011 list?  Yeah...totally not on track for completing that right now since April and May were totally non-productive.  Up until that point though I had been very good about making roughly 2 items off the list per month but (as usual) not as good about blogging about them in a timely manner.  The only reason I'm blogging about this particular recipe now is because my facebook fans voted on it to be my next blog post!

Singapore Mei Fun made my list of things I wanted to make this year because it is one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes.  Interestingly enough, I recently learned from an Asian Heritage Month work event that this dish isn't even authentic Sinaporean food.  Oh well.  It's delicious.  And it's easy!  I think the real secret to making a good Singapore Mei Fun (Rice Noodle) dish is the fact that the noodles are "cooked" by soaking them in water instead of boiling like your typical noodle.  A quick stir fry is all it takes to finish it off!

My mom gave me a "recipe" but as with all of our family's "recipes" they are more loose guidelines of what ingredients and generally how to make the dish.  There's not any specifics of how much or how long so that's where my Google research helped.  Thank goodness for Google to help fill in the gaps.  This was just like Mom's!

One Year Ago: Firecracker Shrimp


Singapore Mei Fun (Curry Noodles)

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rice vermicelli (mei fun - check your Asian aisle at the local grocer)
• 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine 
• 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 4 ounces small shrimp, shelled and deveined 
• 1/2 cup finely shredded scallions 
• 1 small onions, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder 
• 3/4 cup Chicken Broth 
• 4 ounces other meat such as Chicken, Beef, or Chinese Barbecued Pork, cut into julienne
• 1 egg, scrambled, fried, and cut into julienne (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in enough cold water to cover overnight, or until noodles are limp and softened. Drain in a colander and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and stir fry the chicken and/or beef until nearly cooked through.  Remove and set aside on a plate.  Add additional 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp, and stir-fry 10 seconds. Add the scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds, or until shrimp have just turned orange but are not cooked through. Transfer the shrimp mixture to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, onions and green pepper, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the curry powder and stir-fry 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Restir soy sauce mixture and swirl it into the wok. Add the chicken broth, and 1/3 cup cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Add the drained rice noodles and return to a boil, stirring noodles to completely coat in curry mixture (chopsticks work best for this!). Add the meat mixture, and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through and liquid has been absorbed by the noodles. Add the cooked egg, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Source: Inspired by my Mom and The Wisdom of the Chinese Recipe. Published by Scribner, 1999.  As seen in an Cooking Light message board.

Chinese Scallion Pancakes and Asian Beef

Happy Chinese New Year!

















Thursday is Chinese New Year and 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit.  Those born in this Chinese Zodiac year are said to be: Gracious, good friend, kind, sensitive, soft-spoken, amiable, elegant, reserved, cautious, artistic, thorough, tender, self-assured, shy, astute, compassionate, lucky, flexible. Can be moody, detached, superficial, self-indulgent, opportunistic, stubborn.

To celebrate this occasion I was going to share a very personal recipe from my Grandmother.  But, my first trial didn't quite come out the way I would have liked so I want to re-make it before unveiling it to the world.  I want it to be perfect and do Grandma's recipe justice :).  So, stay tuned because you'll get this after the Chinese New Year and it won't make it any less delicious or special.

But no worries, you still get a Chinese recipe to ring in the Chinese New Year.  Scallion pancakes are essentially dough that has green onions mixed into it.  It's then rolled really thin and then pan fried until it is golden brown.  Typically it is then cut into wedges and served with a sweet and spicy soy sauce (kind of like they kind that's served with pot stickers) for dipping.  This is a favorite dish of my brother's.  He refers to it as "Chinese Pizza".  If you want the sauce recipe, see Ming Tsai's version which several bloggers have tried and recommend.

Wanting to somehow turn this into a full meal on its own I wondered wouldn't it be interesting to use the pancakes as burrito-style shell and fill it with meat?  So, I searched for a beef marinade and then put my vision to the test.  It was quite yummy and I'd say this creation was a success.  I'd almost call it a Chinese version of a Gordita but the meat is wrapped in the shell versus stuffed inside.

Looking for more Chinese recipes for your celebration?  Checkout my Chinese tag for ideas but if you really want to impress, I suggest the Chinese Bakery-Style Cake or Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling.  For a simpler sweet, try the classic Chinese Almond Cookie.

One Year Ago: Grandma B's Chicken a la King and Cream Biscuits

Chinese Scallion Pancakes
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Yields: 8 whole pancakes or about 48 triangular pieces.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (750 mL) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) cold water
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon (22.5 mL) vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons (15 mL) salt, to taste
• 4 stalks scallion/green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Place flour in a bowl; gradually stir in the boiling water and mix well; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Slowly add cold water; knead until smooth and dough can be formed into a ball.  Cover with a wet towel and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 portions.  Knead and roll each portion into thin pancakes about 10 inches (25.4 cm) in diameter, then brush with 1/2 Tablespoon  (7.5 mL) oil, sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoons (0.5mL) salt, and 1/2 Tablespoon (7.5 mL) of scallion evenly on top.  
4. Roll the pancake into a long roll with the ends tightly closed.  Coil the roll like a snail and tuck the end into the middle.  Press the roll with your hand then roll it out into a 1/4 inch (6 mm) thin pancake.  Repeat for remaining dough portions.
5. Heat 1 Tablespoon (15 mL) oil in a skillet over low heat.  Add pancakes, cover and cook for 2 minutes.  Turn the pancake over and add 1 Tablespoon (15 mL) of oil around the sides of the pan.  Cook until the pancake is golden brown, lifting and shaking the pan several times during cooking.
6. If using as a burrito shell, serve whole.  Otherwise, cut pancakes into 6-8 triangular pieces.  Serve warm with dipping sauce or fill with desired meat filling.

Source: p 137 of Unnamed Chinese Cookbook

Asian Beef
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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons sherry
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon barbeque sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together hoisin sauce, sherry, soy sauce, barbeque sauce, green onions, garlic, and ginger.
2. Cut flank steak across grain on a diagonal into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour sauce mixture over slices, and mix well. Refrigerate 2 hours, or overnight. 
3. To cook meat, heat a wok over high with some oil.  Stir fry the beef a few minutes until it is cooked.

Source: Marinade from All Recipes

French Dip Sandwiches

This is one of those recipes that is really easy but seems more complex.  Perhaps in my mind its because the sandwiches are served with a side of au jus.  Oooh, that's French and sounds fancy!

I assure you that anybody can make this dish and leftovers taste even better the next day or freeze beautifully for a quick freezer meal.  It's so easy even my college-aged brother can do it.  Plop meat, liquids, and seasonings into crockpot in the morning.  Turn on low to cook all day.  Drive your cutie pie dog nuts with the delicious beefy aroma as it slowly cooks in the juices.  Split a hoagie roll and slather some mayo and spices on one side.  Add shredded beef from crockpot and top with cheese.  If desired, make it all toasty by using your broiler.  Dip in delicious au jus and let the deliciousness melt in your mouth.

I'm adding this recipe into my rotation and you should, too.  It got the stamp of approval from my husband AND father-in-law who now attempts to stop by on the weekends to help around the house in exchange for a nice home cooked lunch.

One Year Ago: Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bols and Corn and Avocado Salsa

French Dip Sandwiches
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Yields: 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck roast
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped bay leaves
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium to cut the saltiness)
• 3 cups water 

For the Sandwiches

• 4 hoagie rolls or french bread, cut in half horizontally
• 4 slices provolone cheese (or cheese of your choice)
• light mayonnaise
• dried parsley*
• dried thyme*
• dried basil* 

*Note: You may desire to substitute a pre-mixed Italian seasoning in lieu of using separate spices

Directions

1. Place meat in crock pot. Sprinkle with garlic, rosemary and bay leaves. Add in soy sauce and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-10 hours until the meat is tender and is easily pulled away with a fork.
2. To assemble the sandwiches: Take bottom piece of your bread roll & add the meat. Top with cheese. On top half of the roll spread a thin layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle with dried herbs.  If desired place open faced sandwich in oven and broil until bun is lightly toasted and cheese is melted and bubbly.  Place top half on top of sandwich. 
3. If desired, skim the fat off the top of the au jus remaining in crockpot.  Then, place some of the au jus  into a small bowl and serve with sandwiches for dipping. 

Source: Slightly modified from All Recipes as seen on Macaroni and Cheesecake

Who Loves Ya Baby Back?

Do you love me?  Because I love you, readers.  And, I love these baby back ribs from the one and only Alton Brown. 

I am dedicating this post to my co-worker Brenda F. who told me that "going on a vacation to Hawaii is no excuse to not blog".  Well, Brenda, I do believe you're correct. 

As I looked back in my archive of food photos I realized I am backlogged through June and to be honest, some of the photos I'm not sure a) what they are and b) what recipe they're from.  Kind of a problem.  Let's also keep in mind that I'm so back-logged that the season has officially changed.  And let's face it, nobody is going to want to cook that delicious berry salad with poppy citrus dressing as the weather turns cooler.  No, it's officially comfort food season, now.  So, I'll do my best to niggle in some of those older recipes where I can but otherwise maybe some of those will make an appearance when it gets warm again...unless someone is just dying to see them all now?  If so, speak now or forever hold your peace.

This is one of those recipes that I think should still apply because 1) it's football season.  And football season = tailgating = copious amounts of MEAT.  2) It's also a recipe that you can cook indoors.  Hey, the long oven cooktime could help add heat to your home at the same time...double duty!  If you're like me, you've problem turned off your A/C by now and also not yet switched on your heat (unless you live in a colder climate).  This means that your house is probably getting just cold enough that you wouldn't mind a little latent heat helping to take off a bit of that chill.

I made 3 slabs of Alton's ribs for my tailgating themed dinner party back in September.  This was my first attempt at ribs and so I was quite nervous given they'd be the main course.  I watched the video episode for this recipe online and that certainly helped.  I'm pleased to announce that they were a hit!  All 3 slabs were devoured even though these little babies are so meaty you only need a few to fill you up. 

Fair warning: if you're expecting your typical BBQ ribs you ought to try a different recipe.  This sauce is different...and in a good way!  Oh and the dry rub?  That stuff is good on all meats and one batch will cover about 4 slabs of ribs (or whatever other meat your heart desires).

Now, because I love you, here's the recipe to some finger lickin' good ribs.

One Year Ago: Chili and Chicken Pot Pie

Who Loves Ya Baby Back?
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Prep Time: 1 hr 10 min
Cook Time: 3 hr 25 min
Yields: 2 slabs of ribs

Ingredients

2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs

Dry Rub*:

• 8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt**
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning (omitted - couldn't find)
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Braising Liquid:

• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Notes:
*Rub makes multiple batches (for me, covered 3 slabs plus probably enough for 1 more).  Either scale it down to meet your needs or save the rub for other uses.  The rub can be extended/reduced by any amount, as long as the ratio of 8:3:1:1 remains the same.


**Make sure you are using KOSHER salt.  If you are using tablesalt, this should be scaled down to about 1 tablespoon due to different granule size of the salts.  And, if you're like me and are sensitive to salt, you might want to cut down to 2 tablespoons of kosher salt instead of 3.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
3. Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
4. After 2 1/2 hours, check ribs for doneness by gently opening foil packet and twisting a bone.  If the bone turns slightly in the socket, it is done.  Otherwise, continue cooking until done.
5. Place foil packet on top of a medium saucepan.  Cut slits in the middle of the foil packet so that the braising liquid drains into the pan.  Skim out the oil layer.  Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency (this took me about 30 minutes). Brush the glaze onto the ribs.
6. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly or finish on the grill. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

Source: Alton Brown

Fajitas

Nothing says Summer more than good grilling!  I am a sucker for good Mexican food and this recipe surely didn't disappoint.  The marinade was out of this world!  The orange zest adds the perfect zing and overall it's extremely flavorful.  I made it with beef this time but it'd also be wonderful using chicken.  The tequila is optional and sadly, this fiesta had none but I'm sure it would add a nice depth to the flavor.  The colors from the fresh grilled veggies are pretty, too!

Fajitas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes.  The thing that I hate most about restaurant versions though is that generally the meat and veggies are swimming in oil.  I guess you need that though to make them sizzle on that cast iron pan they bring it out on.  This homemade version is different though.  It's not greasy and so the flavor of the fresh veggies and tender meat come through.  It's slightly less guilty this way.

Why I waited so long to try to make fajitas at home I just don't know.  Next time I'll have to try to tackle homemade flour tortillas, too!

Fajitas
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Yields: 3-4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Fajitas

• 1 lb marinated flank steak (recipe follows)
• 1 large onion
• 2 assorted colored bell peppers
• olive oil
• 6-8 Flour tortillas (small, fajita size)
• Sour cream, salsa, and/or gaucamole, for serving

For the Marinade

• 1 lb flank steak
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 shot tequila (optional)
• Juice and zest from one orange
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Large handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

For the marinade:

1. Put the steak in a shallow glass dish or a large freezer bag. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over steak. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator one hour before cooking.

To cook:

1. Slice onion into 1/3-inch rounds, keeping the rounds intact.  You may desire to soak some toothpicks in water for 15-20 minutes and then push them through the sides of your onion rings to help hold them together.    Brush both sides with oil.   Slice bell pepper into 1/3-inch rounds and toss with oil.
2. Place on a grill heated to med-high heat and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Take care when flipping the onion rounds so they stay in tact.
3. Place the steak on the grill and cook 5-6 minutes each side. Remove from heat, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing against the grain.
4. Serve on flour tortillas topped with desired toppings.

Source: Slightly modified from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Pssst...did you miss me?  Probably not as my readership isn't all that high.  I apologize for not blogging in nearly 2 weeks...I'm such a bad blogger! :( *goes and runs to hide in the corner*.  Don't worry, I'm still alive, and I'm still cooking.  And, I'm apparently behind by blogging recipes from MARCH when it's nearly the end of April.  My bad. 

I'll admit, I've been a slacker on not just blogging but also with Jazzercising lately.  I used to try to blog about every 2-3 days but now I'm lucky to do once a week.  I'm down to an average of 2 days per week Jazzing instead of my 3-4 that I was doing previously.  I think prepping for and then going to DC for Easter weekend just threw off my rhythm.  And then there's the whole getting ready for big Euro vacation and the nail biting with the Icelandic volcano whose name nobody can actually say.  I hope that once vacation time is over I can ease back into my routine of not just cooking but also blogging about it in a timely manner and exercising more to make sure I don't pack on any extra pounds (especially after eating such delicious foods abroad!).

OK.  Now back to the reason you're probably here - this slow cooker carnitas recipe.  I remember when I cooked this meal (apparently on March 18th based on the photo timestamp) I was so impressed by how flavorful it was to cook.  And better yet, it was way easy...like a good crockpot recipe should be!  The slow cooked meat shredded easily and practically melted in your mouth.  If you don't eat pork, no worries, I would not hesitate to use this same recipe on a different type of meat like chicken or beef because it was a serious fiesta of flavors in your mouth!  In fact, I used beef this time because I had a 2 pound chunk already in the freezer that needed using up.  The cumin gave the meat a nice smokey flavor and the citrus juice gave it some zip and brightness.  Delicious and will definitely make again because I LOVE Mexican food :).

Slow Cooker Carnitas
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Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork shoulder (or equivalent of your choice of meat)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)
• 7 cloves garlic (whole intact)
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• corn or flour tortillas
• toppings: sour cream, salsa, cheese, onions, bell peppers, sliced avocado, etc (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub mixture all over the pork, then put into a 6 quart slow cooker. Add whole garlic cloves. Squeeze on the citrus, and pour the beef broth evenly over the top.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds quite easily with a fork. Shred meat fully and serve on warmed tortillas with desired toppings.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking