Neil's New Favorite

Anyone who loves to cook needs to be married to someone like my husband Neil.  He will eat anything I put in front of him, not because he's one of those shovel-it-in-eating-machines, but because he's willing to try anything.  The best thing though is that he is always appreciative.  Don't get me wrong...I don't cook because I want praise and compliments.  But it does feel great to know that he appreciates my efforts. And I'll admit that cooking is MY hobby, but I love seeing Neil and our daughter enjoy what I prepare.

The other day I was flipping through my favorite cookbook of all time and my eyes came to rest on a chimichanga recipe.  I had all the ingredients on hand so I decided to give it a go.  And I really liked that they are baked rather than fried.  I love the concept of the chimi but I rarely order them in restaurants because that fried tortilla always seems so heavy and dense to me.  Baking them really appealed to me. 

I will never try to take credit for someone else's recipe or act like it's my own.  Credit where credit is due.  This is the work of a lady named Nicole.  Click here to get her recipe. The only thing I did differently was using cheddar simply because I didn't have Monterrey Jack. I presented this to Neil and he went crazy over it.  He even went so far as to say it's one of the best things I've made lately. 

What a gorgeous green!

 

Yummy filling simmering

 

Finished product. Y'all know I'm not a pro photographer!

Since there are only 3 of us, I prepared all of the chimichangas and wrapped the extras in foil and into the freezer they went. See that simple salad in the photo?  Well, that's another great recipe from this book. It's called "Casa dressing." Super simple but incredibly great tasting.  The lime and cumin give it a Mexican flair and it takes no time to whip up.  Try these recipes out and let me know your thoughts. 

 disfrute de su comida!

Chimichurri: world's simplest sauce

I've often found myself most satisfied and fulfilled when I make something that is so simple yet so sensational. It's almost poetic when fresh, basic ingredients combine and create a remarkable result.  Today I refer to chimichurri.

Chimichurri is most often characterized as an Argentine condiment.  Argentinians love asado, or barbeque.  Grilled steak is quite common, cut into long strips and cooked on the asado.  And what do Argentinian steakhouses serve instead of Worchestershire, A1 or Heinz 57?  Something much more interesting, quite frankly.  Chimichurri.

Although it sounds exotic and therefore surely complicated, it's not.  I made it today in about 10 minutes. My now 8 year old gourmand passed through the kitchen as I was chopping the herbs and exclaimed "Oh my gosh, that smells so good!"  Always a good sign when you're preparing to spring something new on a kid diner. This sauce is magnificent but it couldn't be simpler to make.  So, pay attention, I'm going to tell you how it's done:

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil (whatever looks right to you)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Use the back of a spoon to mash up the salt & garlic to make a paste.  Then mix all ingredients together.  That's it.  You can use immediately or cover and refrigerate for later.  

Our dinner tonight was warm, leftover thin sliced beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes and the Mullaney Salad. As we sat down at the table, the Wunderkind looked at the sauce, stirred it with the spoon and said "Oooh, this is what I was smelling earlier!" 

Without a moment of hesitation, she spooned some on her plate to try on the side (at my suggestion).  Turns out she loved it and proceeded to ladle more over her steak. All you moms who cook for kids will surely recognize this as WINNING.

And, come to find out, chimichurri is also really tasty on roasted potatoes!

Hamburger Helper

Where have I been?  The last month has been a whirlwind. Everyone keeps saying Thanksgiving was late, thereby making Christmas seem early.  I still can't find a way to understand this...I mean, isn't Thanksgiving ALWAYS the last Thursday of November?  Anyway...

I've told you guys before how much I love Zaycon.  A couple months ago, my mom placed an order for the two of us to split.  In the meantime, my brother-in-law accepted a job in Houston.  He left before Thanksgiving and my sister was to follow once the houses got closed. My dear, sweet parents agreed to drive with her to Texas. To drive with her, my 2 1/2 year old niece and the dog.  Saints, they are.

It just so happened that our Zaycon delivery was coming in the following day.  This "event" was ham and hamburger.  My mom ordered one case of ham, which contained two 10 lb. hams.  This ham is so amazingly yummy too.  She also ordered two cases of hamburger meat.  When I first learned that she'd ordered this much, I thought it must be a mistake, but no, she did it on purpose.  It really wouldn't have been a big deal with each of us taking a case home to portion out.  But, remember, mom and dad had just left on this roadtrip the day before.

That left me here in Columbia holding 80 pounds of hamburger.  Yes.  I said eighty. And, it's packaged in 10 lb. "logs" so you can't just plop those babies in the freezer.  Nope.  You must portion it out and wrap and bag for the freezer. 

This post is dedicated to my husband, Neil.  

He is my hamburger helper.

This is just a fraction of our hamburger haul.

We got in assembly line mode and he and I created 40 lbs of 1/4 lb hamburger patties.  Each wrapped in plastic wrap and put in freezer bags.  The other 40 lbs we cut into 1 lb segments and wrapped and bagged.  Neil looked at the half (40 lbs) that was to go to our house and said, "We won't be able to get this in our freezer."  As usual, I replied "Oh, don't worry, I'll get it in there."  Well, suffice it to say that our freezer is literally packed to the gills with meat.  It helps me sleep well at night.  Now, I just have to start writing a list of ways to use hamburger.  Lots and lots of hamburger!

Gearing up for Fall & Winter

Before we get started, I need to get something off my chest:  I really hate the term "comfort food." Living in this current world where we are constantly combatting our weight (I'm totally in this crowd), we're lamenting childhood obesity (yet, how many Americans happily own McDonald's stock?),  and our Land of the Free is actually contemplating outlawing sugary drinks (really...protect us from ourselves, we know not what we do), the characterization of ANY food as comfort completely flies in the face of what we preach about proper eating, eating disorders and the obesity epidemic.  Food isn't supposed to be a source of comfort, happiness, love, acceptance, or stress relief.  At least, that's what we're told. Yet, it is all those things to most of us, in different ways at different times and under different and ever-changing circumstances.  Even so, I hate that term.

So, kids, on with the show!

Neilio loves the cool months and all the comforting foods that come with it.  Before I met him, I was afraid of crockpots.  My worst fear is having my house burn down, so am I leaving an appliance on when I'm not home?  Heck no!  But, once he and I became an item, he wore me down and got me to give it a try.  Now, I look for crockpot recipes, not only because they certainly make life easier, but most of the time, I just like the idea of him coming home after a long day, opening the door and inhaling a comforting aroma that makes him happy he's home.  (Yes, I realize how sappy that sounds, but dammit! it's true.) Of course, not all comfort food has to come out of a crockpot.  Think back to walking into a house filled with the smell of a slow simmering spaghetti sauce, or soup, or a big ol' pot of chili, pot roast, homemade bread.  Well, try this on for size:  beef short ribs simmering away in a red wine reduction sauce with onions, garlic and carrots!

Finished product...short ribs, super rich gravy over mashed potatoes & green beans!

I used 2 lbs of short ribs that I found on sale at Publix.  I seasoned them, dredged them in flour and seared/browned them in olive oil over medium-high heat.  

Seared and ready to rock and roll!

Removed them from the pot and added 1 cup chopped onion.  Sauteed a minute or two and added 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 bay leaf and 1 Tbs chopped garlic.  Next, I deglazed the pot with about 3/4 cup red wine (yummm!) then added 4 cups of beef broth.  Brought it up to a boil and then cut to low for a simmer of about 2 hours.  

I just want to dive into this and swim around.

As I was nearing time to serve, I added a cornstarch slurry to thicken my gravy a bit then plated it all up.  The coolest part of it all was the reactions I got.  Upon returning home from karate, the littlest gourmet walked in and said "Wow, it smells YUM in here!"  One of my favorite compliments from the Vivver!  Then, the subtle, yet excited look on Neil's face as he entered and was greeted by the YUM factor. As we made it to the table, Viv was already declaring this as one of her top favorite dinners...and she hadn't even tried a bite yet!  Comforting, indeed!

 

 

Red Meat-o-Rama; Part 2

Tonight I tackled the tri-tip.  Rather than going for a snazzy recipe, I decided to simply season the meat and cook it.  Since it's about 200 degrees outside here in SC, I opted to broil it rather than hanging out on the patio with a gas grill.  So, I went to my favorite old stand-by: garlic salt and pepper. I sprinkled it liberally on both sides of the meat, rubbed it in and let it sit for about 45 minutes.  I then broiled it for about 7 minutes per side and let it rest under foil for 10 minutes before slicing.

I think this look gorgeous!

Result?  Happiness and thumbs up.  I can see why this cut is often used for steak sandwiches.  It slices so nicely and because it's tender, you can totally use it in a sandwich preparation:  Philly, French dip, shaved deli-thin.  The key here is the tenderness.  I, for one, am hesitant to order any kind of steak sandwich in a restaurant because frankly, I don't trust them to give me the right kind of meat.  I've had these problems when I've ordered a steak sandwich and 1) the meat is sliced so thick that you need a chain saw to get through it...not sandwich material or 2) the meat is naturally not a tender cut and no one has made an attempt to tenderize it and finally, the worst 3) it's such a bad cut of "steak" that I get [insert polite language here] "stuff" caught between my teeth such as fat, sinew, or other unpleasant "stuff." I mean, really, if you need to ask your server for dental floss, you've not been served a good cut of steak. Period.


But, back to my tri-tip.  Neil and I both really enjoyed it. The Wunderkind wasn't hungry due to a late afternoon snack of pizza at Grandma's house.  However, later in the evening she wanted to try some.  I sliced it thin and served it to her from the fridge and she loved it.  Isn't funny that my child is "snacking" on steak?  I think so.  This wacky tri-tip thing is awesome.  You slice across the grain and get tender slices of well flavored meat.  I think garlic salt and pepper are always natural pairings for beef, so I appreciate their contribution greatly.  I'll experiment with different methods as I continue to buy these tri-tips. I'm glad they are finally showing up in my local markets!

 

Red Meat-o-Rama; Part 1

I stopped by my lovely little Publix on the way home today to pick up something (anything!) for dinner.  The Vivver and I had just come from what she termed "girls night out" at 5pm to the dollar store.  She had 6 bucks just burning a hole in her pocket.  So, after the exhilarating experience of being able to choose whatever she wanted (really mommy?  EVERYTHING in here is just a dollar??) we had both worked up an appetite.

If you ever read my post about flank steak, you know how much I love that cut of meat.  Today, I found a really good looking one and it wasn't an arm and a leg.  So, in the cart it went.  Then, one of the "mystery cuts" that I read about all the time but have never actually experienced in real life, caught my eye.  Flat iron steak. I've read about it hundreds of times, I've seen it on menus, but I've never eaten it or cooked it or known anything about it, nor have I ever noticed it in my local grocery stores.  But, there it was.  

I picked it up.  I studied it.  I scrutinized it.  Hmmmmmm.  
Then, I spotted Marty, my Publix meat man.  I took the flat iron steak to him and basically said something like, "What is it, what do I do with it, what's it like?"  Marty is a great meat guy.  He stops whatever he's doing to answer your questions, find what you're looking for, and in this case, a little mini-seminar. So, he explained to me where the cut comes from, how it relates to other cuts and how it is best cooked.  Awesome!  As I thanked him, I nonchalantly mentioned something to this effect:  "yeah, and I keep hearing about this California tri-tip thing but I've never seen it in a store around here."  Color me stupid as Marty points to a piece of meat right in front of my face and says, "well, there's one right there."  Another mini-seminar ensued.  

Long story short:  I bought the flank, the flat iron and the tri-tip.  It's meat-a-palooza Chez Akre this week!

For dinner I decided on the flat iron.  Marty had advised me to simply season it and grill it.  Since it's the temperature of the sun here in beautiful South Carolina right now, I opted to use my grill pan indoors.  

Yeah, I got fancy with the grill marks.

I cooked it for 8 minutes per side, let it rest about 5 or 6 minutes before cutting.  I served it with baked potatoes and "Sicilian style escarole." 

Sicilian style escarole, baked potato and perfectly medium-rare flat iron steak

My biggest steak fan in the house is the Vivver.  You ask her anytime what her favorite food is and she'll tell you it's steak.  She's been saying that for years now.  She loved this one!  It was amazingly tender, flavorful and all I put on it was a little salt and pepper,  so the meat's real, true flavor came out and it was delicious.  It reminded me of the "old days" when I'd go to my Aunt Jennie and Uncle Tommy's house in the summer.  On Friday night, we'd always have grilled steak, baked potatoes and salad.  This steak tasted so much like my memory of those Friday nights in Spartanburg...and that's a good thing.  Frankly, anything that reminds me of Tommy is a good thing.  I miss him so much.  But, alas, that's another story.  In fact, I could probably write a whole other blog about my Uncle Tommy. 

I want to share this escarole recipe with you, but I realize I'm getting a bit long-winded this evening.  So, I'll try to get back to it tomorrow.  It was a great use of escarole and I would happily make this one again.  Stay tuned...

Shepherd's Pie: Quick! Call Gordon Ramsay!

No, really, don't call him.  I went kinda "semi-homemade" on this one so he'd just storm around my tiny little kitchen exclaiming stuff like "F*&k me!" and "Oh, c'mon!" I don't think I could take that kind of intensity.  But, Ramsey comes to mind because I've seen him rescue so many British pubs and restaurants by going simple and adding a shepherd's pie to the menu.  

Personally, I haven't had this dish since I was a kid.  I remember my mom making it and it was always one of my favorites.  As I recall, I think hers was pretty simple:  meat and whatever vegetables we had coming in from the garden.  Hmmm, I think I'm realizing where my "throw whatever you have in the pot" philosophy came from.  Well, we've had rain the last two days and South Carolina is still just thinking about cooling off into some semblance of autumn.  At even the prospect of a temp below 60 degrees mixed with a little rain and I start wanting cold weather comfort food.  Ok, ok...I know my brother and sister in law up in Minnesota are laughing right now.  Yes, it's true.  We don't know winter here.  Or real cold.  Or snow.  (They are soooo jealous!)


So, last night the spirit moved me.  As is my usual m.o., I started with a recipe and modified it "Wanna-be style."  The wunderkind came into the meal with an "I'm not gonna like it" attitude, which was most unfortunate.  But, under duress, she managed to eat half her plate and while she'll never admit it, I think she really liked it.  And what's not to like?  I think it turned out pretty daggum awesome.  So, I share my recipe with you...

Shepherd's Pie

• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp Sofrito
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup cooked baby limas

Heat oil until shimmering (med-high), saute onion until becoming translucent.  Add garlic.  Stir to combine.  Add beef, salt & pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle meat with flour and mix in.  Cook about another minute.

Add Sofrito, broth, Worchestershire, rosemary & thyme, stir to combine.  Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover and simmer until sauce thickens slightly; about 10 minutes.  Add vegetables and mix well.

Spread in a 11X7" glass baking dish.  Cover with mashed potatoes, spreading to the edges of dish to create a seal to prevent bubbling over. Spread with a rubber spatula to cover the entire dish. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes, until potatoes begin to brown nicely.  Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

***Disclosures***

Obviously, making homemade mashed potatoes is preferable.  In the interest of time last night, I used a mix.  Shoot me.  Also, using ground lamb rather than beef will impart a deeper flavor.  The recipe actually called for tomato paste, which I'm out of.  So, I substituted Sofrito. I added limas because I had them in the fridge leftover from the other night.  

If you try it, let me know what you think.  I was pretty darn pleased.  Have leftovers too!  Happy rustic eating, friends.

Green Curry...No Worry!

I mentioned on Facebook the other day that Neil found an Asian mega-market on his weekly trip to Atlanta.  I'm not exactly sure how long he was in that place, but I received many-an-iPhone pic that day as he explored.  Tables piled high with fresh ginger, noodles a-plenty, every curry paste known to man and wacky ass fruits that none of us know what to do with!  While the pictures were plentiful, they didn't even make a dent into all the stuff he brought home! 

This isn't even all of it; we've already been tapping into the supply!

 Tonight, I worked until 7:00 so when I arrived home, Chef Neilix had already sprung into action.  Prep was done, sauce was made, house was smelling divine...ready to whip up some homemade green curry!  He used the remainder of the fresh shrimp we had in the fridge, some chicken breast and some thinly sliced steak.  Then, he prepared sliced zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, chopped water chestnuts, baby corn, peas, chopped carrots and onions.  Next, he prepared a green curry sauce using green curry paste (duh), coconut milk and I'm not sure what else...I'd ask him but he's tucking in the little beetlebug at the  moment!  :-)

So, as I arrived, he cooked up some thin rice noodles, stir fried the veggies and meats, tossed it all together with the sauce and there it is folks, magic on a plate! 

Variety of meats and tons of veggies

[Side note: for the Vivver, he omitted the curry sauce altogether and just stir fried her proteins and veggies in soy sauce.  Of course, know-it-all-Mommy insisted that she try the curry sauce on her finger because I wasn't convinced that she'd find it spicy.  Suffice it to say I was wrong on that point.  Ok, live and learn. At least she tried it!] 

The green curry was a wonderful success!  To round it out, Neil served it with veggie egg rolls that we find in the fridge case in the Publix's deli area.  They are made by Amy Food and for a store-bought egg roll, we think they are pretty darn good.  If you find them in your store, you may want to give them a shot if you don't have time to make your own.  Bake them and they are delicious.   


P.S.  Wacky ass fruits with Chinese writing on them: Vivian and I are giving the Asian pear and "bread fruit" an emphatic double thumbs down.  The pear was just a mild, bland and crunchier-than-we're-used-to variety that just didn't do it for either of us.  The bread fruit...avoid this anomaly at all costs!  I just don't even know how to describe it.  Brown and lumpy like a shriveled up coconut, dry and spongy on the inside.  Just believe me...no bueno on this one.

Chuck Roast: What Next?

I got a good deal on boneless chuck roast a few days ago.  Usually, I do the ol' crockpot beef stew thing: carrots, onions, garlic and new potatoes.  Neil loves coming home and opening the front door to that kind of aroma.  So I usually don't even tell him I'm making it so he'll be surprised.

But this time I wanted to do something else.  Surely people use this meat for something other than my usual, right?  I turned to the trusty Internet to seek out recipes.  One of the first ones I came across was for chili.  I immmediately skipped over it because a) chili recipes seem to abound and b) I have chili in the freezer.  But after perusing countless "roast" and "stew" recipes, I returned to the chili and actually read it.  Then, I read people's reviews.  That's what convinced me to give it a whirl.  I didn't have everything exactly as the recipe called for, so I improvised and made it my own.  Neil and I were both very pleased with the result.  

This is Neil's idea of manna from Heaven

Chunky Beef Chili

3 lb boneless chuck roast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs chili powder
2 6-oz cans tomato paste (I was out; see note at tomato sauce below)
32 oz beef broth (I used chicken broth and added beef bouillon)
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce (I used a can of diced tomatos and pureed with sundried     tomatoes to give it the earthy flavor that the tomato paste would have added.)
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp  salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin (generous tsp; I love cumin)
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1 tsp freeze-dried minced onion
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (I am out, so I used Hot Hungarian paprika)

In a Dutch Oven or stockpot, brown the steak pieces.  Remove meat, reserving the drippings in the pot.  Add chili powder and cook, stirring constantly about 2 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste, if using.

Return beef to the pot. Stir in broth and next 9 ingredients; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender.  

We topped ours with cheddar, sour cream, and Fritos.  Neil added some kidney beans to his bowl.  The reviews I read state that this is very "Texan" because of its lack of beans, but as I like to point out...it's your chili.  You want beans, add beans!  I think it would also be interesting to brown the meat in larger pieces and then shred.  Just a thought.  

I'm Becoming the Roast Beef Queen

As I posted before, I'm still learning to comfortably use big cuts of meat. A few weeks ago, I got sirloin tip roasts B1G1. I cooked one with ginger & a really yummy jus and put the other in the freezer. So, time for Round 2.

Yesterday, I went in a different direction. I cut slits in the meat and this time inserted garlic. Ummmm, garlic! Then, I spread Dijon all over the surface and sprinkled it with thyme. THEN, and this is a first for me, I covered it with slices of thick cut bacon. I've seen recipes forever using this technique to keep meat moist, but for some reason, I've just never tried it. Roasted in the oven for about an hour. Served it with acorn squash that I baked & filled with apples, raisins, walnuts and a little maple syrup and then lastly some steamed broccoli. It's hard to tell with Neil because when I ask if he likes my food, he just points at his empty plate and gives me this look (Uh, duhhhhh). I feel like it was a success.

Big Cuts of Meat

I'm 42 years old and I'm still not always sure what to do with big cuts. Most often, I call my mom and ask her "What do you do with a bottom round?" I'm getting better though. Today, I discovered sirloin tip roasts at BiLo for B1G1. Thanks to the internet, we're having roast beef with ginger & jus tonight.

Ginger is one of the most heavenly roots on Earth. I love everything about it: the aroma, the flavor, the bite it can have. I've never combined it with a traditional roast beef, so I'm excited to see how this turns out.