Beef and Avocado Fajitas

We had company for dinner this weekend, and the preparation was a nightmare for various reasons but mostly because of indecision. One result of our indecision was a flank steak sitting unloved in the refrigerator. With Ash Wednesday tomorrow and the start of Lent and meatless Fridays, I needed to use it and some of the other leftovers in the fridge. I found this recipe for Beef and Avocado Fajitas. The recipe was simple and allowed me to use some leftover tortilla shells and queso fresco. The preparation was super easy - chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper on the steak and cooked in a cast-iron skillet (I don't have a grill pan) for 10ish minutes until medium-rare. I had some guacamole from Whole Foods that I used instead of avocados, and we improvised the rest of the so-called fajitas with purchased tomatillo salsa, Old El Paso refried beans (which were really good!), queso fresco (which didn't add much to the taste) and shredded Romaine. I didn't bother with the cilantro the recipe recommended. The meat was spicy but very tender, and the guacamole was a great contrast in flavor.

I love recipes like this one. It's simple and adaptable to whatever you have on hand and whatever you're in the mood for. For me, that always means cheese. My teenager spread his taco wings beyond tortilla and meat to include refried beans and tomatillo. As for my husband, he pronounced that he never wants to have plain tacos again (until I make plain tacos, I'm sure).  If I had time and/or inclination, I would have made my own tomatillo salsa and refried beans, but I'm not sure it would make a big enough difference for the effort it would take. For a Monday dinner, it was perfect the way it was.

Bonus! For Fat Tuesday lunch, the leftover meat was delicious on Italian bread with melted provolone, Romaine, and mayo (I wish I had some tomatoes) for a Cheesesteak-kind of sandwich. The spice on the meat made me think I never wanted to have another plain cheesesteak again.

Linguine with Pancetta and Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

 Our go-to meal on busy weeknights is pasta with sauce (either Safeway Select or Classico) from a jar. It's fast and filling and satisfying. It's also so predictable. I had pancetta left over in the refrigerator from the Pasta and Lentils, Sicilian Style so I searched Epicurious for something quick and easy using ingredients I already had in the house. The ingredients - linguine, olive oil, garlic, pancetta or bacon, red pepper flakes, cherry tomatoes, grated cheese, and fresh basil - are pantry staples and summer garden bounty. It was good in February, but my mouth waters thinking of how it will taste this summer prepared with just-picked tomatoes and basil. I would not use canned tomatoes or dried basil for this recipe. There are so few ingredients that the ones you do use should be as fresh as possible.

Winter or summer, it can't be simpler to make. In the time the linguine cooks the sauce can be prepared. You heat the olive oil, sauté the garlic, add the pancetta and red pepper and cook until the pancetta is crisp, add the tomatoes and cook until soft (maybe 4ish minutes), and then add chopped basil and shredded Parmesan (please, please, please use only fresh), and salt and pepper to taste. It's oh-so-simple but good. I didn't love it (my husband did) but I loved how easy it was to make and that makes it a keeper in my book.

Pasta and Lentils, Sicilian Style

I love lentils. I love pasta. Who doesn't crave comfort food? Healthy comfort food is even better. Pasta and Lentils, Sicilian Style fits the bill exactly. This recipe is from The Washington Post Food section last December (there's a nice picture there too which I realized I probably shouldn't be copying without permission). The only meat in it is two tablespoons of pancetta so it could easily be omitted for a vegetarian meal. It's basically a lentil stew (onion, carrot, tomato puree) with broken pieces of thick spaghetti in it. Definitely drizzle it with olive oil and serve with grated Pecorino as recommended. I served this with a small green salad to start, some good Italian bread (homemade!), and a nice Italian red wine for a hearty, filling meal.

Full disclosure: I have not actually made this. My dear husband has made this several times, and it's been delicious each time. There's not a lot of "cooking" required, merely following easy steps. If you open the red wine while you're cooking, it's even easier!

My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken

My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken is the name of the recipe, and it's an appropriate one. For years for me, to roast a whole chicken meant stuffing and hours in the oven. Not with this recipe. It's absurdly easy and fast. I was skeptical when I first read the recipe: one hour at 450 degrees. Seriously? A caveat: That's true if you can find the 2-3 pound chicken called for in the recipe. I haven't been able to. The smallest organic chicken I find in the grocery story is usually around 4.5 pounds. So I adjust the recipe a bit. Here are the ingredients:

• One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

• Unsalted butter
• Dijon mustard

I don't use the thyme, butter, or mustard. What you do is rinse and pat dry the bird, truss it, and salt and pepper it inside and out. The recipe says to "rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin." Yes. But, if you place thick sliced potatoes on the bottom of the pan to catch the drippings (which I recommend), they will be very salty. You have to be judicious in your salting, but don't skimp. That's it. Salt and pepper. I know it sounds bland yet salty, but it's not.  The short roasting time and high heat keep the chicken oh-so-moist.

I put the chicken on a rack, but I would try it without and lay it right in the roasting pan. Using a rack, only one side gets that pretty roasted skin. The other is pasty and looks unappetizing, necessitating flipping the chicken and putting in back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes. I *think* that putting it right into the pan (as the recipe implies) prevents this problem, but you'd want to use parchment on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. You don't want butter or oil because the idea is to prevent any type of steam. A four to five pound chicken requires the additional cooking time, so either way - rack and flip or no - you're looking at 90 minutes. 

I make this as an everyday meal and serve with potatoes (from the bottom of the roasting pan) , a vegetable side, and a salad. I like a nice, not too creamy Chardonnay with it. It's a satisfying, delicious meal.

Belgian Buttermilk Waffles with Glazed Bananas

Not my picture. We were too hungry to think of anything else but eating.

It's a snow day. School's out and the power is back on, so I hot meal sounded appetizing. We haven't had waffles for ages (trying to be more organized, I stored my waffle make some place very logical and then forgot where until just recently), so today seemed like the perfect time. After fighting with my husband over how to make waffles (he is the regular breakfast chef since I am not in any way, shape, or form a morning person), I headed to Epicurious to find a waffle recipe. I searched for "waffles," filtered results by "Quick & Easy," and then sorted by top rated. The winner, with 101 reviews:  Belgian Buttermilk Waffles with Glazed Bananas. I didn't have the buttermilk required for the batter, so I created a substitute by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk and let that sit for about five minutes. Other than that change, I followed the recipe. The batter was super easy to prepare and consisted mostly of ingredients I always have on hand - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, butter, eggs - and was ready in just a few minutes. I'm suspicious of anything but syrup on my waffles/ pancakes, but I made the glaze since it, too, was so easy to prepare (butter, bananas, maple syrup). The waffles were really good - light and tasty. We will definitely be making them again. I'm anxious to try them with real buttermilk next time. I thought the glaze was okay. My teen wouldn't even try it - he's a pancake/waffle purist, too. My husband, who has a sweet tooth, liked the glaze a little more but probably not enough that we would make it again.

Bulgur Tabouli

My quest for high cuisine continues. (That's joke.) Today's recipe comes from the back of a box of Arrowhead Mills Organic Bulgur Wheat. I bought the box because it's wheat and it's healthy, right? Beyond that, I know not of Bulgur wheat. Luckily, the recipe is easy enough:

1 cup Bulgur Wheat

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Dash of garlic powder

2 tomatoes, diced

3 cups chopped fresh parsley

4 green onions, chopped with tops

Pour boiling water over bulgur wheat and salt.  Cover bulgur wheat for 30 minutes and let sit. Stir next three ingredients into bulgur and chill for 2-3 hours. Add tomatoes, parsley, and green onions and gently toss before serving on a bed of lettuce.

Optional additions are: chopped mint; fresh sliced mushrooms; diced green peppers; sliced radishes; bean sprouts; and/or sliced hard-cooked eggs.

I've never served it on a bed of lettuce, preferring to eat it straight up. Also, I add what whatever I have leftover in my produce drawer, be it green peppers, cukes, whatever. This is so easy to make. It takes some time to prepare, but the active time is minimal. It's delicious and nutritious and tastes just as good after a few days in the refrigerator as it does on the first day.

Now, if only someone would tell me what I'm supposed to do with wheat germ.

New Year's Eve Menu

I don't like to go out on New Year's Eve.  There are too many variables I can't control.  Sometimes we go to the neighbor's, but this year we decided on a quiet dinner at home.  Being New Year's Eve, I wanted something nice, but I didn't want to be stuck in the kitchen all day and night, particularly since I was recovering from a cold that had me in bed most of the week after Christmas.  I "appropriated" a menu from a local restaurant and made a few small changes and alterations.  Here's the menu and then our adaptions:

FIRST

Bruschetta

 Grilled Italian bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil, served with a diced tomato, basil, and garlic medley

SECOND

Salade d 'Endives

Belgian endive tossed with walnuts, raisins, and gorgonzola cheese

THIRD

Raviolis au Quatre Fromage

Four cheese ravioli baked in creamy white Alfredo sauce

FOURTH

Soupe à l'Oignon

Traditional French Onion soup of beef broth with caramelized onions and croutons finished with cheese gratinee topping

FIFTH

Poulet Provencale

Breast of chicken sautéed with mushrooms and brandy cream sauce

SIXTH

Bomba de crème glacée

Classic vanilla and chocolate gelato separated by cherries and sliced almonds tossed in cinnamon, finished with a chocolate coating

The Bruschetta was easy.  I made it as an appetizer for Christmas and made another small batch for New Year's Eve.  It took just a few minutes to make.  We picked up a baguette at the grocery store and topped the Bruschetta with some Greek feta.  It was hard to limit ourselves to just a few pieces.

For the salad, I chopped some endive, topped with walnuts, craisins, and Gorgonzola, and dressed it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  The sweet craisins were a nice contrast to the bitterness of the endive.  I think it would have been better with a light vinaigrette.

Here, I screwed up and served the soup instead of the ravioli.  We ended up having two cream sauces in a row, but it was okay since neither of the sauces was overly rich.  Soup is easy since you can make it ahead of time.  I found the French Onion Soup recipe on my beloved Epicurious.  I followed some of the suggestions in the comments and used red wine instead of white, beef broth solely instead of beef and chicken, and added a dash of balsamic vinegar, thyme, and a bay leaf.  I should have used white wine and some chicken broth like the recipe said.  The substitutions made the soup heavier than I would have wished.  Another thing that marred it was the fact that we didn't serve it with bread or broiled cheese in the soup.  I know:  can you even call it French Onion Soup without doing that?  This was the low point of the meal, but still not bad.

I took the easy route and bought refrigerated four-cheese agnolotti and Alfredo sauce.  I felt a little guilty since Alfredo is SO easy to make, but I blame it on still being a little sick.  It actually tasted quite good.  The sauce was reminiscent of Stouffer's boil-in-a-bag Fettuccine Alfredo that I used to love back in the day, so I had pleasant associations with the taste (should old acquaintance be forgot?) even as I recognized its shortcomings.

We were starting to get full around this point.  Although we'd been careful about portion sizes, it was a lot of food.  We each had a full bowl of soup, which was a mistake.  Half as much would have better.  We still had a little room left for our main course.

I wanted Veal for the main course but couldn't find any in the grocery store at 3PM on New Year's Eve (poor planning on my part).  Chicken doesn't scream "special occasion" to me, but I really wasn't in the mood for a fillet or seafood so chicken it was.  The recipe I used was Chicken with Mustard and Tarragon Cream Sauce.  I used boneless chicken breasts and added mushrooms to the sauce.  We should have pounded or filleted the chicken, but that's a quibble.  I substituted whole milk for half of the whipping cream and used dried tarragon (again, being lazy).  The sauce was fantastic!  We will definitely make this again but with fresh tarragon next time.

Luckily, ice cream was for dessert because ice cream's not even like eating.  It just slides down your throat, so even if you're full it's okay.  I combined sliced almonds and cherry-soaked Craisins (a mistake--I meant to pick up dried cherries) in a jar, sprinkled cinnamon on top, covered, and shook well.  I tested an almond to see if I had enough cinnamon.  I served the mixture alongside a scoop each of Breyer's Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream and drizzled it all with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup.  So delicious we had the same dessert every night for the next week.

We started the night with a white Burgunday, which paired well with the first courses, and then opened a vintage Champagne we bought at a wine dinner a few years ago.

All that food helped temper the effects of two bottles of wine.  It was an enjoyable way to end the year.  I think we've started a new tradition, too.

Beef and Snow Peas with Pan-Fried Noodles

This is another Epicurious recipe.  It's easy, flavorful, and different.  The recipe is a basic stir-fry of flank steak and snow peas.  What makes this different is you pan fry the noodles on both sides, pressing into a kind of cake.  The first time we made this, the flipping was problematic.  The second time, we pressed more and it was much easier.  You then transfer the noodle cake to a cutting board and cut into wedges, serving the beef and snow peas on top.   I thought of serving this with an wonton soup, maybe, but it didn't happen.  It was a stand-alone dish and quite filling on its own.

*Note:  Obviously photography isn't my calling.  The dish looked much more appetizing than it does in the picture.  I'll try to stick to images I find on the web.

Oven-Fried Panko Chicken

Yesterday was hectic.  We were out of town, so we are behind in a lot of tasks.  Trying to catch up, we had a ton of chores and errands to complete before the Steelers game at 8:15.  I did not have the time or energy for an elaborate meal, but after such a busy and cold day, a good meal was in order.  We decided on one of our fall-back favorites, Oven-Fried Panko Chicken.  It's super-easy, juicy, and tasty:  chicken (I used boneless breasts) dipped in butter and coated in panko with salt, pepper, and cayenne and baked at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  I chopped a few potatoes (left the peels on) and coated them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and put that in the oven along with the chicken.  The potatoes came out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.  The rosemary wasn't a great complement to the panko/cayenne chicken, but it was okay.  I also steamed a big bunch of fresh broccoli to offset some of that butter in the chicken.

I served a 2007 Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay with dinner.  The prep was maybe fifteen minutes, and I was able to run to Wal-Mart while dinner was in the oven.  It was a satisfying meal leading to a satisfying Steelers win!

Happy Halloween and Braised Short Ribs

I'm not good at Halloween. I like it, theoretically and in moderation. In contrast, I LOVE Christmas. I know what to do for Christmas--tree, garlands, wreaths, presents, parties, etc. But Halloween? I'm burdened of memories of Halloweens past. There was the year that my mother pinned a few leaves to my multi-colored coat, told me to hold my arms out because I was now a tree, and marched me down main street in the community Halloween parade that way. That was one of the better years. I'm not good at costumes, either. Is it because of nature or nurture? I'm not sure. We are invited to an annual Halloween bash hostessed by friends who love Halloween. I'm always happy when we get the invitation, and then I stress for the next two weeks over what to wear. My ideas this year: Dora the Explorer (where do you find orange shorts in late October on the East Coast?), an American tourist (I hate to disrespect my fellow countrymen/ women), Amy Winehouse (or is it Cher? Snooki?).  Despite my extending worrying, I was still costume-less the afternoon before the party.  I found my inspiration this year in a satin dress I bought on clearance for $5:

I saw it as Audrey Hepburn-ish.  The scarf on my head was practical, too, because we were outside all night and it helped to keep the heat in.  (Apparently, scientists are hard at work debunking the myth that we lose so much heat that way.  Go Science!)

Sunday, of course, was the actual holiday, except where my parents live.  Their township had trick-or-treating on the 30th.  ????  Who does that?  Is this common in small towns?  Any why would you do that?  Is it only Halloween that gets this special rescheduling? Why again?

Anyway, the Steelers were playing at 8:15 so we had that to consider as well.  I needed something for dinner that I could put on early and didn't require much attention, what with all the trips to answer the door, but was hearty enough for a cold, football night.  We decided on Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes.  I love this recipe.  (I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of how good it looked.  Sorry.)  You braise the short ribs, carmelize carrots/onions/celery/garlic/thyme, deglaze with broth, and then roast in the oven for 2.5 hours.  The recipe calls for 1.5 hours, but that's not long enough for the meat to get tender enough (this I have learned from experience).  You will have to skim the fat off of the surface before serving.  I have skimped on skimming in the past and sorely regretted it.  The ribs and gravy are fantastic over mashed potatoes.  I started with a salad (green! raw! fresh!) to balance the heavy meatiness and served it with some rolls to sop up the gravy (mmmmm).  We went with a Rhone (sigh):  Domaine Grand Veneur 2007 Clos de Sixte Lirac, a Robert Parker 93.  I did remember to take a picture of the wine (okay, the empty bottle):

So delicious.  It was good with dinner, but just as good on its own.  We bought three bottles but might go back for a case.

Quick Italian Dinner Fare

 


Insalata di Puntarelle is apparently some kind of Italian chicory salad. This recipe is not made with chicory but with Belgian endive and celery cut into thin strips. The dressing is garlic, anchovies (I used anchovy paste because I had it on hand), extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and Kosher salt. Super easy to make. Seriously, the prep time was all of 10 minutes. The trick, and do not skip this step, is to place the sliced endive and celery into a bowl of ice water in the refrigerator for an hour. You drain it then and toss with the dressing. Fantastic! It's fresh and crisp and has a nice little bite. I also refrigerated my salad plates, too, to prolong the chill of the salad.

 

 I found this salad recipe when I was searching for a pasta dish for dinner.  I found a Capellini with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce that sounded interesting, and easy.  The good folks at Epicurious had made that recipe part of its Quick Italian Dinner Fare menu, which the salad as a first course and Apricots with Amaretto Syrup for dessert.  All the recipes were easy.  The Capellini was good but a little bland.  Next time I'll try some more red pepper to spice it up.  The Apricots were good, too.  They weren't what I had been expecting, but that was probably because I used canned apricots (sorry, it was what I had on hand).  It was also very sweet.  I think next time I'll cut down on the sugar (and use fresh apricots) and see if that helps.

All in all, it was an enjoyable meal.  Easy to prepare (hurray!) and tasty.  I should have probably started this post with the main course, but it's the Insalata di Puntarelle that I've been craving and has become a staple in my kitchen.







Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Red Quinoa and Vegetables

I was looking for a recipe for the red quinoa I found in the health food aisle of my local grocery store. I had cooked quinoa before - I have a great, spicy vegetarian quinoa stuffed pepper recipe that I got from my sister - but not red quinoa. As is my habit, my first stop was Epicurious. I find myself at that site so often primarily because I can usually find a recipe that strikes my fancy using the ingredients I have on hand. Everyday cooking is so much more fun (and bearable) for me when I'm trying something new.

This recipe is easy to put together--a simple marinade, cooking the quinoa (like rice), and sautéing some snap peas and red bell peppers in the same pan as the chicken. I'm one of those people that like to eat my food separately--meat first, then veg, then starch--but not with this dish. The quinoa is rather bland on its own, but with the lemony chicken and vegetables it sings. This is a simple, two-pot meal that has great flavor.  The mix of textures adds another layer of interest to the dish and lifts it above the pedestrian. I served it with a Robert Mondavi Chardonnay (one of my Grandfather's favorites). The pairing was nice, but I think next time I'll try an unoaked Chardonnay. The Mondavi is a nice wine that I think I would have appreciated more on its own, both for its drinkability and for the warm memories it always brings to mind.

Pork Stew with Hard Cider, Pearl Onions, and Potatoes

This is a time consuming recipe that I thought would be great for a snowy, cold lazy winter day and night. I found the recipe in the February 2010 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. For a little background, pork was only okay in taste, in my opinion. That all changed when I bought some at my local farmer’s market, despite the higher price. What a stunning discovery! The pork chops and bacon actually tasted like they came from an animal. I was a convert and a beginner food-source snob.

My new attitude is well and good, but it’s winter now and the farmer’s markets are closed, Whole Foods isn’t convenient or economical, and so I have to take what I can get. I had never tried a pork stew before but, looking for new ways to make grocery store pork taste like something, I thought the recipe sounded interesting. It had parsnips in it, too, a vegetable I hadn’t yet tried to prepare myself. That was another plus this recipe had going for it because I needed something to help me out of my vegetable rut. You know, routine cooking with all the old faithfuls—beans, peas, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus on the grill in summer. I only recently started eating beets despite hating them my entire life because I think they taste like dirt. But, I hear they are good for your liver and, with the wine that I drink, I could use all the help I can get. Surprisingly, the flavor of beets grew on me as well. Anyway, a red light should have gone off in my head when I was reading the list of ingredients. You see, I’m the kind of person that doesn’t like my food to touch. Moreover, I eat one thing at a time until it’s gone—all the meat, then the potatoes, then the vegetables. I’m happy with this system and don’t plan to change either. So, when I saw that there were apples in the stew, I should have stopped to consider what I was planning.

The pork and vegetables smelled heavenly as the stew was simmering. I think I would have enjoyed it enormously if I had stopped before adding the final ingredients—Calvados (apple brandy), apples, and mustard. Those last few items seemed to throw the stew into overdrive. There was a whole lot going on in that pot and a whole lot of competing flavors in each mouthful. It didn’t help that I took the recommendation in the magazine and served Hard Cider with the stew instead of a nice Gewürztraminer like I was considering. It was apple overdose. On the Epicurious website, most reviewers who did not add the Calvados loved the stew, so maybe that makes the difference. Even hearing that, I don’t think I would make this recipe again, even with the changes and omissions. It really was laborious for a so-so result.

Here's the link to the recipe:  Pork Stew with Hard Cider Pearl Onions and Potatoes