Recipe of the Week – The Perfectly Cooked Father’s Day Steak
(From The Beef Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Grilled Steak
I am giving you a few weeks to plan this meal. This will allow you to watch the newspapers for a steak sale and gather any other ingredients you need. There are a few “secrets” when striving for the perfect steak dinner. First buy a nice steak. Choice is better than Select, thicker is better than thin. Don’t be afraid to ask the meat cutter at the store to cut a fresh steak to your required thickness and size. When asked, these guys usually like the chance to show off their skills and you will win as the steak will probably be trimmed a little better than the ones in the meat case.
Growing up my father would give each of us a steak. The first time I went to my then girlfriend’s house for steak they had one large steak cut into strips. I thought, wow how is this going to work, than after the vegetables, salad and rolls followed by dessert I understood. Back then it was all about excess, now that excess is hanging around my middle and I have learned my lesson.
I like my steak med-rare; if you like it cooked more just cook it a few minutes longer. Remember it is easier to put a steak back on if it is too rare then it is to make an overcooked steak good again. The secret is to cut a small slit in the bottom and take a peek. If it is too rare pop it in the microwave when no one is looking for just a minute, really one minute will make all the deference.
Don’t get fancy with all the marinades and steak sauces. Simply put a good amount of salt and pepper on both sides, pour on a little olive oil and make sure the grill is very hot. Cook for 1 minute per 1/4 inch thickness on each side. Now, don’t poke it, don’t prod it, don’t move it and don’t flip it until the time is right. Flip it only once. When it is done put it on a plate and let it sit for a few minutes to finish cooking and drive the juices back into the steak. Now would be the time to take a peek and see how you did.
Grilled Strip Steak
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Beef Entrée |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 2 | lb | steak, strip |
| 1 | Tb | salt, kosher |
| 1 | Tb | pepper, fresh cracked |
| 1 | Tb | oil, olive |
The keys here are to have the fire very hot and the steaks at least 1 thick. Have the steaks at room temperature, brush olive oil on both sides of steaks, add pepper and salt. Grill about 5 minutes on one side and 4 on the other. (depending on how you like your steak and the thickness of the steaks) remove steak from grill and let sit for 10 minutes. It will finish cooking on the platter; so take it off just before it is done as you would like.
(See the whole meal plan: Backyard Soiree (Picnic Meal Plans) at emealsforyou.com)
Add comment June 8, 2009
Are We Fooling Ourselves? – A Rant
It is always nice when we see something we have been saying for quite a while published in the New York Times. Amanda Hesser, a contributing writer for The Times magazine, had a post on Sunday, May 31 in the Times (The Commander In Chef) that advocates cooking our meals at home rather than eating out. She goes a little further in that she quotes some statistics about the times per year a typical family goes out to eat, 125 times a year in 2008. Well I think the current economy has put a stop to most of that. The other interesting fact is that we are a society that uses pre-prepared food when cooking; thinking we are saving both time and money.
We really didn’t have a chance… major food manufacturers told us how easy it was to bake cookies; just buy the pre-made, cut into pieces and bake for 8 minutes. Want a cake, no problem, open the box, add water and maybe an egg, stir, bake and decorate with icing that comes out of a container found on the store shelf. Whole meals just waiting for us to select them and pop into the oven, yum, yum! Want to know why the kids are getting a little chubby? Take a look at the ingredients panel on those easy meals your are purchasing.
Look, the main purpose of all my efforts is to get you back at the family table, enjoying a meal with your family. If you think you are saving time or money by using pre-prepared foods you are kidding yourself. So if it costs you more and you really aren’t saving any real time why not go all out occasionally and make something from scratch. You’ll be surprised at the reaction you will get.
1 comment June 3, 2009
Recipe of the Week – Chocolate Macaroon Jam Tarts
Chocolate Macaroon Jam Tarts
Last week I told you my NY City son asked me to come up with a recipe for cookies he said were all the latest and greatest in New York. What he described seemed to me to be some form of meringue cookie with a filling. In NY City they call them Macaroons or Macroons ( both spellings seem to be correct) which I associate with those warm, coconut cookies. Anyway after tasting them I believe I have come up with the recipe.
These cookies only take a few minutes to make the batter but will take most of an afternoon to bake and dry. Not that it requires you to constantly be working on them; just that they bake, low and slow. A forewarning: these babies are very sweet, a few will go a long way towards satisfying that craving. They would be ideal served after a meal. I filled these with a chocolate filling but they would be just as good with raspberry jam. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar, serve some strong, hot coffee and you should get rave reviews. Not surprisingly, leave these on a plate on the counter and they will disappear after the first wave of kids runs through.
Chocolate Macaroon Jam Tarts
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 10 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 6 | large | egg, whites |
| 0.25 | tsp | cream of tartar |
| 1 | tsp | vanilla |
| 1.33 | cup | sugar, white |
| 2 | Tb | cocoa powder, unsweetened |
| 0.5 | cup | sugar, white |
| 0.5 | cup | corn syrup, light |
| 1 | Tb | vanilla |
| 3 | Tb | butter, unsalted |
| 0.5 | cocoa powder, unsweetened | |
Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. whip on low until frothy. Increase speed to high and gradually add the sugar. whip until stiff peaks and glossy. Gently fold in the cocoa until no white shows.
Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a spoonful of the mixture onto the cookie sheets, cookies may be placed close together as they do not spread. Bake for 1.5 hour and then turn off oven and leave door slightly ajar. Allow cookies to dry for 2 hours.
For the filling: Heat the sugar,corn syrup, vanilla and butter until blended. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa. Allow the mixture to cool, spread between to cookies.(bottoms in)
Add comment June 1, 2009
Random Thoughts on a Rainy Day – A Non-Rant
There was an article in the New York Times today about how Michelle Obama doesn’t miss not cooking the meals for her family. That’s great if you can get away with it but for the rest of us it’s the same old grind, decide what to cook, get the ingredients and make it happen. Believe it or not I have days when I just don’t know what I want to cook. This is why I always have some spaghetti sauce in the freezer and some chicken breasts; so that a quick and good meal is only a few minutes away.
I will spend some time today trying to recreate a cookie my NY City son asked me to figure out. They are calling it a macroon but I think it is closer to a merigue. He brought me some last week, while we were in New Jersy, so this is a little easier than creating it from his description. I think I have it but need to fine tune the recipe. My first try came out good but not what I was looking for… the good news is that these “mistakes” will make wonderful mini ice cream sandwiches. My recipe calls for 6 egg whites; as I am frugal I will use the yolks to get my strawberry gelato recipe just right. Look for both recipes soon or as they used to say in Philly,” film at 11.”
Strawberry Gelato
1 comment May 28, 2009
Recipe of the Week – Best Ribs Ever
(From The Other White Meat Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Best Ribs Ever
Debbie had a picnic this weekend and told me she was serving ribs along with way too much other food and I asked if I could cook the ribs for her. The goal of great ribs starts with good pork but then usually most people veer into the crazy world and try too hard. There are two basic elements that separate bones left on the plate with meat and fat hanging on them and bones picked clean: a good dry rub and patience.
The ribs pictured above cooked in a low oven for 3 1/2 hours and although there was bbq sauce available most ate them just the way they were. As my wife says, you want to eat ribs to taste the pork not a bottled bbq sauce; besides these are easier to eat as they are not as messy. The only thing that could make these better is serving them with a slice of good corn bread; I made that as well. (Recipe available on emealsforyou.com)
These are so good that I thought I should walk you through the easy steps to making them. Follow them and then sit back, lick your fingers and let the compliments come.
Start with a good quality ribs. Rinse and dry the ribs. I line jellyroll pans (3/4″ deep cookie sheets) with parchment to facilitate easy cleanup. Place the ribs fat side up and score the fat diagonally in both directions.
Scored Ribs
Rub the dry rub into the slab and flip over. Rub the dry rub into the meaty side. Place in a pre-heated 275 degree oven and cook for 2 hours. Flip over and cook for 40 minutes on this side. Flip again and finish cooking, about 40 minutes until fork tender.
Ribs with Rub
Best Ribs Ever
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | The Other Meat Entrée |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 6 | lb | ribs, baby back |
| 1 | recipe | dry rub |
Rinse ribs and dry with a paper towel. Turn ribs over to the fatty side and score diagonally across the ribs in both directions. Rub dry rub over ribs, flip over and rub dry rub on this side. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet with ¾” sides, place ribs meat side up onto cookie sheets and place in pre-heated 275 º oven. Bake for 2 hours, flip over and bake for an additional 45 minutes, flip back and finish cooking until fork tender and ribs start to fall off the bone, about 40 more minutes.
Serve with bbq sauce on the side.
Dry Rub
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Misc |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 0.75 | Tb | cumin, ground |
| 0.5 | tsp | pepper, cayenne |
| 1 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
| 1 | tsp | paprika, sweet |
| 1 | Tb | garlic powder |
| 1 | Tb | onion, granulated, dry |
| 2 | tsp | mustard, dried |
| 1 | Tb | chili powder |
| 2 | Tb | sugar, brown |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, kosher |
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. May be stored in an air-tight container for months.
Note: Use on pork, beef and chicken.
Add comment May 25, 2009
Bonus Recipe of the Week – Tiramisu
(From The Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Tiramisu
Tiramisu is a little like handwriting, everyone’s is a little different. I make this recipe in a very large bowl or in a square springform pan… with the bowl it becomes a less formal dessert that you spoon onto plates, the springform allows you to slice the dessert and serve more guests. This dessert is really easy to put together, uses store-bought lady fingers and creates that Oh WOW! at any party or function.
In the old south this would probably be called a Charlotte, in the north a Fool, basically it is pieces of cake, surrounded with sweet cream and pieces of fruit or syrups. It is best made the night before as sitting in the frig helps to develop the flavors. I am taking mine to a party down the street, which started as a neighbor’s family gathering and rapidly progressed to a large group; perhaps it was the Margaritas that were floating around. I think we have lost count of how many will be there but this dessert will easily serve 16 or more people.
Tiramisu
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | Brunch Anyone? (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 1 | qt | cream, whipping |
| 2 | cup | sugar, white |
| 24 | oz | cream cheese |
| 2 | Tb | coffee, instant |
| 3 | Tb | water, hot |
| 4 | Tb | sugar, white |
| 4 | Tb | coffee liqueur |
| 6 | oz | chocolate, ground |
| 4 | Tb | cocoa |
| 2 | package | ladyfingers |
Whip cream with 1/2 the sugar. Cream the cream cheese with remaining sugar until light. Gradually add whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture.
Dissolve coffee in hot water, add sugar and coffer liqueur.
Place a layer of ladyfingers (split) in bottom of serving bowl (6X9), brush with coffee mixture, sprinkle with cocoa and chocolate, spread a layer of cream cheese mixture (3/4” thick). Sprinkle with cocoa and chocolate, repeat ladyfingers, and so on. Cover top with final layer of cocoa and chocolate, refrigerate.
Best when made the day before.
Hint: serve with a drizzle of hot fudge sauce on top. Shown here made in a 9 X 9 springform pan.
This recipe and more like it can be found at www.emealsforyou.com.
Add comment May 22, 2009
Recipe of the Week – Beef Bourguignon
(From The Beef EntréeCollection at emealsforyou.com)
Beef Bourguignon
I’m back from my trip to New Jersey; five days of good family, good friends and good food. I look forward to these trips as I get a chance to spend some time being the “home handyman” and enjoy the challenge of giving my mother-in-law a break in the kitchen. I say challenge as we are an eclectic group when it comes to the table, one doesn’t eat meat, one is gluten intolerant, and I don’t eat fish. Add the fact that there are usually 8 -12 of us around the table and you have my own Food Challenge show going. We brought most of the desserts with us, frozen, from Ohio, too many of my clothes are telling me but the main meals were made on the spot.
Ravioli in Vodka Sauce, Italian Pork Chops, Sea Bass and Bouillabaisse were on the menu but my favorite was the Beef Bourguignon. When I would make this for my father he would call it beef stew, which is what is really is, he just wanted to rub in that I was an “effete snob” in the kitchen. Anyway this is the ideal meal when you want something you can cook in advance and requires very little effort to warm it up, add a salad and some crunchy bread and dig in. Beef stew or Bourguignon, call it what you may, it is still a great meal to turn a family gathering into an elegant dinner party or an elegant dinner party into a family gathering.
Beef Bourguignon
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 10 |
| Category: | Beef Entrée |
| Meal: | Fall French (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 0.5 | lb | bacon |
| 4 | lb | beef, cubes |
| 3 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 1 | 10.5 oz can | beef consommé |
| 1 | bottle | wine, dry red |
| 3 | Tb | tomato paste |
| 4 | medium | bay leaves, whole dried |
| 0.25 | tsp | thyme, dried |
| 2 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 1 | package | onions, pearl frozen |
| 1 | lb | mushrooms, white button |
| 3 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 3 | Tb | flour |
| 1 | Tb | salt and pepper to taste |
Cut bacon into small pieces. Brown bacon in large pan, remove and reserve bacon. Brown beef in pan, add garlic, sauté 2 minutes, add consommé, wine (reserve 1 cup), tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme. Reduce heat and cook covered for 40 minutes, or until beef is fork tender. Add butter to a second pan; sauté onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes until slightly brown. Remove onions and mushrooms from pan; add to beef pan, deglaze onion pan with remaining cup of wine, and pour into beef pan. Make a roux with the butter and flour, cook roux until just slightly beige, stir into beef pan. Cook until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Hints: Make Bourguignon up to a day in advance and cool. Reheat when ready to serve.
(From The Fall French Distinctive Dinners Meal Plan at emealsforyou.com)
Add comment May 18, 2009
Time to Help – A Non-Rant
As we all struggle to make ends meet in this economy let’s take a moment to think about those who need our help to put food on the table for their families. Please take the time to click on the Manna Outreach logo above and give whatever you can. Even a $5 donation coupled with more $5 donations will mean the difference between a child having the nutrition needed to grow healthy or going to bed hungry. Please give what you can.
Add comment May 14, 2009
Recipe of the Week – Southern Baked Chicken Legs
(From The Cooking For the Kids Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Southern Baked Chicken Leg
They have done a number on us, well maybe me; you my still be a holdout. On the rare occasion when I break out the frying pan and oil a huge wave of guilt sweeps over me. We have been trained that frying is bad and sautéing is good. Anyway I don’t like how frying smells up my house so it was time to come up with a chicken recipe that was better for us and actually smelled good cooking.
I thought after the dessert trays last week I might come back down to earth and provide a recipe that your kids would love and even more importantly is easy to cook. Anyone who cooks has tried to come up with an alternative to the bucket of chicken. Not that there is anything wrong with an occasional stop in the fast food chicken huts, except that you can probably run a diesel truck off the oil you can wring from the napkins when you are done. We try and try to get just the right flavor and crunchiness and still have that great taste; all while baking instead for frying.
Here is my recipe for Southern Baked Chicken; this recipe works well for a nice dinner or served cold at a picnic. Picnic? You know when you take a plastic container of the chicken to the soccer game and have the rest of the kids, those not playing, eat on the side of the field.
Southern Baked Chicken Legs
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Cooking for the Kids |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 6 | medium | chicken legs |
| 0.5 | cup | flour |
| 1 | tsp | garlic powder |
| 1 | tsp | paprika, sweet |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, table |
| 0.5 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
| 2 | medium | egg |
| 0.125 | tsp | salt, table |
| 0.125 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
| 0.75 | cup | breadcrumbs |
| 0.125 | tsp | salt, table |
| 0.125 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
Put flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper into a shallow bowl and mix. Beat eggs and add salt and pepper into another shallow bowl. In a third bowl mix breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken legs into the flour mixture, making sure to cover the whole leg with flour. Shake off any loose flour. Dip the leg into the eggs and make sure to cover. Dip the legs in the breadcrumbs, place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the juices run clear when poked with a knife.
2 comments May 11, 2009
Measure Twice, Mix Once – A Non-Rant
This non-rant does not pertain to baking; baking recipes are actually formulas and should pretty much be followed as written. A long time ago I heard Charlie Trotter, famed Chicago chef, explain why he doesn’t measure ingredients when he cooks. He said that while he wanted the food to come out great, he didn’t want a carbon copy of the dish each time. This theory differs from all the fast food restaurants who strive for extreme consistency. I guess that is why Micky D gets $4.98 for a “value meal” and Charlie Trotter gets your weekly paycheck.
What made me think of this is a birthday party meal I had this past weekend. My granddaughter turned one and my daughter-in-law made a really good spaghetti dinner to celebrate. She used the recipe that appears on our website, emealsforyou.com, which is my father’s recipe from many years ago. Fairly new to cooking she followed the recipe exactly… so when I tasted the first bite it tasted exactly as it had 30 years ago, big, strong memories of sauces past. When I make the sauce today I tend to put some of this and some of that; keeping to the basic recipe but not precisely measuring, so the taste is different each time.
I guess the bottom line here is if you want something to taste like you remember it; then follow the recipe and measure. To mix it up a little, cook like my grandmother, some of this and some of that. It always amazed me how her hand’s shape changed to approximate the different measurements. Anyway, measure or not just get in the kitchen and cook!
Add comment May 7, 2009
