Marinated Skirt Steak

It's the first day of summer and I decided to celebrate by breaking out the grill. With meat getting more expensive, skirt steak is still fairly reasonable. It can be tough so I marinated it for several hours before placing it on the grill. I kept the marinade simple and it was a good choice. The marinade enhanced the meat's flavor while making it very tender. Success!

Serves 4
1 1/2 -2 pounds of skirt steak
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup ponzu sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced
pepper

Place the meat into a large zip lock bag. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 or more hours. Remove the meat from the marinade. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired and place on an oiled grill. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side. Allow the meat the rest off the grill for 10 minutes. Cut across the grain and serve.

Grilled Asparagus Salad

My new recipes usually are born from necessity. Today I had several bundles of asparagus that I needed to use. I usually toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them off in the oven. But today I was grilling so I prepped them like usual and then grilled them. I prepped a simple dressing while they cooked and boy where they yummy. Here's how I made these little lovelies.

Serves 4
2 bundles of asparagus
2 slices of red onion
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tbsp for grilling
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp creamy dill mustard
salt and pepper

Trim the ends off of the asparagus and toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the grill. Meanwhile, cut 2 slices off of a large red onion and cut them into quarters. In the bottom of a large bowl,whisk together the vinegar, mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar. Place the onion into the dressing and let it sit while the asparagus cooks. The dressing will help cut the sharpness of the onion. Remove the asparagus from the grill and immediately place in the dressing. Toss to coat and set aside for 15 minutes before serving.

Queso Blanco Dip

This dip is commonly found at Mexican Restaurants, or so I am told. I have only had it once at a Mexican place in Coronado. As my children will tell you, I obviously don't get out much. The dip was delicious. When I saw a recipe for it, I knew I wanted to serve it on Memorial Day. But, as is often the case, I never like just one recipe and will usually combine ingredients from 2-3 different recipes to make my own. So here is my version.

1 1/2 cups of white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of white cheese curds or white american cheese
1/3 cup pico de gallo(diced tomoto, jalapeno, cilantro and onion)
1 brick light cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup tomatillo salsa
1 tbsp olive oil
tobasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water

In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil. Add the pico de gallo. Cook over medium/high heat for 3 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften. Add the tomatillo salsa and the milk. When it begins to simmer, add the cheeses. Lower the heat to medium and stir continually until melted. Add the salt and tobasco if desired. If the mixture appears too runny, add the cornstarch and water mixture. Allow the thicken. Serve warm with chips.

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

This side has just the right combo of sweet,salty and cheesy to make everyone happy. I made my cheese sauce with SOS mix to try to lighten the dish. It turned out great. No one will ever know!

Serves 4-6

3 large yams, peeled and cut 1/4" thick
olive oil
salt and pepper
smoked paprika
2 cups 1% milk
3/4 cup SOS mix(recipe below)
4 oz goat cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
5 slices of bacon, cut into chunks
1/4 tsp each of garlic and onion powder
diced green onions for garnish

SOS Mix
In a large zip lock bag or plastic container with a lid, mix the following
1 cup of non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup of cornstarch
2 tbsp dehydrated onion

To use- mix 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cup liquid. Season with salt, pepper and any dry spices you desire. This can be mixed with water, milk, wine, or stock. You can use this to make a cream sauce,
cheese sauce, replace canned creamed soup in recipes and in the crock pot.

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the yams in a large bowl. Drizzle the oil over the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Toss to coat. Lay the yams out in a single layer on a baking pan that has been lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. In a small sauce pan, whisk the SOS mix into the milk and bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Add salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Stir until thickened and bubbly. Turn the heat down to low. Add the goat cheese and 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Whisk until combined and the sauce is smooth. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp, drain and reserve. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of yams over the sauce. Spoon more sauce onto the yams and add a 2nd layer. Finish with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and the bacon over the top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Garnish with diced green onions just before serving.

Red Pepper Alfredo

With all that has been going on in my life, cooking and blogging have been placed on the back burner lately(pardon the pun). But I actually had time to prep a good meal on Thursday. I love pasta and I'm always looking for a new way to fix it. Pasta dishes are usually perfect for quick meals and this one fills that bill. Traditionally Alfredo is served over fettucine. My family prefers thin spaghetti and my market sells a good whole wheat pasta.

Serves 4-6
1 16oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained
4 oz of pancetta or bacon, cubed
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper,and chili flakes to taste
8 large basil leaves, rolled and cut into ribbons
1 pd cooked pasta of your choice(reserve 1 cup of pasta water

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the pancetta and cook until it begins to brown. Add the onion, cooking until it becomes translucent. Place the red peppers and the garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the puree into the sauce pan. Add the goat cheese, stirring until it has melted into the sauce. Add the salt, pepper and red chili flakes. Add the cream and milk and parmesan cheese. When heated through, puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the cooked pasta. When the skillet is hot, pour the sauce over the pasta and add about half of the reserved pasta water. Toss to coat. If the sauce looks too loose add more of the pasta water until it clings to the pasta. Remove from the heat. Toss int the basil and serve. Top with more parmesan if desired.

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

An easy way to put classic Italian comfort food on the table. This a real crowd pleaser and can easily be adjusted to feed a few or a crowd. My dad is going to be thrilled to see this on his plate later in the week. I took some help from the grocery store and used a very good jarred marinara as the base. I used a bag of sweet mini peppers which were cheaper than buying the full sized red, orange and yellow bell peppers. You can serve this dish over pasta or polenta for a change of pace.

Serves 6

6 large sweet italian sausages(I used chicken sausages that my grocery store makes in house)
1 large red, yellow and orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into thick strips
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 25 oz jar of marinara
1 28 oz can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 tbsp minute tapioca(thickens the sauce)
1 cup red wine
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp fennel seed
salt and pepper
6-8 basil leaves torn
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the sausages on all sides. Place the peppers, onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Place the sausages on top. Pour the wine, marinara, tomato paste, vinegar and diced tomatoes over all. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, tapioca, chili flakes and fennel seed over top. Gently stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8. Stir the basil leaves in just before serving. Serve over cooked pasta or polenta. Top with parmesan.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

This is basically a giant chocolate eclair that does not require piping out individual eclairs and then piping in the filling. It's much easier to make with the same wonderful taste. I chose to make my own pudding and chocolate topping but if you are pressed for time, do take a little help from the store and use a boxed pudding mix and chocolate sundae topping.

serves 12

Pastry Shell
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
4 large eggs

In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter, sugar and water to a boil. Add the flour and reduce the heat to low. Cook stirring until a ball forms and the dough pulls away from the pan. Transfer the dough to a bowl with an electric mixer. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. The dough will become a thick paste. Press the dough into the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking pan that has been sprayed well with baking spray. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Vanilla Pudding

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 vanilla bean pod

Place the sugar and cornstarch into the bottom of a medium saucepan and whisk until combined. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk and half and half. Make sure the cornstarch is well mixed in and that there are no lumps. Whisk in the egg yolks and toss in the vanilla bean. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat until it begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean and pour the pudding to a fine mesh sieve that has been place over a medium sized bowl. Using a spatula, press the pudding through the sieve to remove any lumps. Add the vanilla and butter, mix until combined. If desired, split the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds from the pod. Add them to the pudding. Cover the top of pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the frig until cold.

Chocolate Sauce

makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
6oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips(splurge and get a good quality)
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan bring the sugar and heavy cream to a simmer, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and chocolates. Keep stirring until all are melted and the sauce is smooth. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla. Serve warm and store leftovers in a container with a lid in the frig.


To Assemble

Whisk the pudding before place on the top of the eclair shell. Pour over the shell and spread out. Heat the chocolate sauce briefly in the microwave to make sure it will pour. Drizzle it over the top of the pudding. Top with sweetened whip cream and serve. To make serving easier, I cut the shell into 12 squares first and reassembled in the baking dish before pouring the pudding over it. Serve right away. I found that if you place the cake back in the frig, the chocolate will harden and you will have to re-cut it before you can serve it.