How to Grill the Perfect Steak

I love a good grilled steak, some mashed potatoes, and a good glass of Pinot Noir. But there is nothing worse than steak that isn’t cooked correctly, since it will ruin the entire meal. And it’s a waste of a perfectly good piece of meat. So here are a few tips to help you have that perfectly grilled steak.

1. Bring your steaks to room temperature before cooking.
2. Preheat your grill to maximum temperature.
3. Generously season both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Place the steaks 3 to 5 inches from the flame and sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Reduce the heat to moderately hot and continue cooking till desired doneness.
6. Do not cut into the meat to check if it is done.
7. Cooking times depend on the thickness of the steak. But for every inch it takes 10 minutes to reach medium-rare.
8. Let the meat rest 5-10 minutes, depending again on thickness before cutting and/or serving.

Bon Appétit

Green Bean Citrus Salad

Green Beans are in season, and I thought a green bean salad would be a different way to prepare this vegetable. The Green Bean Citrus Salad is inspired from the Greek Green Bean Salad, Fasolkiaa Me Yemistes. It is easy to prepare, as well as low in fat and calories.

Recipe:
1 lb green beans, trimmed to bite size pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon
1 Tbsp of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
Salt and Ground black paper for taste

Put cut green beans into salted boiling water. Cook until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl of ice water. Keep in ice bath for 5 minutes.

Place olive oil, lemon juice and zest, parsley, mint, and oregano in a small bowl. Whisk together. Add salt and pepper for taste. Drain green beans and toss in dressing.

Bon Appéti

Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits

I was watching the Wednesday April 14th episode of Top Chef Master’s. The main challenge was to create an unforgettable soul food inspired meal for actor Mekhi Phifer. You know you are a southern girl at heart when you crave grandma’s cooking after watching this episode. So I came across this recipe, and it may not be my grandmother’s recipe, but it is just as good as if she came up with it herself. It is comfort food at its best, so eat this sparingly.

Recipe:
6 thick slices of bacon
3 ¾ cups bread flour
1 ½ Tablespoons of baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoons of baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons of salt
½ cup (1 stick) frozen unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
Extra melted butter for brushing
2 ½ cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 ¾ cups chilled buttermilk

Position Rack just above center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add butter cubes. Cut butter into flour mixture until it forms a coarse meal. Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss and blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using a scoop, drop about ½ cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature.

Recipe yields about 16 biscuits. Recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, February 2010.

Bon Appétit

Low Fat Chili Cheese Sloppy Joes

Several people have asked me for my Low Fat Chili Cheese Sloppy Joes. An old time favorite that has fewer calories and fat then the original my mom use to make. Choosing a lower fat content in your ground beef, draining off the extra fat with a paper towel after cooking can actually lower the calorie and fat content.

Recipe:
8 ounces 95/5 Ground Beef
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups chopped Red onions
2 ½ divided teaspoons chili powder
4 to 6 garlic cloves pressed
1- 15 ounce can kidney beans, with juices
½ cup drained canned diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 whole wheat bread rolls, toasted in the toaster/toaster oven.
½ cup (packed) grated low fat extra –sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan add ground beef and half of the chili powder. Cook the ground beef through, breaking up with a spoon, about 5 minutes. Drain juices and transfer ground beef on a plate with a paper towel to help absorb excess juices/fat. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes, then add remaining chili powder and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the cooked ground beef and mix together. Add beans with liquid and drained tomatoes. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Mix in cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place toasted rolls on plate and top with chili, cheese, and remaining ½ cup of chopped onions.

Bon Appétit

Fresh Macaroni Salad

One of my favorite places to go for a relaxing vacation is Hawaii. And one of my favorite things to eat while I am there is macaroni salad. Aloha Mixed Plate on the island of Maui makes the best macaroni salad I have ever tasted. But this calorie and fat packed item isn’t something that I can eat all the time. So I came up with a healthy and fresh macaroni salad. That lets me eat my macaroni and get some vegetables in me as well.

8 oz bag of whole wheat macaroni noodles
1 pound of broccoli crowns cut into small pieces
16 oz of cherry tomatoes
½ of red onion, diced
1 cucumber, chopped and peeled
Salt and Pepper for taste
Low Fat Organic Italian dressing for flavor

Cook Macaroni noodles and cool. Steam broccoli and cool. Once the noodles and broccoli are cold, mix in tomatoes, onions, and cucumber. Season with Salt and Pepper. Add Italian dressing before serving. Use sparingly.

Tip: You can also use carrots and celery (which is often found in Hawaiian style Macaroni salad); I was using what was in my refrigerator.

Bon Appétit

Baby Greens with Candied Hazelnuts and Blue Cheese

Tired of the same old salad? I know that I get sick of eating the same thing over and over again. So to spice up our salad or should I say sweeten up our salad, I have candied hazelnuts to add a twist to your salad. If you want to keep the sugar and calorie count down you can just dry roast the hazelnuts instead, skipping the candied hazelnut section of this recipe. This recipe makes 6 servings and is around 300 calories per serving.

Ingredients:
For Candied Hazelnuts:
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
¾ cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 medium shallot, minced
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
½ extra virgin olive oil

For Salad:
1- 5 ounce bag of mixed baby greens
2 large ripe pears, halved, cored, and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:
In a small saucepan simmer water with sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. And lightly butter or use cooking spray on a shallow baking pan.

Coarsely chop hazelnuts. Stir nuts into water and sugar syrup, and simmer for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon transfer nuts to the baking pan, arranging in one flat layer. Bake nuts in the middle of the oven until golden brown, around 15 minutes. Immediately add butter to nuts, tossing to coat and separate.

Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool (nuts will crisp as they cool). Nuts can be candied 2 days ahead of time. They need to be kept in an airtight container and a cool dry place.

Whisk lemon juice, mustard, shallot, and thyme in a small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Divide greens into 6 plates. Top with pear slices, dividing equally. Sprinkle with cheese and candied hazelnuts.

Bon Appétit

Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

It’s my birthday today, and I believe there is a time when everyone should splurge on something they like. So why not on your birthday? So here is my splurge item for the year, Chocolate Espresso Mascarpone Frosting. And no I wasn’t the kid that ate only the frosting, I actually liked plain chocolate cake without all that fancy stuff.

This frosting is so good you could even mix in chocolate chips, and serve in small ramekins like a chocolate mousse. And garnish with a chocolate graham cracker.

Ok enough drooling here is the recipe. Bon Appétit!


Recipe:

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s preferably)
1 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 8oz tubes of mascarpone cheese

Sift the cocoa powder to get out lumps into a large bowl.

Bring one cup of heavy whipping cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly pour the cream over the cocoa, while whisking. Continue to whisk until the cocoa is completely dissolved. (2 minutes). Add sugar and ½ cup of chilled heavy whipping cream. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Cover and chill until cold (about 2-3 hours).

Add mascarpone to chilled mixture. Beat with a mixer on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to med-high; mix until mixture is thick and you can form a firm peak. (2-4 minutes). Do not over beat or it will curdle/separate.

Keep chilled till you are going to frost and serve.

*Served best with a chocolate or white cake. You can add chocolate chips or curls for decoration.

Kalamata Salad Dressing

They say that every good French chef should have a good salad dressing recipe. Well I am not a chef, but I do have a superior salad dressing recipe. And it is my version of Kalamata Dressing. The dressing is made with Kalamata Olives, also known as the Greek Olive. Kalamata olives originated from the Kalamata region in Greece. Often the Kalamata olive is made into Olive Oil, but when it is not you can find the olives packed in vinegar or brine. It is purple in color and crowded with flavor. Its flavor might be described as meaty, and is often accompanied alone or with cooked meats.

I once had the opportunity to briefly visit this region. Enjoying its beauty and lush valleys filled with olive trees. We were on our way to Delphi which sits high up in the mountains. Below was the city of Itea, which sits next to the sea. In between Itea and Delphi were the fields of kalamata olive trees. The heartland of all things Kalamata. At Delphi, a city that has a view at every corner and in every direction. You could see the sea in the distance, the mountains above us, and the view of Kalamata olive trees below. That night in Delphi we enjoyed a huge Greek feast of course with fresh Kalamata Olives, sitting at an outside terrace overlooking the views below. Life doesn’t get any better or fresher then that. It is one of the prettiest places I have ever been; and it is no wonder that I love this salad dressing.

Best if served with a salad or as a dipping sauce for breads. It makes an incredible merger with an arugula, tomato, cumber, and Greek feta cheese salad.

Bon appétit.

Recipe:
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (packed) pitted Kalamata olives without the juices
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

In a blender puree the extra -virgin olive oil, olives, and vinegar. Season dressing to taste with pepper.

*Note: if the salad dressing has a vinegary taste that is not to your liking, add sea salt to help cut the acidity taste. And next time cut down on the vinegar portions a teaspoon at a time.