Chris' Recipes

Bon Appetite!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

Written By: Chris - Feb• 05•12

This dish was inspired because I kept seeing it featured on some of my favorite FOOD Network channel shows and on segments of my favorite morning News show (The Today Show – I love Matt Lauer!)

I did a little homework and learned that Flank steak is a reasonably priced, lean, somewhat tough but flavorful cut of beef that can become very tender through the effects of marinading.  We usually prefer our beef steaks pretty rare.  This steak is wonderful cooked medium rare and thinly sliced at an angle elster zertifikatsdatei erneut herunterladen.

When you prepare it marinated this way, cooked quickly at high heat and serve it thinly sliced, it is simply juicy and delicious!  It might just become one of your favorites too!  It is a cost friendly cut of beef and a big savings over the tenderloin choices we usually go for app for a fee.

Ingredients:
Marinade Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup honey (I use “Joseph’s” – all natural sugar-free Malitol Sweetener syrup that I order on-line)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Other ingredients:

1 to 2 pounds flank steak (one large slab)
Kosher or ground salt
Freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, wisk together the oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, Malitol, ginger, Dijon mustard, lemon – squeeze the juice and pepper corel draw kostenlos.

Place meat in a shallow glass dish die sims 4 haare kostenlos. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly.  Either cover tightly, or place in Ziploc baggie and refrigerate for at least two hours youtube music mobile phone.

 

Preheat grill on high heat setting ndr-mediathek videos downloaden.

Oil the grill grate. Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat searing for about five minutes per side for medium rare, or to your desired doneness.  As a side, we enjoy the freshness of thinly sliced Zucchini drizzled with a little olive oil, salt and pepper nova 3. Do not over cook these.  They take about two minutes or so on either side.

Let steak rest for about 10 minutes, covered with foil prior to slicing.  By resting steaks, you allow all that liquid that was forced out of the edges and into the center time to migrate back out to the edges.  Sounds complicated, but there has been a lot of research on resting steaks.  To learn more: http://bit.ly/6jYsvD

Enjoy with your favorite red wine.  Since this is infused with some Asian flavors, a Zin would be a perfect pick herunterladen!

Enjoy!

Cheers!
~Chris

Posted in Beef, Main Dishes, Recipes , , | 1 Comment »

Caprese Salad

Written By: Chris - Feb• 05•12

The Caprese salad is one we never get tired of.  It’s a simple salad which contains basically slices of tomato, slices of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves on top apps downloaden ohne anmeldung. Drizzled with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil on top and you’re done.

I like to put a fresh special twist to mine!

Ingredients:
4 to 8 Roma or on the Vine Tomatoes
1 ball of Buffalo Mozzarella
1 Garlic Clove
2/3 C Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
½ Fresh Lemon – including the rind
2 Tablespoons Xylitol (sugar substitute)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Fresh Basil

Pour Balsamic into a small pan over low heat adobe flash player für chromeen.
Add the zest of half a Lemon and squeeze in the juice

Add pressed Garlic, Xylitol, Salt & Pepper and simmer to reduce until a thicker syrup consistency samsung fernseher disney plus app herunterladen. Stir often.  It will reduce to about 1/2 Cup.

While the dressing is reducing, slice Tomatoes & Mozzarella download panzer general for free.

Chiffonade (technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables such as Basil being cut into long, thin strips.)

Assemble salad by alternating rows of cut Tomatoes and Cheese frutiger schrift herunterladen.
Sprinkle Basil over top and drizzle with the dressing that has cooled to room temperature.  Drizzle salad with a dash of Olive oil, Salt & Pepper to taste anno free full version.

Fantastic with your choice of red wine!
Enjoy!

Cheers!
~Chris

Posted in Recipes, Salad , | 2 Comments »

Balsamic & Feta Salad (Bill’s Favorite)

Written By: Chris - Feb• 04•12

We LOVE Salads! This recipe is Bill’s FAVORITE!  Salad – with all of its varieties… Cesar, pasta, greens, etc. is a side that I grew up on and believe should accompany just about every dinner meal.  It is economical, healthy and allows one to fill up on vegetables that God put on this earth (including a lot of free Weight Watchers Points™).  Lettuce and other greens are filled with vitamins, fiber and are so good for you bloons td 5 kostenlosen pc!

This salad was Inspired from one enjoyed in the Valley some time ago.  While preparing it, we always change it up a bit… but for the most part, it contains the main characteristics of fresh greens, mild feta cheese, brilliant fruit, subtle veggies, garlic and that bold Balsamic infused dressing lego star wars spiele kostenlos downloaden!

(This is the salad pictured with the Turkey Meatball Main Dishes recipe.)

I like to serve this in individual dishes.  I like to serve hot food on hot plates and will often serve dinner in courses.  Salad deserves to be highlighted and works either alone, or along a side of your favorite dish.  For the salad shown, I’ve combined about one-third of the crisp Iceberg Lettuce and the other two-thirds healthy, dark, leafy spinach and purple Lettuce leafs varieties herunterladen.

I choose to toast nuts that I have on hand (my favorite is Pecan’s) in a dry saucepan tossing over medium heat until lightly browned instagram icon.

Add Tomatoes, green onion, red, yellow, or green peppers, celery, or whatever you prefer on your salad…

Top with about one 1 to 2 Tablespoons of crumbled Feta Cheese (I always keep some frozen and crumble only what I need per dish), 1 Tablespoon of chopped toasted nuts, fresh berries such as raspberries, blueberries and/or blackberries, fresh black pepper and about 2 Tablespoons of prepared Balsamic Salad dressing

Use one cup measuring cup to prepare dressing:
Top with fresh Balsamic Salad dressing:
2 Tablespoons of Sugar-Free Jam of your choice (I used Blackberry)
add Balsamic to fill measuring cup to 1/2 Cup
Add one clove of fresh Garlic
fresh Salt & Pepper
Fill with Vegetable Oil to the 2/3 Cup

Wisc and spoon over fresh salad

 

Enjoy ndr videos!

Cheers!
~Chris

Posted in Recipes, Salad , , | 6 Comments »

Fresh Herbs!

Written By: Chris - Feb• 04•12

People have told me my dishes taste great…. That is a huge compliment, but I’ve discovered by simply using FRESH Herbs when ever possible, versus using dry herbs that the tastes just punch herunterladen!

One of the many reasons I can’t wait to reside in our favorite place (Northern CA)… is the foliage herunterladen! Flowers and Herbs that I could grow all year round?  Seriously!  I am grateful to have grown up in the four magnificent seasons of Minnesota… but as we get older, I’m not loving the fact that our winters are so long.  We truly have a limited growing season for flowers and herbs.  I only started growing my own fresh herbs in recent years and though I’m able to find starter plants at the local garden center and even the Home Depots and Wal-Mart’s of the world…  they are short-lived survival games pc for free!

This is what happened to my Rosemary plant in MN… Makes me sad herunterladen! I do have some in the kitchen, but they don’t like it in doors much.  I read that this is a perennial and will survive up to 30 degrees.  She is in the garage and I’m hoping that we can produce some life back in the spring knx ets4 herunterladen.

But don’t become discouraged if you live in a cold zone like me!  Or even if you don’t keep a garden, you can find most fresh herbs for sale at the supermarket virtually year-round.  The frustration I’ve felt are the high prices for “fresh” herbs in the grocery stores.  The packages are found in the produce department and average about four bucks ($4) a small package and I usually want to use most of it for one meal!  While visiting our favorite valley in northern CA over the past several years… we’ve learned that Rosemary for example, grows like hedges!  I’ve been green with Envy ever since!  Each and every time we visit, I find myself hoarding Ziploc baggies and stuffing them with clipped sprigs of Rosemary that I’ve helped myself to outside of wineries, restaurants and just about anywhere there word templates! These herbs will store for several days if you immerse the stems in about an inch of water in a tall glass, cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate.  Be sure to replace the water when cloudy Download mahjong titans for free. You can also freeze herbs by removing the leaves from the stems, rinsing and drying the leaves, and then placing them in a heavy-duty sealed plastic bag for up to about six months woozle app. (Frozen herbs darken but still retain much of their flavor. I froze a whole bunch of Basil as my friends had an abundance last fall and we continue to enjoy it today download db navigator ticket! I primarily use it in sauces as the flavor is boldly there, but the color and look is not as vibrant or appealing as using fresh)

When we transport Rosemary home from CA – we wrap the sprigs in cool, moist paper towels (press out most of the air from the Ziploc’s); keep them refrigerated until the last moment and then take them home in my suitcase.  I have had great success keeping them alive and healthy until arriving home to be placed in the fridge; and they have lasted for a couple of weeks at home skype für desktop herunterladen!

This link I’ve found as a great guide to help you determine distinct flavors and which herbs may be used particularly in your dishes:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/cooking-tips/fresh-herbs-cooking-guide

I assure you that you will be rewarded when you start cooking with fresh herbs.  Herbs hold wonderful fragrances and are simply pleasing to both the eye and the palate!  Try this to evaluate the quality of a fresh herb: rub the leaf of (any) herb between your finger and thumb.  Then allow the oils and sense to be released….  Your senses will enjoy the greatest pleasure from the herb’s fragrance itself; But it will be its flavor that is released in your dish that will tease… leaving people wondering what made your dish so special!  Think about it, all chefs cook with fresh herbs!  If you find yourself wondering why you never thought to use fresh herbs?  Wonder no more!  Cooking with fresh herbs is easy and makes food taste so much better so just do it!

Learn how to grow your own herbs and to either dry herbs for winter usage, or figure out how to keep some plants alive (in our cold zones like MN) so that you can continue to enjoy exquisite herb flavors in all of your dishes year round.

What would pesto be without basil, or salsa without cilantro? Whether used by the pinch or by the bunch, fresh herbs pull a recipe together by infusing the dish with unparalleled aromas and flavors.  Sometimes, when the effect you seek is subtle, refined, and delicate, a hint of herbs is enough; other times, handfuls are required.

Fresh herbs add a wonderful FRESHER flavor to your meals along with an extra helping of healthy vitamins and fiber.

Fresh herbs are as easy to use as dried herbs… if you know how.  Here is a great guide to Harvesting, Using and Storing fresh Herbs:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/JA00_ISherbs.pdf

My friend recently borrowed me her AeroGrow Garden, which is pictured.  I’ll start my plants indoors and move them out when the weather permits.  In the interim, I keep pots in my kitchen of Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Flat Leaf Parsley, etc.  I often have to take them out of the kitchen window bay because it’s simply too cold and they suffer…. I use them and treat them with caution while I move them to the kitchen/dining room table and allow the warm sun shine in on them.  They are a treasure after all…

Give it a shot!

http://www.aerogrow.com/

Best wishes!

Cheers!
~Chris

 

 

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Grilled Garlic jumbo Shrimp Skewers

Written By: Chris - Feb• 04•12

I typically make each skewer five shrimp per skewer if it’s our main entrée.  This image includes a skewer that was served as a Surf and Turf along with a nice grilled filet Mignon…

If you are having these for an entrée, you may wish to serve the full skewer (one per person) it with sides including a salad and/or a carb of a sort.  They can also be served as an accompaniment to a steak for a surf and turf or as an hors d’oeuvres – but if you are serving them in as such, always remove them from the skewers so they go further updates über getaktete verbindungen herunterladen.

soak your wooden skewers (cheap from any kitchen gadget area of any store for about 99 cents for a big pack) in a cake pan or long-shallow dish to fully submerge them in cool water while you prepare the shrimp Download bf2 for free in full version.

We purchase the cleaned and de-veined jumbo shrimp from Costco.  Large, jumbo style. Don’t go cheap!  I always separate the large bag (from meat section) of shrimp into quart size freezer/vac bags based on how many skewers we think we’ll eat.  I typically do two to four skewers worth per bag kostenlos spiele für iphone herunterladen.

Thaw, rinse and peel the shrimp leaving one section of shell and the tail intact. Rinse the shrimp in a small colander and lay to pat dry on paper towels google street view deutschland download kostenlos chip.

Remove skewers from water and let drip dry on the paper towels.  Remove water from cake pan and place pan on a very low heat burner on the stove download icloud complete folder. In pan place about 1/4 to 1/3 C Canola or  Vegetable oil (cooks hotter than Olive Oil) and add about 1/4 to 1/2 stick of BUTTER (depending on how many skewers you intend to cook).  Once the butter has melted into the oil, add 3 to 4 large cloves of FRESH Garlic through a garlic press.  Stir and remove from heat moorhuhn 3 for free.

Place the shrimp onto the skewers by poking the outside of the tail just above the shell, placing the shrimp into the shape of a “C” while driving the sharp portion of the top of the thickest part of the top of the shrimp.  Scoot shrimp down to the bottom of the skewer leaving enough room to hold with your other hands finger tips.  Repeat with four or five more shrimp until skewer is full merge dragons.

Lay shrimp into melted mixture using a basting brush to ensure each skewer is covered and has some bits of Garlic.  Salt and Pepper each side Download free coloring pages.

On a HOT Grill – lay raw shrimp (grey colored) skewers opposite of grill lines and then leave them alone except to baste with addition pan drippings.  Flames will likely sear the skewers, which is good so don’t move them unless the shrimp appear to be getting black herunterladen. Shrimp cook very quickly and will start to turn a beautiful pink/orange from the underside.  Once they are cooked about half way through and no longer translucent per side, flip skewers and repeat the basting on the other side where you should see prominent grill lines lieder von soundclouden online.

Once the shrimp look like they are cooked on the second half,  I do one final quick flip to cook any of the remaining fresh garlic on it.

Remove and let rest on the platter until you are ready to serve.  That’s it!  Enjoy!

I believe you should “drink what you like” for wine… I like a lot of Value priced wines, but Bill treated me with a VERY special wine this evening… Verite La Muse! I almost enjoyed this dish as much as the wine!

Enjoy!

CHEERS!
~Chris

Posted in Beef, Main Dishes, Recipes, Shrimp, Side dishes , | 1 Comment »
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