Thai-Style Steak Salad
July 2, 2012
At least once a week we opt for a dinner salad. Tired from a long day of work or summertime adventures as it may be, dinner can be on the table in minutes with just a bit of forethought. Our secret… grill enough meat on the weekend to have hearty leftovers. Perhaps it is a breast of chicken spared from our ravenous tots or a generous morsel of salmon craftily hidden from my husband’s lunch, or as the case was last weekend, a nice piece of hanger steak. Steak salad takes on endless incarnations, but this is one of our favorites from Sunset magazine years ago.
Thai-Style Steak Salad bursts with flavor from a mixture of fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables, salty peanuts, and a tangy dressing. Using leftover grilled meat makes it a cinch to pull together, but you could certainly grill up a steak for the occasion. The dressing is super light and oil free helping this dinner balance out the indulgences of the weekend. The chili garlic sauce is spicy so adjust the amount to your own taste.
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Fresh Ground Bacon Burger with Homemade Bun
September 3, 2011
This is no ordinary burger, in fact, it is quite possibly the best burger I have ever had. I know, it is a bold statement, but one spoken from the stomach heart. We make burgers once a month or so, usually as an easy dinner. That is how this meal began, as an answer to what to make for dinner that would be easy, popular, and satisfying. That was all well and good, until I got it in my head that I could make everything from scratch. Oh, and add bacon to the beef. Whoa.
After we picked up a meat grinder attachment for our Kitchenaide, we discovered the magic of burgers made with freshly ground meat. This burger includes not only beef chuck roast, but also a very special not-so-secret ingredient, bacon! This was a perfect use for some bacon ends we had from our piggy in the freezer. Using a ration of 4 parts beef to 1 part bacon, I ground the two meats with the course grinding plate. After lightly tossing them to mix, I loosely formed them into patties. I pressed the meat just enough so they would hold together on the grill, but so there were still some small air spaces between the meat pieces. This gives a place for the juices and fat to collect (did I mention this is not a low-fat meal). Grilled over medium high and plopped on a fresh toasted bun, these burgers taste amazing. The bacon flavor is strong enough to make itself known, without being overpowering. The best part is that unlike a burger topped with slices of bacon, the bacon does not slide out of the bun as you try to bite through it. The flavors of the beef and bacon are perfectly blended. And then there is the bun…
This recipe came from King Arthur Bread. They were so good that my son declared, “Mom, these are CRAZY. I never want to buy buns again.” (I love that my kids love to eat!) The recipe uses an egg and some butter, so the buns are very tender and hold together well under the pressure of the burger and condiments. They browned up beautifully and some extra butter brushed over the top yields a very tender top, making it easy to bite into the burger. They came together very quickly and rose through the day. The recipe makes 8 buns large enough for 1/4 pound burgers or bigger. This is enough for two meals for my family, so I froze half of the buns for another dinner. You could also make the buns smaller and use them for sliders. They would be delicious with pulled pork. Mmmmm… We will definitely make these again.
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Vietnamese Hue Noodle Soup
February 27, 2011
Somewhat recently, I discovered Vietnamese Pho and its cousin Hue. There are a number of restaurants in town that dedicate almost their entire menu to these hot and spicy soups. At first, they seemed so exotic and indulgent with the fresh bean sprouts and peppers topping the hot rich broth perfumed with fresh basil or cilantro. When I first made the soup myself though, I realized how incredibly simple and healthy they are. A few simple fresh ingredients come together with some basic Asian cooking staples: rice noodles, fish sauce, and sambal oeleck. The result is a hot and spicy nourishing soup.
To speed up cooking time, consider cooking the broth and meat in a pressure cooker. In just ten minutes, the meat is cooked to an almost divine tenderness. You save time and energy, and the dish is possibly more delicious than the traditional method of slow simmering.
This recipe for Vietnamese Hue Noodle Soup is incredibly versatile. Feel free to substitute chicken or even tofu for the beef (and decrease the cooking time). The garnish is also very adaptable. We have an uncommon fondness for cabbage, so that is our go-to condiment, but that can be replaced with bean sprouts as well. Trade the fresh hot peppers for dried chilies if you prefer. If you do not have lime on hand, give the soup a splash of rice vinegar at the end to add the bright acidic finish. This soup is very good, one of our favorites. Try it and let me know what you think!
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Big Beef Chili
February 1, 2011
I love the Superbowl, but not for the reason you may suspect. Football doesn’t hold much sway with me. What I do relish is the captive, hungry audience to feed. To me, the Superbowl is more about food than it is about the game.
A rich pot of chili may be the ideal meal for game day. It can be made ahead and kept warm on the stove or in a crockpot. Hungry guests can easily fill their bowl whenever they like. I prepare it in the morning and let it cook long and slow on the stove or in the crockpot. All that is left to do before the game is to make sure there is enough beer in the fridge and whip up some cornbread.
Wine Braised Short Ribs
January 1, 2011
New Year’s Eve demands attention. It is the last day of the year, and like many big deadlines, it pressures us to make the most of our final minutes. We often feel obliged to stay up late and live large on this cold night. We either celebrate the blessings of the previous year or say good riddance to a year that treated us harshly. For my husband and I however, times have changed.
This year we did not ring in the new year as we once had. There were no loud parties, drunken dances, or boisterous cheers. Perhaps it is as the checkout gal at the butcher shop and I agreed, we have paid our dues by partying wholeheartedly in previous years and we deserve a night off. Perhaps we are lured by the calm and seemingly more desirable option of staying in with a delicious meal and a bottle of bubbly. Perhaps we just don’t have a babysitter. Whatever it is, the food made the night (and the company of course!).
My Pantry Shelf 