The Perfect Summer Steak

Summer is one of the greatest cooking seasons of the year. Not only do you have an array of fresh fruits and vegetables readily available (think beets, watermelon, tomatoes, corn, cherries, peppers, peaches, plums etc.), but you also have the opportunity to take full advantage of the grill and other outdoor cooking methods.  I envy those who live in warm climates and are able to grill out year round. Though I suppose being a northern girl who must give up outdoor cooking during torrential downpours and stick to the stove when the grill is lost under multiple feet of snow, I tend to appreciate it that much more in the summer time. This weekend the sun was shining and the grill was calling for an all American meal of steak, mashed red potatoes, salad and good wine.

When it comes to the grill, the men in my life have taught me all I know. Growing up in Kansas City, some of the best meals I have ever had were the result of my dad and his expertise in grilling and smoking. I remember many summer days starting with him preparing and soaking the wood chips for his smoker, slathering baby backs with his very own brown sugar and spice rubs, followed by hours of dedicated basting and temperature checking until the perfect slab of ribs was ready to be served. From barbecue ribs, to smoked chicken, pork chops, beef tenderloin and more, my siblings and I are spoiled when it comes to grilled or smoked food. There is no barbecue better than Kansas City barbecue and the best place to find and enjoy it is at my parent’s house. I may be biased, but I doubt I am wrong.

My husband is also a master griller. Although he does not have the many smokers, fancy grills and tools like my father (I am sure those will come in time), he still knows how to create a masterpiece. The flank steak from this past weekend is actually something he use to make for me when we were first dating. I have made some of my own changes - omitted some ingredients and added others - but he deserves all the credit for this perfect summer steak.

The Night Before:

With a fork, poke holes in the meat. Rub with ginger, black pepper, and brown sugar. Place steak in a Tupperware container and add enough soy sauce to cover entirely. Add in several drops of Worcestershire sauce. Slice up a Jalapeno or two and add on top of the steak (for some great heat!). Close container and refrigerate meat over night. Flip the meat at least one time while marinating. 

You can get away with marinating the meat for 2-3 hours, if you are unable to do it overnight. However, marinating over night results in extremely tender meat overflowing with flavor. It is definitely worth the night before preparation.

The Day of:

About 20 - 30 minutes before grilling, take the meat out of the refrigerator. If you go from the refrigerator straight to the grill, the drastic change in temperature will cause the meat to experience shock, which will result in a drier, less tender steak. Allow the meat to “warm up” a bit before throwing on the grill. 

While the grill is heating up, bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add in red potatoes (usually 2 per person depending on size). Allow to boil until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. 

After the potatoes have been boiling for a bit, it is time to start grilling your steak. Make sure the grill is very hot before putting the steak on. This will help create a nice sear and lock in all the juices. Grill meat until medium rare; about 5-8 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the steak. Cover with lid while cooking.

When the meat is done, transfer to a cutting board and allow to sit for 5 full minutes. Again, this will help lock in the juice.

While the meat is resting, drain your potatoes, and place in a large bowl (do not remove the skins! They add great flavor, nutrients, and texture). Add one tablespoon of butter and roughly 2 tablespoons of fat free milk. Beat until smooth or a until the potatoes reach the consistency you most prefer. If too dry, add a few more drops of milk. Mix in seasoned salt and black pepper to taste.

For the salad throw together a mix of chopped romaine lettuce, carrots, snapped peas, cabbage, tomatoes and your choice of dressing.

After the meat has had the chance to rest for a full 5 minutes, cut against the grain to ensure tenderness. If you like, you can quickly whip up a sauce very similar to that of the marinade. Combine soy sauce, pepper, ginger and a touch of brown sugar; warm on the stove and serve with the meat.  

Enjoy this meal with your favorite bottle of red wine and be sure to savor every moment of your grilled masterpiece. Before you know the snow will be back and you will be dreaming of grill lines on every dish you serve. 

In Honor of Jillian: Low-Fat Banana Bread

I am addicted to Losing it with Jillian. I do not know what it is about this show, but I am hooked. Ever since I saw the last 15 minutes of the very first episode I was done for. I was never a fan of The Biggest Loser, so I am not entirely sure where my addiction is coming from. Perhaps it is because I am an avid runner and am hooked on the endorphins that result. I cannot imagine my life without my workouts. They are my sanity and as crazy as some people find it, I love them. Or maybe it’s because I truly enjoy healthy homemade meals over greasy restaurant food. Or perhaps this is just a freaking good show, either way I am a dedicated viewer.

In any given episode, Jillian surprises the contestant’s by showing up at their houses and promptly moving in with them for a week of serious booty kicking. In that week she teaches them everything they need to know about healthy eating (throws out all the junk food in their house and always takes them to Subway – a little advertising – at least it’s not the extreme and obvious product placement that was The Biggest Loser), exercising (sweat, blood and tears) and even does a little family intervention when necessary. Jillian screams and yells at the contestants as is her known way. There is often crying and occasionally throwing up. It’s great. 

At the end of the week, Jillian sits the contestants down and they all make vows of what they are going to accomplish over the next six weeks before her return. This usually involves a weight loss goal, family promises, and lots and lots of tears and hugs. And with that Jillian is off, only to return six weeks later for the big unveiling. 

The show ends with Jillian’s return and the contestants get to show off their new bodies. Often there is drastic weight loss and obvious change, other times the contestants are looking healthier and fit, but it’s not the “wow” moment you were expecting. Either way, episode after episode, I am impressed with Jillian and her ability to significantly change these people’s lives in one short week. Granted, I am not a complete fool and know that during those six weeks there is presumably a lot of coaching and guidance from Jillian’s staff, health professionals and access to her website (jillianmichaels.com) which is stocked full of helpful weight loss tools. But still, what this show is doing for families across America is truly amazing and inspiring. 

So in honor of Jillian and all she is doing to fight obesity, heart disease, diabetes and the general unhealthiness that plagues our country, I wanted to share some healthy recipes for everyone who is working hard to achieve their weight loss goals and/or lifestyles changes. I do not believe in forbidding any one item from your diet (side note – when I say “diet” I am not referring to the modern term of dieting, but rather the food we consume each day – we all have diets). Rather, I am a strong proponent of moderation, healthy choices and active lifestyles. For many people, the idea of completely cutting out one type of food – be it carbohydrates, sugar, desserts, etc. – can actually be more harmful than occasionally allowing it. By eliminating particular foods, many people end up wanting it more, unable to get it out of their minds, eventually resulting in a blown diets and binge reactions. Although this is not the case for everyone, I have seen it happen enough to know that for me moderation, healthy choices and an active lifestyle is where it’s at. 

Often on Losing it with Jillian the contestants say something along the lines of “I do not know how to make healthy choices,” “I need someone to teach me,” or “I do not know what is good for me and what is not.” These statements appall me time after time. I am waiting for the moment when such statements will no longer shock me to my core; it has yet to happen. Instead, it is jaw to the floor and me yelling to Adam in the other room “how the hell do they not know!” 

Often Jillian will discover that the contestants consume high quantities of fried, processed, greasy food. Many times there are scenes of a family gulping down fast food/high calories meals from McDonald's and other similar chains, as well as myriads of other “oh so not good for you” items. It would be one things if these occurrences were once every couple of weeks, but for many of these families it is daily affair. It is no surprise that many of them are at high risk for diabetes and/or using sleep apnea machines because their bodies cannot breathe on their own. It is truly heart breaking, often times, infuriating and even more proof that we need better education and wellness programs in our schools and workplaces.

Jillian is doing her part to help educate and fight this epidemic and I want to at least do something to help support individuals like the ones one this show. So with no further ado and in the spirit of healthy choices and moderation, here is my better for you, cannot resist banana bread. It is perfect for breakfast, snacks, dessert or just anytime you need a boost of energy (see below for alterations). This bread is packed full of healthy ingredients such as whole wheat flour, low-fat yogurt and is overflowing with vitamin packed bananas. It tastes so great, that you wouldn't have know it is low-fat until I told you. This bread is not dry or bland like other low-fat baked goods and I know Jillian would most definitely approve.  So use this recipe instead of the other full-fat ones and remember it’s all about moderation, healthy choices and active lifestyles.

Low-Fat Banana Bread:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of butter

2 large eggs

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

3 large ripe bananas

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl add the softened butter and sugar and beat until mixed. Add one egg at a time and beat until fully incorporated. Add the mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A little bit at a time, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir only until ingredients are mixed. Do not over mix the batter.

Pour into a Pam sprayed loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until your cake tester comes out clean.

Alterations:  Adding 1/2 cup of chocolate or peanut butter chips to this recipe will turn it into a decadent dessert (and a much better option than chocolate cake!) that the whole family can enjoy without adding too many extra calories. In fact, try dark chocolate chips which are full of good for you antioxidants! And if you need a power breakfast, feel free to add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to provide an extra energy boost and help you power through your morning.  

Continue to look for other “In honor of Jillian” recipes and feel free to leave comments for any other "In honor of Jillian" recipes you would like to see!

Culinary Reads

As most of you can probably tell by now, I have no problem with using recipes. As much as I love creating my own dishes and experimenting with new ideas, I sometimes still turn to my library of books stocked full of old time goodies and trendy new creations.  I love my cookbooks. I love reading my cooking magazines and anxiously await their arrival each month. I cut out articles on products and techniques whenever I find them helpful. And I feel no shame. This is how I learn, this is how I get ideas, this is where I start. 

I also love taking a recipe and altering it until it works for me and my taste buds. Maybe the recipe calls for tarragon, but I am not feeling it at the moment and decide to go with another herb. If the results impress me the change goes into my cookbook. Before long, I have a recipe that originated from a book but has so many edits it’s no longer the same idea. This is the best part about cooking and baking. There are no rules. You can add ingredients, omit ingredients, bake, grill, roast, sauté or fry. As long as you are happy with the final outcome then life is good. Sometimes my adjustments create disasters, other times I even impress myself with the results. I just have fun with it and if something doesn’t turn out then I get to try again. 

I always enjoy coming up with new recipes and starting completely from scratch with nothing but a blank slate and a bright idea; there is nothing better than seeing your very own concoction materialize and then your loved ones truly enjoying it. But on days where the inspiration for something never done before just isn’t coming through, there is nothing wrong with taking advice and pointers from the culinary greats out there.  

With that in mind, I wanted to share with you my four favorite go to culinary magazines: Fine Cooking, Food and Wine, Cook's Illustrated and Bon Appetit. Each of these publications has something different to offer and has provided me with inspiration and education throughout my cooking escapades. 

Fine Cooking: I fell in love with Fine Cooking when my sister Erica gave me a subscription as a birthday present. It is a no frills publication that sports rich photographs (for every single recipe printed) and helpful, easy to understand techniques. Each edition has a specific focus that teaches you all you could ever want to know about a particular in season ingredient or type of dish. Fine Cooking, in my opinion, is one of the best learning magazine available today. It goes beyond the idea of a recipe and teaches the reasoning behind various methods. I also appreciate the insight it provides on cooking tools and gadgets, “The Reading List” (the latest food must reads), helpful tips from readers, as well as nutrition facts for all of the issue’s recipes - something that cannot be underestimated when picking healthy options for yourself and your family. This magazine has been one of my most valued learning tools and one that I will always turn to for the latest ideas and inspiration.

Food and Wine: How could you ever go wrong? The name alone gives enough promise to guarantee this magazine will not lead you astray. Nothing goes better together than these two ideas and this magazine is as diverse and in-depth as the food and wine within it. Food and Wine is a versatile publication that can be appreciated by almost anyone. It contains detailed articles that take you on a trip around the world sampling fine cuisine and exquisite wines; not to mention the recipes that can make your mouth water with just once glance . The articles vary from wine pairings to entertaining guests to stylish dishes and stemware to up and coming restaurants to life on a cattle ranch.  If you are looking to go beyond the recipes and discover the truth about food and wine from start to end and everything that falls in between, this is the magazine for you. It makes a great read anytime, anywhere.

Cook’s Illustrated: Cook’s Illustrated takes us back to the basics. It provides wonderful recipes both new and old and step by step instructions (with sketches!) on how to create these masterpieces. It is a great publication for when you are not quite sure you can take on a particular dish. With Cook’s Illustrated, you can conquer any meal be it new or old. It does more than just teach you how to make a particular item; it truly teaches you how to cook. And if that is not enough, at the bottom of each page the editors provide a helpful hint about either an ingredient or a method that could be used in that recipe; they never fail, I promise. I am also a huge fan of their line of cookbooks including Baking Illustrated and their entire line of “Best” cookbooks; true staples for any chef.

Bon Appetit: Bon Appetit is a vibrant magazine full of personal articles about foodies across the country, travel tips, drinks, restaurants, kitchen designs and shopping lists. I love the “Dear BA Foodies” section which provides wonderful answers to the questions you’ve been thinking, but just haven’t found the person to ask. An abundant number of recipes are spread throughout, between stimulating articles and entertaining stories of relatable food lovers. This magazine is one where you never know what you are going to find and it never disappoints. It has come to the rescue many times when I needed something new to wow my guests. Last winter, I made a meatball recipe from a past issues and to this day I still get rave reviews. From sandwiches, to pasta dishes, snacks, meats, fish, vegetables, desserts, drinks and more, Bon Appetit can provide and it will leave a lasting impression.

All four of these publications are essential to my everyday cooking. Whether it is for a special occasion, or just a Tuesday night, a party of 20 or a dinner for 2, these magazines have everything you need. I hope you come to love them as much as I do. Like I've said before, there is nothing wrong with taking pointers from the greats out there, and these four surely are the greats. 

When the Pantry is Bare: Orange, Ginger, Tomato Shrimp w/Orzo

Last night was one of those nights where the dinner hour was quickly approaching and I had yet to plan a menu. Adam got home from a long day of studying and looked at me with that ‘I am very hungry’ face and I knew I had to come up with something good and fast. I quickly rummaged through the refrigerator to asset what we had on hand. It had been a few days since our last trip to the grocery store, so I knew my options were going to be limited. After spotting an orange and a ginger root (both left over from dishes made earlier in the week), my mind raced back to a recipe that I had seen a few months prior which included orange, ginger and shrimp. Luckily shrimp was one of the few ingredients I knew I had in stock. Knowing I did not have the time or energy to find the exact recipe, I started to throw things together and relied on taste tests along the way to get me to a flavorful and healthy dish. So, here is my quick and easy ‘there is nothing left in the pantry, tomato, orange and ginger shrimp dish' for when you are in a bind and time is not on your side.

What you need:

Ginger Root

1 Orange - zest and juice

Red Pepper Flakes

1 can plum tomatoes

Salt

Onion Powder

Pepper

Shrimp

Orzo

Fresh Basil

Cherry Tomatoes

Step 1: Peel and devein the shrimp. In one bowl combine the cleaned shrimp, orange zest, red pepper flakes, a bit of freshly squeezed orange juice, and freshly grated ginger. Set aside.

Step 2: In a skillet bring to a simmer the canned tomatoes, remaining fresh orange juice, fresh ginger, salt, pepper and onion powder to taste. Allow to cook on low until the flavors come together and the sauce thickens - about 20 minutes.

Step 3: Boil a pot of salted water. Once boiled add in one cup of uncooked orzo. Cook for 8-10 minutes until done. Drain and set aside.

Step 4: Head out to your garden and pick a handful of fresh basil and cherry tomatoes. Rinse, dry and chop. Set aside.

Step 5: Into a saute pan, pour the shrimp mixture and cook through. 

Step 6: Add the cooked shrimp mixture to the tomato sauce and cook for a few minutes until all the flavors blend together.

Step 7: Layer the shrimp and tomato sauce on top of the orzo. Finish it off with fresh chopped basil and cherry tomatoes.

Step 8: Serve with salad and a great bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Fume Blanc. 

Although I usually like to plan out my meals (from a full grocery list to a detailed step by step strategy for conquering multiple pans, grills and all the necessary chopping while keeping all my fingers intact and skin unburned), there is nothing like a time crunch to force me into using my imagination as well as the leftover ingredients the refrigerator. Experimenting with new or made up on the spot recipes is the best way to learn what works and what doesn’t; what flavors go together and what combinations equal disaster. This quick whip up dish surprised me. In my desire to instantly get it on the table, I was worried that I would end up with a bland, flavorless and overall boring dish, but its robust, spicy flavor was a pleasant surprise. The freshness and lightness of the ginger, basil and cherry tomatoes balanced out the spice and left us guessing with each bite and continually reaching for more. Not to mention it was a very healthy option and only took about 20 minutes to make!

Lesson learned from latest cooking adventure: Don’t let limited time or an empty pantry deter you from trying something new. The recipes you randomly throw together, just might end up being some of your favorites. 

Cucina Italiana

My husband, Adam, and I have been talking about planning a trip to Europe for quite some time now. Yesterday, we finalized our plans and in honor of this trip which will end in Italy, I wanted to make a special Italian dish to celebrate. One of my favorite Italian chefs is Lidia Matticchio Bastianich who owns many wonderful restaurants including Lidia’s in Kansas City. I decided her recipe of fish with pepper sauce would be the perfect way to celebrate our upcoming adventure and learn a little bit more about Italian cooking and culture.

This recipe originates in the Le Marche region of central Italy. It includes red and yellow bell peppers, olive oil, salt, onion, celery, peperoncino flakes, marjoram, sage, orange zest, canned Italian tomatoes, and fresh white fish. First you prepare the sauce, then lightly brown the fish before letting it complete the cooking process in the simmering sauce. 

Lidia’s recipe calls for any white fish and she recommends using an oily fish such as bluefish or mackerel. I chose to go with Alaskan Cod fillet and this worked perfectly with the rich pepper sauce. The first step of the cooking process is to roast the peppers for about 1/2 an hour until the skins are loose enough to be easily removed. Discard the seeds and chop the peppers to be used later.

While the peppers are roasting, be sure to chop the necessary ingredients so that everything is ready to go when you need it. Dice up one onion and two sticks of celery. Next heat the olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan before adding the onion and celery and a dash of salt and peperoncino flakes. Allow to cook for a few minutes before adding in fresh springs of marjoram and sage, the zest of one whole orange and the Italian tomatoes plus a cup of water. From here the ingredients need time to soften and meld together, so bring the pot to a simmer and allow to cook for about 20 minutes or so. 

After this is complete and you have added in the roasted peppers, Lidia’s recipe suggest pouring the food into a mill to stain the sauce. I chose to actually go a different route and blend the sauce with an immersion blender. This allowed me to create a thicker sauce which I thought paired wonderfully with the fish. Either way would work, it just depends on what you are looking for. 

After completing this step, it is time to begin cooking the fish. Lidia seasons and flours her fish before frying it in oil. I chose to only season the fish with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and skipped the flour. I then lightly browned the fish on both sides. For me this is a very important step that can make or break the rest of the dish. You want to heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is heated completed, lay the fillets flesh side down in the pan and do not touch it for several minutes. If you continue to check the fish to see how the cooking is progressing, chances are it will not create the crust that you are looking for and the fish will end up ripping into multiple pieces. As much as you want to, you have to resist the urge to look at the fish. After about 3 minutes or so, carefully flip the fish one time and brown the other side for a few minutes.

Finally, once the fish is close to being cooked all the way through, add your pepper sauce to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Let the fish finish cooking for a few more minutes in the sauce before serving. This process allows the sauce to infuse into the fish creating a much more flavorful dish. 

Lidia suggests sprinkling parsley on top of the fish when serving, instead, I picked some fresh basil from our garden and used that as our final flavor. The basil definitely added additional elements of freshness and boldness to the dish. Lastly, along with the fish and pepper sauce, I served sautéed spinach and fresh french bread. The spinach can easily be sautéed at the same time that the fish is cooking. 

This was the perfect meal to celebrate our upcoming trip. I cannot wait to bring back and share with you all the many wonderful recipes of Le Marche and several other regions of Italy. Until then, we will continue to look forward to our trip with the help of Lidia. Buon divertimento!

It's All in the Chips

One of my favorite childhood memories is opening the garage door to my parent’s house after a long day of school and being met with the sweet aroma of cookies baking in the oven. My mother is a great baker. She can whip together a dessert in no time. My love for baking originated in her kitchen. I use to pull up a stool and stand next to her as she whisked together eggs and sugar. I loved when it was my turn to pour in the flour or if I was really lucky, to add in the vanilla. It was not unusual for my stories of playground happenings to be retold over a shared cookie and a glass of cold milk. I loved those days and I still love baking. Freshly baked chocolate chips cookies were a staple in my childhood and now with a kitchen of my own I love testing the limits on what truly makes homemade cookies the perfect dessert.

This past weekend, my younger sister Kathryn came to visit. Somewhere between shopping, sappy girl movies, pedicures, several wonderful meals and one sensational bottle of Chilean wine, baking was involved. Rather than go with a traditional recipes we decided to mix things up a bit with 2 variations of oatmeal cookies. I had on hand, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, peanut butter and cinnamon chips as well as baking M&Ms (for a little color). We knew we wanted peanut butter chips in our cookies, but we were toying with the idea of cinnamon chips as well. 

Logically it did not seem likely that cinnamon and peanut butter would play nicely together in one cookie, but after a few taste tests by Kathryn and the memory of a childhood friend’s favorite snack – peanut butter, cinnamon and banana sandwiches – we had to find out for ourselves. Just in case our experiment did not work out, we split the oatmeal batter in half and made one batch with peanut butter and cinnamon chips and another with peanut butter chips and baking M&Ms. 

Both batches exceeded our expectations. The cookies with M&M’s gave the sense of home that all chocolate cookies require and the cinnamon chips gave an extra kick which played off of the touch of cinnamon in the batter. In fact, Kathryn and I both agreed that the cinnamon and peanut butter cookies outshone the others, especially in combination with the oatmeal. I do not think that we will settle for regular oatmeal cookies ever again. Now the only question is, what flavors should we experiment with next?

Oatmeal Cookie Dough (originated from Allysa Torey’s More from Magnolia):

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ½ cups oats

Combine the butter and sugars until smooth. Mix in vanilla and egg. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix all together then add the oats and 1 cup of peanut butter chips. Cut the dough in half and put one half in a separate bowl. Add ½ cup of cinnamon chips to one batter and ½ cup of M&M’s to the other. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Enjoy! What other cookie flavors have you experimented with?