Grilled Steak Fajitas
Flank steaks are usually quite large. When I purchase one, I cut it in half and freeze one half for another meal.
Ingredients
1/2 pound or half of a large flank steak
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste
1 red bell pepper
2 medium Poblano peppers (dark green)
1 small onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 chipotle pepper in adobo + 1 tablespoon sauce, chopped
4 small flour tortillas or 2 large tortillas
Directions
At least two hours before dinner, coat the steak with salt to taste, the ground black pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Let sit in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
Cut the peppers into thick strips, discarding the ribs and seeds. Next, cut the onion into thick slices.
Place oil, peppers, and onions in a medium skillet and cook turning frequently until they are tender. Stir in the chipotle pepper and sauce. Keep warm.
Prepare an outdoor grill or heat a stovetop grill pan.
Place the steak on the grill and cook until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
Remove steak from the grill and cut diagonally into thin slices and add to the pepper mixture in the skillet.
Warm the tortillas on the edge of the grill, keeping them away from direct heat, so they are warm and soften but don’t dry out or turn crisp. Or wrap in paper towels and warm in the microwave.
Place a portion of the steak mixture into each tortilla, fold and serve.
Homemade Coleslaw
I like to make coleslaw in small batches because I don’t think it tastes very good after several days. I also like to serve coleslaw with Mexican entrees.
Ingredients
¼ of a large cabbage, shredded or sliced thin
1 carrot, shredded
2 scallions, minced
Dressing
1 teaspoon honey or another sweetener
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
In a medium serving bowl with a cover, combine the dressing ingredients using a whisk.
Add the shredded cabbage, carrot, and scallions and stir gently to mix.
Refrigerate covered for several hours before serving.
Beef Tenderloin Steaks
2 beef tenderloin steaks, (about 6 ounces each)
Olive oil, for brushing
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place the steaks between pieces of plastic wrap and pound to a 1/2-inch thickness. Refrigerate.
A half-hour before cooking, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and preheat an outdoor or stovetop grill. Brush meat lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place steaks on the grill and cook, without moving, until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat sideways registers about 120 degrees F, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Set aside on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Steak Salad
For 2 servings
3 cups mixed salad greens
Small red onion, sliced thin
Half a cucumber, peeled and sliced
Large tomato, diced
Celery stalk, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Ranch Dressing, recipe below
Combine all the salad ingredients in a salad bowl and drizzle with the dressing according to taste.
Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, and vinegar. Add the chives, parsley, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper and whisk well to combine.
Easy, Easy Biscuits
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping the dough
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sprinkle lightly with flour.
Stir biscuit ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Pour flour mixture into the prepared parchment-covered pan.
Pat into a rectangle and cut the dough into six equal pieces. Separate the biscuits on the pan.
Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Serve with the steak salad.
Easy Dinner Night
Ingredients for 2 servings
Avocado Dressing
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons lower-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons avocado or canola oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, mashed
Tostadas
2 tablespoons avocado or canola oil, divided
2 large tortillas
1 small onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled queso fresco
Directions
For the Dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate until serving.
For the tostadas: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Cook 1 tortilla 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat procedure with 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining tortilla.
Add remaining oil to the pan. Add garlic, onion, and jalapeño; sauté 2 minutes. Add beef; cook until brown. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Continue to cook until the beef and onions are completely cooked, about 5 minutes.
To assemble: Place 1 tortilla on a dinner plate; top the tortilla with 1 cup beef mixture, ¼ cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup chopped tomato, and 2 tablespoons Mexican cheese. Repeat with the second tortilla. Drizzle each serving with dressing.
Ingredients
1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 cups beef broth
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried
2 bay leaves
4 carrots, peeled and cut in half
2 large baking potatoes, washed and quartered
1/2 cup flour ( I use Wondra because it dissolves in liquids)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Season the roast on all sides with salt, pepper, and the steak seasoning.
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil and sear the roast on all sides. Add the onions, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until slightly colored. Add the wine, broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven.
Roast for 1 hour and then add the carrots and potatoes. Continue to cook for 2 more hours. Remove the roast to a serving platter and the vegetables to a serving bowl. Cover and keep warm while you make the gravy
Combine the flour and 1 cup of the braising liquid from the Dutch Oven in a bowl. Heat the remaining braising liquid to a low boil and stir in the flour mixture. Cook until the gravy is thickened. Adjust the taste for salt and pepper. Serve with the roast and vegetables.
Steak de Burgo is a regional specialty in the Midwest, specifically Des Moines, Iowa. The dish usually consists of a beef tenderloin steak either topped with butter, garlic, and Italian herbs or served in a sauce consisting of those same ingredients.
Tracing the steak’s history
Des Moines Cityview food critic Jim Duncan researched the history and name origin of the de Burgo steak. The Des Moines Register’s archives indicate that the steak began appearing prewar on the menus of the more refined restaurants. Restaurants with names like Vic’s Tally-Ho and Johnny and Klay’s claimed to have created the de Burgo steak The steak became popular and began appearing in other restaurants but most of those restaurants have vanished. Duncan reports other historical sources, claiming the de Burgo steak has some kind of connection to the Castilian city of Burgos. The theory infers that, since many immigrants came to the United States during the Spanish Civil War, the original aioli recipe used in early versions of the dish came from a recipe that was outlawed by Franco due to its association with centers of rebellion, which resulted in giving the steak it’s “de Burgo” code name. It’s a fantastic and deeply untrue seeming theory.
Writing in DSM Magazine last year, Wini Moranville offered another theory after interviewing the son of Kay Campiano—part owner of one of the restaurants with claim to the de Burgo’s origin—who stated for the record that his father brought the recipe back from New Orleans after the second world war. However, steak de Burgo doesn’t seem to be prepared anywhere in New Orleans.
The Register’s archives also mention that steak de Burgo was in a 1963 newspaper column titled “Over the Coffee.” This column was written by Harlan Miller and tracks one man’s travels for a week in the 1960s Des Moines. He has steak de Burgo on a Thursday. The de Burgo appears in advertisements for restaurants throughout the 70s.
Source City View http://www.dmcityview.com/
Steak de Burgo
For 2 servings
Ingredients
1 tenderloin steak about 1 lb
Steak rub
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ each Salt and Pepper
De Burgo Sauce
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano
Directions
Preheat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan. Mix the dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Dry the steak with paper towels, rub the mixture all over the meat. Place the steak on the grill and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°).
Remove the steak from the heat and tent with foil.
In a skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the butter. and heat over low. Whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the steak. Slice the steak and serve.
I served the steak with a baked potato and a wedge salad.
Whole Wheat Rye Bread
Ingredients
1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
1 ½ cups rye flour
2 cups warm water
1 ½ tablespoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon deli rye flavor
3 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 tablespoons whole-grain bread improver
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Directions
In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together all the ingredients except the whole wheat bread flour and salt. Mix until smooth. Combine the bread flour and salt. Add 1 cup of the flour at a time to the rye mixture in the mixer. When smooth, change the attachment to the dough hook and knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double about 60 minutes.
Place a piece of parchment in a round cake pan. Turn the dough out onto a breadboard and shape it into an oval. Place the shaped loaf in the pan with parchment. Cover and let rise while the baking pan and oven heat.
Turn the oven to 500 degrees F and place a Cloche pan or Dutch oven in the oven while it is heating. After the oven temperature reaches 500 degrees F continue to heat the oven for 15 minutes.
With a sharp knife cut 3 slits in the top of the risen bread.
Carefully and using hot mitts remove the cover from the baking pan. Pick up the dough in the parchment-lined pan with the parchment and place it in the bottom of the baking pan. Cover and return the pan to the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 450 degrees F, open the oven and remove the cover from the baking pan with hot mitts. Close the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes more or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 200 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Open-Faced Rueben Sandwich
2 servings
Ingredients
2 large slices of rye bread
2 tablespoons mustard
8 thin slices of corned beef
4 slices swiss cheese
½ cup drained sauerkraut
4 tablespoons thousand island salad dressing
Directions
Spread each slice of rye bread with 1 tablespoon of mustard. Lay 4 slices of corned beef on top of the mustard. Spread ¼ cup sauerkraut over the meat. Spread 2 tablespoons dressing over the sauerkraut. Top each slice with two pieces of cheese. Heat the sandwiches in a hot oven, air fryer or toaster oven until the cheese melts. Serve with a kosher pickle and some onion rings.
This dish is always a big hit when I take it to a potluck dinner.
Meat Sauce
Ingredients
3-26-ounce containers chopped Italian tomatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
1 pound ground beef
1 pound meatloaf mix( pork, veal, beef)
1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
To prepare the meat sauce
Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4 to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Make a little room in the center of the pot, add in the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, meatloaf mix and pork sausage and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring to break up the meat until the meat changes color and the water it gives off is boiled away, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking until the meat is brown, about 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and bring to a boil and cook, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pot. Pour in the tomatoes, then stir in the tomato paste until it is dissolved. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to a lively simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and takes on a deep, brick-red color, about 3 hours.
The sauce can be prepared entirely in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Lasagna
Ingredients
Meat Sauce (recipe above)
12 uncooked fresh lasagna noodles
2 containers (15 oz each) ricotta cheese
1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and egg.
Oil a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread about 2 cups of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Place 4 fresh noodles on top of the sauce. Layer half of the mozzarella slices on top of the noodles. Spread half of the ricotta filling over the mozzarella. Add 4 more noodles. Spread with some of the meat sauce. Add remaining mozzarella slices, remaining ricotta filling and cover with 4 more noodles. Cover the noodles with a good amount of sauce. You may not need all of the sauce from the recipe above.
Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray and place it face down on the lasagna and seal tightly. Heat the oven to 375°F. Bake the lasagna for45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the top of the lasagna with Parmesan cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven and cook for 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
To bring to a potluck-cover the dish again and place it in a thermal carrier.
