Swiss Steak is named Swiss Steak because the meat has undergone a process called “Swissing” in order to make it tender. Beef Steaks for Swissing are generally steaks that are not very tender unless they are cooked slowly in moist heat. It is made either on a stove or in the oven and does not get its name from Switzerland, as the name suggests, but the technique of tenderizing by pounding or rolling called “swissing”. In England and in some parts of the United States such as the Deep South, it is also called a smothered steak. Using round steak in this recipe makes for an economical dinner.
Swiss Steak
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
1 onion, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 pounds boneless round steak, 3/4 to 1 inch thick
1 1/2 cups beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter.
Cut round steak into serving-size portions. Pound the steak until1/2 inch thick with a meat mallet. Flour the steak pieces, pressing the flour into the meat; transfer to the skillet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper; brown the round steak thoroughly, turning to brown the other side, Remove to a plate. Save the remaining flour.
Saute the onions and sliced mushrooms for about 5 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir in the remaining flour and cook for a minute or two.
Add the beef broth, stirring well. Return the browned meat to the pan, cover, and simmer on low heat for at least 1 ½ hours or until the meat is very tender.
Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 large garlic clove, peeled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water by 2 inches and add 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Add the garlic clove. Bring to a boil; cook until the potatoes are very tender and easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes and garlic to the saucepan. Heat over very low heat for a minute or two to dry the potatoes.
Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes and garlic with olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients
Half a head of broccoli
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lemon, squeezed
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Oil a baking dish.
Trim the ends of the broccoli and peel the stalks.
Place the broccoli stalks in the baking dish and top with the remaining ingredients.
Roast the broccoli until tender 15-20 minutes.
Steak In Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pound ribeye steak
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
Half a sweet onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
Slice the steak into very thin slices, about 2 inches long. Salt and pepper the steak slices.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a skillet on high heat and add the steak slices.
Sear the slices on high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the slices to a plate.
Lower heat to medium turn the steak over and cook an additional two minutes on each side
Add one tablespoon of butter to the skillet.
Add the mushrooms and onions, and brown for 4-5 minutes before stirring.
Stir and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in the flour, cooking the flour for 30 seconds.
Add the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce to the pan and whisk until smooth.
Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Stir the sour cream into the sauce and then add the steak slices. Heat for a minute or two before serving.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Each pound of uncooked potatoes yields about 2 cups mashed potatoes
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
Coldwater, for cooking, enough to cover plus 1-inch
1 teaspoon table salt
¼to 1/2 cup heavy cream (depending on how thin you like mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
Salt to taste
Directions
Scrub the potatoes well and peel. Cut potatoes into pieces of similar size. Drop the potato pieces into cold water as they’re prepped, then drain before cooking. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, then stir in table salt. Cover and bring to a boil on high, reduce the heat to maintain a steady low boil until the potatoes are tender and a knife moves easily through the center, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
While the potatoes cook, in a small pan, gently heat the butter and cream together, keep warm.
Return the drained potato to the hot pot, turn the heat to medium and let the excess water cook off for a minute or two, stirring occasionally.
Mash the potatoes until smooth. With a spatula, slowly turn the hot cream-butter mixture into the potatoes. Taste and adjust the salt to taste and serve immediately.
Skillet Green Beans
Serves 4
1 pound green beans, washed, ends removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed flat with the side of a knife
1/4 cup water stirred with 1/4 teaspoon honey
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the skillet on medium-high and oil until shimmery.
Add garlic, sprinkle with salt. Cook 30 seconds or until lightly golden, stirring.
Add the beans, turn a few times to coat well with the oil.
Stir in the water/honey mixture. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Cover and cook 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are slightly wilted but still crunchy.
Uncover and increase heat to high. Cook 2 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the beans are cooked but still bright green.
Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
Transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with the syrupy liquid from the skillet.
Oven Roasted French Cut Ribeye Steak
Ingredients
Onion Topping
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Steak
1 ½ lb bone-in rib-eye steak, frenched
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
For the onions: In a medium skillet melt the 2 tablespoons butter and add the sliced onions. Cook until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper; let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon. oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add the steak to the skillet. Cook until seared and golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Scatter thyme and rosemary sprigs evenly in the skillet and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
Roast steak in the oven, turning halfway through cooking and basting frequently with the herb butter in the skillet until an instant-read thermometer inserted into steak registers 125° for medium-rare, 12-15 minutes, or to your desired doneness.
Transfer steak to a cutting board. Drizzle with herb butter from the skillet and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain and divide among serving dishes. Top each serving with some of the sauteed onions.
Pan-Fried Potatoes
Ingredients
1 pound small potatoes, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 lemon, sliced
Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Place the sliced potatoes in a skillet cut side down. Top with the garlic, thyme and lemon slices. Add salt to taste. Cover with cold water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Drain well and reserve the garlic. Return the potatoes to the pan cut side down, add the garlic and olive and cook the potatoes until brown.
Sauteed Spinach
Ingredients
10 pkg, frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat until the spinach is hot and tender about 6-7 minutes.
Baked Salmon
2 servings. Double the recipe for 4 servings.
Ingredients
1/3 cup plain panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.
Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a plate. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.
Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, without turning.
Transfer the pan to the hot oven for about 10 minutes until the salmon is cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon with lemon wedges.
Crispy Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
4 russet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Butter
Sour Cream and chopped chives for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Scrub potatoes to remove any dirt or debris. Dry with paper towels.
Poke holes over potatoes with a fork in about 5-6 places per potato.
Coat the outside of each potato with olive oil and salt.
Place potatoes on a baking pan.
Place the potatoes in the oven, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes, until they offer no resistance when a knife is inserted in their centers.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, slice them open down the middle, add a tablespoon of butter and sour cream with chives to each one and serve immediately.
Sautéed Leafy Greens
4 servings.
Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb. leafy greens (kale, chard, or collard greens)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Directions
Chop the garlic and onions, and then set aside. With a knife, remove and discard the stems. then chop the leaves into small pieces and set aside. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and black pepper. Heat for 2minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are soft. Add the leaves and cook, covered, for 3-5 minutes until the greens are tender.
Add salt to taste and serve.
Most of the ingredients in this pie are leftovers from my roast chicken dinner that I shared last week. Here is a link to the post: https://jovinacooksitalian.com/2019/11/13/mediterranean-style-roast-chicken/
Roasting a whole chicken is a delicious and economical way to give you several meals over the next week. Here is the recipe for one of them. Later in the week, I will share the Chicken Enchilada recipe I made with the remainder of the chicken.
Shepherd’s Pie
2 servings
Ingredients
2 carrots, diced
2 cups cubed leftover roasted chicken
2 cups diced leftover green beans with mushrooms and onions
11/2 cups leftover sauce from roasting the chicken
2 cups leftover olive oil mashed potatoes
Butter-flavored cooking spray
Directions
Partially cook the carrots either in the microwave or by boiling. Set aside.
Reduce the chicken sauce down to 1 cup in a small saucepan.
In each of 2 individual ovenproof casserole dishes, place half the carrots, half the chicken, half the green beans and ½ cup chicken sauce. Mix well.
Spread 1 cup of mashed potatoes over the top of each pie bringing the potatoes to the edges of each dish.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly spray the mashed potato topping with butter-flavored cooking spray.
Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the broiler on for a minute or two to brown the topping if it doesn’t brown during the baking.
Turkey Scallopini with Capers and Lemon
Ingredients
4 turkey cutlets ( pounded to 1/4-inch thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fresh sage leaves, for garnish, optional
Directions
Pat turkey cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the turkey in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook the turkey until browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered. Repeat with remaining cutlets and oil and place them on the platter with the previously cooked cutlets.
Add garlic, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil until broth is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Stir in lemon juice, capers, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add butter and swirl with a whisk until a smooth sauce is formed. Return the turkey cutlets to the skillet with any juices from the platter and simmer until heated through about 1 minute. Garnish with sage and serve.
Kale and Mashed Potato Mix
Ingredients
Half the recipe of sauteed kale
Link https://jovinacooksitalian.com/2019/11/04/meatloaf-parmigiana-dinner/
Half the recipe of olive oil mashed potatoes
Directions
Thoroughly mix together the kale and mashed potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Reheat the mixture until hot., stirring twice, about 3-4 minutes.
Broiled Tomatoes
2 servings
Ingredients
1 large vine ripe tomato
2 tablespoons Italian seasoned panko crumbs
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Slice the tomato in half. Place tomato halves on a small pan lined with foil. Brush olive oil over the cut sides of the tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over tomatoes. Broil 4 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Roast Chicken
Ingredients
4 lb organic chicken
1 medium onion quartered
1 celery stalk cut into 4 pieces
A handful of fresh garden herbs (Sage, Rosemary, Oregano & Parsley)
2 cloves garlic
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
RUB
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425F
Rinse the chicken thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
Place fresh herbs, garlic, onion, and celery inside the chicken cavity,
Mix together the rub ingredients and coat the chicken with it.
Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the baking dish. Mix the melted butter with the lemon juice and pour over the chicken.
Roast for 30 minutes. reduce the temperature to 375F and roast for 30 minutes or until a digital meat thermometer registers 165 F. Baste the chicken several times during the roasting time.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest 15 minutes before carving. Serve the juices in the bottom of the baking pan poured over the sliced chicken.
Mashed Potatoes with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
The better the oil, the better the flavor in the potatoes.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Directions
Place potatoes in a heavy large pot. Cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Boil over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups potato cooking liquid.
Return the potatoes to the dry pot. Stir over medium heat until any excess liquid evaporates. Add 6 tablespoons of olive oil and mash until almost smooth. Mix in enough potato cooking liquid as needed to moisten. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and serve.
Florida Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 pound Florida green beans, stems trimmed
8 oz sliced button mushrooms
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the preheated pan. Add sliced onions to the pan and cook them for 3 to 5 minutes until almost caramelized. Add the green beans and garlic to the pan and continue to cook ingredients for another 3 to 4 minutes until the green beans are almost to the desired tenderness. Add mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and butter. Cook another 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve.
