Too Darn Hot

Forecast for Olney, IL for this week:




This is ridiculous. I had a former student stationed in Afghanistan tell me the weather is better there. Sheesh.

So my mission, should I choose to accept it, is to serve meals that are refreshing, light and yummy. I knew we had leftover Bourbon Marinated Flank Steak to eat. Then I remembered how much my husband likes the steak salad served at Olde Tyme Steakhaus.

An idea was born. Since this meal would be our main meal of the day, I wanted to add a bit more, so I also remembered we ate a yummy bruschetta at Buca Di Beppos in Indianapolis. The following meal was my attempt at putting two restaurant-inspired dishes into one meal.




Balsamic Glazed Bourbon Steak Salad with Bruschetta and Fresh Fruit.

The salad was the easy part:

2 Bags of "Italian Mix" Lettuce
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 a green pepper, diced
1 large mushroom, sliced and sautéed
1 tomato, diced
Feta Cheese, crumbled
Balsamic Glaze
Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 lb Bourbon Marinated Flank Steak leftovers, cut in bite-sized pieces

Heat the steak in a frying pan until warmed through. Drizzle the balsamic glaze on the meat, lightly coating it. Allow it to carmelize a bit on the meat - darkening the color and intensifying the flavors.

Then, build the salad. Lettuce, green onions, green peppers, tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, meat, Feta cheese (or blue cheese - my hubby prefers that, and would also work quite well with the "balsamic" theme). Then, drizzle balsamic vinegar over the salad - but go easy! I skipped the traditional addition of oil - to me, it doesn't add much except extra calories.

Bruschetta recipe:
Loaf of sourdough bread, about 4 inches in diameter
1 tomato
Several leaves of fresh basil - a couple stems worth
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 large clove of garlic

Roll the leaves of basil into a tight roll, then slice into strips (aka "chiffonade" - click here for a video explanation). In a small bowl, combine about 2 tablespoons of the basil with a quarter of a cup of extra virgin olive oil (I resisted the temptation to use the abbreviation "EVOO" there, because the next thing you know, I'd be calling sandwiches "sammies" and saying "yummo". Ick.). Set the oil/basil mixture aside while prepping the rest.

Slice the sourdough bread on the bias (diagonally, across the loaf, so as to create slightly larger pieces, and a crust that is easier to bite through - demonstrated here with a carrot, from the Food Network show "Worst Cooks - so bear with me on this one, it gets the point across), about 3/4 of an inch thick. Place the slices on a broiler pan lined with aluminum foil.

Dice the tomato, placing the more firm, fleshy pieces in one dish, and the mushier inner bits into another. (I'm not going to make it on "Next Food Network Star" with guidance like this, but dangit, it's how I think, with regards to cooking, anyways.) Put the mushier bits, a few strands of the basil and just a tiny bit of kosher salt into a small food processor and purée. Then, run this mixture through a strainer to remove most of the liquid, forming a fresh tomato paste.

(The idea here is to provide a sort of glue that will hold the firmer diced tomato bits on the bread. One of the concerns my daughter had with the restaurant bruschetta was that the yummy tomatoes kept falling off, and she had to scrape them from her plate back on the bread. Putting the purée on first will stop this from happening).

Lightly brush the slices of bread on one side with the basil-infused olive oil. You can also use an olive oil spray, if you want to reduce the amount of oil. Place under the broiler set to "high" - and keep an eye on them! When they just start to brown, remove them from the oven, and rub the clove of garlic (which you have already cut in half, so it will release its garlic-essence on the bread) on each slice of bread. Then top with a small bit of purée, then a few of the diced fresh tomatoes, and a few strands of the fresh basil. Place back under the broiler, and again - keep an eye on them! The goal is to heat the tomatoes and basil just enough to soften them a bit.

Serve with a small dish of the basil infused oil. Here's mine:




The "fresh fruit" was simply sliced up strawberries, kiwi, bananas and whole grapes. I actually made this first, to give the fruit favors time to macerate. Be careful though - cut the bananas too far in advance and they turn brown - not very appealing to the eye.

The meal was a hit, and met every goal. For those of you familiar with the Weight Watchers Points Plus system - the whole meal was only 7 points (3 for the bruschetta, 4 for the salad, and the fruit was free). Light, filling, and yummy - even my daughter thinks so - see!





Side note: the music I played while I made this meal was my Pandora station based on the music of "Little Charlie and the Nightcats". I've named the station "Low Down Blues" - and if you dig raw, earthy, nitty-gritty, bar band blues, you should check them out...fun to dance around the kitchen, and to paraphrase Muddy Waters, "Get my mojo workin'." Good times!

John Wayne Ate Steak

Our daughter has recently decreed that her favorite food is steak.

Who can blame her - really, a good steak is just hard to beat. I always feel a bit decadent while eating steak - it's a summary of most of the seven deadly sins wrapped up in meaty goodness.

It doesn't have to be so sinful, though. It's not just the "greedy" who can afford a steak - certain cuts are comparable in cost to chicken, and if prepared well, satisfy one's steak cravings. And - one does not need to be a glutton while enjoying it - the same inexpensive cut is actually quite lean.

I'm talking about flank steak. Bourbon-Marinated Flank Steak.





As side dishes, I served mashed red potatoes to my husband and daughter, and corn on the cob and sliced red tomatoes to my daughter and I. The small cup contains the boiled-down marinade to use as a dipping sauce. It's strong, and perhaps a bit salty, but was a nice contrast.

Since we don't have a grill up-&-running yet, I broiled it, and it carmelized quite nicely.

If you look in the comments for the recipe, you'll see that many have included brown sugar into the marinade - something I will try next time.

And-we only ate half the meat! I think I will serve the leftover steak on salads or lunch today.

In my search to find appetizing, inexpensive, quick and healthy meals, I believe I have found another that fits the bill.

Even John Wayne would be proud.

Playing Grown-Up

My grandmother, when aged well over 90, said something very interesting.

"You know, in my mind, I'm really 23 years old."

In a similar vein, I often have moments in which I question at what moment I became a "grown-up". I fondly remember Mr. Rogers speaking of "grown-ups", and vaguely being aware of my parents falling into that category. I watched TV, and began to understand that grown-ups lived in a different world. They had to go to "work". They didn't have fun the same way I did. I liked to swing on swings, and ride my bike. They...talked. And talked. And sometimes, ate food and drank fancy looking drinks while talking.

I didn't get it.

However, this evening I made an attempt to enter this world by serving food and some fancy drinks for my hubby and a couple good friends. And I say, as experiments go, I think this one was a success.

I decided to attempt a 4-course meal in the Italian tradition. The first course, or antipasto, is a light course, a sort of appetizer. The second course, or secondo, often includes pasta of some sort. The primero course includes a meat, often a grain of some sort, or maybe a salad. And finally, dessert.

The antipasto comprised of three cheeses, crackers, and a Gewerstheimer wine:



The cracker plate included Parmesan crackers in the middle, surrounded by aged cheddar beer crackers. The cheeses, from left to right, are Romano, smoked Gouda, and aged Vermont cheddar. The crackers were from The Fresh Market, as well as the smoked Gouda, but the other cheeses were found at our local Wal-mart. I've found that if you look, some decent cheeses can be found in Olney...you just have to look.

The second course - that I became so preoccupied with serving that I forgot to take a picture - was farfalle pasta with sautéed bell peppers, red sauce and grated Italian cheeses. It was yummy - and very simple to make.

At this point in the evening, we found we were to host a couple new guests - our daughter with her boyfriend. This turned the evening into an actual dinner party - man, then I really felt like I was playing "grown-up"! It was nice to have them join us - both quite an enjoyable addition to the party!

The primero:



Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Glaze, with salad.

I actually carmelized some onions...and forgot to serve them until the end. I don't entertain often...have I mentioned that? The above dish was also very simple, but very good! The pretty little glaze is a bottled glaze that is a balsamic flavored syrup - complimenting the chicken quite nicely. It received quite positive reviews.

The dessert was made by my friend Hillary - and wowwie, what a wonderful close to our meal!




This is a layered angel-food cake, topped with a mascarpone cheese frosting, coconut, strawberries - and was served with dark chocolate shavings. Delicious! Hillary is an amazing cook - she has been kind enough to cook for us in the past, and she always serves delightful meals! This cake was a perfect balance of saint and sinner - both light and decadent at the same time. Win!

We served a sweet Italian white wine with the dessert - the name of which escapes me, and frankly, I had not heard of the variety before.

The meal was a smashing success - but, more enjoyable was the company, the conversation, and the opportunity to relax (for most of us ;-) ). In playing "grown-up", I began to understand the appeal. A good time was had by all.

I will say, however, that I still like to swing on swings and ride my bike. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

And in my mind, I'm really 7.

Mmmmmm....porky goodness

Father's Day deserves a special food offering, don't you think? I saw this recipe in an email from Food and Wine magazine, and had to try it out! A real man deserves a real meaty treat for his day - this fit the bill.

Honey Baby Back Ribs with Whiskey Marinade

These were so easy to make. I put them in their yummy whiskey bath yesterday, and let them marinate for a day. Then, I put them in the oven before we left for church. Two hours later, after we were appropriately "churched up", as Cab Calloway would say, they were mostly done - all I had to do was glaze them, make the dipping sauce and make the side dishes.

We don't have a functional grill, so I used our broiler instead. If I make this again - which I probably will - I will be patient and let them carmelize a bit more, for that yummy, sweet-yet-slightly-burnt flavor.

Also, the dipping sauce is very thin, pungent and acidic - not a thick sauce as you BBQ aficionados may be used to, but more of a contrast than a compliment. My hubby and I liked it, our daughter didn't.

And - they're so pretty, aren't they? I would be tempted to make these to entertain guests - with some fancy sides, of course.

So - Happy Father's Day to my honey, and all of the other wonderful men who have served as role models, made the sacrifices, and just do what great Dads do everyday. Thank you all...and to the families that love them - make these ribs and show them some whiskey-honey love!!!