Recipe #64: Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
from Food Network's Emeril Lagasse

* 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2/3 cup sherry wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons minced shallots
* 3/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
* 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 1 (1 3/4 to 2-pound) skirt steak

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic and shallots. Pulse until well blended but do not puree. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the crushed red pepper. Remove 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce from the processor and transfer to a non-reactive bowl, cover with plastic wrap and reserve at room temperature for up to 6 hours. (If cooking steak another day, refrigerate sauce and return to room temperature before serving.)

Season the steak with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt on each side, as well as 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper per side and place in a large, resealable plastic bag. Add the remaining chimichurri sauce from the processor. Seal bag and refrigerate the steak for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.

Preheat a grill to medium heat.

Once the steak has finished marinating, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush the excess chimichurri sauce off the steak and set the steak over the hot grill. Cook for 6 minutes on the first side. Rotate the steak 45 degrees, and cook another 6 minutes. Turn the steak over and continue to cook until the steak is done, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Once cooked, lay the steak on a clean cutting board, and allow it to rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing across the grain into 2-inch wide strips. Serve with crusty bread and the reserved chimichurri sauce.

Recipe #63: Emeril's Chuck Wagon Chili

Emeril's Chuck Wagon Chili
from Food Network's Emeril Lagasse

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 3 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Emeril's Southwest Essence
* 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 1 bay leaf
* 3 cups chopped yellow onions
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 (12-ounce) bottles dark beer
* 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed, with juices
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 cup beef broth
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1-ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 2 tablespoons masa harina
* Grated Cheddar, for garnish
* Finely chopped green onions, for garnish
* Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish


Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Add the beef, chili powder, cumin, Southwest Essence, cayenne, cinnamon, crushed red pepper and bay leaf and cook until meat is well-browned. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beers and cook until the foam subsides, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, salt, and chocolate to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until thickened and meat is very tender, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Skim off any fat that rises to the top of the chili. Sprinkle soup with masa harina and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve with the cheese, green onions, and cilantro alongside as garnish.

Recipe #62: Roasted Tomato Soup

This soup is delicious. I don't have an imersion blender, so I used a food processor instead. After roasting the tomatoes, garlic, and onions, I let them cool and then put them in the food processor.

Instead of adding the cream, I added about four ounces of goat cheese that I was afraid we weren't going to use. The goat cheese added a great flavor, especially when I had it the next day for lunch.



Roasted Tomato Soup
from Food Network's Tyler Florence

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
Vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, optional
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional


Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later). Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with 3 or 4 roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.

Recipe #61: Pancetta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Brussels Sprout Pasta

Pancetta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Petite Brussels Sprout Pasta
from Food Network's Emeril Lagasse

2 tablespoons plus more, for drizzling, olive oil
2 cups diced pancetta
3 cups baby Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
1/4 cup diced shallots
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 pound angel hair pasta
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmigianino-Reggiano, for garnish


In a large stock pot over high heat, bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and pancetta. Let pancetta render, about 3 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and toss to coat with oil. Cook for 5 minutes or until Brussels sprouts begin to brown. Add shallots, wine and garlic and let the mixture reduce, about 3 minutes. In the meantime, drop the angel hair pasta into the water, being sure not to overcook. Drain the pasta well and pour into the saute pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat with the Brussels sprout mixture. Pour into a large serving bowl and garnish with Parmigianino-Reggiano.

Recipe #60: Antipasto Pasta Salad

I added mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, and hearts of palm to this recipe. Pres loved this dish.

Antipasto Pasta Salad
from Food Network's Emeril Lagasse

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound rotini pasta
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Emeril's Italian Essence, or other dried Italian herb mixture
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups 1/4-inch cubes provolone
1 cup thinly sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 cup thinly sliced salami (1/4 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced prosciutto (1/4 pound)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Combine 2 tablespoons salt, the olive oil, and 4 quarts water in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the rotini and cook, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking together, until just al dente, about 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash together the garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, Italian Essence, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.

Drain the rotini and rinse under cold running water until cool. Add to the vinaigrette, along with the provolone, tomatoes, salami, prosciutto, parsley, and basil. Toss to mix. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Let the salad return to room temperature before serving.

Pizza "like Becky"

A few years ago, our friend Becky made pizza with homemade dough for us. Since then, Pres asks for pizza "like Becky." Last year I found a great recipe for the dough on the Cooking Light website (see the bottom of the post). It's super easy to make using a stand mixer to knead the dough. When I make it, I make a boy pizza for Pres and a fun pizza for me.

Pres's boy pizza has marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, onions, green pepper, mushrooms, and pepperoni. My pizza has caramelized onions, pear slices, walnuts, bleu cheese, and mozzarella cheese. I losely followed this recipe. After topping the pizzas, I cooked the pizzas for about 12 minutes on 500 degrees.



Wheat Pizza Dough
from Cooking Light

* 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
* 1/4 teaspoon sugar
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
* 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
* 1 cup whole-wheat flour
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* Cooking spray


Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, oil, and salt to yeast mixture, stirring until well-blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough in half; roll each half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Top and bake according to recipe directions.

Note: This dough may be frozen. Follow directions for kneading dough, and shape dough into 2 balls. Coat balls with cooking spray and place into a ziptop plastic freezer bag. Thaw overnight in a refrigerator. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85'), free from drafts' 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If Indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Shape as instructed.

Nutritional Information for Two Entire Pizza Crusts

Calories: 847 (11% from fat)
Fat: 9.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.9g)
Protein: 25.7g
Carbohydrate: 164.6g
Fiber: 12.7g