Saucy Skirt Steak with Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Steak & Sauce

• 2 1/2 to 3-pound skirt steak
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large sweet onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 dried ancho chili peppers, seeded and stemmed
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

Take the steaks out of the refrigerator to take off the chill.

Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook until caramel in color, about 20 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place the anchos in small saucepot with the stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat and allow the anchos to steep for 5 minutes.

Heat a grill pan or grill to high.

Put the anchos and onion in a food processor. Turn the processor on and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, to taste, and drizzle with EVOO. Grill over high heat for 5-6 minutes total, turning once, for rare. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with lots of steak sauce poured over top.

Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks or thin slices
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or vegetable oil
• 2 slices smoky bacon, finely chopped
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• Chicken stock, as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A few dashes of hot sauce, to taste

Put the potatoes in a medium size pot, cover with water, salt the water and bring to boil over medium heat. Cook until tender, then drain and return the potatoes to the pot.

In a medium size sauté pan, heat a little oil over medium heat and add the bacon and cook until it begins to crisp. Stir in the orange zest and juice and the potatoes. Mash to your desired consistency with some chicken stock to thin the potatoes, if desired. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon and hot sauce.

Things I learned from this recipe-
1. my $9 food chopper is not big enough to equal a real food processor... i had to do the sauce in small batches- lol!
2. i actually do like to eat steak...i like it rare?!?
3. i 100% do not like sweet potatoes - at all


Rating: steak & sauce - YUM
sweet potatoes- for me (a non-sweet potato fan) a not-so-yum

Pork Chops Pizzaiola

• 4 (1 1/2-inch thick) bone-in or boneless pork chops
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 1 medium onion, sliced
  
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup red cooking wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic and stir it around to flavor the oil. Add in the chops and caramelize on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the chops to a plate and reserve. Stir in the onions, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Reduce the heat and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute, then add the wine, and cook for another minute. Stir in the stock and combine well. Slide the chops back into the pan, cover and simmer to finish cooking the chops, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Things I learned from this recipe-
1. the red pepper flakes made me literally cough while cooking because they were so hot!
2. different & spicy but good

Rating: YUM

Citrus-Soy Chicken Stir-Fry

• Salt
• 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
  
• 1 inch ginger root, peeled & grated
  
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1 teaspoons coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound thinly sliced chicken
  
• 1 cup shelled edamame (I used frozen & thawed before cooking)
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound snow pea pods, halved on angle
• 1 small bunch of thin scallions, thinly sliced on an angle 2 inch pieces, whites and greens

Heat a large pot of water to a boil of pasta. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Prepare all ingredients and pile them near the stove top. Mix together the stock, Tamari, ginger, orange marmalade, black pepper and hot sauce in a bowl.

Once pasta is dropped, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. When oil smokes add meat and stir fry 2 minutes then add vegetables and stir fry 3 minutes more, add sauce, toss with pasta.

Things I learned from this recipe-
1. ginger root smells sooooooooooo good!
2. i suggest making a second batch of the sauce (minus the chicken stock) and using for a sauce to top with at the end... the sauce is AMAZING and fabulous and i just thought it needed a little more

Topping sauce- 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 inch ginger root (peeled & grated), 1 cup orange marmalade, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp hot sauce

Combine & bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes to thicken

Rating: YUM

Orange-Balsamic Glazed Chicken & Lemon Risotto

Orange-Balsamic Glazed Chicken

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped

In a large pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high to high heat.

Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. When the oil is hot and ripples, add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes, then turn and sprinkle with rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, vinegar and stock and pour over the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. Add the scallions during the last minute of cooking time.



Lemon Risotto

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small to medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup cooking white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated romano cheese
  
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, heat the stock and 2 cups water over medium low heat.

In a risotto pot or large skillet with a rounded bottom, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to pan and saute to soften 3 to 4 minutes Stir in the rice and add the zest of 1 lemon. Heat the rice for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add in the hot stock, a few ladles at a time, and stir for a minute with each addition, to develop the starch and the creamy aspect. Total cooking time will be about 18 minutes or so. Keep adding stock each time the pan starts to become dry at the edges. When rice is cooked to al dente, stir in the butter, juice of 1 lemon, the cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.

Things I learned from this recipe-
1. wal-mart totally represented and had arborio rice! they actually had all the "fancy" things that i needed for my next 3 recipes (Orange-Balsamic Glazed Chicken & Lemon Risotto, Pimiento Mac & Cheese and Citrus-Soy Chicken Stir Fry)...get it wal-mart! so don't be afraid to try to get funky items there... if you can find them there you can save a ton!
2. you don't have to add all of the chicken stock, just keep adding to keep the rice cooking until al dente and moist... i thought you did so my risotto turned out a little too soupy, but still good!


Rating: Very different but YUM

Florentine Frying-Pan Pizza

• 3 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
• ½ pound mushrooms, sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup milk
• nutmeg
• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  
• 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, quartered
• 1 cup shredded Italian Fontina or Provolone cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 425oF.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Season them with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the butter to the pan and melt. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute, then sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk for a minute. Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Add the mushrooms back to the skillet and stir them into the sauce. Separate the drained defrosted spinach with your fingers to loosen it up as you add it to the pan. Stir the spinach into the mushrooms and sauce. Remove from the heat.

Roll out ¼ pound of pizza dough to form a round large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 6-inch skillet. Wrap and freeze the unused pizza dough in ¼-pound individual portions. Heads up: If your skillet handle isn’t oven-safe, wrap the handle a couple of times with aluminum foil. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of EVOO into the skillet and coat the sides with a pastry brush. Lay the dough into the skillet, pressing gently as you work the dough up the sides so it reaches the edge of the skillet. Fill the dough with the mushroom and spinach mixture and top with Fontina or Provolone and the Parmigiano cheeses. Pop in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges and bottom of the crust are golden brown.

Things I learned from this recipe-
1. cast iron skillet handles stay hot long after they come out of the oven... ouch!
2. be light on the salt you add... i got mine too salty because the cheeses are already pretty salty, so it kind of makes the whole dish get salty fast if you don't go light while cooking the mushrooms and sauce.


Rating: YUM

Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 2 large ancho chiles, seeded and stemmed
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen kernels, defrosted
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
  
• 1 red chile pepper, seeded and chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup of water
  
• 2 limes
• 2 ripe Hass avocados, halved
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Tortilla chips

Add the ancho chiles and the chicken stock to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chiles are tender. Remove from the heat to cool.

While the anchos simmer, heat a medium soup pot with vegetable oil over high heat. Add the corn and saute until charred at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat a little, add the onions, jalapeno, red chile pepper and garlic. Season with cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Saute for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes. Puree the anchos and the stock in a food processor, then add it to the soup pot. Stir in the honey and the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thin the soup with 1 cup of water and simmer over low heat to combine flavors, about 5 minutes.

Zest and juice 1 lime and add to the soup pot. Seed and dice the avocados and add to a small bowl. Dress with the juice of the remaining lime.

Top with diced avocado and ladle the soup over the avocado. Garnish with sour cream and whole or chopped cilantro leaves & serve with tortilla chips.

Things I learned from this recipe-
1. ancho chiles are not a type of chile.... they are DRIED poblano chile peppers
2. the only place in tuscaloosa you can get ancho chiles is the piggly wiggly in alberta city & save-a-lot (lol... go figure!)

Rating:YUM