Chimichurri; My Favorite Steak Topper

There's nothing my husband enjoys more in this world than my breath after I've consumed a bunch of raw garlic and onions. One of my favorite breath-strengthening items has to be chimichurri, a green sauce originally from Argentina used for grilling meats. I love to spread the stuff all over my steak, drenching every bite in fresh herb goodness.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh parsley

1 cup fresh cilantro

4-5 garlic cloves

2 tbsp chopped onion

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp lime juice

salt and red pepper flakes to taste

For a wonderful steak topper, combine all the above ingredients in a food processor and pulse till smooth!

A Sizzling Summer Steak

While I've been focusing a lot on lamb lately, I still have the occasional soft spot for some juicy grilled steak. My summer isn't complete unless I've tossed some filets on the grill and doused them in herb-alicious chimirchurri sauce. As with any good steak, it's important to let the meat marinate for a couple of hours so that the flavor can penetrate, making it nice and juicy. I chose to use a red wine marinade for my steak, but there are lots of options out there if you know how to Google ;)

Ingredients

5 filet mignon steaks

1 cup red wine, preferably Malbec

5 garlic cloves

1 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 tsp kosher salt

black pepper

1 tbsp fresh oregano

1 tbsp fresh parsley

To create a delicious marinade for your steaks, combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl. Instead of mincing the garlic, you'll want to remove the skin and smash it with a knife, releasing the flavor.

Take a knife and stab each piece of uncooked meat about four times, creating holes that will allow the marinade to infuse into the meat. Place the steak filets in the marinade and let them sit for at least an hour before turning. Let them sit another hour so that they really absorb the flavors and become tender.

Heat your grill to medium-high and, in my case, ask your husband to grill them until medium. You'll want to cut into the meat at various points during grilling to make sure they are as rare or as well done as you'd like them to be.

Slice and serve with some chimichurri (recipe to follow!)

My Sister's Caesar

Anyone who knows my sister well knows that Caesar salad has always been her favorite food. I remember being in Spain as kids and Lauren dragging my family around from restaurant to restaurant until we found somewhere that served Caesar salad for lunch.... a very difficult feat in such a meat-eating country. While it may be difficult to find a great salad when out and about, it's much easier to make your own delicious one! Recently, Lauren and I collaborated on making a "healthier" (aka eggless, dairy-free) version of her childhood favorite which we made more elegant with some crunchy parmesan crisps.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 anchovy fillets

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

3 dashes Tabasco

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Worcestershire

freshly ground black pepper

romaine hearts, washed and dried

shredded parmesan cheese

Start by washing and drying the romaine hearts and spreading them out in a platter. You can also slice the leaves into smaller pieces, but I thought this made for a prettier presentation.

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients listed above, minus the parmesan cheese which will be saved for later, until smooth.

To make the parmesan crisps, heat a non stick pan over medium high heat and sprinkle 1 tbsp of cheese into the pan.

Let it cook for a minute, flip and let it sit another minute, or until crisp, then remove. If you don't have a non-stick pan, you can use a regular pan and spay some Pam spray on it.

Drizzle all of your dressing onto the romaine leaves, using your hands to mix them around a bit, so as to spread the dressing around. Garnish with the parmesan crisps and serve. If you have any extra anchovies, you might want to throw them on as well. Hopefully your siblings will be as happy as mine when this is put on the table!

Chana Saag

The last part of my Indian meal was a Chana Saag, or spinach based curry dish often eaten in both India and Pakistan. Combining Chana (chickpeas), Saag (spinach) and tomatoes with aromatic spices made for a flavorful favorite. While served as a side dish, the amount of protein makes it ideal as a main and satisfying for both vegetarians and vegans!

Ingredients

1 1b fresh chopped baby spinach

2 15 oz chickpea cans

1 inch piece ginger, diced

3 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves diced garlic

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tsp cardamom

2 tsp cinammon

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic. About a minute later, add the onions and cook until golden. Reduce the heat and add the coriander, chili powder, garam masala, salt and ginger. Mix well before adding the tomatoes and let it all cook for about 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add the chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the chickpeas soften slightly. Add half the spinach, mix, and let sit for a couple minutes before adding the rest and repeating. Simmer on low for another ten minutes and you're ready for a delicious Indian dish!

My husband, sister and her boyfriend enjoying some Chana Saag leftovers!

Chutney...... Best. Indian. Condiment.

As I mentioned in my last post, I put together a fantastic Indian-themed dinner over the weekend. When I eat out in Indian restaurants, one of my favorite condiments is always mango chutney. The chutney I made was sweet and fruity and served as an excellent compliment to the savory tandoori lamb. While my version was sweet, I think next time I might try adding some red chili pepper flakes or chili powder to achieve that sweet and spicy flavor I love oh so much!

Ingredients

3 cups diced ripe mango

1 inch peeled and diced fresh ginger

1 diced red bell pepper

1 diced garlic clove

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup raisins

1 tbsp honey

Place all the above ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low heat. Simmer until thick, about 20 minutes, stirring often.

Let cool and serve! This chutney was delicious when combined with the tandoori flavored lamb previously posted about!

Tandoori Lamb Two Ways

I'll admit, I've been a little lazy with the blog posting lately. It's not that I haven't been cooking, it's just that I haven't been making anything new. It's so easy to rely on past dishes, knowing they will be well-received. After spending the weekend with my husband, sister and her boyfriend, I fell back into old habits, preparing a variety of new dishes for everyone to enjoy!

My first dish back is a tandoori flavored lamb. I've been pretty obsessed with lamb lately and am on a mission to prepare it in as many mouthwatering ways as possible! Friday night, I prepared the lamb two different ways with help from two talented grill masters. -The first preparation were kebobs, which we threw on the grill and the second was prepared in a pan with olive oil which allowed the lamb to cook in its marinade. Both were really delicious and the evening's Indian theme means some great Indian recipes are on their way!

Ingredients

1 tsp each cumin powder, garam masala, onion powder

seeds from 3 cardamom pods

8 minced garlic cloves

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp sweet paprika

3 tbsp curry powder

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper

1 lb boneless leg of lamb, cut into chunks

Start by heating the garam masala, cumin and cardamon in a dry pan over low heat for two minutes. When heated, they become insanely fragrant and will make your home smell like an Indian restaurant :)

Add the onion powder and garlic, and allow it to sit for another two minutes in the heated pan.

Transfer the spices into a bowl and add the yogurt, paprika, curry, cilantro, pepper and salt. Mix well.

Coat the lamb chunks with the marinade and let it sit for at least an hour so that the lamb can absorb all the flavors, particularly the sweet cilantro.

Either thread the lamb onto wooden skewers with vegetables and grill over medium heat until medium, or cook in a pan - about 2 to 3 minutes on each side- with two tbsp of olive oil.

A Taste of the Caribbean

While I have posted many ethnic recipes (i.e. pad thai, chicken curry), I have yet to share one from my own country of origin... Puerto Rico! Growing up, my family frequently ate at a restaurant called 'Tropical," which had the best black bean soup and tostones I've ever had and fondly remember. Tostones are a traditional dish commonly eaten in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba (where my father hails from). A fried, squashed plantain, it can be eaten alone or with a variety of dipping sauces, my favorite being Mayoketchup. Hope you enjoy a little taste of the Caribbean!

Ingredients

4 green plantains

canola oil

salt

mayonnaise

ketchup

garlic powder

Start by soaking the plantains in hot water for about 10 minutes. This will help loosen the peel for easier removal. At the same time, fill a pot about halfway up with canola oil and let it sit over a medium low flame. If the oil becomes too hot, it will begin to smoke, a.k.a burn.

Remove the peel and segment each banana into four smaller pieces.

Now it's time to fry! You are ready to add the plantains when a few drops of water sizzle in the oil. Drop the plantain slices in the hot oil and fry until they turn slightly yellow (about a minute). Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.

Place the fried plantain flat and squash down with the bottom of a glass or small plate.This will cause the tender middle to spread while leaving the fried coat intact. Return the squashed plantains to the oil and let them fry until golden.

For a traditional Puerto Rican dipping sauce, make some Mayoketchup! This can be done by combining 1 part ketchup to 2 parts mayonnaise and seasoning with some salt and garlic powder. Season the tostones with salt as well before serving.

A Shishito Snack

Whenever my husband and I tire of eating Asian, we usually opt for some tapas. One of our favorite restaurants here in New York City is Tia Pol and my favorite thing there are the flash-fried shishito peppers. The peppers can be described as "mini, sweet-hot, thin-walled green peppers that are popular in Japan." Once in a while, you may come across a hot pepper, so be sure to have a tolerance for heat! My husband learned this the hard way when he stuck an entire hot pepper in his mouth.... now I end up touching every pepper to my tongue in order to make sure he only eats the mild ones!

Ingredients

Shishito Peppers (I found them at the Union Square Farmer's Market)

olive oil

sea salt

Wash and dry your peppers. Pour some olive oil into a sautee pan and heat over a high flame. Toss in the peppers - stand back, they splatter! (I used tongs and a kitchen mitt to protect myself.) Fry until the peppers start to char.

Remove peppers from the pan, place on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil, sprinkle with sea salt and serve hot! (Oh, and fyi, don't eat the stems!)

Tequila Shrimp Tacos

Lunch can often be a boring meal.... a salad grabbed on the way to work, a hot dog picked up from a street cart, a tuna fish sandwich purchased from the local deli. However, the lunch my friend Justin and I put together recently was far from boring. It was his idea to throw together tequila glazed shrimp tacos piled high with a citrus fennel slaw, spicy sriracha mayo, and some tomatillo salsa verde. The result tasted just as good as it looks and the complexity of all the different flavors blended very well. When making these tacos, it's a good idea to keep all the individual ingredients separate, allowing your guests to compile custom creations that suit their tastes.

Cabbage Fennel Slaw Ingredients

1 fennel bulb

handful of fennel leaves

1/2 head white cabbage

1 grapefruit, segmented

1 orange, segmented

1/4 red onion

1 jalapeno

1/4 cup cilantro

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

Start by thinly slicing the fennel, cabbage, jalapeno and onion so that everything is a similar cut and more or less the same size.

Segment your orange and grapefruit and add the segments to the other ingredients.

Throw in the cilantro and fennel leaves.

Squeeze the remaining citrus parts over the slaw, followed by the lime, season with salt and pepper and mix. If there isn't enough acid, add some extra lime juice.

Tequila Shrimp Ingredients

rock shrimp

tequila

cilantro

olive oil

salt and pepper

Rise off your shrimp. In a bowl combine shrimp with a heavy drizzle of olive oil, a few splashes of tequila, salt and pepper. Heat a pan and throw your shrimp in, allowing them to cook evenly until they turn pinkish. Remove and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

Sriracha Mayo Ingredients

11 oz squeeze bottle of mayonnaise

1 tbsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

juice of 1 lime

Combine all the above ingredients for a spicy, yet tangy, taco topper. (This mayo is also excellent on crab cakes!)

On a white corn tortilla, pile on some fennel slaw, tomatillo salsa (recipe previously posted), tequila shrimp and top it off with some of the spicy sriracha mayo. You may want to heat up the corn tortilla in a pan before assembling the ingredients, but either way, it'll be one tremendously tasty taco!