Steak, Grilled Vegetable and Gorgonzola Salad

I’m obsessed with grilling. Its the quickest way to develop some amazing flavor and its fun to be outside! For this salad I love the peppery arugula combined with succulent steak and that bite of gorgonzola. Yum. You can make this salad outright (as it is delicious) or make it after a night of grilling when you have some delicious steak and veggies leftover in the fridge. Two for the price of one always works for me!

Ingredients:

1 lbs sirloin steak

2 zucchini cut in thick strips

2 yellow squash cut in thick strips

1 bag arugula

8 oz crumbled gorgonzola

1 tomato diced

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat grill to medium high heat. Salt and pepper steak on both sides. Grill steak for 4-5 minutes on each side or until it reaches desired doneness. Set aside and rest. Meanwhile, brush each side of the zucchini and squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender with nice grill marks. Set aside and turn off grill.

Once the veggies and steak have cooled down enough to handle, cut into large bite size pieces. In a large mixing bowl combine arugula, steak, veggies and tomato. Top with gorgonzola. Serve with olive and balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs with Cilantro over Spaghetti and Homemade Marinara

I like cooking with turkey for a weeknight meal. Its yummy, healthy and makes you feel great afterwards. I’m a big fan of cilantro because I love the zesty fresh taste it has and I think its a great twist for spaghetti & meatballs. Enjoy!

Turkey Cilantro Meatballs

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground turkey

½ tbs seasoning salt such as Lawry’s

1 egg beaten

½ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese

⅓ cup dried bread crumbs

2 small cloves garlic minced

handful chopped cilantro

extra virgin olive oil

marinara (recipe follows)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine turkey, seasoning salt, egg, cheese, bread crumbs, garlic and cilantro. Mix together with hands until thoroughly combined. Form into 12 meatballs and place on a sheet pan. Cook for 15 minutes until browned and firm. While meatballs are cooking make the marinara and pasta.

Note: Turkey can overcook very quickly so keep a timer on hand and don’t cook for longer than 15 minutes unless the meatball registers under 160 degree’s on a thermometer.

Marinara & Pasta Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

2 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves minced

1 24 oz can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup red wine

1 tbs sugar

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbs tomato paste

2 oz herbed goat cheese

Directions:

Boil a large pot of water. Drizzle some olive oil and salt in the water before adding the spaghetti. While the pasta is cooking make sauce.

Heat a pan to medium high and add 2 tbs olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant about a minute. Add crushed tomatoes & tomato paste. Add wine, sugar, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper and oregano. (Crush oregano between your palms to release the oils before adding).  Simmer for 5 minutes and then add goat cheese. Let the goat cheese melt and mix it into the sauce completely. Taste and correct seasoning.

Drain pasta and add to sauce in batches making sure that there is a good balance of sauce to pasta. Top with meatballs. Serve and enjoy.

Duck Duck (Food Shoot)

I love doing food shoots. The amazing Duo Catering created this DELICIOUS duck breast with panisse crouton, bloomsdale spinach and blood orange and sage demi glace. And of course it was styled by the incredible Kelly Oshiro of sbchic.com. One of the perks of shooting food is you get to EAT once you are done! Its awesome…. Enjoy!

Let’s get started:

Ingredients:

6 7-8 oz Duck Breasts (source from a reliable butcher or specialty market)

*****

2 cups Panisse (Garbanzo Flour) – Polenta is a good substitute

6 cups water or chicken stock

2 Tbl of chopped shallots

1 tsp of picked thyme leaves

*****

6-8 cups washed spinach (roughly 2 bunches)

2 cloves garlic (sliced)

Zest and juice of 1 small lemon

2 Tbl Olive Oil

2 tsp of Butter

*****

1 cup Veal or Duck Demiglace (homemade or sourced through a specialty grocer)

2 Tbl diced shallots

1 clove sliced garlic

6-8 Sage Leaves

½ cup of Blood Orange Juice (Pomegranate Juice would also work well)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Serves 6.

Procedure for Panisse:

1. Sauté shallots in 2 tbl of olive oil in a large saucepot until translucent (2 minutes).
2. Add 6 cups of chicken stock (or water) to the saucepot and bring to a boil.
3. Add Panisse and reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Stir in the chopped thyme.
5. Cook until Panisse is thickened and pulling away from the pan.
6. Pour the mixture into an oiled baking pan and allow to cool.
7. After cooling, cut the Panisse into 1×4 inch rectangles.

Preparing the duck:

1. Score the skin of the duck breast. (Cut a crosshatch pattern into the skin of the duck taking care not to slice into the flesh of the duck).
2. Heat a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat.
3. Season the duck with salt and pepper.
4. Place the duck into the pan skin side down.
5. Reduce heat to a medium low flame and cook until the skin has darkened to a rich brown color and has crisped somewhat (this may take 4-5 minutes).
6. Flip the duck and continue to cook for 2 minutes more (be careful not to over cook the duck- you are aiming for medium rare).
7. Remove the duck from the pan and allow to rest while you prepare the remainder of the dish.

Preparing the Duck Sauce:

1. Immediately after removing the duck from the pan, reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered duck fat (this will keep several weeks in your refrigerator).
2. Add 2 Tbl diced shallots to the pan and sauté until translucent (1-2 minutes)
3. Pour the blood orange juice to the pan (this is called deglazing) and reduce by half.
4. Add the veal or duck stock (you could also use chicken stock in a pinch); add a garlic clove and the sage leaves.
5. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to combine while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Cooking the Panisse:

1. Heat 2 Tbl of olive oil in a pan until it shimmers in the pan (just before it reaches the smoke point).
2. Place the Panisse croutons in the pan and cook until browned on all sides, remove from pan and set aside.

Wilting the spinach:

1. In the same pan that you prepared the Panisse in, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Add the cleaned spinach and allow it to begin to wilt.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the sliced garlic and Lemon.
5. Finish with 2 tsp of butter (optional)

To Complete:

1. Slice the duck breasts into 5-6 slices on a bias.
2. Place two Panisse croutons in the center of each plate.
3. Top with drained spinach (draining on a paper towel prevents the spinach liquid from running across your plate- ruining your presentation).
4. Arrange your duck breasts over the spinach in a fanlike pattern.
5. Spoon 2 Tbl of sauce over each breast (about midway up).
6. Enjoy with your favorite bottle of wine.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Easiest recipe ever (sorry this isn’t an uber specific. You can’t really ruin it…) :

Pork Shoulder or Pork Loin (Pork shoulder is more tender and is traditional but sometimes I use pork loin if I have it)

Bottle BBQ Sauce

Crockpot

Directions:

Set crockpot to low setting. Put pork in crockpot and dump bbq sauce on top. Move around to be sure the bbq sauce gets over the entire slab of meat. Cook on low for 4-5 hours depending on how much or little meat you added. The pork is done when its tender and can be shredded easily with a fork. Put on toasted buns for sandwiches or just eat by itself. I like to add bread and butter pickles to my sandwich. Just sayin’… Enjoy!

Santa Maria Style Tri Tip Marinade

Tri Tip is indigenous to California and specifically to Santa Maria which is about an hour from where I live in Santa Barbara.  Tri Tip is the same cut as a sirloin tip roast but is barbecued instead of braised. This marinade is fantastic and I make this recipe often at home. I usually have corn tortillas, ranch beans and salsa to serve along side which is traditional. I have to say that barbecuing is one of my most favorite activities. Our house sits well above the street level and we have a nice deck where I BBQ. There is nothing better than being outdoors and cooking while watching the activity of the neighborhood below. Now that I have a little one I stick her in her bumbo seat and she loves being out there too. Its pretty hilarious that I am manning the barbecue at our house and shooing away the men folk. I’m just so finicky about the temperature of the grill and if I see someone trying to cut into the meat to see if its done it really irks me! (By cutting into meat its lets out all the juice which will make it dry up). I’m a girly girl in most ways except when it comes to getting down and dirty with barbecuing!

Marinade: (enough for 4 pounds of tri tip)

1/4 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbs black pepper

1/8 cup Lawry’s seasoning

7 cloves garlic

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade chop the garlic. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until just mixed. Pour over tri tip  in a glass pan (making sure the marinade gets on all parts of the tri tip) and cover. Marinade for at least 6 hours or overnight. Grill on bbq until you achieve desire doneness. Let rest for 10-15 minute before cutting. Enjoy!

Steak Kabobs with Fancy Vegetables

All the kabobs I’ve ever had have been yummy but pretty standard. You know, chicken, pineapple, peppers & onions. Right now I feel like there are so many great fancy vegetables that are more readily available to us than in the past. Vegetables like brussel sprouts, kale, shitaki mushrooms and red pearl onions aren’t what you normally think for kabobs. They are so delicious when done right so don’t be scared… Pair these amazing veggies with a juicy steak and the flavor from the grill really makes this a delicious dinner idea. Its also as easy as it gets to make. Enjoy!

Recipe: (Yields 4-5 Kabobs)

2 lbs sirloin steak cut into 24 cubes

12 brussel sprouts cut in half

12 kale leaves

12 shitake mushrooms

12 pearl red onions peeled (white are fine if the red aren’t available)

Directions:

Alternate spearing meat and veggies on a metal or soaked wood skewer. Be sure to spear two cubes of meat at a time so that the meat doesn’t dry out on the grill since the veggies need more time to cook. When spearing the kale, fold it over a few times and then skewer through the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Grill on medium high heat until veggies are done and meat is still juicy. Serve and enjoy!

Beer Can Roast Chicken on the Grill

I love barbecuing but never thought I’d be cooking a whole roasting chicken on the grill! This recipe is super duper easy and the flavors from the BBQ really make this a tasty delight. Enjoy!

Recipe:

1 16 oz can of beer

1 whole chicken

salt & pepper

Preheat your gas grill to medium high heat.

Clean and remove any pin feathers from the chicken. Salt and pepper the inside and outside of the chicken. Pour out half the contents of the beer can and with the chicken upright (so the beer doesn’t spill out) insert the can into the cavity of the chicken. Prop the chicken upright on the grill so that the beer can is upright. The chicken should balance so you can leave it there with the bbq grill hood closed. (Measure your grill beforehand to be sure it fits!) Cook until thermometer reads 160 for at least 15 seconds or until juices run clear. Enjoy!

Chuck Roast

Many a Sunday growing up we would have chuck roast at my Grandparent’s house for Sunday dinner. There was always something so cosy about walking into the house with the smell of a roast cooking. It was the smell of love, family and peace. I’m so lucky to have such a caring family that have made so many efforts to create lasting memories through food and togetherness. I just have have one little baby right now who doesn’t eat chuck roast. But I literally can’t wait for the day when my kids say, “Mom, can you make chuck roast for dinner? Its my favorite!” Creating togetherness from food is probably the main reason why I love to cook so much. And a good ol’ roast is usually just as heartwarming to others as it is to me.

Recipe:

2-3 lbs Chuck Roast

2 Cloves Garlic

wochstershire Sauce

1 cup red wine

largely chopped golden potatoes

baby carrots

largely chopped onions

salt & pepper

Buy a 2-3 lbs chuck roast bone in or out. On a cutting board, slice two garlic cloves thinly. On the roast, slice small pockets in the meat every 2 inches and place sliced garlic into pockets. Rub both sides of the roast with cooking oil. Salt and pepper both sides. On a stove top heat a large pot or dutch oven. Place roast with garlic side down in the pot and brown for two minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce and add 1 cup red wine. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Cook roast 2 ½ to 3 hours. Cover pot with lid. Check to see in one hour if roast goes dry. Add water ½ to 1 cup if desired. 1 hour before roast is done add  potatoes, carrots, onions. Add additional salt and pepper to season the veggies. After an hour, remove the roast and vegetables. Slice the roast and serve with vegetables.