Ciabatta Cheese Steaks with the Works

The other day while I was getting some work done, I had Food Network playing in the background as usual. My son Seth came downstairs and sat next to me so we could chat a bit. It seemed like both of us at the same time looked up at the TV and saw the recipe that Rachael was making. Our mouths both began to drool. He looked at me and before he even got the words out of his mouth I said, "I  have GOT to make that"!

It was the show entitled "Sofa Night" and Rachael was making the yummiest looking sandwich I think I have ever seen her make! I immediately grabbed a piece of paper and began writing down the ingredients so I could go to the store. Both of us were so excited. Yes I have created Jr Foodies folks, my kids get just as excited about food as I do I think. My daughter is even taking the culinary program at her school. Isn't she adorable in her chef jacket?

Last night was the night planned for these amazing sandwiches. We were all so excited, I mean if you watch the show these sandwiches are seriously just mouth watering to watch be made. All day yesterday Seth would say, "When are you cooking dinner Mom?" and I would tell him the same thing every time he asked. SO you know as soon as I started cooking he was standing over my shoulder smelling and tasting. All I kept hearing was "OMG Mom that smells so good" "WOW those peppers are awesome" "Ummm when is dinner going to be done?" UGH get out of my kitchen! 

The recipe calls for 2 loaves of ciabatta bread and 4 6 to 8 ounce steaks but I will tell you that I only used one 12 inch loaf and 1pound of steak and it was plenty for 3 people. I have no idea how 4 people would have eaten twice as much! These are very filling. The meat was tender, the cheese sauce was ooooooooh so creamy, and the peppers and onions were the perfect topper to make this seriously the BEST sandwich I have ever eaten. It is kind of a riff on a Philly Cheese Steak but with an Italian flair.

Since we like things spicy here, the next time I make these I am going to add more of the hot pepper rings and juice and probably some crushed red pepper flakes too. The provolone cheese is nice and salty so I think it would hold up well to some extra heat.

Ciabatta Cheese Steaks with the Works

4 flat iron steaks 6 to 8 ounces each

EVOO for coating plus 2 tablespoons

Grill seasoning

3 cubanelle peppers (Italian frying peppers) seeded and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1 large onion thinly sliced

1/4 hot pepper rings (sometimes called banana pepper rings), drained, NOT pepperoncini, sliced yellow or red hot peppers in a jar

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutmeg, freshly grated

2 cups grated provolone cheese

2 loaves ciabatta bread, 12 inches long

Leave the steaks on the counter, to take the chill off, while the grill or grill pan heats up to medium-high heat. Coat the steaks with EVOO and grill seasoning.

Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubanelle peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add a splash of the hot pepper juice and the hot pepper rings, remove from heat.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees F

While the peppers cook put the steaks on the grill or grill pan, and cook for 10 minutes for rare, 2 minutes longer for each level of desired doneness, turning once about midway through cook time. Meanwhile heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Thicken the sauce for a couple of minutes and then reduce the heat to low.

WHen the steaks are cooked to desired doneness, remove to a cutting board and let rest there for 5 minutes. Thinly slice on an angle against the grain. While the meat rests place the bread in the oven to warm and stir the cheese into the sauce.

To serve split the bread lengthwise and spread the steak slices evenly across the bottom of the bread. Top the steak with the sauce and peppers and onions. Cover with bread tops and cut into 4 equal slices.

"Christmas" Pasta

No, I have not lost my mind. I know it isn't Christmas time. Although I wish it was since Christmas is my favorite time of year.

The reason this recipe is called Christmas pasta is, in Rachael's words, "For Italians, after all those fishes on Christmas Eve, this dish, with four different meats in it, is especially nice on Christmas Night".

Kevin did the same thing that I am sure many of you did when you first read the recipe title...

K: But it's not Christmas.
B: Yes, yes, I know honey, this isn't JUST for Christmas, it is just the name of the recipe.
K: Well if it isn't JUST for Christmas why is it called Christmas Pasta.
B: Rachael explains in the recipe that it was just her way of getting "meat" in a meal after all the fish Italians eat on Christmas Eve.
K: Well I still think she should have named it something else.
B: Maybe you are right....now can we cook?

When you first look at this recipe it seems like a lot of ingredients and well, it is a lot of ingredients,  but not a big hassle to make. Rachael mentions that she has used this recipe in several of her books and is constantly redoing it to make it quicker and easier. I think it is just fine the way it is.

Oh and Kevin decided he loved this. He is the one that looks at a meal I might be making and the first thing he asks "Is there meat?". I will never sneak vegetarian food in on him that is for sure. I am walking a fine line when I make Pasta Carbonara! He still doesn't like the name of the recipe though. Oh well, as long as they eat it right?

I am not Italian,  but I can tell you that this was a BIG bowl of Merry Christmas to ME!

The picture does not do this meal justice, I am sorry!

Christmas Pasta

Salt

1 pound rigatoni2 tablespoons EVOO

1/4 pound pancetta, chopped

1/4 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (No bulk? Split a link open)

1/4 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your palm

Course black pepper

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs

1 cup beef stock

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (a generous handful), finely chopped

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (a couple of handfuls), plus some to pass at the table

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, with a bite to it.

While the water and pasta work, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon EVOO. Add the pancetta to one half of the pan, the sausage, both hot and sweet, to the other. Break up the sausage into bits and brown while the pancetta renders, then combine and cook together another minute of so. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, then the beef and veal. Brown and crumble all of the meat into tiny bits and season with allspice, salt, and pepper. Add the carrots, onions, and garlic and cook another 5 to 6 minutes to soften the vegetables, then add the sausage and pancetta back into the pan. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the stock, then the tomatoes. Check the seasoning. Simmer over low heat until ready to serve, at least 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add back to the hot pot. Ladle a few spoonfuls of the sauce over the pasta, and add a couple of handfuls of cheese to the pot. Stir to coat the pasta evenly. Transfer to a large serving dish or individual bowls and top with the remaining sauce and parsley. Pass plenty of extra cheese at the table.

Serves 6

Creamy Spaghetti and Beans

This is kind of a bonus recipe. It isn't out of the 365 No Repeats cook book. I was watching 30 Minute Meals, like I always do, and saw a recipe that sounded so good. Rachael said it was like a warm hug for your tummy. Kevin had been sick for a few days and not eating much. I thought a nice warm hug for his tummy was just what he needed.


I liked the sounds of this recipe because it is a sort of risotto made with spaghetti. It just sounded so interesting.. Plus I love white beans. Once she threw the word "creamy" in the mix I was already salivating!


It is a super simple recipe to make, not very many ingredients, it just takes time. You need to be on top of things and watch your pot so you can add the chicken stock when needed. 


I always have cannellini beans on hand so I substituted those for the Roman beans the recipe called for. I also left the carrots out. Since I am a huge bean fan I added 2 cans rather than the one can the recipe called for and it was a good thing because I kept nibbling on beans the whole time the meal was cooking!


Rachael really did hit the nail on the head by saying a bowl of this was a nice warm hug for your tummy. I know the weather is getting warmer so it may not seem like you need a "warm hug" but if it is cool or you just feel a bit under the weather, make this one. You won't be sorry you did!

Creamy Spaghetti and Beans

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups of chicken stock

2 tablespoons EVOO

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 pound pancetta chopped into small dice

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound spaghetti

i medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, cut into a small dice

1 fresh bay leaf

5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 (15 ounce) can Roman beans or small white beans (recommended: Goya brand)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

a generous handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Place the stock in a sauce pot and warm it over medium heat then reduce to a simmer.

Heat EVOO and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta to brown slightly. Next add the garlic and the spaghetti and toast noodles lightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions and carrots, bay leaf, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Soften veggies a bit, 5 minutes. Add wine and allow it to be completely absorbed. Add beans and then a few ladles of stock and stir the pasta. Keep adding stock a few ladles at a time allowing liquid to be mostly absorbed before adding more, as if you were preparing a risotto. When liquids are absorbed and spaghetti is cooked to al-dente, 12 to 15 minutes, stir in cheese. Adjust salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and stir another minute. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with lots of parsley.

Serves 4

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Patties with Pan Gravy and Sour Cream Tomato Smashed Potatoes

First of all, let me wish all the Mom's a belated Happy Mother's Day. I hope you all had a wonderful day dedicated just to you. Mine was very nice. Kevin made breakfast. We had mimosas and we watched a couple of movies with the kids. Very quiet, relaxing day. 


But now I need to catch up with you on the latest recipe. It was recipe #332. When I went through the book looking to plan the next weeks meals I was still feeling a bit sick. Normally a process that leaves me feeling starved and ready to cook 5 meals at once was actually a chore. I kept reading recipe after recipe and nothing was sounding good. I finally ran across the last recipe and this one and felt they sounded fairly good. I am glad now that I picked them. I guess when you feel sick and aren't enthused about a recipe it has no where to go but up right? Seriously, these were both great recipes and everyone else agrees as well so it is not just me.


The pan gravy in this recipe is extra yummy. I would probably cook the onions a bit before adding them to the meatloaf mix, or just grate them to get the flavor but no "chunks". I like onion, but biting into a piece of raw onion is not tasty to me. I also used grape tomatoes, like I always do when it calls for raw tomatoes to be added to anything, and I cut them in half and sauted them in a small pan for a bit so they could get a bit of carmelization going.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Patties with Pan Gravy and Sour Cream Tomato Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds small red skinned potatoes, quartered

1 1/3 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk, plus a splash

1 egg

2 teaspoons McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, or coarse salt and black pepper combined

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 rounded teaspoon tomato paste

1 medium onion, finely chopped (reserve one fourth)

8 slices bacon

2 tablespoons EVOO

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 rounded tablespoons sour cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used a carton of grape tomatoes cut in half)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 rounded teaspoon spicy brown mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup fresh flat leave parsley leaves, chopped

Cover the potatoes in water in a medium sauce pan. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, or until fork tender.

Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center. Fill the well with the bread crumbs and dampen them with a splash of milk. Add the egg, grill seasoning, allspice, tomato paste, and three quarters of the onions to the bowl. Combine the mixture and for into 4 large oval patties (about 3/4 inch thick). Arrange 2 slices of bacon in an X on a cutting board, repeat with the other 6 slices of bacon so that you have a total of 4 X's. Place a meatloaf patty on the center of each X. Fold the bacon around each patty. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat with the EVOO. Transfer the bacon wrapped patties, bacon seam side down, to the hot skillet. Fry the meatloaf patties for 7 minutes on each side under a loose aluminum foil tent. The tent will reflect heat and allow steam to escape the pan.

Check on the potatoes. When they are tender, turn the heat off, drain the potatoes and return the to the hot pot and warm stove top to dry them out. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, sour cream, and the 1/2 cup of milk and smash to desired consistency. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, then fold in the chopped tomatoes. Cover the potatoes to keep warm until ready to serve.

Remove the meatloaf patties to a platter and return the pan to heat. reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the remaining onions to the skillet. Cook the onions for 2 minutes and sprinkle the pan with the flour. Cook the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in 1 cup of chicken stock. Bring the broth to a bubble. If the gravy is too thick, thin with additional stock. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley and taste to see if the sauce needs salt and pepper.

Drizzle the bacon wrapped meatloaf patties with the gravy. Pile smashed potatoes alongside and make a well in the center for extra sour cream or gravy.

Serves 4

Meatloaf



Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

Super Mashers with Steak and Pepper Hash

I really liked the sound of this recipe. I mean it has peppers in it and I LOVE peppers! Any heat in a recipe is just a huge plus for me, actually for most in this house not just me. If you add mashed potatoes to the mix you will please the whole family. My Dad has been know to, on numerous occasions, make a meal out of just mashed potatoes! 


I know it seems that I am obsessed with peppers, but for some reason later in my life I have developed a love for them. Maybe part of it is that I read the spicier the food, the more calories your body burns. So bring on the heat as far as I am concerned! This week was a hot one since I made this recipe along with one of my own for my personal recipe blog, Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen. You can check that one out if you like spicy chicken tacos. A great Cinco De Mayo meal!


I was a little nervous because, as I have mentioned before, Kevin is VERY picky when it comes to red meat. If it isn't rib eye he doesn't want it...PERIOD! But I have been breaking him in slowly with the main reason being that who can afford to cook rib eye for every steak meal you make? This one calls for thinly sliced sirloin. When I was at the grocery store I saw a package of thinly sliced beef and it said "great for stir fry" on it. I asked the butcher if it was comparable to the sliced sirloin my recipe called for and she told me yes. So I grabbed three packages (the recipe calls for 1 1/3 pounds but I just grabbed a little over 1 1/2 pounds). I grabbed all my yummy peppers and away I went.


Now I get ready to cook and as I am reading down the recipe I realize that, once again, my ADD obviously kicked in and I somehow overlooked 2 items on the ingredient list! ARG!! I am going to have to and read the ingredient lists three times each just to make sure I don't do this anymore. So I am sorry that the recipe isn't just as it was supposed to be.


To be honest I was worried about the meat being tough. While you are cooking the recipe instructs you to slide the beef off to one side of the pan and cook the veggies on the other side. I stole a bit of the meat to take a taste and it was really chewy. I was so bummed. I knew that would get a less than favorable review. But I went back to the business of cooking the whole meal  before I passed judgement.


After the veggies cook a bit it calls for you to mix the meat and veggies and cook for a few more minutes "like a stir fry". Evidently the amount of cooking that took place between sliding the meat to the side and stir frying was the perfect amount. The meat was just right! I was so happy, and relieved.


I missed the scallions and the lime on the recipe so I used a little bit of lemon juice to add some citrus flavor and just had to do without the scallions. I will say the potatoes were good and I think the scallions would have made them even better. I couldn't taste the lemon juice, but again I agree it would have been better with the lime. All that aside, this really was a good meal. The mix of peppers gave it a sweet/spicy thing going on, and eating it with potatoes in the same bite really just set everything off. I of course reserved my opinion until I heard from the other diners. Kevin immediately said he really liked it. Color me shocked!! My response to that was "Really?". I was just completely prepared for him to hate it he really caught me off guard. Ok, not I am waiting for Miss Picky to weigh in. She of course didn't eat the peppers, but the steak still had the pepper flavor, and there is a bit of Franks Red Hot in it to boot. She said SHE loved it. WOW what I pleasant surprise. It went from a recipe, in my mind, that no one would want a repeat of, to one that can get marked down as a keeper. Nice!!


Oh, a small side note, I went ahead and mixed the cheese in with the mashed potatoes rather than sprinkling it on top. Just a personal preference for me. Also, the recipe calls for 10 ounces of shredded cheddar. Well, it come in 8 ounce bags so I only used the 8 ounces and it tasted just fine.

Super Masher with Steak and Pepper Hash

Ingredients

4 large starchy potatoes, such as Idaho

coarse salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tables spoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1 1/3 pound 1 inch thick beef sirloin, trimmed and thinly sliced

coarse black pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

2 Anaheim or poblano chilies (Anaheim are a bit hotter), seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

several drops of hot sauce, such as Franks Red Hot, to taste (I add a couple of tablespoons!)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk depending on how soft you like your mashers.

10 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Peel the taters and cut them into small chunks. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Uncover, add salt to season, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

In a small pot over medium low heat, add about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the garlic. Saute the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the scallions and remove the pan from the heat. Reserve.

Heat a large non stick skillet over high heat. Season the sliced steak with salt and pepper, then heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. The oil will smoke--don't freak out, just add the meat and start searing it up. Brown the strip on all sides, hit with some Worcestershire sauce, then push it off to one side of the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the peppers, chilies, and onions, season with salt and pepper, then toss them around, searing all the edges, for another minute or two before combining all the meat and veggies together. Add the thyme and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, keeping everything moving around like a stir-fry. Turn off the heat and drizzle some hot sauce and the lime juice over the steak and veggies. Adjust the seasoning.

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the hot pot to evaporate some of the water content. Add the reserved garlic and scallion mixture to the potatoes along with the sour cream and start smashing away with a masher. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk if needed. Season the super mashers with salt and pepper.

Pile up one fourth of the potatoes on each plate. Top with a generous handful of cheddar cheese. Pile up meat and veggies on top of the super mashers and serve. The heat of the meat and veggies will melt the cheese.

Serves 4

Mashed Potatoes



Pepper Sirloin Steak

It's Salsa Stoup Time

The last time we talked dear readers I was catching peoples mouths on fire. But, it was a good fire. Is that like the people in Arizona that say "but it's a dry heat"? Anyway, last nights supper was recipe #24 for those that are following along. For those that are not, it was Salsa Stoup with Double Decker Baked Quesadillas. Kevin, Seth, Melissa and I all ate. All of us agreed it could have been spicier but after the fiery hot ribeye escapade I was trying to tone it down a bit so I followed the recipe, well for the most part I did. Just to let you know, I didn't color inside the lines when I was a kid and I did run with scissors! Oops, back on track, I did use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes after I added them, and I probably added twice the amount of chicken stock that it called for. I know I am bad but I just can't help it, it just seemed reallllly thick to me and I wanted it more "stoupier".


I sent the left overs home with Melissa and Seth and told her that I think if she added some hot sausage to the "stoup" and then poured it over noodles it would be really good. I am always trying to help them find ways to make dinner that doesn't cost them an arm and a leg. Well, aren't we all right? But I know how hard it can be to make recipes for just two people, so if I can help out I do.


The quesadillas were good. I liked the green onions in them for crunch, but again I was looking for some heat. For those of you that are not big pepper or spice lovers please make this meal. The soup was a nice twist on regular tomato soup and the quesadillas are cheesy and yummy. For us wild ones, kick up the heat. Add Serrano peppers instead of jalapenos and maybe do three instead of 2. Live life dangerously! Seriously this is a great quick meal for someone that doesn't want the traditional grilled cheese sammy and tomato soup.


Doesn't it look yummy? 

Salsa Stoup and Double-Decker Quesadillas


Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (twice around the pan), plus some for brushing the tortillas
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 28 ounce can stewed tomatoes (may need to chop these to make them easier to eat)
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6- 6 to 8 inch flour tortillas
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack
Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 F.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and the jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then saute the veggies for 5 minutes. Add all the tomatoes and stock and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cilantro.

Paint one side of 2 tortillas with oil and place them, oiled side down, on a large cookie sheet. Mix the cheddar with the scallions and divide between the tortillas evenly. Top with another tortilla and top each of those with equal amounts of Pepper Jack Cheese. Set the last tortillas on top and brush the tops with oil. Bake the quesadillas for 10 minutes, then cool for 5 minutes to set. Cut each into 6 wedges.

Serve each bowl of stoup with 3 wedges of quesadilla along side and sour cream for topping either.





Salsa Soup

It's Gettin' Hot In Here!!!

Well I can tell you honestly right now that Rachael was not lying when she named this recipe Fiery Hot! From the meat to the sauteed peppers and the chipotle smashed potatoes there was no room for anymore heat. But it was sooooooo good!


Let me take you on a little journey... Ok I think I mentioned that even though the recipe was for Fiery Hot "T-Bones" I was making Ribeyes. I know, I know, I said I would try to stick close to the recipes but in this case I had to twist it up a bit because Kevin only like Ribeyes, something I am going to remedy him of, but that it why none the less. 


So with that said, I started out on my quest to find the most AWESOME Ribeye steaks I could find in my tiny little town and BINGO I hit the jackpot!!

Are those babies gorgeous or what?!?!? I was so excited to find them that my nerves about cooking them didn't kick in until I was unwrapping them on the prep board so they could warm up while I got working on the rub and prepping the veg. All of a sudden I looked at them and my mind yelled, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" I hate it when I yell at myself! But seriously folks, I have NEVER cook a piece of meat, aside from a roast, that thick so I was a bit nervous. Rachaels recipe calls for 1 1/2" thick steaks not almost 3" ones! But once I took a step back I realized that I could draw on my memories of endless hours of Food Network shows, Man Vs Food, Hells Kitchen, etc, I was able to calm myself.

With my new found confidence I started the rub. Since the steaks were bigger I decided I would make more of the rub and it was a good call. I did have extra but I would rather have too much than not enough. I just double the recipe but looking back I guess I could have just made 50% more. 

I let the steaks rest with their nice warm coating and got the potatoes chopped and in the water. I knew I had to adjust the time a bit to allow for the extra cooking time for the steaks so I opted to get all of my prep done at once instead of doing things along the way like Rachael. So the potatoes are in the pot covered with water and my veggies are prepped. See I even have my garbage bowl ready to go.

           

                      

I decided I would try the whole "restaurant style" of cooking these steaks, so I got my cast iron pan screamin' hot with some oil, and once it started to smoke I put my steaks on. Thank goodness I only bought two because they took up whole whole pan.

I seared them for 6 mins on high heat and then turned them.............

.......and the smell in my kitchen was AMAZING!!! Although my smoke detector was less than happy about the situation and let me know this over and over again...LOUDLY, I could barely contain my excitement. No one was home so I was sad that I didn't have anyone to share this with. It was almost like Christmas! I know I am weird but hey, food does it for me.

I let them sear on the other side for the same (5 to 6 mins per side on high heat) and then popped them into an oven that I had preheated to 350. As soon as I got them in I dropped the temp to 300 and left them in for 15 minutes. Now I started the potatoes and went with the recipe from there. I rendered the bacon and added the onions and chipotle powder and MAN as soon as that all started working together the smell was well, just awesome. 

Kevin was home now and the fist thing he said was, "Where is this bacon going?" and when I told him it was going in the smashed potatoes he got a big smile on his face. I will say though, it may have been the chipotle powder I got, but I think a full tablespoon of it in the smashed poatatoes was borderline too much. Although it was the kind of heat that takes you just to the edge without pushing you over, it was too much for Jessi and Melissa.

Now I pulled the steaks out of the oven and got them on the plate to rest while I did the veg. Everyone's, and I mean EVERYONE'S jaws dropped when they saw the steaks come out. I just prayed they were as good as they looked and smelled.

Those would make a carnivore out of just about anyone! After I gathered myself back together I sauteed the peppers, and I did them a bit longer than the 5 minutes the recipe called for. I used a lid to sweat them a bit and let them get some nice color on them (probably doubled the time). 

Now Jessi wanted me to make sure and tell everyone that she, the girl that doesn't like anything spicy, could not stop eating the steak. I am serious it was a jaw dropper to me guys. She doesn't like too much black pepper on things! But this girl was eating bite after bite. I made a plate for Kevin and he beelined it out of the kitchen, while the rest of us, Seth, Melissa, Jessi, and I, attacked the other steak like a bunch a rabid hyenas!! I am amazed we all came out of it with 10 fingers!

So I guess my opinion all in all. If you don't like it hot I would cut the chipotle in half and try it. If you like a thicker steak, my method made perfect medium rare steaks, but I say, as well as the rest of my gang, TRY THIS ONE!! It was HOT!! 

Until tomorrow, keep your taste buds happy!!

Fiery Hot Texas T-Bones with Chipotle Smashed Potatoes and Hot and Sweet Pepper Saute

Ingredients

• 3 whole jalapenos
• 3 bell peppers, choose 3 different colors
• 2 1/2 pounds small potatoes, such as baby Yukon gold or small red skin potatoes, coarsely chopped
• Salt
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chipotle powder, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon dark chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 2 large T-Bone steaks 1 1/2 inches thick, 2 1/2 pounds total
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan, divided
• 1/4 cup bourbon, eyeball it

Directions

Seed and slice the hot and sweet fresh peppers and reserve.

Cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add salt to boiling water. Cook potatoes until tender, 10-12 minutes. Chop and brown bacon in a small skillet and add a tablespoon of chipotle powder and onions. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat until onions are tender. When potatoes are tender, drain and return to hot pot. Add bacon mixture and sour cream to the potatoes. Smash potatoes and season with salt, to taste.

While potatoes are working, combine dry spice rub: chili powder, remaining chipotle powder, cumin and grill seasoning. Rub steaks liberally on both sides with the mixture. Heat a 12 to14-inch skillet screaming hot. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan. It will smoke. Add steaks and do not turn for 6 minutes. Flip and cook another 6 minutes for medium rare, up to 10 minutes for well done. Remove skillet from flame and add bourbon. Return steaks to stove and flame the pan. When the fire goes out, transfer the meat to a large serving platter and pour pan juices over the top. Let meat rest for juices to redistribute. Return pan to heat and add remaining tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet. Add hot and sweet peppers to the pan and saute them for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pile peppers alongside steaks.

Remove meat from the T bones and cut into 4 portions. Top with some peppers and pile some chipotle smashers along side. Spoon drippings and juices over meat and serve.

**side note - this WILL I mean I GUARANTEE it will cause a lot of smoke. Open windows and turn off the smoke detector it you can!!

Rib Eye Steak

A few stumbles but all ended well

Yes, yes, yes, oh sorry for the rant but I love love LOVE how this recipe came out last night. I made the Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie that I talked about in yesterday's blog. The one that the Beef Goulash recipe was based on. All I can say is yummmmm. I can't take all of the credit, of course it mostly goes to Rachael Ray for her recipe (DUH), but my fabulously wonderful sous chef, AKA my boyfriend Kevin, helped by chopping most of the veggies for me. And believe me there are a LOT of veggies! But that is one of the things I love about this recipe. The veggies cook in the bacon and turkey for a long time. Then the smoked paprika joins the party and WOOHOOO look out, yummy in the tummy folks!


Now of course a recipe couldn't be cooked by me without a few missteps and tweaks. I promise you I do try to keep the recipes by the book, but sometimes after tasting you just...well I will get to that in a minute. Ok so back on track here. Today's lesson is, make SURE you have everything for the recipe. Hmm didn't I have that problem with the first recipe? Well obviously I don't learn from my own mistakes, but maybe YOU can.


It calls for three large Idaho potatoes, these are a VERY important part of the recipe. I casually look in my pantry and see I have a bag of russets so I am happy with that and check that off of my list of things to buy at the market. However, when I get down and dirty and ready to roll with this recipe, OOPS, the potatoes are not that good. They are small and most of them weren't in any shape to be used for anything but a trash can filler. ARG!! 


I salvaged what I could, but it was no where near the amount I should have had, and grumbled at myself under my breath. I began stressing as soon as I saw that I had a problem with the very first ingredient in the recipe. This is about the time Kevin donned his Super Hero cape and swooped in to rescue me. Have I mentioned how much I love this man? Anyway, we got to work and as I pulled everything out and got it lined up in order, he began chopping. I got the bacon done and added the turkey (side note, I would leave quite a bit of the bacon fat in the pan if you want it to really flavor your veggies). Then we added the spices and dropped all those gorgeous veggies in the pot. Oh, it called for a small red bell pepper but we used a pretty good sized one.


From that point on it is just a matter of mashing your potatoes, (heads up don't forget to save a ladle of the cooking liquid to temper your egg, I did, but I heated up some chicken stock in it's place. Gotta work on the fly in my kitchen!), finishing up the pot with the flour, stock, and sour cream, and simmering away. Since I had used fewer potatoes than it called for, and didn't think to reduce the liquid going in, I needed to cook my mashed potatoes over low heat for awhile to try to thicken them up. But that is ok because the more you simmer, the better this stuff gets! My tweak, I added two palmfuls total (aprox 2 tablespoons) of smoked paprika, we like it extra smoky. Just taste it as it is simmering and as you adjust your pepper and salt you can figure out your level of smokiness.


So the reviews, well, Kevin LOVED it and not only had two or three helpings but laid claim to the leftovers as well. My Dad said he enjoyed it, and I was quite happily full with a smile on my face. All in all a very successful night. 

Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie



Ingredients

• 3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons EVOO - extra-virgin olive oil - 2 turns of the pan
• 1/4 pound smoky bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
• 1 1/3 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, available in small cans on spice aisle of market
• (You may substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons each sweet paprika and cumin combined)
• Coarse black pepper
• 2 tablespoons, 5 or 6 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 10 to 12 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped

Directions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Heat a deep, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, to the skillet. Add bacon and brown it up, then add ground turkey to the pan and break it up. Season the turkey with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and thyme. When turkey browns up, add: onions, carrots, celery. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then add red pepper and peas cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook flour 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and combine. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream and combine.Simmer mixture over low heat.

Preheat your broiler to high.

When potatoes are tender, add a ladle of cooking water to the egg.Drain potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out a little. Add remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, butter, half of the chives, and salt and pepper. Smash and mash the potatoes, mashing in the beaten, tempered egg. If the potatoes are too tight, mix in a splash of milk.

Pour turkey mixture into a medium casserole dish. Top turkey with an even layer of smashed potatoes and place casserole 5 inches from hot broiler. Broil the potatoes until golden at edges and remove the casserole from the oven. Garnish the casserole with the remaining chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

4 servings