Tasting Spoons

Check refrigerator:

Yes, I had zucchini.

Yes, I had cottage cheese, Parmesan, garlic, tomato sauce.

Yes, I had ground beef in the freezer.

My head said: “oh yes, I could make that easy moussaka!”

So I did.

This is an old, old recipe. Given to me by a friend of my mother and dad’s. Kay Barstow was in her 60’s when I was a child in the 1950’s. And she wasn’t much of a cook, really, but she knew a bunch of fairly simple dishes of which this was one. She wasn’t cooking anymore when I got this recipe from her in about 1970 when she probably was in her 80’s. Good recipe!

If you’ve ever made moussaka, it’s a fairly laborious dish. Sliced eggplant lightly sauteed for the bottom layer. Ground beef and/or lamb in a tomato sauce, then a Bechemel sauce must be made to go on top of that. Kay obviously didn’t go through all that work. And where this recipe came from, I don’t know. Maybe it was her very own, but I rather doubt it. But in any case, it’s easy. Certainly quicker than the real thing.

Here are the steps:

(1) Lightly saute zucchini in olive oil and layer that in the casserole.

(2) Saute some onion, ground beef and garlic, then add tomato sauce and some seasonings and put that in the casserole on top of the zucchini.

(3) Stir up some cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, eggs, Feta and ground cinnamon and pour that on top, then sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. Bake. Done.

It had been a few years since I’d made this, so I decided to make this a little bit more my own. Some of the things were my additions: the added Feta cheese and Greek yogurt to the cheese mixture; some seasonings to the meat; a prepared tomato (seasoned) sauce rather than just plain canned tomato sauce. If you wanted to use more vegetables, you certainly can - just use a deeper dish. You could also use ground turkey instead of beef, and low-fat cottage cheese too. I used what I had on hand. My DH thought it was fabulous. I did too.

Easy Ground Beef Moussaka
Recipe: Adapted from Kay Barstow, an old friend of my mother and dad, probably dates to about 1970.
Servings: 5
ZUCCHINI LAYER:
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 whole zucchini
GROUND BEEF LAYER:
1 large onion — minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 whole garlic clove — minced
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce — or marinara or jarred spaghetti sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
CREAMY TOPPING:
1 cup cottage cheese
2 small eggs — beaten
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup feta cheese — crumbled
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet heat oil and add diced onion. Allow to sizzle for about 4-8 minutes until starting to brown very slightly. Add the ground beef and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Add the oregano, thyme and tomato sauce. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper to suit your preference. Simmer until you’re ready to prepare the casserole.
2. Meanwhile, cut each zucchini in half crosswise, then cut each half into slices about 1/4 inch thick. In a second skillet heat just a bit of olive oil and add the zucchini slices. Allow to saute until they’ve developed just a bit of color, turn. Do not cook the zucchini all the way through as it will cook some more in the oven.
3. In a medium bowl beat up the eggs, then add the cottage cheese, yogurt, Feta and ground cinnamon.
4. In a casserole dish (about 2 quart) layer the semi-cooked zucchini, the meat mixture, then pour the cottage cheese mixture on top and spread around to cover the meat. Sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese has melted and slightly browned. Allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.
Serving Ideas : This is a simple dish, ideally served with a green salad which includes some Feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers. Some crusty bread on the side would also go well.
NOTES: This is not an authentic moussaka. Instead, it’s a similar dish using a bunch of shortcuts. To be authentic it would likely be lamb, not beef. It would be eggplant instead of zucchini. And you would have made a rich bechemel sauce for the topping. Per Serving: 506 Calories; 33g Fat (58.3% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 177mg Cholesterol; 1114mg Sodium.
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When I saw the photo and recipe in the November, 2008 Gourmet for this beef, pork and cabbage dish, it just sounded a resonating bell in my head. Years ago I used to make stuffed cabbage rolls, but always found it a lot of work, and . . . well, just not worth the effort. Hence I haven’t made them in decades. But I always liked the flavor. This particular recipe is a quick and easy version – most of the ingredients – but without the work of parboiling the cabbage leaves, stuffing, rolling (carefully) then stacking them in a pot, making a sauce to go over, etc. Then baking or simmering them for awhile.

This recipe is just so simple – it was in Gourmet’s “Everyday Quick Kitchen” - you make the sauce – kind of like a soup or stew mixture (it sort of looks like tomato chili in a way), and then you simmer the cabbage wedges in broth (separately) and combine them briefly before serving them on a rimmed plate (or a wide soup bowl in my case). I thought this dish was just great – not something you’d serve to guests, perhaps, unless you share really casual meals together. It all could be made ahead and reheated. I doubt the cabbage would do all that well frozen, but I’ll probably freeze a portion or two of the meat mixture and just prepare fresh cabbage when I want to have it again. I cooked the sauce longer than indicated (because I had the time and thought the flavor would improve by longer simmering) and I added some fennel, caraway and thyme to the sauce. You could put this dinner together in less than an hour if you hustled the chopping and cooking of the sauce. The cabbage takes about 45 minutes – you could do that in the microwave or a pressure cooker to speed it up. The beef and ground pork sauce has a delicious tang (from the brown sugar and red wine vinegar) and the juices are so good you don’t want to miss a single slurp. So, try it!

Unstuffed Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage
Recipe: Andrea Albin from Gourmet
Servings: 4
1 head cabbage — (2-lb) quartered lengthwise and cored
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves — thinly sliced, divided
1 large onion — thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb ground pork
28 ounces canned tomatoes, including juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds [my addition]
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds [my addition]
1/2 teaspoon oregano — crushed [my addition]
2 tablespoons Italian parsley — chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Cut cabbage into wedges (maybe 6) and place cabbage in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet with broth, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered, turning cabbage occasionally, until very tender, about 45 minutes. (Add more broth or water if necessary.)
2. Meanwhile, cook onion and remaining garlic in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in ground meats along with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. (Can cook longer to develop flavors, about an hour.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour sauce into skillet with cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley. (Serve with steamed rice or mashed potatoes.)
Per Serving: 408 Calories; 28g Fat (60.1% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 83mg Cholesterol; 378mg Sodium.
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Sorry again for a fuzzy picture. My camera was running out of battery life at this cooking class, so I only took one photo of each thing. The portobello mushroom is on the bottom with the blue cheese kind of oozing up around it.

One thing you always know about Phillis Carey’s recipes, they’re going to have an expansive title. She doesn’t want you to miss a single thing in the title in order to get your taste buds sizzling. When I go to cooking classes I always hope to learn something (I think in all the classes I’ve ever been to, only one was a complete dud). Phillis’ recipes are usually fairly simple, but very high on the good-taste-scale, which is why I keep going back to watch her demonstrate. And I wrote “fab” on the side of the recipe – my code for a terrific recipe. Yup, indeed. This recipe takes less time than many, and is worthy of an elegant dinner. The wine and port sauce was delicious served alongside the beef, and each bite of beef was accented with a bit of mushroom and blue cheese. A great combination. Just remember to take the steaks out of the refrigerator for 45 minutes or so before starting.

Filet Mignon with Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, Blue Cheese & Red Wine Port Sauce
Recipe: Phillis Carey, cookbook author
Servings: 4
4 large Portobello mushroom caps
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup blue cheese, crumbled — Danish blue
24 ounces fillet mignon — 1 1/4 inch steaks, 6-8 ounces each
1 tablespoon olive oil — for browning steaks
2 tablespoons Italian parsley — chopped
WINE SAUCE:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots — sliced Stems from portobello mushrooms (above)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup Zinfandel wine
1/2 cup Ruby port
1/2 cup beef broth
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove mushroom stems, finely chop and set aside. Scrape dark gills out from underside of each mushroom (discard) and season caps with salt and pepper. Arrange mushrooms on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet, underside up and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with blue cheese and return to oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for steaks, bring to room temperature (about 45 minutes), then heat 1 T. olive oil in a large (not nonstick) skillet over medium high heat. Season well with salt and pepper and sear beef until well browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to baking sheet and roast for 8-10 minutes for medium rare to medium.
3. Cool pan slightly before continuing. Pour off any oil and fat from the skillet. Melt butter in the pan, add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the flour and cook until bubbly. Add the red wine, Port and broth. Boil until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Set hot blue cheese topped mushrooms on serving plates. Set a steak on each mushroom and spoon on the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Per Serving: 875 Calories; 65g Fat (72.4% calories from fat); 42g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 160mg Cholesterol; 759mg Sodium.
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Eating good-old ground beef isn’t something we do very often anymore. Just because it’s higher in fat, I guess. I grew up eating beef – ground, chopped, roasts, stews, liver – often. My Dad didn’t like chicken, turkey or lamb. So we ate a lot of beef and pork. When we’d go out to dinner my mother and I would frequently order chicken. We also ate almost no fish. Back then (this was in the late 1940’s and 50’s) you couldn’t buy fresh fish in the markets. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Tuna was available in cans, and shrimp, I think. And here, I grew up in San Diego which has a very large Portuguese population - many of them were deep sea fishermen by trade. But they caught tuna - for canning. That was it. Then. How things have changed!

The story of my dad’s chicken aversion is a sad but interesting one. Growing up, my dad was in charge of the farm chickens. It was part of his chores, to clean out the coop, gather the eggs, feed them, water them, etc. And he kind of got attached to the young rooster. His name was Sammy. My dad thought Sammy was very bright, as chickens go. And Sammy would come to my dad whenever he went into the coop. Anyway, my dad was about 10-11 years old at the time, his parents were helping out a man who needed work. If he’d do some chores around the barn, he could eat dinner with the family at the end of the day. The man had finished his chores and came to the house and asked the missus (my dad’s mother, Bessie) if there was anything else he could do. She said yes, go get one of the chickens and kill it, remove the innards, the feathers, etc. and she’d be fixing it for dinner. So, the worker went out to the chicken coop and killed and dressed a chicken. The family sat down to dinner and everybody was marveling at the delicious chicken. The day worker said, “you know, it was the funniest thing, when I went into the coop, this chicken just came right up to me, so I just killed him then and there!” My dad started to gag. Uh, yes, the worker had killed my dad’s pet rooster, Sammy. And from that day on, my dad could barely eat chicken. As a kid, the thought that he’d already swallowed some of Sammy’s flesh was abhorent. Bessie felt terrible about what had happened – she’d forgotten to tell the man not to kill the young rooster! Even telling that story in his 70’s, my dad would get teary. So, from that day forward whenever chicken was served, if it was all there was, my dad might eat a bite, but that was it. It just wouldn’t go down. And my mother never served chicken unless my dad was away on a business trip.

Well, there, another bit of trivia about my family. So, back to ground beef. I think I’ve mentioned it here before that during the 1960’s and 70’s, when I was a young woman, a housewife, ground beef was a real weekly staple. I made ground beef casseroles by the dozens. When I was young, my mother used to make tamale pie every couple of weeks. My dad particularly loved that. And a half a pound of ground beef could feed our family for at least two dinners.

This recipe is one I found in Sunset magazine, probably back in the 1970’s, based on the age of the lined paper I typed it on. Over the years I’ve changed it just a little bit – some different proportions of things, but the basic recipe hasn’t changed much, so all the credit goes to the magazine. It’s the onions that make this. Unfortunately, you can’t make this dinner in 30 minutes, quite. The onions alone take 20-25 all by themselves.

First you slice up the onions. The recipe calls for one onion apiece, which is about right. You sauté them in some oil and butter and set them aside. You form normal ½-inch thick beef burgers, dip them in some flour, then you sauté the burgers in the same pan – you want them to still be pink in the middle if possible. Once they’re done, you remove them and cook up the sauce (a bit of cream and Worcestershire sauce). You pile the onions on the burger and drizzle some of the sauce on top. My DH just about licked the plate. That’s always a good sign. I hadn’t made this in probably 25 or more years. They’re really quite easy. So if you’re tired of chicken, and enjoy ground beef in many guises, this might be a new version for you.

Danish Ground Steak with Onions

Recipe: Originally from a Sunset magazine article, probably in the 1970’s.

Servings: 4

BURGERS:

1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

ONIONS:

4 small yellow onions — thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

SAUCE:

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Italian parsley — for garnish

1.  In a large (10-inch) frying pan set over medium heat, melt the butter and add oil.  Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until onions are limp and beginning to brown (about 20-25 minutes).  Stir in the salt about halfway through the cooking process.  Transfer the onions to a bowl and keep in a warm place (low oven).

2.  Shape the ground beef patties (with salt and pepper added) into 4 equal portions, about 1/2 inch thick.  Dust them with flour and shake off any excess.  In the same frying pan add more oil and butter and sauté the patties over medium-high heat until they are well-browned, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Transfer the meat to a heated platter and keep in a low oven until ready to serve.

3.  Pour off any fat remaining in the pan.  Put it back over medium heat and add the cream and Worcestershire sauce.  Using a spatula, stir around, scraping up any of the brown bits in the pan until the sauce has darkened a bit and thickened slightly.

4.  Serve meat on individual plates, spoon the onions over the top and scrape some of the sauce over the onions.  Garnish with parsley.

Per Serving: 644 Calories; 51g Fat (72.0% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 158mg Cholesterol; 691mg Sodium.

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There are a whole lot of variations on beef stew out there. Even Asian. And my friend Cherrie’s version made with the addition of currant jelly and cream. I used to make a kind of bland one in the crock pot some years ago too. But my all time favorite is this one, which I hadn’t made in years and years. My DH doesn’t really love stew. Even he doesn’t know why. I had made this for him before, but I hoped that perhaps with a few modifications, he’d like it better. Oh, indeed he did. He wanted seconds, even. I didn’t add potatoes this time – just carrots, mushrooms and the flavoring vegetables.

This recipe has the strange name because it was a version prepared by a dear family friend named Ruth Cormack. After her husband died in the last 1970’s, she developed Alzheimer’s and one day when I phoned her she didn’t know who I was. She was still living alone at that time. It was heartbreaking to me. I didn’t have the phone numbers of any family, plus I lived hundreds of miles away from her, so I don’t know what happened to her. She had rather unpleasant step-daughters who probably neglected her. Sad story. But beef stew will forever be linked with my friend, Ruth. She lived in San Anselmo (a beautiful suburb of Marin County, across the bridge from San Francisco). I hope that where she’s observing me from a heavenly cloud, she’s smiling because I’m sharing her recipe.

What makes this version stand out from the other more mundane recipes are these ingredients: lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of sugar and some allspice. Not things you’d normally associate with beef stew. And I’m really happy with the changes I made to the good-old tried and true recipe. I added a heap of mushrooms, used a mirepoix to help flavor the broth, also added some chicken broth (you could use beef or chicken), and I thickened it a bit more with some added flour that I tossed around on the raw mushrooms.  I made it with my new pressure cooker (see p.c. notes at the end of the recipe). It’s not exactly stew season around here, but we actually had a cool day when I made this. Try it and see what you think.

(Cormack) Beef Stew with Dumplings

Recipe: Adapted from a recipe from an old family friend, Ruth Cormack

Servings: 4 (I really think this will serve 6 people)

2 pounds beef stew meat — in one inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons flour — for dredging

1 cup mirepoix — (diced onion, celery and carrots)

2 1/2 cups beef broth — or chicken broth

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic — minced

1 whole bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar — [or Splenda added at the end]

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

3 whole carrots — halved

4 small onions — sliced

2 whole potatoes — quartered (optional)

1/4 cup Italian parsley — chopped

2 cups mushrooms — trimmed, halved

DUMPLINGS:

1 cup Bisquick® baking mix

6 tablespoons milk

1.  Dredge meat in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper.  Save the leftover flour.  In a heavy Dutch oven, brown meat on several sides in a bit of olive oil.  The more the meat caramelizes, the better tasting it will be.  Do not crowd pan; you may have to do this is more than one batch, adding a bit more olive oil to the pan.  Remove meat and set aside.

2.  To the pan add the chopped mirepoix vegetables and all the sliced onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic for the last minute.  Place meat back in the pan.

3.  Add lemon juice, broth, Worcestershire, bay leaf, salt, and sugar.  Cover and simmer for about 2 hours until meat is very tender.

4.  Add the carrots and potatoes (if using) and continue cooking (lid on) for about 10 minutes.  Add chopped parsley and mushrooms, which you can toss with the leftover flour mixture from the dredging (step 1) and stir in.  Remove bay leaf if you can find it.

5.  Mix Bisquick and milk together in a small bowl.  Using a soup sized spoon, drop about 8 dollops on top of vegetables.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove lid and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

PRESSURE COOKER VERSION: At end of step 3, cook meat, onions, and seasonings for 20 minutes under pressure.  Cool and open pressure cooker.  Add carrots and bring back up to pressure again for about 5 minutes.  Cool again, then add in mushrooms and parsley and push them below the broth surface.  Stir to distribute flour.  Add dumplings on top and proceed with the 10 minutes lid on (not pressure cooked), 10 minutes lid off.

Per Serving (actually less because this will serve more than 4 people): 778 Calories; 32g Fat (37.0% calories from fat); 62g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 128mg Cholesterol; 1931mg Sodium.

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I have a question – did your mother or grandmother can pickles? Both my mother and grandmother made a variety of pickles every year. They made regular whole pickles (sweet type, though), piccalilli, bread and butter pickles and sometimes even pickled watermelon rind. I was never very crazy about the latter (too sweet for me). And my mother would make some kinds of pickle relishes. Not the tiny-minced sweet relish that we can buy in the markets now, but bigger chunks of cucumbers, red peppers and onions. With a delicious sweet and sour flavor going on.

A month or so ago my daughter Dana and family came to visit and she brought with her my mother’s recipe box. I’d forgotten she had it. It’s like this really fun bonanza to re-discover some lost and found thing. Just now I went to the section for pickles and condiments, and pulled out a small stack of recipes. I found: Watermelon Pickle, Zucchini Pickles, Zucchini Relish, Chow Chow, my Dad’s Aunt Rosa’s Bread & Butter Pickles, Dill Crisps from my great, great Aunt Nora, my Grandmother Isis’ Bread & Butter Pickles, and Mustard Pickles.  

Here’s a photo of the aging 3×5 cards. The top one is in my grandmother’s handwriting, I think. I’m flooded with memories of visiting my mother’s family, at their farmhouse in Ceres, California. This would have been in the late 1940’s, early 50’s. In the middle of the farming belt of central California. The house was located about half a mile from the railroad. Many a summer night do I remember trying to go to sleep in the attic room (you know how hot attics get in the heat of a San Joaquin summer?), trying not to think how hot and sweaty I was, hearing the whoo-hoo of the trains going by all hours of the night. Growing up within a mile of the bay in San Diego, the only sounds I heard at night were fog horns, so train noises would awaken me. I also remember helping my grandmother a little bit in the kitchen - usually baking something like biscuits. Or helping my grandfather kill a chicken for Sunday supper (I watched until it came time to start plucking the feathers). And of poking my nose into the icebox that sat on the inside back porch. And helping my grandmother feed clothes into the wringer of the round free-standing washing machine that sat out on the outdoor back porch. Of riding on the tractor out in the field on my grandfather’s lap, holding on for dear life, diligently trying to steer the darned thing (very difficult). And playing with the multitude of kittens that always seemed to be around whenever we visited. They always had cats to keep the mouse population in check. I also prowled around in the monstrosity of an old barn, listening intently for mice hiding in the stacks of hay, or scurrying into the bowels of an old abandoned tractor that would no longer run, that was covered with stuff. Wonderful fodder for varmints. And food for cats.

Well, back to pickles. Back in the 1970’s I did make refrigerator dill pickles when the canning cucumber variety were plentiful at the markets. I can’t find my Sunset recipe. I’ve hunted for it, but no luck. Dana remembers when I made them several summers in a row. She adored them, dipping her hand into the icy cold jar of brine and grabbing one to chew on outside on the patio, where the juice could run unhindered down her arm.

That’s what was conjured up in my memory a couple of weeks ago when I was contemplating the menu for our 4th of July barbecue. We grilled turkey burgers (Oprah’s recipe), and traditional burgers too, but all of them were the small slider size. I may never go back to regular size again – I like these smaller ones so much better. They’re easier to handle, even forming the raw meat was easier. And we all liked the rolls (King’s Hawaiian bread rolls). It’s a light, soft bread, and it scrunched down just fine to fit into your mouth.

Our grandchildren and at least one of our adult kids wanted pure, unadulterated burgers. No special relish. Nothing but the bun, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices. But I made this really piquant relish/marmalade stuff that I’d make again anytime. It was relatively simple to prepare – I sautéed a bit of sugar and some onions (I should have used red, but yellow ones were what I grabbed) while bell peppers (supposed to be red only; I used one red and one yellow) charred under the broiler. Once they cooled and the skins were peeled, they were tossed into the onion mixture with balsamic vinegar and some spices. It took about 30 minutes to make, and I thought their flavor on the burgers was sensational.

Pickle making is becoming a lost art, I suppose. We’re all too busy. What a huge loss, since refrigerator pickles are so easy to do, requiring no cooking. I found some recipes on the internet and gave them to my daughter, in hopes that she’d make them for her family. She’s interested, but might be too intimidated to try it without mom around to oversee. In the meantime, for me, this delicious relish/marmalade will have to do!

Red Onion and Red Pepper Marmalade

Recipe: An ancient clipping from the Los Angeles Times Food Section

Servings: 8-16

2 whole red bell peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 whole red onions — halved, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sugar — or Splenda added later

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon coarse salt

3 tablespoons fresh basil — minced

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme — minced

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary — minced

2 tablespoons butter — optional

1.  Preheat the broiler.

2.  Stand the peppers on their end and cut each into 4 flat sides and remove seeds and ribs.  Arrange the peppers skin side up in a single layer on a foil-lined pan and broil until blackened, between 5-10 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and wrap the peppers in the foil.  Wait until they’re cool enough to handle, then remove the skin.  Cut them into thin strips and set aside.

3.  Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the onions and sugar.  Cook, stirring often until the onions are lightly colored (not dark brown) about 10 minutes.  Turn down the heat if they appear to be browning too quickly.

4.  Stir in the vinegar, mustard and salt.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, about 7 more minutes.  Stir in the red bell peppers; heat through.  Adjust seasoning.  This can be made to this point several days ahead and refrigerated.

5.  To serve, gently reheat even if you’re serving it at room temperature.  Stir in the herbs, and when hot stir in the butter until melted.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

NOTES: The butter may not be necessary - I didn’t use it - your choice. If you use Splenda, stir it into the finished marmalade.

Per Serving: 85 Calories; 6g Fat (64.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 274mg Sodium. 

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Over the year+ I’ve been doing this-here blog, I’ve learned a lot. Not only about how to run a website (blog), about software that runs stuff behind the scenes (I know, you’re likely not interested in that part, are you?), but also a lot about food. No, I don’t have a culinary degree (when I went to college I didn’t know I’d be so interested in cooking and the culinary arts as an adult), but over the years my head has filled with a whole lot of varied knowledge about food and cooking. My daughter Dana and two of my friends phone me every now and then to ask questions. Usually it’s about a cooking technique (Can I freeze raw artichokes? Answer no, only cooked ones. Can I freeze heavy cream? Answer yes, but it may separate once it defrosts and doesn’t seem to whip up very well, so basically no. Do you use raw egg yolks – like in Caesar dressing? Answer yes, I do, as long as the eggs have come from a grocery store where I know they’ve kept them refrigerated.) I don’t always know the answer. Thank goodness for the internet. It’s such an huge mass of information. The only problem is you don’t really know what’s true and what isn’t. You need to search several sites to see if you get a consensus. Or refer to some reliable sources. Even Wikipedia, a site I refer to often, isn’t always correct, so I’ve read. It’s only as reliable as the sources from which THEY got the information.

The problem is: I have a curious mind. I like to understand the “why” of things. Which is the reason I often refer to Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking. He’s more like a chemist, but he loves cooking and everything related to food. My cousin Gary gave me the book for Christmas one year, and it’s been a great source of food chemistry fact and lore. McGee debunks the lore part and gives you a lot of info (maybe more than some people want to know) about food chemistry. I’m fascinated by it. It is written for the home cook, but it’s almost like a textbook - fairly heavy reading even for someone interested in food from the get-go.

So, today we’re talking about Steak Diane. When I went online to look up about Steak Diane, I found differing information. Elise, a blogger I read regularly, had an entry awhile back about Steak Diane in which she says that the name Diane comes from Diana, the Greek goddess of the hunt. Yet, when I went to the Practically Edible website it says Steak Diane has nothing whatsoever to do with Diana (the goddess) because there are no hunted animals (like venison) involved. I don’t know who’s right, and mostly it doesn’t matter. All we really care about here is whether the sauce on the steak is GOOD. Or not. I hereby proclaim it’s good. And not hard. Your guests will be impressed, I guarantee you. Be sure to serve these steaks with some kind of comfort carb (Monterey Scalloped Potatoes, plain mashed potatoes or buttered rice or noodles) as you’ll want to slick up every morsel of this sauce. I’ve changed the recipe to serve 8, not 4, meaning each person will eat a half of a 1 1/2 inch thick New York steak.

Steak Diane Flambé

Recipe By: Phillis Carey

Servings: 8

2 1/2 pounds beef New York steaks — 1 1/2 inches thick (four steaks)

Salt and pepper — to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

SAUCE:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons shallots — minced

1/4 cup brandy

1/4 cup dry white wine — or vermouth

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup A-1® Steak Sauce

1 cup beef broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced chives — garnish

1.  Trim all outside fat from the steaks.  Cut steaks in half horizontally (to make two thinner steaks) then pound each piece to flatten them to 1/4 inch thickness.  Season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.

2.  Melt 2 T.  butter in a large skilled over medium high heat.  Add steaks in batches and cook one minute per side.  Remove to a plate.

3.  Lower heat and add remaining butter.  Once butter is melted add shallots and sauté for one minute.  Add brandy and ignite, shaking the pan until flames subside.  Whisk in mustard and A-1 sauce and reduce to a syrup.

4.  Add the beef broth and continue to boil until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup.  Add cream and boil until thickened.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Add chives and return steaks with any accumulated juices to the skillet, turning to coat steaks a couple of minutes as the sauce reduces a little more.  Do not COOK the steaks - you’re just reheating them.  Serve steaks with the sauce.

Per Serving: 492 Calories; 39g Fat (74.8% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 118mg Cholesterol; 396mg Sodium. 

COOK’S NOTES: If you’d rather not serve the thinner steaks (which was done this way - way back when - because the steaks were cooked tableside in restaurants), you can do these as a thick steak and finish in the oven.  Leave steaks at 1 1/2 inches thick.  Sauté in a frying pan for about 4 minutes per side, then place in a 400 F.  oven for 8-10 minutes (that will be rare to medium rare).  Make sauce in a separate pan.

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On those occasions when I bake or rotisserie a roast, often I don’t know what to do with the leftovers. Well, sometimes anyway. With a beef roast, I suppose you could make hash or sandwiches or open faced sandwiches. A roast chicken is another thing altogether – I’m talking about a lamb roast or pork roast. Often the meat isn’t all that moist anymore, so unless I’ve made some kind of sauce for the meat the first go-around, I’m left with a hunk of meat and big question marks in my head about what to do with it. We’re certainly not going to waste it, but serving just slices of cold roast pork or lamb doesn’t work around my house. Maybe once, but that’s it. My DH doesn’t complain – he’s SO good about eating whatever I put in front of him, generally, but dry, sliced, cold meat isn’t something that ranks high in his book of good meals. Or mine either, for that matter.

So, I have two recipes to share with you today about this leftover meat problem. The first one, the Marchand de Vin, comes from a favorite little book I own that’s eons old. I bought it used, years and years ago for $2.88. It’s called Sumptuous Sauces in the Microwave, by Patricia Tennison. If you click on the link above, you’ll get to a Google search results page with dozens of listings for her book. It’s out of print, but you can buy it used – cheap – if you’re interested. I love this little book which contains recipes for stocks, white sauces, veloutes, brown sauces, hollandaise, butter sauces, wine and beer sauces (that’s the chapter this recipe came from), gravies, pasta sauces even, a few barbecue sauces, even some veggie and salad dressings and condiments. And, last but not least, some dessert sauces (which I’ve made many times). And every single one of them is cooked (in part or full) in the microwave. What I like about them is that they’re quick and easy. When I’m preparing a leftover meal, I’m usually into QUICK things. Knowing I have leftovers makes me lazy – often I don’t start preparing dinner until 15 minutes before I want to eat. So these sauces work for me.

This particular recipe, the Marchand de Vin, in French, means Wine Merchant’s Sauce. It’s simple – shallot, butter, red wine, stock, cognac, lemon juice and thickened with cornstarch. Ideal for any grilled or roasted meat, really. You’ll find lots of different versions of this sauce if you search on the internet – some contain ham, and mushrooms (they are a nice addition to this, actually, if you have them). You can heat up the meat in the microwave, then pour the sauce over it. In and of itself this sauce isn’t something from a gourmet restaurant, but it’s tasty enough - will give meat some moisture. Be careful and don’t add too much lemon juice. If it’s too thick when you’re done, just stir in some hot water until it’s the right consistency for pouring.

The rosemary-garlic stuffed pork loin roast leftover slices heating in a skillet. I made this along with our favorite garlic green beans.

The Leftover Sauce (now, isn’t that a glamorous title? – I should give it some high-fallutin’ new name instead) is a tomato juice-based sauce, but has onion and celery in it, and a bit of chili powder and a little plop of vinegar to give it some zing. My only caution – tomato juice (or sauce if you use that instead) often contains lots of salt. Try to choose one with no or little salt in it to begin with, then you can season it however you’d like to. This one is made in a frying pan and once it’s simmered for 25 minutes or so, you add the meat slices to the pan just to heat through. If you have leftover mashed potatoes too, make more sauce so you can spoon it over those as well. This recipe came from a friend of my mother’s, Mary W., from about 1971. Tried and true, that’s what it is.

Leftover Sauces for Meat
Recipe: Marchand: from Sumptuous Sauces in the Microwave, by Patricia Tennison. Leftover Sauce: from an old family friend, Mary W.

MARCHAND DE VIN:
1 Tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons shallot — finely minced
1/3 cup dry red wine — such as burgundy
1 cup beef stock — or broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cognac
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt — optional
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper — optional
Mushrooms, if you have them
1. Place butter and shallot in 4 cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on high 1-2 minutes, until softened but not brown.
2. Stir in red wine and stock. Microwave on high 15-18 minutes, until reduced by half.
3. In a cup, mix cornstarch with water and blend until a smooth paste. Stir into wine mixture (and add mushrooms if you’re using them). Microwave on high 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in cognac, lemon juice and taste for seasonings (salt and pepper). Add water if it’s too thick. 

LEFTOVER SAUCE:
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup onion — chopped
3/4 cup celery — chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt — or no salt depending on juice or sauce used
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 cups tomato juice — or 1/3 cup tomato sauce + 2/3 cup water
1.  In a large frying pan, sauté onion and celery in the oil until vegetables are soft and translucent, about 4-8 minutes.
2.  Add sugar, dry mustard, salt and chili powder.  Stir to combine, then add vinegar and tomato juice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.  Add sliced meat to the pan and heat through.  Do not cook meat, just warm it through. Add water if sauce is too thick.
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It was a few weeks ago I went to yet another cooking class. (Lucky for you, you don’t have to pay for the class, but you get to have the recipes!) The subject was entrees suitable for entertaining, by Phillis Carey. I’ll post most of the recipes (one of them I didn’t like much, so will ignore that one) in the next couple of weeks.

This marinade and glaze for flank steak looks like it’s got a lot of ingredients (it does), but it goes together quite quickly. Don’t eliminate the Tabasco – I loved the little bit of heat in this marinade. And the overall taste was excellent. The meat is tenderized (it needs to marinate for at least 24 hours (even 2-3 days would be fine). Cut on the bias and across the grain for very tender slices.

Orange Marinated & Glazed Flank Steak
Recipe By: Phillis Carey
Servings: 6
2/3 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon orange zest — zested before you squeeze the oranges above
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 pounds flank steaks — (about 2 pounds each)
1.  Combine all the ingredients (except flank steaks) in a shallow baking dish (or large plastic Ziploc bag) stirring the honey until dissolved.  Add the flank steaks and turn to coat in marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.  May be kept for 2-3 days in the marinade.
2.  Remove steaks from marinade and transfer marinade to a saucepan.  Let steaks stand at room temp for 45 minutes.  Bring marinade to a boil and continue boiling until liquid is syrupy, about 10 minutes.  There should be about one cup of sauce.  Cool. Pour our about 1/3 cup to use as a basting (remainder to pour over the meat as a sauce).
3.  Brush this sauce/glaze on both sides of the steaks and grill (outside or stovetop grill) or broil (about 4 inches from the heat) until nicely glazed, about 5 minutes on each side for medium rare.  Let meat rest for 5 minutes with a piece of aluminum foil very lightly tented over the meat.
4.  Transfer steaks to a cutting board.  Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut the steaks across the grain into thin slices.  Transfer the meat to a platter and drizzle with any remaining glaze.
Per Serving: 702 Calories; 36g Fat (47.8% calories from fat); 59g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 154mg Cholesterol; 919mg Sodium.
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Another winner of a Phillis Carey recipe. I get a kick out of the titles she gives her recipes - she doesn’t want you to miss a thing when you hear or read the recipe title. You need to know that it has Cajun spices. You need to know that it’s a filet mignon. And lastly, that it has this delicious, scrumptious Creole sauce - with cream - in it too. She laughs at herself when she talks about the recipe titles - even she gets them mixed up sometimes when she’s demonstrating them in a cooking class. But with the recipe in front of us, the students, we take notes, adding her little quips to the process.

Several weeks ago my friend Cherrie and I went to a cooking class (entrees for entertaining) and this recipe was one of them. Phillis used a filet mignon. When I made this sauce a few nights ago, I only had frozen New York steaks, so I used them instead. So I just made the sauce in a separate pan, and my DH grilled the steaks on the outdoor barbecue. He’s got the drill down-pat. Sear, mark the meat, both sides, put on a rack not over direct heat, stick in the meat thermometer and remove the steak at 122 degrees F. The meat was solidly pinky-red all the way through except for the flat sides, which were appealingly grilled brown.

The sauce, meanwhile, was a snap to mix up. I had everything on hand except green bell peppers (a staple in the Creole diet), but I just used some extra celery instead. No biggie. I even had the fresh herbs in our garden and used more than was called for. My DH just loved the sauce. Wanted to know exactly what was in it and how I made it. Every so often he asks detailed questions about something I’ve made. I used to think - aha, he’s going to surprise me and fix a full meal some night. Uh, no. He thinks sometime he might entertain some of his friends when he spends the night on our boat and whip out this great sauce. But he never remembers what I’ve told him.

At any rate, this steak and the sauce were delicious. And yes, they’d be quite suitable for a company meal. The sauce doesn’t make all that much, actually. If you really like sauce, I’d increase it by 50% so you’ll have more.

Cajun Rubbed Filet Mignon with Creamy Creole Sauce
Recipe By: Phillis Carey
Servings: 4 (probably more)
STEAK & RUB:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 pounds fillet mignon — 4 steaks, 1 1/4 inches thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
CREOLE SAUCE:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup onions — diced
1/4 cup celery — diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper — diced
1 teaspoon Cajun Creole spice (from rub recipe above)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup dry vermouth
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes — drained
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
STEAKS:
1. Combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tsp. for the sauce. Coat the steaks well and let stand at room temp for 45 minutes.
2. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Brush both sides of the steaks with olive oil and add to the hot skillet. Cook 4-6 minutes per side to desired doneness, lowering heat towards the end to prevent burning. Steaks may also be grilled.
SAUCE:
1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, celery and bell pepper and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved Cajun Creole spice and the sugar. Add the dry vermouth and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in tomatoes, hot sauce and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture reduced slightly and thickens, about 10 minutes. May be made ahead to this point.
3. Stir in fresh herbs, season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Serve spooned over steaks.
Per Serving (I think this would serve more than 4 people, but this is the original recipe and Phillis thinks everyone would eat 8 full ounces of meat): 945 Calories; 77g Fat (73.4% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 216mg Cholesterol; 2995mg Sodium.
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