Dinner Table Idea

I just got back from Kinko's with a very patient George. He sat happily in his stroller eating pretzel Goldfish while I made color copies of Gertie's artwork from her three (yes three!) art classes last year. I then laminated them and they turned into really neat placemats for our dining table. I'm a proud Mom!

Knife Skills 101

I've always wanted to take a knife skills class...and finally did at my local Sur la Table.  I had a blast, reconfirming things I already knew and learning lots of new things too. They say in cooking you're either a cutter or a burner, thus my enrollment.  Below is my beautiful new Miyabi 8# Chef's Knife (all you really need) and my first at home attempt and an even dice on onions, celery and peppers.

Amazing Almond Tart

When we had a housewarming party at our new house, our lovely neighbors brought us this tart still warm from the oven.  If you like almonds...this simply will be the best dessert you have ever had. Period.  I was so impressed with it that I held our neighbor's tart pan hostage until she gave me the recipe.  She was happy to "do the exchange" in broad daylight...then had a laugh telling me it was actually Jesse James' recipe.  Yep.  That guy!  I rushed out and bought my own 10" tart pan (with removable bottom) at Sur la Table and found out it was just about the easiest recipe ever.  

Then I proceeded to watch my Ironman eat 3/4 of it right in front of me.

Almond Tart

marthastewart.com

INGREDIENTS

• For the Crust

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for hands
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Pinch of salt

• For the Filling

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon Grand Marnier
  • Pinch of salt

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INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a small glass measuring cup, stir together butter, vanilla, and 1/2 tablespoon water; pour over flour mixture. Stir to combine. With floured hands, press dough into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove tart shell from oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, stir together almonds, heavy cream, sugar, egg, almond extract, Grand Marnier, and salt. Pour filling into crust. Bake tart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Lentil Salad with Tomato and Dill

This is one of my favorite dishes.  It can we served warm or cold, with or without added Feta.  I tend to undercook my lentils a bit so they have a nice bite to them.  I love the flavors of dill and vinegar and the freshness of vine ripe tomatoes.  This is a great one to double the recipe because at least at my house it becomes dinner, then snack, then lunch, then snack, then maybe dinner again!

Lentil Salad with Tomato and Dill

epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 cup dried lentils (preferably small French lentils)
  • 1 large garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 3/4 lb tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
  • 4 large scallions, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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INSTRUCTIONS

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan with lentils, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain in a large sieve, then transfer to a large bowl.

Toss hot lentils with tomatoes, scallions, dill, basil, vinegar, oil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

Restaurant Style Chinese Mongolian Beef

This is the real deal. Simply stated...I learned a lot while making this recipe.  It was AMAZING, but definitely not an everyday staple.  It was a lot of work (OK) and I could not believe how much sugar went into it until I made it (NOT OK).  It is a wonderful dish to make for a special dinner with white rice...Decadent to say the least!

Mongolian Beef

food.com

INGREDIENTS

• • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
  • 1 lb flank steak
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 large green onions

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.
  2. Don't get the oil too hot.
  3. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
  4. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  5. Remove it from the heat.
  6. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.
  7. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
  8. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.
  9. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
  10. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
  11. Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
  12. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.
  13. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
  14. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
  15. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
  16. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
  17. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.
  18. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
  19. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

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Skinny Frozen Watermelon Margaritas

Apparently practice makes perfect.  My Sister in Law suggested I freeze fruit and mix it in the blender with Skinnygirl.  I took it one step further and froze my Skinnygirl in a measuring cup until slushy (about an hour).  The consistency was perfect...which made these delicious and ideal during our recent hot weather.

Skinny Frozen Watermelon Margaritas

1.5 Cup Skinnygirl Margarita (chilled in freezer one hour)

2 cups frozen cubed seedless watermelon

1 tsp. confectioners sugar

Dump it all in a blender and give it a whirl. You'll be happy you did!

Mac and Cheese

My friend Joe asked me to make something without meat (then gently suggested Mac and Cheese).  So I randomly grabbed a recipe that looked yummy and gave it a whirl.  First, it includes Gruyere...which is a relatively "stinky" cheese if you are not familiar with it. Don't let that scare you.  When I first tasted it right out of the oven the Gruyere was overpowering...but as it cooled it mellowed and added a wonderful depth of flavor that the average Mac and Cheese can lack.  I also loved the sliced tomatoes on top and fresh bread crumbs.

I served it with Aidells Cajun Style Andouille sausage and some Sam Adams Summer Ale.  Excellent!

Mac and Cheese

foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS

• • Kosher salt
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi (I used Barilla Whole Grain)
  • 1 quart milk
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
  • 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

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INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top

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Farfalle with Pesto, Feta and Cherry Tomatoes

My recent dilemma has been what to cook on these really hot days.  I've been cooking in my Breville Stainless Steel Smart Oven things like meatloaf and roast chicken, but even those seem too hot and heavy when we come home from camp, pool etc.

Last night I made a light yet delicious pasta that can be eaten warm, room temp, or cold.  I cheated and used jarred Pesto from Giada de Laurentiis for Target (which is amazing), but recipe for homemade pesto follows if you are so inclined.

Farfalle with Pesto, Feta and Cherry Tomatoes

foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 pound bow tie pasta (farfalle)
• 3/4 cup Pesto, recipe follows
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, as needed

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Stir in the bow ties and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water just until it stops steaming. Bounce the pasta around to get rid of as much water as you can.

Dump the pasta into a large serving bowl. Stir in the pesto until the pasta is coated. Toss in the tomatoes and the crumbled feta. Taste the salad and season it as you like with salt and pepper. You can make the salad up to about 1 hour before you serve it. Check out the salt and pepper just before you serve the salad. If it's looking a little dry, add some olive oil and stir it around.

Pesto:

5 big handfuls basil leaves (about 2 hefty bunches)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt
About 20 grinds freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients with 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender and blend. Gradually drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of oil until pesto is thick and smooth.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups