Elsie and the White Peach Blueberry Tart

In previous posts I've referred to Dave and the G's as my troops. But really Elsie is part of the troops too. Elsie has been our babysitter since Gertie was 18 months old (she's 6 1/2 now).  She has been with George from the day he was born...helping me through 8 weeks of terrible postpartum depression.  She is so much more than a babysitter.  She is a true member of our family and I can't imagine life without her.  She is a confidant, a guide, a friend, and Dave, George, Gertie, and I simply adore her.  She's also my number one taste tester! 

So this morning I made Elsie something new to try...this super fresh White Peach and Blueberry Tart. I suppose you could use yellow peaches, but I had 2 huge white ones and some blueberries that needed a job. Delicious!

White Peach and Blueberry Tart

adapted from recipetips.com

INGREDIENTS

• Crust

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup cold butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• Filling

  • 3 cups fresh blueberries and white peaches combined
  • 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

• Topping

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 6 tablespoons butter

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INSTRUCTIONS

• CrustPreheat oven to 350° F.
  
  Place flour, sugar, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. Add butter and mix until crumbly. Add egg and almond extract. Combine until the dough will form into a ball.
  
  With floured hands, press into the bottom of pie pan and partially up the sides of a greased tart pan or pie plate.
  
  FillingWash blueberries and pat dry. Peel, pit, and slice peaches. Combine fruit, lemon juice, and sugar together in a small bowl.
  
  Pour over crust in pan.
  
  ToppingIn a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter until crumbly.Sprinkle over tart and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
  
  Allow to cool before serving.
  

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Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

This yummy Flank Steak was a hit at my house.  Even finicky Gertie liked it!  The Salsa Verde was incredible.  I saved the leftovers for eggs the next day...you could even use the Salsa Verde on hot pasta as a sort of pesto.  The tomatoes were vine ripe, not Beefsteak...and the grilled onions were an addition by Elsie (grilled in the pan after the steak came out) that were fantastic!  So easy!

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS

• • 2 cups loosely packed fresh parsley
  • 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 anchovy fillets
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 or 3 medium tomatoes

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INSTRUCTIONS

Make the salsa verde: Pulse the parsley, scallions, capers, lemon zest and juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard and olive oil in a food processor until slightly chunky. Pour into a bowl and season with salt.

Preheat a grill to high or place a grill pan over high heat. Pierce the steak all over with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Oil the grill or pan; grill the steak, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Slice the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Serve with the tomatoes and salsa verde.

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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