Some Beef Should Be Cooked Longer

Grilling_Steaks_(with_border) I saw an interesting article on www.epicurious.com, one of my favorite recipe and food information sites, this morning and it raised some points I hadn’t thought of before concerning the degree of wellness that’s best for each cut of meat.

When we go out for a steak dinner my husband is an automatic medium-rare guy and I’m a firm believer that my meat shouldn’t walk itself to the table or be so bloody that it’s still cold inside, so my go-to temperature request is medium.

Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, owners of Ox Restaurant in Portland, OR, give great reasons for venturing beyond medium-rare (130° F) on these specific cuts:

With tougher cuts like hangar, tri-tip, flank, flap steak, and skirt steak, “you need to allow time for the fibers to relax.” Any steak on which you can see the grain of the meat running down its length is at its optimal level of tenderness and juiciness when cooked to medium (140°F).
For short ribs, cook to medium to medium-well (140ºF to 150ºF) because “the connective tissues and marbling need time to render, so they’re best grilled over low heat for a long period of time.” This cut, which is often braised, has a lot of fat, so it can stand up to the higher level of doneness. Plus, Gabrielle says, “the tendons get crispy and satisfyingly chewy,” when cooked this way.

For purposes of safety and less chance of getting any type of food borne illness, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends steaks and roasts be cooked to 145°F (medium) and then rested for at least 3 minutes. The USDA also recommends that ground beef should be cooked to a minimum 160°F (well done) and that temperatures should be checked with a thermometer. Don’t rely solely on color as some meats don’t change a whole lot.

I would imagine the people at Certified Angus Beef would be the ultimate experts on the ideal degree of wellness for beef. They recommend:

Inserting your thermometer through the side of your meat, with the tip in the center of the cut, not touching any bone or fat.
Removing steaks and burgers from the heat when the thermometer registers 5°F lower than the desired doneness, and roasts 5-10°F lower, as the temperature will continue to rise while resting.

I see where I am screwing up! I often overcook my husband’s steaks because I do rely on the color and/or wait for the thermometer to reach the exact wellness mark. I’m changing my ways today. 😉

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Kitchen Tips I Wish I’d Have Known Sooner

Anyone who has cooked has run into the inevitable missing, not enough or spoiled ingredient. I have also over cooked and under cooked more things than I can count. Had I known these tips before I’d have saved many recipes from disaster!

Kitchen Tips and Tricks

No Heavy Cream – If your recipe calls for heavy cream and you don’t have any don’t panic! You can make your own heavy cream with just two ingredients: Whole Milk and Butter. Simply combine 2/3 Cup whole milk with 1/3 Cup melted (and slightly cooled) unsalted butter and you’ve got 1 Cup of Heavy Cream
Carrots – To keep them fresh the longest, cut the tops off and store them in a closed plastic bag in the refrigerator. If you leave carrots out too long and they look sad and limp, throw them into an ice bath (ice and cold water in a large bowl or bag) and they’ll perk right up.
Eggs (Are they still good?) – Fill a pan or a bowl with water and place the eggs you intend to eat in the water how they rest tells you if they are still fresh enough to eat.On the bottom of the bowl: 100% fresh and at peak flavor; One corner lifted: A week or so old. Entirely edible!; Standing on a point: A couple weeks old. Eat as soon as possible; Floating at the top: Super old! Do not eat!
Run out of eggs in the middle of a recipe? – You can substitute 1/2 of a mashed banana, 1/4 Cup unsweetened applesauce, or 3 TBLS creamy peanut butter for an egg in a pinch. Other substitutions include: I TBLS ground flax combined with 3 TBLS water; 1 TBLS chia seed combined with 1/3 cup water (mix & let stand 15 minutes); or 1 TBLS soy protein powder combined with 3 TBLS water.
Have ingredients but don’t know what to make with them? – Go to http://www.supercook.com, enter your ingredients and it tells you what you can make and how to make it.
Tired of crying when you cut onions? – Rub the blade of your knife with canola or olive oil before you start cutting and reduce the tears.
Are your zucchini noodles too wet/mushy? – Sweat them on a paper towel on a cookie sheet in a 200° F oven for 30 minutes before you cook them.
Limp Celery – Wrap your celery in foil before placing in the crisper and it will stay fresh for weeks.
Hard Ice Cream – Put ice cream container in a sealed zip bag and ice cream will stay soft.
The biggest kitchen error I make is boiling eggs! Inevitably they come out over done (you know, when the yolks are grey- ick). I found a great graphic and list that will make cooking eggs the mindless task it should be!

eggtimingchart Step one: Place the eggs in a pot with cold water. Make sure there’s an inch of water above the eggs and don’t crowd them in. (Tip: Add vinegar to the water so eggshells are easier to peel) Place the pot on the stovetop over high heat.

Step two: When the water starts lightly boiling around the eggs, cover the pot and move it to a burner that’s off or onto a potholder on the countertop. Time to set the timer:

Three minutes: Whites are soft and slightly gloopy. Yolks are completely liquid.

Four minutes: Whites are set but soft and floppy. Yolks are still runny but a little more solid.

Six minutes: Whites are soft but firm. Yolks are smooth and pudding-like.

10 minutes: Whites and yolks are totally firm, but yolks are still creamy.

15 minutes: A completely solid, hard-boiled egg.

Remove from the hot water and place them into an ice-water bath for a minute to stop the cooking. Tap ‘em on the edge of the sink to gently crack and peel them open.

Zucchini Banana Bread

banzucbread

A little different spin on a classic. Honey instead of granulated sugar cuts the sweetness and adds a little moisture to this bread. While the bread is really good the first day, I wrap mine in foil (to maintain the moisture) and put it in the refrigerator so that the zucchini’s moisture can do it’s work. The second and third day, if it lasts that long, the bread gets better and better. I try and double the ingredients to make two loaves, then freeze the wrapped bread (in a Ziplock freezer bag) to enjoy later.

Zucchini Banana Bread

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed overripe (black skins) banana (about 2 medium sized bananas)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups zucchini, shredded (do not drain the natural moisture)

Preheat oven to 350° F
Beat together the oil and honey in a stand mixer
Add in the mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt
Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir on low until just combined
Using a spoon fold in the zucchini
Spray a loaf pan with cooking spay and pour in batter
Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon on top of the batter if you want to
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean – do not undercook

I like to serve this with whipped cream cheese with a touch of nutmeg in it.

Keep the Protein in Cooked Salmon

albumin We’ve all noticed it, the white stuff that oozes out of our salmon no matter how long or short we cook it, whether poached, baked or grilled. It really ruins the presentation. I have always wondered if it’s normal, and what I did wrong to make my salmon not look as pretty as it is when served to me at a restaurant.

What is that white stuff?

It’s called albumin, which is coagulated protein that is escaping the salmon filet because you (ok I) didn’t take 10 minutes to prep the fish properly to minimize this loss of protein.

What’s the 10 minute fix?

America’s Test Kitchen came up with a simple solution for keeping more if the protein inside the fish you are preparing:

10 minutes in a basic brine solution (about 1 tablespoon of salt per cup of water) before cooking. “The salt partially dissolves the muscle fibers near the surface of the flesh, so that when cooked they congeal without contracting and squeezing out albumin.”

It’s that easy to preserve your dinner’s nutrients and keep the salmon looking pretty.

Once you’ve brined your salmon, you can finish prepping your filets for the oven or grill and/or stuff them then poach, grill, or bake as you choose.

I’m making salmon for dinner tonight and am definitely going to let my filets spend a few minutes swimming in a zip bag filled with salt water. Sounds painless to me.

It’s Looking Like a Maker’s Kind of Day

I know that not everyone drinks alcohol. Some for health reasons, some for religious reasons, some don’t like the taste, some are underage, some did drink but stopped, some don’t know when to say “when” and were forced to stop, and some are supporting recovering spouses or friends so they no longer imbibe. The reasons are many and I totally respect all of them.

This post isn’t intended for any of those people, unless they happen to be bartenders, frequent party hosts, or are just people who like to know what to serve guests of theirs who do enjoy a drink.

makersneat Regular readers of my blogs here and at www.extremeblondemoments.com know I love my wine, the Grey Goose L’Orange Cosmopolitan is my longtime favorite, I’m a fan of “umbrella drinks” poolside or on the beach, I love a shot of Maker’s 46 neat, my “usual” is a Maker’s 46 Old Fashioned, and I’m a huge horse racing fan so you know I love my Mint Juleps!

Old-Fashioned When my husband asks if I want my usual, he knows that will involve him putting in a little more effort than just pouring me a neat shot of 46. He’ll have to muddle a dark red Bada Bing cherry, in a few drops of Hella Bitters (citrus) ,then drop a single block of ice into the glass, cover it with a splash or two of simple syrup and top it off with a generous pour of Maker’s 46.

I saw a tweet from Maker’s Mark a few minutes ago that gave me a new spin on drinking my favorite just in time for The Belmont Stakes! Have you figured out yet that I’m a Maker’s girl? 😉

makerspomegranate The Trifecta With a Twist combines Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Lemonade and Pomegranate Juice with ice in a rocks glass and garnishes with either a twist of orange or a twist of lemon and a maraschino cherry – you choose. I have all of those ingredients on hand and can’t wait to give it a try!

summersmashup Another drink I found on the Maker’s Mark Twitter Feed, that I am anxious to try poolside, is the Maker’s Mark Summer Smash Up. This sweet and fruity concoction combines Maker’s Mark with Triple Sec, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, & Grenadine and is garnished with a wedge of pineapple and a maraschino cherry. Bonus! All of the ingredients are in my refrigerator! Looks like it’ll be a great weekend. 🙂

makerspeachtea If you’re an Iced Tea fan, there’s a Maker’s Mark cocktail for you too!

The Maker’s Peach Tea combines Freshly Brewed Iced Tea with Dekuyper Peachtree Liqueur and Maker’s Mark with a garnish of a fresh (or frozen) peach slice. I would muddle the peach at the bottom of the glass with the bourbon before adding the ice, and mixing in the freshly brewed tea and peach liqueur.

makersmintjulep A post about my favorite bourbon drinks wouldn’t be complete without the Mint Julep being properly represented! I like to make my simple syrup a few days before I plan to enjoy my juleps.

My Simple Syrup recipe is simple: Combine equal parts extra fine baker’s sugar (I use C&H) with water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved then immediately remove from the heat. My usual measurement is 2 ups sugar to 2 cups water. Cool the syrup then pour into a Rubbermaid type sealable drink container where about 5 stems of bruised (put leaves into a bowl and press a spoon firmly on the leaves to open them and release the oils) mint leaves have been placed. Put the syrup into the refrigerator to chill 😉 for at least 24 hours to infuse the mint. If your simple syrup is for anything other than a julep, don’t use the mint.

Maker’s Mint Julep

1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark^® Bourbon
Fresh mint
Mint Simple Syrup
Powdered sugar
Mint sprig for garnish
Club Soda

Instructions

Place a few mint leaves in the bottom of your glass and muddle with a splash of my Mint Simple Syrup.
Fill glass with crushed ice
Pour Maker’s Mark, another splash of simple syrup, and a splash of club soda over the ice
Sprinkle top of ice with powdered sugar.
Garnish with a mint sprig.

As I always do, I remind you that if you are going to drink, please:

Know your limit / drink in moderation
Never Drink and Drive
Designate a sober driver, know the local taxi company’s phone number and USE IT, ask the bartender or your server to call you a cab, use UBER or LYFT, or have a friend or family member on standby for you to call if you need a ride home

Baked Chicken in Creamy Poblano Sauce

I’ve fallen in love with Amazon Fresh. Not just because I can be lazy and not go into the grocery store, although that keeps me from making impulse buys which is a definite plus, but also because the quality of the produce allows me to be creative when I cook on the weeknights. Not only is the produce generally larger than what I am seeing in my local grocery store, but it stays fresh longer, and I’m paying less money per pound. Win, Win, Win!

I hadn’t decided what to do with the chicken breasts I thawed this morning then remembered that two large Poblano chilies have been in the crisper for just over a week – in my eyes they are begging to be made a couple! Throw some rice into the pressure cooker and we have a trio!

Baked Chicken in Creamy Poblano Sauce with Mexican Rice

2 Poblano Chilis
1/2 Yellow Onion
2 TBLS Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic
3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 – 8oz Package Cream Cheese
2 TBLS Dried Cilantro
1 Can Evaporated Milk
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
2 TBLS Flour
4 TBLS Butter
1/4 Cup Milk
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F)
Cut the poblano peppers in half, stem & seed, then slice thinly with a Mandoline
Cut the cleaned and skinned half white onion into thin slices on the Mandoline
Peel the garlic
Place these above items in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, turn to coat completely
Place in the oven and roast for approx 20 minutes
In the meantime cut your chicken breast halves with the breast flat on the cutting board use your knife to cut parallel to the board to divide it into two equal pieces
Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides
Remove the roasted veggies from the oven & lower the temperature to 350 degrees
Place the roasted veggies, cilantro, salt and evaporated milk in a blender
Puree the mixture
Saute’ the chicken breast pieces in the 2 TBLS oil for about 2 minutes per side until they have a little color on them
Remove the chicken to the baking dish you used to roast the veggies
In the same pan you used for the chicken, over medium heat, melt the butter
When the butter is melted add the flour and stir for a minute until fully incorporated and brown bits are scraped up
Add the poblano puree to the sauce pan and stir
Add the 1/4 up Milk to the pan and stir
Add the Cream Cheese to the sauce pan and stir constantly for a couple of minutes until fully incorporated – it will be thick
Remove from the heat an add the juice of the half lime, stir to incorporate
Pour the Poblano Cream Sauce over the chicken
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through

Serve with your favorite version of Mexican or Spanish rice and a salad or sliced and roasted zucchini squash.

A New Take On Banana Bread

I need to go buy 8 bananas and wait for them to get ripe ASAP so I can try this new take on banana bread. Really it’s more like a cake, but I can’t wait to try it either way! Thanks Buzzfeed!

Upside Down Banana Bread

4-5 ripe bananas
3 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
1 TBLS ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2-3 bananas, sliced
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350°F/175 C.
In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas.
Add the eggs, oil, sugar, and cinnamon, mixing until evenly incorporated.
Add the flour and mix until the batter has no large pockets of flour. Set aside.
In a pot over low heat, melt the butter, then mix in the brown sugar until dissolved.
Bring up the heat to medium, cooking until the mixture starts bubbling.
Remove the caramel from heat and pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
Lay the banana slices evenly on top of the caramel.
Spread the banana bread batter on top
Bake 40-50 minutes.
Cool until the bottom is barely warm & use a knife to loosen the edges from the pan.
Place a plate upside-down on top of the pan, then invert the pan, flipping the banana bread onto the plate.

Slice, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

No fail Deviled Eggs

FullSizeRender_1 According to Wikipedia, “Deviled eggs (US) or devilled eggs (UK), also known as stuffed eggs, angel eggs, eggs mimosa, Russian eggs, dressed eggs, picnic eggs are hard boiled eggs shelled, cut in half, and filled with the hard-boiled egg’s yolk mixed with other ingredients such as mustard and mayonnaise, but many other variants exist internationally. Deviled eggs are usually served cold. They are served as a side dish, appetizer, or a main course, and are a common holiday or party food.”

I couldn’t come up with a better description than theirs, but I’d add that every chef, chef wannabe and home cook adds their own touches that make their deviled eggs anything but ordinary.

Some of the exotic ingredients I’ve seen included in other recipes for deviled eggs:

Greek Yogurt
Sour Cream
Cream Cheese
Sweet Pickle Relish
Horseradish
Wasabi Powder
Dill Pickle
Sugar
Cayenne Pepper
Jalapeno/Habanero Chilies
Chipotle Chilies
Turmeric
Green Olives
Black Olives
Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
Pimentos
Poppy Seed
Thyme
Cilantro
Parsley
Salsa
Minced Onion
Caviar
Cream
Capers

The ingredients that people top their deviled eggs with are as diverse as the ones they put inside, but those most commonly found include:

Old Bay Seasoning
Paprika
Curry Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Chopped Chives
Dill
Caviar
Anchovy
Bacon Bits
Shrimp
Herring

I prefer mine as simple as can be:

Lisa’s Basic Deviled Eggs

In a medium saucepan, in about 1 quart of cold water, place fresh eggs (I do 6-12 large or extra large)
Over medium-high heat, bring pan of eggs & water to a boil
When you reach a boil, set timer for 20 minutes and reduce heat to medium
When timer goes off, immediately remove eggs and place into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process
Peel the eggs, cut each in half lengthwise and place the yolks in a bowl
Mash the yolks with a fork then add approximately 1 TBLS Spicy Creole Mustard (I like Zatarain’s)
Add approximately (to your taste) 2 TBLS (1 TBLS per 6 eggs give or take) Mayonnaise (I like the taste and consistency of Best Foods) and stir with a fork until well blended and you have enough volume to fill all of the halves
I use a pair of spoons to mound the egg yolk mixture into the empty egg white halves, but you can also put the mixture into a plastic bag (to pipe out with the end snipped off) or a pastry bag with a star tip attached for a neater presentation

I add a turn or two of freshly ground pepper and nothing else, but will occasionally sprinkle a little bit of paprika on the egg white halves BEFORE I fill them with the yolk mixture if I’m feeling fancy.

The temperature deviled eggs are served at is as varied as the ingredients people use to make them. I prefer to loosely cover the eggs and quick chill them in the freezer, if I am short for time, or in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Chilling Tip: If you don’t have a covered, locking storage/ transportation dish made specifically for deviled eggs, here is a simple way to protect your refrigerator (or freezer) and the food inside from absorbing the overpowering smell of egg: Put a plate inside a gallon sized zip bag then place the eggs on the plate in the bag and close securely before chilling.

Picnic or tailgate tip: Prepare filling and transfer to a plastic zip bag. Carry whites and yolk mixture separately in cooler. Fill eggs on the spot, pressing filling out of snipped corner of bag.

Decadent Sunday Dinner

Every once in a while I get a craving I just can’t shake for a thick, juicy steak and a moist, tender lobster. Thankfully we are in an area where there are Asian markets with whole live Maine lobster in a tank, ready to be steamed for me on the spot, that are surprisingly affordable ($9.99/lb!).

Yesterday I got the craving while shopping in Costco (On a Sunday! What was I thinking?) and I just couldn’t face the weekend crowd we were sure to encounter if we trekked to the Ranch 99 Market. I knew I had a pair of thick filet mignon steaks in the freezer and Costco had previously frozen Canadian lobster tails that looked meaty enough to satisfy my craving, so I decided to give them a try.

Knowing timing would be my biggest hurdle to making sure everything would be ready and warm at the same time, I set my cooking schedule for a true 30 minute meal:

5:30 – Get the steaks started. I turned the burner to medium-high and pre-heated my favorite pan in my kitchen arsenal, my cherry Le Cruset Square grill pan, then added a spray of olive oil spray, seasoned the steaks with Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning, then put them on the sizzling pan to cook. Assuming your filet mignon steaks are at least 1 inch thick, turn steaks over after 8 minutes (for medium rare), 10 minutes (for medium/medium well), or 12-13 minutes (for well done). When you have turned cook the steaks for the same amount of time for your desired degree of wellness and, when there is about 2 minutes left in your cooking time, put a pat of cold butter on top of the steak.

In a pan with a lid, put in 1 inch of water and a steamer insert then bring to a boil. When water reaches a boil, place the lobster tails inside the steamer insert, cover, reduce heat to low-medium and steam for 8 minutes. While the lobster tails are steaming, in a small pan (or a ramekin in the microwave) melt a half cube of butter to dip the lobster in.

Open a bag of frozen C&W (A.K.A. Birdseye) whole petite green beans, pour into a covered 2 quart dish and set the microwave for 6-7 minutes on high power.

This timing will have all of your parts done at the same time so that you can quickly plate and serve your dinner at 6:00. I opened a bottle of Eberle Rare & Reserve 2012 The Ravelin red wine blend to serve alongside. The wine was a perfect complement to the boldly spiced steak. Bon Appetit’.

S’mores Cheesecake

I saw this picture teased on Twitter as “Food Porn.” I can’t think of a better description than that, can you? Even worse than being teased with the picture was the fact that there was no linked recipe or (God forbid!) place to buy this decadent dessert. Time to search the internet!

A quick Google search led me to a very easy looking recipe from Lyuba @ www.willcookforsmiles.com fame, that I am definitely making tonight!

Crust:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
¾ cup mini chocolate morsels
1 cup marshmallows
Cheesecake:
4 8oz packs of cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup white granulated sugar
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
10 oz hot fudge topping, warmed
2 cups marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 and grease a 9 inch spring form. You will need a large roasting pan (one that’s bigger and longer than the spring form. I use the aluminum foil disposable ones.)
In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Mix very well.
Spread crumb mixture in the bottom on the spring form, evenly, pressing it over the bottom and half way up the sides.
Spread mini chocolate morsels and marshmallows over the bottom, evenly.
In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.
Add corn starch and sugar and mix until combined.
Beat in eggs until well incorporated.
Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and beat until all mixed very well.
Transfer batter into the spring form and spread in evenly. (If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the springform in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides.)
Place roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake spring form inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the spring form.
Bake for 90-95 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes and take it out of the oven.
Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don’t actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
Cool cheesecake for an hour.
Turn on the broiler in the oven.
Spread warm hot fudge over the top of the cheesecake and spread marshmallows evenly on top.
Place cheesecake back in the center of the oven, under the broiler. Let marshmallow toast for only 30-35 seconds. Watch it because they toast very quickly. Take out the cheesecake once marshmallows are lightly browned.
Cool cheesecake completely, cover gently and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Thank you for the recipe Lyuba!

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Maker’s Mint Julep

Instructions

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