Flank Steak Broiled

I had my heart set on Flank Steak tonight. I had one in the freezer, so I thawed it out last night so I could marinade it in the morning before work. Then the strangest thing happened, at 6 am it started to rain, not Arizona rain but a huge rain storm, well by the time my grill chef arrived home from work it was still pouring. This is why I love cooking you can always improvise! We switched our dinner plan & I broiled the steak. It was delicious, although no one makes one as good as my dad!

1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
2 tablespoons Cavenders
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Sprinkle Cavenders on both sides of steak. Prick steak with fork over both sides.
Combine remaining ingredients; pour over steak. Marinate at least 8 hours in refrigerator. Turn steak frequently to keep coated with marinade.
Remove steak from marinade; place on a cookie sheet, heat your oven to Broil (500), cook on each side 5 minutes. Slice thinly across grain to serve.

Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin

Matt claims to not like potatoes, but add a little cheese and he eats them up. Potatoes au Gratin are a nice change of pace from the standard mashed.

1 1/2 pounds peeled Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups 1% low-fat milk

3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside and keep warm.
Heat a medium saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Sprinkle flour over shallots. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 9 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, Asiago, chives, pepper, and bacon.
Arrange half of potato slices in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of cheese sauce over potato slices. Top with remaining potato slices and cheese sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Hot Cocoa Mix

Last Christmas I made Hot Cocoa for Matt to give his coworkers for Christmas gifts. It was a big hit.

1 6-oz. can of Nestles Quick

1 8-qt. size box of Carnation non-fat dry milk

1 10- or 11-oz. jar of dry coffee creamer

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix it all together and put in jars to give away. You will need 4 tablespoons of mix for every cup of hot water.

If you want to vary the recipe you could add marshmallows to your mix, bits of candy cane or change the flavor of your coffee creamer.

Holiday Wine Tips

With the holidays here you will no doubt be a guest or a host at a party. I am a big fan of etiquette, not because I want to be stuffy but I think etiquette answers everyday questions and makes every day situations nicer, better said by Emily Post:

Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor. ~Emily Post

That being said, I found a great Question & Answer on Wine Etiquette. Remember etiquette is a guild line not a rule book :)

When a dinner guest brings a bottle of wine as a gift, should you open and serve it?

Yes. Though there’s no way to be sure of your guest’s intention, wine is about communal sharing and fun. So unless the guest specifically requests that you keep and enjoy it later, serve it. Your guest will be pleased. And if you already had a wine you planned to serve, serve both. Tasting both wines will be an educational experience.

When entertaining, do you need to provide fresh wineglasses for guests each time you serve a new wine?Ideally, yes. If more than one wine is served during the evening, it will be easier if you don’t have to monitor guests’ glasses or ask them to dump out a wine so you can go on to the next. That doesn’t mean wineglasses need to match. In fact, having a table set with an eclectic collection of glassware is not only stylish and fun, but it also sends a message that you’re comfortable, confident, and generous when it comes to serving wine.

When you are trying to get everyone’s attention at a dinner party, is it crass to clink glasses?It depends on how you do it. Banging your wineglass with a knife is pretty uncouth no matter what. But if announcing a toast doesn’t get everyone’s attention, the gentle chime of two wineglasses clinked together is fine.

If someone toasts you, should you lift your glass and toast along—in effect, toasting yourself?No. The best bet here is to do nothing except look humble and appreciative. Then after everyone has toasted you, initiate a return toast by saying a simple thanks and taking a sip.

In a restaurant, is there a comfortable way to send back a wine?

Yes. It doesn’t make sense to go through an entire dinner drinking something you don’t like. But first you must determine if the wine is just not to your taste or is actually flawed. If the wine simply tastes unusual and isn’t something you care for, choose another wine, but offer to pay for the first bottle. A wine that’s flawed is a different story. A flawed wine will either taste like vinegar or have an unpleasant aroma. Most restaurants will take back a flawed wine and not charge you for it. But many wines thought to be flawed are actually fine. The real problem lies with the wineglass. If it didn’t get completely clean, it (not the wine) can be the culprit. So start by asking for a new glass. If you try the wine in the new glass and it still tastes flawed, tell the waiter you’d like to choose a different wine.

Should you tip the sommelier or wine steward in a restaurant?

It depends. Most restaurant customers tip 15 to 20 percent on the entire bill (wine included), and that tip, though ostensibly given to the waiter, will be divided among the service staff, which usually includes the wine steward. However, if a wine steward has been especially helpful or has suggested wine and food matches that really made your dinner great, a small tip just for him or her may be in order. Generally, 5 to 10 percent of the bottle price is appropriate.

Is it ok to ask to taste a wine before ordering it in a restaurant?

Sure. Restaurants are happy to provide complimentary tastes of wine because they know that it will make you more comfortable ordering a glass. One caveat: It’s ok to ask for a taste of wines offered by the glass, since those wine bottles are already opened. But if you plan to order a bottle from the wine list, you’ll need to proceed without the benefit of a sample.

Christmas Classic: Peanut Brittle

You may be wondering why I am giving you so many Christmas candy recipes, well I think that a gift of homemade candies is a lovely gift & from the heart. Plus you will need things for neighbors, coworkers, teacher, etc. So here is another:

1 1/2 cups lightly salted, roasted peanuts

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

Vegetable oil, for coating the saucepan

Softened butter for spatula

In a small bowl combine peanuts, cinnamon, and cayenne. Set aside.
Brush the inside of a medium sized heavy saucepan with vegetable oil. Add the sugar and water to the saucepan, cook over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the sugar is a light amber color. Stir in peanuts. This will greatly reduce the temperature of the sugar so work quickly. Once evenly mixed, pour mixture onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat or buttered parchment paper. Using a buttered spatula, spread thin. You will have to work quickly when pouring out and spreading the mixture in the pan. If necessary, in order to achieve single layer of peanuts, top with second sheet pan whose underside has been buttered. Cool completely and then break into pieces.

Update: My sort of Aunt Judy's Mashed Potatoes

This post has been updated as I recieved an email from Aunt Judy. Just in time for Christmas. Enjoy!

My Uncle Mike's sister Judy makes the most sinful mashed potatoes you have ever eaten. (I say my sort of Aunt because: Uncle Mike is married to my dad's little sister Karen, so I guess technically Judy isn't my aunt but she has a FAB recipe so I am going to claim her as my own, plus she is really nice!!!)

*All measurements approximate. This amount will feed about 8.

If possible, use a pan that you can whip the potatoes in (stainless steel, not too deep).

5-6 lbs russet potatoes
Salted water
1 stick butter (see notes below if you want to reduce the butter)
16 oz reduced fat sour cream
1 brick reduced fat cream cheese
A scant teaspoon of jarred crushed or minced garlic
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon *White* pepper

1. Peel and slice the potatoes in about 3/4" slices. Cover with water and salt generously. Boil gently until they're soft and break apart with a fork (watch them--they boil over easily!). Drain by using a lid slid slightly off the center of the pan or a splatter screen. (Do not dump the potatoes into a colander and do not rinse them. The little bit of water left in the pan will be fine.)

2. Push the butter and cream cheese down into the potatoes and let it set for a few minutes to soften.

3. Add the sour cream, a scant teaspoon of garlic, and 1/2 teas salt and 1/2 teas white pepper. (You can always add more later)

4. Whip with an electric mixer. Taste. Adjust until it tastes right--most likely you will want a bit more salt, maybe a little white pepper, and perhaps a little more garlic. Whip some more to blend it in.

5. If you want, you can garnish after putting them in the serving bowl with a little sprinkle of paprika or a little shredded cheddar.

*Notes:

*I have the best luck with jarred Christopher Ranch or McCormick crushed garlic, but California style minced garlic (NOT roasted) in those two brands also works. The crushed is stronger than the minced.

*Reduced fat sour cream and reduced fat cream cheese work fine--but fat free does not. You can use "light" butter, or reduce the amount of butter and add an envelope of butter flavored instant potatoes (the kind that takes only water, like Hungry Jack brand) and a little milk. This works amazingly well!

*If you have trouble with them being too runny, add in an envelope of butter flavored instant potatoes (like Hungry Jack brand). If they're too dry, add a little milk.

*You can keep them hot in a crock pot, but they tend to get runnier.

Christmas Classic:Aunt Millie's Penuche

When I was a kid my Aunt Millie would make my sister & I Penuche Fudge when we visited her. It is always my favorite fudge now, I will take it over chocolate any day. Although you could dip it in milk chocolate...

1 lb. light brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
Directions
In medium saucepan, boil milk, butter, and sugar for 15 minutes, or until it forms a soft ball in cold water.
Remove from heat. Add vanilla and salt and beat until it thickens and looses its sheen.
Pour into well buttered pan to cool.
Cut into squares.
I am going to post two more candy recipes, for a great holiday gift you could prepare an assortment of candies & deliver them on a pretty platter to friends, family, co-workers or neighbors.