Broccoli Beef

Ingredients
3/4 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
3/4 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
For the beef marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth

Preparation
1 Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes
2 Prepare the sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
3 Blanch the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
4 Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink, Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds.

Chickent and Sausage Jambalaya

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 3 1/2-to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped green bell peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 pounds kielbasa or other fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups long-grain white rice
• 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Working in batches, add chicken and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to platter. Reduce heat to medium-high; add onion, bell peppers, parsley and garlic to pot. Sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, bay leaves, chili powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and cloves; sauté until spices are fragrant and flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir to coat.

Pour broth over rice mixture in pot. Add chicken; press to submerge in liquid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt, pepper and more cayenne pepper, if desired. Serve hot.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• 2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone, halved crosswise
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Chili Relleno Casserole

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 cups milk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 Poblano Chilis
2 cups shredded cheddar (about 1/2 pound)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack (about 1/2 pound)

Preparation:

Lightly grease 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Beat first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Arrange chilies from 1 can in prepared dish, covering bottom completely. Sprinkle with 1/3 of each cheese. Repeat layering twice. Pour egg mixture over cheese. Let stand 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until casserole is slightly puffed in center and golden brown on edges, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes and serve.

Spicy Stir Fry - Chicken and Greens with Peanuts

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons dry Sherry, divided
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons golden brown sugar, divided
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
4 green onions, white parts and green parts chopped separately
2 teaspoons chopped seeded serrano chiles
1 large bunch greens (such as spinach, mustard greens, kale, or broccoli rabe; about 1 pound), thick stems removed, spinach left whole, other greens cut into 1-inch strips (about 10 cups packed)
1/4 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts

Preparation:

Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add chicken; marinade 20 to 30 minutes.

Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar in small bowl and reserve.

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add white parts of onions and chiles; stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir-fry just until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to same skillet; heat over high heat. Add greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more. Sauté just until tender, 1 to 6 minutes, depending on type of greens. Return chicken to skillet. Add reserved soy sauce mixture; stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with green parts of onions and peanuts.

Crockpot Pot Roast

This recipe is an adaptation from one I saw on Alton Brown's Food Network show, Good Eats. It's one of my absolute favorite pot roast recipes, probably because cumin, balsamic vinegar and olives are some of my favorite tastes!

The original recipe also called for 1/2 cup dark raisins, but I prefer it just the way it is!

Ingredients:

1 (2 to 3 pound) blade cut chuck roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cocktail olives, drained and broken

Make Ahead Preparation:

Place a wide, heavy skillet or fry pan with a coating of vegetable oil over high heat for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of meat with the salt and cumin. When the pan is very hot, brown the roast on all sides and remove from pan.

Add just a little more vegetable oil to the pan then add the onion and garlic. Stir constantly until onion is softened, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the tomato juice, vinegar and olives. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half.

Add half of the tomato juice mixture to the bottom of a crockpot. Add the roast, and then top with the remaining mixture. Turn crockpot to high for one hour. Then reduce heat to low and cook for another 4 to 6 hours.

Last Minute Assembly

Remove the meat from the crockpot, cover and let rest for at least 1/2 hour.

Drain all of the liquid from the crockpot and put in a blender or food processor. Puree.

Slice meat thinly, or pull apart with a fork. Serve with sauce over egg noodles or rice.

Banana Flambé

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter.
1/4 tsp. cinnamon.
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise.
1 cup brown sugar.
4 tbsp brandy.
Vanilla ice cream & chocolate topping.
1/4 cup of rum.

Preparation:

Melt butter in pan, add sugar, cinnamon and brandy, stir to mix until sugar is melted, add bananas saute until soft.

Add rum, allow to heat, ingnite (flambé) until rum is burned out.

Place 2 halfs per dish and spoon sauce over bananas, add 2 scoups of ice cream per dish, top with chocolate sauce.

Portobello Mushroom Appetizer with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 portobello mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomato
• crumbled goat cheese
  

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl stir together the minced garlic and olive oil. Clean portobello mushrooms by brushing them with a paper towel. Remove the stem and discard. Brush the mushroom caps with the garlic and olive oil mixture. Place them on a baking sheet with gills facing upward Sprinkle 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes on each mushroom cap.
3. Bake for 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and spread goat cheese on top of the tomatoes. Return the mushrooms to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow the mushrooms to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Beef Wellington with Gorganzola

Ingredients:

four 1 1/2-inch-thick center-cut filets mignons (about 6 ounces each)
4 large mushrooms (about 1/4 pound total)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 large egg
1 puff pastry sheet (from a 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry), thawed
4 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)

For sauce
1 cup veal or beef demiglace
2 tablespoons Sercial Madeira

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pat filets mignons dry and season with salt and pepper. In a shallow roasting pan roast filets in middle of oven 12 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 110°F for rare, and cool (filets will be baked again after being wrapped in pastry). Chill filets, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.

Thinly slice mushrooms and in a heavy skillet cook in butter with shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until mushrooms are lightly browned. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl to cool completely. In a small bowl lightly beat egg to make an egg wash.

On a lightly floured surface roll out puff pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Trim edges to form a 13-inch square and cut square into four 61/2-inch squares.

Put 1 tablespoon Gorgonzola in center of 1 square and top with one fourth mushroom mixture. Top mushroom mixture with a filet mignon, pressing it down gently, and wrap 2 opposite corners of puff pastry over filet, overlapping them. Seal seam with egg wash. Wrap remaining 2 corners of pastry over filet and seal in same manner. Seal any gaps with egg wash and press pastry around filet to enclose completely. Arrange beef Wellington, seam side down, in a non-stick baking pan. Make 3 more beef Wellingtons in same manner. Chill remaining egg wash for brushing on pastry just before baking. Chill beef Wellingtons, loosely covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Brush top and sides of each beef Wellington with some remaining egg wash and bake 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden.

Make sauce while beef Wellingtons are baking:
In a saucepan boil demiglace and Madeira 1 minute and keep sauce warm.

Serve beef Wellingtons with sauce.

Air-Fried Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 (3/4-inch thick) pork loin chops
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Canola oil spray

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to broil.

Thickly coat pork chops with Dijon mustard (you may not need all of the mustard). In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Dredge pork chops in crumbs. Arrange pork chops on a wire rack set on top of a sheet pan. Spritz bread crumb coating with a little bit of oil spray. Place under broiler and cook on both sides until coating is brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
3 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 lb plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
3 1/2 cups panko* (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced

Preparation:

Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.

While eggplant drains, cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 5-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.

Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches in a blender. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 11/4 cups) and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cooks' note:
Tomato sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Lasagne Al Forno

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups tomato puree
6 ounces tomato paste
6 quarts water
1 pound lasagna
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced thin and then cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 1/4 pounds ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, stir together the beef, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper. Form into balls the size of olives. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs in small batches. Remove from the pan as they brown and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is lightly browned. Then stir in the tomato puree and tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot.

Add the meatballs to the tomato mixture and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, liberally salt the boiling water and add the lasagna. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in colander.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a shallow ovenproof pan, roughly 13 by 9 by 2 inches, spread a thin layer of the sauce (no meatballs). Then spread a layer of overlapping lasagna 1 strip thick (don't let the strips run up the side of the dish). Cover that with mozzarella slices and then 5 tablespoons ricotta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and then spread on 1/4 of the sauce and meatballs. Begin again with a layer of lasagna and continue as above until all the ingredients are used up, ending with the Parmesan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If the cheese on top hasn't melted, run under the broiler briefly. Then let the dish rest at room temperature for a few minutes.

Roasted-Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

4 lb tomatoes, halved lengthwise
6 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.

Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.

Cook onion, oregano, and sugar in butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 2 minutes.

Divide soup among 8 bowls and float 1 wafer in center of each.

Cooks' note:
• Soup can be made 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat just before serving.