Easter dinner

We had devilied eggs, shrimp salad and Cuban style steak with Chimichurri sauce

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

CONTRIBUTED BY TRACI DES JARDINS

1. TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN      SERVINGS: 4            FAST                 shrimp shsHEALTHY

Traci Des Jardins created this refreshing salad to showcase one of her favorite Latin ingredients, the avocado. She tasted her first avocado during a visit to her Grandma Salazar in Mexico; she would snack on it at taco and fruit stands on the street, where it is typically served with fresh lime juice and 

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro1 large grapefruit

1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/4-inch lengthwise wedges

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 pound shelled and deveined large shrimpOne 

5-ounce head of Boston lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the pumpkin seeds in a pie plate or on a small baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lime juice, shallot and cilantro. Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over the bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the grapefruit sections into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into the bowl; discard the membranes. Gently fold in the avocado and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, tossing the shrimp until they are curled and pink, about 4 minutes.
4. Arrange the lettuce on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, lift the grapefruit and avocado from the citrus vinaigrette and gently spread over the lettuce. Add the shrimp to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Arrange the shrimp over the salad and drizzle the remaining citrus dressing on top. Scatter the toasted pumpkin seeds on top and serve right away.

Cuban Style Beef Chuck Eye Steak

4 lbs chuck eye steak, 1-inch thick, beef 

2 tablespoons garlic-flavored olive oil ( or mix some olive oil with garlic powder or fresh minced garlic) 

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning 

2 tablespoons adobo seasoning ( with or without pepper) 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

Preheat broiler (or grill). 

Place in oven safe baking dish (I have a special glass one). Pour garlic oil over top of steak, coating the top. Sprinkle on the spices, any order. 

Broil about 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your steak. about 25 minutes.

Chimichurri Sauce           yield: Makes about 1 cup

This garlicky sauce from Argentina is great spooned over beef or chicken.

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, peeled

3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

potato croquettes

Charlie made cheese steak sandwiches today and I made these to go with them but I changed the recipe to use a blend of cheeses rather than mozzarella but I did use fresh grated parmigiano cheese.  I also used saltine cracker crumbs instead of bread crumbs.  I also formed them into patty shapes instead of croquettes.  Some were wrapped in plastic and refrigerated until later. 

Potato Croquettes

Gourmet | August 2008

Adapted by Ann Palumbo; Queens, NY

Gooey mozzarella encased in a crunchy golden shell makes this simple and classic dish irresistible.

Yield: Makes about 24 croquettes

Active Time: 20 min

Total Time: 45 min

6 medium russet (baking) potatoes (2 1/2 pounds), peeled and quartered

1/2 pound mozzarella, chopped

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon onion salt

1/4 cup chopped parsley

3 large eggs

1 cup fine dry bread crumbs

About 2 1/2 cups olive oil

Generously cover potatoes with salted cold water (2 teaspoon for 4 quarts) in a large pot, then simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and chill in a large bowl until cool, about 45 minutes.

Mash potatoes, then stir in cheeses, onion salt, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and salt to taste. Stir in 1 egg.

Form potato mixture into 24 oblong croquettes (about a scant 1/4 cup each). Lightly beat remaining 2 eggs in a shallow bowl and put bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip 1 croquette into egg, letting excess drip off, then roll in bread crumbs to coat. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining croquettes.

Heat 1/2 inch oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry croquettes in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately.

St. Patrick's Day

Homemade Corned Beef with Vegetables

Here, the traditional Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage is supplemented with turnips, carrots, and boiled potatoes. Serve it with a loaf of freshly baked Irish soda bread.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8.

• FOR THE BRINE

• 2 quarts water

• 1 cup canning salt

• 1 tablespoon Morton's Tender Quick

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

• 1 cinnamon stick, crushed

• 4 dried bay leaves, crushed

• 8 whole cloves

 Make the brine: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salts, sugar, and spices; remove from heat, and stir until salts and sugar dissolve. Let cool. 

Make the corned beef: Place brisket in a nonreactive container just large enough to hold it. Pour cooled brine over meat. Place 2 small plates on top to keep meat submerged; cover, and refrigerate for 2 weeks.

• FOR THE CORNED BEEF

• 5 pounds flat-cut beef brisket

• 1 medium carrot, peeled, halved

• 1 pound baby turnips, peeled, trimmed

• 1 pound baby carrots, peeled, trimmed

• 1 medium head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

• Dijon mustard, and plum sauce for serving

 Rinse brisket; discard brine. Place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add onion, celery, and halved carrot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile take 4 or 5 tablespoons of plum jam and 2 tablespoons Guldens spicy brown mustard and a teaspoon of water and melt all together in small sauce pan. Pre heat oven to 350 º Remove brisket and place on platter. Brush some plum sauce over top of brisket and place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove corned beef from oven and let set, covered another 15-20 minutes while finishing vegetables and soda bread.

Place onion, cut in 8ths and bella mushrooms in large skillet with butter and salt and cook over low heat until onions are soft.

Peel and cut up parsnips, turnips, carrots and place in water/broth that corned beef was cooked with and bring to a boil, add sliced cabbage on top and cook/steam for 15 minutes.  Remove cabbage to serving tray and keep warm.  Place drained parsnips, turnips and carrots in skillet with onions and mushrooms and sprinkle with a little bakers sugar.  Add more butter if needed and toss until heated through and sugar melted.

Serve at once.  We had strawberry short cake for dessert but used angel food cake instead of short cake.  Strawberries were tossed with sugar to make liquid to pour over angel food cake. 

Soda Bread  Note about soda bread, it always is uncooked in the middle even though left in the oven for longer than directions.  Maybe next year, I will roll it out and cut it in biscuit size patties and cook that way.

3 cups bread flour

1 cup cake flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup raisins

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

1 Preheat oven to 425°. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

2 Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then stir in raisins.

3 Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle in a little more flour. Do not over knead! Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf.

4 Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1/2'' deep in an "X" shape. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife, about 35-45 minutes. Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.

Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.

Transfer bread to a rack to let cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted.

Adapted from Saveur Magazine.

French onion soup

This is my tried and true recipe. It is very good. Regular yellow storage onions work best. Sweet onions don't have much flavor left after the long process of cooking them down. I left the wine out of the recipe. French Onion Soup Serves 6 Cooking onions for a long time over very low heat mellows their flavor. Avoid the temptation to stir too often, or the onions won’t caramelize. Homemade beef stock is best for this soup. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 pounds yellow onions, sliced into 1/2 inch half circles 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/4 cup dry sherry or to taste 6 cups homemade beef stock 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 small French baguette, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated on the larger holes of a box grater to yield about 3 cups 1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or a heavy pot on medium/low heat. Add the onions, and spread out in as thin a layer as possible. Sprinkle with sugar; cook, stirring just as needed to keep from sticking, until onions are soft, golden brown and beginning to caramelize, about 1 hour. 2. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, stir to coat. Add the sherry, stock and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cook, partly covered, for about 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread under a broiler; set aside. Ladle the hot soup into 6 ovenproof bowls. Arrange the bowls on a baking pan. Place 1 or 2 slices of toasted bread over each bowl of soup. Divide grated cheese over the bread in each bowl, and place under broiler until the cheese is melted and turning brown around the edges. Serve Immediately. If you want to go to the trouble of making stock for this soup, I like to use the following but also add celery stalk with leaves, 1/2 C. parsley, 2 carrots, 1/2 tsp black peppercorns,and sometimes also a couple of diced tomatoes. Stock for French Onion Soup. 1 unpeeled onion, halved (I think yellow onion is best) 4 pounds beef bones (or a mixture of beef and chicken bones) I like to include some oxtail bones. 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 medium sized onion, peeled and stuck with 3 cloves. 2 teaspoons salt. Place the split onion, cut side down in an iron skillet and place on medium heat. Leave the onion in the skillet until it is burned and very black. This is important because it will impart an amber color as it cooks with the bones for hours. The yellow onion skin also helps color the stock. Place all ingredients in a large kettle and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, skim any scum, reduce heat and simmer for six hours. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth.