Grilled Flank Steak

First of all, I apologize for the lack of posts over the last couple of weeks. But now, I am back from vacation and ready to go!

I am normally not much of a red meat fan. I eat beef or even pork only once a week or so. I gravitate strongly to fish, chicken and vegetarian meals.  Last week in New Orleans, though, my inner carnivore was making a strong showing.  I often find that when I visit the South, I want meat, and lots of it!  Maybe it's because most meat there is grilled or smoked. Whatever the reason, I had brisket, burgers, catfish, duck, pulled pork and some praline bacon that was to die for!  When I came home, a good grilled steak definitely sounded like it would hit the spot. So I picked up a beautiful flank steak and used my favorite quick marinade.

The rundown:

• Flavor/texture: This is my go-to marinade for a reason. Not only is it easy, but it's very flavorful and goes well with just about any kind of meat. The flavors are bold, but not overpowering. I cooked the steak to medium-rare (medium is the max for a cut like flank steak) and cut it against the grain in thin strips, which kept it juicy and tender.
• Difficulty: This recipe is a snap and all of the ingredients should be readily available in your pantry.
• Pros: Easy and tasty! This steak will make you look like a pro. It would be great for Father's Day (hint, hint).
• Cons: I should have let my grill heat up a little more to get some color on the outside of the steak.
• Misc.: I served the steak with roasted herb potatoes and salad. The citrus vinaigrette that I whipped up for the salad made everything look a tad orange, but oh well. I added a bit of fresh rosemary to the marinade just to bring things up a notch. If you don't like cumin, substitute chili powder instead.
• Repeat Performance: This steak already holds a prime spot in my repertoire.

Grilled Flank Steak

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp grill seasoning (mix salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder if you don't have grill seasoning)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lbs flank steak

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a shallow dish.  Whisk in olive oil.  Add meat and turn to coat evenly.  Let meat marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat grill to high heat. Grill the steak 5-6 minutes on each side for medium-rare, 7 minutes per side for medium.

Remove meat from grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Get to grillin'!

Cheddar and Onion Smashed Burgers

Summer is the season of farmers markets, relaxing in the backyard and grilling.  And what's more classic than grilling burgers? This year, I have resolved to do more grilling and I've been looking for interesting recipes. So imagine my surprise when I got this month's issue of Food & Wine and grill-master Adam Fleischman was extolling the virtues of making burgers on a griddle! It seemed wrong and intriguing at the same time. I decided to see how his burgers would stack up on a beautiful night when the smell of charcoal was wafting all over the neighborhood. 

The rundown:

• Flavor/texture: Let me just be honest - these burgers were outstanding! Simple but strong flavors and the patties were moist and messy. In other words, they were perfect.
• Difficulty: Amazingly easy and quick to prepare.
• Pros: Everything about the burgers was great and I liked the twist on typical steamed onion sliders. I was worried that smashing the patties with a spatula would just end badly, but it worked out well. 
• Cons: I wouldn't change or add anything, which is a rare thing!
• Misc: I used 80/20 ground Angus beef, which was perfect. If the beef is too lean, I don't think the onions will cook properly. I like my meat medium, so I cooked the burgers for about 3 minutes per side. I went with a bun made of egg bread. I forgot to toast them, but they were still good. I also omitted the recipe step of covering your skillet with a roasting pan to help melt the cheese. I forgot to do it and it didn't make a difference overall. I don't like pickles, so I scrapped them and topped my burger with tomato, ketchup and mustard.
• Repeat Performance: This will definitely be my go-to burger recipe when grilling isn't feasible.

Cheddar and Onion Smashed Burgers

Adam Fleischman for  Food & Wine, June 2011

16 thin bread and butter pickles, patted dry

4 potato buns, buttered and toasted

1 1/4 lbs ground beef chuck

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 small onions, sliced paper thin

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

Heat a cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Layer the pickle slices on the bottom buns.

Without overworking the meat, loosely form it into 4 balls and place them on the griddle. Cook the meatballs for 30 seconds. Using a large sturdy spatula, flatten each ball into a 5-inch round patty.  Season the patties with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, until well seared. Press a handful of sliced onions on each patty. Using the spatula, carefully flip each burger so the onions are on the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes. Top patties with cheese. Cover with a roasting pan and cook just until the cheese is melted, 1 minute more. Transfer the burgers with the onions to the buns. Top and serve.

Grab a napkin or two and dig in!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins



I'm not much of a morning person, so anything that gets me on my way more quickly is worth a shot. One of my biggest challenges is actually eating breakfast. I don't like to eat right away when I get up, but my work mornings don't allow for a leisurely AM routine.  On weekdays, I often whip up a smoothie or grab some yogurt, fruit or cheese on the way out the door. When I came across this recipe, I just had to try it.  Muffins are a great portable breakfast, and a good PB&J is always high on my list.

• Flavor/Texture: I liked the fairly dense texture of the muffins and it really did taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
• Difficulty: These were a snap to throw together. I had all of the ingredients on hand without any special trips.
• Pros: Easy to make, tasty and quick. 
• Cons: Be careful to let the muffins cool completely before removing from the pan or taste-testing. The jelly becomes quite hot during baking and tends to bubble up.
• Misc: Make sure to mix the cereal with the egg and other ingredients until it starts to break down. A minute or two should do it. I used chunky peanut butter to add some texture. You can use any kind of jam/jelly that you want. I used the last of the strawberry freezer jam I made last summer.
• Encore Performance: These were a hit with the guys at work and I liked them as well. Definitely a keeper!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
adapted from "Parigi" by Andree Falls

1-2 tbsp butter (for greasing pan)
1 large egg
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup All-Bran cereal
1 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp jam or jelly of your choice

Preheat oven to 375. Generously grease a muffin pan with butter.

Pour the milk and cereal together in a bowl and let rest for a few minutes.

In a stand mixer, mix together the egg, melted butter, brown sugar and peanut butter. When combined, add the milk and cereal and mix.

Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add all at once to the rest of the ingredients and stir only until combined. Don't overmix or the batter will tighten up.

Fill the muffin tins with 1/4 cup of the batter, spoon 1 tbsp of jam on top, and fill with another 1/4 cup of batter.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the top feels firm and is slightly brown and crunchy around the edges.

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk!

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake



Since Mother's Day is coming up next week, I thought I'd post this beautiful chiffon cake recipe.  It's very spring-y and the presentation is gorgeous.  I have made it for several special occasions and it's always well-received.  This is one of my favorite cakes to make. 

Chiffon cakes are naturally very moist and light, which is a perfect partner for the strawberries, mascarpone and whipped cream. The cake seems complicated, but it really isn't difficult. If you don't have time, you can use a boxed mix for the cake and just beat the batter on high for a minute or so to incorporate some extra air. If using a boxed mix, go with white or vanilla cake mix and make sure to add the lemon zest as indicated. It really does take the cake to another level.

• Flavor/Texture: Not too sweet and the whole cake is very light. The vanilla, strawberry and lemon zest work together beautifully.
• Difficulty: This recipe requires some work and a light hand, but it's not hard.  Make sure that your equipment (bowls, spatulas and beaters) are VERY clean and dry before whipping the egg whites or making the frosting. Do not overwork your batter when folding in the egg whites. Mix it gently until everything is just combined.
• Pros: It's both delicious and stunning. Great for special occasions and everyday.
• Cons: Takes a bit of work, but it's well worth it.
• Misc: This time around, I added 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the recipe to make a chocolate cake instead of white. The recipe works either way, but I just think the chocolate adds a little contrast and looks better. I don't worry too much about trimming the berries while putting the filling together. You can even out the tops of the berries with the filling itself, for the most part. I also add sliced strawberries to the top of the cake for some more visual interest. It is very important to do a crumb layer and then an additional layer of frosting because any flecks of the cake in the white frosting are very visible.
• Encore Performance: This cake is already a regular in my rotation of favorite desserts. I make it frequently when strawberries are in high season.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake
adapted from a recipe by Amy Wisniewski

For the berries:

2 pints strawberries, rinsed and hulled (about 4 cups)

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp grated lemon zest

For the cake:

2 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks

1 1/2 cups sugar

For the filling:

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

For the frosting:

1 tbsp vanilla extract

6 tbsp sugar
3 cups heavy cream

For the berries:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss the strawberries to coat. Let the berries macerate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before using.

Gently strain berries and reserve syrup for later use.

For the cake:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine vegetable oil, water, lemon zest, vanilla extract, egg yolks, and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar. Whip on medium speed, until mixture is airy and light in color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl; add dry ingredients and whip until smooth, about 1 minute more.

In a clean bowl, whip egg whites to medium peaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the cake batter until evenly incorporated; gently fold in remaining egg whites until just combined.

Divide batter between prepared cake pans. Bake until surface of cakes springs back when pressed and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove cakes from the oven, and let cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of each, and turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the filling and the frosting.

For the filling:
Combine mascarpone cheese and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the frosting:
Place the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer and the whip attachment in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Combine vanilla extract, sugar, and heavy cream in the chilled bowl and whip at medium speed until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least one hour. (The frosting can be prepared up to 12 hours ahead

To assemble:
Using a long serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes as necessary so they are level. Place cake rounds on a clean, dry surface and, using a pastry brush, brush 1/2 of the reserved strawberry syrup on the cut side of the first cake round; repeat on the cut side of the second cake round.

Evenly spread 1/4 of the mascarpone filling over the cut side of the bottom cake layer. Arrange strawberries standing upright, stem end down, over the mascarpone layer and trim as necessary to create an even layer. Cover berries with the remaining filling, being sure to fill in any empty space.

Place second cake layer over mascarpone and strawberries, cut side down, pressing gently to secure it. Using an offset spatula or a long, thin spatula, spread 3/4 cup of the frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Return remaining frosting and cake to the refrigerator until frosting on cake is set, about 15 minutes.

Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Let sit in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving.

I guarantee your mom will love it!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I first saw this cake on Paula Deen's show on the Food Network. It looked delicious and pineapple upside-down cake has always been one of my favorites. I just had to make it and I figured that Easter dinner would be the perfect occasion. 

The cake came out beautifully and definitely had a "wow" factor.  I really, really wanted to love it, but it just didn't happen.  It was by no means a bad cake, but I just wanted it to be so much more. I liked it and my dad, who has a much stronger sweet tooth, loved it.  For me, the sweetness bordered on cloying and I had to scrape the frosting off.  The topping was good, but again it was too sweet for me.  The cake itself was fine, but I found myself wishing that it had some actual flavor instead of just sugar and butter. Maybe I should have known, seeing that it was a Paula Deen recipe, and I am generally not a huge fan of hers. I solidly dispute the fact that all Southern cooking has to be either fried, hot or sugar and butter-laden.  My mom's side of the family is from Louisiana and when I was growing up, we ate many things that didn't fall into those categories. 

All gripes aside, here's my review:

• Flavor/Texture: The cake part was a little too dense for my liking, and it was very rich. The pineapple topping was great, as usual.
• Difficulty: Nothing too hard, aside from resigning myself to using 4 STICKS of butter!
• Pros: I like the idea of a double-layer pineapple upside-down cake. Everyone loves the topping the best, so why not double it?
• Cons: Butter, sugar, powdered sugar and more butter. Too rich and far too sweet for my personal tastes.
• Misc: I cooled my cakes in the pans for one hour and then stacked them, rather than following the method in the recipe. I was trying to avoid moving the cakes too much.  I had no issues with the cakes cracking or settling. I added 5 tbsp of juice to the frosting because mine was far too stiff after only 2 tbsp. There would have been no way to spread it on the cake without thinning it out a bit. Next time, I would cut down on the brown sugar in the topping as well. 3/4 cup in each cake pan is an awful lot. I would scale it back to 1/2 cup per per pan.
• Encore Performance: I won't make this cake as written again. I loved the look of it, but I actually prefer the flavor and texture of the recipe on the back of the boxed cake mix.  Can't win 'em all!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Recipe by Paula Deen

Non-stick cooking spray

3 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting pan

1 cup butter, softened, plus 1/2 cup butter, melted

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup whole buttermilk

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 20-ounce cans of pineapple rings, drained well (reserve some juice for frosting)

1 jar maraschino cherries

Pineapple buttercream frosting (recipe follows)

Chopped pecans, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and coat with flour.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the brown sugar evenly into each pan. Pour the melted butter equally over the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple slices and cherries over the brown sugar. Reserve remaining pineapple slices and cherries for another use.

Pour equal amounts of batter over the fruit and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

To assemble the cake, carefully arrange 1 cake layer, pineapple side up, on a cake plate. Carefully stack the remaining cake layer, pineapple side up, over the first layer. Frost the sides of the cake with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting. Press chopped pecans into sides of cake, if desired.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp reserved pineapple juice
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.