grilled fajita nachos

i made these nachos for sunday nights super bowl.   the photo does not do them justice, they actually looked better in person - and i am not a photographer, so there.  as cheesy and decadent as they look, they really weren't over the top fatty.  seriously.  i bought this 4oz. block of queso melt at whole foods, shredded it and mixed it with some milk and got this fabulous cheese dip.  truth is, i wish i had bought two packages of cheese.  the queso didn't ooze all the way down to the bottom of the pile, like i hoped it would.  i was going to top these babies with avocado, diced tomato, jalapeno, black beans, sour cream, cilantro, etc.  but at the last minute (and because i just didn't want to go through the trouble), i decided to keep it simple.  sometimes simple is best.  (but, not in this case - they would have been over the top with the extras!).  i grilled one onion, one green pepper and at the last minute threw in some frozen corn.  put all that aside and in the smae pan grilled a sirloin, just salt and pepper.  for the chicken, however, i did marinate it overnight in a wonderful marinade.  in a food processor i added two chipotle peppers, 3 gloves of garlic, the juice of one lime and olive oil.  mixed it all together and threw everything in a zip lock bag overnight.  the flavor was outstanding.  i bought blue corn chips and topped one side with chicken and the other with beef.  there wasn't a crumb left over.

double stack

i want a hamburger for dinner every friday night.  and i usually have one. i just love them.  i recently went to a burger joint and they made their burgers with two thin patties.  it was fantastic.  so, i replicated it and this is what i came up with.  i added grilled onions, pepper jack cheese, and fresh jalapenos.  it was out of this world.  i used my cast iron skillet to cook the beef, instead of my grill pan.  it acted somewhat like a griddle (i guess).  it seared the meat perfectly on the outside, and left the middle super juicy and pink.  after i took the burgers out of the skillet, i toasted the buns.  maximum flavor!  if you are ever at whole foods, make sure to pick up harris family beef (white oak pastures).  it surpasses all the others.  here is a little clip about his farm if you have not seen it.  it's worth watching.

nachos locos

i made a big plate of loaded nachos one day over the holidays when the day was filled with college football bowl games. i just love to make food that can be grazed on for hours at a time.  i generally make nachos where each individual chip has all of the ingredients on it.  i will top each chip with an olive slice, a jalapeno slice, avocado, a sprinkle of cheese, a dusting of cilantro, etc.  you get the point.  i hate when i have ordered nachos out and there is this huge mountain of chips and all the toppings have just been dumped on top.  by the time you get to the bottom, your left with just chips.  very frustrating.  these however, were made that way, sorta - i didn't mound the chips up, i used a larger plate so the chips with essentially in a single layer.  i made the mistake of buying tortilla chips that where in long slivers, not the traditional triangle.  but, i topped them with so many ingredients, it worked out well.  i placed the chips on an oven safe platter, topped with re-fried beans, grilled onions, ground beef, and cheese.  popped it in the oven to melt the cheese, and then topped it with black olives, diced tomatoes, jalapeno, avocado, and cilantro. yummy.  i'm gonna miss football season. 

blue cheese burger

god, i love burgers.  any size, shape or type.  beef, bison, or turkey.  with or without a bun.  plain or jazzed up.  i can eat a burger for breakfast - and have...many times.  i was actually on vacation not long ago and asked if the chef could whip me up a burger with fries.  and he did.  i don't even think it was 9:00 am.  i much prefer real food as opposed to breakfast food.  don't even get me started on brunch.  makes no sense to me.  who wants eggs and waffles at 11:00?  not me.  so, back to this burger.  i have found the way to make an incredibly juicy burger is to add grated onion and a bit of cream to the meat mixture.  i usually add fat free milk and have found that it's just as good.  something about the juice of the grated onion and the milk just help in creating a very juicy, moist burger.  i love blue cheese - but don't often get it on my burger.  i find it is generally too strong of a flavor and can mask the taste of the beef.  but, i had it in my fridge and made one heck of a burger with it.  i grilled some onion and sauteed spinach with garlic.  toasted some buns and topped the burger the last minute of cooking with blue cheese.  (my mouth is watering).  as a matter of fact, i think i am gong to have a burger for dinner tonight.  what is your favorite way to prepare a burger?  would love to know, as i am always on the hunt for the next best tasting burger! 

3 bites

there are some tried and true recipes that i can always go to and know that they will be liked.  this is one of them.  tacos.  good ole tacos.  i like to refer to them as "3 bites".  i love making these because i almost always have the majority of ingredients on hand.  the beauty of these tacos are that even if you only have 3 ingredients in your kitchen, you are still good to go.  if i make these for my clients, i go all out.  if i make them for brian and myself, well, i just hope to have some sort of protein and tortilla shells.  there is no real recipe to follow.  i start by browning the meat.  if i am using ground turkey, beef, bison, etc., i throw it into a saute pan with a little olive oil, and add whatever spices i have laying around.  i like to use chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper and fresh garlic.  i would say about 1 teaspoon of each per pound of meat.  while the meat is cooking, chop some onion, tomato, avocado, cilantro, corn (even use frozen if you have some), black olives, pickled jalapeno, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and whatever else you think you would want on top.  oh, and cheese.  i like monterey jack, but if i only have cheddar or provolone or mozzarella, i'll use whatever - i don't discriminate.  i also much prefer corn tortillas to flour, although i do love the whole wheat tortillas that the stores carry now.  so go and buy some tortillas and keep them in your fridge.  next time you can't come up with any dinner ideas, empty your pantry and make some tacos - veggie ones are good, too!

beef and butternut squash stew

i made this stew last week and although it was delicious, i would do it completely different next time around. the recipe stated to add the beef and butternut squash in the pan and cook together for 1 hour.  well, there is no way in the world you can get tender beef in an hour, unless you use a tenderloin.  and there is no way your butternut squash won't be baby food after being cooked for an hour.  i still find challenges in the kitchen and just mark them up to "lessons learned".  of course once i realized the mistake, i thought, "how in the world did i not make these adjustments in the beginning".  i hate when i am not 100% satisfied with a meal i have prepared.  but, it happens sometimes.  truth be told, i think i am much harder on myself than need be.  i actually let this stew effect my weekend a bit.  i worried that my clients were disappointed.  come to find out, they actually liked it.  try using butternut squash in the next stew you make - it is really good, and much better for you than a white potato.  the orignal recipe can be found here.  next time i make this, i will follow the instructions, except i will add only the beef to the pan and cook for 2 hours or so - then add the butternut squash and mushrooms ( i added those to this meal) and continue to cook for another 45 minutes.  this will ensure very tender meat and perfectly done squash. 

a father's day feast

my dad got home late sunday night from vacationing on the cape. since the family didn't get toghether,  my sister and i decided to make a meal for him for his arrival. it was a simple, delicious meal. my sister made baked beans and potato salad. let me tell you, the potato salad was awesome! i will get the recipe from her and post about it at a later date. i know it was a vinegar based potato salad, with roasted red peppers, artichokes, olives and fresh herbs. i just loved it. to go along with this meal, we grilled a few ny strips.  my dad loves beef, so that's what he should eat!  he also loves his big green egg. we are already talking  about the fourth of july menu.  seriously.  i'm not kidding...
so if you have been reading my past few posts, you know i am trying to follow the world cup and the countries that are participating in it, by making (and eating) some sort of something.  that's where the chimichuri comes in.  i'm shameless.  but i have a goal.  it absolutely doesn't go with this southern meal, but i had to get in a post for the world cup.  and besides, chimichuri goes with beef. so,there.
my good friend danielle, has a mother-in-law from argentina, and she taught me how to make this awesome sauce. she made hers by chopping everything with a knife. i went the easy route and threw it all in a food processor.  put a big handful of fresh parsley in the processor along with a few springs of fresh oregano (remove leaves from the stem).  add 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.   pulse to combine.  with the motor running, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil until you have a thickish consistency - like the one in the photo.  adjust seasonings.  this is such a fantastic condiment for the summer when you have an abundance of parsley in your garden.  chimichuri is fantastic on chicken and pork as well.  my dad even suggested tossing it with pasta.  now that would be good.  happy father's day dad, i am a very lucky daughter.

mama's marsala

 
brian is out of town, and my dad is out of town. and because of  this, my mother and i were able to spend some good one on one.  we have always been close, but because both our guys were out - there were no interruptions.  just me and my mom.  we made a delicious meal saturday night.  it was an all out, down and dirty, women in the kitchen, chit chat-tin, wine sipping, italian meal.  from start to finish.  well, not really finish.  we didn't make dessert, but i did see my mom eat a square of chocolate, and proclaim it was good for her heart, does that count?  we started with calamari and banana peppers, followed with veal marsala, summer vegetables with olives and sun dried tomatoes, and roasted potatoes.  awesome.  if i could eat italian food every day of my life, i would be happy.  very, very happy.  so, here's to you italy! 
 

friday night beef

i have a client that i only cook for on fridays.  and she likes beef. rare beef. she recently asked me to alternate between lamb chops, burgers, and filets. that's it. i don't cook a lot of steaks or burgers for my other clients, so i really look forward to cooking on fridays for her.  i made this meal that i thought looked awesome. i grilled a portabella mushroom, sauteed spinach and onions and pan seared a 2" filet.  mushrooms, beef, and sauteed onions, what's better than that?  as you can see i filled the mushroom cap with the spinach and then topped it with the filet. i think it looks so pretty on the plate. probably not the easiest thing to eat, but i suspect once she stopped staring at it with such admiration, she disassembled it (at least, i hope so...). i like to cook my filets in a cast iron skillet and then finish off in a hot oven. this way, you get a fantastic crust on the outside and it's evenly pink in the middle. i let my meat sit out on the counter for a good 45 minutes - i like it to be room temperature before i cook it. tonight i sauteed some onions first in the same skillet i was going to cook the beef in, hoping to add just a bit more flavor to the filet.  to prepare the meat, i simply just add salt, pepper, and olive oil. put it in a screaming hot skillet (medium high heat) and cook for 2-3 minutes. flip it, then pop it in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes - for medium rare. (145 degrees).  i cooked this one in the oven for only 8 minutes - i told you before she likes it rare, really rare (130 degrees).  my kind of woman.

beef and pineapple kabobs

so, i told you a few posts back that i cooked for a political fundraiser, these were also on the menu.  beef and pineapple kabobs, with a parsley sauce.  the combo may seem a bit odd, but all the flavors work wonderfully with each other.  and if you haven't eaten grilled pineapple, you are missing out.  the sugar from the pineapple is so prominent when grilled, it just bursts with sweetness.  i started by making a marinade, which also was the sauce.  start with one large bunch of italian parsley, rip off the tops and put in a food processor.  add 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a pinch of chili flakes, 1 teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper.  blend to a coarse consistency then add about 1/2 cup of olive oil until incorporated. put half of the marinade in a separate bowl and reserve - this will be used later as the sauce.  put the remaining marinade in a large bowl or a zip lock bag and cube 2 pounds of beef tenderloin into bite size chunks, add to bowl.  cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.  i think a sirloin would be a good alternative to a filet, but a filet would be my first choice.  in the meantime, cut the pineapple into same size cubes as you did the beef.  if using wooden skewers, which i recommend, soak them in water for 30 minutes to avoid burning while the are being grilled.  i used 6" wooden skewers.  to assemble the kabobs, take one piece of pineapple, one cube of beef, pineapple, beef.  there should be 2 of each on one skewer.  sprinkle with salt.  there should be about 30 skewers.  grill the kabobs over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side.  i cooked these for a total of 6 minutes for medium rare.  arrange on a big platter and serve with the parsley sauce.  while i was at this event, the gentlemen who is running for govenor was talking to everyone, telling us how he is going to change georgia, i saw a guest plop right in front of these beef pops and devour about 5 of them.  i guess they were good?

my banh mi

typically banh mi is made with pork, but i only had a sirloin in the fridge, so i used that. glad i did. i made this for my lunch today and just threw it together. i didn't want to put too much effort into it, i was pressed for time. i did however try to put a few traditional vietnamese elements in it, after all i still wanted it to taste good. while the beef was sitting out, i put some soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil over it. while grilling the meat, i thinly sliced a cucumber, carrot, jalapeno, onion, fresh spinach and basil. grilled my baguette, topped it with everything and was out the door. i must say, it was awesome.

my first photo

bought a camera over the holiday, the first photo... tonight's meal

ground chuck, fresh from white oak pastures,
with spinach, feta, and grilled onion . . .
on a toasted bun

baked sweet potato fries with olive oil, cayenne, salt and pepper



tonight was a tribute to james beard, it was his recipe after all. . .