The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - July/August 2012 Issue
1 5-6 oz package cellophane noodles
1/3 cup soy sauce
5 tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
12 oz skirt steak, sliced 1/4-inch thick against the grain
1 yellow onion, cut int 1/4-inch wedges
Kosher salt
10 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup shredded carrots (from about 3 carrots)
6 cups baby spinach (about 10 oz)
Soak the noodles in warm water to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and snip into pieces with kitchen shears.
Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, 3 tbsp sesame oil, the garlic, brown sugar, and vinegar in a bowl. Put the beef in another bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of the soy sauce mixture.
Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the onion and 1 tsp salt and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the beef and stir-fry until just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl.
Rinse and wipe out the skillet, return to the heat and add 2 tsp sesame oil. Add the mushrooms and carrots; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the noodles and 2 tbsp of the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry 1 minute; add 1/3 cup water and cook until the noodles are just tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
Wipe out the skillet, return to the heat and add the remaining 2 tsp sesame oil. Add the spinach and the remaining soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the beef and noodle mixture to the pan and toss.
Review
Although this recipe is a little labor intensive (cook this, remove it from the pan, repeat several times) it really is worth it! We tend to take a few shortcuts by purchasing already cut beef (called stir-fry beef at the local grocery store), pre-shredded carrots, and sliced button mushrooms. The veggies and spinach in this dish make it a little healthier than most stir fry dishes, which we also like.
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Sarah's Family
Crust/Crunch Mixture:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
Rhubarb:
4 cups diced rhubarb (or apples)
Sauce:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
Mix crust/crunch mixture.
Press half into greased 9x9 pan (do not grease if using a baking stone). Cover with diced rhubarb.
Combine sugar and cornstarch with the water in a saucepan. Boil until thick. Add vanilla. Pour over rhubarb.
Cover with remaining crust/crunch mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Tips/Tweaks
One of the keys to making any rhubarb dish amazing is to peel it. Cut off the ends of each stalk. Take a sharp knife and using the knife and your thumb, peel the top layer starting at each end of the rhubarb. This process is very easy and fast and will reduce the stringiness that rhubarb can give to any dish.
Review
This recipe has been in Sarah's family for a long time and is always a summer classic! Since Sarah's grandma has two rhubarb plants, there is always something rhubarb in the summer. This recipe gives the tart rhubarb a beautiful sweet balance. Delicious!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Cuisine at Home Magazine
Japanese Steak Rolls:
1 lb flank steak, trimmed
16 8-inch asparagus spears trimmed
16 8-inch scallions trimmed
6 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
6 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Slice flank stead across the grain into 16 strips, 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Pound each to about 1/8-inch thick and season with salt and pepper.
Place one asparagus spear and one scallion across the short end of a strip of beef. Roll beef around vegetables and secure with a toothpick. Place on a shallow baking pan in a single layer; roll remaining beef and vegetables.
Combine remaining ingredients, pour over beef and marinate 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Garlic Lime Rice (see recipe below).
Preheat broiler to high. Broil steak rolls 5 minutes. Remove from pan, tent with foil to keep warm, and strain marinade into a small sauce pan. Remove toothpicks from steak rolls before serving. Boil marinade until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spoon glaze over each serving.
Garlic Lime Rice:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 tsp lime zest, minced
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high. Add garlic; saute 3 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in rice; saute 2 minutes.
Add water, lime juice, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
Stir in cilantro and lime zest.
Review
There were a few things that we changed in the recipe to better suite our tastes. First, instead of using the full 6 tbsp of rice vinegar in the sauce of the steak rolls, we used 2 tbsp rice vinegar and 4 tbsp chicken broth (we tend to keep some on hand at all times in our fridge). We did this because the rice vinegar can really over power any sauce (as we have learned in the past). We also omitted the cilantro in the garlic lime rice. Also, to use up all of the asparagus, most rolls had 2 or 3 spears in the roll. We quickly blanched the asparagus since the rolls are not cooked very long in the oven.
Overall this recipe was pretty delicious, the lime rice was especially excellent! We decided since this makes a lot of rolls that next time we would use more meat on each roll and make less rolls. However, we did not pound out the steaks enough either, so the meat was a little tough. It would probably be best to marinate the meat in the fridge either over night or for at least an hour before making the rolls. It would help tenderize the meat.
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - June 2012 Issue
Burgers:
4 6oz burgers
Toasted crusty bun
Fried egg or sliced hard-boiled egg
Bacon
Dijon mustard
Frisee salad
Frisee Salad:
Whisk 1 tablespoon each dijon mustard and olive oil, 1 thinly sliced shallot, 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, and salt and pepper to taste; toss with 1 bunch torn frisee.
Assemble the burger and enjoy!
Our picture:
Their picture:
Review
This burger is sooooo amazing! The egg yolk, salad, and of course bacon blend together to make this one of our favorite burgers. We highly recommend trying this out!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - June 2012 Issue
Burgers:
4 6oz burgers
Toasted poppy seed roll
Chopped chives
Tomato slices
Beer-cheese sauce
Beer-Cheese Sauce:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder; cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes (do not brown). Whisk in 3/4 cup beer; bring to a simmer, then whisk in 1/2 cup half-and-half. Simmer, whisking, until thickened, 4 minutes. Stir in 1-1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese and 1 tablespoon horseradish.
Assemble the burger and enjoy!
Our picture:
Their picture:
Tips/Tweaks
Substitutions or Omissions
We used whole-wheat buns instead of the poppy seed bun, since this is easy to find at the grocery store. Also, we omit the horseradish because we do not like the taste, but the beer-cheese sauce is still amazing.
Review
This burger we have made several times and will make again! The beer-cheese sauce recipe makes quite a lot, so we tend to save the sauce and use it whenever we make more burgers. One of our favorite gourmet burger recipes and it's so easy to make too!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - June 2012 Issue
Burgers:
4 6oz burgers
Toasted whole wheat bun
Avocado slices
Alfalfa sproutes
Tomato slices
Red leaf lettuce
Green Goddess dressing
Green Goddess Dressing:
Puree -
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Assemble the burger and enjoy!
Our picture:
Their picture:
Review
The burger was really good, but what made it was the Green Goddess dressing! The dressing makes a lot, so we actually used it on sandwhiches and other things after all of the burgers were gone. We have made this burger twice and will probably make it again this summer!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Sarah's Mom
2-1/2 cups uncooked mastaccioli or penne pasta
2 tbsp margarine or butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
dash nutmeg
1-1/4 cups half and half
2 oz (1/2 cup) shredded fontina cheese
2 oz (1/2 cup) shredded swiss cheese
2 oz (1/2 cup) shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp dry white wine
1 tsp olive/vegetable oil
2 tbsp sliced green onions
2 roma tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the pasta to desired tenderness.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until bubbly. Gradually add half and half, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in the 3 shredded cheeses until melted (stringy). Stir in the wine. Drain pasta and add to the cheese sauce, stirring to coat.
Pour into sprayed dish. Arrange sliced tomatoes around the outside of the casserole dish and brush with oil. Sprinkle the onions on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are bubbly.
Review
This recipe has been made in Sarah's family for a long time. In fact, when she was little, she actually didn't like the flavor the wine gave to the dish, so her mom would exclude it. But this is something that we would make a lot in college to satisfy missing home and still make quite often to this day. It is one of our absolute favorites!
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