Flank Steak Peperonata

Peperonata is a mixture of sweet peppers, onion, tomato, and garlic, cooked in fruity olive oil until the peppers are soft and the flavors have melded. In order to get the flavors of both to marry, we cut the flank steak with the grain into three equal pieces, and seasoned all sides with salt, pepper, and oregano, and wrapped it in plastic for up to 24 hours to fully season the meat. Then we cooked red and yellow bell peppers, onion, and garlic in a hefty amount of extra-virgin olive oil until softened, added diced tomatoes, capers, red pepper flakes, and cooked the mixture until the vegetables were softened. After wiping out the skillet, we seared the seasoned steak pieces on all sides to a perfect medium-rare. While the meat rested, we stirred fresh basil into the peperonata mixture. To serve, we sliced the meat into smaller pieces, against the grain, seasoned the sliced with salt and pepper and the accumulated meat juices, and arranged the meat over the peperonata. A drizzle of extra-virgin oil balanced the tangy, meaty flavors. Look for a flank steak of even thickness. The peperonata can be made up to two days in advance.
 
2 pounds flank steak, trimmed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, quartered, and cut crosswise into 1/4" strips
2 yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, quartered, and cut crosswise into 1/4" strips
1 onion, quartered through root end and sliced crosswise into 1/4" strips
6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers plus 4 teaspoons caper brine
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Cut steak lengthwise with grain into 3 equal pieces. Combine oregano and 2 teaspoons salt in bowl. Season steaks all over with salt mixture, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

2. Heat 1/3 cup oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add red and yellow bell peppers, onion, garlic, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, capers and brine, and pepper flakes. Continue to cook, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer peperonata to bowl, cover, and keep warm.

4. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks until well browned and each registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

5. Stir basil into peperonata. Slice steaks thin on bias against grain. Season steak slices with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra oil. Serve steak with peperonata.

Unstuffed Cabbage Soup

I'm totally in love with my new SkinnyTaste cookbook. I'm generally a snob when it comes to recipes but everything we have made from this book so far - a couple of dozen of recipes or so - have all been remarkably tasty. This soup proved to be one of our favorites so far. At 260 calories per bowl, we will definitely be making this again!

1 pound 93% ground beef
1 large white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
5 cups unsalted beef stock
4 cups chopped green cabbage
1 cup cooked brown rice

Brown the meat and 1 teaspoon of salt over medium-high heat in a large dutch oven. Once the meat is browned, lower heat to medium, add onions, garlic, paprika, and thyme. Toss to coat the meat and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onions. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef stock and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add cabbage, cover, and cook until softened, about 35 minutes. Add the brown rice and serve.

Caramel Budino with Salted Caramel Sauce

Cookie Crust

• 1 cup finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers; about 20 cookies)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Budino

• 3 cups whole milk, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Salted Caramel Sauce

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2' cubes
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream

• To assemble crust, mix cookie crumbs, butter, and salt in a medium bowl. Place 2 tablespoons in a small bowl; cover and chill for garnish. Press 2 tablespoons cookie mixture onto the bottom of each of eight 8-ounce mason jars or ramekins.

• Make budino, by whisking 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside. Heat remaining 2 1/2 cups milk in a small saucepan just to a simmer; set aside. To make caramel, stir sugar and 3/4 cup water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; cook without stirring until an instant-read thermometer registers 210°–220°
• Line a sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and set over a large pitcher. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk, then cornstarch mixture. Slowly whisk in caramel. Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and a thermometer registers 175°, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter, rum, and salt. Pour through prepared sieve.
• Pour 1/2 cup budino over crust in each jar. Cover; chill until set, 4–5 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

• Begin the salted caramel sauce by placing cream in a small pitcher. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Set aside.
• Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high; boil, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until deep amber color forms, 5–6 minutes. Remove from heat; gradually add vanilla cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk over medium heat until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and salt. Strain into a heatproof bowl. Let cool slightly.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons caramel sauce over each budino. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle some of reserved cookie crumbs over each.

Pork Tenderloin with Corn, Tomato & Goat (or Feta) Cheese Salad

Searing pork tenderloin until browned and then letting it finish cooking in the oven makes this an easy, (mostly) hands-off meal. We char fresh corn kernels in the same skillet we use to sear the pork before combining them with tomatoes, arugula, a lemony dressing, and tangy goat cheese. It's no secret that I despise goat cheese so I substituted a low-fat feta instead and it was so tasty!





2 (12 ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 ears cor,n kernels cut from cobs
8 ounces grate tomatoes,halved
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Cook pork until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer pork to prepared wire rack. Roast until meat registers 140 degrees, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, whisk 2 tablespoons oil, scallions, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now empty skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl with dressing. Add tomatoes and arugula to bowl and toss to combine. Transfer salad to platter and sprinkle with goat cheese. Slice pork 1/2 inch think and serve with salad.

Mujaddara

Mujaddara, the rice and beans of the Middle East, is a hearty one-dish vegetarian rice and lentil pilaf containing large brown or green lentils and crispy fried onion strings. For the pilaf, we found that precooking the lentils and soaking the rice in hot water before combining them ensured that both components cooked evenly. We pare down the typically fussy process of batch-frying onions in several cups of oil to a single batch of onions fried in just 1 1/2 cups of oil. The trick: removing a good bit of the onions’ water before frying by tossing them with salt, microwaving them for 5 minutes, and drying them thoroughly.

Do not substitute smaller French lentils for the green or brown lentils. When preparing the Crispy Onions, be sure to reserve 3 tablespoons of the onion cooking oil for cooking the rice and lentils.

CRISPY ONIONS
It is crucial to thoroughly dry the microwaved onions after rinsing. The best way to accomplish this is to use a salad spinner. Reserve 3 tablespoons of oil when draining the onions to use in Rice and Lentils. Remaining oil may be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated up to 4 weeks.

2 pounds onions, halved and sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
2 tsp salt
1½ cups vegetable oil

Toss onions and salt together in a large bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Drain and then transfer to a salad spinner. Spin as much water as possible from the onions. Using paper towels and your hands, continue to squeeze as much water from the onions as possible. Heat vegetable oil on high in a Dutch oven until the oil begins to shimmer. Add onions and stir frequently until onions turn golden brown (25 – 30 minutes). Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Remove onions from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon, transferring them to the baking sheet in one even layer. 
Drain remaining oil through a fine mesh strainer, reserving it for latter.

YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt 
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt

Place yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer and set strainer over a large bowl. Strain for 1 hour.
Transferring yogurt to a medium bowl, whisk in the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the dish.

RICE & LENTILS
1¼ cups green or brown lentils, picked through for stones and rinsed
1¼ cups basmati rice
1 recipe Crispy Onions, plus 3 TBS reserved oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

Bring lentils, 4 cups water, and 1 tsp salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are tender (15 – 17 minutes). Drain and set aside. While the lentils are cooking, place rice in a medium bowl and cover by 2 inches with hot tap water (allow to stand for 15 minutes).

Using your hands, gently wish the rice to release excess starch. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Add cold tap water, swish, pour, and repeat until the water runs nearly clear. Drain rice through a fine-mesh strainer.

Heat reserved oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ¼ tsp pepper, and cayenne in Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally until the rice begins to turn translucent (about 3 minutes).

Add 2¼ cups water, sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 12 minutes). 

Remove Dutch oven from heat, fold a dishtowel in half, place over pot, replace lid and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff rice and lentils with fork. Stir in cilantro and half the onions. Serve with the remaining onions and yogurt sauce as a garnish.

Chicken Shepherd's Pie

To make shepherd’s pie using chicken instead of the traditional beef or lamb, we use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that we cook and then shred. This is a little more work than using ground chicken, but the results are well worth it. To flavor the pie, we swap out beef broth for chicken broth and brighten it using lemon juice and fresh thyme. Instead of having to make mashed potatoes and pipe them on top, we simplify the traditional topping by using boiled, cubed potatoes and stirring in butter. Brushing this rustic topping with egg wash makes sure it browns well in the oven.

You will need a 10-inch ovensafe skillet for this recipe. You can use dry white wine in place of the sherry. Swanson Chicken Stock is our taste-test winner. Make sure to use russet potatoes here.

 

2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
6 Tbs unsalted butter, divided
1 onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 Tbs cornstarch
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tbs water

 

Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat to 375 degrees F.  

Pat the chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in an oven safe 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2-3 batches, about 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is well-borwned. Transfer to a plate and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet.

Return the skillet to heat and add the onions, carrots, and a large pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until they are just softening, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook an additional 30 seconds.  Stir in the sherry and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1-2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet, skin-side up. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook until the chicken registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 12 to 14 minutes.  

Remove the skillet from heat and use tongs to transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Once he chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with about 1 inch of water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a strong simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes.  

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.  Return the pot to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring gently, until all of the water has evaporated. This will only take about 1 minute or so. Remove from heat and gently stir in remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

Whisk the cornstarch together with 3 tablespoons of water. Return the skillet with the broth and vegetables to the stovetop and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch  mixture, and cook until the thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the peas, lemon juice, and shredded chicken, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the potatoes over the entire surface of the filling. Brush the potatoes with the egg wash.  

Bake in the oven until the pie is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook until the potatoes are golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.