Bobby Flay's Grilled Beef Braciole - A Must MAKE!

I do my best to make things pretty,especially food. Sometimes, I hit a bump in the road. For example, this grilled braciole recipe. By far and away, it is one of the best meals I have ever made. Did it look like the picture on Bobby Flay's website? Um, that would be a huge NO. It didn't matter though, because it was sinfully delicious. I wish I had known this recipe existed back in my low carb dieting days because it seems to fill the bill perfectly.  I happen to know where I went wrong and why my braciole looked like the two pieces of Princess Leia's cinnamon roll hairdo..or a cannoli, as opposed to...well...braciole. I was nervous to use the butcher's twine on the grill, so I used my 'chicken nails' to keep the braciole in place. The steak was specifically for braciole, but may be could have used a bit more thinning out. In any case, this recipe is awesome.  It's paired with grilled tomato relish, which is amazing and healthy. Also, if you have any experiences, good or bad, with using butcher's twine on a grill, leave me a post. On another note, Real Housewives of New Jersey's Teresa Giudice released her cookbook, Skinny Italian, this month. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Check out her website for reviews and information.
Bobby Flay's Grilled Beef Braciole with Grilled Tomato Relish from foodnetwork.com
8 plum tomatoes
5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves


For the beef:
1 (2-pound) round steak, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil

Instructions:
3 (8-inch) pieces butcher's twine, soaked in cold water

Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

For the grilled tomato-basil relish:
Heat the grill to high.Cut the tomatoes half, then brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the tomatoes on all sides until slightly charred and soft. Remove the tomatoes from the grill, chop and place in a bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, onion, vinegar, basil and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.


For the beef:
Heat the grill to high.Place the steak on a flat surface. Combine the cheese, parsley, oregano and garlic in a small bowl. Brush the steak on the side facing up with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the steak, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the sides. Starting with the long end, tightly roll the meat up like a jelly roll and tightly tie with the butcher's twine on the ends and in the center. Brush the entire outside of the steak with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill, seam-side up and grill until golden brown on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve several slices per person topped with some of the relish.

Some Like It Hot...Some Don't - 3 Days of Food Network Recipes

Last week, I was on a Food Network kick. Nothing fuels my passion for cooking more than watching an episode of Giada or Paula, or perusing the network's website for the top rated recipes. I tried to mix it up a little, choosing one shrimp dish, one beef dish and one chicken dish to prepare for the week. Since I made R.R's Spit Fire Shrimp first, I will start with that recipe. I made it last Monday, which was a day completely filled with chaos. I spent the morning running errands, bringing my son back and forth to pre-school, peeling my daughter off of chairs and chandeliers and tending to mountains of laundry. In short, my attention span was very limited.
I completely rushed to get dinner on the table. It took some time because I was intermittently cooking and prying my kids apart as they fought over Thomas the Train.
My kitchen smelled divine and the shrimp looked mouth watering. My husband can not wait for anyone else to start eating, so he dove in immediately. I noticed he wasn't commenting, just chewing slowly and thoughtfully. Then I noticed something funny. My husband is normally pasty white. I watched as his neck turned crimson and the heat moved up to his cheeks, then his forehead. Sweat dripped from his brow. He took a giant gulp of orange soda and said, "Wow! Spicy!" Now, I knew it would have a kick, I just didn't know how much of a kick. I took a bite. My eyes teared. My nose started to run. I breathed fire and nearly singed the dog's tail. In my case, I loved it. It is the kind of spicy I truly appreciate. As we finished dinner, I had a a moment of clarity. I had forgotten that I only made a half batch of shrimp for the recipe, so the sauce was a double dose of fire breathing hotness. OOPS! Up next: Bobby Flay's Grilled Bracciole

Rachael Ray's Spitfire Shrimp from foodnetwork.com
1 lime, juiced

2 ounces (1/4 cup) hot cayenne pepper sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and de-veined* (I used frozen)
12 to 15 blades fresh chives, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Combine lime juice, hot sauce, cumin, red pepper flakes and seafood seasoning blend.
Quickly saute garlic and shallots in oil and butter for 1 minute, add shrimp and cook 3 minutes, tossing and turning frequently. Dump pink, firm, cooked shrimp from hot pan into hot seasoning blend and toss in seasoning mixture to coat shrimp evenly. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve warm or chilled.

Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry

As usual, I was combing the fridge and the cubbard for food to eat before it went bad. I had some fresh stew beef and some snap peas begging for my attention. I dusted off my wok(OK, I gave it a good washing with Palmolive) and set to work. If you look closely at the photo, you will notice not only snap peas, but good 'ole Green Giant Peas in the mix. Why, you ask? My kiddos like them a lot more. This is an easy dish to prepare, providing you have the right ingredients laying around your house.

Beef & Snap Pea Stir Fry (Serves 2 and 2 small kids)
1 LB Cubed Beef (think stew meat or shish kabobs.)
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Cup of water
2 Beef boullion cubes or 2 TSPS of beef boullion powder
1 TSP of Soy Sauce
1 TBSP of Teriyaki Sauce
1 Cup of cleaned Snap Peas
1 TSP of Powdered Ginger
1 TSP of Powdered Mustard
1 TBSP of  Minced Garlic
1 TSP of Pepper
1 Medium Can of Green Giant Peas(optional)
1-2 bags of Boil In Bag White or Brown Rice

Directions
Heat oil in the bottom of the wok. Add Snap Peas and saute until slightly tender. Add beef, boullion, water and spices. Add wok top, check and stir after 4-5 minutes. Add more water if needed. When beef is fully cooked and veggies are tender, add cooked rice(and optional peas) to the stir fry. Mix until rice is saturated with mixture.

Side Dishes as Main Meals:Orechiette with Toasted Bread Crumbs

I get bored with food easily. I am always in search of new sides, and the more unique a side is, the better I like it. I came across this recipe on a recipe blog the I belong to it. It's Giada D.'s recipe and it was generously provided for the blog by Elisha D. I was skeptical at first because the recipe sounded a little strange, but I pushed my fears aside and prepared it. I paired it with some grilled chicken. In short, the side dish was ravenously devoured with nothing left over, while the chicken sat untouched. From that point on, I made this dish solo. It is both yummy and filling. So, give this a shot and let me know what you think.
Orechiette with Toasted Bread Crumbs
1 pound dried orechiette or other small shaped pasta

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup finely chopped prosciutto (I subbed cooked and chopped turkey bacon here)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saute pan, heat the oil until warm. Since the bread crumbs will cook quickly, you don't want to add them into a hot pan, otherwise they can burn. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly. Season lightly with salt and pepper since flavored bread crumbs may already have seasoning. Saute for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Drain pasta in a colander. Working quickly, add pasta to the saute pan and stir to combine. Add Parmesan and the chopped prosciutto. Mix thoroughly. Pour into large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.

Alexia Party:Burgers,Fries,Beers & Wine...Oh My!

It's been awhile, ladies and gents! Due to a huge storm, we lost power, internet, cable and phone for several days. It took me awhile to get up and running and my Alexia Dinner Party certainly seems like a good post to write to get back into the swing of things. I applied on houseparty.com to host a dinner party for Alexia products. In case you're not 'in the know', Alexia makes tasty, but healthy side dishes to compliment any meal. In case you're still not clued in, click here  visit the Alexia web site, view their side dishes and read their story. Shockingly, I was chosen to host a party.

     This was all well and good, however, I have never actually hosted a dinner party where I didn't serve bulk foods. For example, I can whip up a nice roast chicken, lasagna, or a pot of sauce and meatballs for a crowd, but I have never made singular individual courses for a small group. Based on the side dishes offered from Alexia, I decided to have a 'burger throwdown', using my favorite burger recipe from this blog. The two burgers which competed in the showdown were the famous Guinness Burgers and Rachael Ray's Grilled Lime Cilantro Burgers.  These were two huge hits in my house, so they were easy to choose. Which one was victorious amongst my small, but choosey dinner crowd?I will get to that shortly. I hit some bumps along the way between the shopping and the cooking. I had issues finding the Alexia side dishes. It wasn't that the stores didn't carry them, but they are such hot items, they sell quickly. I finally tracked down the Yukon Gold Fries, Sweet Potato Fries and Oven Roasted Potato Wedges. I was relieved to finally find them the day of the party. All should have been smooth sailing from that point on, right? Wrong. Big Wrong. Earlier in the week, I had done a Kate Gosselin style cleaning on my fridge - every pore, every ridge, crack or crevice in that fridge was wiped down, cleaned out out, tooth picked over and disinfected. For added measure, I added my little baking soda sachet to absorb anything malodorous. Then, a foul a mysterious odor began to arise from the fridge. I assumed it was the crumbled blue cheese I had purchased for the salad, but alas, this was not the case. The meat that I had purchased not even 24 hours before was rotting like a mouthful of teeth that had never met a toothbrush. The meat that I had specifically chosen and purchased at a high end grocery store. Needless to say, I will not be making a return visit to that store. In a panic, I sent my husband straight out to Foodtown to pick up new meat. I was late prepping the burgers, so dinner was a lot later than expected. My Guinness sauce was lacking something; thanks to Brenda and Patrizia, we experimented until we got it just right.  Brenda came to the rescue again, frying my shallots to the perfect degree of crispness. The mad rush to get the burgers,salad and sides to the table definitely caused some chaos (AKA - cold food and soggy fries), but all turned out well. A great time was had by all, capped off with a triple layer chocolate cake. Who was the winner of the burger shodown you ask? Chicken took first prize. I will sign off with a unique and tasty salad recipe I borrowed from Food and Wine magazine.

Mesclun Salad with Fried Shallots and Blue Cheese from Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

7 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar(I subbed Balsamic Vinegar here)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound mesclun
1/4 pound blue cheese, such as Valdeon, crumbled

Directions
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add half of the sliced shallots and fry over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until they are browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shallots to paper towels to drain. Fry the remaining sliced shallots. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the mesclun and blue cheese to the bowl and toss. Sprinkle the fried shallots over the mesclun salad and serve right away.

Shrimp Po' Boys & Hurricanes

If anyone asks me "What is the best trip you've ever taken?", I know immediately what to answer. In case you hadn't guessed from the title of my post, my best trip ever was to New Orleans. It was a fantastic trip with awesome friends, food, drinks and culture. It would be hard to walk along Bourbon Street and not get caught up in the party atmosphere. We indulged in jambalaya, po' boys and hurricanes a plenty. My favorite meal was at one of the hotels - I had a cornish hen stuffed with potatoes and wild rice. It was amazing! And for dessert......Bananas Foster. Hands down, the most delicious concoction ever! I was a little nervous when the waiter fired up the rum and bananas table side, but it was well worth it. I ate every bite and left the restaurant with my eyebrows in tact. So do yourself a favor, get to New Orleans at some point in your life. It's quite an experience, both food and fun wise. This particular meal was something I whipped up to reminisce about my trip. I can't compare what I have made to New Orleans' cuisine, but it turned out pretty great!
Shrimp Po' Boys(Serves 2)
20 medium cooked, cleaned shrimp, tails removed
1/2 -3/4 cup of bread crumbs
1/8 TSP of white pepper
1/4 TSP ground mustard
1/4 TSP Salt
2 TBSP  Frank's Hot Sauce
3 TBSP olive oil( for frying)
2  Italian or French Bread  Hoagie stye rolls ( I made a french loaf in the bread maker)
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced 
Sauce
4 TBSP  Horseradish Sauce
4 TBSP  Spicy Mustard
1 TSP Frank's Hot Sauce 
Directions
Mix bread crumbs,pepper,ground mustard, salt and hot sauce in a Ziploc and add shrimp. Shake bag until shrimp is completely coated. Heat oil in a medium pan and shrimp. Remove shrimp when golden brown. To make sauce, mix horseradish sauce, spicy mustard and hot sauce. Spread on rolls, then add lettuce, tomato and shrimp.

How to Make a Hurricane
4  oz Pineapple Juice
4 oz Orange Juice
1 oz light rum
1 oz dark rum
1 splash of Grenadine for color
1 splash of Rose's Sweet Lime juice
( You can always add more alcohol if you like them stronger)  

Guinness Makes the Burger

My taste in alcoholic beverages has changed a great deal over the years. In my early twenties, I enjoyed light, watered down beers and whatever was pink and fruity. In my mid to late twenties, I enjoyed my share of Merlot and Pinot Grigio. I have never included dark, brooding beers in my drinking repertoire. Ever. Just watching someone take a sip of that dark sludge in a pint glass was enough to make me gag. My husband, on the other hand, is a dark beer man. So, what was I to do with four of the six left over bottles of Guinness from our Superbowl get together? I sure as hell couldn't fathom drinking it. I cooked with it. I made the most delicious burgers I have ever made and a sauce that was so tasty I wanted to take a bath in it.
Guinness Burgers from Inspiredtaste.com

Guinness BBQ Sauce (makes about 2 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, small dice

1/4 cup molasses( I subbed brown sugar here - Google the equivalents)

1 12 ounce can stout beer (Guinness)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 can tomato puree

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

Directions: 

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the olive oil and saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the molasses, beer, vinegar and tomato puree then stir to combine.  Add all of the spices and allow the sauce to simmer on the stove for about 20-25 minutes until it has reduced into a thick glossy BBQ sauce.  While simmering, keep an eye on the sauce and stir occasionally.

Guinness Burgers (4 burgers)

1 pound minced beef (80% lean, 20% fat)

1 egg, whisked

¼ cup Stout beer (Guinness)

1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill

2 teaspoons mustard (Coleman’s Mustard)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 burger buns

Top with Guinness BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, arugula, tomatoes and red onion

Directions:

Preheat the grill or pan to medium.

Add beer, olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper to the beef then lightly mix with a fork.  Do not over mix.  Separate the mixture into four portions, then lightly roll each portion into a ball and press down to make a burger patty.

Once preheated, lightly brush the grill with olive oil and place each burger patty down onto the oiled grill.  Leave the patties for 4 minutes then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes or desired doneness (4-5 minutes on each side should be cooked to medium).

Remove the patties from the grill and assemble each burger with desired toppings.