How To Grill Perfect Steak

How To Grill Perfect Steak

 
 Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-grill-steak-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193246


Makes 1 steak, serves 2. Adapted from Serious Barbecue. 

What You Need

Ingredients
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme, sage, rosemary or a combination
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
One 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-inch-thick rib eye, T-bone or Porterhouse steak, removed from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking
Finishing dressing:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
Kitchen twine
Wooden spoon or dowel (optional)
Gas or charcoal grill
Tongs
Cutting board

Instructions

1. Prepare the dry seasoning blend, herb brush and melted butter: Mix the salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Use a piece of kitchen twine to tie the herbs together in a tight bundle. (For a longer brush, tie the herbs onto the end of a wooden spoon or dowel.) Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the optional red pepper flake and a few herbs snapped off from the herb brush.


2. Heat the grill: Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high. You'll know the temperature is right when the coals are ashed over (if using a charcoal grill) and you can only hold your hand over the grill for 4 to 6 seconds before it feels too hot.
   


3. Season the steak: Sprinkle the dry seasoning blend generously over both sides of the steak, letting plenty of the seasoning fall on the surrounding cutting board or butcher paper. You'll use it on the edges of the steak.


4. Season the edges of the steak: Dip the sides of the steak into the excess seasoning.


5. Dampen your hand: Wet your hand with a little water.


6. Create a seasoning "paste": Pat your dampened hand over both sides of the steak. This turns the dry seasonings into more of a paste that lays flat on the meat.


7. Oil the steak: Dip the herb brush into the butter and lightly brush both sides of the steak.


8. Put the steak on the grill: Place the steak on the grate, close the lid, and do not move the steak until it is well marked and has a light char, about 3 minutes.


9. Flip the steak: Use the tongs to flip the steak.


10. Baste with butter: Dip the herb brush in the butter and brush over the hot surface of the steak.


11. Brown the other side of the steak: Close the lid and do not move the steak until the second side is well marked and has a light char. Flip and baste the second side with butter.


12. Continue cooking, flipping and basting with butter: Continue to cook with the lid down as much as possible. Flip frequently, basting the hot surface with butter every time you flip. If you have a flare-up, move the steak to another part of the grill or to the edge of the grill where it is cooler.


13. Cook to desired doneness: Use the touch test or an instant read thermometer to determine when your steak is cooked to your liking (125°F for rare, 130-135°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium). Remove steak from the grill and place in a small baking dish.


14. Make the finishing dressing: Drizzle the olive oil on a cutting board. Add the lemon zest and a little salt and pepper.


15. Add herbs from the herb brush: Chop up some herbs from the end of the herb brush and mix them into the dressing.


16. Slice the steak: Place the steak on top of the dressing and pour some of the juices over the meat. Cut to separate the meat from the bone and slice the meat on a diagonal into 1/4-inch slices.


17. Dress the steak: Dredge the pieces in the dressing to coat them and top with the remaining juices.


18. Season the steak: Taste and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Recipe Notes

• You can use vegetable oil in place of the butter, but your steak won't be quite as browned and delicious.
• This recipe easily multiplies if you are cooking more than one steak. When scaling up, use 4 tablespoons of butter for every two steaks.

Tandoori chicken wings

Source: http://beautyandthefeastblog.com/2013/07/11/what-your-coffee-says-about-you/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BeautyAndTheFeast+%28Beauty+and+the+Feast%29

Spices

INGREDIENTS:
4 lbs of chicken wings
4 tsp of Tandoori masala (we used this one from Rajah)
2 tsp of ginger garlic paste
2 tsp of cumin powder
Salt to taste (we used about 2 tsp)
1/4 cup yogurt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix all the above ingredients with yogurt in a small bowl.
2. After washing the wings, use the marinade to fully cover the wings. Tip: Use disposable gloves to keep hands clean while doing this!
3. After coating the wings completely, place them in a large Ziploc bag and place in fridge for at least four hours (preferably overnight). Don’t leave any of the sauce behind! Pour any extra sauce into the bag.
4. Pre-heat over to 350 degrees. Place wings on a rectangle baking pan. Stick in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Every oven is a different so keep an eye on it!

Bangladeshi Beef Curry

 

 Bangladeshi Beef Curry

1. Cut the beef into bite-sized cubes, put into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the garam masala, add the yoghurt (4 tablespoons natural yoghurt) and a good dash of olive oil, season and toss to coat. Cover with cling film and marinate for as long as possible while you prepare the rest of the curry.
2. Heat a thin film (3 tbls) of olive oil in a large cast-iron casserole or a heavy-based pan. Add the onions, garlic, chilli, ginger and water Add the sugar to help caramelize the onions, followed by the coriander stalks cardamom pods and ground spice mix, stir, then cover and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are soft, lifting the lid to give the mixture a stir a few times.
3. Drop in the beef chunks and coat them in the spices and mix while adding little water.
4. Let cook for 1.5-2 hours.

For Coconut Curry Beef:

 

 

Source:http://shewearsmanyhats.com/2013/03/coconut-curry-beef/

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2″ pieces
• salt
• 2 large onions, cut into wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 13.6 ounce can light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped in chunks (may substitute red or orange bell pepper)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• optional, fresh cilantro for garnish, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275°F
2. Add oil to a dutch oven or oven safe pot and warm over medium-high heat. Salt beef and brown on all sides. Work in batches if necessary. Remove remove from pan, set aside, covered.
3. Saute onions in the pan for about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add soy, garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch, being careful not to burn garlic.
5. Add coconut milk and brown sugar and stir until combined well.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
7. Add browned beef back to pan, stir to combine all together well. Cover and cook at 275°F for at least 3 hours (4-5 hours is even more better).
8. Add bell pepper and tomatoes for final 15 minutes of cooking.
9. Serve over jasmine rice, or favorite rice or pasta.
10. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.

 

 

Chicken Parm

Crispy Baked Parmesan Chicken

   

Recipe from: Fork Knife Swoon
Source: http://www.forkknifeswoon.com/food-drink/main-dishes/2013/06/crispy-baked-parmesan-chicken/

Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, finely minced (or sub. 1/2 tsp dried oregano)
• 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, finely minced (or sub. 1tsp dried basil)
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese, about 1/8-inch thick

What to do

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the Hellmann’s with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the Panko, the remaining Parmesan, and the oregano and basil. Set aside.
2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and dip each piece in the Hellmann’s mixture, coating both sides well. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with the panko mixture.
3. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and beginning to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Place the mozzarella slices on top of each piece of chicken and continue baking for another 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
4. Serve warm with marinara sauce and fresh basil.

Spinich and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

 

 

 

Recipe from: Fork Knife Swoon

Source: http://www.forkknifeswoon.com/food-drink/main-dishes/2013/05/spinach-and-ricotta-stuffed-shells/

Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 16 jumbo pasta shells (Cook a couple of extra shells to allow for a few breaking while the pasta cooks.)
• 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
• 4 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves, roughly-chopped
• 12 oz skim-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded skim-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
• 1-1/4 cups marinara sauce

What to do

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about a minute or two. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves begin to wilt but are still bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. The spinach should be reduced by half. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a shallow 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with a generous amount of the spinach and ricotta mixture, and place in the baking dish.
4. Cover with the remaining sauce and bake covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top begins to brown and the sauce begins the bubble, another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with a dusting of Parmesan.

Honey Chili Chicken

From one of my favorite foodie blogs!!

Honey & Chili Chicken Thighs with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-honey-amp-chili-chicken-thighs-with-creamy-cilantro-sauce-recipes-from-the-kitchn-191153

 
Serves 8 to 10
For the chicken thighs:
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup amber beer
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish
For the sauce:
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 1/2 cups loosely packed cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Whisk together the honey, chili powder, beer, cider vinegar, and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and stir until the thighs are evenly coated. At this point, the thighs can be baked immediately or refrigerated for up to three hours.
Arrange the chicken thighs on a baking sheet and drizzle any dressing remaining in the bowl over top. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and the thickest part of the thighs register 165°F with an instant read thermometer.
While the thighs are roasting, make the cilantro sauce. Combine the sour cream, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and salt in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process continuously until the cilantro is minced very fine and the sauce is light green in color. Taste and add more lime juice, salt, or cilantro to taste. The cilantro sauce can be made the day ahead and kept refrigerated until serving. 
Serve the chicken thighs immediately after roasting. Spoon any extra glaze from the pan over the hot chicken and garnish with roughly chopped cilantro. Serve the cilantro sauce alongside.

Recipe Notes:

• Grilled Chicken Thighs: These chicken thighs can also be grilled over high heat for 4 minutes on each side with the grill covered.
• Bigger or Smaller Crowds: This recipe can be halved for smaller crowds or doubled for even larger crowds. Just make sure the thighs are spaced about an inch apart; roast in batches if necessary.

Watermelon Limeade 8 servings Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Recipe by the bon appétit test kitchen Photography by Yossy Arefi   Watermelon's natural sweetness gets a little boost from agave syrup instead of refined sugar in this refreshing summer beverage.   http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/06/watermelon-limeade

Ingredients 6 cups 1-inch-pieces watermelon (from about 1/2 5-pound watermelon) 1/2 cup cup fresh lime juice 2–3 tablespoons light agave syrup (nectar) or honey Lime wedges (for serving) Preparation

Purée watermelon, lime juice, and 2 Tbsp. agave syrup in a blender until smooth. Add 1 Tbsp. more agave, if desired. Strain into a large pitcher filled with ice and stir in 1/2 cup water. Serve over ice and garnish with lime wedges.