July 25, 2011: Sirloin and Pineapple Kebobs

Top sirloin is one of those meats that’s hard to tell just how it’s going to come out – I have some steaks that have been very tender while others have been more on the tough, chewy side. Just to be on the safe side, I like to marinate top sirloin. This is a recipe I concocted with flavors meant to complement the sweetness of the pineapple chunks.

Brush some of the leftover marinade on the pineapple chunks before grilling, as shown here.

Sirloin and Pineapple Kebobs

1 pound top sirloin steak
2 cups pineapple cut into large chunks

Marinade:
2 T. soy sauce
Juice of 1 orange (about ½ cup)
1 T. dried, minced onion
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. jarred, minced ginger
1 t. sesame oil

Trim meat and remove any silverskin. Cut into large (about 1 ½ to 2 inch) chunks, keeping the sizes as uniform as possible.

Combine all marinade ingredients and add steak. Marinate at least two hours in the refrigerator and set out at room temperature for half an hour before cooking.

Thread alternating cubes of steak and pineapple on skewers (will probably take 4). Grill over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side, until medium rare. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 2 – 4, depending on appetites and side dishes.

Tip: Feel free to add other veggies to the skewers, such as red bell pepper, sweet onion, mushrooms, etc.

June 24, 2011: Organic Garden Bug Repellant Recipe

My vegetable garden is rather haphazard this year; that’s due to not getting the soil in my regular garden plot properly prepared. Instead, I decided to plant my peat pots of fledgling veggies started from seed all over the yard – I’ve got some in the front flower bed, some in the back yard flower bed, some still in pots. It may not be a very organized way to plant a garden, but so far it’s working!

The only problem is an abundance of pests who hop all over the plant leaves and much away, creating holes and stunting the growth of my vegetables. I did some research in a couple of my organic gardening books and found out that bugs usually don’t like anything smelly or spicy hot. So… this is the formulation I came up with to defend against hungry bugs.

Organic Garden Bug Repellant Spray

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. dried minced onion
¼ cup dried red chile powder (can substitute dried red chile pods)
½ cup plain vinegar
½ cup hot water

Combine all ingredients in a jar and let sit overnight. The next morning, strain the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray on plant leaves, being sure not to forget the undersides.

So far so good - the only downside is that every time I use it, I crave red chile enchiladas. *sigh* I’ll let you know at summer’s end whether it worked to keep the pesky pests away from my precious veggies!

May 7, 2011: Wine Burger Recipe

There’s a neat restaurant/bar up here in the White Mountain that calls itself famous for its wine burger. I’ve had it before, and it really is good – but not something I’d go out of my way to get.

Because my husband’s favorite meal is hamburgers but he doesn’t enjoy experimenting with the recipe – he’s all for plain burgers with McCormick steak seasoning and that’s it – I decided that from now on, I’d doctor up my burger a bit. I started with this concoction, based on what I tasted in the wine burger from The Lion’s Den in Pinetop.

Tip: Since Memorial Day is the official start of grilling season, this recipe is one to keep in mind for the holiday weekend.

Wine Burger Recipe

1 pound lean (93%) ground beef
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup dry red wine
1 T. minced dried onions
2 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
Coarsely ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
Sharp cheddar cheese
Condiments of your choice

Mix together all ingredients except the cheese and condiments. Form into patties and let rest for half an hour.

Grill over medium-high heat until done to your liking, topping with a thick slice of cheddar cheese and condiments of your choice (I like French fried onions, ketchup with a splash of fish sauce, and fresh lettuce, as shown in the photo here).

May 2, 2011: Cheddar Apple Caramelized Onion Crostini Recipe

We were invited to a barbecue recently at the home of some of our friends. They planned to grill salmon and serve it with a salad and steamed asparagus.

While they were generous enough to supply everything, I just couldn’t show up without bringing something. I gave my friend a call and asked her what I could bring. “Cheese and crackers,” was her reply. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any crackers and not enough cheese to slice. What I did have, however, was lots of onions and apples and a leftover hunk of homemade French bread. I figured those flavors would meld nicely, producing something that was slightly sweet, slightly tangy.

Imagining I was a contestant on The Food Network’s show, Chopped, I thought of how I could put these ingredients together. The result is this recipe:

I added a few more slices of apple in the center of this platter and drizzled them with just a bit of honey.

Cheddar, Apple, and Caramelized Onion Crostini

12 thin slices of French bread (or a baguette, sourdough bread, or other artisan-style bread)
Butter for spreading
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 T. butter, softened
2 t. olive oil
½ large white onion, thinly sliced
Balsamic vinegar
1 apple (gala, fuji, or other sweet)
1 t. lemon juice

Butter the slices of bread and place them on a large, ungreased baking pan. Toast them in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp on the edges.

Meanwhile, add the cheese, mayo, and butter to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse just until combined; set aside.

Heat the olive oil over low heat in a saucepan. Add the onion slices and sauté low and slow for about 20 minutes, until caramelized. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and mix with the onions.

Slice the apple into 12 thin pieces. Toss the apple slices with the lemon juice immediately after cutting to prevent them from browning.

Take the toasted bread and spread each slice with about 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Top with about 1 tablespoon of the caramelized and an apple slice. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.

March 11, 2011: Meatloaf Recipe

Ah, meatloaf… it’s one of the most popular comfort foods – unless your mom’s recipe wasn’t all too tasty. That’s the thing about meatloaf; it can either be really good or really bad. I tend to stick with my own recipe because I know I like it but never order meatloaf when I’m eating out in a restaurant.

These days not a whole lot of people make meatloaf, even though it used to be a mainstay for families in the 50s, 60s and 70s. The declining popularity is most likely due to the fact that it takes so long to cook; by the time a busy mom or dad gets home from work, there just isn’t enough time to prepare and bake a meatloaf.

It’s a shame, though, because leftover meatloaf makes THE best sandwiches the next day! When I used to work at a hotel in Mesa, a couple of my lunch buddies, who were much younger than me, used to beg me to make meatloaf and bring sandwiches for all of us the next day. Soft wheat bread, mayo, a bit of ketchup, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and... yum! Of course, I didn't mind obliging them.

I think I’ve mentioned before that both my son and my husband are picky eaters. But there’s one thing that both of them agree on and that’s my meatloaf, which is a family favorite (and the older my son got, the less likely the chance that there would be any leftover for sandwiches the next day because he would finish it off for dinner).

Mama’s Meatloaf

2 slices bread, torn into small pieces
1 – 2 T. dried, minced onion (depending on your preference)
1 t. dried parsley
Milk (about ½ cup)
1 egg
¼ cup ketchup
Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
2 t. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. ground beef

In a large mixing bowl, combine the torn bread, onion, and parsley. Add enough milk to cover all the ingredients. Let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, and seasonings and mix with a spoon. Add the ground beef, and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.

Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pat the ground beef mixture into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour to 1 ½ hours. After 45 minutes of baking, remove the loaf and pour off excess grease. Pour off the remainder of the grease again before slicing and serving.

Note: I know some people prefer a tomato sauce on top of their meatloaf but I'm not including a recipe for that here because my boys like ketchup better than anything else. For a quick sauce, use a can of condensed tomato soup.

Tips: You can use either 80% lean or 93% lean ground beef; the former makes a juicier, more tender meatloaf while the latter produces less grease – your call.
For the bread, I use the heal of a loaf since it’s not good for sandwiches. Then again, you can use any type of bread you have around. Last time I used one heal of wheat bread plus one cheddar garlic biscuit leftover from a previous meal. Cracker crumbs will also work if that’s all you’ve got handy.