Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Fajita Steak

I know I've mentioned that the difficulty with our Sunday open houses is that we never, ever know how many to expect, much less how many will stay for dinner.  We were planning to have potato fajitas for dinner that week, but I wanted to have an emergency backup plan in case we had more people than expected.  We decided that I would start marinating steak for the fajitas as well, and if we didn't need it then we would eat it the next day.  Well, we didn't need it.  And we ate it the next day.  And it was good.  And if my tenth-grade English teacher caught me starting so many sentences with "And," she'd jump up and down and shout. 

Fajita Steak (serves around 4; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 lb London broil or skirt steak, cut into long thin strips

2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil

1/2 cup tequila (I know, I know, any excuse...)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Equipment:

• Big Green Egg or other outdoor grill.  You can use a grill pan or your broiler, or even a griddle (horror!) if outdoor cooking really isn't an option, but it won't be quite the same.
• Zip-top plastic bag
• Small bowl
• Whisk

1. Whisk together all the ingredients except the beef in the small bowl.
2. Put the steak strips into the plastic bag.
3. Pour the marinade over the steak.  Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and massage a bit to ensure a good distribution of the marinade.
4. Marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.
5. When you are ready to cook, prepare your grill for high-heat direct cooking. 
6. Cook over high heat until your desired degree of doneness is reached, 2 - 3 minutes per side for me.  Probably more for you. 
7. Serve with the fixins for fajitas. 

Recipe: City-Style Artichokes

Recipe Source: Goldstein, Joyce.  Taverna.  Sunset Books, Menlo Park, 1996 p. 61

Artichokes are one of those foods that I always feel guilty about.  I feel guilty because while I should like them - they're very popular in the Mediterranean, they're healthy, they're not cabbage - I just don't.  I've had some preparations, such as the Sauteed Artichoke Hearts with Lemon I did for Easter, that I don't actually dislike, but for the most part it seems like too much work for too little reward.  Just getting the darned things to an edible state is more of a challenge than I'm usually looking for.  Unfortunately for me, artichokes are one of my husband's favorite vegetables.  I'm quite fond of the man - we've been married for five years, after all - so sometimes I get this strange urge to cook artichokes for him.  This dish was born from that sinister urge.

I did make a few changes.  I reduced the amount of oil, for one.  For another, I used frozen peas instead of fava beans (okay, that was suggested by the book, but still).  That was really it.  The flavor was actually pretty decent.  I'm not entirely sure that I understand the purpose of the flour here, but I added it all the same.  It does make quite a lot of food - the book says four to six, but I'd say four to six if you've just survived a year in the jungle with no food but bananas to sustain you.  Otherwise, you can easily get eight to ten servings of this as a side dish.  We did.  We sent the leftovers home with two of our guests, who assured us that they lasted a good two weeks with no loss of taste or quality.  The fact that this is served at room temperature makes this a great make-ahead dish for entertaining.

City-Style Artichokes (serves 8; approx. $1.77/serving)

Juice of two lemons

3 tablespoons flour

6 large artichokes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

8 scallions

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 large white boiling potatoes, diced

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 bunch chopped fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment:

• Large bowl, and I'm not kidding
• Good sharp paring knife
• Large saute pan

1. Fill the large bowl with cold water and the juice of two lemons.  Add the flour.
2. Snap off the tough outer leaves of the artichoke.
3. Using the paring knife, trim the dark green bits from the base and the stem. 
4. Cut the artichoke into quarters lengthwise and cut out the chokes.
5. Trim off the top 1/3 of the artichoke.
6. Drip the bits into the water.  This prevents discoloration.
7. When you've prepped all the artichokes, heat the olive oil in the saute pan.
8. Add the onion.  Saute until softened.
9. Add the scallions and carrots.  Saute until tender, another 5 minutes.
10. Add the artichokes (sans water), potatoes and enough hot water to cover the vegetables. 
11. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes.
12. Add the peas.  Cover and cook another 10 minutes. 
13. Season to taste.  Remove from heat and serve at room temperature. 

Failed Peach Pound Cake

Recipe Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion.  The Countryman Press, Woodstock, 2003 pp. 356 - 7

Peach season is just about upon us, and I'll admit that I love them.  There's just something about a peach that screams "summer."  I like them in savory applications too - like the Peach and Lamb Stew I made two Februaries ago.  But they're best known as dessert treats.  There's peach ice cream, peach pie, peach tarts - I'm making myself hungry.  Anyway, I got a good price on some early peaches and decided to see how they would do in a pound cake.  Unfortunately, the pound cake failed.

I'm not entirely sure what went wrong.  The cake tester I used came out clean, and other than having added the peaches I followed the instructions to the letter.  The only thing I can think of is that maybe the peaches added too much moisture to the cake. 

You may be wondering why I'm bothering to post something that I couldn't even serve.  Well, first of all, when I started this blog I promised to share my failures as well as my successes.  Secondly, it actually tasted good.  No, scratch that, it tasted great.  The peachy flavor really permeated the whole thing and matched perfectly with the vanilla.  I definitely want to make this again, but possibly with fewer peaches.  At any rate, I'm going to post this with the original number of peaches.  If you can think of a way to fix it, please let me know!

Failed Peach Pound Cake (serves about 16; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 cup butter

7 ounces granulated sugar

1 1/2 ounces light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (see, I said I followed exactly - I didn't substitute almond like I usually would!)

1 teaspoon baking powder

7 1/9 ounces all purpose flour

4 eggs

4 peaches, diced

Equipment:

• Stand mixer
• 9 - 10 cup bundt pan or tube pan, lightly lubed

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat the butter, sugars, salt, vanilla and baking powder until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the flour.  Mix well. 
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. Add the peaches and mix thoroughly.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake about 45 - 50 minutes.
7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack until completely cool.

Recipe: Cucumber, Bell Pepper and Olive Salad

Recipe Source: Wright, Clifford A.  Little Foods of the Mediterranean.  Harvard Common Press, Boston, 2003 p. 236

Sigh.  I made this to go with the lemony meatballs we never ate.  It's too bad, because I did taste this recipe and it was pretty darned good.  Oh well.  Sometimes these things just happen.  I made a few changes to the recipe.  I left the cucumbers peeled, naturally, because I believe that gives them a better texture.  I used black olives (kalamata, to be specific) because that's what I had on hand, but I think they made the salad a little more interesting visually.  Finally, I omitted the mint and increased the cilantro, because my husband is allergic to mint.  It's a very easy recipe that is pretty healthy and quite tasty.  Too bad we never got to really enjoy it! 

Cucumber, Bell Pepper and Olive Salad (serves 4; approx. $1.40/serving)

2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

2/3 cups pitted and coarsely chopped Kalamata olives

1/4 cup (generous) fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Equipment:

• You don't need anything special for this recipe, but a good sharp knife would not be out of place.

1. Toss the vegetables in a serving bowl together.
2. Add the cilantro and toss again.
3. Add the chili powder, olive oil and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve.

Recipe: Saffron Lamb Skewers

Recipe Source: Carroll, John Phillip with Barbara Grunes, Brigit Binns and other contributors.  Complete Grilling Cookbook.  Weldon Owen Publishing, San Francisco, 2001 p. 169

I didn't grow up eating lamb.  In fact, I never even tasted lamb until I came to Boston, longer ago than I care to contemplate.  Now I have a very strong preference for lamb over beef.  Lamb has a more distinctive aroma and flavor, and it's less likely (although not guaranteed) to have been fed on a diet of used cow parts and hormones.  I found this recipe while looking for something to post for Sunday dinner.  Not only did it just plain look good, it would also enable me to use some of the saffron I've been hoarding for a while.  I love the stuff and its high cost makes me want to reserve it, but it does lose its potency after a while, which would be a waste. 

I did make a few changes.  I didn't have beef stock, but I'd purchased vegetable broth for another purpose and decided to use that instead.  I increased the amount of cardamom, but only slightly so as not to overpower the saffron.  That's really it.  It's a very easy recipe to prepare and tastes truly delicious. 

Saffron Lamb Skewers (serves 4; approx. $5.29/serving)

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 cup boiling vegetable broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds boneless lamb leg, cut into cubes

Equipment:

• Big Green Egg or other grill.  You can also use your oven's broiler in a pinch, but it won't be as good.
• Skewers.  If you're using wooden skewers, soak them for half an hour ahead of time.
• Zip-top plastic bag

1. Stir together the broth and the saffron.  Let sit 30 minutes.
2. Add the wine, oil, cardamom, salt and pepper. 
3. Put the lamb cubes into the plastic bag and pour the marinade over them.  Seal and refrigerate at least 3 hours, turning occasionally.
4. Prepare your grill for direct-heat cooking at 450 degrees.
5. Thread the cubes onto the skewers. 
6. Cook over direct heat for 8 minutes total, turning once.
7. Serve and enjoy. 

Recipe: Meatballs with Herbs and Lemon

Recipe Source: Mallos, Tess.  The Food of Morocco.  Murdoch Books, Millers Point, 2008 p. 108

My experience with this recipe can probably be best described as "a delicious waste."  I made this on a Friday night.  Despite my having followed the instructions for the sauce pretty much to the letter, the sauce burned.  By "burned" I mean it had become a charred and blackened mess on the bottom of my pot that I firmly despaired of ever cleaning.  Fortunately (in the short term,) some friends called just as I was starting to suspect a disaster.  They'd gotten a babysitter unexpectedly and wanted to go out to dinner.  Score!  We surveyed the charred remains of our dinner and decided that the meatballs would be fine until the next day, when we could eat them either for lunch or for dinner if my in-laws, who were visiting at the time, wanted to skip our church festival.

Well, our dinner was delicious, but it was also roughly the size of the Great Barrier Reef.  We did not want lunch the next day.  We didn't even actually want dinner the next day, but my in-laws were particularly keen to go to the church festival.  I thought to myself, no worries, I can just serve these as an appetizer for the Sunday open house!  Well, the only guests we got for the Open House that week were people who are allergic to cilantro.  I did taste the meatballs and, despite the problem with the sauce, they had a delicious flavor.  I'd definitely recommend making them, but if you make them, be sure to actually eat them. 

Meatballs with Herbs and Lemon (serves 4; approx. $2.10/serving)

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 lb ground lamb

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 habanero chile, sliced (you can substitute any red chili here; habaneros are what I can get and what I like best anyway)

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Large saucepan with lid

1. Put the first half onion and the parsley in the food processor.  Process until finely chopped.
2. Add the bread crumbs and egg.  Process briefly. 
3. Add the lamb, first teaspoon of cumin, paprika, black pepper and salt.  Process to a thick paste, scraping down frequently.
4. Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place on a tray.  Set aside.  If you're not making the dish immediately, refrigerate until you're ready to use.
5. Heat the butter in the saucepan. 
6. Add the onion.  Cook over low heat until the onions are softened, about 8 minutes.
7. Add the next batch of spices and the habanero.  Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
8. Add the water and cilantro.  Bring to a boil.
9. Add the meatballs, shaking the pan so they settle into the sauce. 
10. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. 
11. Add the rest of the parsley and the lemon juice.  Simmer another 2 minutes. 
12. Serve.  I can tell you from personal experience that these are equally good cold or hot. 

Recipe: Chipotle Mushroom Tacos

Recipe Source: Bayless, Rick.  Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen.  Scribner Press, New York, 1996 pp. 156 - 7.

This dish probably has absolutely no resemblance to the original.  Usually I make substitutions because of personal preferences or because of ingredient unavailability.  I did make a couple of changes along those lines here, but that's not the main reason I made most of the changes I did.  I made most of those changes to minimize the time spent in the kitchen.

Some of you, those who either know me personally or who read this site often, are probably saying, "Minimizing time in the kitchen?  Oh Fearless, did you fall and hit your head?"  No, I did not fall and hit my head.  For those of you who don't know, we have a beautiful solarium right off our kitchen.  We've been making use of this sunny space to start our vegetable plants for our garden.  Instead of nasty chemical fertilizers which trigger my asthma, we're using this kind of fermented fish goo substance.  It does not trigger my asthma.  It does, however, stink to high heaven.  The day I made this my husband had just mixed up a big, big batch of Stinking Fish Goo.  In, over my objections, the kitchen.  And he left a big gob of Stinking Fish Concentrate, undiluted, in the sink.  It smelled so bad I couldn't even wash dishes.  I did everything in this recipe with a view to minimizing my exposure (and that of the food) to the Stinking Fish Goo.

For those of you who are curious, the Stinking Fish Goo has worked wonders on the seedlings.  The tomatoes have been especially happy and are threatening to eat everything in the sunroom.  So I highly recommend Stinking Fish Goo, just not in the house.  Be firm on this one, ladies. 

Anyway.  I increased the amount of garlic but did not toast it.  I couldn't find pasilla chilies in my local Whole Foods, so I used canned chipotle chilies instead.  I increased the cumin and used feta for the queso anejo that I could also not find at my local Whole Foods.  Oh - and lacking chicken or beef broth, I used white wine, which probably resulted in the distinctly lower amount of sauce than expected.  The dish was still pretty tasty, though, and both my husband and I were disappointed that there wasn't more. 

Chipotle Mushroom Tacos (serves 4; approx. $3.55/serving)

10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

3 canned chipotle chiles, plus a little of the adobo from the can

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

8 ounces portobello mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

12 tortillas

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 white onion, finely diced

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Dutch oven
• Saucepan
• Bamboo steamer

1. Combine the garlic, chiles, adobo, garlic, oregano, pepper and cumin in the food processor.  Process to a smooth puree.
2. Heat the oil int he Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Add all the chile puree at once. 
4. Stir for about 5 minutes. 
5. Stir in the wine, then add the mushrooms and cilantro. 
6. Partially cover and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are soft.  This should take a little less than 15 minutes.
7. While the mushrooms are cooking, put some water in the saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Put the tortillas in the basket of the steamer and steam until done, about 5 minutes. 
8. Add the salt to the mushrooms. 
9. Scoop into a serving dish and add the onions and feta.  Serve with the tortillas. 

Recipe: Georgian Plum Sauce

Recipe Source: Cramer, Marc.  Imperial Mongolian Cooking.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2003 pp. 58 - 9.

I'm not entirely certain what it was that attracted me to this sauce, but whatever it is deserves my gratitude.  It's a little unusual in being a relatively light, fruit-based sauce.  It's also unusual in that, being a fruity sauce, it is not sweet.  This is important, because I do not like sweet with my savory.  The original recipe recommended serving it with grilled lamb and that's what I did here, but I can see it going well with a number of other main dishes.  Chicken would probably be bland enough to really showcase the plum flavor.  A light fish, like tilapia, would probably also not be misplaced.  I'm going to advise against tofu, though. 

I didn't make a whole lot of changes to the recipe.  I accidentally used more water than was called for, and while using less would have made the plum flavor more pronounced I don't think that the dish was ruined by any means.  I did increase the garlic, and I also probably used more cilantro than was called for.  All in all, this was a delicious sauce, a great antidote to the kind of rich, creamy, dairy-based sauces so common in more Western cuisine. 

Georgian Plum Sauce (makes about 16 ounces; approx. $0.21/ounce)

1/2 lb plums, pitted (this was two plums for me.)

4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (you can use paprika if chili powder is too much.  I won't even mock you.  Much.)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Equipment:

• Saucepan
• Blender

1. Bring a pan full of water to a boil and add the plums.
2. Remove from heat and allow to sit 10 minutes.
3. Return to heat and bring to a "gentle" boil.  Cook uncovered 15 minutes.
4. Remove the plums, reserve 2 cups of the liquid and set aside.
5. In the blender, combine the plums, garlic and cilantro.
6. Add the water, 1/4 cup at a time, blending well between each addition.
7. Return the mixture to the pan and add the salt and chili powder.  Bring to a boil.
8. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.  Use immediately or store in a clean glass jar in the fridge until ready to use. 

Recipe: Black-eyed Pea Salad

Recipe Source: Hoffman, Susanna.  The Olive and the Caper.  Workman Publishing, New York, 2004 pp. 209-10.

I made this dish for a recent Sunday open house.  It appealed to me for a number of reasons: the basil, for one.  The tomatoes for another.  It was easy to make and could serve both vegetarians and carnivores.  Finally, it could be made in advance, allowing me to attend to my guests.  I didn't choose to make it specifically for the My Legume Love Affair blogging event (hosted by Apu at Annarasa Essence of Food).... but it fits, so why not?  Actually, My Legume Love Affair was founded by the Well-Seasoned Cook, Susan, and you can find the hosts for future helpings here.

I made a few changes, as I am wont to do.  First of all, I increased the basil, both because I love basil and because my husband is allergic to the mint called for in the recipe.  Switching out the mint for basil worked.  Also, I omitted the sugar, because I just can't make myself combine the two.  Finally, I decreased the amount of oil to please my husband, making up for the volume in the dressing with more red wine vinegar.  The result was a pretty tasty side dish that would be perfect for a picnic or cookout. 

Black-eyed Pea Salad (serves 8; approx. $0.57/serving)

2 cups dried black-eyed peas

6 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound tomatoes, chopped

1 large shallot, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons shredded fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Equipment:

• Saucepan
• Colander

1. Put the peas in the saucepan with the water. 
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add the salt and cook another 17 - 20 minutes.  The peas should be tender but still kind of firm.
4. Drain the peas in the colander and transfer to the serving bowl.
5. Add the remaining ingredients.  Toss well and serve at room temperature. 

Recipe: Strawberry, Peach and Almond Salad

This is a very, very simple dessert I made for a Sunday open house.  When I say it's very, very simple I am not joking.  The hardest part is toasting the almonds.  It isn't too sweet - I've got a real aversion to overly sweet things, it's only been getting stronger over time.  Eventually I'll lose my sweet tooth altogether and my waistline will shrink by half.  Anyway, I will admit that this was very strongly inspired by this month's Sugar High Fridays blogging event, featuring fruit and nut ensembles, which is being hosted by Fun & Food.  Seriously, though, give this a try.  For a more substantial dessert, or even a tasty breakfast treat, serve it on top of Greek yogurt.

Strawberry, Peach and Almond Salad (serves 8; approx. cost per serving $1.18)

4 peaches, sliced

1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered

5 ounces almonds, toasted

1 teaspoon raw sugar

1 teaspoon rosewater

Equipment:

• No special equipment is needed for this easy recipe, but you might find life easier with a mini-prep food processor

1. Put the fruits in a serving bowl.
2. Coarsely chop the almonds.  Scatter them on top of the fruit.
3. Sprinkle the sugar and rosewater on top.
4. Toss well to coat.
5. Serve and eat.