Flank Steak Tagliata with Arugula & Parmesan

Another easy and tasty meal, perfect for a weeknight (provided you remember to start the marinade early enough). Excellent! 10/10. I served it with a side of long grain & wild rice (Rice-A-Roni), as you can see.

link to original recipe: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/flank-steak-tagliata-with-arugula-and-parmesan/ 

Ingredients:

1 lemon, halved

3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. chopped fresh rosemary

kosher salt

coarse ground black pepper

1 1/2 lb. flank steak (I think I may have use just 1 lb)

arugula (we used about 2 oz.)

shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Juice half of a lemon into a gallon size zip-top bag (or shallow dish). Add 2 T. of the olive oil, the garlic, rosemary, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and pepper (to taste). Close bag and shake a bit to combine.

2. Add flank steak to bag and move around to coat well, pressing marinade into steak as you do. Seal bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (I think I went 2 hours).

3. Place rack in top third of oven. On this rack, place a large cast-iron skillet (or roasting pan) and heat oven to 450°F. Let skillet heat for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, remove steak bag from fridge and leave out to rest at room temperature while the oven and skillet are heating.

5. Once skillet is ready, transfer steak (discard marinade) to the skillet in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, turn steak over, then bake for 2-4 additional minutes (depending on how done you want it; I think I went just 2 minutes). 

6. Transfer steak to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. (I cut mine on a plate instead.)

7. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 1 T. of olive oil, juice from the remaining lemon half, and a pinch of kosher salt. 

8. Add arugula and toss to coat, then spread on plates for serving.

9. Thickly slice the steak against the grain and place slices on plated arugula. Top with shaved Parmesan and a bit of pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Spring Shortbread Cookies (with video link)

I really like this recipe a lot, as it's easy (don't even need a mixer) and doesn't make a ton of cookies, and of course, it's delicious! 10/10 again! Obviously, you can make these any shape for any season, they are not specific to spring :)

Link to my YouTube video for recipe prep: https://youtu.be/ldCtDJQFxKo

Link to original recipe: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/spring-shortbread-cookies/

Ingredients:

8 oz. (2 sticks / 1 cup) very soft unsalted butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 c. (7.44 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

for the glaze--

2 c. powdered sugar

4 T. half and half

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

sprinkles, if desired

Directions:

1. Line a large baking sheet (or 2 small ones) with parchment and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir butter with wooden spoon until as smooth as you can get, then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla for around 30 seconds (should be well blended).

3. Stir in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined and dough looks a bit shaggy in texture.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Knead the dough a few times until becomes somewhat smooth, then press out with your hands into a disc shape.

5. On same lightly floured surface, roll out dough to around 3/8" thickness (I think mine may have been closer to 1/4", though). Lightly flour cookie cutter(s) and cut dough in desired shape(s). Place the cut cookie dough on to prepared baking sheet. The cookies don't need a lot of spacing (mine were maybe an inch apart), as they won't be spreading much (if at all). You can re-roll or press together the scraps as many times as needed to use up all dough.

6. Transfer baking sheet to fridge for at least 1 hour (this is how long I went) or up to 24 hours.

7. After fridge time is up, heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 12-14 min, or until just beginning to get golden around the edges.

8. Cool on wire rack. Once cooled, prepare icing: in a medium, wide bowl, whisk together all icing ingredients (powdered sugar, half and half, vanilla) until smooth and desired consistency is reached (you may have to adjust amount of half and half; I did not).

9. Dip tops of cookies in icing, let excess drip off, then place on wire rack to set. Add sprinkles while icing is wet if desired. Serve and enjoy once set!

Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

I loooooved this, 10/10 for sure! I added in some Kielbasa and highly recommend it--might even go with more next time.

Link to my video of the recipe: https://youtu.be/7CY3AB3ekj0

Link to original recipe: https://www.eatwell101.com/creamy-garlic-shrimp-pasta-recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. (dry weight) farfalle pasta

reserved pasta water (at least 1/2 c.; reserve more just in case)

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

~4 oz. kielbasa, sliced in rounds (could go more than this, too)

1 tsp. onion powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and cracked black pepper

4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (bottled in oil), chopped; reserve 2 T. of the oil

1 c. half-and-half

1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth (I used the latter)

1 c. shredded mozzarella 

1 T. dried basil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp. paprika

grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Cook farfalle pasta according to package directions. Reserve the pasta cooking water when draining (you will need at least 1/2 cup, likely a bit more).

2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the onion powder over the shrimp. Heat the 2 T. of reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet (I used 10") over medium heat. (Note: in the video, I forgot to sprinkle the onion powder in this step, so I added it during last cooking part. Still worked fine, but will do correctly next time.)

3. Add shrimp to pan, season with a little salt, and cook on each side until turning golden brown (it was around 2 minutes per side for mine). Transfer shrimp to plate.

4. Add kielbasa to pan and cook until starting to turn golden around edges. Transfer to a plate (can be same one as shrimp).

5. Add sun-dried tomatoes and the minced garlic to skillet and stir constantly for 1 minute.

6. Deglaze pan with chicken broth, then stir in half & half. Bring to a simmer.

7. Stir in the shredded mozzarella, adding a small amount at a time. If sauce is too thick, stir in some pasta water (mine was, so I did). Reduce heat to medium-low or low.

8. Stir in dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika. Season with pepper and 1/4 tsp. of salt (or more, to taste).

9. Return the shrimp, kielbasa, and farfalle to pan. Stir to combine, adding in enough pasta water to reach desired consistency of sauce. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes for flavors to meld.

10. Garnish with grated parmesan, serve, and enjoy!

Don't Make: Pork Tenderloin in Garlic Sauce

Tonight I tried a recipe I thought was going to be great (as most I try are)...instead, it was awful. Seriously, do not waste your precious ingredients and time on this one; I certainly wish I hadn't. It's one thing for a recipe to turn out as so-so, or just not to our taste, but this was a straight up disaster. 

Link to the recipe not to make: http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2008/06/pork-tenderloin-in-garlic-sauce/

I've made other recipes from this site that were awesome, so please don't take this as blanket warning against all their recipes. I'm honestly shocked that this was such a bad one. However, I will still try other recipes from the site going forward.

I followed the instructions almost exactly as written--the only change I made was using medium-high for the heat for the tenderloin, as I thought high would make it cook too quickly on the outside and not inside. Unfortunately, even at medium-high and reducing to medium eventually, the meat nearly blackened on the outside (it looked like it had been grilled) before it was done inside. 

Worse, the oil was burning off and I had to add some in to keep the skillet from going dry. Meanwhile, the milk-garlic sauce scorched a little on bottom, despite being on low heat to keep the simmer. At 25 min, I stopped its cooking, as the garlic was very mushy and could be easily mixed in with the cooked milk. 

Foolishly, I thought maybe this was the way it was supposed to go and still proceeded to add the marsala to the pan. As I feared, it smelled burnt and quickly ruined the marsala. Hoping I could still salvage it, I poured out the burnt stuff, wiped the pan, and tried again with more marsala.

I completed the sauce and tasted it. Nope, weird whang and not at all likeable. I tried to also eat the meat alone and it was just as unlikeable. Tasted like burnt peppercorns. I can only recall one other time where a recipe disappointed me so terribly. I hope to never have such an experience again.

Duck Breasts with Crisp Pancetta and Onions

MMMM. This is really awesome, 10+/10! As I was making it just for me and my husband, I modified the original just slightly, using only 2 duck breasts (instead of 4) and halved the amount of pancetta, which still ended up being more than we needed by far. Next time, I would go much easier on the kosher salt and would half the amount of pancetta again. There was a good amount of sauce left, but I would not recommend halving that, as it's not a huge amount leftover. For the chicken demi-glace, I made it from 'More Than Gourmet' concentrated demi-glace, which worked perfectly. For the "sturdy greens" part, I was not able to find what was listed in the original recipe, so I went with a pre-mix salad that had spinach and butter lettuce--again, worked perfectly.

Link to my YouTube video of recipe preparation: https://youtu.be/vpNKtuJqni4

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pan-roasted-duck-breasts-with-onions-and-crisp-pancetta

Amounts listed below include my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the veggies--

2 red onions, sliced in 1/2" thick rounds

2 sprigs of thyme

8 sage leaves

2 T. olive oil

-------

for the duck and sauce--

2 duck breasts

kosher salt (go lightly on this) and cracked black pepper, to taste

1/4 lb. thinly sliced mild pancetta (will half this next time)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 c. chicken demi-glace

2 T. sherry vinegar

3 T. walnut oil

2 T. olive

salad mix of spinach and butter lettuce

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed, medium baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a medium bowl, separate onions into rings, then add the thyme and sage, and drizzle all over with the olive oil. Stir/toss to coat evenly with the oil, then pour out onto the prepared baking sheet.

3. Transfer to oven and roast for around 20 minutes, tossing once around halfway through, until veggies are becoming tender and golden (mine went a bit past this, but still tasted great). Remove from oven and discard thyme stems. Fold the aluminum foil over the onions to keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Score the fat on the duck breasts in cross-hatch pattern, being careful to not pierce the meat (you will need a VERY sharp knife for this). Season the duck with kosher salt and cracked pepper, then add to pan, fat side down.

5. Cook for 7 minutes on the fat side down, then turn breasts over. Transfer pan to oven and roast for 6 minutes.

6. Once it has finished roasting, transfer breasts to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest at least 5 minutes (more is also fine).

7. While duck is resting, return the pan to the stove with heat just under medium. Line a plate with a paper towel. Add pancetta to heated pan, in a single layer, and cook until just crisped. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.

8. Pour off all but 2 T. of the oil from the skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and add the minced garlic. Stir constantly for one minute, then stir in the demi-glace and sherry vinegar. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits in pan.

9. Remove from heat and whisk in the walnut oil and 2 T. of olive oil. Season with kosher salt and cracked pepper (I will likely skip the salt next time).

10. Slice duck breasts crosswise and serve with the sauce, onions, pancetta, and salad mix. Enjoy!

6 in (15 cm) Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting

In the mood for cake, yet don't need a huge layer cake? Get a 6" round cake pan and try this recipe, it's very tasty and easy! The frosting is great--it really makes the cake (which is good on its own, though). The only modifications I made were the baking time (which is likely just a difference in pan the original recipe used and/or oven), and the sprinkles I used for topping. 10/10 rating for this cake :)

Here is my video of making / trying out the recipe: https://youtu.be/CLsIKkt3Wz4

Original recipe post here: https://bakeorbreak.com/2020/12/6-inch-chocolate-cake/

Ingredients:

for the cake--

3/4 c. (90g) all-purpose flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. light brown sugar (packed)

1 large egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. + 1 T. buttermilk

for the frosting--

1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. marshmallow creme

optional: sprinkles for topping/decoration

Directions:

1. Prepare the pan: grease and flour a 6" (15 cm) round baking pan. Cut a circle of parchment to line the bottom of the pan. Grease the parchment on the side that faces up and place in pan. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

5. Using low speed, alternate mixing in a third of the reserved dry mixture and half of the buttermilk at a time until all are combined.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 min, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (I had to go 40 min).

7. Cool cake in pan for 15 min, then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

8. Prepare the frosting: in a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together all 4 frosting ingredients until well combined and smooth. 

9. Spread atop cake and, if desired, top with sprinkles. Enjoy!

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Sheet pan roasted chicken thighs and asparagus

So easy and delicious! 10/10 again! Very flavorful, moist chicken, and hubby declared this is the best way to have asparagus. I've made the asparagus alone using same method and ingredients in this recipe and served it with steak, was just as good. Try this recipe tonight! (BTW, this came together so easily and quickly I forgot about taking production pix until the end, so I'll try to add those the next time I make this.)

Link to original recipe: https://www.eatwell101.com/oven-baked-chicken-with-asparagus-recipe

Recipe below includes my modifications.

Ingredients:

olive oil (to prepare the baking sheet and brush on chicken thighs)

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt (not kosher)

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper 

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

juice of 1 small or 1/2 of large lemon

6 T. butter, cut in small slices/chunks

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat to 425°F (note to self: used full oven, convection roast setting). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush all over with olive oil.

2. Arrange the chicken thighs on one side of the prepared baking sheet and brush tops with olive oil.

3. Mix the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, turning to coat both sides.

4. On the other side of the baking sheet, arrange the asparagus as best you can to form a single layer (okay to have some overlaps if needed). Drizzle with the lemon juice.

5. Top both the asparagus and the chicken with the pieces of butter, distributing as evenly as possible.

6. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 min (or until chicken has reached internal temp of 165°F). Serve immediately and enjoy!