Drunken Steak

Courtesy of Cook’s Country

Serves 4 (or 8-12 as hors d’oeuvres)

1 cup light rum

½ cup soy sauce (use Tamari Sauce for gluten-free)

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1 scallion, minced

1 flank steak (about 1½ pounds), scored on both sides at 1½-inch intervals

Whisk rum, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in bowl until sugar dissolves. Transfer ¼ cup rum mixture to small bowl and stir in scallion; set aside. Place remaining marinade and steak in gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Press air out of bag, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Remove steak from bag, pat dry with paper towels, and discard marinade. Grill steak over hot fire until well browned and cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 7 minutes per side.

Transfer steak to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Slice thinly on bias and against grain. Drizzle with reserved rum mixture. Serve.

Korean Braised Short Ribs

Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen’s Slow Cooker Revolution

Serves 4

2.5 lbs bone-in English-style short ribs, meat and bones separated

1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped coarsely

½ cup soy sauce

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 scallions, sliced thin

4 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp instant tapioca

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp minced, fresh cilantro

Arrange beef bones in a dish and microwave until well-browned, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

Process pear, soy sauce, garlic, scallions, ginger and vinegar in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, then transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and tapioca.

Season short ribs with salt and pepper and nestle in slow cooker. Cover and cook until tender, 9-11 hours on low, or 5-7 hours on high.

Transfer short ribs to serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using a large spoon. Remove bones and season sauce with salt/pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro. Spoon sauce over ribs and serve.

Mozzarella and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Meatloaf

Courtesy of Bakin’ and Eggs

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound ground chicken (We tested this with ground beef and it was delicious. Try it with classic meatloaf mix, turkey, chicken etc.)

1 cup marinara sauce, divided

½ cup fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, diced

½ large onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (squeeze all the water out)

1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350˚. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with foil, shiny side down.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, ¼ cup marinara sauce, bread crumbs, herbs, fennel, garlic, onion, eggs and parmesan cheese and mix well.

Press half of chicken mixture into loaf pan, creating a one-inch indentation down the center. Leave one-inch thickness on all sides. Mix together spinach and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and spoon into the indentation. Cover with remaining chicken mixture and seal edges.

Top with remaining ¾ cup marinara sauce and ¾ cup cheese and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160˚. Let stand for 10 minutes and then lift out of loaf pan using foil edges. Slice and serve with additional marinara sauce, if desired.

Thai Shrimp-and-Coconut Soup with Lemongrass

Courtesy of Food & Wine

Serves 4

5 Thai chiles, seeded and chopped (see Editor’s Note)

4 stalks of fresh lemongrass, tender inner bulb only, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 large shallot, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil

3½ cups unsweetened coconut milk

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp dark brown sugar

¼ cup Asian fish sauce

¼ cup tamarind concentrate

6 fresh kaffir lime leaves (I can’t find these where I live – so I sprinkle some lime zest from the lime I’m already using over the top of the soup when I serve it. It’s pretty and tasty!)

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¾ pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

Cooked rice vermicelli (optional)

Editor’s Note: Ok here’s the deal. Don’t waste time chopping stuff that is going into a blender or food processor. Just give it a whack and toss it in.

What? Oh, you want to save more time? Ok – instead of whacking at garlic, lemongrass and ginger, pick thy up some of these gems from Gourmet Garden. They’re in the produce section of the grocery. You’re welcome.

In a blender [or food processor], combine the chiles, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, shallot and ¼ cup of water and puree until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut oil. Add the lemongrass puree and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce, tamarind, lime leaves and 1½ cups of water and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup is flavorful and slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.

Stir the lime juice into the soup and season with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and simmer until slightly curled and just cooked through, about 1 minute. Ladle the soup into bowls, add the rice noodles, sprinkle with lime zest if using, and serve with copious amounts of napkins.

Michael Symon's Mom's Lasagna

Courtesy of TheChew

Serves 8

½ cup olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

1 pound pork neck bones*

1 pound veal

1 pound beef

1 pound spicy Italian sausage (loose or removed from the casing)

½ cup dry white wine

4 cups chopped peeled tomatoes (or 1 - 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes) with their juice

3 bay leaves

1 pound dried lasagna noodles

2 pounds whole-milk ricotta cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

¼ cup fresh oregano leaves

2 large eggs

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese (grated)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

* If you can’t find pork neck bones, don’t panic. I used 3 turkey necks I had stored in the freezer and the results were still fantastic. Use your imagination.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a three-finger pinch of salt and sweat them until they're translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the neck bones and let them brown, about 5 minutes. Add the ground veal, beef and sausage, and season with another healthy pinch of salt. Cook until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the white wine, tomatoes and their juice, and the bay leaves. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, making sure to get all of the browned bits into the sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, and simmer for 2 hours over medium heat. Remove the bay leaves and neck bones and let cool. Skim any fat that rises to the surface.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add enough salt so that it tastes seasoned and allow the water to return to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain well and set aside.

In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, parsley, basil, oregano, eggs, and Parmesan with a pinch of salt.

Preheat the oven to 350˚.

Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan. Arrange a layer of noodles followed by a layer of sauce and then some of the ricotta mixture. Top with a layer of mozzarella, smoothing it with a spatula to the edges. Repeat the process until the pan is full. Finish with a final layer of noodles, sauce, the mozzarella, and Parmesan.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest, 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Shrimp and Ginger Siu Mai Dumplings

Courtesy of Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen

Yields 36 dumplings

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

½ pound ground pork

1 green onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, plus some for dipping

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Wrappers:

1 (10-ounce) package round wonton wrappers

Canola oil, for brushing the steamer

Savoy cabbage, for lining the steamer, optional

Micro Arugula, for garnish

For the Dipping Sauce:

½ cup mirin or sake

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 shallot, cut in paper-thin circles

1-inch piece of ginger, grated

Special equipment: wok, bamboo steamer

To make the shrimp filling: Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until partly smooth but not completely pureed. It should have a little texture. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble dumplings: Hold a wonton wrapper in your hand. Dip a spoon in cold water and then drop 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the center of a wrapper (dipping the spoon in cold water first will make the filling come off easier). Gather the edges of the wrapper up around the filling and squeeze the sides slightly with your fingers. The sides will naturally pleat, leaving the filling slightly exposed. Tap the dumpling on the table so the bottom is flat and it stands upright. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. (You can freeze the leftover filling for 2 or 3 weeks.)

Lightly oil the bottom of a 10-inch bamboo steamer and line it with the whole cabbage leaves. Stand the dumplings in the steamer in a single layer and don't let them touch. You should be able to get 12 siu mai in the steamer at a time. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a pot. Set the bamboo steamer over the pot, then cover it with the bamboo lid. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until the filling feels firm and is cooked through.

Meanwhile, warm all the dipping sauce ingredients together in a pot for a couple of minutes until heated through.

Serve in the steamer basket and garnish with micro arugula and dipping sauce.

Balsamic Roast Chicken

Adapted from Suzanne Somers’ Get Skinny on Fabulous Food

Serves 4 to 6

1 5- to 6-lb whole chicken (organic, hormone-free is best)

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tsp sea salt

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

2 red onions, chopped

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup red table wine (the better the wine, the better the flavor)

Preheat the oven to 350˚.

To clean the chicken, remove any fatty pieces. Pull out the neck, giblets, and liver and reserve. Rinse the bird and pat dry.

Editor’s Note: A little tip I learned from Ruth Reichl – place the excess fat under the skin of the chicken over the breasts – the chicken will self-baste!

In a small dish, combine the rosemary, sea salt, garlic, and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the raw chicken inside and out. Let sit for at least 1 hour. You can do this step up to 24 hours in advance so the flavors take hold. Cover the chicken and place in the refrigerator.

Place the neck, giblets, and liver on the bottom of a roasting pan. Sprinkle the chopped red onions on top. Then place the whole chicken on top of the onions. Pour the balsamic vinegar and wine over the chicken.

Roast the chicken in the oven for approximately 2 hours (20 minutes per pound).

Carve the chicken and serve with the balsamic and onion mixture from the bottom of the pan.