Better than A-1 Marinade

Once in awhile a recipe comes along and WOWs me. Tonight was one of those nights. I found this recipe in Cooks Illustrated. And let me tell you...Its tasty!

Better Than A-1 Marinade
I used beef, but I can already imagine this on chicken or pork.

• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/3 c vegetable Oil
• 2 T dark brown sugar
• 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T minced chives
• 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Combine soy, oil, sugar, Worcestershire, garlic, chives and pepper in medium bowl. Remove 1/4 cup marinade and combine with vinegar in small bowl; set aside.

Place remaining marinade and steaks in zip loc bag; press out the air. Refrigerate 1 hour; flipping the bag after 30 minutes.

Remove steaks from marinade. Grill steaks as desired.

Transfer steaks to shallow pan and pour reserved marinade over top. Tent loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes, turning meat half way through. Slice steak and serve whole; passing reserved marinade if desired.

And in other news, my SLSIL sent me a loaf pan that is supposed to be fool proof in baking banana bread...everyone knows my issue with banana bread right? Well, this girl has no more issues. I made banana bread tonight and it kicked ass. Thanks Bev!

Creamy Rice with Lemon, Herbs and Parmesan

And this from my mom who got it from my St. Louis Sister-In-Law (SLSIL).

Creamy Rice with Lemon, Herbs and Parmesan
Courtesy of Epicurious
Yield 6

• 4 qts water
• ¼ c chopped fresh basil
• 2 c Arborio rice
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 c chopped onion
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• ½ c chopped parsley
• 1 c (packed) – 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 T butter, room temp
• Fresh basil sprigs

Bring water to a boil in a large pan over high heat. Add rice and onions. Boil until rice is tender, about 16 minutes. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid. Mix parsley, butter, basil, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large bowl. Add hot rice mixture. Stir to melt butter. Add ½ reserved cooking liquid. Add 1 cup cheese; stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp cheese . Garnish with basil sprigs and serve.

YUMMY!

Spaghetti with Olives and Mushrooms

Its rare. But occasionally I come across a recipe that just isn't good. And isn't at all what I expected. This is just that recipe. I'm posting it because you may like it. You never know.

Spaghetti with Olives and Mushrooms
(The title sounds good, doesn't it?)

• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (yah right. I used a couple)
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 c black olives, pitted
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1 red chili seeded and chopped
• 1 lb spaghetti
• Parmesan cheese shavings

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Place the mushrooms in a blender or food processor with the olives, parsley and red chili. Blend until smooth.

Cook pasta. Add the olive mixture and toss together until pasta is well coated. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Coq au Vin Blanc and Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted a recipe. I've made a few, but nothing has stood out as "blog" worthy. See, I don't just post to be posting. No way man! This blog is serious culinary content. Uh huh, right!

I had some friends over last night to decorate Easter Eggs. What a riot! The meal was so good that once we were eating the room got quiet. That's the sign of a good meal.

The Menu!
Coq Au Vin
Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad
Parsley / butter red potatoes

Coq Au Vin Blanc

Courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine

Courtesy of Rachael Ray magazine
Servings 4

• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb Boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 " pieces
• 2 T all purpose flour, plus more for dredging
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 lb frozen pearl onions, thawed and patted dry
• 1 lb Small white mushrooms, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs Thyme
• 2 Cups chicken broth
• 2 cups white wine (dry - I used a sauvignon blanc)
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• flat leaf parsley chopped for topping

Heat 2 T EVOO in a large skillet over med-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and add to the pan in a single layer; do not crowd the meat. Cook chicken until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side.

While chicken is cooking, heat a large dutch oven or deep skillet over med-high heat with the remaining EVOO. When EVOO is hot, add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off a little of the bacon fat, leaving a thin, even layer in the pan. Add the onions, mushrooms, bay leaf, and thyme (the leaves will fall off the sprigs during cooking).

Cook until the onions have a little color and the mushrooms are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add 2 T flour to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the chicken broth, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom, and cook for 5 minutes.

Over high heat cook, add the wine to the cooked chicken in the skillet and scrape up the brown bits. Reduce the liquid for about 5 minutes then add the chicken and wine to the broth and vegetables in the dutch oven; stir to combine.

Stir in cream, lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the sauce for abut 5 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the pan. Serve with toasted garlic bread. Top the chicken and sauce with bacon and parsley when serving.

Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad
Courtesy of Taste of Home
Servings: 6

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

• 1 package Baby spinach (6 oz)
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup red onion (I forgot this last night, but think it would make an excellent addition)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I toasted mine because the flavor comes out more)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
• ( I couldn't find raspberry vinegar, so instead of the mayo, sugar and vinegar, I just bought a raspberry vinaigrette. )

In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, bacon, onion and walnuts. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Serve with salad.

Finally, we had a no bake cookie issue. I made this recipe a thousand times, and this time actually read the recipe and realized I was adding things in wrong. Yet this time, we had to eat our no bake cookies with a spoon. = )