Perfect Grilled Steak & Compound Butter Recipes

The golden rule for the prefect grilled steak is….drum roll please…..Make sure your grill is hot!!!

It also needs to be clean as a whistle and oiled with a high-heat safe oil such as peanut oil.

I like to grill steaks that are usually around 1 to 2 inches thick..any thicker and they will be burnt on the outside and still “moo-ing” on the inside (wink wink).

Presentation is everything and perfect grill marks are good lookin’ on a steak. Make sure you grill the “prettiest” side of the steak first.

Let your steak(s) rest at room temp. for about 1 hour before you plan to grill them.

Heat your grill to medium-high.  *If you can hold your hand 4 inches above the grill for 4 to 5 seconds then it is medium-high*

Season both sides of the steak with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt

Place steaks on the grill and cover.

Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Move to indirect heat and grill for about 6 minutes more per side for medium-rare. Grill longer if desired.

Serve with compound butter if desired.*recipes follow

Grilled Steak Times (medium-rare)(Direct medium-high heat)

Sirloin: 1 inch thick 8 minutes per side

Hanger Steak: ½ inch thick: 5 minutes per side

Skirt Steak: ½ inch thick: 5 minutes per side

Rib Eye: 1 ½ inch thick: 6 minutes per side

Filet Mignon: 2 inches thick: 8 minutes per side

New York Strip Steak: 1 ½ inch thick: 6 minutes per side

 

Herb Kissed Butter

2 sticks of salted butter, room temp.

1 tablespoon (packed) minced fresh chives

1 tablespoon (packed) minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon (packed) minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon (packed) fresh dill

Stir butter and herbs together in a medium bowl until well combined. Chill well to firm.  Use tablespoon sized scooper, scoop desired amount onto grilled steak. 

Rosemary-Caper Butter

same as above except substitute the herbs for 1 tablespoon minced rosemary and 2 tablespoons drained minced capers.

Buffalo Butter

same as above except only use the butter and 2 tablespoons of buffalo wing sauce.

Horse Butter

Same as above except only use 3 tablespoons of prepared horseradish and 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Your-Very-Own Butter

The sky is the limit to the zillions of compound butters. Just start with 2 sticks of butter and add in whatever you like. Chill well and enjoy!!!!

On Your Mark....Get Set....Start Your Sabzi!

Ahhhh! March is finally here.

March 20^th marks the first day of Spring and Norooz (Persian, meaning “New Day). It is an Iranian festival and start of the Persian “New Year”. Norooz is a very  important thing around my house. There is a good deal preparation and homework to get ready for Persian New Year.

Around March 1^st I  start growing the sabzi (grass). I make mine from wheat but it can be sprouted from lentils. I typically initiate a batch on the 1^st and one on the 7^th. Sabzi is part of my Haft Sin (See my post about Haft Sin from last year). 

It is time to dust off the Haji Firouz doll. I hide it from the kids until March. He sings and dances when you push his button. 

Time to head down to your local pet shop and buy some gold fish. 

I wonder what we will name them this year. 

Time to dye the eggs. My kids feel lucky they get to dye eggs twice a year. Once for Norooz and again for Easter. 

Time to pick some pretty flowers. I adore hyacinth and use them in my Haft Sin. 

Good excuse to buy some new clothes. 

Spring is a good time for "spring cleaning". I think I will call the maid, I am too busy growing sabzi to clean (wink wink). 

 Time to get some crisp new money from the bank. Children (and some adults ) love getting new money for Eidi. I have a rule that if you are older than 18, no Halloween candy and no Eidi.

Hippie-Licious Cakes

 

Birthday Portrait Cake. 

Make your favorite boy or girl their very own look-alike cake. 

  

Love Note Cake & Happy Homemaker Cake

Brighten your working girl's birthday with a cake that keynotes the happy occasion. Businessmen will like it too. If your lady just happens to be unemployed, surprise her with the Happy Homemaker Cake. This bright and sunny birthday cake depicts the home that she has made happy. 

 

St. Lucia's Day

Decorate this cake to honor a lovely age-old custom for your own celebrations. You won't find this holiday on an American calendar because it is not super popular here. However, if you have a lot of friends from Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Estonia or Finland, then surprise them on December 13th with this cake depicting St. Lucy.

 

 Cookies by Design????

 Wilton Yearbook 1977 had this Garden Basket cake.This basket bursting with summertime cookie blooms makes a perfect centerpiece.

 

Designer Jeans Cake

Your birthday girl will feel groovy when you serve her this whimsical blue jeans cake. I suggest going to the thrift store and finding her some love beads, granny glasses and a tie-dye shirt.

Flapper Girl Cake

Surprise your modern birthday girl with this Flapper Girl Cake. Caution: one bite of this cake may cause her to start drinking, smoking, wearing a lot of makeup, and develop a love for black & white films and jazz music. 

French Macarons

 

I was introduced to French macarons a few years ago in Seattle. I hark back to that gorgeous sunlit day when I happened upon an inviting small bakery with dozens of pastel meringue-based and rich ganache filled cookies in their display case. I have remained captivated by the macaron’s delicate loveliness ever since.

I never gave a lot of consideration on how macarons are made or if I would ever attempt to bake them at home.   I noticed plenty of babble about macarons on a number of blogs recently and realized that more and more folks are creating macarons at home. Sign me up!!!

A bona fide macaron has a smooth egg-shell like domed top, ruffled edge and a flat smooth base. A cream or fruit kissed filling is sandwiched between two shells.  

Macarons are notoriously grueling to master unless you have the appropriate culinary gear and a reasonable amount of patience and culinary know-how. Thanks to David Lebovitz and Helen Dujardin, I found great tutorials on their websites and kinda-sorta mastered the method at home. I will admit I need some serious help with my piping skills. I read the best way to acquire wicked piping skills is to practice with store-brand cool-whip.

 

You can find Helen Dujardin's how-to guide here

I made my own almond flour by grinding whole almonds with icing sugar and cocoa powder. I sifted twice, processing for two minutes between sifts. I sifted a final time before using. 

I sincerely tried to pipe in even perfect circles, but I guess I need a bit more practice. I allowed them to sit for about 1 hour before I baked them.

 I baked them at 300 degrees for 22 minutes and allowed them to cool for 30 minutes. 

 

I spooned cooled ganache on half of the shells and sandwiched it with another.

Make sure you taste an authentic French Macaron before you attempt to make them at home. You will get a sense of exactly what a macaron is supposed to consist of.  Read as much as you can on-line about the art of baking macarons and you will be ready to bake them at home.

1976 Wilton Yearbook of Cake Decorating

 

"Now anyone can decorate cakes! New capsule course makes it easy"

The 1976 Wilton Yearbook shouted "Hurrah for the red, white and blue". It was filled with beautiful  patriotic cakes to celebrate America's birthday. 

 

If you were an Autumn birthday in 1976, you may have been blessed with the Autumn Dolls cake. Four peasant girls, mini-sized and bright as fall leaves stood proudly atop the pale orange cake with mums and white garlands. 

 

"Every youngster loves a Pet!"

These star panda performers stole the show in 1976. Big Panda was touted as the most beloved in Wilton's menagerie. Bake the little pandas to go along with the big panda...or to go home with party guests. They must be darn' tootin' delicious...the panda bears are eating their own hands. 

"Plant a Garden For Her"

I am guessing that if the cake was for Mom, then Dad must have baked it? It hardly seems fair that she would have to bake her own Mother's Day cake. Don't forget to trim all the flowers, except the nasturtiums with tube 65 and 67!!!!

If you can make a dot....

Draw a straight line.....

Form a curve.....

then you should order the Wilton's Basic Decorating Kit. For only $10.95, you get everything to get you started! You will be piping icing flowers, leaves, borders and writing messages in no time! 

 

Delight the "jet set" with this plastic space capsule complete with two spacemen suited up for travel.  Also, the replica of the U.S. moon landing craft ready to decorate a party table or boy's book shelf. 

Poppin' Fresh

It's the cute little Pillsbury Doughboy in a cake children will adore (and most of my CCC Friends!!!)

Seafood Safety Tips & Cookbook Giveaway

 

I got lucky when I decided to move from Oklahoma to Seattle to attend college. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined there were other fish to eat besides bass, trout, and catfish. Moving to the exquisite Pacific Northwest granted me the opportunity to indulge in fresh salmon, crab, oysters, and a myriad of delicious fresh seafood.

I make it a point to escort visiting family to the legendary Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. My family always enjoys watching the fanatical fish mongers play catch with a twenty pound salmon.  There definitely is no shortage of truly superior seafood restaurants in and around Seattle. Two of my favorite ones, are Ivar’s Salmon House and McCormick & Schmick’s. They both sport and unbelievable variety of seafood, and Ivar’s is right on the water with a stunning view of Lake Washington. 

One lucky reader will get to bring the McCormick & Schmick’s experience into their home. I am giving away a brand-new copy of McCormick & Schmick’s Special Edition Seafood Restaurant Cookbook.

 

The recipe for Crab Tater Tots is in the book. 

Details on how to win are at the end of this post. 

www.seafoodhealth.com offers some seafood tips so you can cook seafood at home with confidence. Here are some important guidelines to follow. You can purchase fresh seafood online at www.shop.mccormickandschmicks.com.

Purchasing & Handling:

When buying fish, it should be firm, bounce back to the touch, and have a fresh, mild sea breeze scent.

After purchasing, immediately put seafood in the refrigerator or the freezer.

Handle raw seafood, cook seafood and other foods separately. Thoroughly wash and rinse knives, cutting boards and containers between each use.

Preparing & Cooking:

Frozen seafood should be kept in the refrigerator while defrosting.

If marinating, keep it simple-let the natural quality, freshness and flavor of the fish shine through. Keep the seafood refrigerated when marinating. While cooking fish, use a separate marinade than the one it soaked in.

Brush fish with a light coat of olive oil and season to taste.

Most cooking methods require approximately 6 to 12 minutes of cooking time per inch of thickness of fish.

A fish spatula will make flipping and transferring delicate fillets easier.

Don’t be afraid to “peek” by sticking a knife point into the thickest part to see if the center is just past translucent, looking moist.

Fish is cooked when it turns opaque in color and begins to flake easily with a fork.

Microwave cooking can make quick, moist fish. Tip: wrap fish in lettuce-there is no added fat and it keeps in the moisture resulting in nicely steamed fish that is quick and easy. 

Here is how to enter the McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Cookbook Giveaway:

1. Follow me on Google Friend Connect on my right sidebar. Leave me a comment under this post telling me your favorite type of seafood (or if you don’t like it). One comment per person.

One reader will be chosen by Random.org to receive the cookbook valued at $19.95. Can only be mailed to an address within the 48 United States and D.C.

Giveaway begins March 2, 2010 and ends March 16, 2010, 8:00 am PST.

Giveaway open to U.S Residents 18 years and older.

Tuna-Lima Bake

 

(photo from Good Housekeeping Casserole Book 1958)

This zany recipe came out of the 1958 Good Housekeeping Casserole Book.  I happen to like tuna and lima beans. The only thing stopping me from cooking this for supper is that I can’t seem to find a 10”x6”x2” baking dish….darn!!!!

Tuna-Lima Bake

1 can solid-pack tuna, coarsely flaked (1 cup)

1 can condensed cream-of-celery soup, undiluted

¼ cup water

1 pkg. frozen limas, thawed

3 slices packaged process Cheddar cheese, cut into triangles

3 slices toast, cut into triangles

Start heating oven to 375 F. Combine tuna, soup, water, and limas. Turn into 10”x6”x2” baking dish. Place cheese triangles on top of toast triangles; arrange in center of dish. Bake 45 min.

Makes 3 or 4 servings.

Perfect Tiramisu

 

Next to cheesecake, tiramisu is my favorite dessert. Did you know the Italian name translates as “pick me up”?

I think it should translate to “pick me up by my wallet”, have you seen the cost of a ration of this luscious dessert? I was in New York City a few years ago and actually shelled out $15.50 for a single serving of tiramisu. It was a tiny delicious slice of heaven….and also the exception.  I have devoured loads of tiramisu and regrettably, a lot of them have been less than stellar. A good number were soggy and lacked the noteworthy caramel-y rum and espresso flavor that is obligatory of this Italian dessert. If I am going to shell out hard-earned money  and gobble that many calories, I insist on culinary excellence. That is why I now make it at home. Yes, it still costs a pretty penny and it still has a load of calories, however, I appreciate that my translation of tiramisu is going to be a very worthy dessert. 

 

Brew about 2 ounces of premium quality coffee in 2 cups of boiling water. Brew for about 10 minutes. 

Pour into a small shallow bowl.

To the coffee, add in 2 tablespoons of espresso powder and 5 tablespoons of dark rum. Set aside for now.

 In the work bowl of your stand mixer, add in 5 large egg yolks, 1/4 cup of heavy cream, 2/3 cup of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Place bowl over a pan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water. You want to cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the heat and stir vigorously until cooled to room temp (about 10 minutes). Stir in 4 tablespoons of dark rum. 

 

You will need three 8 ounce containers of a good quality chilled mascarpone cheese (do not get confused with mascarpone cream...it is not as thick and will not work . Add it into the cooled egg mixture and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Rinse out your mixer bowl.

 Beat 3/4 cup of 40% well-chilled heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed until frothy. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture and then gently fold in the remaining half of the cream. Set aside for now. 

 

You need two 7-ounce packages of lady fingers. You want to dip them (one at a time) into the coffee-rum mixture. Dipping is different than soaking them. Quickly dip one side and then the other (only takes about 2 seconds). If you submerge them, they will get way too soggy.  You want to place the dipped cookies into a 13x9 glass dish.

 

After you get your first layer of lady fingers, spread half of the cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle about 2 1/2 tablespoons of cocoa powder over the top. I use a fine mesh strainer for this.

Grind 1/3 of a large sized Special Dark Hershey's bar into a fine powder (about 1/3 cup). Mix in 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. 

 

Soak more lady fingers for the second layer and place over the cream. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream mixture over the lady fingers and sprinkle the ground chocolate mixture over the top. Cover with plastic wrap.

IMPORTANT:: You MUST chill this dessert for at least 8 hours to overnight (preferably overnight). If you cut into it early, it will ooze everywhere. It will be worth the wait I promise.

Gone to Kitchen Gadget Heaven!

 

Dear Digital Thermometer,

I realized you were starting to weaken when you registered the air temperature in the house at 134 degrees F.  I tried changing your battery twice and switched your button to the Celsius setting. No luck…you finally passed this morning. I will miss you! We did some grand things together. If it were not for you, I would have haphazardly guessed the oil temperature, and if the steak was cooked to “well done”.  Thank you for the perfect toffee and crisp fish sticks you assisted with. When you get to kitchen gadget heaven, please relay a “hello” to my 1995 Cuisinart.  

-Shannon

Strawberry Margarita Fizz for Two

 

Strawberry Margarita Fizz

Pink sugar for coating rims of glasses

1 ½ cups softened strawberry sorbet

½ cups chopped strawberries plus whole strawberries for garnish

4 tablespoons premium tequila

1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lime juice

1/3 cup very cold seltzer water

Rub the rims of two chilled stemmed glasses with water and dip in pink sugar to coat.

In a blender, blend the sorbet, chopped strawberries, tequila and lime juice until smooth and thick. Divide among the glasses. Add the club soda and garnish with whole strawberries.

Cupcake Pops

 

I crafted these adorable cupcake pops for a friend’s staff meeting.  Thanks to Bakerella, cake pops are a very trendy and enchanting indulgence at the moment. There are infinite possibilities when creating them.

 

I made these with a dark chocolate cream cake, semi-sweet chocolate base, pink tinted chocolate topping, and sprinkles. 

Choose your cake: 

White

Chocolate

Red Velvet

Carrot Cake

Cherry Chip

Choose your chocolate: 

White Chocolate

Dark Chocolate

Milk Chocolate

Peanut Butter Chocolate

Custom Tinted White Chocolate (to match virtually anything)

 Choose your decoration: 

Sprinkles

Chocolate Swirls

Candies

Initials

the sky really is the limit........

 

Brownie Pops

 

It was Valentine’s Day morning and I was tuckered out from spending the previous evening baking jumbo heart shaped cookies for my five-year old son’s class. My kids were headed out the door for school when my thirteen year old daughter stated “Mom, I forgot to tell you, I need some treats for my class today”. I suppose she knows me all too well. I in fact fancy a challenge like this.

I prepared these cute-as-a-bug brownie pops. Next time you want to see the “store bought cookie moms” squirm with envy…show up with these to class!!!

You will need a Wilton Brownie Pops 8-Cavity Silicone Mold, sticks, and your favorite brownie recipe. I like to use Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownie recipe.

You will also need some tinted white chocolate and sprinkles or tinted sugar. 

 

Fill the mold 2/3 full. 

Cool, insert sticks, dip in tinted chocolate and garnish with fancy sprinkles. 

(one is missing....it sure was delicious!!)