Angus Rib Steak with Baked Potato and Salad

I had an extra steak left from yesterday so Fern suggested I buy two more and have Ryan for dinner as well. I also picked up tomatoes and an English cucumber for salad.  English cucumbers are the long thin ones with ridges along their length.  The advantage they have is the skin isn't bitter so you don't have to peel them. I've been surprised by how many people don't know that.

The steaks were salted and seasoned with black pepper then done on the BBQ. To get the grill marks put the steaks over High Heat for 2 minutes, rotate, 2 minutes, turn over, 2 minutes, rotate, 2 minutes and they're done.

The baked potato I did in the microwave then wrapped in foil with butter, salt and chives and put in the BBQ to finish baking. 

The salad was butter lettuce from the garden along with local tomatoes and cucumber. For dressing I took 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons rice oil, 1 tablespoon walnut oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, fresh ground mixed pepper, thyme, chives and parsley. Whisk the oil into the vinegar and other ingredients to make a vinaigrette. Pour over salad, toss and serve.

It was a really good meal although red fatty meat two days in a row is sitting a little heavy. Looking at the plate today I think it's time I move beyond protein and starch on a plate.  I should start composing an entire entrée so the plate will look unified. I think I'll have to use some cook books to teach me how to go about it.

Angus Rib Eye Steak

Steaks were on special and not much else.  I was in a red meat mood so I picked up two steaks for Fern and I.  I salted the steak and seasoned with fresh ground black pepper then put it on the BBQ for 2 minutes, rotate, 2 minutes, turn over, 2 minutes rotate, 2 minutes and it's done. Nice grill marks too!

The potato I did in the microwave and topped with home made yoghurt and chives.  Fresh carrots and frozen peas for the vegetable.

It was really good but I'm finding I want more than just a lump of meat for dinner.  I want more flavour and more texture in my meal.  When I started out, just cooking a steak properly was all I thought I needed to learn.

Yoghurt Instant Pudding

Rhubarb pie and home made yoghurt pudding. The pie I made the other day but I didn't get around to making frozen yoghurt today and I felt like more than just pie.  So I decided to make a panna cotta yoghurt dish instead.   

Panna Cotta is supposed be gelled but I only have xanthan gum to thicken it, so it'll be pudding instead.  I measured one cup of yoghurt and added 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 cup sugar (a bit less would have been better). To thicken it I added 3/4 tsp xanthan gum, which also gives it a slimy texture so I added 1/2 tsp pre-gelled corn starch to give a nice mouth feel. These two ingredients are the same ones used in Instant Puddings. I put a leaf of chocolate mint to garnish the pudding.  It was a surprisingly good dessert.

Xanthan gum is available at most grocery stores.  Pre-gelled corn starch I had to order on line.  Basically it's corn starch flash cooked under pressure and instantly dried to a powder. It doesn't need to be cooked so it's great for a quick cold dessert.

Southwest BBQ Chicken Breast with Caesar Salad

I had to make more chicken stock so the meat was predetermined. We have a bunch of fresh romaine growing in the garden so I harvested a bunch for Caesar Salad. I salted the breast then seasoned it with 

Southwest Spice Rub

2 tbsp  chili powder
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp  brown sugar
2 tsp Mexican oregano
1 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp cayenne (optional, but it really helps)

I put it on the BBQ over the heat for 4 minutes to get the grill marks.  Then I moved it to the middle, off the heat to roast for 20-26 minutes roasting.  When I boned the breasts I fried the skins into crispy treats for the dogs.  The fat that comes from that I basted onto the breasts on the BBQ.  

Caesar Salad is straightforward.  Separate an egg yolk and slowly whisk almost 1/2 cup of oil into it.  Add 2 cloves crushed and chopped garlic. A dash of Worcestershire Sauce, an anchovy or lately I've been using a drop of Chinese Fish Sauce. Add lemon juice to taste, a pinch of salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. Pour over the lettuce and toss.  Add the croutons that have been browned and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan.  Toss and serve.

It might be dated, but it's still a good feed!

 

Rhubarb Pie

I had some rhubarb in the fridge so I decided to make a pie. It's disappearing fast enough so I think that speaks to how good it tastes. Fern and Ryan remarked on how sweet it was but I pointed out if it had any less sugar it would be too tart. They agreed. The filling has to be cool going in so I make the filling first and put it in a sink with cold water to cool down faster.

Rhubarb Pie Filling

5 cups diced rhubarb

2 cups+ sugar

pinch of salt

1 heaping tablespoon flour

Add the sugar, salt and flour to the rhubarb in a pot on medium low heat. Mix thoroughly to get the flour evenly coated on the rhubarb.  It should cook down into a thick sauce. This might result in unwanted little dumplings so it might be better to sift and fold the flour in after the sauce is made. Either way I taste it to see if more sugar is needed. It might take 3 or 4 cups depending on how tart the rhubarb is. It will take 3 cups of filling for the pie. When it tastes good put it aside to cool.

Pie Pastry (makes 1 double layer pie)

2 cups flour

1 cup lard - softened

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon vinegar

Use a pastry cutter or knives to cut the lard into the flour until it is the texture of course oatmeal. The small lumps of lard will flatten out when rolled and cause a layer of pastry to form. The moisture escaping as steam causes the layer to rise.

Whisk the egg, water and vinegar together. Pour a small amount of egg mixture into the dough and use a fork to mix it in. Don't use all the liquid, it's too much. Use only enough to form the dough into a ball.   The dough should stick to itself but not the baker's hands. If the dough has the correct moisture, cover it and chill 30 minutes. If it's too wet, leave uncovered and chill 30 minutes.  If it's still sticky wet more flour might fix it or it could be started again with fresh ingredients. When I screw up really badly I start again if I can.

Cut the chilled dough in half and put the smaller half back in the fridge. Flatten the dough and lay it on plenty of flour.  Sprinkle plenty of flour on the dough and start rolling. Add more flour as it expands and keep the edges floured as the dough rides over it. The pastry needs to be larger than the pie dish to cover the bottom, sides and top edge. A pastry scraper or best of all a long palette knife will make it easier to loosen the pastry from the rolling surface. Lift and roll the pastry onto the rolling pin, then unroll it on the pie plate. Centre the dough in the dish, then use a fork to puncture it all round and on the bottom to prevent over rising pushing the filling out. Brush melted butter over the bottom and sides of the crust so it won't get soggy from the filling.

Roll out the top layer with the second half of the dough as before.  The top can be a little smaller, just wide enough to cover the top edge.  Fill the pie then transfer the top with the rolling pin. Wet a finger and run it lightly around the top edge of the bottom crust. Use a fork to press the top and bottom together all around the pie. Use a sharp knife to cut the excess dough off all around the outside edge of the pie plate.  I rolled this extra dough out and made another small pie with the leftover filling.  Brush whisked egg over the top to increase browning.  Bake at 450ºF for 10 minutes and 400ºF for 30 minutes. If the top isn't browned, leave in longer. When it's done put it on a rack to cool completely.  If it's still warm when cut, the filling will run out.

I served it with a scoop of home frozen home made yoghurt. Delicious!

Prawns and Pasta in Tomato Basil Sauce

This meal was by request! I'm actually getting good enough at cooking that people are requesting dishes I've made them previously. Wow, I better not disappoint!

I put 10 prawns each in cold water to defrost. I buy the 41-50/lb bag of raw tail-off prawns. Usually I have to buy tail-on and take the tails off before cooking them.  To remove a prawn tail place the opposite edge of a knife just ahead of the tail and pull the meat away from the tail. I really don't like inedible shells in my food unless it's finger food.

The meal is really simple. Start by putting water on to boil for the pasta. I diced an onion and started sweating it until it started to turn golden. Then I added three smashed and chopped garlic cloves and sweated the garlic odour off them. I removed all from the pan, added more oil, a little butter and the prawns.  I cook the prawns about 3/4 done then take them out of the pan as well. They will finish cooking when they go in the sauce.

Take the pan off the heat, add 1/2 teaspoon of flour and enough oil to make a thick slurry. (I used 1 tsp of flour, which was too much)  Put back on the heat and bubble the flour taste off.  Take the pan off the heat again and start whisking in chicken stock till it thins a bit.  Add a can of tomato paste and as much chicken stock as needed to make a nice thick sauce.  Add the prawns, onion and garlic back in and bring the sauce to a simmer. Add 1-2 tablespoons of finely diced fresh basil and mix thoroughly. Serve on the pasta and top with fresh grated parmesan.

My guests were delighted with their meal. I even managed to sneak the remaining cheap flavourless prawns in with the good ones.  I'll never buy the cheaper frozen prawns again, it's the flavour they leave out to save money. Fortunately the good ones are good enough to impart flavour to the cheap ones so no one noticed. I can't say I actually noticed anything either but I'll KNOW it could be better so I'll always use the better ones.

Super Snapper

Fresh local snapper was on sale for .99/100gm (1 portion) so I bought a large fillet for the two of us to share.  I pulled the bones out with pliers first then sprinkled probably about half a teaspoon of salt over both sides. Then I coated it with:

Snapper Rub

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cayenne

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp cumin

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)

I had potatoes on boiling away and put the carrots in the steamer getting a head start on the peas. After I laid the snapper in the pan I put the frozen peas in with the carrots.  I laid a sprig of rosemary on each piece of fish. I watched the side of the fillet for the white cooked meat to reach the center. Then I turned it over and put the rosemary back on top.

I finished the vegetables in butter with a little salt and black pepper.  The mashed were plain with butter, salt and milk. I plated the fish with a few drops of lemon juice.  

The fish was amazing! First off, I had enough salt. That is the single biggest problem with my cooking, bland, not enough salt. Salting the meat first, then seasoning worked much better. The rosemary imparted it's characteristic floral sweetness to lift the flavour up to it's peak and wave it around. 

This was my best snapper so far and I'm sure I can do better, eventually.