Boyfriend Steak? Really?

Okay, I love the boyfriend jeans that are sold at The Loft.  And the Boyfriend Jacket that I got at J. Jill. But a Boyfriend Steak?? 

Well, the Boyfriend Steak is a thing.

A delicious thing. And a 30-minute meal with just one pan.  The recipe is from Delish.com. Quite a simple recipe to follow.

Ingredients-

FOR THE HERB BUTTER

1 stick butter, softened

1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley

FOR THE STEAK

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, for skillet

1 26- to 28-oz. bone-in rib eye or côte de boeuf

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method-

Preheat the oven to 350º. Make herb butter: Mix butter and parsley and shape into a log (use wax paper, if you have it). Refrigerate until firm.

Make steak: Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Season steak generously with salt and pepper.

Sear steak for 3 minutes per side, then transfer skillet to the oven to continue cooking, about 10 minutes for medium-rare.

Transfer steak to a plate and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Top with herb butter to serve.

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Beef Fried Rice

Another 30-minute meal! And we have another hit!!

The recipe is from Delish.com.

Rave reviews from both sides of the table!!

Ingredients-

1 lb. flank steak, cut into bite-size pieces

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 tsp. sugar, divided

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 onion, diced

1 c. frozen mixed vegetables

3 c. leftover white rice

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. sesame oil

Method-

In a medium bowl, season meat with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar, then toss with cornstarch until well-coated. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add eggs and scramble using a rubber spatula; transfer to a plate. Turn the heat on high, and add another teaspoon of oil. Add meat, working in batches, and cook until seared all over, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add  2 tablespoons oil, onion, and ginger, and cook until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add peas and 2 tablespoons water, and cook until peas are tender. Add cooked rice and break up using a spatula, cooking 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in soy sauce, white vinegar, pepper, remaining 4 teaspoons sugar, and sesame oil. Add back the meat and eggs, then toss together and serve immediately.

Creamy Steak Fettuccine

Creamy Steak Fettuccine on a Monday night!!! Yeah, a 30-minute meal. I made the pasta yesterday. And it was nice to have a glass of wine on a Monday night and make dinner. 

It was delicious. The recipe is from Delish.com. I should have used more pasta water to thin the sauce, but that was just my opinion.

This is my version of the recipe, I left out 2 ingredients from the original.

Ingredients-
Kosher salt
12 oz. fettuccine
1 lb. sirloin steak
2 tbsp. vegetable oil 
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1 1/2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp. balsamic glaze

Method-
Coat both sides of steak with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the steak to the desired doneness, 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate to let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice steak.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute more, then slowly add milk, whisking to break up lumps, and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add Parmesan and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and cook until bursting, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add cooked pasta and ¼ cup reserved pasta water to skillet and toss to combine, adding more pasta water as needed. 

Top with sliced steak and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Zucchini and Ground Beef Skillet.

Another recipe from All-Recipes Site. Zucchini and Ground Beef Skillet.

The recipe said it was a 50-minute meal, but I did this in 30 minutes. Not a lot of pans so it was an easy Sunday night clean-up. 

I had some Rice Balls in the freezer and I popped them into the air fryer as a side dish. Perfect!!!

Zucchini and Ground Beef Skillet

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
  1/2 medium sweet onion, finely diced
  8 oz tomato sauce (I used homemade sauce!!)
  6 ounce sliced black olives
  1 (14.5 ounces) can of Italian-style stewed tomatoes
  salt and ground white pepper to taste
  2 medium zucchini
  4 ounce  shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

• Method-

  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef and onion in the hot skillet until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease.

• Stir tomato sauce, and olives into the skillet. Crush stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces and add to the mixture. Season with salt and white pepper. Let simmer, uncovered, until liquid reduces, 20 to 30 minutes.

• Slice zucchini lengthwise; cut into 1/2-inch slices and add to the skillet. Cook, covered, until firm yet tender to the bite, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese and cook, covered, until melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve.

Allrecipes

Well The Wine Was Good

It is the 13th Anniversary of this little blog. 

I made a new recipe for dinner. Not a hit. No point in sharing the link. We will not be making it again.

The twice-baked potatoes are quite good. 

The same recipe that I used on Christmas 2021. 

And the wine was wonderful.

Not all meals are blog-worthy.

The editorial staff at So What Are You Making For Dinner would like to say "Thank You!!!" to the 3 or 4 people who read this blog and follow along with our dinner adventures.

Let's see what we can cook up in year 14!

Pasta alla Gricia

I got the new Delish magazine in the mail. It is put out by the same people who have the Delish site.

The latest issue is the pasta issue. I find a perfect recipe for a Friday night and begin preparing the recipe. I go to look at the next instruction and this is what I see. A cat, but not the recipe.

Back to the recipe. I was at T & J's today, a local grocery store that has an amazing deli and meat department. Did I look for guanciale? No, of course not!

I had bacon so I used that instead. But next time I will get the guanciale.

This was easy to put together, even while enjoying a well-deserved Martini.

Ingredients-

4 oz. guanciale (bacon), diced into ¼" pieces

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 c. water

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

8 oz. tagliatelle

1 1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino, divided, plus more for serving

Method-

In a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, cook the guanciale (bacon),  stirring frequently, until deeply golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale (bacon) to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the fat in the skillet. Add pepper and stir until fragrant.

Meanwhile, add water and salt to a medium-large pot and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until pliable but not al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Return skillet to medium-low heat. Add 1¾ cups pasta water to the pan and swirl to combine. Add par-cooked pasta and ½ cup Pecorino and stir to coat evenly. Once Pecorino is mostly melted, gradually stir in the remaining 1 cup of Pecorino in 2 batches, adding more pasta water as necessary to keep the sauce silky. Once pasta is al dente, remove from heat and continue stirring gently until sauce is smooth. 

Fold in cooked guanciale (bacon) and serve with more Pecorino.

 

Braised Short Rib Spaghetti

Tonight we had a slow braised meal. The recipe is from the Original Dish site. 

The words, "Delicious" came from the other side of the table. 

A perfect meal. The sauce was thick and flavorful. Quite good if I do say so myself. This would be a recipe l I would make if we were ever to have people over for dinner. Might do a cheese ravioli next time we make this.

This is my version of the recipe that makes enough for 2 people, with a little left over.

Ingredients-
1 1/2 lbs bone-in short ribs
kosher salt, as needed
freshly cracked black pepper, as needed
vegetable oil, as needed
1/2 onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup red wine
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaves
1 large sprig of thyme
1 sprig of sage
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tbsp butter
3/4 lb spaghetti
Parmesan, to garnish

Method-

Let the short ribs sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add enough vegetable oil to just coat the bottom of the pot.

Working in batches, sear the short ribs really well, about 3-4 minutes on all four sides. Transfer each batch of meat to a foil-lined sheet pan or plate once seared.

To the pan drippings, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and black pepper. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until tender and caramelized. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in the flour and let cook for a minute or so, stirring continuously. Deglaze the pot with the red wine. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all of the flavors. Let simmer for another minute.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, thyme, sage, and another pinch of salt. Let the tomatoes simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the beef stock. Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the drippings. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot, leaving a small crack open to allow some steam to escape.

Turn the heat all the way to low and let the short ribs braise for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 3 hours, remove the short ribs from the pot. Strain the sauce, using a wooden spoon to really press and release all of the flavors of the vegetables and herbs. (The next time I make this I think I would use a food mill for this step.)

Pour the sauce back into the pot. Using a folded paper towel, blot as much fat off the top as possible. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce cook and reduce for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, use your hands and a pair of gloves to shred the meat, discarding any large chunks of fat, bone, and connective tissue. 

Once the sauce has reduced and thickened, whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Stir the shredded meat back into the sauce. Taste and season with more salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed.

Prepare a large pot of boiling, salted water.

Drop the spaghetti into the boiling, salted water and following the package’s instructions.

Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Alternatively, ladle the sauce over the spaghetti. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Air Fryer Pork Chops. Weeknight Winner!

Tonight we had delicious pork chops cooked in the air fryer. A 20-minute meal. The pork was cooked perfectly. The meat was moist and so flavorful. The recipe was on Delish.com

Ingredients-
2 boneless pork chops, about 1"-thick
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper  

Method-
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels, then coat both sides with oil. In a medium bowl, combine Parmesan and spices. Coat both sides of pork chops with the Parmesan mixture. 
Place pork chops in the basket of the air fryer and cook at 375° until internal temperature reaches 145°, about 9 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Mom's Pizzagaina

Today I baked my Mom's Meat Pie Recipe.

I made the pie dough last Saturday. Froze the packets of dough until Thursday night.

Last night I cooked the sausage, boiled the pepperoni, and diced the pepperoni, ham, and basket cheese. Everything was ready to go this morning.

I started rolling out the first crust at 8:45am. I took the last pie out of the oven at 2:30pm.

Seven pies in total. I think I did the math correctly as to how many pies are needed. As long as I can put one in the freezer for Easter in July we will be good.

No problem securing the ingredients this year. I would like to send a special thank you to the 2 deli people at Big Y who expertly sliced the ham and pepperoni to my exacting specifications!

Here is the only recipe I use-

Pate Brisee - (this recipe is for 2 pies, top, and bottom crusts)
Ingredients-
6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
22 Tbsp sweet butter, chilled

12 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup of ice water

Method-

Sift the flour, salt, and pepper together into a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture is like a coarse meal.
Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
Turn dough out onto your work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Eleanor Lombardi's Pizzagaina (This recipe will make 7 pies)
Ingredients-
4 pounds baked ham, diced

2 pounds pepperoni, skinned, diced and boiled, drained (boiling removes excess grease)
2 pounds sweet sausage, fully cooked, drained
2 pounds basket cheese, diced

3 eggs per pie

Method (written for baking 2 pies)-

Mix all ingredients. Roll out a quarter of the dough. Place the crust in a pie dish. Use a pie dish with handles if you have one. You will want to check the bottom of the pie to see if it is browned. Add half of the meat and cheese mixture to the dish. Break and mix 3 eggs (each pie requires 3 eggs) and pour over the top of the meat. Roll out another quarter of the dough. Place on top of the meat. Crimp edges. Cut 3 slits in the crust. Bake 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. (I baked mine for an hour and 15 minutes). Repeat this for the second pie.

With the meat recipe, you may end up with enough for more than the two pies. Let's just say it is one of those Easter miracles. I usually make enough dough for 6 pies just in case.  The crust recipe above is only for 2 pies. I prefer to make the crust in small batches. Making enough for 6 pies at once is more than my kitchen or I can handle.  The crust can go in the freezer so it is "like money in the bank."

When the pies are in the oven keep an eye on overflow. The egg might spill out the slits. It may be a good idea to put some foil under the pie dishes on the lower rack. As long as the egg does not spill over your house will smell amazing.

Soy-Braised Short Ribs

It was a slow cooker type of day. Today I made the dough for Pizzagaina. And made some Blueberry Ricotta Scones. Also made a Baked Macaroni with left over pasta from the other night. Notice that little kitty sitting in the dining room.

Tonight we had Soy-Braised Short Ribs. Oh, they were quite delicious.

Ingredients-

1 medium onion, sliced 


¼ cup rice vinegar 


¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce


2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, or 1 tsp of ground ginger

2 tablespoons light brown sugar 


1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 


3 pounds bone-in short ribs

Method-

Combine the onion, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, red pepper, and ¼ cup water in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. 

Add the beef and turn to coat. 

Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Skim off and discard most of the fat.

We had leftover ribs so I pulled the meat off the bones to add to a grilled cheese that we will be having later this week.