Go-To Meals
December 9, 2007
I know it’s been a while, but I promise you that I was not submerged in a hot buttered rum stupor this whole time. That was just for one night. Which reminds me… I need to make more.
Actually, I spent the week in Minneapolis visiting my dear friend Angie who recently gave birth to a beautiful girl. While enjoying some wonderful baby time, it also was an opportunity for me to repay Angie for all the help she gave to me as I was suffering through the haze of new parenthood. I cleaned her floors and made some meals, and was reminded of how sweet those newborns smell. It’s better than the smell of baking bread.
One afternoon, Angie asked me what sort of weekly standby meals we rely on in our household. It occurred to me that our patterns vary with the seasons, but I rattled off the things we typically make this time of year: roasted chicken and vegetables, lasagna, whole wheat waffles and bacon, grilled cheese, black beans and rice, lentil soup, and chicken noodle soup, to name a few.
And while these are the meals I’ve been absent-mindedly putting together for years, every once in a while, a really special recipe gets added to the line-up. This particular recipe is one that I’ve been asked to make again and again, and it really is a good one. And it’s become one of our go-to meals.
From Rachael Ray Everyday:
Gaucho Cheesesteaks
1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley
5 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Juice of two limes
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup plus 1 T. olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 plum tomatoes, cut into small wedges
2 lbs. skirt steak (or flank steak) cut into strips
4 sub-style sandwich rolls, split
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled.
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a food processor, pulse the parsley, garlic and jalapeño a few times, until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the red pepper flakes, lime juice, vinegar, 1 cup of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and process until combined. Pour half of the sauce into a bowl and add the sliced red onion and tomato wedges. Save the remaining sauce for passing at the table.
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and when the pan is hot, cook the steaks for 5 minutes per side for medium-rare (cook in batches if your pan isn't large enough to hold them all). Set the steaks aside on a cutting board to rest for at least 5 minutes before carving. Thinly slice the steaks across the grain and toss with the onion-tomato mixture.
Arrange the split rolls, cut side up, on a large baking sheet and spoon the steak mixture onto 1 side; scatter the goat cheese over the steak. Bake until the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted, about 7 minutes. Serve the sandwiches with the extra sauce on the side.
Post a comment