Friday, August 27, 2010

Grilled Steak Salad with Green Beans and Blue Cheese







Yield: 2 servings

This makes a great Summer lunch or you can double the size for a dinner portion.

1/3 lb. Slender green beans, trimmed
1 c. Arugula
1/2 c. Cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. Pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 c. Olive oil
1.5 T. Balsamic vinegar
1 8 oz. Steak, filet or Ny strip
1/4 c. Crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper as needed

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
2. In small bowl or ziploc bag, marinate steak with the olive oil, vinegar salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight. Place steak on grill at 45 degree angle for a couple minutes and then turn 45 degrees for 2 more minutes to achieve nice hatch marks. Flip steak and cook to desired temperature. **I prefer mid-rare, about 135 degrees.** Remove steak and let rest while you prepare the rest of the dish.
3. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan and season with salt. Blanch green beans in water for about a minute and shock them in a bowl of ice water. **this will cook the green beans slightly while making them a bright green color**
4. In a bowl combine arugula with tomatoes, olives and green beans and season with salt and pepper.
5. Slice steak on the bias about 1/4" thick slices. Place a mound of arugula mixture in the center of each plate, top each salad with 4 ounces of steak and crumbled blue cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Emeril's Chicken Sauce Piquante





Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 (3 pound) fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
  • 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
  • 3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
  • 3/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 4 cups seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
  • 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce or other hot pepper sauce
  • Hot white rice, for serving
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in large heavy nonstick pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt. In a bowl combine the Essence with 1/2 cup of the flour and stir to combine. Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour mixture and shake to remove any excess flour. Brown the pieces, in batches if necessary, until golden on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Stir in the onions, bell peppers, celery, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of the flour and cook, stirring, to cook the flour without browning, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire, and pepper sauce.

Return the chicken to the pot, increase the heat under the sauce to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fall-from the bone tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

To serve, spoon the rice onto plates, top with the chicken and sauce, and garnish with the green onions and parsley.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.