Shark Steak

Today I'll be adding something new. A couple people have mentioned that it seems like the things I make seem too pricey, so at the suggestion of the DH, I'll be adding the price of each item as often as possible! Today's dish is in response to a request for more seafood items. My boys and I braved the strong winds from Tropical Storm Debbie and went across the way to Publix. There we found purple potatoes and several other items on sale. There were several seafood options on sale as well, including shrimp for tomorrow's dish, but the shark steak (not on sale) stuck out the most to me, and it was reasonably priced!

2 shark steaks
2 lemons, zested
1 pound purple potatoes (I used half purple and half yellow)
2Tbsp olive oil
1Tbsp fresh cracked pepper
2 stems fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Start with the potatoes. Wash and slice about 1/8th of an inch thick. Heat 1Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium low and add in the potatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and most of the rosemary. Leave a little rosemary out to sprinkle on later. Stir or toss often and cook the potatoes until a knife can be inserted and easily removed from the center, then set aside.

Heat your oven to 350f. Zest both the lemons into a small bowl. Add 1Tbsp of fresh cracked pepper, and combine well. Season the steaks with a bit of salt, then with the lemon pepper mixture. Heat 1Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a medium oven safe pan. Once hot, add the steaks and sear for about 5 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn and place in the oven for roughly ten minutes, or until they have reached the proper temperature, and remove. Plate on top of a layered row of the potatoes that have just been sprinkled with a little more rosemary, and serve! A quick squeeze of lemon juice is a good idea here too. Some sort of cream sauce would be good to have I think, however I didn't think of that at the time. Hope you enjoy!

Cost:
2 shark steaks: $8.47
Potatoes: $3.99 per bag, but buy one get one this week
Lemons: 3 for $1.00
Olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary were already in the pantry

Banana's a la pyro!

Banana's a la pyro! Yummy yummy yummy!!!

So I wanted tomake something a little (emphasis on the "little"!) on the lighter side(ish) for dessert tonight, so off toGoogle I went to search for some suggestions. I ran across a sort of bananasfoster with frozen yogurt, only theirs was wrapped and broiled and I wanted topan fry it. Why? Well because one recipe called for doing that and a little flambéwith banana liqueur, and it's no secret how much I like doing that!

2 ripened bananas

1 pint vanillaGreek yogurt

1/2 cupblueberries

1Tbsp sugar

1Tbsp brown sugar

2tsp cinnamon

3Tbsp bananaliqueur

2Tbsp light agavenectar

1tsp vanillaextract

1Tbsp butter

1/2 cup semi-sweetchocolate

3 mint leaves

1/8 cup slicedtoasted almonds

1Tbsp heavy cream

Combine theyogurt, agave and vanilla. Either use an ice cream maker or freeze and stirVERY often.

Combine theblueberries and sugar in a bowl. Bruise the mint leaves and add in with theblueberries, stir to combine, and set aside.

Using a doubleboiler, or the microwave, melt the chocolate, half the butter, and the cream.

Now for thebananas. Slice the bananas in half length-wise then width-wise, remove thepeel, and sprinkle on the cinnamon and brown sugar. Melt half the butter in apan until it starts to brown, then add the bananas flat side down first. Letthem fry for a few minutes or until they've browned some, then flip (carefullybecause they're a lot softer now) and cook for a couple more minutes. Now forthe fun part! (Safety note: as always, BE CAREFUL! I take no responsibility forany adverse outcomes! Don't touch the pretty flames, don't pour the burningliquid into anything, keep your sleeves out of the way... Just be smart, K? Itrust ya!) Sprinkle a bit more brown sugar onto the bananas, then pour theliqueur into the pan and light it. Swirl gently to ensure all the alcohol burnsoff. This will also slightly caramelize the brown sugar you just added. Oncethe flame is out, remove and place on your plate. Top with the frozen yogurt,blueberries, chocolate, sprinkle with the almonds, and serve! Hope you enjoy!

Butter me some ribeye!

Who doesn't love steak? Send them to my house. I'll fix that.

The ribeye. It very well may be, in my opinion, the most perfect steak around. Sure there's the strip steak, the filet, and so on, but the fat to meat ratio of the ribeye is, again in my opinion, perfection! There's nothing better than that rich, buttery smoothness of a grilled ribeye! Ok, where's my napkin?....

While out for the weekly grocery trip, lucky me, ribeyes were on sale!! Oh and a three pack of thick cut too? Quit it! My arm! Stop twisting it! We usually do the typical sauteed mushrooms and vidalia onions, but I wanted to add a little something more. What about butter? Flavored butter, to be specific? How about Gorgonzola butter with roasted garlic and parsley? Ohh yes my friend! We have a winner!

3 ribeye steaks

Fresh cracked pepper and garlic salt to taste

1 bulb garlic

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Gorgonzola crumbles, room temperature

2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 vidalia onion

10 sliced baby portobello mushrooms

Start with the garlic bulb. Slice off about the top quarter, drizzle with 1Tbsp of olive oil, and wrap in a foil purse. Bake at 375f for about an hour, or until the package can be easily squeezed with tongs. Remove and allow to cool. Once cool, place the butter, Gorgonzola, and parsley into a bowl. Squeeze the garlic bulb from the bottom like a ketchup packet into the bowl, and using a fork or I suppose a potato masher, combine well. Scoop out the butter mixture and place onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape as best you can into a stick with your hands. Meet the long sides together and wrap around the butter, then fold the ends over and fold under the stick. You can reform again if needed now, then place into the fridge to cool and harden.

Meanwhile, season the steaks with the pepper and garlic salt. Yes, that's it. I don't like to add a lot of fuss to steak. I eat steak to TASTE steak! Not to get a mouthful of pepper and other nonsense. Let the meat rest for a few moments while you slice your onion and mushrooms however you prefer. I like 1/4 in thick half moons for the onion, and the same thickness for the mushrooms. Heat 2Tbsp of olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pan. Layer the onions in first and top with the mushrooms. Stir occasionally until the onions are caramelized and the mushrooms have begun to brown a bit, then remove and set aside.

Time to grill! Quite simply, place the steaks on a medium heat grill, and close the lid. No peaking and no touching, I mean unless you for some reason begin to have a raging fire in there.... Flip them after about 5 minutes, and continue cooking until they've reached your desired temperature. Remove and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Plate a steak and top with a thick slice of the butter and some the mushrooms and onions. I also served this with baked sweet potatoes. Hope you enjoy!

Fettuccine Alfredo

"How did you know chicken fettuccine alfredo is my favorite dish"

Uhh.... I'm just that good?

Dear hubby spent the afternoon in the Florida heat adding a couple new heads to the sprinkler system, so I knew a hearty meal would need to be in order for this evening! I hadn't used my pasta maker in some time, so I settled on fettuccine alfredo. After a quick run to the store for parmesan, I prepared the past dough:

4 eggs

3 cups flour

Pile the flour directly onto your counter or a large cutting board. Make a well in the middle, and crack the eggs into it. Break the yolks, and then mix well. A little more flour or a touch of water can be added if it seems too wet or too dry. The dough should be roughly the consistency of firm play-dough. Place the dough either in a bowl covered with a damp towel, or in a plastic sealing storage bag and rest for 20-30 minutes or so. Once it's rested, kneed a few times on a floured board or counter, and cut a roughly 1/2 cup chunk off. Using a past maker, or rolling pin, roll into thin sheets, then if you have a fettuccine attachment, cut into ribbons. Drop into boiling salted water for just a few minutes, and remove when they're floating. Toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

To make the alfredo sauce:

1 stick unsalted butter

2 cups cream

3 cups fresh shredded/shaved/grated parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced, grated or crushed

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Once melted, add the cream and allow it to come to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the parmesan, garlic and pepper, and stir well until melted. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for a few moments before serving to allow it to thicken more.

I also grilled and sliced a few boneless skinless chicken breast, which I put on top of the pasta before pouring the sauce over. I served grilled asparagus as a side as well. Some garlic bread or bread sticks would go nicely too for sopping up the sauce! Hope you enjoy!

Key Lime Pie 2

So as it turns out, the husband didn't like the meringue on the key lime pie. So, for dessert after dinner this Fathers Day, I made another but topped with whipped cream and slivered almonds! The recipe is pretty much the same:

28oz sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh key lime juice
6 egg yolks
1 sleeve graham crackers, crumbed
3/4 stick butter, melted
3 cups heavy cream
2-3Tbsp sugar to taste
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Again, make the crust by combining the butter and crushed graham crackers until they look like damp sand, press into a pie plate and bake at 350f for 10 minutes or until slightly browned. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.

Combine the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in a large bowl, then add the key lime juice and combine well, which will cause the filling to thicken some. Pour into the cooled crust and bake at 350f for another 10-15 minutes. The pie will be firm now. Remove and allow to cool completely.

To make the whipped cream, pour the cold heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a large cold bowl. Either with a whisk or electric mixer, whip to medium-stiff peaks, but don't over whip and make it into sweet butter! When the pie is completely cooled, use a pastry bag to pipe the whipped cream onto the pie, and then sprinkle with the almonds! Hope you enjoy!!

Happy Father's Day!

The Official Pie of Florida

All weaknesses aside, key lime pie is the one and only thing I will NEVER turn down! It's cool creaminess hits the spot on any warm summer day, which at the moment is getting the best of me with our relatively new A/C on the fritz....

I am not a frequent baker, but I've noticed through my posts I don't do it that often, and I've also found that I really enjoy it! You prep something with such anticipation, place it in the oven, and patiently wait to see if the image and flavor in your head comes out of the oven as expected! I decided another pie was in order, and given that's it's summer, what better than the Florida State Pie! I did some researching first to find just the right recipe and found something similar to what's below.The only thing I changed was the amount of sweetened condensed milk, eggs, key lime juice. I also a little history behind key lime pie! For example, I found that the traditional key lime pie is topped with meringue, and not whipped cream, because when it first started being made whipped cream wasn't feasible due to a lack of refrigeration, and that in 1965, legislation was proposed to fine anyone advertising key lime pie that's NOT made with key limes, which didn't pass.

The Recipe:
28oz sweetened condensed milk
8oz fresh key lime juice (Trust me. Don't cheat this one. Buy a bag of about 30 and juice them. It's tedious but the reward of their amazing flavor is worth it!)
6 egg yolks (save the whites in a separate bowl to make the meringue)
1 sleeve graham crackers, crumbed
1/4 stick (or so) unsalted butter, melted
3Tbsp sugar




The Crust:
Place the graham crackers in a zip seal bag and smash into crumbs. An eager little boy with the flat side of a meat mallet comes in handy here! Once the crackers have been reduced to crumbs, pour the melted butter over them while stirring. You want about the consistency of moist sand. A little more butter may be required, depending. Pour the mix into a pie plate and press down starting in the center and working your way to the sides, making it about 1/8 inch thick. The bottom of a heavy glass or your fist will work fine. Place in a 350f oven for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Let the crust cool in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.








The Filling:
Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl. Drop in the yolks and combine well. Pour in the key lime juice and combine again. The filling will now thicken some, due to a chemical reaction called souring. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, and bake at 350f for 10 minutes, or until the jiggle has gone! Remove and cool.







The Meringue:
Put the reserved egg whites, plus 3Tbsp of sugar, into a medium bowl. Whip until you've reached stiff peaks. Pour onto the cooled pie, and either bake for another 5-10 minutes until browned, or allow your inner child to play with fire and use your kitchen blow torch! (Safety first of course! Follow all directions or your torch to the letter!) Either way your brown the meringue, cool again for half an hour to an hour before serving.


To serve, the pie pan may need to be dipped in warm water for a moment to loosen the crust. Slice, and serve! Hope you enjoy!! I know I did!!

Creamy Mac & Cheese

This is me, doing my happy dance! Like I said before, one of my weaknesses is a good macaroni and cheese. I've made Paula Deen's version before, but after a scoff at the method (you know who you are!), I decided to change it up a bit:

4 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
2 cups shredded white Vermont Cheddar
1 cup shredded cream Havarti
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp flour
3 eggs, whisked
2 cups milk
1 cup beer (Please no cheep beer. You'll thank me later.)
1 Tbsp dried mustard
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 boxes of elbow macaroni pasta
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Start the pasta boiling. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Once melted, add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, but do not brown. The lighter the better. Add in the milk and heat for another 5 minutes or so, or until thickened. If it gets too thick, add a touch more milk. Slowly add the cheeses in (less the 1/2 cup of cheddar), about a cup worth at a time, then the beer, then the mustard, then the sour cream, then the eggs (remember to temper!),  then the salt and pepper. Once the pasta is al dente, drain and pour into a large deep baking dish. Allow the cheese to cook for another 5 minutes or so, then pour over the pasta and combine well. Resist the temptation if you can. It is quite hot right now... Voice of experience... Bake in a 350f oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until some of the macaroni begin to brown. Top with the remaining cheddar then panko, and bake for a few more minutes to brown the bread crumbs. Remove and cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve! Hope you enjoy!! I know we did!!



Mount Cheese

Cheesey Goodness

Let the Baking Begin!



All Done!