50 Women Game Changers in Food - Week 48

This week at number 48 of the 50 Women Game Changers in Food we have Cat Cora.  Not only is she an Iron Chef, has published several cookbooks, is Executive Chef for Bon Appétit magazine, is developing her own talk show, owns two restaurants, is a mother of FOUR,  but is also a great humanitarian.

Picking just one of her recipes was hard.  She had many that I really thought my family would enjoy.  However, this one not only sounded appealing for my boys, the combination of spices with pineapple had me drooling. Mine were more like fajitas than tacos because I used flour tortillas instead of corn, just because I know my family prefers them.  I am happy to announce the results were fabulous!  My husband could not stop raving about the taste of the steak,  the boys really enjoyed them, and my daughter and her hubby said they were a keeper! Can't top that!!

Grilled Chili-Lime Flank Steak Soft Tacos

Courtesy of ABC Good Morning America 

Chile powder and lime give an inexpensive cut of meat a lot of flavor. Then, when you spoon up a tangy, colorful pineapple salsa next to these soft tacos, you have a delicious dinner with style and flair. Every part of this meal can be done on the grill, but I've given you a stovetop/oven option as well.

You can brown the pineapple slabs on the grill or leave the fruit on the grill until one side of the pineapple is truly black, 4 to 5 minutes. I prefer the charred look and love how it tastes in the salsa, but taste and see what you like.

The pineapple needs a few minutes to cool when you take it off the grill, so you might want to grill the fruit first and use the time while it's cooling to cut up the remaining vegetables for the salsa. This recipe makes a lot of salsa, but it's good to have on hand in your fridge for a few days, ready to liven up simple quesadillas.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon pure chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of fat

16 6-inch corn tortillas

For Pineapple salsa

1 small pineapple (3-3 1/2 pounds)

1 small red onion, diced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 fresh jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded and minced

Cooking Directions

For the marinade: In a small bowl, mix the spices, salt, pepper, lime juice, and oil to make a paste. Place the steak in a shallow dish and rub the paste evenly over both sides. Cover and let marinate for 1 to 4 hours.

For the salsa: Light a charcoal grill about 30 minutes before you're ready to cook or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Slice off the leafy top of the pineapple and just enough of the bottom so the fruit rests flat on a cutting board. Slice off the skin with a sharp knife, cutting from top to bottom and taking off as little of the flesh as possible, rotating the pineapple as you go. Discard the skin. Cut out any "eyes" with a paring knife and discard. Slice the fruit away from the core in 4 or 5 slabs.

Place the pineapple slabs on the hot grill and grill until the fruit is just beginning to show some browning, 1 to 2 minutes per side, 4 to 5 minutes per side if you want it charred.

Let the pineapple cool for a few minutes, then dice. In a medium bowl, mix the diced pineapple, onion, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and chile and blend well.

To cook the steak: Grill the steak for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or slightly longer for well-done meat. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, place the tortillas on the hot grill and grill for 10 seconds on each side, then wrap in a cloth napkin to keep them warm.

Slice the steak across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Place the tortillas and the bowl of salsa on the table and serve family-style.

Cat's note: The steak and pineapple can be cooked in an oiled ridged grill pan on top of the stove and the tortillas can be wrapped in foil and heated in a 350°F oven.

For more recipes by Cat Cora, please visit:

Val - More Than Burnt Toast 

Joanne - Eats Well With Others 

Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed 

Susan - The Spice Garden 

Heather - girlichef 

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney 

Jeanette - Healthy Living 

Mary - One Perfect Bite 

Kathleen -Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen

Sue - The View from Great Island

Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds

Amy - Beloved Green

Jeanette - Healthy Living

Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again 

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits

Martha - Lines from Linderhof 

Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook

Alyce - More Time at The Table 

Martha - Simple Nourished Living

Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Jill - Saucy Cooks

Sarah  - Everything in the Kitchen Sink

50 Women Game Changer in Food - Week 38

Darina Allen, co-founder of the of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland, is #38 on the list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food.  She is the author of several cookbooks and has been called "The Julia Child of Ireland".

In honor of Ms Allen, I made her Winter Leek and Potato Soup.  It is mild and delicious with a
velvety smooth  texture. It's amazingly simple for a weeknight meal and yet elegant enough for your guests.  Definately a keeper!

Winter Leek and Potato Soup

Adapted from Darina Allen's recipe courtesy of BBC Good Food

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small onion, cut the same size as the potatoes

1 lb white part of leeks, sliced (save the green tops for another soup or stock)

3 and 2/3 cups of chicken stock

2/3 cup carton whipping cream

1/2 cup full-fat milk

To finish:

the white part of 1 leek

a small knob of butter

finely chopped chives

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes, onion and leeks and toss them in the butter until they are well coated. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and toss again. Put a disc of greaseproof paper (called a cartouche by chefs) on top of the vegetables to keep in the steam), then cover the pan with its lid. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not coloured. 
2. Uncover the pan and discard the paper. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked - about 5 minutes. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh flavour. 
3. Purée in a blender until silky smooth, in batches if necessary, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Return the soup to a clean pan and stir in three quarters of the cream and all of the milk. 
4. To finish the soup, finely shred the white leek and gently cook it in the hot butter for a few minutes until it is softened but not coloured. Reheat the soup to a gentle simmer (add some extra stock at this point if the soup is too thick for your liking), then pour into warmed bowls. Drizzle the remaining cream over each serving, top with a little pile of buttered leeks and a scattering of chives and black pepper and serve at once.

   

For more recipes by Darina Allen, please visit:

Val - More Than Burnt Toast 
Joanne - Eats Well With Others 
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed 
Susan - The Spice Garden 
Heather - girlichef 
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney 
Jeanette - Healthy Living 

Mary - One Perfect Bite 
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen

Sue - The View from Great Island

Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds

Amy - Beloved Green

Jeanette - Healthy Living

Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again 

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits

Martha - Lines from Linderhof 

Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook

Alyce - More Time at The Table 
Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

50 Women Game Changer in Food - Week 35

Edna Lewis, at #35 of the 50 Women Game Changers in Food, was an excellent seamtress, a great cook, and a woman with strong political convictions.  Ms Lewis (as she was known) died at the age of 89, but left us with a treasure of refined southern classics.

"As a child in Virginia, I thought all food tasted delicious. After growing up, I didn't think food tasted the same, so it has been my lifelong effort to try and recapture those good flavors of the past."

And that she did, through her four cookbooks: The Edna Lewis Cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking, In Pursuit of Flavor, and The Gift of Southern Cooking. 

It was difficult to chose one of her recipes for this post. They all seemed really wonderful but I was looking for a simple side dish to accompany some spicy grilled shrimp.  These potatoes were buttery and delicious but not overpowering.....the perfect choice!

POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients

2 lbs boiling potatoes

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preperation

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Peel potatoes and thinly slice (about 1/16 inch thick), then toss with butter, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Spread evenly in a 2-quart shallow baking dish and add broth.  Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake until top is well-browned and most of stock is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes more.

For more recipes by Edna Lewis visit:


Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Linda A - There and Back Again

Martha - Lines from Linderhof

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits

Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook

Alyce - More Time at The Table

Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

French Fridays with Dorie - Cheese-Topped Onion Soup

My family really enjoys french onion soup, so I knew they would the best judges for this recipe. The verdict....excellent!! This is a very simple dish to make and yet the results will truly impress you.

As part of French Fridays with Dorie we are cooking our way through Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table.   Join us next week as we continue our journey.

Daring Bakers make Scones a/k/a Biscuits

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!  His recipe for basic scones (see below) was very simple and fail proof.  It was a thrill to say I had made them from scratch!!  Thanks Audax!!

Basic Scones (a.k.a. Basic Biscuits)


Servings: about eight 2-inch (5 cm) scones or five 3-inch (7½ cm) scones
Recipe can be doubled

Ingredients:


1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm/5 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour


2 teaspoons (10 ml) (10 gm) (⅓ oz) fresh baking powder


¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) salt


2 tablespoons (30 gm/1 oz) frozen grated butter (or a combination of lard and butter)


approximately ½ cup (120 ml) cold milk
optional

1 tablespoon milk, for glazing the tops of the scones

Directions:


1. Preheat oven to very hot 475°F/240°C/gas mark 9.


2. Triple sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the sifted ingredients until cold.)


3. Rub the frozen grated butter (or combination of fats) into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky scones or until it resembles coarse beach sand if you want tender scones.


4. Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed). The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be!


5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth. To achieve a layered effect in your scones knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture. (Use a floured plastic scraper to help you knead and/or fold and turn the dough if you wish.)


6. Pat or roll out the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about ¾ inch thick (15¼ cm by 10 cm by 2 cm thick). Using a well-floured 2-inch (5 cm) scone cutter (biscuit cutter), stamp out without twisting six 2-inch (5 cm) rounds, gently reform the scraps into another ¾ inch (2 cm) layer and cut two more scones (these two scones will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough). Or use a well-floured sharp knife to form squares or wedges as you desire.


7. Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish if you wish to have soft-sided scones or place the rounds spaced widely apart on the baking dish if you wish to have crisp-sided scones. Glaze the tops with milk if you want a golden colour on your scones or lightly flour if you want a more traditional look to your scones.


8. Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes since home ovens at these high temperatures are very unreliable) until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.


9. Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.

French Fridays with Dorie - Broth-Braised Potatoes

This wonderfully rustic dish can go nicely with any roasted meat or poultry.  Just a few staple ingredients and you're done. I used a variety of fingerling potatoes and just before serving I drizzled them with the concentrated broth. The aroma in your kitchen will bring everyone to the dinner table on time....Bon Appétit!

As part of French Fridays with Dorie we are cooking our way through Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table.  Next week we'll be making Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche.... join us.