French Onion Steak

Ingredients:



4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided plus additional 5 tablespoons butter, divided 3 softball-size yellow onions, thinly sliced 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon ground dry thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 London Broil (about 2 to 3 pounds, one that is large enough for 4 people) 1 pound green beans Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup milk 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese lt and freshly ground black pepper 1 London Broil (about 2 to 3 pounds, one that is large enough for 4 people) 1 pound green beans Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup milk 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese




Preparation:



Preheat oven to broil.



In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO and 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is melted, add the sliced onions, bay leaf, thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes, or until melted down, brown and sweet.



While the onions are cooking, place steak on a broiler pan and generously coat it with EVOO, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Broil under the broiler for 10 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness. When done, remove and let the steak rest to let the juices return to the center of the meat, about 5 minutes.



In a medium-size pot over high heat, boil water. Once at a boil, add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes, until cooked through.



In a medium-size skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter, add cooked green beans to the pan, juice from half a lemon, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat and heat through.

In a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add flour to the melted butter and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock and milk and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let it come up to a bubble and thicken then turn off the heat. Add the cheese and stir in a figure-eight motion until mixed.

Slice the steak and place on a platter. Pile the onions on top and pour the cheese sauce over the top. Serve the buttered lemon green beans alongside.

Thanks Brina McNurlin Bunt! :)

Succulent yellowfin tuna steak...

In addition, I added lots of extra garlic, some fresh squeezed lime juice & chopped habanero to the marinade. I added extra soy and orange juice and marinated it overnight (a few hours will probably due, but it turned out great overnight) and boiled the excess sauce to pour over the top of the tuna/rice. Matt cooked the yellowfin tuna steak on a very high heat for 1.5 minutes on each side, without adding oil to the dish and it turned out perfect. I sprinkled some diced spring onion over the tuna and used a lime wedge for a garnish. Steamed asparagus went nicely with the dish.


INGREDIENTS

•1/4 cup orange juice
•1/4 cup soy sauce
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1 tablespoon lemon juice
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
•1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
•4 (4 ounce) tuna steaks
DIRECTIONS
1.In a large non-reactive dish, mix together the orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2.Preheat grill for high heat.
3.Lightly oil grill grate. Cook the tuna steaks for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn and baste with the marinade. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Discard any remaining marinade.
4.My advice would be to completely disregard #3 - No need to oil the pan, cook on high for 1.5min on each side and boil the sauce to put over the top of the rice/tuna. The tuna will turn out similar to ahi tuna appetizers.

THank-you Brina McNurlin Bunt for a wonderful recipe. :)

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4
If you prefer a more subtle mushroom flavor, omit the dried mushrooms, and
add two more ounces of fresh mushrooms.


6 to 8 cups Homemade Chicken Stock , or canned low-sodium chicken broth,
skimmed of fat

1/4 ounce dried wild mushrooms, such as porcini

9 ounces assorted fresh wild mushrooms

7 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for grating or shaving

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat stock in pan over medium heat. Add dried mushrooms; cook until
tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; chop finely. Keep stock
at a simmer over medium heat.

2. Remove stems from fresh mushrooms; chop finely. Slice caps 1/4 inch
thick. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
Add mushroom caps; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about
3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. To pan, add remaining 6 tablespoons oil,
mushroom stems, and shallots. Cook, stirring, until translucent. Add rice;
cook, stirring, until rice begins to sound like glass beads, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add wine. Cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed by rice. Using a
ladle, add 3/4 cup hot stock to rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir rice
constantly, at a moderate speed. When rice has absorbed most but not all of
liquid and mixture is just thick enough to leave a clear wake behind the
spoon when stirring, add another 3/4 cup stock.

4. Continue adding stock in this manner, stirring constantly, until rice
is mostly translucent but still opaque in center. Continue cooking until
rice is al dente, but not crunchy. As rice nears doneness, watch carefully;
add smaller amounts of liquid. The mixture should be thick enough that
grains are suspended in liquid the consistency of heavy cream. The risotto
will thicken slightly when removed from heat.
5. Add dried mushrooms and mushroom caps; warm over low heat. Remove
from heat. Stir in butter and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Divide
among four bowls; grate Parmesan over risotto. Serve immediately.

Thanks to Brina McNurlin Bunt for the recipe.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

















2 2/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
2/3 c. white sugar
1 c. salted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure mint extract
1 3/4 c. mint chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300*. In a medium bowl combine flour, soda, salt and cocoa powder. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside. In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter and beat to form a grainy paste. Scrapes sides of bowl, then add eggs and mint extract. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Drop dough by rounded Tbsp onto ungreased cookie sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 19-21 minutes. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.

I have decided starting February 15th I am going to try a new recipe, take a picture, and post it for everyone to see. Please follow me through the journey of learning about cooking and finding great recipes.

Cinnamon Chip Cookies



1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. cinnamon chips (you can use chocolate chips or any other chips instead)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs. Beat about 1 minute. Sift the flour, soda and salt in a bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix until all ingredients are well-combined. Stir in the cinnamon chips. Drop tablespoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peanut butter chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the peanut butter chips. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until set. Cool on wire racks.