Beef Tenderloin Steaks
with Fontina Fonduta
Ingredients
Six 7-ounce beef tenderloin steaks
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
7 ounces imported Fontina cheese -- cut into 1/4-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
Directions
Light a grill. Brush the steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes for
medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a platter and let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter in the wine. Add the Fontina and
cook over low heat, stirring, until the sauce is piping hot. Transfer the steaks
to warmed plates, top with the Fontina sauce and serve.
Chicken Chilaquiles
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos husked -- rinsed and halved
2 large garlic cloves
1 large jalapeño?halved lengthwise -- stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup packed cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound shredded cooked chicken (3 cups) -- at room temperature
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 cup farmer cheese (4 ounces)
1 scallion -- sliced
One 6-ounce bag tortilla chips (8 cups)
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomatillos,
garlic, jalapeño and cilantro until smooth. In a large saucepan, heat the oil
until shimmering. Add the cumin and coriander and cook over high heat until
fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomatillo puree, bring to a boil and cook until
the sauce loses its bright green color, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 3/4 cup of the pepper Jack, the farmer
cheese, scallion and half of the tomatillo sauce; season with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, toss the tortilla chips with the remaining sauce.
Spread half of the chips in an 8-by-11-inch baking dish; top with the chicken
and cover with the remaining tortilla chips. Don't pack the chips down. Dollop
the sour cream over the chips and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup of pepper
Jack. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is browned. Serve at once.
Eggplant
and Goat-Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Tarragon Sauce
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion -- chopped
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggplants -- peeled and cut to make sixteen 1/2-inch-thick slices in all
4 eggs -- beaten to mix
Cooking oil -- for frying
1/2 pound mild goat cheese -- such as Montrachet, cut into 8 rounds
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion
and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the
tomatoes, tarragon, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and simmer, stirring
occasionally, for 25 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
Directions
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs,
Parmesan, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Dip each slice of eggplant in the eggs and then in the bread-crumb mixture,
coating well. In a large frying pan, heat about half an inch of cooking oil over
moderate heat until very hot. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil, in batches,
turning once, until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on
paper towels.
Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put a
slice of goat cheese on top of each and then top with the remaining eggplant
slices. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Put the sauce on plates
and top with the eggplant.
Grilled
Vegetable Ricotta Torta
Ingredients
2 sweet red peppers
1 sweet yellow pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint -- (25 mL)
2 tbsp olive oil -- (25 mL)
I tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard -- (5 mL)
1 clove garlic -- minced
3/4 tsp salt and pepper -- (4 mL)
2 zucchini
1 pkg fresh spinach -- (10 oz/284 g) trimmed
1 pkg cream cheese -- (250 g) softened
1 tub extra-smooth ricotta cheese -- (454 g)
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese -- (125 mL)
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs -- (25 mL)
Dough:
1/2 cup butter -- (125 mL) softened
1/4 cup cream cheese -- (50 mL) softened
2 tbsp sour cream -- (25 mL)
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour -- (500 mL)
2 tsp baking powder and granulated sugar -- (10 mL)
1/4 tsp saIt -- (1 mL)
Directions
Dough
In bowl, beat butter with cream cheese until fluffy; beat in sour cream and
eggs. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt;
stir into butter mixture. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead until
smooth, about 1 minute. Divide into thirds; wrap one-third and two-thirds
separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
(Make-ahead.- Refrigerate for up to 2 days.)
Meanwhile, cut red and yellow peppers in half; seed and core. Place, skin side
down, on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and cook, turning once,
for 30 minutes or until charred. Let cool; peel off blackened skin. Cut into
1-inch (2.5 cm) squares.
In bowl, whisk mint, oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Cut
zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices; add to bowl and toss to
coat.
Reserving marinade, place zucchini on greased grill over medium-high heat; close
lid and cook, turning once, for 20 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly.
Cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces; return to reserved marinade. Add peppers and
toss to coat.
Rinse spinach; shake off excess water. In saucepan, cover and cook spinach, with
just the water clinging to leaves, over medium heat for 5 minutes or until
wilted. Place in sieve; press out moisture. Chop coarsely.
In another bowl and using rubber spatula, stir cream cheese until creamy, stir
in ricotta. In separate bowl, lightly beat 3 of the eggs; stir into cheese
mixture along with all but 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the Parmesan. Stir in grilled
vegetable mixture.
On lightly floured surface, roll out two-thirds of the dough to form 14-inch (35
cm) circle. Fit into bottom and up side of 9-inch (2.5 L) springform pan,
leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) overhang. Sprinkle bottom with bread crumbs and
remaining Parmesan. Spoon half of the vegetable mixture into crust; sprinkle
spinach then remaining vegetable mixture over top.
Lightly beat remaining egg; brush some around edge of overhang. Roll out
remaining dough to form 10-inch (25 cm) circle; centre over filling. Fold edge
over bottom overhang, pinching to seal and tucking inside rim of pan. Brush top
with remaining egg. Cut 3 steam vents in top.
Bake on baking sheet in bottom third of 400°F (200°C) oven for 1-1/4 hours or
until knife inserted in centre for 5 seconds is hot to the touch, shielding with
foil if browning too much. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Remove side of pan;
let cool for 15 minutes. (Make- ahead: Let cool; cover and refrigerate for up to
1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.)
Middle
Eastern Phyllo Rice Torte
Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1 1/2 cups wild-rice blend -- rinsed well (10 ounces)
3 cups water
3 plum tomatoes -- halved and seeded
4 Portobello mushrooms -- stems discarded (3/4 pound)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium sweet onions -- such as Oso Sweet, thinly sliced
1 Pinch cinnamon
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 sheets phyllo dough -- plus extra in case of tearing (1/2 pound), thawed if
frozen
4 large eggs -- beaten
1/4 cup almonds -- toasted and coarsely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch springform cake pan generously with
olive oil. In a medium saucepan, cover the rice with the water and bring to a
boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is barely tender and just
cooked through, about 30 minutes. Drain well.
On a large nonstick baking sheet, arrange the tomatoes, cut side down, and the
Portobellos, stemmed side down. Season the tomatoes and mushrooms generously
with salt and pepper and bake until tender, about 30 minutes. When the
vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel the tomatoes and thinly slice the
mushrooms.
Heat the olive oil in a medium enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the onions,
cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10
minutes. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until
the onions are browned, about 10 minutes longer. Add the cinnamon and garam
masala and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the
heat. Add the cooked rice, raisins and dried apricots and season with salt and
pepper. Stir in half of the sliced Portobellos and 1 tablespoon of the chopped
parsley.
Layer 5 sheets of the phyllo dough on a work surface, turning each successive
one a quarter turn so that the stack forms a large round. Spray the top layer
with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Repeat with the 5
remaining phyllo sheets, spraying the last sheet with olive oil. Fit the phyllo
stack into the prepared cake pan, pressing it into the corners. Scatter 1
tablespoon of the parsley over the bottom. Gently pack the rice mixture into the
cake pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Top the rice mixture
with the remaining Portobellos and the tomatoes. Pour the beaten eggs evenly
over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the torte with the chopped almonds and the remaining
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, trim
the phyllo overhang to about 1/4 inch.
Bake the rice torte on the bottom rack of the oven for about 1 hour, or until
the phyllo is deep golden and the filling is set in the middle. Let the rice
torte cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the ring and slide
the torte onto a large serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve
|