How To Cook Beef And Broccoli

That is one of the things I like about this dish, you can prep it all out and then wait for your dinner guests. Then you can quickly cook it from start to finish in about 20 minutes. I also like the fact that the veggies cook just about the same amount of time that the steaks need to rest so it all comes together at the same time.
Alexis and our 21 y/o son were on their way back from Florida yesterday and I wanted to have a hot dinner for them when they arrived. Alexis called when they were an hour away so I could start making dinner. An hour later when I expected to drop the steaks on the grill as they walked in, they were still at the NC/TN state line stuck in traffic from the rock slide reconstruction.
Normally, Trevor (10) and I would have savored that extra hour. It would have given us extra time to scurry around cleaning and hiding the evidence of the wild parties that we had. Pasties on the ceiling fan, how'd those get up there?
But sadly, we were well behaved all week and there was no damage control to be done. So I put all the prepped ingredients in the fridge, cut the grill temp to low to keep it warm, and just waited.
Just before they got home, I opened up the vents on the Big Green Egg and we were eating within 30 minutes of them walking in the door.
Beef and Broccoli
Source: Broccoli part adapted from an adaptation of Joy of Cooking
2 ea ribeye steaks
1/4 cup ginger flavored soy sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 head Broccoli chopped into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon Peanut oil
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
3 cloves Garlic finely minced
1 tablespoon Ginger finely minced
1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
1/3 cup Chicken stock
1/4 cup Oyster sauce
Instructions
Marinate the steaks in the soy sauce and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic for 1-4 hours.
Preheat grill to high. I had my Big Green Egg running at 500-550f with a cast iron grate. Grill the steaks 2 minutes per side and then do another 90 seconds per side to get to medium done. Cut that time to 60 seconds for medium-rare, 30 for rare. You could also pan cook or broil the steaks if that is your only option.
Remove the steaks to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes. If you don't have a cooling rack, use an extra grill grate or even the rack from your toaster oven.
Why not just stick them on a plate? I picked this tip up from Rouxbe Online Cooking School. I tried it a few months ago and found it DOES make a difference. Here's why and another tip...
Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes
As soon as the steaks come off, place a wok on the grill. Heat oil in wok. Stir fry garlic, ginger, and pepper for just a few seconds. Don't let the garlic brown. Add in broccoli (wet from rinsing) and stir fry for two minutes.
Add chicken broth, cover tightly, and steam for four minutes. By cover tightly, I mean with the wok lid, not just closing the grill.
Add oyster sauce and stir fry for 3-5 more minutes. If you want a thicker sauce, mix in a slurry of 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp cold water mixed together. If you like spicer, add 1 Tbsp of sriracha sauce.

Oyster Mushroom Steak

An oyster mushroom tries to get into an exclusive night club but the bouncer says, “Sorry little fella, this is a trendy place. I only let the most fun and hip people in.”“Oh come on, people love me!” pleads the oyster mushroom, “Just ask anyone and they'll tell you that I'm a fungi!”
Brewer's Mushrooms was at the newly opened Turkey Creek Public Markets yesterday. They sell gourmet mushrooms and grow your own mushroom kits, pretty cool stuff.
These were much better than store bought mushrooms, even quality ones. The freshness makes a difference. They have a meaty texture, the earthy taste associated with mushrooms and just a hint of umami. I bought a ¼ pound, got some ideas from Chef and headed home with a plan.
I set my Big Green Egg up for indirect heat (plate setter in, legs up) at 250f. I rubbed a thick ribeye with Steven Raichlen's Lone Star rub and put it on the grill.
Oyster Mushroom Steak
adapted from Chef Amber Sue
Makes enough for 1 or 2 steaks
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup yellow onion, diced
4 ounces oyster mushrooms
1 tsp Draper'sAll-Purpose Rub (or other bbq rub)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp thyme
2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat on the grill. Add the oil and let it heat up until it is shimmering. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with the rub, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

How To Cook Toston Sandwich

I am so proud he was the winner in the Comfort Foods episode of Ultimate Recipe Showdown, a new Food Network cooking competition where regular cooks, just like you and me, compete to see who has the Ultimate recipe in a series of categories.
And why I could be proud of Iván specifically? He’s Boricua (another word for Puerto Rican, derived from Borinquen, the original indigenous name of Puerto Rico) and he won with his Boricua Plantain Sandwich. It’s not vegetarian, but it did remind me of a sandwich my friend Tania taught me how to make a few years back. I was so surprised to see use TOSTONES as the “bread” for the sandwich, something I had only seen Tania do.
Tostones (which are also called patacones in South America) are twice fried mashed green plantains. Tostones are a staple in Puerto Rican cooking and for people trying to “get away from the carbs” are a great bread substitution in this sandwich. But less carbs does not mean less fat – I did tell you these are TWICE FRIED, no?
Let me give you the play by play to making my vegetarian version of the Tostón Sandwich.
Toston Sandwich
1 green plantain, peeled
2 small strips of firm tofu – you can definitely used extra firm here, but never the silken kind
1/4 onion, sliced
Garlic Salt
1/4 cup Tamari Sauce
Ketchup
Canola Oil for frying
1. Take the tofu pieces and press them in between 2-3 good paper towels or napkins (I use Bounty) to drain away most of the liquid. I place then in between 2 small baking sheets and weigh using something heavy. I change the paper towel at least once. meanwhile…
2. Peel the green plantain. Remember that green plantains, just like green bananas, have a sap (mancha). Remember to oil the knife you’re using to peel the plantain so the sap does not adhere to the knife. Follow the method I showed you for the green bananas here.
3. In a medium skillet, heat about 1 cup of canola oil over medium high heat. Just make sure the skillet is wide enough that will fit your plantain. If your plantain is on the small side, by all means, use a smaller skillet. You need enough oil to cover the plantains halfway, more or less.
4. Cut the plantain in half lengthwise, making two long halves.
5. Make sure the oil is hot enough. Rachael Ray taught me to dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil. If the oil bubbles around the spoon, the oil is ready. I love this tip.
6. Fry the plantain halves for about 5 minutes. What you’re looking for is to cook the plantain, add some color to it, but without getting it crispy.
7. Take the partially fried plantain halves out of the oil and using either two heavy plates or two small baking sheets, smash them flat. If using baking sheet, place a kitchen towel on top so the heat does not transfer to your hand. Keep the oil in the hot stove, you will use it again. Sorry I don’t have a picture of this, but I was by myself making this and I could not smash and photograph at the same time. This is the already-smashed plantain…
8. After smashing the plantains, re-immerse the smashed plantain halves in the hot oil to finish frying.
 I have also made this with fried white cheese instead of the tamari-marinated tofu. It tastes delicious!!! If you fry the tostones in hot enough oil and drain them, they will be crunchy, but not oily.
I had not done this sandwich in a long time… so I thank Iván and the Ultimate Recipe Showdown for reminding me. And even it’s not vegetarian, you can taste an adaptation of Iván’s sandwich at your local TGIFriday’s restaurant. They’re made with sweet ripe plantains, which is a different “ball game”, but still you can come out and support my fellow Boricua!

Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

My mom and I have a tradition that every Thanksgiving Eve, we bake pies together for the next day. How fortunate that just last month, I found a recipe for perfect pie crust while making a chicken pot pie. This dough was beautiful: pliant, easy to work with, and with all the best qualities of both butter (rich flavor) and shortening (flakiness and holding its shape). This makes 2 pie crusts.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Perfect Pie Crust
1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1/2 c. cold unsalted butter
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. ice water
Mix the shortening, butter and salt into the flour with a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add water until the dough comes together into a ball. Cover dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or as long as 24 hours.
When ready to make pie, roll the dough out on a floured surface until it fits your pie pan. Fold in half, then in half again, and transfer to the pie pan. Now unfold it. Do the same with the top crust, tucking the extra dough under and crimping the edges. Bake as indicated in your pie recipe.

How To Cook Aunt Eliane’s Whole Potatoes Sautéed in Butter

A lot of Ecuadorian dishes have potatoes as a side dish, sometimes the potatoes are boiled, fried, mashed, in patties, you name it, one of my favorite potato sides is when the potatoes are roasted and cooked alongside a meat dish, however this can’t always be done, especially when you aren’t cooking a meat dish or the dish doesn’t allow the potatoes to be cooked with it. I like boiled potatoes, but I always feel like they’re missing something, even if they’re served with a sauce, so last summer we were visiting Nico’s aunt Eliane in Provence and she was making potatoes as a side for a wonderful meal she made (my mouth is watering), she boiled them first and then sautéed them with butter until they had a nice golden brown color, they were so good, so now whenever I have a dish that usually has plain boring boiled potatoes as a side I sauté the potatoes in butter until they are browned, leave it up to the French to turn something boring into something delicious. The way I see it this is a compromise, maybe not as healthy as plain boiled potatoes, but tasty enough without being completely fried (don’t get me started on homemade fried potatoes – I give into that weakness about every six months).
Ingredients:
10 Yukon gold potatoes, washed
Water for boiling potatoes
4 tbs butter
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes until tender, let cool down and peel the potatoes
Heat the butter in a large sauté pan and add the potatoes, cook until well browned on all sides.
Sprinkle with salt and serve.