Showing posts with label individual servings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label individual servings. Show all posts

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Smoky Steak Sandwiches with Peppers & Onions


Those of you who have lost that special someone know that no matter how much time passes, things are never really quite the same. You learn to live with it and move on, and I have done that in spades, but I still find things on a daily basis that give me a melancholy pause.

This morning I was going through a stack of papers and found a recipe that Mr. O-P and I enjoyed a good bit. It was one he had found in a Williams-Sonoma catalog from April 2011. I know this, because he had typed up and printed out his own version turning their grill recipe into one that can be done on top of the stove, giving credit to that catalog. He had made a variety of notations on the recipe including that we liked it so much that, one week, we had it three times. I had to laugh at this. We did tend to go a little crazy when we found a recipe that we enjoyed. And, of all the recipes that we enjoyed, those that came together in a hurry were some of our favorites.

Do your prep work early in the day, and this comes together in a flash. I sliced the peppers and onions early on (including a green pepper that I grew myself!), as well as the steak that I did so while it was still partially frozen. (So much easier than waiting until it has completely thawed.)

I put this on a bun to show you that it really is a sandwich, but Mr. O-P and I used to make servings in individual
au gratin dishes, and have that as our evening meal. Sinking my teeth into the first flavorful bite, I can see why we enjoyed it. I hadn’t had this in about six years, and it brought back a lot of memories.
Smoky Steak Sandwiches with Peppers & Onions
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

1 red onion, cut into ¼” strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼” strips
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼” strips
4 Tbs. olive oil
1 t. Hickory Smoked Sea Salt,* divided
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 ½ lb. New York strip sirloin, thinly sliced
4 French sandwich rolls (or not)
6 oz. provolone cheese, grated

Place a 10-inch skillet over medium high heat on the stove top. While this is heating, in a medium bowl, stir together onion, peppers, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon smoked sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Transfer vegetables to heated skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened (about 8 to 10 minutes). When cooked, transfer to a heatproof bowl and keep warm.

Return skillet to medium high heat. While it is warming, in another bowl, stir together steak strips with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon smoked sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Place beef strips in skillet over medium high heat. Cover and cook beef, tossing occasionally, until browned (4-5 minutes).

When beef is cooked, return vegetables to skillet. Stir to combine and warm through; meanwhile, set oven to broil. When the vegetable/steak mixture has been combined and warmed, divide equally in four ovenproof serving dishes (We used
these.), or into four sandwich buns placed into foil “boats.” Sprinkle a generous amount of Provolone cheese on top of each. Broil until cheese melts; watch to prevent cheese from burning. Serve immediately

Makes four servings.

*This is NOT an optional ingredient. You can find it at Williams-Sonoma. It isn’t cheap, but it lasts a long time, and is well worth it. Wait for a 20% off sale.

Another one of Jim’s favorite beef dishes is this recipe for what I now call Jim’s Steak Diane, in his honor.


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Friday, August 2, 2013

Individual Bing Cherry-Lemon Cakes


 I am in love with Weck jars. A German production since1900, these easy-to-fill, rust free jars (the glass lids mean no caps and rings), have been delighting home canners for more than a century. But while they are great for canning, they are also the perfect size for small, layered salads, mini parfaits, puddings, custards, layered dips, and...for baking darling little cakes like these. One look at this recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website, and there was no doubt that these cakes were in my future. 

I knew that, lover of lemon that I am, I would double the amount of zest.  Being a cherry lover I also knew that my cakes would have a Bing Cherry sauce rather than blueberry. After all, it is Bing Cherry season, time to enjoy them to their fullest, and make as many different recipes as possible.  Plus, my version allows for a
chocolate-covered cherry on top, making them irresistible!

Considering that I'd made the sauce a couple of days ahead (You can find the recipe
here.), putting these together was a breeze. They bake up perfectly and, if you need to take these to a picnic or pot luck, all you have to do is snap on the glass jar lid, and you're good to go. I topped mine with tiny scoops of vanilla ice cream (I used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to do this.) and a cherry.

Here is the original recipe from the kitchens of Williams-Sonoma.  Try their version, and then try mine with cherries. Let me know what you think.  Either way, I'm sure that you'll love them.

Individual Blueberry-Lemon Cakes

Ingredients:
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup plus 6 Tbs. sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat a Breville Smart convection oven to 375°F convection. Grease the insides of six 5.4-oz. Weck mini mold jars. Line the oven’s baking tray with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries and the 1/4 cup sugar and cook, stirring until the sugar is mostly dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch and stir into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and the 6 Tbs. sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the flour mixture, whisking until the batter is just combined.

Spoon 1 Tbs. blueberry mixture into the bottom of each jar. Top each with 1/4 cup batter and then 1 Tbs. blueberry mixture. Place the jars on the prepared baking tray and transfer to the oven. Bake until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the jars before serving. Serves 6.

These are the jars that I used, click the image to go to the site:

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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Individual Yellow Flesh Sweet Potato Purée with Streusel Topping


When I say the words, sweet potatoes what comes to mind?  Autumn? Fall?  Thanksgiving?  Harvest?  Orange?  This is just the type of parochial thinking that I’m going to attempt to change.  Sweet potatoes are not just for the cool months.  Healthy and delicious, there is a yellow variety that is just perfect for summer.  The sunny yellow color just begs for inclusion at picnics and cookouts; their mildly sweet taste and creamy texture pair perfectly with ribs, sausage, ham, pork, or anything else that you can manage to slather with sauce and toss onto the grill.

These individual servings will delight guests both young and old at your next summer buffet and my guess is that you will both surprise and delight everyone who tries them.

Individual Yellow Flesh Sweet Potato Purée with Streusel Topping

2½ pounds Melissa's yellow-flesh sweet potatoes 
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Butter 4 8-ounce ramekins.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Pierce each potato 2-3 times with a sharp-tined fork and transfer potatoes to baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 50-60 minutes, depending upon the size of each potato. Cool until easy enough to handle.

While potatoes are baking, make the streusel:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
Pinch cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Rub mixture between fingertips until blended and crumbly. Set aside.

When potatoes have cooled to a working temperature, halve them lengthwise and scoop out flesh, placing in a separate, medium-sized bowl. Stir in the
¼ cup brown sugar and the ¼ cup butter and mash with potato masher until smooth and creamy.  If mixture is too thick, thin with 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Using an ice cream scoop (or large spoon), spoon mixture into ramekins.  Sprinkle streusel over potatoes. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 


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