Pepper Steak with Penne

I've been making versions of this pepper steak for years.  It originally came from the back of some package, to which I would give proper credit, but the recipe is long gone and I can't remember the product.  That's okay, I think it's been morphed into my own thing anyway.

This dish is super easy and has wonderful fresh flavors due to the green peppers and tomatoes being added in at the end. It does take a bit of time though, you need to simmer the beef for over an hour before you can finish off the dish.  This is very important, otherwise the flank steak will tough rather than tender, and your fabulous dish will only be mediocre.


Pepper Steak with Penne

1 1/2  lbs flank steak, cut into 1/8 inch strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 each beef bouillon cubes
2 cups water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup  red wine
1 each  green pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3 tomatoes, sliced
12 ounces penne pasta
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

In a very large skillet, brown the steak in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper then add the onions, cook until slightly tender.  Add the garlic and saute about 3 seconds longer.  Add the water, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce and red wine.  Bring to a slight boil then turn to low and cover.  Simmer on low for about 1 and 1/4 hours.

Once the beef is tender, cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Add the green pepper to the beef and cook for 2 minutes.  Mean while mix the water and cornstarch together.  Add it to the beef mixture and stir until thickened.  Add the tomatoes and heat through.  Stir in the cooked pasta and top with grated Parmesan.

Israeli Couscous with Red Pepper and Spinach

This is a quick and flavorful side dish to go with pretty much anything.  I paired it with the Parchment Roasted Salmon and some steamed spinach the other night. A meal with restaurant quality attention to detail and flavor was on the table in less than 30 minutes.

I've had a hard time finding time for the blog lately, but I knew I wanted to post about this dish.  As usual it was a dish on the fly and I didn't want to forget the details.  I was too lazy to go type the ingredients so I decided to send myself an email using voice technology.  Easier said than done.  When I said "chopped spinach" the voice technology interpreted it as "shop with kids" and then it interpreted " vegetable broth" as "see my bra". Yes, this could have been a very strange post indeed.

Israeli Couscous with Red Pepper and Spinach

1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 handfuls fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pan with a tight fitting lid, saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until soft.  Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Toss in the red bell pepper and then add the vegetable broth. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil.  Add the couscous and stir.  Add the spinach on top and cover.  Cook 8-10 minutes stirring once or twice to incorporate the spinach.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Set a side for a few minutes before serving.

Parchment Roasted Salmon

Sometimes the simplest cooking ideas are the best. That's how I feel about this Salmon recipe. Nothing about it is earth shattering, except how fabulous it tastes.  

The trick to this recipe is the parchment paper. Parchment paper is one of my new favorite things. It seems to have made my mediocre cookies into great cookies, so I wondered would it do the same for my salmon recipe?  I know could cook this dish without it, and it would be quite tasty and good.  I also know clean up would be a bit of a pain. But besides the clean up, what would the parchment do for me?  Cooking fish using parchment isn't a new concept, but mostly it seems that folks like to wrap fish inside the parchment and basically steam it.  This is not what I was looking for. I wanted something more crispy and brown, something with a roasted rustic taste.  I got it. 

Parchment Roasted Salmon

1 1/2 lbs salmon about an inch thick

Marinade:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of one lemon

1 clove garlic pressed

3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 sheet of parchment paper

Combine the marinade ingredients.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Set wire rack in boiler pan and then lay the parchment paper on top.  Place the fish on the parchment paper.  Pour the marinade over the fish and let is set for 10-15 minutes.

Put the pan in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes, then turn the heat on broil and brown for about 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked to your liking.  

Seafood Stew

I have an oldie but goodie on my menu plan this week, and even though I posted it before on my old site, many of you have never seen it.  

This dish is a hearty favorite, it's one of those catch all dishes that you can throw anything into.  My version has evolved from a basic tomato base stew with fish in it, to a heartier, creamy version utilizing corn, potatoes and coconut milk. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it mostly from items in your pantry or freezer, plus throw in a few items from the fridge that need to be used and you have a great meal.

Seafood Stew

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion -- chopped

3 cloves garlic -- pressed

1 each jalapeno pepper -- minced

2 medium potatoes -- 1/2" cubes

1 ear corn

28 ounces crushed tomatoes

15 ounces chicken broth

1/4 cup red wine

1 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons basil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 ounces cod

1 pound shrimp -- shells removed

10 ounces clams, canned -- undrained

13.5 ounces coconut milk

·         In large pot, sauté onions in oil until they begin to soften, add the garlic and jalapeno and sauté 1 to 2 minutes longer.

·         Cut the corn off the cob and add it to pot with the potatoes. Add the tomatoes thru the black pepper and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender.

·         Cut the fish into large pieces and add to the pot, cook until it begins to break apart.

·         Add shrimp and clams and cook 5-6 minutes.

·         Add coconut milk and cook until heated through.

·         Serve with salad and crusty bread.

As calculated By Mastercook. Per Serving: 376 Calories; 18g Fat (41.6% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 128mg Cholesterol; 864mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.