Vietnamese Garlic Beef over Lettuce Greens

 

Yield:

Serves four.

Ingredients

1. 1 lb. lean beef (like top round or flank steak), trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain into strips 1 inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long
2. 1 Tbs. fish sauce
3. 5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5. 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
6. 1/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
7. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
8. 5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
9. 2 Tbs. apple-cider vinegar
10. 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
11. 1 large ripe tomato, cored and cut into chunks
12. 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, drained, and torn into bite-size pieces
13. Cooked white rice for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the beef with the fish sauce, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, the sugar, and the chile flakes. Mix well and set aside. Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. When the oil is very hot, add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until they're slightly golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook, tossing and stirring briskly, until it reaches medium rare, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
2. In a nonreactive bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Drizzle the beef with 2 Tbs. of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Toss the lettuce with the remaining vinaigrette and garnish with the tomato. Lay the beef, onions, and garlic on top of the salad and serve immediately with the white rice.

Notes

Lemongrass Lemonade

Surprisingly, the salt in this recipe makes the drink’s sweetness more pronounced.

Yield:

about 4 cups.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup granulated sugar
2. 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised lightly with the side of a knife and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3. 3 cups water
4. 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 large lemons)
5. 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
6. Pinch salt
7. 2 cups ice
8. 1 lemon, thinly sliced
9. 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 4 swizzle sticks (optional)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, lemongrass pieces, and water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 min. Remove the syrup from the heat; let it sit for about an hour. Strain it into a glass pitcher. Just before serving, add the lemon juice, lime juice, and salt. Stir well and add the ice. Serve in tall glasses with more ice. Garnish with the lemon slices and the lemongrass swizzle sticks.

Notes

Chicken Quesadillas with Chipotle Crema & Pico de Gallo

It’s worth seeking out a variety of Mexican cheeses for a more complex flavor; you can find them online at Igourmet.com. It’s also perfectly fine to use an equal amount of Monterey Jack.Crema is basically Mexican sour cream, and it’s available in most Mexican markets. Both sour cream and crème fraîche are good substitutes, though crema has a more pourable consistency.

Yield:

Serves eight.

Ingredients

1. For the chipotle crema:
2. ======================
3. 7-oz. can chipotles en adobo
4. 3/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
5. Kosher salt
6. .
7. For the filling:
8. ======================
9. 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
10. 1 cup grated Monterey Jack
11. 1 cup grated Mexican melting cheese, such as queso quesadilla, Chihuahua, or Oaxaca
12. 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese or queso anejo
13. 1 recipe Pico de Gallo
14. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
15. .
16. For assembling the quesdaillas:
17. ======================
18. Twelve 8-inch flour tortillas
19. 2-2/3 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce (from 1 small head, quartered lengthwise)

Directions

1. Pour the contents of the chipotles can into a blender. Rinse out the can with 2 Tbs. water and add it to the blender. Purée until smooth.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the crema, 2 tsp. chipotle puree, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Add more chipotle puree if you want more heat. Set aside 1/4 cup of the chipotle puree for the filling and save the rest for another use (see leftover tips below).
3. Heat the oven to 200°F. Heat a cast-iron griddle or a large cast-iron pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the chicken, cheeses, 1-1/2 cups pico de gallo, and the 1/4 cup chipotle puree. Spread about 1/2 cup of the filling evenly over half of one of the tortillas and fold it in half. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
4. Put as many quesadillas as you can fit in one layer on the hot griddle. Cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat until all the quesadillas are cooked, keeping the finished ones warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges. Fan the wedges on small plates and mound a small pile of lettuce to the side of each serving. Garnish each with 2 Tbs. of the pico de gallo and 1 or 2 Tbs. of the chipotle crema.

Notes

Leftover chipotle purée keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 months; use it to add a smoky heat to anything from scrambled eggs to pasta sauces and marinades for grilled meats.Use leftover chipotle crema as you would sour cream: with tacos, eggs, or baked potatoes. It keeps for up to 3 days.

Fried Onion Rings

I like to invite my guests to enjoy a drink while I fry the onions; then I offer baskets of onion rings fresh from the fryer. Make the batter at least an hour before you plan to fry, as it needs to rest.

Yield:

Serves eight.

Ingredients

1. 2 cups flour
2. 3/4 tsp. salt
3. 12 oz. flat beer at room temperature
4. 1/4 cup peanut oil; more for frying
5. 4 large, rather flat onions (about 3/4 lb. each)
6. 2 egg whites

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Combine the beer and oil and pour into the flour mixture, stirring all the while with a whisk until just combined. Don’t beat the batter. Let stand for at least 1 hour.
2. Peel the onions, cut them into 1/2-inch slices and carefully separate them into rings. Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a large pot over high heat. While the oil is heating, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the batter. When the oil reaches 365°F, dip the rings into the batter and then drop them into the oil; don’t crowd the pot. Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 min. on each side. Remove the rings with a wire-mesh strainer and let excess oil drip back into the pot. Drain on a rack set over a baking sheet and serve when you have a plateful. Wait for the oil to return to 365° before adding the next batch; try to maintain that temperature as you fry. Have guests salt their onion rings at the table.

Notes

Seared Steak, Pepper & Onion Fajitas

These fajitas are bursting with flavor: Sweet onions and peppers and juicy, spice-rubbed steak get a fresh kick from cilantro, avocado, and tomatoes. To warm the tortillas, stack and wrap them in aluminum foil and put them in a warm oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Yield:

Serves two.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
2. Scant 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
3. Scant 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
4. Good pinch cayenne
5. 1 Tbs. canola oil
6. 9 oz. New York strip steak, 1-inch thick
7. 1 small yellow bell pepper (or 1/2-small red bell pepper and 1/2-small yellow bell pepper), thinly sliced
8. 1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
9. 2 tsp. minced fresh jalapeño (cored and seeded first)
10. 1 tsp. minced garlic
11. 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
12. 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
13. To serve:
14. Four 8- to 8-1/2-inch flour tortillas, warmed
15. 1 small ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
16. Sour cream
17. Chopped fresh tomatoes or jarred salsa
18. Fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions

1. Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the steak with the seasoning on both sides. Heat the oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Put the steak in the hot pan and sear for 3 minutes. Turn the steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (it will be very rare but will cook more as it rests). Take the skillet off the heat, transfer the steak to a cutting board, and cover loosely with foil.
2. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the pepper and onion slices and sauté, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the jalapeño and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Slide the skillet off the heat and stir in the lime juice, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Cover to keep warm.
3. Trim the fat from the side of the steak and cut the steak into thin (1/8- to 1/4-inch) slices. Add the slices to the skillet along with any accumulated juices. Toss until well blended. Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with warm flour tortillas, sliced avocado, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and cilantro sprigs.

Notes