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Tag: garlic

  • Garlicky Beef Tenderloin with Orange Horseradish

    For Beef

    1 (4-lb) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied
    1 Tbsp kosher salt
    1 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
    1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
    1 Large garlic clove
    2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

    For Sauce

    2 Cups crème fraîche
    1/4 Cup white horseradish
    Grated zest of 1/2 orange
    Pinch of crushed red pepper

    Got this recipe courtesy of the NY Times and it rocketed to the top of our favorites list. Enough said, just make it and reap the rewards!

    We bought our beef at Costco and cleaned it ourselves. That keeps the cost down. For more on cleaning a tenderloin, this video is helpful.

    Heat oven to 450 degrees.

    Season the cleaned tenderloin all over with the salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic. Cover the meat and refrigerate for at least two hours and preferably overnight. Let it come to room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.

    In a large, ovenproof skillet over high heat, heat the oil. Add the meat and thoroughly brown all over, 4 minutes per side.

    Place the skillet on the oven’s middle rack and roast until an instant-read thermometer shows 120 degrees (for rare), 10 to 20 minutes. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before carving.

    In a small bowl, whisk the crème fraîche, horseradish, orange zest and crushed red pepper. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for a few hours so the flavors can assimilate.

  • Philly Cheesesteak at Home

    It doesn’t get much better than a Philly Cheesesteak when it comes to comfort food! Checkout our adaptation that you can whip up at home for lunch or dinner!

    1 (12-ounce) flank steak or skirt steak, trimmed
    1/4 Tsp kosher salt
    1/4 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
    2 Tsp extra-virgin olive oil (separate each Tsp)
    1 Cup thinly sliced onion
    1 Cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
    1 Cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
    2 Tsp minced garlic
    1/2 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
    1/2 Tsp lower-sodium soy sauce
    2 Tsp all-purpose flour
    1/2 Cup 1% low-fat milk
    1 Oz provolone cheese (torn into small pieces)
    2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
    4 Hoagie rolls

    Place beef in freezer for 15 minutes. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushroom caps using a spoon; discard gills. Remove stems; discard. Thinly slice mushroom caps; cut slices in half crosswise.

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef to pan; sauté 2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove beef from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Return beef to pan; sauté 1 minute or until heted through and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in Worcestershire and soy sauce; keep warm.

    Place flour in a small saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, stirring until smooth. Keep warm and stir frequently to keep the sauce smooth.

    Hollow out each half of the rolls, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell.. Divide the beef mixture evenly among bottom halves of hoagies. Drizzle sauce evenly over beef mixture; add the top half back on and serve.

  • Basil and Garlic Meatballs with Linguine

    For the Marinara Sauce:

    1 Large can of crushed tomatoes
    1 Cup of yellow onion chopped (roughly half of a smaller onion or 1/4 of a larger one)
    1 Tbsp of olive oil or canola oil
    1/2 Tbsp of butter
    2 Cloves of garlic minced
    1 Tsp of Oregano
    1/2 Tsp of dried parsley
    1 Pinch of red pepper flakes

    Melt butter in the bottom of a medium sauce pan under medium heat and add oil. Drop in onion and begin to sweat for 1-2 minutes. Add in minced garlic and stir frequently to ensure onions cook evenly. Now add the seasoning and stir for 15 seconds. This will help the aromatics of the dried seasoning. Add crushed tomatoes and lower to a simmer.

    For the Meatballs:

    16 Ounces ground sirloin
    1/4 Cup panko
    1/4 Cup breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning
    1/3 Cup of chopped fresh basil
    3 Garlic cloves minced
    Pinch of kosher salt
    Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
    1 Large egg, slightly beaten
    2 teaspoons of olive oil
    1 Oz of Parmesan cheese

    Combine seasonings, garlic and beef in a large bowl and mix using your hands. Add the egg and continue to mix the meat so the seasoning is spread evenly throughout. Shape the mixture into even balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, cook 5 minutes browning on all sides. Reduce heat to low and add marinara. If necessary, use some water from the pasta pot to add liquid. Cover and cook for 11 minutes (perfect time for cooking the pasta).

    Serve over linguine and enjoy!

  • Ginger Stir-Fried Tofu with Kale and Carrots

    We adapted this recipe from a recommendation in the NY Times, and one important point is that kale is a great choice for stir-fry because it retains its texture.

    1 Bunch (about 10 oz) kale stemmed and washed
    1 14 Oz package of firm tofu, sliced about 1/4 thick in the shape of dominos
    1 Tbsp soy sauce
    1 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar
    1/4 of chicken or vegetable stock
    1 Tsp of corn starch
    1/4 Tsp salt
    1/2 Tsp ground pepper (white if you have it)
    1/4 Tsp of sugar
    1 Tbsp sesame oil (canola and peanut oil work as well)
    1 Tbsp of minced garlic
    1 Tbsp of minced ginger
    1/4 Cup of carrots cut into 2 inch julienned
    1 Tsp of House of Tsang Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce

    Bring a medium sauce pan to a boil (lightly salted). Add the kale and blanch one minute. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set up in a bowl near your wok.

    Lay the slices of tofu flat on a paper towel and cover with another layer of paper towel.

    In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, stir fry sauce, rice wine vinegar, stock and corn starch. Combine the salt, pepper and sugar in another small bowl. Have both bowls in arms reach of the wok.

    Heat a 14-inch wok or a 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately when added. Swirl in the oil at this point, coating the lower sides of the pan and swirling the pan to coat the bottom then add the tofu. Stir-fry for one to two minutes and/or until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for no more than 10-15 seconds. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then add the kale, salt pepper and sugar and then toss together. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.

    Remove from heat, and serve with noodles or rice. For this meal we went with a basic brown rice.

    Another note from the original recipe is that blanched kale can keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

  • Tomato Bruschetta

    1 Lb tomatoes
    2 Cloves fresh garlic finely chopped
    3 Tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
    6-8 Fresh basil leaves for garnish
    1 Pinch red chile peppers
    4 Tbsp oregano
    4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    6-8 Slices of country bread (sliced not too thin)
    1 Tsp salt
    1/2 Tsp black pepper
    1 Tsp vinegar

    Cut tomatoes in 2, core and clean by removing seeds and juice. Chop the tomatoes into very small pieces and transfer into a colander and sprinkle with some salt (this will help draw out excess moisture). After 20 minutes or so, transfer to a bowl and add the garlic, basil, oregano, red chili peppers, olive oil and a drop of wine vinegar. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for another 30-60 minutes. Toast the bread just before serving. Arrange the bread on individual plates, top with the tomato and garnish with a whole basil leaf and serve immediately.

    Tomato Bruschetta
    Tomato Bruschetta

  • Garlic Lime Fajitas (from McCormick’s Recipe Inspirations)

    This recipe came from McCormick’s Recipe Inspirations and we decided to make it when a friend gave us a package containing the ingredients pre-portioned. This meal is perfect for a busy weeknight when all you need is a few ingredients and a few minutes…

    1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
    1/4 Cup fresh orange juice
    1 Tsp garlic powder
    1 Tsp cumin
    1 Tsp onion flakes
    1 Tsp black pepper
    1 Tsp cilantro
    1 Tsp oregano
    1 Cup sliced onion
    1 Cup sliced peppers (pick your favorite colors)
    1 Large chicken breast, sliced

    Combine seasonings and lime/orange juice in a mixing cup and stir and set aside.

    You can cook the chicken and onion/peppers using a regular skillet, an iron skillet or using the barbecue. We used a stove top cast iron grill and it worked great.

    Start by grilling the chicken and add 1/2 of the seasoning to the chicken as you grill. Cook the chicken until it is almost done, (6-7 min) and set aside momentarily.

    Add peppers and onions to the grill and cook until nearly done (3-4 min). Add chicken back to the grill and stir in the remaining seasoning and cook for another 3 min and remove from the grill and cover.

    Using the hot grill (or your preferred method) warm tortillas and serve on the side.

  • Linguine Carbonara

    6 Chopped bacon slices or 1 Cup of diced pancetta
    2 Tbsp olive oil
    4 Crushed garlic cloves
    1/2 Tbsp minced rosemary
    1 minced/seeded jalapeno (optional)
    2/3 Lb cooked linguine
    3 Eggs
    3/4 grated Parmesan/Agiago/Pecorino cheese blend
    2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
    Pinch of pepper

    Combine first five ingredients and 1/4 cup of water in a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat so the water evaporates and the bacon/pancetta crisps; about 12 minutes. If using pancetta, you may want to crisp it slightly before adding the water and other ingredients just to give it a head start.

    Add cooked linguine to the skillet and toss. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, cheese, parsley and pepper together and whisk in 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Toss with pasta until creamy.

  • Basil and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

    1 1-1.5 Lb Pork Tenderloin (for 2)
    1 Tbsp chopped garlic
    3/4 Cup chopped basil
    3/4 Cup crumbled goat cheese
    1 Tsp lemon pepper
    1 Tsp salt
    1 Cup of grape tomatoes
    Cooking twine or bamboo skewers for roast

    Pre-heat oven to 375. Cut tomatoes in half, toss with (olive oil – pinch of salt/pepper) and arrange on cookie sheet or roasting pan. Once the oven is ready, place the tomatoes in the over for about 10 – 15 minutes or until nicely roasted.

    Butterfly pork tenderloin using a sharp knife. Place sheet of wax/parchment paper over the butterflied pork and use a mallet to flatten out the roast. Be sure to flatten the roast evenly so when you roll the roast together with the filling inside the meat will cook evenly.

    Combine the garlic, basil, goat cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

    Spoon mixture evenly into the middle of the flattened pork roast and roll the meat until the roast is evenly closed and the mixture is sealed inside. Place the meat in a roasting pan and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for a few minutes and top with roasted tomatoes.

  • Salsa Verde Take Two

    You know the drill! We tweak this salsa verde recipe constantly because we have not quite reached the goal, which is to duplicate the amazing flavor of the famous Santana’s salsa verde. This time I roasted all of the ingredients under the broiler, including the garlic!

    1 Lb (about 10) tomatillos
    2 Roma tomatoes
    3/4 Cup of fresh cilantro
    4 Cloves of garlic (peeled)
    1/4 Tsp kosher salt
    1 Jalapeno pepper
    1/2 Large white onion
    2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

    Peel husk from tomatillos and wash thoroughly. Place tomatillos, tomatoes, sliced onion and garlic cloves on cookie sheet or broiler pan. Place under the broiler for about 8-10 minutes or until the skin of the tomatillos is blackened. EVERY broiler is different, so keep an eye on the tomatillos after about 5 minutes just to make sure. Remove ingredients from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

    Combine the ingredients in food processor and blend. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure everything blends evenly. Pour contents of the food processor into a bowl and let cool. Salsa is ready to use after it cools, however, we have found that flavor improves if the salsa is refrigerated over night.

  • Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic

    This recipe is a simple and delicious way to roast/bake a chicken with lemon, thyme and garlic cloves.

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

    1 Cleaned and prepped roasting chicken (roughly 4 – 5 lbs)
    4-6 garlic cloves
    4 Thyme sprigs
    2 Lemons, halved
    1 Pinch of salt
    1 Pinch of pepper
    1/4 Tbsp of Italian seasoning

    Place chicken in a roasting pan and ensure the cavity is emptied of the neck and other chicken parts. Add the garlic, lemon and thyme in sets of 2 and try to ensure a even distribution so the flavors work evenly in the roasting process.

    Sprinkle salt, pepper and Italian seasoning evenly over the top of the chicken. Place the chicken in the oven and bake at 400 for 60 – 70 minutes. Remove chicken and let rest for 10 minutes prior to carving.