Peppercorn Steak

Special dinner I made for Eric's bday.  Got too thin of steak from curbside, but the sauce was really good.  Would try with chicken, too.  Poured sauce over potatoes, too.  Next time I make, going to ask Eric to crack the peppercorns because that was the toughest and most time consuming part of the recipe.  Basically used bottom of pan onto backside of the white cutting board. Recipe called for 3 Tbsp of peppercorn, but just used 2 Tbsp because steaks were small. Second time, I used the mini cuisinart, but ended up using the mortar and pestle afterwards.
Recipe from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients:
-2 steaks
-Olive oil or avocado oil (I used avocado oil)
-2-3 Tbsp black peppercorns, cracked (depends on how big steaks are)
-1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (1 big shallot) --> no shallot = 1/2 yellow onion + garlic flakes
-1/4 cup cognac (used Grand Marnier - key ingredient)
-1 cup beef stock
-1/4 cup heavy cream (used a little less and didn't fill to top of cup)
-1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Directions to cook steak:
1. Salt steak on both sides & let sit at room temperature, about 30 min
2. Heat oil in sauté pan on high heat
3. Pat steaks dry w/ paper towels (didn't do this)
4. Take pan off heat and put steaks in the hot pan.
5. Return pan to burner on med-high
6. Sear for 4 min --> try to pick up steak with tons and if it sticks, cook a little longer
7. Flip steaks and turn down heat to medium --> cook until how done you want steaks
---Rare = internal temp 120 F, medium rare 124-130 F, medium 140
8. Move to plate and sprinkle with crushed black peppercorns on both sides (only did one side)
9. Tent with foil

Directions for sauce:
1. Add shallots to pan and sauté for 2 min
2. Add brandy until cooked away --> deglaze pan by scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon
3. Add beef stock & boil --> about 4-5 min until trail when dragging wooden spoon
4. Add heavy cream & boil --> until trail
5. Turn off heat & add parsley and remaining black pepper no more than 1 Tbsp (I added more & it was fine)
6. Pour over steaks (& potatoes)

Leftover sauce the next day was still good!

STICK TO THE 4 MIN RULE ON THE STEAKS (HALF-INCH THICK) - I LET IT SIT TOO LONG AND WAS A BIT OVERCOOKED.

FLIPPED ONCE AND COOKED FOR LIKE 30 SECONDS ON THE OTHER SIDE

*American

Tiramisu

Made this for Eric's bday, and it was soooo good! Eric loved it.

Taken from NY Times website.  One time I actually used a recipe and did NOT modify haha.

Second time, I substituted oreo cookies and it turned out pretty good!

*EDIT - used the HEB coffee faux Oreos, and not enough of them (27 total cookies). Next time, unscrew the cookies to have more in a single layer. 

Ingredients

-4 large egg yolks

-1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, divided (50 g/50 g)

-3/4 cup heavy cream

-1 cup/227 g/ 8 oz mascarpone

-1 package of lady fingers

-1 3/4 cup coffee --> I just used Starbucks dark roast coffee (was about 1 1/2 cups)

-2 Tbsp cognac --> Used Grand Marnier (key ingredient in my opinion)

-cocoa powder (can use metal tea bag as "sifter")
-dark chocolate

Directions:
1. Take eggs and mascarpone out of fridge
2. Dust bottom of dish (9x9 ok) with cocoa powder --> set aside
3. Combine coffee & rum in shallow bowl --> set aside

4. Whip egg yolks + 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar until pale yellow and triple volume (slight ribbon should fall from beaters) in large bowl --> set aside
5. Whip cream + 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar until soft-medium peaks in medium bowl
6. Add mascarpone and whip until soft spreadable mixture with medium peaks (felt too stiff, but worked out anyways after next step of folding)
7. Fold mascarpone mixture to egg yolk mixture until well combined

8. Quickly dip ladyfingers into coffee mixture (like 1 second)
9. Placed 1/2 of package of lady fingers in dish, rounded side up (they get soggy so can squish towards the end more of the ladyfingers)
10. Spread half cream mixture onto ladyfingers
11. Repeat
12. Dust cocoa powder and chocolate shavings on top
13. Cover with saran wrap and put in fridge for at least 4 hours (tasted fine either 4 hrs or 24 hrs)

*Dessert

Chicken Fajitas + Pico de gallo + "Easy" Guacamole

I have been using this recipe from mammy2grammy for oven baked chicken fajitas for a while, with some modifications of course.

This recipe was for 6 servings (3 nights for me and Eric)

Guacamole is "easy" because I made pico already, didn't need to add jalapenos, onions, or tomatoes.
Served with corn tortillas (30 count = 5 tacos per night for each of us).
I also made some rice, but didn't need it, was plenty of food already.

Still make with rice

DON’T USE STREET TACOS - too small

CHICKEN FAJITAS:

Ingredients:

-chicken tenders (sliced long-ways in 2 for more tacos)

-1 can ro-tel diced tomatoes

-sliced onions (1/2 of large or 1 med white)

-sliced bell peppers (2 medium green)

-sliced jalapeno (1 medium)

-sliced garlic cloves

Chicken fajita MARINADE:
-1 lime

-2 tsp ground cumin

-2 tsp chili powder

-1/2 tsp oregano

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1/4 tsp jalapeno salt or sea salt

-Next time add some cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken for 2-4 hours or overnight

2. Spray dish

3. Spread chopped veggies into dish

4. Chicken on top

5. Ro-tel tomatoes on top

6. Bake for 400 degrees for 20 min

PICO DE GALLO:

-1/2 white onion, chopped

-1 jalapeno, chopped

-1/8 cup lime juice (2 key limes)

-4 tomatoes (roma), chopped finely (remove juice)

-1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

-sea salt

"EASY" GUACAMOLE:

-1 avocado

-1 key lime juice

-cilantro

-garlic powder

-a little cumin

-a little jalapeno salt

Notes:

In subsequent uses, I cut chicken into cubes and pan cooked meat first with garlic (+/- serrano).  I then cooked veggies separately in pan - onion, bell peppers, hatch green chili (spicy!).  Made Mexican bowls with cilantro lime rice, chicken, veggies, pico, guacamole, and also homemade salsa made the night before.

*Mexican

Ground Turkey Tomato Sauce

Recipe modified from Allrecipes.com "Amazing Ground Turkey Tomato Sauce."


Ingredients:
-Olive oil
-1 white onion, chopped (only had red onion)
-1 tomato, chopped (forgot)
-6 basil leaves, chopped
-4 cloves garlic, minced (used the whole pod)
-1 lb ground turkey
-1 tsp Italian seasoning (used a little more)
-1/4 tsp oregano (used 3 long sprigs of fresh oregano)
-1 tsp parsley (wasn't part of this recipe, but saw in another and wanted to add but forgot)
-red pepper flakes (used 2 packets)
-2 (15 oz) cans of tomato sauce (only had 2 cans of diced tomatoes)
-1 Tbsp brown sugar (used maybe 1/2 tsp and then added a little more later for taste)
-1 cup of water or low sodium chicken broth
-1/2 can tomato paste (used the whole can)
-salt and pepper to taste
-VEGGIES: 2 zucchini + 2 green bell pepper = 6 servings total

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in pan
2. Saute onion, tomato, basil, and garlic for about 5 min
3. Add ground turkey - add Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper
4. Cook until meat browned
5. Stir in tomato sauce cans (or diced tomatoes) + brown sugar
6. Added 1 cup of water or broth
7. Simmer for 10 min
8. Stir in tomato paste to thicken
9. Add in veggies and simmer for another 10 min

Could use maybe an extra packet of red pepper flakes
Maybe add fennel to turkey?

All in all cheaper than a jar of sauce $2.76 vs. $4.32 haha

*Italian

Rosemary Gimlet

Pretty good. First round I put in like 3 shots of gin to 1.18 shots of simple syrup. The second round was 4 shots of gin and 2.5 shots of simple syrup (to use it all up), which was too sweet. Would try the below 2:1 ratio next time.
Recipe taken from:
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/rosemary-gimlet-gin-cocktail-recipe/

(For 3 servings)
Ingredients:
-3 shots of gin
-1.5 shots of rosemary simple syrup (2:1 ratio)
-1 key lime

Rosemary simple syrup:
Put 3 sprigs of rosemary in the hot simple syrup while it cools

Directions:
1. Shake in shaker with ice
2. Pour in glass
3. Fill glass with ice

4. Put the rosemary sprig on top

*Drinks

Monkfruit Simple Syrup

Taken from urbancowgirllife.com

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup monkfruit (erythritol)
-1/2 cup distilled water
-pinch of xanthan gum
-5-10 drops of stevia (didn’t use)

Directions:
1. Heat medium on stove and stir constantly to break up clumps of xanthan gum.
2. Boil for 45 sec when thickened
3. Take off stove to cool

4. Can put in mason jar to shake if still has clumps

*Drinks

Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm not sure if it's worth the work.  One of the problems was the store didn't have garam masala, so I had to make it on my own and do the calculations. Never make without garam masala.

The other problem was which pan I should use.  I used the stainless steel pan, but because I didn't "sear" anything, I don't think I have to use it next time.  It did create a mess on the bottom that may have added flavor to the sauce, but not worth the hassle.  Will try the nonstick pan next time (need the big one).

3nd time cooking - used nonstick pan and worked out.

Recipe modified from allrecpies.com as it is Chef John's recipe. Took some suggestions from the comment section

Ingredients:

-1.5 lbs of chicken, cubed

-avocado oil (for marinating chicken)

-ghee (for cooking chicken)

-1 yellow onion

-3 bell peppers (for 6 servings, fewer for 4 servings)

-2 Tbsp tomato paste (orig 1/4 cup)

-4 cloves of garlic (used like 8)

-1 Tbsp grated ginger (I hate grating, just cuisinart next time, it's fine)

-1 cup crushed tomatoes (just used whole can)

-1 can of coconut milk (used the low fat one)

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-chopped cilantro

-red pepper flakes

SPICES (if you have garam masala):

-1 tsp kosher salt

-2 tsp garam masala

-2 tsp ground cumin

-1 tsp ground coriander

-1 tsp smoked paprika

-1 tsp turmeric

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

-1/8 tsp ground cardamom

-extra dash of cinnamon

-extra dash of ground cloves

SPICES (if you do NOT have garam masala)

-1 tsp kosher salt

-2.5 tsp ground cumin

-1 1/3 tsp ground coriander

-1/2 tsp ground cardamom

-1 tsp ground black pepper

-1/4 tsp + dash more of cinnamon

-1/4 tsp cloves

-1/8 tsp nutmeg

-1 tsp smoked paprika

-1 tsp turmeric

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken with avocado oil and spices 

2. Heat ghee in pan in med-high heat

3. Cook chicken in pan and then set aside

4. Sauté onion, garlic, ginger in pan (5 min)

5. Add tomato paste, and stir until caramelized (5 min)

6. Pour crushed tomatoes into pan and boil

7. Pour coconut milk + chicken broth + red pepper flakes in pan

8. Add veggies

9. Simmer for 15 min

10. Add in chicken plus chicken juices

11. Garnish with cilantro

2nd time I made and Eric said it was his favorite Indian dish I ever made hmm

Coconut lime popsicles

These were pretty good. Taken from Onelovelylife.com

Ingredients (for 6 popsicles):
-2 cups of coconut milk (fill to 16 oz line)
-2 limes (used key limes)
-3 tbsp honey (estimates)
-lime zest if you have time

Directions:
Pour in the blender cup. I add the milk last to fill to the line.
And blend

And pour into molds.

*Dessert

Rum & Coconut Milk Cocktail

Got coconut milk and oat milk to taste test with the almond milk.  Almond milk won, but coconut milk was a close 2nd for me.
Looked up some cocktail drinks and this one was pretty good from food52.com (of course modified)

3 servings

Ingredients:
-3 shots of coconut rum (1.5 oz each)
-6 shots of coconut milk
-1 tsp monk fruit or other sugar
-1/4 tsp vanilla extract
-nutmeg & cinnamon

Directions:
-Mix in shakes with ice cubes (half full of cubes)
-Divide into shooters
-Sprinkle nutmeg & cinnamon on top

*Drinks