Rosemary Garlic Seared Beef Tenderloin

Crazy day, the lunch I thought I had in the fridge at work had died a horrible death and I missed the daily lunch run by my co-workers. Add to that a bunch of errands after work as I get ready to go on vacation and you get one hungry person! But..I refused to go to the grocery because I am leaving! So I took my chances and found enough small treasures to cook up a little feast of leftovers between the packing chores..oh and I have to clean the house really well so my life saving house/ dog sitter Ruthie won`t think I am a pig!

I had a wonderful heirloom tomato..a Croatian red..if you can find on get it..they are wonderful! There was one broccoli crown, a couple of baby Yukon Golds a tenderloin tail and a rosemary bush outside my door..eureka!! A dinner to sooth the weary soul.

ROSEMARY SEARED BEEF

use any quick cooking cut of tender beef you have on hand..thin is best...season meat with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Heat a little very good olive oil in a heavy iron skillet with a large garlic clove, sliced thin, the leaves from a big sprig of rosemary and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Let all "think" in the oil over low heat as you roast the potatoes and cook your vegetable of choice. Do not let the garlic brown.

When the potatoes are ready, pour most of the oil and all of the Rosemary and garlic into a heat proof dish. Heat skillet until almost smoking and quickly sear the meat to rare. Remove meat to warm plate...let skillet cool slightly, add reserved oil, garlic and rosemary..when really hot pour over steak and potatoes.

serve with sliced fresh tomatoes and green veggie of choice!

allow 2 potatoes per person and at least 4 oz of beef..I think thin slices of pork tenderloin would be wonderful too!

my favorite wine of the week

FOUR VINES 2006 OLD VINE CUVEE ZINFANDEL

PASO ROBLES CA. [average $14]

lots of fruit and just the right touch of oak..and because it is screw top it is perfect for Summer picnics!

"COOK HONEY, COOK!"

FRESH TOMATO SALSA WITH AVOCADOS

I love a good fresh salsa whether it be hot or mild, fruity or tart and I love great guacamole too! What I do not like is the soupy saucy stuff in a jar found on the chip aisle that passes for salsa. There are also weird dayglo green bags of ready made guacamole that are even nastier.

The ingredients for this recipe combine the best of both dishes with ingredients that are available year round. Right now with beautiful locally grown tomatoes available it`s really easy to whip up this dish. It`s even wonderful in the winter using sweetie grape and cherry tomatoes . Once you make this the bottled heat treated salsa of your childhood just won`t do anymore!

I serve this with chips or along side grilled meats or even on shredded romaine lettuce with a garnish of sour cream as a salad.

FRESH TOMATO AVOCADO SALSA

2 lb. ripe tomatoes, hand chopped

use whatever looks good ,,mix up colors too

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 minced jalapenos, seeded

2 large green poblano peppers, seeded and minced

do not substitute green bell peppers,,,wear gloves!

1 large bunch cilantro, well rinsed and chopped fine

juice of 3 large limes

4 large ripe but still firm avocados, cubed

toss chopped tomatoes with 1 tblsp coarse salt..set drain in colander while you prepare the other ingredients

transfer tomatoes to a bowl and toss with all other ingredients except avocado

this is best if the tomato mixture is allowed to sit and mellow at room temperature for 30min to 1 hour..can be made ahead up to this point..refrigerate ..will keep1 day

just before serving add avocados and toss gently

taste and correct seasoning

served 6-8

COOK HONEY, COOK!

APRICOT, GINGER CHICKEN WINGS

Last night was my turn to host my book club. We have a large time with plenty of wine, good food and conversation. I was tired of the usual cheese and fruit platters and the inevitable store bought hummus and chips and was also looking to come up with a new wing recipe that does not include the word Buffalo! I love to balance sweet and salty, hot and sour. I also do not fry anything in my house. So I wanted a baked wing that was crispy and deeply browned. This is the recipe I invented and according to the girls, it`s a keeper!

APRICOT, GINGER CHICKEN WINGS WITH RED CHILI AND DRIED CHERRIES

375 degree oven

4 lbs chicken wings , trimmed

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

TOSS WINGS WITH SAUCE, SUGAR AND OIL

PLACE ON FOIL LINED COOKIE SHEETS AND BAKE 20 MIN. STIR AND INCREASE HEAT TO 400 DEGREES. ROAST 10 MIN OR UNTIL GOLDEN

wings can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for later use

APRICOT, GINGER SAUCE

6 large cloves garlic

1 3 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced in chunks approx. 2.5 oz

1- 18 oz jar apricot preserves

2/3 cup soy sauce

2 tsp Asian red chili garlic sauce

juice 1 whole lime

DROP GARLIC AND GINGER INTO RUNNING FOOD PROCESSOR AND CHOP FINE

ADD ALL OTHER INGREDIENTS AND PULSE TO BLEND

3 oz dried cherries

ADD CHERRIES AND PROCESS UNTIL JUST CHOPPED

TOSS HOT WINGS WITH SAUCE, GARNISH WITH LIME WEDGES, CHOPPED GREEN ONIONS, CHOPPED CILANTRO AND SLIVERED FRESH APRICOTS IF AVAILABLE

sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week. reheat wings and toss with warm sauce. Sauce is also great on grilled shrimp, pork and chicken!

serves 6 -8 as main course or 10 - 12 as an appetizer

"COOK HONEY, COOK!"

ALMOND ORANGE SEMOLINA CAKE WITH GREEK YOGURT

This is a photo of the almond, orange semolina cake published earlier with the one dish Summer Supper recipe.

SUGAR COOKIE FRUIT TART

We`ve all been here...Company is coming...the plan was for a real French pastry tart filled with home made pastry cream, topped with glazed fresh fruit. Then the day falls apart. The garden you cleaned yesterday was trashed by a late night thunder storm, a raccoon got into the trash and spread it all over the place, your 18 year old cat missed his box AGAIN, your beloved Teenie dog has had her way with an entire roll of toilet paper! Good lord I`ll never get this tart done in time!

A good cook has to be like a Marine.."adapt and overcome" has to be the motto. You ponder for a moment and remember that sugar cookie fruit tart you used to make with the kids and eureka!! there is light at the end of the Cuisinart!

There is really no recipe to this...just a few ingredients purchased on the fly from your local grocer. Go for it!

Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart

butter a tart pan..place a round of parchment in the bottom and butter that too

Line the bottom of the pan with 1/2 inch thick rounds of store bought sugar cookie dough.

Carefully press the dough rounds together to form a crust, pushing dough up the sides of the pan

Prick the dough with tines of a fork to prevent rising [it will rise a little but will fall as it cools]

Bake tart shell according to cookie directions until golden brown

Let shell cool to room temp

In a mixer whip up some cream cheese or mascarpone with powdered sugar to taste. Add a touch of vanilla, almond or orange extract..whatever seems good to you! Taste and correct seasoning.

Spread filling in tart shell. Go easy cause it`s really rich...Chill while you prepare fruits. Use any assortment of seasonal fruits you wish. Make sure fruits are dry.

Arrange fruit decoratively.

Melt some Apricot or Peach preserves over low heat. Strain through mesh sieve. Carefully paint warm [not hot] glaze over fruits.

Chill to set.

If using all strawberries you might use strawberry jelly for the glaze. If using jelly, there is no need to strain it.

To serve, remove tart from pan and place on serving platter. Optional: garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

and you do not have to tell what the ingredients are either..let them be amazed and wonder how you do what you do!

serves 8

"Cook Honey, Cook!"

FEELING CRABBY..DEVILED CRAB BISQUE

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO MY JUNE 2009 NFOCUS MAGAZINE ARTICLE WITH RECIPE FOR WONDERFUL DEVILED CRAB BISQUE. IT`S A RECIPE THAT BRINGS BACK FOND MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATIONS AT THE BEACH WITH MY GRANDPARENTS.

"COOK HONEY, COOK!"

HTTP://WWW.NFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM/2009-06-01/COLUMNS/FEELING-CRABBY

THE DIVINE TOMATO

www.nfocusmagazine.com/2009-07-01/columns/the-divine-tomato

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO MY JULY NFOCUS MAGAZINE COLUMN

INCLUDES A RECIPE FOR MY ALL PURPOSE MEAT MARINADE.ESPECIALLY GOOD ON LAMB AS WELL AS A COOL BUTTERMILK HERB SALAD DRESSING..PERFECT FOR HOMEGROWN SUMMER TOMATOES!

ONE DISH SUMMER SUPPER

I look for ways to serve a variety of foods at dinner parties with a minimum of effort after my guests arrive. I want to get almost everything done so I don`t miss out on the conversation and I want my guests to be able to compose their own plates at their leisure. I also try to be sensitive to their likes and dislikes. One of my guests does not like fruit on salads, one loves tangy, sour flavors and dislikes broccolli, one can`t tolerate the taste of curry, one will not eat meats of any kind that are not cooked to death and so on and so on.

My mother would be horrified to think I might cater to the individual tastes of my guests. We were taught to accept whatever was served without negative comment. To tell one`s host that the meat was not cooked to your liking or to ask that a dish be prepared in a different manner would have seemed the ultimate insult. I remember her reaction many years ago to a negative comment about a dish she served. My parents had invited one of daddy`s important business associates for dinner. They arrived and had unexpectedly brought their son with them. Mom had prepared one of our favorite dishes, Chicken Divan which consisted of poached chicken breasts over broccoli , covered with a wonderful rich Gruyere cheese sauce with white wine with a crunchy buttered bread crumb topping. We children were served in the breakfast room. Mom placed a plate in front of our young guest and he said "what`s this slop?" Mom promptly lost it and turned the plate of food upside down on his head, I am not sure if my dad and the Colonel did any more business, but I and my brothers learned never to make a negative comment about food , anywhere!

The photo is one of a composed Summer supper that I do quite often. Every dish with the exception of the grilled chicken was prepared way in advance. I grilled the chicken thighs just before the party. All that was left for me to do was put it all together which only takes a few minutes.

I bought a large kitchen turntable and placed it in the center of my dining room table. I place the platter on this and allow guests to graze ! It`s such fun as guests slowly turn the platter to help them selves to whatever they like.

SUGGESTED INGREDIENTS FOR ONE DISH SUMMER SUPPER

grilled boneless chicken thighs, marinated overnight in Greek yogurt with cumin, garlic and smoked paprika [short on time? sub grocery store rotisserie chicken with lots of lemon juice and capers]

blanched baby green beans

gemelli pasta with fresh basil pesto

grilled Vidalia onions with red, yellow and orange peppers

quartered home grown heirloom tomatoes...choose lots of sizes and colors

goat cheese logs rolled in cracked black pepper and chopped herbs

all served on chilled shredded romaine mixed with a handful of baby greens with chopped fresh basil and a little fresh mint

Pass hot french bread and cruets of simple vinaigrette dressing.

Dessert: I found this wonderful recipe in Every Day Food Magazine..it`s a keeper!

ORANGE GLAZED ALMOND SEMOLINA CAKE WITH FRESH FRUIT

serves 8

preheat oven 350 degrees

butter a 9 inch round cake pan..place round of parchment paper on bottom..butter parchment

12 Tblsp [1 1/2 sticks ] unsalted butter softened

1 cup sugar

1 large Tblsp finely grated orange zest

3/4 cup semolina flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely ground

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup Greek Yogurt..full fat

using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy

add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition

add vanilla

in a large bowl whisk together

semolina, white flour, baking powder, salt and orange peel

with mixer on low add flour mixture and Greek Yogurt alternately , ending with yogurt.

scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 min. until golden brown and pick inserted in center comes out clean.

ORANGE SYRUP

in small sauce pan bring

1/2 cup water to a boil add

2/3 cup sugar

6 large strips of orange peel

stir to dissolve sugar..simmer 4 minutes

remove from heat and let sit while cake bakes

let cake cool 10 min in pan

turn cake out onto rimmed serving platter

poke holes in top with fork and spoon syrup over cake until all is absorbed

serve the cake cut in wedges accompanied by fresh sugared berries or peaches topped with more Greek Yogurt

Any leftover cake is wonderful with coffee for breakfast!

"Cook Honey, Cook!"