EclecticCook.com » Dips and Sauces

Strip Steak and Chimichurri Sauce

Karen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:23:11 +0000

Fall is in the air, or so I’ve been told. In the Northeast, fall makes a spectacular entrance. The days grow short, the nights are crisp, and the maple trees put on a show of color that rivals a Fourth of July fireworks display. Kansas has more cottonwoods than maples, and I’ve missed the loud display of color that always signaled the start of sweater, fuzzy blanket and hot cocoa season. But life has a way of reminding us that there are two sides to every coin.

On the spur of the moment, we went for a random, meandering drive this past weekend, which we do quite often. Some of the best times we have had as a family have been on these spontaneous little day trips to nowhere in particular.

We found ourselves at El Dorado Lake and State Park, about half an hour from Wichita. It was sunny and the perfect kind of warm; not too cold and not too hot.

There was a gentle breeze that smelled fresh and green, and everywhere we looked, Kansas was in bloom. Wild sunflowers of a half dozen varieties covered the landscape with pools of vibrant yellow that stood out against the bright blue sky.

Butterflies were dancing above the flowers, adding sprinkles of orange to the canvas. Grasshoppers were singing, and bees were buzzing all around us, and little living ‘somethings’ hopped out of our way with every step we took. We spent the whole day taking pictures and exploring, soaking in the life that was all around us.

And I found myself on the receiving end one of those unexpected little life lessons; even though I still miss the fall maple forest of Canada, I have my sunflowers and butterflies to remind me that there is color and beauty to be found in all places and in every season.

So while my friends up north are winterizing their cars, raking up leaves and trying to remember where they put the hats and mittens last spring, I’ll be out in my backyard, grilling up steaks and burgers until sometime in November.

Maybe I melt in the triple digit summers, and maybe I don’t see a maple tree in every yard, but two full months of fall weather every year is not too shabby as far as compensation goes. I’d stick out my tongue right now, but I’m waaaaaay to mature for that kind of behavior. Yes indeedy.

The first time I made this, I blended everything in the blender and drizzled in the oil. Tastes great, not very attractive. It’s best to just stir in the oil at the end to keep the gorgeous, vibrant green color of the herbs.

KC strip steaks don’t need any help from a marinade to come out tender and juicy when cooked to a perfect medium rare on the grill. But a little drizzle of Argentinean chimichurri sauce adds a tangy zip that enhances the flavor without drowning out the meaty goodness.

Strip Steak and Chimichurri Sauce

2 lbs KC strip steaks (about 4)
Chimichurri Sauce (recipe follows)

Allow steaks to come to room temperature before grilling. Preheat grill to high. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat for 10-12 minutes, turning once, for medium rare. Internal temperature will be 130°F to 135°F. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with chimichurri sauce and serve with additional sauce on the side.

Chimichurri Sauce

1 1/2 cups fresh, flat-leafed parsley
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 shallot
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients except the oil in a small food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil and mix well with a spoon. Can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for 1 week.

(Printable Recipe)

Spicy Hummus and the Kansas City Market

Karen — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:15:56 +0000

Kansas City here we come! Again! I love Kansas City! WooHoo!

Kansas City is about a 3½ hour drive northeast of Wichita, which is just a smidge too far for a casual day trip. But my daughters usually fly out of the Kansas City Airport to visit their father in Canada, so we have a built-in excuse for a visit at least 4 times a year. For most of the drive, the view out the window is of rolling plains of grass with the occasional rocky outcrop. And cows. Many, many, many cows. Brown cows, white cows, spotted cows, little cows and big cows. Now I wish I had taken a picture of the cows on the way up there for a visual reference, just in case you missed the whole “many, many cows” thing.

Moving right along.

I love the vibe of Kansas City. It’s one of those places that just ooze history and culture. Oh and did I mention the barbecue? Oh baby. I drool as I type. I didn’t know what real barbecue was until my first trip to Kansas City and a visit to the original Arthur Bryant’s restaurant. Gates Barbecue and Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue are also on the rotation of restaurants I use to get my KC BBQ fix.

Another place I just have to visit each trip, or I pout in the car for the whole ride home, is the Kansas City Market. With its combination of open air farmer’s market, permanent merchants and restaurants, the 150 year old City Market always has something interesting to see, do or buy.

Fruits…

Fungi…

And veggies of all shapes, sizes and colors.

On our last trip, I found the blue potatoes I had been looking everywhere for, and had a lovely conversation with the farmer selling them about how they should be cooked. We ate lunch at a small, quaint (and packed full of people) Middle Eastern restaurant located right in the market that served some pretty darn good shawarma and hummus. I bought three bags of gloriously soft, fresh, and still-warm pita bread from their little shop next door. I didn’t even come close to pouting on the way home.

The spice merchant has a huge selection of whole seed spices, like cardamom, coriander, cumin and star anise, that can be hard to find here in Wichita. I should have bought some sumac…

This tiny Asian lady could throw together a perfect bouquet faster than ice cream melts in a frying pan. I watched her put together three in the time it took my husband to go to the bathroom.

Speaking of Asian, the Chinatown Food Market is located just outside the City Market. It’s huge! It has a meat and seafood counter where three guys clean, chop and hack such hard to find delicacies as shark, duck feet and pig uterus. When was the last time you had yourself some really good pig uterus? I would have taken more pictures, but it was so crowded I was afraid my camera lens might take out somebody’s eye.

Random bags of stuff with not a single word of English to be found on any of them. I need an iPhone with a magic scanning/translation app.

Um…cooking wine. Don’t drink it. The label says so.

All that fresh pita bread needed to be put to good use, so I made up a double batch of spicy hummus, invited a friend or two over, and ate until the bowls were empty.

Spicy Hummus

½ cup tahini (see note 1)
3 large cloves garlic
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
3/4 cup water
6 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 x 15 oz cans chickpeas, 2 tbsp reserved for garnish
Paprika or sumac (see note 2) for garnish

Blend together the tahini, garlic, cayenne, cumin, salt, water, and olive oil in a blender until smooth. A food processor will work, but I find a blender yields a smoother texture.
Add the chickpeas, about a half a can at a time, blending well between each addition. If the mixture starts to get too thick, add more water, about 1 tbsp at a time.
The hummus should be smooth and creamy when completely blended. Pour onto serving plate and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika or sumac and garnish with the reserved chickpeas. Serve with fresh pita or toasted pita chips. This is also a great dip for veggies.

Notes:
1-Tahini is a paste made of ground, lightly roasted sesame seeds that is used in Middle Eastern cooking
2-Sumac is a tart, deep purple-red spice used in Middle Eastern cooking. It adds a sour element, similar to lemon juice.

(Printable Recipe)

Tzatziki

Karen — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:53:03 +0000

A friend of mine who tried my tzatziki for the first time once said, “Man, that is some good sh.. er stuff!” Use it as a dip for vegetables or pita chips, a spread for toasted French bread slices or pumpernickel chunks. And last but not remotely least, use it as a dipping sauce for souvlaki or to top a souvlaki pita. Definitely good sh.. er stuff.

Greek-style yoghurt is thicker and tangier than plain yoghurt and works best for this recipe. I can’t get it for a reasonable price where I live, so I use whole milk yoghurt instead. My mother would use goat’s milk yoghurt when she could get it.

If you are using the whole milk yoghurt, strain it through a linen towel (I’ve read that some people use coffee filters) set over a strainer for about 3-4 hours. This thickens it up nicely.

Tzatziki

1 32 oz container of whole milk yoghurt
1 large cucumber
3 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped (more if you like)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped (1 tsp dry)
1 tbsp fresh Greek oregano (1 tsp dry)
½ tsp salt or to taste

Strain the yoghurt in a colander lined with a linen towel and set over a bowl for 3-4 hours (overnight is fine) in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.
Peel and seed the cucumbers. Grate them coarsely and then squeeze out the excess water using another linen towel.
Add the cucumbers and the remaining ingredients to the yoghurt, mix well and refrigerate at least a few hours or overnight to meld all of the flavors. I keep and reuse the original yoghurt container to mix and store my tzatziki.
Taste for seasoning both before and after the refrigeration period. Be careful with the garlic; the flavor of it tends to get stronger as it sits, and can become overpowering if you use too much. Use less than you think you should when you are making this for the first time.

(Printable Recipe)