Category Archives: Rambling Recipes from the Kitchen

Food….food….food.

Flat Iron Steak in Tequila with Margarita Salsa and Corn Salad

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Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  Too many and we thank you.

Memorial Day means a cookout around here. Hot dogs and hamburgers just don’t make the grade most times. My family likes meat and spice. A grilled steak usually hits the mark. I needed to add a little zip and pizzazz this year. The same old grilled steak, potato salad and baked beans just weren’t appetizing. So I decided to play around with the salsa and one thing led to another. Before you know it I had the tequila out (for the salsa only!) Why not give it a try? Lime juice and tequila work for all sorts of things. I think this salsa is a keeper for future cookouts and maybe even fajitas.  It worked on the steak but I didn’t add any to the corn salad.  Maybe next time!

Memorial Day Dinner

Here is the Memorial Day All Star Line-up:

  • Flat Iron Steak
  • Margarita Salsa
  • Roasted Corn Salad
  • Warmed flour tortillas

Margarita Salsa

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Margarita Salsa con Aguacate

What You Need:

  • 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
  • 4 green onions including the green tops, thinly diced
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped (including some stems)
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 avocado peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon tequila
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

What You Do:

  1. Put all the diced vegetables in a medium bowl.
  2. Add the lime juice and tequila.
  3. Mix well and cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/flat-iron-steak-in-tequila-with-margarita-salsa-and-corn-salad/

Tequila Steak

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Flat Iron Steak with Tequila

What You Need:

  • Flat Iron Steak
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon tequila
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

What You Do:

  1. Score the steak diagonally in both directions on one side.
  2. Sprinkle the steak with the salt, pepper, and cumin.
  3. Place in a zip lock back and add the oil, lime juice and tequila.
  4. Marinade at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
  5. Grill to desired doneness turning ¼ turn after 3 minutes to get the grill marks.
  6. I cook for 6 minutes on one side (with the diagonal cuts) and then 3-4 minutes on the other side.
http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/flat-iron-steak-in-tequila-with-margarita-salsa-and-corn-salad/

Roasted Corn Salad

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Roasted Corn Salad

Gazebo Room Greek Dressing is a great greek dressing/marinade brand name that is available in some grocery stores. If it isn't handy in your store your favorite greek dressing will do. This salad is best made a day ahead to marinate overnight.

What You Need:

  • 4 cups yellow corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 1/2 cups Gazebo Room Greek Dressing (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
  • 1 cucumber stripe peeled, halved and sliced
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

What You Do:

    Roasted corn
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. On a large sheet pan or 13X9 cake pan mix corn and 3/4 cup dressing.
  3. Place pan in the oven and stir corn every 10 minutes.
  4. Once 1/2 the corn has turned a light brown remove from oven and let cool.
    5. Salad
  5. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and chill for at least two hours if not 24 hours.
http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/flat-iron-steak-in-tequila-with-margarita-salsa-and-corn-salad/

 

I am going to ramble about this at some of these fun parties.

Cinnamon Rolls

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Cinnamon and Sugar for this month’s Improv Challenge organized by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.

When I heard we were using cinnamon and sugar for this month’s improv challenge, I couldn’t decide what to do.  When I was a child my mom made us cinnamon toast and hot chocolate for breakfast on cold mornings.  I think that was my favorite breakfast.  Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices to use in sweet dishes.  I’ve had it in a few savory dishes, but it doesn’t take me back to cinnamon toast in a savory dish.

My daughter introduced me to the Savory Spice Shop.  They have several different cinnamons.  Saigon Cinnamon is one I have tried.  It has a very warm taste.  I’d like to explore other types just to see what my favorite is.

These Cinnamon Rolls are extra good with the maple flavored glaze and nice to package and give to friends.

Cinnamon Rolls

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Cinnamon Rolls

Wrap and deliver to your friends as a great surprise. I made half the dough into rolls for dinner and half into cinnamon rolls

What You Need:

    For the rolls
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ heaping teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon soda (actually a little less)
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
    • For the glaze
  • 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ cup milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons strong coffee
  • 2 teaspoons maple flavoring

What You Do:

    Cinnamon Roll Dough
  1. Heat in a large sauce pan until just below a boil: 2 cups whole milk, ½ cup granulated sugar,
  2. ½ cup vegetable oil
  3. Let this cool.
  4. Then add 1 package dry active dry yeast and let the yeast sit on the milk for about 2 minutes. Stir well and add 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  5. Mix well and cover in a warm place for an hour to allow to rise.
  6. Then add: 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ heaping teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon soda,
  7. ½ teaspoon fine salt
  8. Mix well and place in a large mixing bowl in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Cover well with plastic wrap.
  9. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    10. Preparation:
  10. When ready to make the cinnamon rolls flour a board and roll out to about 30” X 10”. This will be thin.
  11. Spread generously with 1 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 1 cup sugar (or a little more) and 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips.
  12. Begin with the wide side and roll very tightly.
  13. Pinch to close and turn the seam side down
  14. Slice about ½ “ thick.
    15. To give to your friends:
  15. Put 7-8 rolls in each 9” round disposable aluminum pan that has been spread with melted butter.
  16. Top the rolls with pecan halves.
  17. Let rise for about 20 minutes
  18. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes.
  19. Rotate the pans from lower to upper racks at mid-point in the baking.
  20. Don’t let them get too brown.
    21. Make this glaze while the rolls are baking.
  21. Mix ingredients to a pourable consistency.
  22. Add more powdered sugar or butter as needed to adjust the consistency.
  23. Taste and adjust the maple flavoring to your taste.
  24. While the rolls are still hot pour the glaze allowing the glaze to cover all the rolls and run down the sides
http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/cinnamon-rolls/

For a bonus cinnamon recipe check out these sweet and savory tortilla bowls.

Candy Coated Tortilla Bowls

I buttered the inside of the tortilla and used cinnamon and sugar to glaze the inside.  The rims were dipped in colored candy melts for Cinco de Mayo too.  They were simple to make and tasted really good, especially with some ice cream in them.  These reminded me of fried ice cream.

Check out some more SUPER recipes from my fine foodie friends.


I am going to ramble about this at some of these fun parties.

Egg, Bacon Salad Sandwich with a Bonus Asparagus Roast

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I love the smell of bacon and coffee. I love the taste of bacon, but not coffee. When I was a kid I ran up to my mom and grabbed her glass of iced tea, only to discover it was not tea, but iced coffee. We lived in Houston, TX at that time and it was summer. So naturally one wouldn’t have hot coffee in the afternoon. We didn’t even have air conditioning – just fans. But that was not the cool refreshing taste I was looking for. Therefore, my dislike for coffee began.

I think I was born to like bacon. I mean who isn’t? Oprah says if you have bacon in your refrigerator you are not on a serious diet. I only bought 5 slices to make this, and no, I did not eat all 5. I’ll have some tomorrow with another salad with the asparagus.

On the way home from work I was thinking about bacon for Saturday Dishes and somehow this came to mind. A croissant toasted with a wedge of lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, bacon and a fried egg. I’m not even sure how that came to mind. The best inventions come when the mind is semi-conscious. That’s sort of how I drive home from work. The asparagus came about when I walked in the store and there was an entire display of already trimmed asparagus spears. Somehow I would make these go together. Then it came to me. Roast the asparagus with the bacon on top. (Kill two birds with one pan.)

Bacon Asparagus

(This is 4 full strips and 1 cut in half = 5 strips of bacon.)

Roast at 400° and turn the bacon once during the roasting.  The asparagus got done before the bacon got as crisp as I wanted so I removed the asparagus and drained them on a paper towel.  Then I covered them with strips of parmesan cheese.  No salt or pepper.  Of course half a strip of bacon was necessary.

Asparagus Cooked in Bacon

Now on to what I originally intended to make before the asparagus side tracked me.  Yes, I’m calling this a salad.  Think of the bread as croutons.  And don’t think about all the calories.

Bacon Salad Sandwich

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Bacon Croissant Sandwich Salad

These are per serving unless you want to share

What You Need:

    Salad
  • 1 croissant, sliced in half and toasted
  • 1 slice of iceberg lettuce
  • 1 sliced tomato
  • ½ ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
  • 2 slices bacon, crispy
  • 1 fried egg (I like the yolk very runny)
    • Dressing
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

What You Do:

  1. Make the dressing and set aside.
  2. When ready to compile this masterpiece, drizzle a little dressing on the croissant.
  3. Lay the lettuce on the bread.
  4. Cover with tomato slices and add a touch of salt and pepper
  5. Add the slices of avocado and bacon
  6. Top with a fried egg cooked to your liking
  7. Drizzle a little more dressing on the entire salad.
http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/egg-bacon-salad-sandwich-with-a-bonus-asparagus-roast/

Come and share your favorite bacon dish at Saturday Dishes.

Saturday Dishes

 

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I am going to ramble about this at some of these fun parties.