Flank Steak Tacos

Anytime my husband is looking to impress a friend, he whips these babies up. It never fails that customers always leave satisfied. Ask any one of our friends, they have ALL had Micah's flank steak tacos and they have all come running back for more. Micah makes these for me with shrimp, so it just goes to show you can substitute any protein you would like.

We use La Victoria taco sauce and salsa to make these, but it can be tricky to find. If you don't have luck, use whatever authentic Mexican sauces your local grocer has. Also, don't worry if you don't have a food processor! In our college days we didn't have one so we use to grate the tomatoes with a box grater. It was a great arm workout.


As I said in the webisode, there is some prep work to these and they cook for nearly 4 hours but it is well worth it. This dish is perfect for lazy Sunday.! At our house, Sunday equates to cook-day. We spend nearly half the day in the kitchen cooking up a storm. It's become somewhat of a family tradition.



Micah's Flank Steak Tacos

6 tomatoes
1 large onion
2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced (use one if you are sensitive to heat)
3-4 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 jar of La Victoria, taco sauce, hot
1 jar of La Victoria, salsa, hot
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1.5 pounds of flank steak
salt
pepper

Blend the tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper in a food processor until coarsely chopped. (See note at bottom.)

Pat dry the flank steak. Salt and pepper both sides. Cut steak into 2-inch cubes.

Set a large skillet to medium-high heat. Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil. Cook meat until seared (browned) on all six sides. About 2-3 minutes per side.

Add entire jar of taco sauce and stir. Add tomato and onion mixture stir. Add the salsa, stir. If sauce looks thick, fill salsa jar half way with water and add to steak sauce. Add jalapeno, garlic and cilantro. Stir.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Simmer for 3.5 to 4 hours until the meat breaks apart with a fork.

It's Always Good for a Change

I was browsing the internet today and happen to stumble upon some kitchen items that got me all excited, and it got me thinking on making a blog post about it. It's never a bad thing to spice things up a bit (no pun intended) so I hope no one minds the departure from the usual webisodes. Who knows, maybe this will be a regular thing? No worries though, Friday will have my usual video banter, and this week I am sharing my husband's flank steak tacos recipe, something he is somewhat famous for around our circle of friends. So onto the dream list....

Wusthof Classic Santoku Knife

I have good knives, but not great knives, and boy would I love to wrap my pseudo-chef fingers around this professional baby. Honestly, I'll take any Wusthof, or Henckels. What appeals to me about this particular knife is that the grooves cause the knife to act as a serrated knife. You can chop, slice, and dice anything easily and food will not stick to the side of the knife. To me, the "test" for a good knife, is how well it can chop juicy tomatoes, and I think this knife would score an A++.

Breville Hot Cup

One day, when I have the kitchen of my dreams, I will have an infinite amount of counter space that this handy dandy water boiling system will not be a cluttering agent. I admit, that I drink an exorbitant amount of tea. It is definitely a habit I have formed and I would love to have a pot of boiling water at my beckon call.

Perfect Portions

It is well known that the elements of a perfect cake (or any pastry for that matter) is the right amount of ingredients. It is for this precise reason that I am not a huge fan of baking. I am much more a spontaneous chef then a methodical one and having to measure this and count that drives me crazy. Most bakers will tell you that measuring cups and measuring spoons just don't cut it and, if you are seeking perfection, a scale is what you need. Well, this baby takes things to a whole other level. It not only a scale, its a dietitian and a nutritionist too! This is perfect for anyone monitoring calories, sugar, or carbs and has a database of nearly 2000 foods.

Mr. Bento Stainless Steel Lunch Jar & Bento Lunch System

I am a teacher, and therefore never get to experience the joys of feeling like an actual professional and taking an hour lunch break out of the building. Creating an interesting lunch poses quite a challenge. (Sandwiches get boring really fast!) But than there is Mr. Bento to the rescue. With 4 different compartments that fit into the stainless steal vessel the combination of delectable lunch treats are endless. And the kids version would end the guilt I feel every morning as I pack lunch, snacks, you name it, into Ziploc bags!




Speaking of Japanese Bento boxes, check out these outrageous creations! That's not quite what I had in mind when I mentioned I needed to jazz up my lunch....but I could only imagine the commotion it would make in the teacher's lounge.

Floral Inspirations

We always have flowers in the house, and these minimal floral arrangements are exactly the look I am going for these days. I just love how organic the placement of the flowers are.

Hope you guys are enjoying the week! (Chef)uality will be back Friday with its usual webisode post! Cheers and happy eating!

Israeli Hummus

Thank you to everyone who visited the blog! I was super excited to read all your suggestions and I plan to showcase some of the very recipes you asked for. Congratulations Mandi on your new cookbook. I am sure you will enjoy the occasional indulgence.

I was stoked to find out that Mandi was interested in seeing a hummus recipe featured on the blog. Israeli's are all about their hummus, a recent poll suggests that 95% of households in Israel stock hummus, and I have to say, I have eaten my fair share of the delicious garbanzo bean "mash." I am usually so disappointed with the hummus I purchase at the grocery store. It never has the right consistency or taste as the hummus I eat on my travels to Israel. Americans don't realize how deprived they are! If you are going to purchase hummus at the store, stick to Sabra. This is an Israeli brand, and closely resembles the hummus you can find in Israel.

The hummus in Israel is bountiful. Nearly every restaurant in Israel serves hummus and salad on the table, very similar to how every Mexican restaurant in the states offers salsa and chips. Today, it's become very "hip" to go to hummus bars where you are inundated with batches of hummus in varieties ranging from warmed hummus to walnut hummus to spicy red pepper hummus. I have tried many recipes and this recipe is by far my favorite. It is so important to taste as you go, as this is a trial and error process. Enjoy!


Israeli Hummus

2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (reserve 1/2 cup of liquid)
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
2/3 cup of tahini
1 lemon juiced
1/2 cup garbanzo bean liquid
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tspn cumin
1 tspn paprika
2 tspn salt
1 1/2 tspn pepper

Place all ingredients but garbanzo bean liquid in a food processor and blend. If hummus is thick, add garbanzo liquid 1 TBSPN at a time till you reach desired consistency.

Giveaway: Fat Witch Cookbook

I am excited to announce that this week, (Chef)uality will be hosting its very first giveaway. Participation is easy. Just leave a comment letting me know what recipe you would like to see featured on a webisode.(Make sure to include your name and e-mail address.) That's it! A winner will be randomly chosen and I will announce the winner on Friday's webisode.

So now to the fun stuff. The winnings! Being that this blog is dedicated to delectable dishes, its only appropriate that the giveaway prize keep the culinary theme. While browsing the newest cookbook publications, I was astonished to discover that legendary bakery, Fat Witch, was planning to divulge their decadent brownie recipes in a cookbook!
Fat Witch Bakery is one of those places that you visit and wonder "Why are places like this not where I live?" I find that I say this a lot on my New York visits. Everything is made fresh on premises and packaged in such a way you find yourself making a list of people you plan on gifting the chocolate delights to. Thankfully, brownie-holics can get their fix on their website (www.fatwitch.com), as they do ship their most popular, compact and scrumptious goodies, and in their forth-coming cookbook!



This week's winner will receive Fat Witch Bakery's cookbook, out September 14. Until then here is a recipe from the cookbook. Good luck to all my participating readers!

Hermit Bars
Adapted from Fat Witch Brownies

5 TB unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tspn ground cinnamon
1/4 tspn baking soda
1/4 tspn ground cloves
1/4 tspn nutmeg
1/4 tspn salt
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Grease a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and tap out excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating as you add the molasses.

Measure the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, and salt and sift together into the batter. Mix the batter gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains. Stir in the raisins and nuts (if desired) by hand. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter, sticking to it.

Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour.

Beef Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Meat)

Coincidentally, it seems that just as my best friend Jamie moves to South Korea, Korean food is getting its much needed spot in the limelight state-side. The truth is, that I haven't even given Korean food much of a thought until now, but after testing this recipe out (and spending hours reading recipes online and in magazines) I have come to realize I have been seriously missing out.

This marinade is out of this world good and is a nice change to the marinades we traditionally use. Best of all, it is so versatile! I used this on tuna the same night for myself (I don't eat meat) and it was equally delicious! We are always a happy household when we come upon a recipe that satisfies both our dietary needs!



Beef Bulgogi

5 TB soy sauce
2 TB agave nectar (substitute white sugar if not available)
1/4 cup green onion
2-3 garlic gloves
1 TB red chili paste (recommended Sriracha)
2 TB sesame oil
pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Combine all ingredients and pour over meat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.

Heat grill to medium heat and cook steak 15 minutes per side or until desired readiness.

Authentic Mexican Homemade Salsa

*I messed around with the settings on my camera, and the result was this ghastly skin tone. Its as though Casper had a bad experience at the tanning bed!

The word "salsa" actually means sauce in Spanish, but interestingly, it predates the Spaniards by a few hundred years. It is a condiment that can be traced back to the time of the Incas and Aztecs, and it is only after conquistadors arrived in this hemisphere that the sauce got its name. Until this time, the Spanish world had never been exposed to the tomato plant.

Due to its high levels of alkaloid, a nitrogen compound that can be toxic if consumed in large quantities, Europeans considered the tomato plant to be poisonous, and therefore unfit to eat. However, today we know that tomatoes have many health benefits. They are rich in Vitamin A, it's juice is said to assist in liver function, vision, and morning sickness and it is low in carbohydrates. When buying tomatoes, try to stick with organic as this plant is extremely susceptible to contamination by pesticide.

Now to the salsa! My mother-in-law lived in Mexico for about 10 years and while visiting her there, she showed me how to make authentic homemade salsa. We did not use a blender, nor did we roast the tomatoes, but I remember sitting at her kitchen table and seeing how meticulously she chopped all the ingredients. She stressed that everything needed to be chopped as small as possible! We devoured the salsa, and then I was off to a pig roasting party (in dirt) and a donkey ride around the ranch.

The first modification I made to her recipe was to use the blender, but if you do not have one, no worries! If you do have a food processor, this recipe is easy as pie as the food processor does all the work for you! The second modification I made was thanks to Becky who taught me to roast the tomatoes and peppers. I can't begin to describe how much this little step enhances the flavors of the sauce. You have to experience it to understand. Let me know what you think!

Authentic Salsa

6 plum tomatoes
1 jalapeno
1/2 a purple onion, roughly chopped
handful of cilantro
juice of 3 limes (more if they aren't juicy)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place tomatoes and pepper on a cookie sheet and roast until all sides begin to blacken, or the skin begins to separate. Turn tomatoes and peppers every 4-5 minutes.

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blend to desired consistency.

Mock Tuna Ceviche

August is coming to an end, and for me this means its back to the daily grind. Being a teacher, I am lucky enough to have summers off which gives me the time to do the things I have always wanted to do (like start a blog) but never have the time to. Most of my friends give me dirty looks come June when I blab about all the goals I hope to achieve during my time off, but my rebuttal is always "I can't help if I chose the mack-daddy of all professions." This summer, I am happy to say that most of my goals have been achieved.

-I vowed to read one book a week and enjoyed every minute of it, most notably The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.


-I promised myself to organize some closets in the house and somehow managed to organize ALL the closets in the house.


-I made it a point to work out almost every day in hopes of being able to actually complete Tracy Anderson's Dance Aerobics video. (It took me a month of training, but I am a dance-aholic now!) If you have never heard of Tracy Anderson check out her website (http://tracyandersonmethod.com/) and you will soon realize that you are in an exercise rut and you just don't know it. She has changed my body in ways I could never imagine.
-I made a commitment to meet with my girl crew from work every week as to not lose touch this summer. (I can't begin to express how many mimosas I have drank this summer because of these meetings.)

-Most importantly, I promised myself that I would find some sort of creative outlet, and it came to life through this blog.

(Chef)uality

To touch a little bit on my last goal. Working full time and being a full time mom has lead me to unknowingly sacrifice a creative side of me that I use to know so well. When summer began I had a voracious urge to express myself. The birth of this blog actually began with a name. While cooking one night, the word (Chef)uality popped in my head after I tasted a delectable plate of pasta and let out a big and satisfying "mmmmmmmmmmm." It occurred to me how food, and the consumption of food, can be a very sexual experience. More often that not, words that we use to describe food and sex can be used interchangeably. Just this week, some friends and I dined at Canyons, one of the best restaurants in Fort Lauderale, and in just those two hours moans and groans of "Oh my God," "amazing," and "this is sinful" were spewed left and right.

When polled, people are more likely to give up sex over food. (This might be attributed to the fact that food is a life sustaining property.) In a separate poll, women expressed that they would rather give up sex for 6 months than gain weight over that same period of time. Obviously, people have a strong connection to the pleasure they receive from eating.

With the word (Chef)uality in my head, I started to brood with what on Earth to do with it and, that night, I had the idea to start my blog. I have been following blogs for years now and was always impressed by how dedicated people are to these web communities. From fashion blogs, to design blogs, to music blogs, I had perused them all, all except food blogs. To be honest, I had never even looked at a food blog until after I started my own. Well, the very next day I was off to Best Buy to purchase a video camera and I came home and filmed my very first webisode. I am happy that I have stuck to it and I sincerely feel that my creative void has been filled. I am sure that most bloggers out there feel the same. I only hope, that during the school year, I can keep up with it!

Well, enough with this banter, and on to the recipe! I swear, once you try this mock tuna ceviche, you will never go back!


Mock Tuna Ceviche

2 cans of tuna packed in water, drained, and flaked
1/3 cup of mayonaise
1 plum tomato, diced
1/4 of a red onion, diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
1/2 a juicy lime (use the whole lime if its not juicy)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all up and enjoy! Easy as can be!