These are the recipes from Chef John Knorr, from What A Crock Homemade Soups, featured on our show on Feb. 14, 2015
Chile-Marinated Flank Steak
Yield: Serves 4 as a main course or 6 to 8 as part of a salad
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup hot sauce (Goya Salsita)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Zest and Juice of 2 limes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 2-pound flank steak
Lime wedges for serving
Preparation
With the back of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste.
Pour the olive oil into a blender, add the cilantro, and blend on high speed to purée. Add the garlic, tomato paste, hot sauce, cocoa powder, and lime zest and juice and blend to combine. The marinade will be thick.
Trim any fat from the flank steak and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a baking dish and season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover one side of the meat with half of the marinade. Flip over and cover the other side with the remaining marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Thirty minutes before grilling, remove the steak from the refrigerator. Wipe off the excess marinade.
Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
Sear the meat on both sides, turning once, over medium-high heat. Then move the meat to indirect heat to avoid burning the marinade, and grill, turning once until rare to medium-rare. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 15 minutes.
Thinly slice the meat against the grain. Serve with lime wedges.
Vegetable and Bean Chili
Yield: Makes 6 – 8 servings
Ingredients
2 large onions (1 pound), medium dice
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeño, finely chopped (including seeds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 zucchini, cut into ½ -inch cubes
1 summer squash, cut into ½ – inch cubes
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed
2 tablespoon chopped semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Sauté onions, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add tomatoes with juice and zucchini and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in beans and chocolate and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Stir in cilantro.
Fried Eggs with Coffee-Chipotle Mole
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup drained stewed tomatoes (from a 14-oz can)
¾ cup strong brewed coffee
¼ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
8 large eggs
Accompaniment: sliced avocado
Preparation
Purée tomatoes, coffee, onion, garlic, chipotle, and 1 tablespoon oil in a blender until smooth. Simmer purée in a 10-inch heavy skillet, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Stir in chocolate and season with salt.
Remove from heat.
While sauce simmers, fry eggs in 2 batches in remaining tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until cooked as desired.
Serve eggs topped with sauce.
Garnish with sliced avocado.
4 Recipes That Say ‘I Love You’
Looking for a different way to say “I love you” this Valentine’s Day? Win your way to that special someone’s heart with a romantic meal at home.
Filet Mignon with Madeira-Plum Sauce
Plums and Madeira create a sweet and savory sauce that’s so tasty you may be tempted to lick your plate. Use sirloin steaks if you’re on a budget.
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
2 large shallots, peeled and quartered
1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 4-ounce filet mignon or sirloin steaks, 1 1/4 inches thick, trimmed
½ cup Madeira
8 -ounce beef broth
½ teaspoon butter, softened
½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 cup pitted prunes, coarsely chopped (were plums before they were dried)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Toss shallots with 1 teaspoon oil in a small baking pan. Roast until beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl; rub the mixture all over steaks. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, 4-6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Add Madeira to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil; continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by about half, 10-12 minutes.
5. Combine butter and flour in a small bowl. Stir tomato paste into the pan until dissolved, then add the butter-flour paste in small bits, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until it’s dissolved. Add prunes and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes more. Add the roasted shallots and steaks to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn to coat and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve the steaks with the pan sauce.
Herbed Couscous
Serves: 2 (about 1/2 cup each)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (we used mint, dill and thyme, flat leaf parsley is fine or experiment with what you like)
1/2 cup tri-colored couscous
Preparation
1. Bring broth and scallions to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Add couscous, return to a simmer, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
3. Add herbs and fluff with a fork before serving.
Sautéed Spinach with Pine Nuts & Golden Raisins
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-ounce bag fresh baby spinach
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shaved Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add raisins, pine nuts and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and salt.
4. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan and pepper.
Chocolate Fondue
Skewer and dip anything you like – bananas, pineapple, strawberries, pear slices, dried apricots, pound cake, even marshmallows.
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 – 6 ounces heavy cream
1 tablespoon brewed espresso (instant coffee works too)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 banana, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
8 1-inch chunks fresh pineapple
4 strawberries
Preparation
1. Place chocolate, two ounces cream, espresso, vanilla and salt in a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water. Gently stir until almost melted. Continue to add cream, two ounces at a time, until fondue is smooth and creamy.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture into a serving bowl. Serve with your favorite fruit, pound cake and marshmallows.
3. To keep fondue warm, use fondue pot or votive warmer.
