How to Cook a Steak

In fact, cooking steaks, and cooking them well, is exceedingly easy to do. Observe:

1. Take the steak out of the refrigerator, and rub it down with some olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.

2. Put a skillet or saute pan in the oven, and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

3. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget the towel or oven mitt, rocket-boy; the skillet will be searingly hot) and place it on the stove, over high heat.

4. Put the steak in the middle of the skillet for four minutes.

5. Turn the steak over, and put the skillet back into the oven for five minutes.

6. Check for doneness - you can make a small incision (the rookie choice), use an instant-read thermometer (the techie choice - 130 degrees for medium rare), or poke it with your finger (the pro choice - learn how). Depending on your preferences, either leave the meat in for another minute or two, or pull it out.

7. Plate the steak, let it rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices redistribute evenly, then serve.

Runza in a Pan

1 lb hamburger
1 c. chopped onion
1 pkg. shredded cabbage
2 pkg.(8 roll) crescent rolls reduced fat
1 can crm of mushroom soup
6oz of shredded chz
A little bit of salt/ pepper & seasoning (any to your liking)

Brown hamb. & onion, remove from pan & ... Read More. Cook cabbage until soft. Stir all together meat mixture, cabbage, soup & your seasonings in pan. Press 1 pkg of rolls into bottom of a 9x13 pan. Pour mixture over dough & sprinkle with chz. Unroll 2nd pkg of crescent rolls over top. Bake @ 375 for 10-15 min.
SOOOO GOOD!!!

perfect pumpkin cookies

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening (1/2 butter, 1/2 Crisco)
1 can pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
*Cream sugar and shortening. Add pumpkin and vanilla.
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
6-12 oz. chocolate chips
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

6 tbsp. butter or margarine, divided
25 Nilla wafers, finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cups crumbs)
2 tbsp sugar
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 large bananas, sliced
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 3/4 cups cold milk
1 cup thawed Cool Whip whipped topping

Melt 1/4 cup of the butter; place in medium bowl. Add wafer crumbs and sugar; mix well. Remove 2 tbsp. of the crumb mixture; set aside for later use. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate; set aside.

Microwave chocolate and remaining 2 tbsp. butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle evenly onto bottom of crust; top with bananas. Set aside.

Prepare dry pudding mix with 1 3/4 cups cold milk as directed on package for pie; pour evenly over bananas. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Top with whipped topping just before serving; sprinkle with reserved 2 tbsp. crumb mixture. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Eight servings.

Original Nilla Banana Pudding

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup flour
dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
45 wafers, divided
5 medium ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)

Preheat 350.
Mix 1/2 cup of sugar, flour and salt in top of double broiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Reserve 12 of the wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2 quart baking dish; cover with layers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers and sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of the remaining custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.

Beat egg whites on high speed of electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon over custard; spread evenly to cover surface of custard and sealing well to edge.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly. Top with reserved 12 wafers just before serving. Garnish with additional banana slices.

Salmon Burgers with Spinach and Ginger

45 minutes start to finish

1 (1 pound) piece salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 pound baby spinach, coursely chopped (3 cups)
3 scallions, minced
1 tbsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp drained sliced Japanese pickled ginger (optional, I left out)

Stir together salmon, spinach, scallions, fresh ginger, salt, and pepper in large bowl until well combined.
Beat egg white with soy sauce and stir into salmon mixture.
Form into four 1/2 inch thick patties.
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add patties and cook, carefully turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, 6-7 minutes total.
Serve burgers (with or without buns and with or without pickled ginger topping).

Saucy Meatloves

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. milk or tomato sauce
3/4 c. oatmeal
1 egg
salt and pepper
*Form loaves.*

1/2 c. ketchup
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. mustard
*topping*

350 degrees
35 minutes

Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar
4 (6 oz.) center-cut pieces of salmon fillets with skin
salt and pepper
2 tsp. vegetable oil

• Stir vinegar, water, lemon juice, and brown sugar in small bowl.
• Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until hot, not smoking.
• Increase heat to high, add salmon (skin up) and sear until well brown (about 4 min.)
• Turn over until just cooked through (about 3-4 min.)
• Transfer salmon to plates and add mixture to skillet (liquid will bubble and steam). Simmer, stirring until thick and reduced to 1/3 cup (2 min.)
  
• Spoon over salmon.
  

Darrin's Chicken Enchiladas

4 oz. can of chopped green chiles
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
8 (7 inch) flour tortillas
*Fill tortillas*

11 oz. jar of salsa
15 oz. jar of chili no beans
*Pour on top*

Sprinkle shredded monterey jack or cheddar over the top.

350
20 minutes

chocolate chip cookie secrets

Just a few things to try for a chewier, better-looking cookie.

1. Try a dollop of sour cream.
2. Use half butter, half vegetable oil.
3. Melt butter in the microwave on low setting (w/o burning it).
4. Soften brown sugar with butter in microwave.
5. Add a tablespoon of milk.
6. Add a package of instant vanilla pudding mix.
7. Chill dough before baking.
8. Triple the amount of vanilla extract.
9. Don't overbake.
10. Add a 1/4 cup flour (but they may become cakey).

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Originally published in the Got Milk? Cookie Book by Peggy Cullen)
Makes 15 large cookies.
Borrowed from Erin Co.oks.

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons white sugar
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup plus
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup nuts (Note: optional. I never add nuts, but it’s totally personal preference).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula and beat for a few more seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Combine the chocolate chunks and nuts into a small bowl and stir into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets (Note: I use a silpat. I don’t have a lot of faith in leaving my baked goods ability to be removed from a pan up to chance). For perfectly uniform cookies, scoop the dough using a 1 1/2 inch diameter ice-cream scoop, leveling the dough off across the top before dropping onto the baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely (Note: I never bake my batches for more than 12 minutes. If you over bake the cookies they obviously wont be chewy).

Baked Sweet Potato Latkes

Makes 12 Latkes

2 pounds grated sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray or use a silpat.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Drop by 1/3-cupfuls onto cookie sheet. Flatten with spatula.

Bake for 25 minutes; flip and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve with light sour cream and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Brown Sugar Shortbread

I never knew shortbread was this easy!

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough into a ball and roll out on a lightly floured counter. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies onto a well greased baking sheet or silpat.

Bake until just slightly golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes.

Note: Do not overcook or you’ll have mini shortbread hockey pucks. Let the shortbread cool and decorate as desired with your favorite icing and sugar sprinkles.

Mr. Min's Banana Bread

This is, by far, the best banana bread I've ever had. Thanks to Congress.man McCarthy's Chie.f of Staff for passing it along, after I hounded him for it for weeks.

dry stuff
baking soda - 1 tsp
flour - 2 cups
brown sugar - 1 cup
salt - 1/4 tsp

wet stuff
very ripe bananas - 3
eggs - 2
butter - 1/2 cup

optional
chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix all the dry stuff together
3. mix in beaten eggs, butter, and mashed up bananas one by one into the dry mix, probably in that order. i usually mix in 3/4 of the walnuts into the mix.
4. pour mix in greased loaf pan (i usually put remaining 1/4 of the walnuts on top) and then bake for at least 45 minutes... it took me 75 minutes the last time. you know it's done when the toothpick comes out clean

Peanut Butter (Roasted Banana) Ice Cream Sandwiches

adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup chunky-style peanut butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp (for sprinkling) sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.In another large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisscross pattern, but to not overly glatten cookies. Lightly sprinkle cookies with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Allow Roasted Banana ice cream (or other favorite) to soften a bit, spread a generous amount onto the back (flat side) of one cookie. Press the back of another cookie onto the ice cream, so that the two cookies encase the ice cream and the fork-patterned sides face out. Wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to harden. You might want to hide them, otherwise they'll disappear quickly!