Super Fast Grilled Steak Sandwiches

My little sister asked me what we were having for dinner last night. When I told her we were having grilled steak sandwiches, she asked me, "Does your husband know how lucky he is? Mine is getting a bowl of cereal!" Believe me when I tell you that my husband gets his requisite nighttime bowls of Cheerios, but last night he struck supper-time gold. Juicy grilled steak sandwiches on crusty rolls with sweet bell peppers and melted cheese make for one man-pleasing dinner. Best of all, it's not much more effort than pouring some Kix and milk into a bowl. Especially if you can get your fortunate fella to man the grill. Move over Lucky Charms, now there's something meatier.

Start with some thin cut steaks. I wanted strip steaks, but my butcher didn't have any, so I opted for tri tip steaks. (I paid about $4.00 for 3/4 lb. which was plenty for four sandwiches.)

Drizzle the steak with worcestershire or steak sauce and sprinkle with salt and loads of freshly ground black pepper.

Quarter some bell peppers, removing the stems and seeds, and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Toss the steaks and bell peppers on the grill. (Thin steaks will only need about 4-5 minutes per side. The peppers need about seven minutes per side.)

Slice peppers and steak into thin strips. Drizzle the steak with a little more steak sauce or worcestershire.

Halve some hoagie rolls and place them on a foil lined cookie sheet. (I buy bolillo rolls from Albertson's market. They're $2 for six.) Drizzle the rolls with a teensy bit of olive oil and rub with a garlic clove, if desired. Top one side of the rolls with steak and peppers and top with cheese. I used sliced swiss, but cheddar or provolone would also be lovely.

Broil just until cheese is melted.

Serve to the man in your life with corn on the cob and call it dinner. Remind him how lucky he is. And also remind him to savor his sandwich, because tomorrow night dinner might be Raisin Bran. The end.

Up Next:

Blackberry Raspberry Crisp

Plum Crumb-yes, that's really the name of this cake

It's Tuesday again, and that means hundreds of internet bakers are joining together as part of our TWD baking club and recreating a sweet treat from Dorie Greenspan's sizeable tome, "Baking: From My Home to Yours." This week, the appointed recipe is a plum brioche tart. You will not find a plum brioche tart here. Yeast risen brioche dough, while extremely pleasant in other forms, is not to my liking in tart form. And so I had decided not to participate in today's baking, except that a couple of days ago while swimming in my parent's backyard, my daughter noticed some plums, just ripe for the picking on a poolside tree. Together we plucked the best of the bunch, and then threw the squishy ones over the fence because no one lives back there and it seemed like the sensible thing to do. Ripe plums make very fine baseballs, in case you are ever in need, by the way. Having procured my plums by sheer fortune, I knew I had to make something delicious with them. I remembered a plum crumb cake that I used to love from an old Pillsbury cookbook. Please don't be put off by the name Plum Crumb. Maybe you won't be, but my mother regularly uses the noun "Crumb" to label married men with-how shall I say?- lascivious and licentious behavior. For example, if Mom knows anything about John Gosselin, she would definitely dub him a Crumb. But don't blame this crumb for any of his misdeeds. This crumb is a soft lemon cake, covered with juicy jewel -toned plums, and then topped with a brown sugar streusel. I remembered that I used to adore it, but like so many things that I used to love in my youth (cool ranch doritos, for example) I worried that it wouldn't survive the test of time. I am very happy to be wrong. It's scrumptious, just absolutely scrumptious and I hope you'll make one soon. I sure will. I know a great place to get some free plums.
Money Saving Tips:

The best time to get a good price on plums is summer and early fall, so act now. (Anybody in your neighborhood have a plum tree?) All other ingredients are pantry staples, so once you get a good price on plums, you should be able to make this one for mere pennies. You can easily double or triple this recipe. If you choose to double, use one whole egg, instead of two yolks. Substitute plain yogurt, sour cream, or plain milk for the buttermilk, if necessary.
Plum Crumb Cake

Estimated Cost: $3.00

Serves Four
2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 eggs yolk

1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

generous pinch of salt salt

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 and 1/2 cups sliced plums with skins

Crumb Topping:

5 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 5 inch springform pan, (or use a loaf pan) with no stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add yolk, lemon zest and juice. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, powder, soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with buttermilk in two additions. Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover with layer of sliced plums. In a separate small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Mix in melted butter with fork. Crumble over the top of plums. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Check doneness in center with toothpick and be sure that toothpick comes out clean.

Next Up:

Super Fast Grilled Steak Sandwiches

Summer Tex Mex Vegetable Soup

Would I sound like a broken record if I told you that my sister just had a baby? Well, it's true. My youngest sister, the ever charming Mary Kate, just gave birth to a darling little baby boy. I don't have a single pregnant sister left, uh, that I'm aware of anyway; I'll keep you posted if I hear otherwise. I've been up in Salt Lake City with Mary Kate, trying to be a sisterly helper, since her husband had to be out of town for a few days on business. Only I think I failed. I really didn't help her with the baby at all. Her other son, the two year old Jakers, took such a liking to me that I was completely wrapped up with him. He slept on my pillow, followed me into the bathroom, brushed my hair, confiscated my bracelets and yellow flower sandals, made sure I watched INTENTLy all of his tricks including light saber fighting, ball kicking, piano playing and dancing, and generally delighted me in every way. I'm home now and I dearly miss my rough and tumble little buddy. What will I do without him?

I had planned to post this soup while I was away, but that same two year old Jakers has cheerfully plucked the W E R T S D V C H L K and : " and BACKSPACE keys clean off of my sister's laptop. I tried typing, really I did. I just couldn't remember how to type with the keys gone. My fingers knew where to go, but when they touched the little round bump where the key should be, I just couldn't help but stop and then have to readjust again. I couldn't even get the title of this soup out without typing the needed Es Rs Ts and Ss. Besides, who knows what little Jakers could have gotten into while I was typing this post? He reminds me a lot of Peter Rabbit, that mischievous little rabbit who broke into Mr. MacGregor's garden. And speaking of gardens, let's move onto my vegetable soup. I absolutely adore this one.

If the green beans are ready in your gardens, then this is the soup for you. If not, it would be worth it to pilfer a few from the vines of your neighbors, or even pay for a few at the farmer's market if necessary. I absolutely love the zesty whole some flavors and the thick broth. It's even better the next day, if you can manage to save a little aside. The secret to the hearty broth is a little bit of pureed brown rice. I honestly think I'll be making this one at least twice a week throughout the summer. Have a great weekend everybody!

Money Saving Tips:

I used granulated chicken bouillion in this highly flavored soup with good results. If you have garden tomatoes, peel and cook them in place of the canned. Cut the corn off cobs if you've grown your own. I used minute brown rice in the soup, but leftover cooked brown rice would be even cheaper. Use any beans in place of the kidney.

Summer Tex Mex Vegetable Soup

Estimated Cost: $5.00

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos

about 5 cups chicken broth (or 5 cups water with 5 teaspoons granulated bouillion)

1/2 cup Minute Brown Rice

1 and 1/2 cups corn kernels

1 and 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Heat oil over medium high heat in large pot. Add garlic and onion and saute until softened,about eight minutes. Add chili powder and cumin and cook for thirty seconds. Add tomatoes, broth, and rice. Simmer for about ten minutes, or until rice is softened. Transfer mixture to blender, or use immersion blender, to puree mixture until almost smooth. You should have a slightly thick, slightly chunky broth. Add corn, green beans, and kidney beans. Simmer until green beans are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Serve with tortilla strips. cheese, sour cream and more cilantro if desired.

Up Next:

Blackberry Raspberry Crisp

Katherine Hepburn Brownies

Maybe the reason that I love actresses of yesteryears so much is that I can tell them apart. Their looks were distinctive. They didn't have plastic surgery to fix their noses, their wrinkles, their lips. They didn't bleach their teeth, and while some of them certainly bleached their hair, they didn't all do it, and certainly not the same shade of platinum blond. They look like they even ate dinner once in a while, and didn't have liposuction to have it all sucked away. And they were gorgeous. Real human women-with flaws and all-are so much more beautiful then the false and brittle images that Hollywood promotes these days. Like Katherine Hepburn, for example. She's spectacular in Bringing Up Baby, divine in Philadelphia Story. She was a real woman; beautiful, talented, and imperfect. And Hepburn even had her own brownie recipe. A gooey, delicious, fudgy, deeply chocolaty brownie recipe. On second thought, maybe she was perfect after all.

Click here for the recipe that we baked as part of our online baking group, Tuesdays with Dorie. They'll cost you about $2.00 to bake on your own, and they're guaranteed to make you as gorgeous as Katherine Hepburn. Honest.)
Up Next:

Summer Tex Mex Vegetable Soup

Summer Submission

Good morning, fellow patriots.

I hope you are recovering from a fun and firecrackly, food filled holiday. Oh, the feast we had! Even my bathing suit is starting to feel tight- I thought these modern contraptions were supposed to stretch. Oh, to be a child again and be able to have a mile high stack of pancakes right before you jump into your swimsuit.
Notice the lack of inhibition when a small charge does this....

And this...

And this
And if there is any extra time, there is always this...
Why do I have the feeling that we're just about to fall headlong into the lazy days of summer? Be careful, young feller.
Excuse me while I eat seven pancakes and join in the feckless revelry.
I think I'll pretend I'm seven again and really enjoy my summer.

I think I'll enjoy it even more knowing I'm the one with the camera. No photographic evidence will ensue. Phew. Pass the pancakes.

Be back tomorrow with ...Katherine Hepburn Brownies

Blackened Corn Spicy Potato Salad and Patriotic Cookies

When you get a minute, over the course of the weekend, I hope you'll read the Declaration of Independence. (Click here for a copy.) The second paragraph is the juiciest, containing the basic human rights on which this country was founded: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. (Jefferson borrowed some of these ideas from English political philosopher John Locke, who wrote earlier that the basic human rights were life, liberty, and property. ) Jefferson established that the purpose of government was to help human beings secure these rights. On these principles, the republic of the United States is established. We, the citizens, are the rulers, which is a hefty responsibility when you stop to think about it. For our republic to function, we citizens have to be well-informed and pro-active. The best route to becoming an educated citizen is to read the primary documents upon which this great country is founded. So take a minute this weekend to read that famous birthday announcement of our new nation, The Declaration of Independence. If you can, read it out loud to your family, just as it was done across the colonies in 1776, after we Americans first gained the rights and responsibilities of freedom. You may want to even take off your hat and shout a few huzzahs in between sparklers and piccolo petes.

And now, to assist you in your pursuit of happiness this weekend, I've got two great recipes to share. The first is a spicy potato salad, full of caramelized corn, cilantro, and spice. It's especially delicious with yesterday's Catalina Island cheeseburgers. Next, I'm re-sharing my patriotic M and M cookies from last year, since they're just such crowd pleasers. Now go forth and safely and happily enjoy your Fourth.

Blackened Corn Spicy Potato Salad:

Estimated Cost: $3.00

Notes: I always adjust the seasonings of starchy salads (such as potato, pasta, rice, quinoa) before serving. They tend to become more bland in the refrigerator.

3 lbs. russett potatoes, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups corn, thawed if frozen

1 large onion, chopped

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise (or use more sour cream)

juice of two limes

1/2 teaspoon cumin

a pinch or two of chipotle chili powder OR tabasco

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

Place whole potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are just tender when pricked with a fork, about 14-18 minutes. Remove from heat and drain in a colander; cut into bite sized pieces when cool enough to handle. Place same pot over medium high heat. Add oil and warm. Add onions and cook for five minutes. Crank the heat up to high and add corn and green chilies. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until corn is blackened in places, about 5 minutes. Place potatoes and corn mixture in a large bowl. Add sour cream, mayo, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Chill for at least two hours before serving. Adjust seasonings just before serving.

Patriotic M and M Cookies

Estimated Cost: $4.00

Notes: If you use all white flour, you may need to add a bit more flour to the dough. You want the dough to be soft and not too sticky, with a texture like playdough.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar (I use dark)

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

about 2 cups M and Ms

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in powder, soda, and salt. Add flour, 1 cup at a time. Add about 1/3 of M and Ms to dough. Shape into scant 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheets. Bake until almost firm, about 8-10 minutes. Push remaining M and Ms into cookies immediately.
Next Up:

Blackberry-Raspberry Pie

Catalina Island Cheeseburgers

Sailor and I just got home from volunteering at a community food bank. Together with my teenage sunday school class (young women, we call them), we shelved donated food items. I'm kicking myself for not having my camera on hand. You might have liked to have seen when I picked up the leeky jar of natural peanut butter. I believe we collectively unloaded five pallets, and by the end we knew right where to put the asparagus spears, baby food, salad dressing, and umpteen million tins of canned soup. Cream of Chicken, Cream of mushroom, tomato, tomato and basil, chicken and rice, chicken noodle-I've seen it all tonight. Amidst all of the reaching and packing, I had to remind myself of how fortunate we are to have a healthy abundance of good food available. We have a little garden, a modest closet full of food storage, and a weekly budget that allows us to nourish our bodies and enjoy all the pleasures of a varied diet. It's also good to have a little extra to share, especially during these trying economic times-yet another reason to be frugal. I'm anxious to get back to the food center with my own little family. Although the four of us won't be able to get five whole pallets unloaded, we could renew our feelings of gratitude by recognizing that what we have enough to share. Enough said.
Sheesh, I must be on the wrong holiday, because it surely isn't Thanksgiving. But Fourth of July makes me grateful too; not just grateful because I've got enough to eat, but grateful to be an American citizen. Maybe I'll write more about that tomorrow. For today, here's my latest and greatest cheeseburger. I named it after Catalina Island in California, where you can buy juicy burgers with roasted green chilies. My version has a southwest inspired Thousand Island dressing, plus a hefty pile of cilantro, red ripe tomatoes, and melting cheddar cheese. Plus the buns: I posted my homemade hamburger buns here last year, but I'm reposting them again today; they're just to good to be forgotten.
Money Saving Tips:
Every grocery store in town has ground beef on sale this week. Buy it in bulk and separate it at home to save some serious moolah. Make your own hamburger buns to save even further.
Catalina Cheeseburgers:
Estimated Cost: $8.00 for four
Notes: You can use fresh jalapenos here; just be sure to roast or blanch them first.
1 and 1/4 lb. ground sirloin or chuck
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
1 egg
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons minced jarred or canned jalapenos
sliced sharp cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns
sliced tomatoes
chopped cilantro
To form patties, combine the meat, chilies, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper. Shape into four patties and grill about 5-7 minutes per side for medium, adding cheese slices for last two minutes of cooking. In a separate small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, onion and jalapenos; season to taste with salt and pepper. To assemble burgers, spread both sides of buns with mayo mixture. Place tomatoes, burgers, and cilantro on bottom buns; place top bun over.

Homemade Hamburger Buns
Estimated Cost: $2.00 for 10
Notes: These buns will take your burger from so-so to unforgettable. Make them a couple days ahead and freeze them, or bake them up fresh. Use all purpose flour for a soft rich bun.
Tips: Buy professional quality yeast. My favorite is SAF. Ask your baker what brand he uses, and ask if you can buy some. A great place to let dough rise during the summer is inside a warm parked car.
1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering bowl
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, yolk and white divided
2 and 1/4 teaspoon yeast (I use SAF)
3 cups flour
In a microwave safe small bowl, combine 1 cup milk, sugar and butter. Heat until butter just melts and mixture is warm but not hot. If it is hot, wait until it is lukewarm to proceed. In a large bowl, combine salt, egg white, yeast, and flour-one cup at a time, to form a soft dough. (In a separate small bowl, combine remaining egg yolk and tablespoon of milk). The dough will be sticky. Add a little extra flour if necessary to keep the dough sticky, but still workable. Knead dough briefly, about three minutes, to form a smooth elastic ball. Butter same bowl, replace dough, cover and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled. (At this point, you could punch the dough down and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours, or until ready to proceed.) Shape dough into 10 separate round buns. You can roll them out and cut them with a biscuit cutter, or you can simply shape them into 10 round buns. Let rise on a greased baking sheet for about 45 minutes, or until light and risen. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush buns with egg yolk mixture. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Up Next:
Blackened Corn Potato Salad
Also...I'm still working on that perfect pound cake. I've got my latest version in the oven-it looks extremely promising....