Roasted Two Pepper Orzo and My Very Favorite (easy) Grilled Steak

Just about every woman I know has a go-to little black dress hanging in her closet. I have a fabulous black satin trimmed sheath dress that I like to think of as my dress-up, dress-down, never let me down stand by.

Well, I like to think of skirt steak as the little black dress of beef. Always tasty, always easy to cook with it never lets me down; it's the one meat I always keep in the freezer for that "just in case" moment. You can dress it up with a fancy blue cheese sauce or dress it down and serve it in a casual fajita, but tender skirt steak, fancy or casual, completes a menu much like your little black dress completes your wardrobe.

I've gone casual in my steak prep today, using a tasty marinade found in your supermarket: Durkee Grill Creations Black Peppercorn Marinade. Quick and easy, this ready to mix marinade gives your steak a nice, peppery kick; it's my very favorite supermarket marinade mix.

Keeping the pepper theme going, I paired the steak with a spicy Roasted Two Pepper Orzo that's equally easy to make and a perfect complement to the peppery steak. Don't be intimidated by roasting the peppers yourself-it could not be easier and the fresh roasted flavor is worth the effort. Use extra care when removing the skins from the jalapeno peppers-they're very hot and if you're not wearing gloves, be sure to wash your hands before touching your eyes...I can tell you from experience...it will burn!

Roasted Two Pepper Orzo with Charred Lime

1 red pepper

2 jalapeno peppers

1 lime, thinly sliced

32 ounces chicken broth

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups orzo

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small dice

Preheat a grill to medium high heat.

Place the peppers directly on the grill rack and cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let peppers sit for 10 minutes to allow the skin to loosen slightly.

Carefully grill the lime slices 1-2 minutes per side until grill marks appear.

Bring the chicken broth and water to a boil in a large pot; add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes or until tender. Drain the orzo and transfer to a large bowl; toss with the oil, cilantro and salt.

Carefully remove the skins, seeds and membranes from the peppers. Finely chop the peppers and stir into the orzo along with the mozzarella and the limes.

My Very Favorite (easy) Grilled Steak

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

1 packet Durkee Grill Creations Black Peppercorn Marinade

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Place the skirt steak in a marinating bowl or large zipper top plastic bag. Whisk together the Durkee marinade, oil, water and vingear; pour over the steak. Allow steak to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat a gas grill to medium high heat. Remove steak from the marinade and place on the grill rack; grill steak 3 minutes per side for medium rare or continue grilling until desired doneness. Transfer steak to a cutting board, season with the kosher salt then allow the steak to rest for 5-8 minutes. Carve the steak diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Caribbean Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno Mango Sauce

When I hear the expression "food of the Gods" the first thing that pops into my mind is mango. Mangoes with their luscious flavor and bright orange color are among my very favorite foods.

A spicy mango sauce made with a roasted jalapeno, citrus and Crisco-Puritan canola oil with Omega-3 DHA is the highlight of my Caribbean chicken dish that is a finalist in the Crisco Live Smart Cook Smarter contest! Please follow this link to see all the finalist recipes and if you would be so kind...cast a vote for my recipe (Caribbean Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno Mango Sauce-Veronica, Connecticut). Voting ends this Sunday.

My recipe, one of five finalists in the contest, is a family favorite...not too spicy and not too sweet. Don't let the jalapeno in there fool you-while it adds wonderful flavor it does not necessarily have to add a lot of heat. After roasting the pepper and carefully removing the skin, use a sharp knife and remove all the seeds and all the membranes. Of course if you like a lot of heat just go ahead and leave some seeds and membranes in there.

Here is the recipe...the photo below is the one taken by the Crisco folks-what a difference a food stylist makes!!

Caribbean Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno Mango Sauce
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cup diced mango
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 shallot, peeled
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons Crisco Puritan Canola oil
1 lb. boneless chicken tenders
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place the jalapeño pepper on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Place the roasted pepper in a small plastic bag for at least 5 minutes to loosen the skin. Carefully remove the skin from the pepper and remove seeds and stem. In a food processor or blender combine the pepper, diced mango, orange juice, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, shallot and 1 tablespoon of cilantro; process or blend until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the Crisco Puritan Canola oil and process or blend until well combined; set aside

3. Place the chicken in a shallow dish add the remaining lime juice and stir to coat; let sit for 15 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor combine the remaining salt, oats, coconut, cayenne pepper and black pepper; pulse 5 or 6 times until combined. Spread oat mixture onto a small plate or a sheet of waxed paper. Whisk the egg whites in a shallow dish until foamy.

4. Remove the chicken from the lime juice and pat dry. Dip each chicken tender first in egg whites and then roll in the oat mixture to completely coat. Place the tenders on a baking sheet and drizzle the 2 teaspoons of Canola oil over each tender. Bake chicken tenders in the oven for 20 minutes. Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a serving platter.
5. To serve, spoon a few tablespoons of sauce onto a serving plate, top with two chicken tenders and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

Oven Quesadillas

If you are invited to a Super Bowl party this year and you want to bring a quick and easy appetizer this is the recipe for you. Quesadillas are great appetizers-there are countless filling combinations, countless topping combinations and they are ridiculously easy to make.

Traditionally quesadillas are fried in a skillet, but if you are trying to make enough for a crowd you will end up spending half your evening at the stove cooking quesadilla after quesadilla. Or you can be smart and take this easy shortcut that still gives you delicious results: baking the quesadillas in the oven.

If you're planning on bringing these to a party at someone house, cook the quesadillas as directed; allow the quesadillas to cool, then stack and wrap in foil. At the party place the quesadillas in a 350 degree oven to warm for 5 minutes then cut into wedges to serve.

Pepper Jack, Corn, and Bacon Quesadillas

8 tortillas (burrito sized)

1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

4 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

Lightly spray one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place 4 of the tortillas on a baking sheet cooking spray side down. Layer the tortillas with the the pepper jack cheese, corn and the crumbled bacon. Put some additional cheese on top to ensure the tortillas stick together. Top with the remaining tortillas sprayed side up.

Bake in the oven for four minutes and using a spatula carefully turn them over; cook for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into wedges to serve. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Holy Edamole!

For many, the arrival of a new year means a sometimes short, often times lengthy list of resolutions. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) my list was easy to make this year-I just used last year's list. Sadly I never followed through with any of my well intentioned resolutions in 2008.

1. Giving up soda-OK that was a tough one. No one loves Diet Dr. Pepper like I do. What is a soda addict to do when Pepsi rolls out Diet Pepsi Max (looove it)? How can I resist when there is Coke Zero-a diet soda lover's carbonated sugar substitute dream come true? And don't get me started on Jones Cream Soda.

2. Trying to eat a more healthful diet-My eating life and food thought have long been a contradiction. One of the best books I read in 2008 was In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan; his words "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" haunted me constantly over the last year as this confessed Twinkie addict (yes, my name is Veronica and I am a Twinkie addict) downed countless sugary treats, fat laden and processed foods. I will say that over the past year I did try to be a "conscious eater" -I just wasn't always successful in making conscientious choices.

So here I am today faced with the same lofty goals (for me anyway) I set last year. I will humbly try yet again to give up soda (I'm doing pretty well right now with that one-it's only a real struggle when I'm at the checkout at Target) and I will attempt yet again to eat a more healthful diet in general.

First up I'm adding a new veggie to the menu in our house: edamame.

"Edamame?" you shout, incredulously.

"Where have you been??" you ask, snickering.

For those of you like me who have seen the edamame in the freezer or produce aisle in the supermarket and have chosen to either ignore its presence (weird name, can't pronounce it, it looks like peas) or simply feared it (weird name, can't pronounce it, it looks like peas) Edamame are simply soybeans. They are sold in the supermarket in either the whole pod variety or the loose peeled variety and according to the American Academy of Family Physicians they "...contain all the essential amino acids necessary for human nutrition and have been grown and harvested for thousands of years" (I know, where have I been??) Well I'm using them now.

Super tips: I used my favorite Christmas present a molcajete (mole-ka-hay-te) to make this soy twist on guacamole, but you can use any medium sized bowl. Also be careful with the edamame that you use, some of the packaged varieties (like this one that I found in the produce department at Whole Foods) are already salted so there will be no need to add any extra salt.

Edamole

1/2 cup edamame (thawed if frozen), mashed (or given a quick whirl in a Magic Bullet-like device which I did along with the shallot)

1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, minced, seeds and membranes removed*

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl or mocajete; mash together to combine. Serve with freshly sliced veggies or baked chips or use as a spread for sandwiches.

*Use more or less depending on your personal preference and you can leave some of the seeds in if you would like to give it an extra kick.

BLTs with Jalapeno Mayo (and a quick potato tip)

The end of summer is always bittersweet.

Carefree days at the beach and on vacation have to come to end, the kids go back to school and activities. But there is one bright spot for me at the end of summer, the supermarkets and farmer's markets are overflowing with countless varieties of tomatoes.

This time of year I could (and often do) eat tomatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's important though to be careful in the supermarket when you are selecting your tomatoes. A few super tips are:

• If at all possible, select tomatoes that are locally grown they will always have the best flavor
• Look for firm unblemished tomatoes that feel slightly heavy in your hands
• Don't buy tomatoes stored in a refrigerator section of the store and don't refrigerate tomatoes when you get them home. Refrigerating tomatoes decreases their flavor.
• The tomatoes "on the vine" at the supermarket can be pretty flavorful and are a good choice only when you cannot find the locally grown varieties.

The BLT recipe I made today calls for wheat rolls, thick sliced bacon, and a jalapeno spiked mayo. I cooked the bacon my new favorite way: in the oven. I line the bacon in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. It's so much easier than messing with a frying pan and cooking in batches when you're making bacon for a crowd. Super tip:

Now don't tell your cardiologist or family doctor that I told you to do this but, when you are finished cooking the bacon, reserve about 1/2 of the drippings on the baking sheet, dice up some baby red potatoes and a bit of shallot. Toss the potatoes and shallot onto the pan with the drippings using your hands coat with the drippings. Bake the potatoes at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let me tell you, those will be about the best roasted potatoes you've ever tasted....but really, don't tell your doctor.

Back to the BLT-it's not too heavy (a few of those potatoes on the side would be nice) and it will have you wishing summer tomatoes (real summer tomatoes) could be purchased all year round.

BLTs with Jalapeno Mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 pound thick sliced bacon

6 soft whole wheat rolls, lightly toasted

6 Romaine lettuce leaves, coarsely chopped

4 large tomatoes any variety, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, jalapeno and cilantro; cover and chill until ready to use.

Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a large baking sheet; cook for 10 minutes in the preheated oven or until crispy and browned.

To assemble sandwiches, arrange toasted rolls on a work surface. Spread an even layer of the jalapeno mayo on the bottom half of each roll, top with a few pieces of the chopped romaine, a few tomato slices, 2 or 3 slices of bacon and top with the remaining roll halves.

Yield: 6 sandwiches

Chicken Corn Chowder for a Crowd!

Farm fresh corn without question is one of the best things about summer. By the end of July, supermarkets and farm stands will be bursting with super sweet golden ears of corn. Here in the east corn is just becoming available and I couldn't wait to make something with it.

Once a month I cook for a local shelter which houses and assists women trying to get their lives back on track. I try hard each month to come up with something to serve that I know I would love to be served. I have always felt that a good meal- I mean a tasty, lick your lips, When Harry met Sally diner scene type of meal can change your whole outlook on life. It is for this reason when I prepare my meals, I try to prepare the best meal I can for the 12-15 or so women housed there.

Today I'll be serving Chicken Corn Chowder made with some local fresh corn, on the side will be Barefoot Contessa Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread (made yesterday for the Barefoot Bloggers) and Mixed Greens with Grapes, Dried cranberries and Blue cheese.

The cheddar cornbread works really well with the chowder...is it a "When Harry met Sally diner scene" type of meal? I don't know but I was pleased with how it turned out and I was happy to serve it.

Chicken Corn Chowder for a Crowd

8 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup finely chopped shallot

1 1/2 cups small diced celery

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed

1 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus additional to taste

1/4 cup flour12 cups chicken broth or stock

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, diced

6 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed

2 store supermarket purchased rotisserie chickens

2 (1lb.) packages frozen corn, thawed

1 quart heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

Cook the bacon in a very large skillet until crispy; remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the shallots, celery and jalapeño to the pan with the bacon drippings and sauté over medium heat until tender.

Sprinkle vegetables with the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and stir to coat. Transfer the vegetables to a very large stock pot and add the chicken stock and the potatoes; bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 13 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the corn from the cobs, slicing downward from the tip to the base. Add the corn along with 2 of the empty cobs to the pot.

Remove as much chicken as possible from the 2 chickens; use both dark and white meat, but do not use the skin. Dice the chicken and add to the pot.

Puree the thawed corn in a food processor and stir into the pot. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove the cobs from the soup and discard.

Stir in the heavy cream the bacon pieces and the thyme along with additional salt and pepper to taste; simmer an additional 10 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened.

Serves 12-16

What the Jicama (hee-kah-ma) is it?

When I was a kid there was a TV show on Metromedia channel 5 in the New York metropolitan area called Wonderama. Hosted by the always jovial Bob McCallister, Wonderama was part kids talk show, part kids game show and totally the "not to be missed show" on Sunday mornings before church. Just about every kid I knew dreamed of being in the studio audience. One of my favorite segments on the show was "What the heck is it?" where Bob would hold up some unusual object and the kids in the audience would have to guess what it was. I'm not sure whether the jicama ever made it on to Wonderama, but I'm certain that the average kid or even the average adult probably wouldn't know what it was if held up for a guess.

The jicama is a tasty legume that to me is almost like a cross between an apple and a cucumber. They're grown in Mexico and South America and known by a few different names: the Mexican yam bean, Chinese turnip or Mexican potato. Jicama makes a delicious addition to salads and slaws or try slicing them thin and using them in place of crackers for hordouvres. When selecting jicama in the supermarket look for a smooth, unblemished skin and make sure it is firm to the touch.

This recipe uses jicama as a crunchy addition to chicken tostadas. You may either dice or julienne the jicama. An easy tip for preparation is to cut the jicama in half before peeling and then cut as desired.

Crunchy Grilled Chicken Tostadas with Creamy Guacamole Drizzle

4 Boneless chicken breast halves, thin sliced

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon Red pepper flavored extra virgin olive oil

4 Corn tortillas

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce

1 cup diced or julienne jicama, peeled

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 Jalapeno pepper, minced, seeds and membranes removed

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the preheated grill and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board.

Place the corn tortillas directly on the grill rack and divide 1/2 the cheese evenly between each; close the grill and cook just until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

To assemble, place the corn tortillas cheese side up on serving plates. Layer each tortilla with the lettuce, jicama, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. Carve the chicken into thin slices and fan over the tostadas and top with the remaining cheese. Drizzle each with the Creamy Guacamole Drizzle, recipe follows.

Creamy Guacamole Drizzle
1 Ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Drizzling tip: transfer creamy guacamole to a plastic bag, snip off a tiny corner and squeeze to drizzle over tostadas.