Biting Beef!

   

And much like a Ginger Snap, this next dish has just a little bit of a delicious bite!  Ali Rosen, who wrote the new cookbook Bring It, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her scrumptious Ginger Beef recipe. Ali told Tonia the dish is all about the sauce, and it's a simple sauce to make!  Ali says there's ginger, scallions, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar combined with a seared steak. And that's really all there is to it.  Ali added when people taste it, it'll seem like you spent a lot more time on this than you actually did!  But it's okay for them to think that :)

30 Minutes
1 Day Ahead
Fridge to Table

Makes 4 to 8 servings

• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 cups finely chopped scallions
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Dash of salt
• 4 pounds sirloin steak
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

Make the sauce: Combine the ginger, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, and olive oil. Set it aside. (I think the sauce gets better the longer it sits, but at least let it sit while you cook the steak so it has time to settle together.)

Then make the steaks: Generously salt the steaks on both sides. Place a cast-iron or nonstick pan on very high heat and add the oil (only use half if you are making the steaks in two batches to keep from crowding the pan). Let the oil get hot and cook each steak for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of your steaks and the desired level of doneness. You will want to flip each steak every 30 seconds or so to ensure that it cooks evenly

Remove the steaks and let them rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice off the fat and cut the steaks lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Add the sauce on top and serve.

How to Bring It

This dish is great hot or cold. If you are serving it cold, you can keep both the sauce and the cooked meat in the fridge for a day before serving (the sauce can keep for 3 days). If you are going to refrigerate the meat for later, don’t slice it after cooking: Wait until you are about to serve it so the moisture in the meat stays intact. If you want to serve the meat hot, undercook it a bit when making it and then reheat it from room temperature in an oven at 350 degrees F for a few minutes to get it up to temperature. You can microwave the sauce to get it hot if you like.

Understanding LADA

  

It's a good question that you probably were not asking but should be. LADA is an acronym for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. It affects 3.4 million people in the US and has been known to medical researchers since the 1980s. Like most diagnoses for diabetes, those who contract it obviously have to make some changes in their diets. But we've come a long way with what we can and can't eat. And bookstores are full of cookbooks to cater to diabetic patients. This one though, Kickass Health Lada, is dedicated entirely to LADA, and how you can structure your diets around it. Jacqueline Haskins, who wrote the book, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with an overview of the recipes and some new ideas. She told Tonia that the American breakfast is far different than what people eat overseas. She encouraged everyone to look at what makes up a breakfast in different countries and try it for yourself. Jacqueline also introduced Tonia to the concept of Carb-Craft, which in essence is how to safely enjoy various foods while dealing with LADA. For example, she says eat a rainbow, steer toward healthful fats (of which the book explains) and eat what you like. 

Chicken Fajitas-Easy Edition

So you're a parent on the go, and you need to make a quick and easy dinner for the family. The kids have to love it, you have to be able to pull it together in a short time and, oh yeah, it has to be a quick cleanup too. No problem! Julie Evink, who wrote the cookbook Eats and Treats, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipes, many of which can be made in around 30 minutes time. Julie told Tonia about her Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, which she says are very easy to make. In essence, you gather all your ingredients and bake them up! And voila! Dinner is served

• 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, diced into 1½ pieces
• 1large red bell pepper, sliced thinly (about ¼ inch thick)
• 1small yellow onion, peeled and sliced thinly (about ¼ thick)p
• 4½teaspoons ground chili powder
• 1½teaspoons ground cumin
• 1½teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4teaspoon cayenne powder

• 1tablespoon kosher salt
• 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
• flour or corn tortillas, for serving
• sour cream, for serving
• guacamole, for serving
• salsa, for serving
• cilantro-lime rice, for serving

1.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2.

In a large bowl, add chicken, bell pepper and onion

3.

In a small bowl, add all of the spices and salt and whisk to combine.

4.

Pour olive oil and 4 tablespoons fajita mixture onto chicken and vegetables and toss until well-coated. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

5.

Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and spread chicken and vegetables into single layer. Bake until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, 10 to 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 F. Stir once halfway through cooking. 

6.

Just before serving, toss chicken and vegetables with fresh lime juice and scallions. Serve in warmed tortillas with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese and rice.

A Traditional Taste for Passover

  

This week begins the annual celebration of Passover. And in celebration of the traditional meal, or Seder, Tonia's Kitchen chatted with author Judy Bart Kancigor.  Judy wrote the book Cooking Jewish, and told Tonia about her Yemenite Haroset Truffles.  Haroset, is a ceremonial food eaten during the Seder, and it represents the labor and hardships endured by the Jewish people at the hands of a cruel ancient Egyptian Pharoah. 

To make the truffles, Judy takes dried fruit; things like figs, raisins and apricots.  She then forms the fruit into little balls using orange liqueur, and rolls it in dried almonds.  It makes for a very special holiday treat that doesn't have to be served only at Passover.

















Yemenite Haroset Truffles
Makes 16 to 20

  FOR THE TRUFFLES
⅓ cup (2 ounces) pitted dates
⅓ cup (2 ounces) dried figs
⅓ cup (2 ounces) raisins
⅓ cup (2 ounces) dried apricots
2½ tablespoons honey
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ cup toasted coarsely chopped pecans
¾ cup slivered almonds, toasted
1½ tablespoons orange liqueur

FOR THE COATING
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted and finely ground
1. Combine the dried fruit, honey, and spices in a food processor and
pulse until smooth. Add the pecans, slivered almonds, and orange
liqueur, and process until just combined.
2. Form the mixture into balls 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. Roll them in
the ground almonds, and place them in individual fluted foil or paper
candy cups. Refrigerate, covered, until firm, at least 3 hours. These
will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Wine for Passover

 

Gabe Geller from Royal Wine joined Tonia's Kitchen to talk about a question that may be as old as the Passover holiday itself. That is, which wine with your dinner. That's a topic that need not be mysterious. And like everything else wine, it depends on what you're eating. Gabe starts off with one his favorites, Essa from South Africa. He told Tonia the Essa Altera, is a sauvignon blanc-style that has high acidity. Gabe describes it as one of his favorites.

Yet another choice Gabe likes is a bottle from Lovatelli which is an Italian wine just launched a short time ago. It is a high-acidity red. As always, these wines are certified as
kosher. If lamb or brisket is on the menu, Gabe says a red like Merlot or Malbec should be in your glass. If it's fish or chicken, a white is best. Royal Wine has a number of ideas to make your Passover Seder great. Check them out here at Royal Wine's homepage.