Snappy 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.

Getting An Early Start on Cookie Season

It may barely be October, but that's no reason why you can't start thinking about holiday (or anytime) cookies. And one cookie idea is a doozy! Jorj Morgan, who wrote the new, interactive cookbook, You Can Cook Anything, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with her recipe for the Big Soft Ginger Cookie. We told you it was a doozy, and has actually been in Morgan's family for quite some time, this being her grandma's recipe. Jorj told Tonia you can use either butter or margarine. These cookies are great for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or anytime!

Pefection with Apples

   

She calls this one, her perfect recipe.  And that's a pretty tall order considering there's so many great ones in Olwen Woodier's The Apple Cookbook.  Olwen stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her fantastic Gingerbread Apple Cake.  Not only is it not heavy, it's not light or airy.  In fact, one of the reason's Olwen calls it her perfect recipe, is because it's just right!  The cake is made with molasses and cinnamon (and apples of course.) Olwen told Tonia that whenever she makes it, this cake is always a hit!  Find out for yourself!

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 large eggs

1 cup applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

                                                                                       1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Melt butter over low heat. Pour into a medium-size bowl. Beat in sugar and molasses. Add eggs one at a time and beat. Beat in applesauce. Sift flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon into applesauce mixture and stir well to combine thoroughly. Spoon into baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 18

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.

Love Beets?...Try Them in a Cake!

Beets are an amazing superfood, and there's virtually nothing bad about eating them. But you might not think of them as dessert. One Western Massachusetts bakery had another idea. Cynthia Durham from Upinngil Bakery in Gill, MA brought a recipe for Beet Ginger Cake. It's a creation from Australian pastry chef Helen Goh, and Yotam Ottolenghi with a few variations. First, she uses a soft, wheat, whole grain flour. She also doesn't have frosting for this cake, even though the recipe calls for it. She instead

tops the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar. She told Tonia it's not exactly a very sweet cake, but the flavors work out marvelously for a sensational, grown-up dessert or snack that's definitely a change from the everyday!  

For the beet and ginger cake

• 1/2 cup (100g) finely chopped candied ginger
• 1 2/3 cups (200g) flour
• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cup (9 oz/260g) grated fresh, raw beets, (peeled)
• finely grated zest of one orange
• 2/3 cup (75g) toasted walnuts, chopped
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
• 1/2 cup (125ml) sunflower or canola oil
• 3/4 teaspoon Fruit Fresh, or 1 (1500mg) vitamin C tablet, crushed to a fine powder (optional)

For the cream cheese frosting

• 5 1/2 ounces (160g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or the finely grated zest of one lemon

• Butter an 8-inch (20cm) square or round pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the candied ginger and let it sit for 15 minutes. Drain the ginger and squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the grated beets, orange zest, walnuts and candied ginger to the bowl, but do not stir in.
• Whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and Fruit Fresh or vitamin C is a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients in the large bowl and use a spatula to mix the ingredients together, stirring just until thoroughly combined
• Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, even the top, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. (Note: The original recipe in the book, which called for the cake to be baked in a round 8-inch/20cm pan, said to bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes. So it may take longer in another pan, but you should begin checking it at the 30 minutes, or so, mark.)
• Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the cake from the pan, peel off the parchment paper, and let cool completely.
• To frost the cake, beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or spatula), until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar until it's completely incorporated. Add the heavy cream and vanilla (or lemon zest) and beat for about 1 minute on high speed, until thickened. The frosting may seen rather soft, as mine was, but spread beautifully.
• Spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

Beef That Bites Back

  

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.

No Baking Allowed Here

  

And we don't mean that in a bad way! This one's a light, creamy dessert that doesn't require an oven. Abbie Dodge, who wrote the cookbook The Everyday Baker, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her no-bake Lemon-Ginger Mousse Souffle. It uses a gelatin base, and ricotta cheese, both of which help keep it deliciously light! Try it out and have fun.

For the mousse:

• 3⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
• 1 1⁄4 cups ricotta (part skim is fine)
• 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
• Pinch of table salt 4 whites from large eggs at room temperature
• 1⁄2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 12 gingersnap cookies + more for the crushed cookie topping (I use Nabisco or homemade molasses cookies)

MAKE AHEAD

The soufflés can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving. Have ready six 6-oz. ramekins arranged on a flat plate or quarter sheet pan. Cut parchment into six strips 2.5 inches wide and 12 inches long. Wrap one strip around each ramekin so that the paper covers the ramekin and stands 1 inch above the rim; secure with tape. Lightly grease the inside of the paper rim (I use a paper towel dipped in a bit of neutral oil).

Instructions

Make the mousse

1. Pour the lemon juice into a small heatproof ramekin (or keep it in the measuring cup) and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside to soften. Once the gelatin has absorbed the liquid and is plump (about 3 minutes), microwave briefly until it is completely melted and crystal clear, 1 to 2 minutes. This can also be done in a small saucepan (instead of the ramekin) over low heat.
2. Put the ricotta, granulated sugar, lemon zest, ginger, and salt in a blender. Scrape the lemon gelatin mixture into the blender, cover, and process until the ricotta is smooth and the mixture is well blended, about 1.5 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice. Pour into a medium bowl and refrigerate, stirring frequently, until the mixture is cooled and thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. It should be as thick as unbeaten egg whites. For faster cooling, set the bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice, stirring and scraping the sides frequently until cooled.
3. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a medium bowl and using an electric handheld mixer fitted with wire beaters) and beat on medium speed until the whites are frothy, 30 to 45 seconds. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the whites form soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue beating while gradually adding the confectioners’ sugar, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat until the whites form firm and glossy peaks when the beater is lifted.
4. Scoop about one-quarter of the whites into the thickened lemon mixture and, using a silicone spatula, gently stir until blended. Add the remaining whites and gently fold in until just blended.

Assemble the mousses

1. Arrange one cookie in the bottom of each ramekin.
2. Using a large spoon, fill the ramekins halfway with the mousse.
3. Arrange a cookie on top of the mousse and evenly portion the remaining mousse on top of the cookies. Using a small offset spatula, smooth the tops.
4. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 day.

To serve

Using a sharp paring knife, carefully peel away the parchment from the ramekins (up to 3 hours ahead). Just before serving, place each ramekin on a small plate and top with some of the crushed ginger cookie or a little of the blackberry compote, passing the remainder at the table.

Blackberry Compote

Ingredients

• 2 cups blackberries, rinsed and well dried
• 2 to 3 Tbs. limoncello liqueur
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

1. Put the blackberries, limoncello, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
2. Toss with a silicone spatula, lightly crushing the berries to release some of their juices.
3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use or for up to 6 hours.