Chipotle Skirt Steak Tacos

If there is one thing we don't lack here at the lake are Mexican restaurants and grocery stores.  I haven't ventured out there yet, I'm still casing the joint. 

As I've mentioned before, nothing gets thrown out in my kitchen, and in my mind, whenever I cook something, particularly on the grill, there is always a plan for leftovers.

Skirt is one of my favorite cuts of meat.  I love to grill it the first night and serve it Argentinian style with chimichurri sauce, french fries and creamed spinach.  The leftovers, are usually destined for Mexican tortillas or tacos the next night...that is, if the dogs don't get to it first.  I am a sucker for a cute face, especially Lucy's and chances are that if its grilled, its gone.  Most of the time, I will leave a piece uncooked for the next night, especially if there is a marinade involved.

This recipe is from my friend Jaden at Steamy Kitchen.  She is one of the best food bloggers around and certainly one of the most hardworking.

Chipotle peppers are red jalapeños which are ripened, dried and smoked. On the richter scale of chili heat, they are considered medium. Canned with an adobo sauce, which is a mixture of spices, vinegar, garlic, tomato sauce and other chilies, the concoction becomes mighty marinade for steak tacos. If you’ve never used chipotle con adobo before, make the marinade with a single pepper first, taste and then add additional if you like more heat. The canned product can be found at any grocer in the Latin foods section.



Serves 4

Ingredients

2 lbs skirt steak

1/4 onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

canned Chili en Adobo: 1-3 chipotle peppers + 2 tsp of adobo sauce (use more peppers if you like the heat)

1 Tbl chopped cilantro

accompaniments: corn tortillas, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, lettuce, lime wedges, salsa,


Directions

Puree a single chipotle pepper (not the whole can) + 2 tsp of the adobo sauce with the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Taste and add more chipotle if needed. Stir in the cilantro. Throw it all in a zip lock bag with the skirt steak for at least 2 hours. Grill medium-rare. Cut the skirt steak into thin strips across the grain. Serve with taco accompaniments.

Note: I throw the corn tortillas directly on the grill 30 seconds, flip, add cheese, grill 30 seconds, remove. This melts the cheese oh-so-perfectly and chars the tortilla edges just a tiny bit for that crunch. Heating it also takes away some of the “rawness” that corn tortillas have when they are straight out of the bag.

From Steamy Kitchen

Taku Glacier Lodge Grilled Salmon

The grilled salmon at Taku Glacier Lodge is legendary. Visitors can reserve the short floatplane ride up the river from Juneau and enjoy dinner at the lodge (available only in summer). The staff claims to engage in outdoor "combat cooking" - that is, holding back the bears until the salmon is done - but the evening we were there, the only big black beast being held at bay looked an awful lot like a well-fed Labrador retriever. We've reconfigured Taku Lodge's baste ingredients so they can serve as marinade as well.*

National Geographic

I came across this recipe in Sunset Magazine and thought you would also enjoy reading about the story of the lodge, particularly if you are planning to visit Alaska sometime in the future.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup lemon juice

About 1/2 teaspoon salt

About 1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 pieces (about 6 oz. each; max. 1 1/4 in. thick) boned, skinned wild salmon fillet

1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter

Lemon wedges

Preparation

1. In a large, wide bowl or 9- by 13-inch baking dish, stir brown sugar, wine, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until sugar is dissolved.

2. Rinse fish and pat dry. Add to marinade and turn to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Lift salmon from marinade and transfer to a 12- by 17-inch baking pan. Pour marinade into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan over medium-high heat; add butter and stir until butter is melted and mixture is simmering, 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Lay salmon, skinned side down, on a generously oiled grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds). Brush fish generously with the baste; close lid if using a gas grill. Cook until salmon pieces are well browned on the bottom, 3 1/2 to 4 minutes (keep a spray bottle filled with clean water on hand to spritz any flare-ups). With a wide spatula, carefully turn pieces; brush tops with baste and continue to cook, basting often, until the salmon is just opaque but still moist-looking in the center of the thickest part (cut to test), about 5 to 6 minutes longer. Discard any remaining baste.

5. Transfer salmon to a warm platter or plates and garnish with lemon wedges. Add more salt and pepper to taste

*Reprint from Sunset Magazine March 2003
Photos #1 Sunset Magazine  #3 Google

Trout Fishing in Normandy

Just in case you get bored with fly fishing in the Chattahoochee, I thought you might want to consider another alternative...the fabled River Andelle, in another era a haunt of Ernest Hemingway and hotelier Charles Ritz.

The following is a reprint of an article in France Today which I thought you would enjoy.

http://www.francetoday.com/articles/2010/06/01/fly_fishing_in_normandy.html

No Takeout? No Problem!...Mongolian Beef

This Mongolian beef recipe is very close to the taste of PF Chang’s, except that  leeks are substituted for scallions. If you are not a fan of leeks, or can’t get them where you live, scallions work, too.

If you have a yen for Chinese after a weekend of bbq and no decent takeouts are to be found where you live, try this easy and quick recipe.  Maggi sauce, which is found everywhere nowadays, is used by Chinese chefs for a very authentic taste.  It  is wonderful as an addition to soups and stews so it won't go to waste.



Ingredients:

8 oz beef tenderloin (thinly sliced)

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 stalks leeks (sliced diagonally) or leeks

1 inch ginger (finely chopped)

3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

1 stalk shredded scallion (white part only for garnishing)


Marinade:

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine (rice wine or Shaoxing wine)


Sauce:

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (ABC Kecap Manis)

1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce

3 dashes white pepper powder

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon Maggi seasoning

Salt and sugar to taste


Method:

Marinate the beef slices with the seasonings for 30 minutes. Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the marinated beef until they are half-done. Dish out and set aside.

Heat up another 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add the beef back into the wok and then the sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the beef slices are almost done, then add the leeks into the wok. Do a few quick stirs, add salt and sugar to taste, dish out and garnish with the shredded scallions.

Serve hot.

Adapted from The Essence of Shangri-La via rasamalaysia.com

Summer Picnics...Getting Organized!

Warm weather is here and whether you are in the mountains or the seashore, chances are you will be going on a picnic before the weather turns cold.  If you have little kids, picnics are a great way to include them in the party.  You don't have to worry about spills or breakage or someone knocking over grandmother's antique vase!

Picnics are fun for adults too and they are a great and economical way to entertain, but it takes a lot of organization, a different kind of organization. You don't have to worry about polishing the silver or ironing the cocktail napkins, but you do have to worry about making sure you pack everything that will be needed for a successful event off site.  Here you don't have the alternative of running into the kitchen to get something you  forgot.  If it didn't come with you, you are stuck.  So sit down and make a list and above all else, make your life simple and plan a stress free menu. You will be a happier camper (pun intended)

The Rules of the Game

1.  Make sure you choose a place that you know will be available.  If you are not picnicking on your property, make sure you make a reservation, if needed.  You don't want to get there and find your idyllic spot taken.

2.  Make sure there is some shade.  I, for one, do not like to eat in the sun.

3.  If there are no restrooms nearby, make sure you bring plenty of TP and PTs!

4. If you have an "older" crowd, make sure you provide some kind of seating.  Camping foldout chairs are great to have for any occasion.  They vary from chic to just plan useful and comfortable, take your pick!

5.  Have an alternate plan, what happens if it rains????

6.  If possible, get to the site ahead of your guests, that way you will be all set up when they arrive.

7.  Bring plenty of blankets if you are sitting on the grass.

8.  Plan an easy menu, one that will taste great if served room temperature.  Finger foods are ideal.

9   Offer wine or beer or both.  Soda and plenty of water are a must.  That's it, don't complicate your life.

10.  Bring plenty of ice!!

11.  No matter how informal, use a cotton table cloth and napkins.  Bring paper napkins also if serving fried chicken or ribs!

12.  Forget paper plates and invest in melamine or tin plates.  You can find inexpensive ones at Target!

13.  I like to use my stainless steel, just hate those plastic forks and knives, the food tastes yucky.

14.  I'll leave the glasses to you, but if you are serving wine or champagne, there is nothing like glass. You can always bring plastic for the young set.

15.  Pay a visit to the Container Store or Target, they have great things to cart and serve your food in that will make your life easier.

16.  Don't forget to bring bug repellent and a basic first aid box

Organization

takeout boxes, The Container Shop

Takeout Cartons, The Container Store

Rubbermaid Bottle, The Container Store

Icy Kools, The Container Store

Bottle Totes, The Container Store

Metro Tote, Target

Insulated Tote, The Container Store

Eddie Bauer folding chairs, Target

Memorial Day on the Lake...Dogs Ahoy!

Memorial Day is all about, family, friends, barbecues and a show of support and remembrance for those who have defended our country so well in the past.

This year at the lake, it was all about family, dogs, and a little Westie who finally went in the water!!!

First dog in!

Brother and sister...the biggest (Mac) and the runt (our Lily)

Sharing is encouraged

Oh dear, I feel sooo left out!

Human sister and human niece

Come on, Lucy!

Come on Luce, you can do it!

Schucks! (I can do it, I can do it...can I do it?)

I'm in!! I feel like Columbus...

How did I get here?!

This isn't so bad...wait til Snowy sees this!

You're next, Mom!

Westies are not water dogs.  They are dirt dogs. They love to dig, go into holes and chase anything that moves fast, especially cats and squirrels.  They are also very, very stubborn.  When they want something, they will wear you down.  I have yet to win an argument with Lucy.  When I think I have and the case is closed, she will come back for more and fight another day.  

Westies are not meant to be swimmers, their little legs are not built for the water.  The beach is fine, they can touch the sand and they have control of going in and out.  The lake and the pool are a different story. .. they feel lost and out of control.  Lucy has a life jacket, but she knows what it's for and refuses to put it on.  The poor thing suffers when she sees her sister Lily go in the water and play for hours on end chasing her toy.  She wants so desperately to go in, but in the end, terror wins over fun.  The only way she will come close to the water is in the kayak and that takes some prodding too. 

This weekend's activities were too much for her to resist and we finally talked her into making the jump...into the kayak that is.  After the pictures were taken, she couldn't wait to get out and watch from afar..Perhaps with time and exposure she will go in on her own.    We will try that life jacket again, very soon...when she let's us.

Summer Picnics ...Shrimp & Noodle Salad With Ginger Dressing

Summer picnics are here and I'm sure we will have plenty of those at the lake this summer.  Pasta salads of all kinds, particularly those with an Asian flavor, are a delight to bring along with a chilled bottle of white wine and a baguette with cheese and fruit for dessert.  Perhaps, just perhaps cookies might be found at the bottom of the hamper...

In this salad, instead of spending time shredding cabbage and carrots, Grace Parisi of Food & Wine uses prepackaged coleslaw mix. She tosses it with noodles and shrimp, then adds a spicy, gingery dressing prepared with other easy-to-find supermarket ingredients, like bottled teriyaki sauce and chile-garlic sauce.


Ingredients

 7 ounce(s) dried udon noodles or fettuccine, broken in half

12 ounce(s) shredded coleslaw mix

2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 cup(s) cilantro leaves

3/4 pound(s) cooked medium shrimp, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup(s) teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoon(s) finely grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon(s) Chinese chile-garlic sauce

1/4 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt

Lime wedges, for serving


Directions

1.Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix, scallions, cilantro, and shrimp.

2.In a blender, combine the teriyaki sauce with the ginger and chile-garlic sauce and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly add the vegetable oil in a thin stream and puree until the dressing is emulsified. Season lightly with salt. Add the dressing to the bowl with the udon noodles and toss well. Serve the noodle salad with lime wedges on the side.
 
Food &Wine