Pizza Sauce

I don't make homemade pizza very often, but when I do, I never know what sauce to use. Jared sauce is just not very good, spaghetti sauce ... well, tastes like spaghetti. :) This sauce was simple, but very good. I will definitely be making this again.



Simple Pizza Sauce
(Recipe from cooksillustrated.com)

2 cans (14oz) crushed tomatoes in puree
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and cook until it starts to simmer (only like 30 seconds). Add in tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to lump up on a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Flank Steak

For this flank steak I just used the same marinade recipe as the steak I made a while back, and just added a couple extra ingredients.


Ingredients:
1 flank steak (mine was just under a pound and a half, and it fed 3 adults and 1 child)
Kosher salt and pepper

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp liquid smoke (mesquite)

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients and whisk well.
2. Using a dinner fork, poke steak about 20 times on each side. Season with salt and pepper and place in a gallon size ziplock bag. Pour marinade over the top and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
3. Preheat grill
4. Using paper towels, wipe marinade off steak. Grill steak directly on grill until well browned 4-6 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; grill until second side is well browned, 3-4 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature is 125 degrees. It will continue to cook as it rests. You do not want to over cook a flank steak! It is a meat that needs to be cooked rare or medium rare.
4. Cover steak with foil and let rest at least 15 minutes to let the juice redistribute.
5. Using a sharp chef's knife or a carving knife, slice steak about 1/4" thick against the grain and on a bias. Serve immediately.

Below is a drawing, it will show where you need to cut your meat to make it so it doesn't end up super tough and chewy. The grains on a flank steak all run the same direction so we need to cut against the grain and on a bias to give the slices a bigger surface area.

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Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Crispy Smashed Potatoes
(Courtesy of Cooks Illustrated, altered slightly by me)

Ingredients:
Small red bliss potatoes or small gold potatoes (However many you want per person)
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
Garlic powder
Parsley
Thyme

1. Adjust oven racks to top and bottom positions and heat oven to 500 degrees. Put potatoes on a baking sheet and pour 3/4 cup of water into the pan and wrap tightly with tin foil. Cook on bottom rack until soft (paring knife slips in and out easily) about 25-30 minutes. (This will depend on how big your potatoes are). Remove foil and cool for 10 minutes. If any water remains, blog dry with paper towel.

2. Drizzle some olive oil over potatoes and roll to coat them. Space potatoes evenly on baking sheet and place a second baking sheet on top and press down on the potatoes, flattening the potatoes (or just splitting them open). Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top of the potatoes again and season each potato with a little garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme.

3. Put the potatoes back into the oven on the top rack for 15 minutes. Then transfer the potatoes to the bottom rack and continue to roast until well browned (20-30 minutes longer).

Serve immediately.

Coconut Lime Chewy Sugar Cookies

Coconut Lime Chewy Sugar Cookies
(Recipe courtesy of Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, chopped fine
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar (plus extra for rolling)
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
1 tsp lime zest
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 Tbsp milk
2 tsp fresh lime juice

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, coconut, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Place 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese and lime zest in large bowl.
4. Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine. (Some lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later).
5. Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg, milk and lime juice. Continue to whisk until smooth.
6. Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until soft dough forms.
7. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces (about 2 Tbsp each).
8. Using hands, roll dough into balls. Roll balls into sugar to coat and space evenly on baking sheet, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten dough balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops with sugar.
9. Bake 1 tray at a time until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11-13 minutes, rotating tray after 7 minutes.
10. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad

Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 small head cabbage, chopped
1 handful of green onions, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
The noodles from 1 package oriental ramen

*Optional: Chicken, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chives instead of onions, etc.*

Dressing:
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
Seasoning packet from oriental ramen noodles
Salt & Pepper to taste
Season salt to taste
*I also added a little smoked paprika and it was delicious!*

Dressing:
Mix together all the ingredients and set aside.

Salad:
Chop cabbage into bite size pieces and put into large bowl. Add green onions and nuts. Break up noodles into bite size pieces and add to salad.

Toss with dressing and serve immediately

Marinated Steaks

I'm always looking for new ways to cook steaks for my husband to change things up a bit. I found a recipe for a marinade and changed it up a little bit. He said it tasted good and it was something he'd want again (which is saying something, because he's quite a picky eater).




Marinade for Steak (or whatever you want!)
(This makes probably about 2 cups of marinade)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
pinch cayenne pepper

Poke steaks with fork all over on both sides. Put into large ziplock bag and cover with marinade. Place in refrigerator for 1-24 hours. Cook, serve and enjoy!