GRILLED LONDON BROIL

There is no such cut of beef called London Broil. It is usually a flank steak. The name comes from the way it is prepared and grilled or broiled. Some butchers will label a top round steak "London Broil." The name is unknown in London, England. I served it with sautéed mushrooms, baked new potatoes, and steamed garlic green beans. 

4 cloves garlic, pushed through a garlic press

2 T extra-light olive oil or grape seed oil

3 T dry red wine

3 T honey or balsamic vinegar

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T Dijon mustard

2 T soy sauce

1 t fresh or freeze-dried oregano

1 t fresh or freeze-dried basil

1 t fresh or dried thyme

1 t paprika

2 t Montreal Steak seasoning (optional)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (2 lb) flank steak

Place a large zipper plastic bag in a bowl and open the top

Put all of the above marinade ingredients in the bag.

Pat steak dry with paper towels, then place in the plastic bag, squeeze out most of the air and swish around to coat the steak evenly with herbs, oil, and wine.

Zip bag closed and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

Remove steak from refrigerator and place on a platter or baking sheet, and let come to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal or gas grill.

Grill steak for 5 to 6 minutes each side, turning once.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Slice across the grain into thin diagonal slices.

Serves 4 

THAI SHRIMP CURRY

We love Thai food and this recipe is easy to do. Use any size or type of shrimp you can find in your supermarket or seafood market.

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 T coconut oil

1 small red bell pepper, diced

½ yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1-inch piece ginger, grated

2 T red curry paste

1 t fish sauce

¾ cup coconut milk, full fat

Juice of ½ lime

½ t red pepper flakes

Sea salt and fine ground pepper

¼ cup minced cilantro
1 scallion, sliced, for garnish

Jasmine rice, for serving

In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the coconut oil.

Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon to a platter and set aside.

Add the bell pepper and onion, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute.

Stir in the curry paste and fish sauce.

Cook an additional minute, while stirring.

Slowly pour in the coconut milk and simmer 5 minutes, to thicken slightly.

Stir in the lime juice and red pepper flakes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Return the shrimp to the skillet and heat through.

Garnish with cilantro and scallion.
Serve with jasmine rice.

Serves 2

COFFEE CUP FLAN - Egg Custard

 This is one of the easiest desserts to make. 

Caramel
½ cup granulated sugar 

¼ cup water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place 6 heavy coffee cups (I use diner cups, not mugs) or custard cups in a roasting pan.  

Spread sugar in a medium-size cast-iron skillet.

Add the water and bring to a boil.

Cook until amber-colored caramel forms.

You can stir a few times.

Remove from heat and pour the caramel into the bottoms of the coffee cups.

Custard

3 cups whole milk

½ cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 t pure vanilla extract

1 t Kentucky Bourbon or brandy (optional)

Pour milk into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, watching carefully so it does not boil over. Remove from heat. 

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs.  

Use a metal measuring cup, pour in a half cup of hot milk, while constantly whisking to temper the eggs. 
Slowly whisk in the rest of the hot milk, then whisk in vanilla and Bourbon.  

Strain through a mesh strainer into a large heatproof pitcher.  

Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil.

Pour custard into cups. 

Place roasting pan with cups on middle rack in the oven and then pour enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of cups.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Remove cups from hot water and cool to room temperature.  

Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.  

Place bottom of cups, one at a time, in hot water for 30 seconds to help unmold.

Run a table knife around the edges of the cups.

Place a dessert plate on top and carefully flip over.

Let cups sit a minute and then gently tilt cups to let custard unmold.

Serves 6

TANDOORI CHICKEN

 You don't need a tandoori oven to make tandoori chicken. You can do this under your oven broiler. I cooked mine in our charcoal grill and it worked perfectly. A guajillo chile ("wha hee oh") is a dried Mirasol chile.

Spice Blend
2 dried guajillo chiles; stems and seeds removed and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 dried red chili peppers, stem and seeds removed

6 green cardamom pods, smashed to remove seeds

2 t coriander seeds

2 t garam masala

½ inch piece of cinnamon, cut up

1 t cumin seeds

1 t fennel seeds

1 t fenugreek seeds

½ t black cardamom seeds

Marinade
1 ¼ cups plain yogurt

1 T avocado oil

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 t paprika

¼ t ground turmeric

½ t cayenne pepper

4 cloves garlic, pressed

2-inch piece of peeled ginger, grated or minced

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise

                       

In a dry skillet, toast the chiles, cardamom seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes, shaking the pan often.

Let cool and pour the spices into a spice grinder and process until fine. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the toasted spice mixture with the yogurt, oil, lemon juice,  paprika, turmeric, cayenne, garlic, and ginger until well combined.

Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken to about ½ inch in thickness between plastic wrap.

Cut each chicken piece into 3 long strips and place in the large bowl with the marinade.

Cover completely with marinade.  Cover and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.

Prepare a charcoal grill with coals on the bottom.

Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto metal skewers so chicken lies flat.

Place skewers of chicken over hot coals, close the top and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once.

Riata

1 ½ cups plain yogurt
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

½ English cucumber, peeled and finely diced

1 t honey  

¼ t ground cumin

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, mint, cilantro, cucumber, and honey.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with buttered basmati rice, flavored with lemon zest, grated ginger, and cilantro.

KENTUCKY BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON SAUCE

My grandmother, Annie Louise Middleton, was born and raised in Kentucky. This is the most delicious recipe for bread pudding. You can leave out the Bourbon, if you prefer.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

You can substitute the Bourbon Crème Anglaise for vanilla ice cream drizzled with a store-bought caramel sauce.

1 loaf country or brioche bread, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
Nonstick cooking spray

Pudding
4 large eggs

2 cups haf-and-half   

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup dried cranberries 
4 T unsalted butter, melted

1 t pure vanilla extract   
1 t ground cinnamon  

1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground ginger     

¼ t sea salt    

¼ cup granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top              

                                                          

Bourbon Crème Anglaise
1 cup half-&-half 
2 large egg, yolks well beaten 
1 cup granulated sugar
1 t pure vanilla extract
¼ cup Kentucky bourbon                                             

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, granulated sugar, brown sugar, dried cranberries, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, 

and salt.  Mix until mixture is smooth.

Add the bread cubes to the pudding mixture, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the bread-pudding mixture from the refrigerator and pour the mixture into a sprayed 2 quart baking dish and sprinkle with the ¼ cup sugar.

Bake pudding for about 40 to 45 minutes until top is lightly browned.

Bourbon Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the half-&-half.  Heat until just below boiling. 

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. 

Add ½ cup of the hot half-&-half mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to temper the eggs. 

Pour the tempered egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the half-&-half mixture. 

Over low heat, stir with a wooden spoon and let mixture thicken to coat the back of the spoon. Do not boil. 

Stir in the vanilla and bourbon and keep warm.

When ready to serve the bread pudding, pour the Crème Anglaise through a fine mesh strainer into a gravy boat and pour over the servings of puddings.

Serves 4 to 6

CASA GUACAMOLE

Avocados contain healthy fats and are considered one of the "super foods". They are packed with vitamins and minerals and are a good source of fiber and potassium.

4 ripe avocados, flesh scooped from shells

Zest of one lime

Juice of one lime

2 t lemon juice

½ t chipotle chile powder or ancho chile powder

1 clove garlic, pressed, or ½ t granulated garlic

6 scallions, minced

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

½ bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

Sea salt

In a large bowl or mortar and pestle, coarsely mash the avocados. 

Add the rest of the first ingredients and stir to combine.

Season to taste with sea salt.

Serve immediately.

GRILLED BAJA SHRIMP TACOS

Shrimp tacos are an all time favorite in our house. Serve with salsa, Baja sauce, cilantro, lime slices, or even guacamole. 

Baja Sauce

¼ cup sour cream 

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ t ground cumin

½ t ancho chile powder 

½ to 1 t Mexican hot sauce (optional)

Juice of ½ lime

Mix together and pour into a squeeze bottle to drizzle over tacos or you can drizzle with a spoon. 
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Marinade

12 extra-jumbo (16-20) shrimp or 18 jumbo (21-30), peeled and deveined

1 T avocado oil

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 

½ t ancho chile powder

½ t onion powder

1 t ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

Juice of ½ lime

In a bowl, big enough to hold all of the shrimp, whisk together oil, jalapeño, chile powder, onion powder, ground cumin, garlic, and lime juice.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

6 (4-6-inch) flour or corn tortillas, lightly browned in a skillet with a little oil, if desired

½ cup finely shredded cabbage

½ cup fresh salsa

Baja Sauce

Cilantro, for garnish

Lime slices, for garnish

Thread shrimp on metal skewers and grill about 1 minute, each side.

You can also stir-fry shrimp in a skillet with a little oil for about 3 minutes.

Cut shrimp into 2 to 3 pieces each, place on a sheet pan and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven, while assembling the tacos.

To Assemble

Add a little of the cabbage to the bottom of each tortilla.

Divide shrimp equally between 6 tacos.

Add a little of the salsa or pico de gallo.

Drizzle with some Baja Sauce.

Garnish with a few cilantro leaves.

Serve with a couple of lime slices

Makes 6 tacos