Peanut Butter and Julie

Korean Grilled Flank Steak with Hot Peanut Sauce

Every once in a while, I will try a restaurant dish so incredibly delicious and satisfying, that I will return to the restaurant specifically for that item, never tire of it, and never have the desire to order anything else.  True, this may prevent me from experiencing other outstanding creations that these chefs have to offer, but I'll just wait until my dining companions order those, so that I can have a taste.  For the time being, I am just not willing to sacrifice my tried and true favorites for something that might not be as memorable.

At Table 34, my favorite dish is Chef Kendrick's pan-seared halibut, served over a salad of mixed melon with a chili vinaigrette.  Unfortunately, this is only available from April through October, when halibut is fresh and in season, but you can bet that they know to call me (and a handful of other halibut devotees) as soon as the halibut arrives.   Oh yes, it's that good. 

At Rao's, it's all about the meatballs, and this is coming from someone who isn't exactly a meatball fanatic.  About the size of a softball and covered with their signature sauce, take one bite of a Rao's meatball and you will understand why it is impossible to get a reservation in their New York hole-in-the-wall (hint: try the Vegas locale).  After 110 years, I guess it should come as no surprise that these guys know what they are doing. 

At Todd's, my love affair with the Korean Beef Salad came about accidentally.  On that fateful night, they had 86'd my usual salad, and our brilliant server recommended that I try this instead.  No, let me rephrase:  He told me that if I didn't absolutely love the salad, then he would pay for it.  With that sort of endorsement, how could I refuse?  It  did not disappoint, and our server walked away with a heck of a tip.  Since Todd's menu is also seasonal, I call ahead to see if the Korean Beef Salad is on the menu.  Even if it's not, the chef will usually make it for me, if only to prevent a grown woman from throwing a tantrum in his establishment.

This marinade is about as close as I've been able to come to the one used for the salad at Todd's.  They sprinkle chopped peanuts on their salad, so I made a spicy peanut sauce to serve alongside my version.  The longer you marinate the steak, the deeper the flavor will be.  Serve it over rice with some stir fried bok choy or sugar snap peas.  And next time you're in Vegas, head to Table 34, Rao's, and Todd's--and tell them I sent you!  Here are a few extra tips for this spicy sliced steak:

• Feel free to substitute another cut of steak for the flank steak if desired.  Strip steak, rib-eye, and tenderloin would all be good substitutions.  You can also use the marinade for pork or chicken.
• As an alternative to keeping the steak whole and then slicing it after grilling, try cutting it into cubes prior to marinating, and then grilling the cubes on skewers as kabobs.  You can alternate the cubes with peppers, mushrooms, and onions.

Grilled Korean Flank Steak with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped scallions

1/3 cup light soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon grated peeled gingerroot

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (1 pound) flank steak, trimmed

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine the scallions, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, lime juice, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Place the steak and half of the scallion mixture in a large, zip-top plastic bag and seal.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Combine the remaining marinade with the water, peanut butter, and cornstarch in a small saucepan and whisk to blend.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the sauce thickens.  Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat.  Remove the steak from the marinade, discarding the marinade.  Grill the steak for about 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes, and then slice diagonally against the grain.  Serve the steak with the peanut sauce.   

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Until I was about twelve years old, I lived in a fairly small town of about 2,500 people, where it was safe for me and my brother to walk pretty much anywhere by ourselves.   Our town had a Main Street straight out of central casting, complete with a barber shop, library, pizza parlor, and a Rexall Drugs.  Sometimes, after I received my allowance, I would walk up to Main Street armed with the 37 cents (35 cents plus 2 cents tax) that it would cost me to buy a candy bar from Rexall's vast selection. 

I remember how I used to study the candy aisle, contemplating my selection as if I was picking out a fine wine:  Should I go for the Charleston Chew because it is the largest in size, or should I select the Sugar Daddy because it lasts longer?  Maybe I'll pick the Starbursts or Rolos, because they have several pieces;  but then there's that bag of Big League Chew--no wait, I'm not allowed to chew gum. 

Inevitably, no matter how much time I spent poring over my options, most of the time I came home clutching a Twix bar.  To me, it provided all of the great qualities that a candy bar should possess:  a chocolaty exterior, a chewy caramel interior, and an element of crunch in the form of a vanilla cookie.  There were also two pieces underneath the gold wrapper, so I could eat one, and then I would usually freeze the other for later. 

These cookies remind me of a sophisticated Twix bar, but with a chocolate cookie providing the crunch instead.  The buttery caramel filling is what really channels my candy bar of choice--it tastes very similar to the real deal.  By using a bittersweet chocolate glaze, as opposed to the Twix milk chocolate, there is a little more depth in flavor, but it still pairs well with the caramel.  The cookies are even delicious frozen!  Here are my tips for this rich and decadent dessert:

• The cookie dough can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, wrapped in plastic wrap. 
• The cookies can be baked 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature, tightly covered.  You can also bake the cookies and freeze them for up to 2 weeks; fill and glaze them just prior to serving.
• The vanilla extract can be replaced by the seeds scraped from one vanilla bean pod or by 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
• If you prefer, the glaze can be prepared using milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or even a high quality white chocolate bar (white chocolate chips will not work well).
• If you don't have round cutters in the designated sizes, try to find something in your kitchen, such as the top of a glass, that you can use as a substitute.

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

For cookie dough

12 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch salt

For caramel

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 tablespoons butter, softened

For chocolate glaze

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

Make the cookie dough:  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy.  Beat in the egg.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a medium bowl and add it to the butter mixture at low speed until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.  Gather the dough, divide in half, and form into 2 flat disks.  Wrap the disks in plastic and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.  Using a floured round 1 3/4-inch cutter, stamp out as many rounds as possible, and transfer them to the baking sheets.  Gather the scraps, reroll, and stamp out as many cookies as possible.  Bake the cookies for about 18 minutes, until puffed and set.  Let cool on the baking sheets and then transfer to a rack.

Make the caramel:  Oil the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square cake pan and line the bottom with a sheet of waxed paper that reaches up 2-inches on 2 sides of the pan.  Oil or spray the waxed paper with nonstick spray.  In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, cream, honey, corn syrup, and vanilla and bring to a boil.  Set a candy thermometer in the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 250F degrees.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.  Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and let cool for about 45 minutes.

Lift the caramel out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board.  Using a 1 1/4-inch cookie cutter, stamp out caramel rounds and sandwich them between the cookies, pressing to flatten slightly.

Make the glaze:  Melt the chocolate with the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.  If the glaze appears to be too thick, add a few tablespoons whole milk or cream to thin it out.  Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.  Dip the cookies halfway in the glaze, allowing excess to drip off back into the pot.  Set the cookies on waxed paper and chill for 20 minutes, until just set.   

Spicy Hunan Soba Noodles

I have never been much of a pasta eater.  For as filling as it is, I just don't find it to be all that exciting in flavor.  When dining at Italian restaurants, I usually go the cioppino or "fish del giorno" route.  If I happen to find myself at an establishment that only serves pasta dishes, I'll order the one that has the most "stuff" in the sauce, and then I'll proceed to pick out every last portobello, pepper, and tomato that I can find.  Come to think of it, next time I might as well just order a big bowl of sauce. 

Of course there are always exceptions, and in my case, these tend to come in the form of Asian noodle dishes, especially cold ones eaten as leftovers.  Consisting of bold ingredients such as soy sauce, roasted sesame oil, grated gingerroot, chili oil, and rice vinegar, the sauces in these recipes just seem to do a better job of seeping into the soba and udon noodles, as opposed to simply coating them.  After chilling for several hours, the flavors blend and intensify, a result so delicious that it's hard to not stand with the refrigerator door open, armed with a pair of chopsticks, and eat them straight from the container. 

Because it has been so hot here these past few days, the last thing that I wanted to do was head out the grill and cook over a fire.  This recipe was cool and light, and fairly healthy with the addition of crunchy raw carrots and peas.  We had it for dinner last night, but I was oh so happy to have the leftovers "chillin" in the fridge for today's lunch.  Here are a few extra tips for this spicy side:

• This recipe can easily be turned into a main course.  Top the noodles with roasted, shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, or thinly sliced grilled beef.  Sauteed tofu would also be a good addition for a vegetarian entree.
• In my opinion, these noodles taste even better the day after they are prepared, when the flavors have really had a chance to blend.
• If you want to up the vegetable ante on this dish, try adding some julienned red or yellow bell peppers, snow peas, bean sprouts, baby corn, or sliced mushrooms.
• Whole wheat or regular spaghetti can be substituted for the soba noodles.  Soba noodles are Asian buckwheat noodles, and they can usually be found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.  This is also where you will find the chili oil and rice vinegar.

Spicy Hunan Soba Noodles

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

10 ounces Asian soba noodles

1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon chili oil

2 teaspoons grated peeled gingerroot

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

3/4 cup julienned carrots

2 scallions, chopped

Cilantro

Chopped peanuts

Cook the soba noodles in a pot of boiling water according to package directions; drain.  Toss the noodle in a large bowl with the sesame oil until evenly coated.  Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili oil, and gingerroot in a bowl.  Pour the soy sauce mixture over the noodles and toss to coat.  Chill, covered, for up to 24 hours.

About 2 hours prior to serving,  add the peas, carrots, and scallions to the noodles and toss to mix.  Chill and cover until ready to serve.  Just prior to serving, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro and toss to mix. 

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cake

I decided to clean out my freezer yesterday.  This was partially a result of the temperatures hitting a record setting 105 degrees, and the thought of doing anything outdoors, other than sitting perfectly still under a mister, which we don't own, seemed unbearable.  The freezer had also reached maximum capacity, and I no longer had any space to place ziploc bags containing leftovers or my beloved quarts of Golden Spoon frozen yogurt.  So, as you can see, I had a major crisis on my hands, which needed immediate attention. 

Cleaning out the refrigerator is never a problem for me.  I am the kind of person who throws out the milk as soon as it hits the expiration date and tosses the arugula the moment it begins to wilt.  But the freezer, well, everything is frozen, so food can just sit there indefinitely without a friendly reminder in the form of an odd smell, to tell you that it is time to throw things out.  So, when I do my occasional cleaning, I often find items that I've forgotten about, most of which are no longer usable, but a few of which still are.  Yesterday, I found a big bag of peeled bananas, which I freeze when they start to become overripe, for use in future baking endeavors.  This was definitely a sign that I needed to bake something banana flavored for today's post!

This cake makes me think of Ben and Jerry's popular Chunky Monkey ice cream, with its bittersweet chocolate chunks, walnuts, and of course the dominant banana flavor.  By placing half of the streusel in the middle, and the other half on top, you get a double dose of flavor and texture.  Mashed bananas and yogurt make the cake extra-moist.  This would be great to serve as a dessert, during a brunch, or even as a rich breakfast cake.  It also travels well for office parties and bake sales.  Here are just a few extra tips for this nutty banana chocolate cake:

• Sour cream or buttermilk may be substituted for the yogurt in this recipe.  Full-fat versions  will result in the moistest cake; however, low-fat versions may be substituted.  I would not recommend using the non-fat versions.
• Depending on how much banana mash the bananas yield, you may need to bake your cake a few minutes longer.  Try to aim for about 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups mashed bananas.
• As my bananas start to brown, I like to peel them and freeze them in zip-top bags for recipes such as this one.  Defrost the bananas at least 1 hour prior to use, and they should be very easy to mash by simply squeezing the bag.  Another way to mash bananas is to place them in the work bowl of a food processor and then process until smooth.  If you prefer small chunks of banana in your cake, then leave a few chunks in the mash.
• Experiment with spices if you like them in your desserts.  Nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and extra cinnamon would all be delicious in this recipe.
• The recipe will keep well, tightly wrapped at room temperature, for 2-3 days.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cake

Serves 9

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons softened butter, plus 2 tablespoons, melted and cooled

1 cup sugar, divided

2 large eggs

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

2/3 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a 9-inch square cake pan with foil, and spray the foil with nonstick baking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, and then beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until blended.  Beat in the bananas until well combined, and then beat in the yogurt and vanilla.  With the mixer at low speed, beat in the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated.

In a small bowl, toss together the chocolate, nuts, cinnamon, melted butter, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.  Spread half of the banana batter in the cake pan and sprinkle with half of the chocolate mixture.  Spread the remaining batter evenly over the filling and sprinkle the remaining chocolate mixture on top.

Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 40-45 minutes.  Cool cake in the pan for 30 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely, right-side up. 

Tandoori Chicken

We are very fortunate in Las Vegas to have a wide array of fine dining restaurants to choose from, whenever we want to go out for a special occasion meal.  It seems that every great chef from Guy Savoy to Charlie Trotter has opened up at least one establishment here.  They are usually located on the strip, and they are always an investment.

The challenge with the Las Vegas food scene is that, despite all of the wonderful steakhouses, gourmet rooms, and tasting menus, there are very few great quality casual dining options.  This is a town in love with (and overflowing with) franchises and chains.  Have a craving for a Bloomin' Onion at the Outback?  It's just down the road.  Looking for a Quizno's, Subway, or Cold Stone?  Pick a direction, and you'll reach one eventually.  What we really need here are more of those great hole-in-the-wall, locally owned and operated, mom-and-pop places; the kind that you can go to over and over again because you know that you will be served great food, and the staff will greet you by name.

So far, we have only found a handful of these hidden gems.  One of them, Table 34, we dine at so often that we are probably nearing stalker status.  Let's put it this way: We were asked by our usual server, Rich, if we wanted to be part of the waitstaff's NCAA pool for this year's Final Four Tournament.  The food is always great, and the atmosphere is relaxed, and that combination is perfect after a long work week.  Another favorite find is Crazy Pita, a small Mediterranean restaurant, which serves some of the most flavorful chicken kabobs and couscous that I have ever tasted.  I have not once been at Crazy Pita when the owner, Mehdi, was not there too.  He runs a tight ship, which is reflected in the quality of his craveable cuisine and operational efficiency.  My only complaint is that we need to travel about 15 minutes to get there.

No matter how much I am craving a Crazy Pita Marinated Chicken Skewer Platter with a side of hummus, sometimes I just don't want to make the trip.  So, I decided to attempt to come up with my own similar marinade.  While this is definitely not the same caliber as Mehdi's masterpiece, it does have some similarities, and it is enough to keep me satisfied until my next Crazy Pita run.  Here are a few tips for making this healthy, flavorful, and moist main dish:

• If you can, marinate the chicken overnight, or for at least eight hours.  The extended marinating time is important for tenderizing the chicken and for keeping it juicy throughout the grilling process.
• Garam masala is a traditional Indian spice mixture with many variations.  It usually contains cinnamon, cardamom, garlic, ginger, chili, and cloves.  If you don't have any on hand, then add about 1/4 teaspoon of the included spices in order to achieve a similar flavor profile.  Garam masala has become popular enough that most major spice companies now offer it, and you should be able to find some in your local grocery store. 
• This chicken is great on its own, served over a bed of baby spinach or with a side of couscous, but it also makes a wonderful grilled chicken sandwich, topped with some caramelized onions, mixed greens, and the seasoned yogurt sauce.
• This recipe would also work well with chicken thighs, shrimp, beef, lamb, and firm cuts of fish.  You can also make it into kabobs.

Tandoori Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil

4 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided

2 teaspoons ground coriander, divided

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 cups chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons chopped seeded jalapeno

8 cloves garlic, crushed

2 1/2 cups plain lowfat yogurt, divided

1/4 cup lemon juice, divided

2 teaspoons salt, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.  Add the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne to the pan; cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring constantly.  Remove from the pan and cool.

Place the onion, ginger, jalapeno, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.  Add the spice mixture, 1/2 cup of the yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to the onion mixture; process until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a large zip-top bag, add the chicken to the bag, seal, and toss to coat.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat the grill.

Combine the remaining 2 cups yogurt, 2 tablespoons juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix well.  Cover and chill.

Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.  Grill the chicken about 7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.  Serve with the yogurt mixture.