Carne Asada Tacos

One of the few things I miss about living in Southern California is Carne Asada!

I loved to drive through Robertos, Jilbertos, Albertos... any of those wicked good drive through Mexican places. Mmmmmm Carne Asada Burritos, the size of your arm! Guacamole & Onions? YES PLEASE! Mmmmm... it took me forever to figure out that the onions on those burritos were just onions in lime juice w/cilantro. But man, does that make a differnce! YUM!

I found a recipe for Carne Asada by Tyler Florence. His Mojo Marinade is awesome on Flank Steak!

I've been dying for Flank Steak since I got an electric knife and a cast iron grill/griddle for Christmas. So last week... Flank Steak was on sale... and I decided it was time for some Carne Asada!!

For the Mojo Marinade you'll need...
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
(I usually add cumin to this and totally forgot)


(yeah... I found out I had used all of the jalapenos from my garden... so I just diced up some Trappey's)

The night before, I minced the garlic & jalapeno & cilantro and whisked it with the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.


I put that in the fridge. You don't have to make it the night before. But I don't have a lot of time before I leave for work in the morning, so I wanted to be able to just drop my steak in before work.

Then I made my Onion Relish. I diced the onion & chopped some cilantro and juiced a couple of limes.




I shook it up in a mason jar and put that in the fridge too.


The next morning... I dropped my flank steak into the Mojo Marinade in a FoodSaver container.

(mmmm.... isn't that beautiful??)

Flip it over to get it all covered.


Vacuum seal and back into the fridge before I head out the door.


Home from work... I took the steak out of the marinade to let it warm up a little before I put it on the grill.


Onto a preheated grill! *sizzle*


Oh yeah... grill marks baby!!


Woohoo!!! The best grill marks I've ever made!!


Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it.


Mmmmmm Carne Asada!!


Time for tacos!!!
With some Onion Relish, Guacamole, Diced Tomatoes and a little Cilantro... mmmmmmm




Add some Mexican Rice and Refried Beans.


These were the BEST tacos I've ever had!!

Melissa's Cool Giveaway/Shameless Promotion

Check out Melissa of Of Soup and Love's cool blog! She's giving away a Food Network Magazine subscription!

She's fun, funny, cooks great food and has great pics!

Canadian Guy makes Ciabatta??

I meant to bookmark a blog by a Canadian guy who's wife loved ciabatta from a local bakery... last summer they stopped making ciabatta... so he learned how to make it himself and now makes it better than the bakery.... Does anyone remember him? Can you point me to his blog?

Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

Monte Cristos

I've wanted to try a Monte Cristo for YEARS. An old boyfriend ordered them often, but I never tried one. The combination always sounded kinda weird... meat & cheese & French toast, but I was always very curious.



Aaron McCargo Jr made them on Big Daddy's House recently. And then Bob from Cooking Stuff was talking about a Monte Cristo-like sandwich over on BakeSpace in one of the Dinner Threads.

I decided it was time to take care of my curiosity.

I pretty much used Aaron McCargo Jr's recipe.

I made the sandwiches the same, but I changed up the Cranberry Syrup a little. I didn't want to put cold syrup on my hot sandwiches, so I heated it. I also used whole berry cranberry sauce for a little more texture.

Monte Cristo
4 eggs
1/4 C milk (approx)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
6 slices of bread
6 slices of swiss
sliced ham
sliced turkey
butter

Preheat oven to 350F
Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and salt.
Assemble sandwiches (make them to your liking - maybe you like more meat or less.. however you like it)

Melt butter in a skillet.

Dip entire assembled sandwich into egg mixture and place dipped sandwich in hot skillet.

Cook sandwiches until golden and flip. When the other side is golden, remove to a cookie sheet and bake in 350F oven until cheese is all melty and sandwich is heated through.

Serve with Maple Cranberry Sauce.

Maple Cranberry Sauce
1 16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 C maple syrup
salt & pepper to taste

Heat all ingredients in small sauce pan until warmed through.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok.... eggs


Plus milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, and salt.


Whisk it up.


Assemble your sammies

Swiss


Ham


Smoked Turkey


More Swiss


Heat up the skillet and add butter


Dip your sandwiches into the egg mixture






And into the skillet


Turn when golden


And into the oven to ensure warm melty goodness!


Some warm yummy chunky Cranberry Maple Sauce


It's dinner time!!!!




So the verdict?

Tawny didn't like it. (I think she did eat the whole thing... or most of it... she tried disassembling it... definitely not a winner in her book)

Jon said, "I could eat it again" Which led to a discussion of....
So if you had to rate The Monte Cristo, which answer is most correct?

Would definitely recommend it to a friend.
Would probably recommend it to a friend.
May or May Not recommend it to a friend.
Would probably not recommend it to a friend.
Would definitely not recommend it to a friend.

He didn't really say which the answer was! But I think he would eat it without complaint if I made them again, but he would not actually 'request' them.

I enjoyed it. I did add Dijon mustard to mine and instead of dipping the sandwich, I added the Cranberry Maple Sauce to the inside. Next time, I'd add the Dijon while assembling.

I think this is something that I'll suddenly have a craving for and will end up making again, but probably not often, due to the lackluster response of my family.

January Wine Tasting ~ Part Two ~ Riesling

Ok… more January Wine Tasting ~ Riesling.

Of course this is Jon and me.


Returning tasters: Ericka & Drew (isn’t Ericka adorable??)


And last, but certainly not least our newest tasters: Whitney & Jeff


Most bottles said that Riesling pairs well with spicy foods. So I made some Spicy Empanadas, and some Spicy Curried Potato Pockets… I guess it was a little like a Baked Samosa, but I dunno… I was just winging it with spicy flavors I enjoy! Also I had a fruit plate with red grapes, cantaloupe and Granny Smith apples. I picked up a Morbier Cheese. I had never tried Morbier before and really loved it! It has creamy texture and a mild buttery flavor. Ericka & Drew brought a very tasty Bleu Cheese that was on the mild side, but had just the right bite. Whitney & Jeff brought a Cold Crab Dip that was out of this world. I could have eaten the entire thing by myself! They also brought a Steelers cake!

First up was the wine I picked up. I wanted something similar to the V. Sattui Winery Off Dry Johannisberg Riesling that I had at Whitney’s on New Year’s Day.

Name:Hermann J Wiemer Riesling Semi-Dry
Price: $16.99
Year: 2006
PHOTO of bottle




Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
Nothing about the ‘wine’ on the bottle… only the winery… this is from the website: Semi-Dry Rheingau style Riesling with ripe, expressive nose with fresh and floral notes of citrus and lime fruit. Nice texture and some sweetness balanced by complex minerality with a soft citrus finish.


Review:
~Marguerite – Wow! I couldn’t pick out any specific flavors, but it was a nice fresh crisp flavor and I really enjoyed it.

~Jon – I like it! It’s very sweet

~Ericka – Smells fruity…ohhhh… that’s nice!
Better for food pairing – cleaner lighter taste

~Drew – I like it. It’s good

~Whitney – Smells… mmmmmm… not dry at all

~Jeff – I could drink this (Jeff is a fellow non-wine drinker… but even more so than Jon and me)

Would you buy again? Definitely

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: Hmmm… I’m still not very good at this part. I liked to drink this with no food I think!


Ericka picked out the next wine.

Name: Graff Fraacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese
Price: $9.99
Year: 2007
PHOTO of bottle




Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
From the famous “Heavenly Kingdom” vineyard in the town off Graach. This lovely Mosel Riesling has a bouquet and flavor profile reminiscent of lime, apricots and citrus fruit. Sweet, but crisp, and a perfect match with seafood, salads, and spicy cuisine.

Review:
~Marguerite – Sweet, I can taste the apricot. It’s almost fizzy. Nice after some grapes

~Jon – No smell… very sweet

~Ericka – mmmmm…. Really different from the Wiemer… kinda fizzy…. Likes the Wiemer better with spicy… has almost a liqueur aftertaste… is better for a dessert wine… almost effervescent

~Drew – sweeter than the Wiemer… a German maiden’s bare foot

~Whitney – Not as fragrant as Wiemer… smooth… kind of like Champagne without bubbles… nice after spicy

~Jeff – almost like a liqueur… has an aftershock

Would you buy again? Hmm… not if I could find the V Sattui or Hermann Wiemer

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: yeah… I’m still not good at this… I liked it best without food.

And the first of two wines that Whitney picked.

Name: Kallfelz Estate Single Vineyard Riesling Kabinett
Price: $14.99 (on sale… regular price $23.99)
Year: 2006
PHOTO of bottle




Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
Intensive bouquet with ripe and matured fruit aromas. This wine has a rich, long lasting aftertaste.

Review:
~Marguerite – Strong smell – I took a sip and made a squinchy face… it puckers my tongue… yuck after grapes

~Jon – Aromatic – likes it

~Ericka – Smells like Wiemer… fizzy feel… not as sweet… more citrusy

~Drew – Great! Not too sweet… sharp… kinda spicy

~Whitney – a little drier… lingering aftertaste…

~Jeff – Oh NO!


Would you buy again? No… I didn’t like this one

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: Sorry…no…

And our final wine of the evening… also picked by Whitney…

Name: Columbia Winery Cellarmaster’s Riesling
Price: $6.99
Year: 2007
PHOTO of bottle




Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
Our Cellarmaster’s Riesling offers fragrant honey, pear and apricot aromas that lead to delectable fruit flavors and crisp acidity. Enjoy with spicy foods, fresh fruit desserts or sipping on your deck or patio.

Review:
~Marguerite – Smells sweet… tastes sweet… syrupy sweet… tastes less sweet and more enjoyable after grapes

~Jon – Sweet like a wine cooler

~Ericka – Smells milder than the Wiemer and Kallfelz… likes the honey flavor… awesome to just drink, sipping by the fire… very nice alone

~Drew – Very sweet

~Whitney – Very mild – after Mexican Empanada it tastes like apple streusel

~Jeff - smooth

Would you buy again? No… too sweet

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: It’s so sweet it could ‘be’ dessert.


So… Our picks in order of favorite to least favorite

Marguerite ~ Wiemer, Graff, Columbia, Kallfelz
Jon ~ Columbia, Kallfelz, Graff, Wiemer
Ericka ~ Wiemer, Columbia, Graff, Kallfelz
Drew ~ Kallfelz, Wiemer, Graff, Columbia
Whitney ~ Columbia, Wiemer, Graff, Kallfelz
Jeff ~ Columbia, Wiemer, Graff, Kallfelz

Overall the Columbia was a favorite and the Kallfelz was the least favored (the Kallfelz was also the most expensive.

A few more pics from the evening…

Ericka’s fun campy wine sipping pose


Fruit Plate


Morbier… apparently it has a very pungent aroma. I hadn’t noticed and enjoyed it so much that I refused to ‘smell’ it!




According to Drew this is a funky cool pic…


My super cool wine bucket aka stock pot!


And dessert!! Pittsburgh’s Going to the Super Bowl!!!



I started the little Pittsburgh chapter of the BakeSpace Wine Club as an educational adventure. I don't like wine, or at least I didn't. I was just hoping to learn a little more about it and maybe stumble over wine that I do like. It took three wines... but I found one I that I like! Thank you BakeSpace Wine Club!!