Porcini Salt Minute Steaks with Rosti

When I first saw this recipe in Donna Hay's most recently published book "Fast, Fresh, Simple" I was quite intrigued by the concept.
Thinly sliced Sirloin beef steak, (or beef filet, sliced into thin steaks) are brushed with oil*,  then sprinkled with porcini mushroom salt ~ a unique twist on steak and mushrooms.
* I love this tip from Donna: When ready to sear the meat, heat skillet over high heat, while skillet is heating brush the meat with oil (rather than putting the oil in the pan), This saves clean-up, and there is much less spattering ~ brilliant!



Use a spice grinder, small food processor or blender to grind the dried porcini and sea salt into a fine powder. (if you don't grind it finely enough it will taste gritty.)



Because the steaks are so thin they pan sear in just a couple of minutes, then served with  the delicious rosemary rosti. I love the contrast in textures; tender, juicy steak and crunchy, flavorful potato!
The crisp and lacy potato discs can be made a short time ahead and held until ready on a rack in a warm oven until you're ready to plate.
Serve additional Porcini Salt on the side for those who prefer a more pronounced mushroom flavor.



It's flavorful and is quick to put together; perfect for a weeknight supper. I'll definitely make this one again.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you'll find it here on my recipe blog.
If you try it, I hope you like it too!
~mari xo

Drawing winners announced!

TAA DAA!!

We have two winners for the drawing/giveaway for the OXO Julienne slicers!

Congratulations to:
Amy (U Try It)
and
Joycelyn (Happy Cottage Quilter)

Ladies, if you would be so kind as to email me your mailing addresses I'll make sure Amazon sends your slicers right away.
onceuponaplate [at] gmail (dot) com
Thank you everyone for entering, and for your very kind comments!!

~*~*~*~*~

Hope everyone on the East Coast stays safe ~ my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Blessings to all, Mari

Spicy Smokey Chicken Sandwiches & Flavorful Give Away!

Ciao!
Recently I was given the opportunity to sample a set of natural herb seasoning blends offered by  the Ariosto Spa Buccinasco company in Italy.
And the exciting news is that the kind people from this fine company have invited me to have a drawing for the same gift pack to two of my followers!






Here is the generous gift two winners will receive ~ full size containers of a variety of herb seasonings, specially blended, using all natural herbs and sea salt, sent to you directly from Italy!
I've been having fun in the kitchen using the seasonings ~ they are perfect for adding unique and delicious flavors to grilled, roasted, or sauteed meats, poultry, vegetables as well as eggs and stews.
Most recently I made these  Smokey-Spicy grilled chicken breast sandwiches.




Just brush or spoon the marinade ~ (recipe below) over boneless/skinless chicken breasts, (sliced in half lengthwise, to make them thinner.) Allow to marinate while your grill is heating up. 
You can grill them outdoors, or inside on a stove-top grill.  They only take a few minutes to cook ~ and during that time you can mix up the simple Lemon-Aioli for the sandwiches.
Ingredients for Sandwich:
For two servings:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise  to make 4 thin cutlets.
Marinade:
In a container large enough to hold the sliced chicken,  mix together: 1 teaspoon Aristo meat poultry seasoning  1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 1 tablespoon good olive oil Spread/brush mixture on both sides of chicken slices.
2 Sandwich Rolls Lettuce, washed and chilled  Tomatoes, sliced
Lemon Aioli:
Blend together 1/4 cup good mayonnaise, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice until thoroughly blended.
Grill the chicken, mix aioli, toast sandwich rolls if desired. (While chicken is on the grill mix aioli.)  Spread 1/2 of the aioli on the base of  each sandwich bun, top with 2 chicken slices, lettuce, sliced tomatoes ~ and enjoy! 
These received high praise here ~ and that always makes me happy.

This recipe was adapted from Donna Hay ~ I must say, the additional herb blend from Ariosto Spa Buccinasco truly put the flavor over-the-top!


~*~*~*~*~ The Drawing Details 
Open to the continental USA and CANADA! :)
1.) Be a Google Follower of my blog (upper right column) and  leave a comment here just saying you want to be a part of this drawing.
2. Another chance to win ~ if you are a member of facebook click "like" on
Ariosto Spa Buccinasco's page
and mention it in your comment here on my blog.
3. One MORE chance to win ~ spread the word on your blog and/or facebook about this give-away, and mention it in your comment here for another chance to win.
Entries will be accepted from Tuesday, October 23rd until October 30th, 2012 @ 9PM (Pacific Time).
Winner will be announced here on November 1, 2012.


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

It was a pleasure to be given the Herb Sampler Library  and the opportunity to review these products from Ariosto Spa Buccinasco.

Thank you for stopping by and best of luck to all who enter!  
~ Mari 

Veggie Rolls with Dipping Sauces ~ & a GIVE-AWAY!!

(For Give Away details, scroll to bottom of post)
Spring or Summer Rolls are a delicious treat any time of year ~ easy to put together, and the fillings are limited only by your imagination. I like to serve them as a light meal, or appetizer.



The dipping sauces are really easy to  stir together ~ each one adds it's own character to the rolls. I LOVE variety!
I like to think of these as a salad in a roll ~ and if you are eating gluten-free, you will be happy to know the wrappers are made of rice flour, not wheat. 
You'll want to have your filling ingredients ready, because once you soak the rice wrappers briefly in a shallow dish of water, you're ready to roll.



I usually use whatever I have on hand for the filling; this time it was baby spinach (cut into 1/4-inch ribbons) julienne carrots (I used them raw, but you can steam them), julienne English cucumber, slivered scallions, steamed shrimp (sliced in half, lengthwise for easy rolling), and slices of avocado.

My new favorite kitchen gadget ~ it makes perfect julienne cuts; great for wraps, sandwiches, garnishes, salads and soups, etc.  You can win one in my give away! (see below)
TIP: If you've ever struggled with rolling rice wrappers tearing, or falling apart as you assemble them, here's a helpful hint:
 Double the wrappers for each roll ~ Working with a pair of wrappers, dip each one in a shallow dish of water one at a time. Lay the first one you dip flat on your work surface upon a clean,  damp kitchen towel (or damp paper towel.) Then dip the second wrapper until pliable and place it directly upon the first wrapper, gently pressing out any air bubbles or excess water, then fill and roll. You'll find the roll won't be as likely to tear.
Need directions for rolling? Here's a good, short youtube video that you may find helpful:



Once assembled, the rolls can be placed in the refrigerator (covered with a damp cloth or paper towel) for a couple of hours. The wrappers become tougher if stored much longer than a few hours.
Serve with your choice of dipping sauces; usually I just make one dipping sauce, but this time I wanted to try two others besides my favorite Lime, Garlic & Red Chili (Spicy-Sweet Red or Green Chili):   Offering a couple of dipping sauces completely changes the flavors of the rolls ~  Incidentally these are really good with pot stickers, as well as  drizzled over grilled or poached chicken, fish, prawns or crab.

From top ~ clockwise; Sesame-Lime, Hoisin-Peanut, Spicy-Sweet Red or Green Chili
You can find printable recipes for these three sauces over on 'Once Upon a Plate ~ Recipes'. *~****~****~****~****~* G I V E   A W A Y!


What? A chance to win one of two OXO Julienne Slicers, my new favorite kitchen gadget.

When? Entries will be accepted until October 26, 2012 at 9:00PM Pacific Time. Winners will be announced October 28th. 
How to enter:
#1. Be a registered follower of my blog (see top, upper right column) and mention it in your comment
#2. And leave a comment on this post  naming one of your favorite condiments/sauces.  (It doesn't have to be an Asian sauce ~anything goes!)
Double your chances!
#3. Follow me on Facebook and 'like' or comment on my post about these rolls. After you've done so, come back here and enter a separate comment and your name will be entered into the drawing twice.
~*~*~*~*~
The sticky details ~
Due to shipping restrictions this contest is open to the continental US only. My apologies to my friends and followers outside of the continental US.
Full Disclosure: This drawing is sponsored and funded by OnceUponaPlate. I have received no reimbursement whatsoever from the folks at OXO. Not feeling so lucky? Don't fret!  You can learn more (and order one if you want) over at amazon.com, just click the image above. There is no obligation to order. Have a wonderful week everyone! Blessings! ~m.

A Twist on Moussaka ~ Greece Meets France!

Greece meets France in this twist I devised as a shortcut for the Greek dish Moussaka, using what I had on hand  (most noticeably not enough eggplant to make the traditional Greek version!)
Instead, with some odds and ends of fresh vegetables from the  late harvest I made a batch of oven roasted Ratatouille, then proceeded with an adaptation of Moussaka.

Ratatouille ~ deliciously French!
I don't really use an exact recipe for ratatouille and that's just  what I love about dishes like this ~the option of adapting it to  suit ones own taste (or according to what combinations  of vegetables you happen to have.)

You see in the photo from back to front: Red and Green Bell Peppers, Onion, whole garlic cloves and Zucchini, Slender purple eggplant and ripe tomato chunks.

That being said, I prepare oven roasted Ratatouille  much like this as found on about.com/French Food.
It's wonderful to have a bowl of this savory treat in the fridge; good on toasted baguette slices, as a topping  or base for scrambled or fried eggs, as a side dish with fowl or meats, or main dish with grains, rice, or pasta.
 If it's not served warm, it's really best at room temperature so take it out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes to an hour before serving.

Moussaka ~ Delightfully Greek!
This time when making moussaka, instead of the usual eggplant  (or combination of eggplant and potatoes) as the vegetable layers  I used the ratatouille as the base layer, then a layer of spiced, sauteed minced lamb (you can use ground beef, or a mix of lamb and beef). I've seen versions omitting the meat altogether.


Right out of the oven.  (It serves more neatly if allowed to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.)

Over the meat another layer of the ratatouille,  and finally topped with a layer Bechamel sauce  ( medium-thick white sauce) and a dusting of grated  Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan cheese sprinkle on the  Bechamel sauce develops an appetizing golden brown while baking.
Keeper!! This can be assembled ahead and refrigerated until baking time; and it reheats well, too.
Using the ratatouille for the veggie(s) may not be "real" moussaka, but it is very, very good!

If you would like a recipe for authentic Greek Moussaka, this one is a favorite.  (I'm not sure I'll go back though!)

Thank you for stopping by today!
Blessings ~ m. xo

Warm Savory Mini-Cheesecakes with Dressed Baby Greens

Wow! Another brilliant recipe from Jacques Pepin ~ he  explains he tasted something very similar to this in a restaurant while vacationing in the Alsace  region of France. Though there it was served in a pastry crust. 
He used the same idea, but baked the cheesecake mixture in small ramekins, the insides buttered and sprinkled with fresh bread crumbs to facilitate easy removal from the molds.
I adore the contrast in flavors and textures here; the warm, creamy little cheesecakes liven up the simply dressed, crispy greens.



Rich, yet light and tender it was love at  first bite ~ the delicate cheesecake practically melts in your mouth. 
Whipped cream cheese, a little sour cream,  eggs and a few crumbles of blue cheese are the key ingredients.




Merci beaucoup to Chef Pepin for another winner!

I'll definitely be making this recipe again.  And if you try it, I hope you love it as well. :)
A printable copy  can be found on my recipe blog.

Have a wonderful week everyone!
Blessings, Mari xo