driftersonline’s Neighborhood

I was watching a show called Kitchen Nightmares the other night and in this particular episode, Chef Ramsay was helping out the owners of an Irish Pub in New York. One of the dishes Chef Ramsay cooked on this episode was Shepherds Pie. It looked and sounded absolutely delicious, so I figured I would give it a try.

Shepherds Pie or sometimes spelled Shepards Pie, is a dish that is served at pubs throughout England and Ireland. It is traditionally made with finely chopped or ground lamb topped with mashed potatoes. Ground or chopped beef is often substituted for the lamb. When beef is used, the dish is referred to as “Cottage Pie”.

I am not a big fan of Lamb, so I used ground beef in the recipe that follows. My wife and I absolutely loved this dish and will certainly make it again in the future. The ground beef was excellent, but I think the next time I make this, I will try using a braised beef instead. I am thinking that some left over meat from a pot roast would work wonderfully in this dish.

Well, let’s get on with the recipe shall we? I am quite confident that you and your family will fall in love with this dish and make it again and again.

Please forgive me if any of the measurements in this recipe are not spot on accurate. I rarely follow recipes and tend to taste as I go along. I recommend you do the same and try to use the ingredients below as a guide.

Click here to read the rest  including the recipe & instructions for making Shepherds Pie...

The following video is a recipe and instructions for Grilled Blackened Salmon using a Cedar Plank.

The cedar plank gives the salmon a  wonderful smoky flavor while grilling. After using the cedar plank I will never grill salmon any other way.

Click here to to learn how to cook Grilled Salmon Steaks using a Cedar Plank...

Grilled Corn

One of my favorite side dishes to cook during the summer is grilled corn on the cob. It is quite easy to prepare and is usually ready in under 30 minutes.  I like to use fresh sweet corn thats in season.  There are a number of ways to prepare this delicious side dish.  The following method is how I like cook corn on the grill.  I hope you enjoy....

Click here to read the rest of this post on cooking corn on the grill...

Cooking brisket in the oven is a time consuming process, but also a very rewarding one. When your family and friends take their first bite of your delicious brisket, they will most definitely be asking you for the recipe. This article will make you a brisket cooking pro!

Did you know that at one time, brisket was considered a very poor quality meat? History has it, that two brothers from Germany, back in the 1950's decided to smoke up some leftover brisket they had. They left the brisket inside their smokehouse for an entire weekend. When they returned to work they sliced up the meat and served it to their customers. The meat was so flavorful and tender that it quickly became a hit.

I remember the first time I had the pleasure of eating beef brisket. It was at this fabulous little Barbecue Restaurant in Croton-On-Hudson, NY called Memphis Maes.....

Click here to read the rest of this article on cooking brisket in the oven...

Corned Beef

Before the wonderful invention we so easily take for granted today called refrigeration, people had to rely on other methods to preserve meats. In the past, they used a method called “Corning” which had absolutely nothing to do with corn. Corning got its name because of the corn-sized crystals of salt that were used for dry curing the meat. Today, brines are used to replace the dry corning method. The brine used for corned beef is typically a liquid mixture made up of water, salt, sugar and spices. The ingredients are brought to a boil and then allowed to cool. The beef brisket is then placed in the brining liquid and refrigerated for a number of days, depending on how thick the brisket is...

Click here to learn how to cook corned beef...

I made this particular dish the other day and it was absolutely wonderful. My wife, who normally does not eat big portions, cleaned off her plate and wanted more, so that is a very good sign.

The thickness of the tuna steak you use really depends on how rare you like your tuna. Because you are only searing the outside of your tuna steak, it will not be in the pan for very long. So the thicker the steak, the more rare the center will be.

I personally do not like my tuna too rare, so I usually make this recipe with thinner cuts of tuna. This is just a preference, not a requirement. Many people, including chefs say the only way to eat tuna is rare. I guess you will have to be the judge.

Let us move on to the recipe shall we?

Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna with a Cilantro, Garlic and Lime sauce..

I should mention one thing before we begin this recipe. I do not follow exact measurements in recipes. I measure everything by eye, so the following measurements are only to be used as a guide. So don't get too mad at me!

This is optional, but I like to toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan first before I put them on the tuna. The seeds become nutty and aromatic when you toast them. This is highly recommended if you have the time and is quite easy to do. Simply heat a dry pan over medium heat, then add the seeds shaking the pan occasionally. You may have to do this in batches, depending on how many seeds you are toasting. You do not want to overcrowd the pan. Keep an eye on the seeds and make sure they do not burn. Toast them until they darken a bit and start to become fragrant. Remove and let them cool before adding them to the tuna.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Cup Black Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup White Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
2 - 6 ounce Ahi (Also known as Yellow Fin) Tuna Steaks
Salt and Pepper to Taste

MARINADE/ DIPPING SAUCE

1/ 2 Cup of Low Sodium Soy Sauce (Who needs the extra sodium, right?)
1 Lime (Juice and Zest - If you want more lime flavor, add another)
1- 2 Cloves of Garlic Minced
2 Tablespoons of Honey
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Cilantro Leaves

1) Prepare the marinade. Add all marinade ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Reserve half of this marinade in a separate container to use as a dipping sauce.

2) Get a glass baking dish or other non-reactive container to marinade the tuna in. You want the tuna steaks to fit snuggly in the dish so that they are surrounded nicely with the marinade. Pour the marinade into the dish and put the tuna steaks in and kind of swirl the marinade around so that you coat the fish well. Cover with some plastic wrap and refrigerate. Another option is to pour the marinade in a large zip lock bag, add the tuna, and then squeeze out the air. Marinade for 30 minutes to an hour, turning the tuna about half way through.

3) Remove tuna from fridge and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes or so.

4) Remove tuna from marinade, shaking off any excess marinade and dry on paper towels.

5) Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. The oil should be hot but not smoking.

6) While the pan is heating, arrange your sesame seeds on a flat dish. Roll the tuna around in the seeds pressing down as you roll ensuring the seeds are packed into the tuna nicely.

7) Add the tuna to the hot saute pan and shake it a bit to make sure the tuna does not stick. Sear for 30 to 40 seconds on both sides.

8) Remove and serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

For side dishes with this recipe I usually keep things pretty bland as I don't want anything to compete with the flavors in the tuna. So I usually prepare a side of steamed green beans with a bit of butter, salt and pepper or other vegetable along with some lightly seasoned jasmine or basmati rice.

There you have it. I do hope you enjoy this Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna recipe. I am not a big wine drinker, but for those of you who like a glass or two with dinner, I heard a nice Pinot Grigio goes quite well with Tuna. Buon Appetito!

Here is a little tip to keep in mind as you are making this delicious ground beef recipe. There is a chance that your ground beef steaks can fall apart while cooking. To prevent this from happening, form your steak patties and put them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before you start cooking. This will help hold your steaks stay together.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tablespoon montreal steak seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 small package of freshly sliced portobello mushrooms or by them whole and slice yourself
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, garlic, onion, steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. From the mixture, make steak shaped patties that are about 2 inches thick.

2 Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef patties and cook about 4 minutes per side until the outside of the steaks are nicely browned and the juices run clear. Remove the steaks and cover with foil to keep them warm.

3 Add the rest of the olive oil along with the butter to the same pan. Add your mushrooms and then cook over medium heat until they are tender. Approximately 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the flour to the mushrooms, mix and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in your beef stock. Stir and cook until your sauce has thickened.

5. Pour gravy over steaks and serve.�

Here is a great recipe for marinara sauce using canned tomatoes. This marinara sauce is delicious over your favorite pasta, on top of pizza and over mussels and shrimp. The beauty of this sauce is that it can be used with a number of other recipes, so it's a great starting point in Italian Cooking and it is very easy to make.

You can use either fresh or canned plum tomatoes for this recipe, however using fresh tomatoes requires more time and preparation, so I prefer to use canned. If you do plan on using fresh tomatoes, make certain the tomatoes are ripe and in season.

For the canned tomatoes, I prefer Rienzi brand tomatoes. I have tried a number of different brands of canned tomatoes and Rienzi has the best flavor amongst the supermarket brands, in my opinion.

Marinara Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (More or less depending on how much you like garlic)

1 35 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes with liquid

Salt to taste

Crushed red pepper to taste (You can use black pepper if you wish)

10 - 12 fresh basil leaves , torn

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

Directions:

1) Open your can of tomatoes and crush them by hand into a bowl and set aside.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your garlic to the oil and cook until soft and lightly browned. Be sure to watch the garlic to make sure it doesn't burn.

4) Carefully add the tomatoes along with their liquid into the pan with the garlic and oil. Use caution when adding the tomatoes to the hot oil. The oil can splatter. Add the oregano.

5) Stir the mixture and bring to a boil. Season with a bit of salt and red or black pepper. Lower the heat so that the sauce is reduced to a simmer. Break up the tomatoes as it cooks with a spoon until your sauce is chunky. You want the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 20 - 25 minutes.

6) Add your fresh basil a few minutes before the sauce is done. Taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if needed.

7) Serve over your favorite pasta. �