South American Stir Fry: Lomo Saltado

Just from Googling around I read that in the late 1800's and early 1900's, Peru experienced a wave of immigration from the area around the city of Guangzhou, China. These people brought soy sauce and woks; then they incorporated their cooking practices with ingredients native to their new home. This way of cooking came to be known as "chifa" and today is a common type of  Peru cuisine. 

Roy and I had this yummy "stir fry" several times this winter when we were in southwest Florida where Peruvian food is very popular. I was surprised to find out that it had soy sauce in it because it had such spicy Latin flavors. Authentic Lomo Saltado gets its kick from the yellow aji amarillo pepper, which I found as a bottled paste on Amazon. A good substitute is jalapeno or Thai chilies. "Lomo" translates to loin and this recipe can be made from beef tenderloin or, as I used, sirloin steak. Another cheat is using frozen french fries instead of making your own. It's festive enough for a weekend but easy enough for a week day meal.

Ingredients and Directions for Lomo Saltado - Serves Four

About 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (or beef tenderloin)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced or put through a press
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 1/2 bell pepper - any combination of colors, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper or 2 to 3 smaller Thai peppers, sliced w/seeds & membranes removed
3 small tomatoes, sliced in lengthwise strips
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnishing 

1 small bag of frozen french fries
or
2 medium russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Trim all the fat from the steak, and slice it into thin strips.

Combine the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl. Whisk well, add the meat and gently combine. Set aside.

Start making the french fries. Either follow the package directions for baking the frozen french fries or follow the steps below.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/4 inch wide strips by slicing them lengthwise every 1/4 inch and then cutting those pieces into 1/4 inch wide strips.

Rinse the strips and drain them. Then put them in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them sit for 10 minutes.

Drain them, rinse them again, then pat them dry with paper towels.

Spread the potato strips out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (best option!) or foil.  Toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread them out again so they are in a single layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, gently flipping over every 10 minutes, until nicely browned.

(These are extra yummy tossed with Parmesan cheese, minced parsley, and a smidgen of truffle oil - especially when dipped in mayo mixed with lemon juice and garlic.) 

But wait - we are using these fries for Lomo Saltado!

To continue with Lomo Saltado:

While the french fries are cooking, place the sliced bell peppers, hot peppers, onions, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet. Saute over medium low heat, about 10 minutes or until tender. 

Add the tomato slices and saute  until softened about 3 to 4 more minutes.

Remove the cooked vegetables from pan and set aside, covered.

Place the meat mixture into the same pan.

Saute until the beef is brown on both sides.

Add the vegetables and gently toss.

To serve, divide french fries among 4 plates. Ladle the Lomo Saltado on top. To garnish sprinkle a bit of chopped cilantro on top of each serving.

Sweetheart Steakhouse Supper

Tenderloin Filets, Creamed Spinch, Wedge Salad

During the first couple of years of our married life, Roy and I tried to celebrate Valentine's Day by eating out at a restaurant.  What a hassle!  I remember long waits, hurried service, and an unrelaxed atmosphere.  We soon wised up and realized that trying to dine out on Valentine's Day was just as bad as going out on Mother's Day for brunch. It was so much easier to stay home and cook a nice meal.  Later, after we had the three girls, we celebrated the day with a special family meal which included small little gifts at each place setting. It was always fun to try to duplicate a restaurant meal such as an expensive steak house. The menu here has a lighter version of creamed spinach and turkey bacon in the salad.

Steakhouse Beef Tenderloin Filets

Ingredients:

Beef Tenderloin Filets, prepackaged or from the butcher case

Cooking twine

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

A tablespoon pat of butter for each filet

A sprig or two of parsley

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Tie each filet around the outside with cooking twine so it stays together.  Clip any extra twine that is dangling after the knot is made.  Brush each filet with olive oil.  Sprinkle the top, bottom, and sides of the filets with some of the salt and pepper.  I go easy on the salt and a bit heavier on the pepper. Heat an oven proof skillet to medium high.  When the skillet is hot, brown both sides of the filets, about 2 or 3 minutes per side.  Put a tablespoon pat of butter on each filet.  Place the skillet into the oven, close the door, and bake for 8 minutes for a warm, pink center.  The time can be adjusted less or more, according to your family's preferences.  After taking the meat out of the oven, let it sit at least five minutes before serving. Cut off the string. Spoon some of the cooking juices that accumulated in the pan over each filet. Garnish with parsley.

Almost Like Steakhouse Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz.) package of frozen spinach

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, put through a press

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups skim milk

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Cook the spinach in the microwave for 9 minutes.  While it is cooking, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sprinkle in the flour.  Whisk the mixture together and cook 1 minute.

Whisk in the milk a little at a time, keeping the pan over medium heat.  Keep whisking until it is smooth, then stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick.  Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cheese and stir in well. 

Take the white sauce mixture off the heat. Transfer the spinach to colander and with the back of a spoon, press any water out of the cooked spinach.  Add the spinach to the pan and stir until it is mixed in.

Transfer the creamed spinach into a greased or buttered baking dish.  Sprinkle with the extra Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and brown on top.

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges

Diced cucumber pieces

Diced tomato pieces

Crumbled bacon, turkey or regular

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 garlic clove put through a press 

To Assemble:

Whisk together mayonnaise, blue cheese, sour cream, vinegar, and garlic.  Place a lettuce wedge on serving plate.  Drizzle the dressing over the top of the wedge.  Sprinkle with pieces of cucumber, tomato, and bacon.

Stuffed Grilled Flank Steak

     Lately I've been thinking about grilling some kind meat stuffed with something yummy.  Caroline spent Father's Day this year with her boyfriend Adam's family.  Adam's dad is a grilling master and Caroline was raving about the wonderful stuffed flank steak he cooked up for their feast.  I remembered a recipe from The Betty Crocker International Cookbook I received in 1981 for a wedding gift.  It has a wonderful recipe for Matambre Arrollado (translation: "Hunger Killer Roll") or Argentinian stuffed flank steak.  The Betty Crocker recipe called for browning the meat and then cooking it in liquid until tender.  The temperature has been so extremely hot this summer and I'm in a grilling mode instead of cooking in a warm kitchen, so I figured if I tenderized the steak well enough, I could do it on the grill.  The results were very yummy and the left overs were even delicious served cold the next day.

Ingredients:

1 large flank steak (or at least a pound)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt (and more to sprinkle)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Another clove of garlic, minced or pressed
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 peppers such as serrano or jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 whole cooked carrots, cut lengthwise and then lengthwise again
1 hard boiled egg, quartered
Cooking string that has been soaked in water for about 10 minutes

Steps:

1.  “Butterfly” the steak by carefully cutting it through the middle with a very sharp knife.  Be careful that you do not cut it completely through so that it stays in one large piece.  Open it up and lay it out in a 9x13 inch baking dish or similar container.

2.  Make a simple marinade of ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 garlic cloves put through a press, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and a tablespoon of fresh parsley (if you happen to have it).  Pour it over the steak and refrigerate it for several hours (best overnight, but I don’t always think that far ahead).  During the day, turn the steak over every couple of hours or so.

3.  Shake the excess marinade of the steak and lay it flat – cut side up.  Press another clove of garlic and rub it on the steak.  Lightly sprinkle it with salt and pepper.  Chop and seed 2 tomatoes, dice and seed 2 small peppers such as Serrano or Jalapenos, and dice one small onion.  Mix the tomatoes, peppers, and onions together and spread them over the steak.  Quarter a hardboiled egg and line the pieces down the middle of the steak.  Cut two precut carrots in half lengthwise and then in half lengthwise again. Line them down the steak to the left and right of the egg so there are two strips of carrots on either side.

4.  Roll the steak up from the end and tie it with cooking string or twine that has been soaked in water. I like to tie it in three places - the two ends and the middle.

5.  Over medium heat, grill the rolled steak about 7 minutes per “side” to achieve some nice brown marks.  Turn the heat down to low and cook about 7 more minutes.

6.  Let the steak rest about 5 minutes before cutting it into slices.  Yum – Enjoy!

Marinades for Marina!

     Today Marina and I went to school for a little while.  She put up tons of colorful wall decorations that her ENL kids will love; I spent much of my time deleting useless and obsolete emails. We planned to stay no later than 2:00, but at 12:30 she popped her head and my room and said, "What if we stopped at Cosco on the way home and get berries?" I suggested we just do it right then, so away we went!  As we chatted about what we might find at Cosco, she remarked that a coworker said Cosco and Sam's Club have really good meat. The conversation meandered around to the topic of her trip to Colombia last Christmas Break.  She loved the warm people, the yummy food, and the breathtaking scenery. She was reminiscing about a particularly great flank steak she was served while she was there. I looked at her and squealed, "Let's see if we can find flank steak at Cosco!"  Indeed we did - large ones, two to a package!  Marina's family doesn't eat a lot of meat and she needed some coaching on how to prepare a flank steak - so Marina - this is for you!

Three Marinades for Flank Steak

#1 Hint of Asian Flavors

Mix together:
Juice of one lime (lemon)
1/3 cup soy sauce (I use light soy sauce)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey ( I usually leave out)
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 green onion with green stem, finely sliced (I use several)

#2  No Oil Marinade

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

#3 My Mother's Marinade (circa 1960 - it makes a ton!)

1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic, put through a press (minced)
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
(Her recipe goes on to say "Serve with 1/2 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt")

Mix up the marinade of your choice.
Place flank steak in dish with sides and spoon marinade over meat.  Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or in the refridgerator up to 24 hours.  Grill out side or inside under broiler. About 5 minutes per side. After removing from heat let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it.