Steak au Poivre and Pommes Frites

I was feeling a French vibe on afternoon and decided to cook up a french meal with steak and fries...a.k.a. Steak au Poivre and Pommes Frites. I did not have tenderloin on me but had some 1 inch thick top sirloin steaks and cut them each into 4 pieces. This recipe is a keeper and can be used on any steak. The inspiration for this dish is from one of our fave restaurants in Vegas, Mon Ami Gabi in Paris Hotel & Casino. They use hangar steaks for their dishes served along the fries...a heart attack on a plate but a once-a-month indulgence! You can use any steak you wish but be sure it is a thin cut. One more thing, be sure you are not up close to the Cognac when you light it! I almost lost my eyebrows ^^

Ingredients

• 4 tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup Cognac, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt.

Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean.

Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

For the fries:

Idaho potatoes
Vegetable Oil

Heat up oil in frying pan.

Wash the potatoes, dry, then cut into matchsticks. Fry until golden brown and flip to brown other side of fries. I do not move the fries until they are ready to flip the first time. This helps in even cooking/browning.

Spiced Nuts

Here is a great holiday snack that I feel is great all year round. It is best to use non-salted nuts and I actually used the raw nuts. I also added in 1/4 tsp of pumpkin spice and boy did it contribute to the burst of flavor you get when biting into these nuts! You will be addicted!!

Ingredients:

3/4 C Sugar
3 Tbsp Water
1 egg white
1 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Clove
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2 Cups Pecan halves
2 Cups Whole Almonds

Preparation:

1. Whisk together egg white and water (frothy consistency), add sugar and spices and mix well
2. Add in nuts and coat well with the egg/spice mixture
3. Spread buts evenly on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silpat. If you don't have these, you can use the release foil and spray heavily with non-stick spray.
4. Bake nuts at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes, nuts need to be stirred around every 15 minutes to prevent sticking together.
5. Let it cool and ENJOY!

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BBQ Turkey Pizza

Here is a turkey leftover meal. BBQ Turkey Pizza is so easy to make! The secret to making this fast and healthy is to use already made turkey meat, store bought BBQ sauce, and pre-made pizza dough. I usually buy the dough at Trader Joe's.

Here is what you need to make it:

Pre-Made Pizza Dough
Turkey diced into small pieces
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup Gouda cheese shredded
1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
2 Tblsp fresh cilantro


PREHEAT OVEN to 400 degrees

Roll out dough to a flat circle. Spread 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over the surface of the dough. Place diced turkey in a bowl and incorporate some of the BBQ sauce to coat the turkey pieces. Distribute 1/2 of the cheeses over the sauce. Distribute 1/2 of the chicken over the cheese. Place the sliced red onion over the chicken pieces. Distribute the rest of the cheese on top. Place the pizza in the oven. Bake until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling (10-15 minutes). Remove pizzas from the oven and sprinkle with the cilantro.

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Smoked Turkey and Homemade Gravy

Here is the Turkey we cooked on Thanks giving Day. It did not last for more than a week as I anticipated because the juicyness and smoke flavor of the turkey was ADDICTIVE! So I experimented with different recipes and here is my version of smoked turkey. You must have a rack roaster in order to do this and the best part is that it can all be done on the oven! Just watch out for smoke in the kitchen!!


You will need 2-4 cups of smoking wood chips. I soaked them overnight in preparation of the turkey.

Seasoning Spice Mix:

• 2 tablespoons herbs de Provence
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 fresh turkey (12 to 14 pounds)
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, split through the equator
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 1/4 bunch fresh sage, plus leaves for garnish
• 4 to 5 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  To set up the smoker: Take your turkey roaster and line it with aluminum foil.

  Drain the wood chips and add to the bottom of the pan. Put the pan over high heat on the stove-top. The chips will begin to smolder and smoke.
  

  For spice mix: In a small bowl add the first 7 ingredients and mix well.
  

  Prepare the turkey. Wash the bird inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels and season inside the cavity well with the spice mix. Stuff the bird with sliced lemon, garlic, bay leaf, sage, rosemary and thyme. Pin the wings back behind the base of the breast. Truss the bird using kitchen twine. Coat the turkey in olive oil and season all over the outside with the remaining spice mix.

  Once the chips start smoking arrange the turkey on a rack and put it over the smoking chips. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the whole pan with foil so the smoke encapsulates the entire bird. Turn the temperature down slightly and smoke for 10 to 15 minutes. Once done, remove the foil and lift the whole rack with the turkey out of the pan. Discard the foil with the chips. (Make sure you put the chips out by submerging in water before discarding.) Put the rack back into the roaster pan and roast in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh should register 170 degrees F. If the legs or breast brown too quickly during roasting, cover them with foil.

  When done, remove the turkey from the oven and set aside to rest. Transfer to a platter and garnish with sage.

FOR THE GRAVY...I adopted the Barefoot Contessa's Homemade Gravy Recipe with a few tweaks...I disregarded the brandy, white wine and heavy cream and I added in some chopped mushrooms and at the end, took my immersion blender to the gravy and it was EXCELLENT! The onions may take longer than the recipe states.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated
• 1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
• 1 tablespoon white wine, optional
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

Directions

In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.

CLICK HERE FOR THE GRAVY RECIPE

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