Sirloin Steak with Tarragon-Garlic Sour Cream

Happy New Year! *Annoying party horn sound effect.*

What…am I late? Oh, yeah. I'm still drowning in piles of unwritten posts. Alas, extra late hours at work and a bad sinus infection have consumed every ounce of my energy. And every tissue and napkin in the house. And to top it off, I still can't shake the holidays. The Christmas decorations are still up (although the sparkle is muted by all the dust). And my mind, stuck in a black hole of denial, keeps telling me I'm back in sunny Florida, not the bitter Michigan grayness that is my reality.

And you know what else is bitter? Me. Fourteen days ago when I made this recipe.

See, the night before, the hubby and I packed our overnight bags and set out for his in-laws to ring in the new year. We expected to be greeted by the usual. Lots of family, buttery Polish food and board games. What we arrived to, instead, was a frat party. Turns out my mother-in-law was working a night shift, so my husband's "older" brother decided to host his own shin dig, swapping the pierogies for jello shots and the board games for beer pong. Woulda been a great time. If I was 21. And in a frat.

So there we sat in the corner, like two Angela Martin's from The Office, contemplating risking our lives to ditch the party. Unfortunately, it was just too late and would have been too reckless on our part to release ourselves to the sea of drunk drivers that inevitably owned the road.

Instead, we sipped our drinks, tried to relax and did some major people watching. So, I guess the night wasn't completely void of good entertainment. A few people tripped in hilarious drunkenness. A few more slobbered out things they're sure to regret later. And the cherry on top - my husband's dad performed a solo dance around a small fire to "the chicken dance" while waving a palm branch.

Finally, at four a.m., we were escorted to a room to crash. I think I literally passed out. But New Year's Day festivities were back at my parent's house, so we had to be on the road in less than five hours. Five. I get cranky when I sleep less than eight.

So, yes, I was bitter. Bitter that I was exhausted all New Year's Day from something out of my control. Bitter that I reeked of smoke. Bitter that my definition of a good time (coffee and conversation anyone?) pegged me as an old fart and I somehow have become that person who can't even enjoy a New Year's Eve party.

But you know what fixes bitter moods? Food. Better yet, a steak-house dinner with all the fixings. And one that doesn't plague you with guilt, either. So after I scrubbed away the cigarette stench that lingered in every pore, my mom and I wrangled up some of my uncle's organically raised steak and got to work.

First, we made the sauce, a mix of brown mustard, sour cream, mayo, tarragon and garlic, which was simply amazing. It’s the kind of sauce you'll happily smother over even the tenderest, most expensive fillet mignon. And thankfully, it's also the kind of sauce that'll salvage an over-cooked piece of ordinary meat.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I ruined the steak. What we initially thought was sirloin, turned out to be some other cut, extremely pre-tenderized, that magically became well done the instant I placed it in the pan. Kinda like a hamburger. Ah well. We baked the potato wedges and moved on. (The recipe said to fry, but the potato bag said to bake, which seemed easier and healthier. )

 

 

When the steak and potatoes were done, we got out the sides and pulled up anxious chairs. It really only took a matter of minutes to assemble this meal. So simple. We served it with homemade yeast rolls with cherry butter, and a fresh Caesar salad. I tell you, a few bites and my bitter mood completely vanished.

Again, the sauce was so good. Seriously tasted like it came from a fancy steakhouse. I dipped everything in it. The steak. The potatoes. The rolls. A few rogue croutons. The steak turned out pretty good, too. While I would have preferred a juicy piece at medium rare, it wasn't nearly as overcooked as it looked. At least I couldn't tell under all that sauce.

And I have to say, any meal that can banish your bitterness, and make itself into an awesome sandwich the next day is a keeper in my book. A Happy New Year indeed.

 

Sirloin Steak with Tarragon-Garlic Sour Cream
Yield: 4 servings
(serving size: 3 ounces steak, 2/3 cup potatoes, and 3 tablespoons sauce)

Cookbook Note: The tangy sauce dresses up a steakhouse favorite. Packaged potato wedges round out the dish. Time: 40 minutes.

Ingredients:
1/3  cup  sour cream
1/4  cup  low-fat mayonnaise
2  tablespoons  whole-grain Dijon mustard
1  teaspoon  dried tarragon
1  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic
1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper, divided

Cooking spray
1  (1-pound) boneless sirloin steak, trimmed
1  (20-ounce) package refrigerated red potato wedges (such as Simply Potatoes)

Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of steak with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; add steak to pan. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Keep warm.

Wipe pan with a paper towel; return to heat. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add the potatoes; sauté 15 minutes or until browned and thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Serve with steak and sauce.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 307 (32% from fat), Fat: 11g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.4g), Protein: 26.4g, Carbohydrate: 22.9g, Fiber: 3.7g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Iron: 2.1mg, Sodium: 732mg, Calcium: 44mg

Source: Cooking Light, 2007

Hello Dolly Bars (Seven Layer Bars)

Do you think it's possible to be friends with a cookie?  Forget those make-em-once flings. I'm talking about a lasting relationship, here. One you wouldn't give up for anything. Well, call me crazy, but I've become bff's with this recipe. And if you've never experienced a heart-warming, always there for you friendship like this,  I'd like to introduce you to my sweet pal Dolly. Maybe the two of you can get together over coffee.

For as long as I can remember, it's been tradition in my family to make these dream bars for the holidays. And even though they compete with stacks of other homemade Christmas confections, they still somehow manage to become nothing but crumbs quicker than anything else. Even the fudge. The fudge.

Here's why they're so amazing:

They only contain seven ingredients, most likely already in your pantry/fridge.

They're beyond simple to make. Just layer everything in a pan and bake.

They're diet-ditching good. One bite and you'll swear one of those layers is crack.

So while vacationing in Florida for Christmas (jealous?), I made a batch. Now, if you're thinking, "Hmm, I've heard of these, and I don't recall them being 'light', so why are they hanging out on your blog?" Well, because it was Christmas. And I felt that Christmas deserved full fat. And I was also a bit worried about toting a low-cal dessert to the house of my Polish in-laws. A move like that was sure to result in disapproving looks, a pierogi timeout, and possibly the end of me as a Sokolewicz as we know it. 

Actually, there is a Cooking Light recipe for a reduced-fat version. The order of the layers is a bit different, and they use parchment paper. All acceptable changes I suppose. But to make it light, they eliminated almost all of the butter, and replaced it with water. WATER. Not cool. So in pure rebellion, I turned to my mom's recipe. But I'll post both below, so you can make the choice for yourself. (Go with your gut. He knows what's best.)

The first step was melting the butter. To save on dirty dishes, I used my mom's technique here, melting it directly in the pan. Watching that entire stick of butter fade into a glistening pool of deliciousness just felt wrong. In a very good way.

Next, I mixed in graham cracker crumbs and patted them down firmly to make the crust. The pan will still be hot, so make sure you use a fork for this step.

 

 

Then the layering began. First, chopped nuts. I used pecans, but I'm sure walnuts would be just as tasty.

 

Next was the chocolate and peanut butter chips. I used jumbo chocolate chips for bigger chunks of melty chocolate in each bite.

 

 

 

Then I sprinkled coconut on top, covered it all with sweetened condensed milk and popped it in the oven.

Around 20 minutes later, I welcomed my good friend home. And good news -- they were a hit with the Poles! At least I think so. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but they were saying it with chocolate and graham cracker crumbs all over their faces, so I'm guessing they approved.

 

 

But like all holiday treats, these belong with the holidays, and I must get back to my cooking light goals. So, Hello Dolly Bars, it's time to say goodbye. Shall we meet again, say, next year? Around Christmas? Thought so.

Hello Dolly Bars (Old-fashioned, full fat and highly recommended)

Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Ingredients:

1/2  cup butter (one stick)
1 1/2  cups graham cracker crumbs
1  cup chopped nuts
1/2  cup chocolate chips (I used jumbo)
1/2  cup peanut butter chips
1 1/2  cups flaked coconut
1 (14 oz.)  can sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°.

Place butter in a 13 x 9 pan and place in oven just until melted.

Combine graham cracker crumbs with butter and press firmly onto bottom of the pan with a fork.  Sprinkle with layer of nuts, followed by chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and coconut. Pour sweetened condensed milk over coconut. Bake at 350° for 20-30 min or until lightly browned.

Nutritional information: So good, you won't care.

Source: My mother.

Hello Dolly Bars (Lower fat, yet probably still tasty)
Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Ingredients:
2  tablespoons  butter, melted

1 1/2  cups  graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets)

1  tablespoon  water
1/3  cup  semisweet chocolate chips
1/3  cup  butterscotch morsels
2/3  cup  flaked sweetened coconut
1/4  cup  chopped pecans, toasted
1  (15-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; cut off excess parchment paper around top edge of pan.

Place crumbs in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter and 1 tablespoon water; toss with a fork until moist. Gently pat mixture into an even layer in pan (do not press firmly). Sprinkle chips and morsels over crumb mixture. Top evenly with coconut and pecans. Drizzle milk evenly over top. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly around edges. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 123 (32% from fat), Fat:, 4.4g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.6g), Protein: 2.1g, Carbohydrate: 19.1g, Fiber: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 64mg, Calcium: 50mg.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2007

Mini Cornbread Crab Cakes w/ Lemon-Caper Sauce

Ok, so I basically had all the blog time a girl could ask for when the hubby and I escaped the Michigan snow for an amazing 12-day holiday vacation in Florida. There couldn't have been a better place to write than in the peace and quite of my parent’s country home with no stress, no distractions, and no required finger lifting aside from the occasional cream puff-to-mouth maneuver.

But what did I do instead? Um, stuffed my face with homemade cookies, splurged at antique stores and sprawled out on the couch watching Ginger Rogers and Carry Grant. Life was definitely good. Just not for my blog.

I didn’t stop cooking, though. Oh, no. I wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to cook alongside my mom in her beautiful bright kitchen stocked full of every cooking contraption I’ve ever dreamed of. Not to mention cupboards spilling with spices, cookbooks and the cutest vintage serving dishes. Nope, I stuck to the plan and made two dishes each week. Needless to say, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

So, Christmas. Remember it? The decorations. The music. The palm trees. Oh, you didn't have palm trees? Well, I sure did, and I couldn't think of a more fitting complement than these crab cakes, with their appropriately red and green festive colors and tropical beachy aroma. Just perfect for our annual Christmas Eve appetizer extravaganza, a.k.a. five grown adults gorging on fried finger food and eggnog. So with Sinatra's voice echoing in our ears and the Florida breeze wafting through the kitchen windows, we laced up our aprons and got started.

First we made the cornbread. Really quite simple, just whipped up a boxed mix with some water and baked. Although, I'm ashamed to admit that I did burn it. Luckily my mom had a second bag. (Note: bake it in a small pan so it'll be nice and thick...not thin and, uh, scorched.) After it cooled, we broke it up into crumbs and set it aside.

Next was the sauce, featuring capers. I had no idea what capers were, so I turned to Wikipedia. Turns out they're unopened plant buds. But a peek into the jar looked more like a microscope shot from my high school science book. I tasted one. Not good. Had a weird sour-salty taste similar to olives. I hate olives, by the way, so I was a little concerned about the sauce.

 

 

 

The rest of the ingredients were wonderfully fresh and fragrant. Chives, Tobasco, lemon, garlic, mayo. I mixed it up and tasted. Heavenly good. Something about all those flavors together made it great, capers and all.

 

 

 

While the sauce was chilling, we made the cakes. Unfortunately, we made these on Christmas Eve before we opened our presents, so my mom and I didn't yet have our...wait for it... matching food processors! (I am so so excited!) So we had a bit of chopping to do. But it was fun, and I learned what a good knife and a little fast wrist action can accomplish.

 

 

Next was the sautéing  - literally Christmas in a frying pan. Just look at those colors. Then we mixed in the rest of the ingredients, including the crab and cornbread, formed into cakes and chilled on cookie sheets for a few hours while we got ready for the Christmas Eve service.

 

 

 

 

Later that night, we prepared the finger food feast. Stuffed mushrooms, Italian beef subs, spinach-artichoke dip (everyone agrees - best spin dip ever!), and our crab cakes.

They turned out great. They're baked instead of fried, yet totally just as good. Ok, so maybe fried would have made them even more spectacular, but baking them was way easier, and allowed them to roll in at a measly 83-calories each! My favorite part was definitely the sauce. So good. Especially the next day on a crusty roll with a few peppercinis and leftover crab cakes. Now that's way better than a turkey sandwich, my friends.

So, while I wish I could have magically delivered a new post every day during the break like all the other power bloggers out there, I’m glad I spent my time off doing what you're supposed to do on time off. Absolutely nothing.

Mini Cornbread Crab Cakes w/ Lemon-Caper Sauce

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 crab cake and about 1 teaspoon sauce)

Cookbook Note: Bake the corn bread up to three days in advance, and keep in a zip-top plastic bag. Combine the sauce ingredients and assemble the crab cakes the night before; refrigerate separately. Any leftover crab cakes are terrific with a green salad.

Ingredients

Sauce:
1/3  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives
1  tablespoon  capers, drained and chopped
1/4  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
2  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice
1/4  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/8  teaspoon  minced garlic
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
   

Crab cakes:
2  teaspoons  olive oil
1/2  cup  sliced green onions
1/3  cup  finely diced red bell pepper
1/3  cup  finely diced green bell pepper
1  garlic clove, minced
1/4  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives
2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
1/2  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
1  tablespoon  hot pepper sauce
1  teaspoon  (30%-less-sodium) Old Bay seasoning
1  large egg, lightly beaten
2  cups  crumbled Buttermilk Corn Bread
1  pound  lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
Cooking spray
Fresh chives (optional)

Preparation:
To prepare sauce, combine first 8 ingredients; chill.

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare crab cakes, heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Combine bell pepper mixture, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and next 6 ingredients (through Old Bay); stir in egg. Fold in Buttermilk Corn Bread and crabmeat. Scoop mixture into 16 portions (about 1/4 cup each) onto 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly cover, and refrigerate 1 hour. Uncover and bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet with a metal spatula. Serve with sauce. Garnish with chives, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 83 (35% from fat), Fat: 3.2g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.3g), Protein: 7.4g, Carbohydrate: 6.4g, Fiber: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Iron: 0.6mg, Sodium: 317mg, Calcium: 54mg.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2007.

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

I rush around a lot. Maybe it's because I take on too much at once. Maybe it's because I religiously procrastinate. Maybe it's a combo platter, with a side of chronic sleeping in and a tall glass of not enough hours in the day.

This holiday season was no different. With lots of last minute shopping, cleaning and packing the weekend before our Florida Christmas trip, I was forced to put thoughts of baking on my brain’s back burner. That is, until a holiday party was about to start in just a few frantic hours, and I somehow needed to show up with dessert. And hair that didn't resemble that of a madwoman.

What ever did I do? Well, first I fixed my hair. One thing I do know how to do is prioritize. Then I turned to myrecipes.com (a haven for Cooking Light and other recipes), and found this highly rated, quick and easy cookie with enough chocolate and cherries to cover up any mistake I'd make whipping them up like a maniac.

 

 

 

I wish I could reminisce for you and recall every little detail of the experience, but it’s all kind of a blur of fast mixing, scooping, quick flashes of the camera and sprints back and forth to the bathroom for a turbo-speed makeover. I got more use out of my apron than ever before.

 

 

 

 

Sadly, I ended up leaving the cookies in the oven a bit too long (I blame my shaky eyeliner hand), so I had more of a "crunchy" chewy cookie, but they were still very good. Every bite was chock full of sweet melted chocolate and tart cherries. A great combination. Especially with only 80 calories per warm gooey serving. And as for the party, we made it on time, dressed, and bearing dessert. And there weren’t many cookies left at the end of the night, so I guess that makes them a success.

I may not have learned anything groundbreaking about cooking or baking with this recipe, but I did learn something just as important. In the middle of all the madness, sometimes you've got to just stop and enjoy a good cookie. Especially one with chocolate.

 

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

Yield: 30 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

Cookbook Note: The tartness of the cherries contrasts with the cocoa and semisweet chocolate chips.

Ingredients:
1  cup  all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/3  cup  unsweetened cocoa
1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  cup  sugar
1/3  cup  butter, softened
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1  large egg
2/3  cup  dried tart cherries
3  tablespoons  semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or just until set. (I'd take them out earlier, maybe around 9-10 min.) Remove from oven; cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 80 (30% from fat), Fat: 2.7g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.1g), Protein: 1.1g, Carbohydrate: 13.4g, Fiber: 0.8g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Iron: 0.4mg, Sodium: 56mg, Calcium: 10mg.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2005