Tuscan-Style Sliced Steak

(please excuse the terrible photos)

Serves 4

4 New York Strip steaks (each about 10 oz and 1 inch thick)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup high-quality Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, leaves separated

1 1/2 lemons, quartered

1) Preheat a gas grill on medium (or a skillet).

2)  While the grill is preheating, rub the steaks with the garlic and season generously with salt and ground pepper.  Set aside.

3) Brush the grill grate with vegetable oil or swirl some oil in the skillet.  Place the steaks directly over the fire.  Grill the steaks on one side for 5 minutes for rare to 7 minutes for medium-rare.  Flip the steaks  over and cook 4 minutes or longer.

4) Transfer the steaks to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Using a sharp knife, cut the steaks across the grain at a 45-degree angle, slicing each steak into 7 slices.

5) Drizzle each steak with some of the olive oil, sprinkle with some of the cracked pepper, scatter some of the rosemary leaves over the top, and then add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcake

Makes 12 cupcakes

Filling:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (3 oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Batter:
1/2 cup (3 oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup water

1) Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a standard-sized muffin pan with paper liners.

2) To make the filling, in a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, salt, and chocolate morsels until blended (it's ok for the mixture to be a little lumpy here but it should be more smooth than lumpy).

3) To make the batter, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in the bottom of a double broiler or in a saucepan. Place the chocolate morsels in the top of the double broiler or in a heatproof bowl placed over the pan.  Heat, stirring frequently (ie just keep stirring the whole time), until the chocolate is melted.  Set aside as soon as all the chocolate is melted and wait for it to cool.

4)  In another medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate.

5)  Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and stirring until smooth (ie add flour-water-flour-water-flour)

6)  Spoon batter into each of the prepared muffin cups filling them 1/3 full.  Spoon 1.5- 2 tablespoons of filling into each cup and top with the remaning batter.

7) Bake the cupcakes until they are puffed, slightly cracked on top, and baked through, 20-25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool slightly (wire rack optional).

-recipe from Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook by Michael Northern

eating throughout 2012--and finished my 7x7 100 things to eat list!