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I mixed the marinade in a bowl then prepared the meat, which needed to be sliced very thin. I placed the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes then used a meat slicing knife to make 1/4-inch slices. Once that was done, I placed one layer of the meat in a baking dish, poured the marinade over and continued layering and dressing. I prepared this dish several hours before dinner letting it sit covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. You can also let it marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking.
When ready to cook, I used a non-stick 12-inch skillet, I seared the meat over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes and turning once. I did this in two batches and placed on a dish when done. Using the same pan, I poured the remaining marinade in the pan and reduced until thickened. While this was going on, I rolled each slice lengthwise and placed on a skewer, approximately 4 per skewer. If you want to serve as an hors d'œuvré, secure each piece with a toothpick. Place meat on a platter and drizzle thickened glaze over them. This was an excellent and quick weeknight supper. The flavors of the marinade worked well together and you had the subtle taste of lime, which brightened the taste. This is a perfect busy weeknight meal. Last Tuesday was the first week of our Dreyer Farm CSA program. The program ends just before Thanksgiving. In our first box, we were loaded with plenty of greens which included a four-pack of lettuce, asparagus, romaine lettuce, mushrooms, parsley, spinach, leeks, radishes and dandelion greens. As I share this box with my daughter, we either split items if it’s a large quantity or trade off whole items with each other. This week I took the dandelion greens and split the lettuce pack, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, leeks and radishes. If you’ve never had dandelions their flavor is a mix of bitter greens such as arugula or endive. For supper, I made a dandelion salad dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and fig balsamic vinegar. The vinegar helped to soften the bitterness, however, despite cutting the leaves into, what I considered bite size pieces, my husband suggested chopping them smaller. I did this with the remaining salad which we ate the following day. It seemed that the greens tasted better sitting overnight. The mushrooms from the box were incorporated into Baked Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Carrots. I found this recipe on The New York Times/NYT Cooking website. For the recipe you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, white or yellow onion, fresh garlic, mixed mushrooms, salt, pepper, pearl barley, a carrot, grated Parmesan cheese, unsalted butter and chopped chives. After reading comments by other cooks, I made a few adjustments to the recipe. Some cooks felt the final product tasted bland, so instead of using water, I used homemade chicken stock. I replaced the onion with the leek and the same with the mixed mushrooms, I used the large white mushrooms with both from the CSA box. Some cooking changes I made were to sauté the mushrooms before adding the leeks and onion to the pan. I also made sure to season with salt and pepper along the way. After cooking the mushrooms, leeks and garlic, I deglazed the pan with a 1/4 cup of white wine, similar to what you would do with an normal risotto. I added the pearl barley and stirred the ingredients together. I added the homemade stock, several leftover Parmesan cheese rinds, covered the pan and transferred to a 425° oven to bake for 30 minutes. As mentioned by other cooks, sometimes 30 minutes wasn’t long enough and this was true with my barley risotto. I removed the lid and placed it back in the oven for additional time for the barley to cook and the liquid absorb. When done, I added butter to enhance the texture and chopped parsley seemed more fitting. It was a hearty and healthy non-meat meal. Another easy night meal was Spinach Quiche, a recipe I found on the “Smitten Kitchen” website by Deb Perelman. For this recipe you’ll need cream cheese, half and half, eggs, frozen chopped spinach, grated cheddar cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, green onions, salt and pepper. Ms. Perelman’s recipe calls for making Pâte Brisée from Martha Stewart, however, I used a “vintage recipe” from an old Gourmet Magazine. I used a removable-bottom tart pan for the recipe. I had quite a bit of fresh spinach from this week’s box that I wanted to use in the quiche. I washed the leaves twice to remove any sandy soil, cutting the rather large leaves into smaller pieces and placed the damp leaves into a large covered skillet to wilt. The recipe has you beating the cream cheese until smooth, followed by gradually adding in the half and half and eggs. I combined the half and half and eggs in a 2-cup measuring cup and whisked the two together. Then I added the cheeses, sliced green onion, salt and pepper. To assemble the quiche, I rolled out the chilled dough and placed into the tart pan. I dropped pieces of the cooked spinach and diced pieces of Smithfield ham that I had leftover into the tart. Lastly, I poured the filling into the crust and placed the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet in case of any spillage. The quiche baked for 25 minutes at 425°. What a lovely supper. You had the buttery crust, the richness from the filling and texture and smokiness from the ham…scrumptious. Perfect as a do ahead weeknight meal or for brunch. My last meal for the week took advantage of first of the season New Jersey asparagus from our CSA box. Many years ago, my husband visited the Biltmore Estate during a business trip. He brought back their cookbook, “Bounty of Biltmore Cookbook,” which is a collection of recipes from the estate. I found Pasta with Asparagus, Prosciutto and Wild Mushrooms that sounded different. Beside the ingredients mentioned in the title you’ll need one pound of dried spaghetti, shallot, garlic, olive oil, chicken broth, dry white wine, salt, pepper and Brie cheese. This recipe took just under an hour for me to prep and serve after my weekly babysitting. I turned on a 8-quart pot of water and began prepping the sauce. I broke off the tough ends of the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces. I sliced the shiitake mushrooms, prosciutto and Brie. The shallot and garlic were finely chopped and set aside. I heated up a cup of water with two teaspoons of Wegmans Organic Bone Broth Concentrate for my stock in the microwave; now I was ready to make the sauce. In a large skillet over high heat, I added the olive oil, garlic and shallot and sautéed until golden. The asparagus and prosciutto were added and cooked for several minutes before adding the mushrooms for an additional several minutes of cooking. The broth, wine, salt and pepper go in and cooked for two minutes. By this time the pasta was done. I drained it, put it back in the pot and tossed the sauce with the pasta. I added the cheese slices and mixed again. To serve, I drizzled some extra-virgin olive oil on top. Wow, this pasta was outstanding. My husband liked it better than Spaghetti with Fried Eggs and Roasted Peppers. The ingredients melded together to create a flavorful sauce; the Brie added creaminess to the sauce. It was both light tasting pasta and delicious. Visit my website recipe page for recipes from the years 2016-2024 or my newest recipes for 2025. If you have a question about a recipe, click on "Contact" to reach me. Be sure to include your email address so I can directly reply to you.
Asian Beef Roll-Ups
“Fix Ingredient Fix,” by Claire Robinson © 2010 Grand Central Life & Style Hachette Book Group NY NY Yield: 6 to 8 servings Ingredients Juice of 2 limes 2 heaping tablespoons light brown sugar 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce or to taste (I recommend sriracha) 1 pound flank steak Preparation Whisk the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce and chili sauce until combined in a glass baking dish. Slice the steak against the grain into very thin strips and place in he marinade, tossing to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Heat a nonstick grill pan over high heat until very hot. Working in batches using tongs, drain the excess marinade from the meat strips into a bowl, quickly grill the steak, turning once, until seared and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked beef to a cutting board. Roll each strip lengthwise into a bundle and spear each roll with a toothpick. Place the beef roll-ups on a platter and drizzle the thickened glaze over them. Serve immediately. 
Baked Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Carrots
By Kay Chun The New York Times/NYT Cooking Adapted by Donna Walsifer Total Time: 45 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ small white or yellow onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)* 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1-pound mixed mushrooms, such as white button, cremini and shiitakes, halved if small, quartered if large (about 7 cups total) Salt and black pepper 10 ounces pearl barley (about 1½ cups) 1 medium carrot, very thinly sliced into rounds (about 1 cup) ¼ cup dry white wine 2 ounces grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for serving 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup chopped chives Preparation
SUBSTITUTIONS
Spinach Quiche
By Deb Perelman from the website “Smitten Kitchen” Adapted from Bon Appetite, October 1991 One half-recipe of Martha Stewart’s Pâte Brisée, rolled out and pressed into either a pie dish or removable-bottom tart pan. If you are a dork like me, you might take the extra scraps, cut them into leaf shapes, and press them about on the top of your unbaked quiche. But then your husband might tease you for your fall theme. Might. Ingredients 1-3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature 1/3 cup half and half 3 eggs 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1/2 cup grated cheddar 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 4 to 6 green onions, sliced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Preparation Preheat oven to 425°F. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in half and half and eggs. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Pâte Brisée “Gourmet Magazine,” April 1983 Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time Ingredients 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour ¾ stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (such as Crisco) ¼ teaspoon salt Preparation In a large bowl blend the flour, the butter, the vegetable shortening, and the salt until the mixture resembles meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water, toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, and form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough lightly with the heal of the hand against a smooth surface for a few seconds to distribute the fat evenly and re-form it into a ball. Dust the dough with flour and chill it, wrapped in wax paper for 1 hour. *I prepared the dough in my food processor. Make sure to pulse the butter/shortening into the flour. Add water tablespoon at a time through the feed tube and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. I finished by kneading the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Pasta with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Wild Mushrooms
“Bounty of Biltmore Cookbook,” Compiled and edited by Whitney Wheeler Pickering Oxmoor House ©2000 Brie adds buttery goodness to a medley of fresh asparagus, salty prosciutto and meaty shiitake mushrooms. Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 1 (16-ounce) package dried spaghetti, uncooked 1 teaspoon olive oil 1-pound fresh asparagus spears ¼ cup diced shallot ¼ cup olive oil 3 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips 1 (3-1/2 ounce) package shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 cup chicken broth 1/3 cup dry white wine ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into thin slices Donna’s Notes: I’m adjusting the directions as adding oil to the cooked pasta is not recommended by Italian cooks. Start the water for your pasta. Meanwhile, snap off tough ends of asparagus. Remove scales with a vegetable peeler, if desired. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Cook shallot and minced garlic in a ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden. Add asparagus and prosciutto. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Keep sauce warm. By now the water should be boiling, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and cook pasta per package directions. Save 1 cup of pasta water. When done, drain and return to pot. Combine prosciutto mixture with spaghetti and toss gently. Add cheese slices, toss gently. Serve immediately. If you have leftover pasta it may absorb any excess sauce and be dry. You can add a tiny bit of pasta water to the pasta when reheating.
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