Not many culinary adventures lately

What with the beastly weather, working some overtime, Tony out of town, etc. etc., there haven't been many culinary adventures lately. In order that my loyal followers don't get bored by the lack of entries, I've decided to post some recipes for my go-to favorites. Spread the love!

The best red meat marinade ever:
3 cloves of garlic, very finely minced
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning blend
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce (I know, I know, but trust me: it doesn't taste hot, but adds a very necessary something. I use Tabasco for this recipe.)
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Combine all in a big resealable plastic bag, add the red meat of your choice (we use this for grilled flank steak a lot), squoosh around to thoroughly coat the  meat, let marinate for at least a half hour. You can tweak it for chicken, as I detailed in the July 28 blog post.

Panade for juicy grilled burgers (this keeps your grilled burgers juicy and tasty, works just like when you're making meatloaf):
1 large slice white bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons steak sauce (like A-1)
Tear the bread into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Add the other ingredients and mash together with a fork to make a paste. Add this to a pound or so of ground beef and mix together gently with your hands. Form your patties and grill as desired.

Salmon marinade (this is fantastic on grilled or oven baked salmon, I often double it if the salmon filet is large):
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
Combine in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Reserve 1/3 cup for glaze. Pour remainder in a shallow, nonreactive dish, place salmon flesh side down into the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour but not more than 2 hours. Place reserved marinade in a small heavy saucepan over medium high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside at room temperature. Grill, broil or bake salmon until done, then brush with glaze before serving.


Buttermilk ranch salad dressing (this is the best creamy salad dressing ever; try this and you'll never go back to the bottle):
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon minced dried onion
1 small garlic clove, minced very fine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
Mix all ingredients except the buttermilk until thoroughly blended. While whisking, slowly blend in the buttermilk. (Here's a variation: double the spices, mix as directed, then add sour cream until thick and spike it with a few dashes of green Tabasco. Fabulous dip for fresh veggies.)


Remoulade sauce (this is wonderful as a condiment on crab cakes or as a dressing for shrimp or crab salad; also as a sandwich spread. It sounds like a lot of horseradish, but the sauce is not hot, only zesty):
2 hard cooked egg yolks, pressed through a fine sieve
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
dash Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup finely minced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
Place all ingredients EXCEPT the bell pepper and green onions into a food processor and blend until well blended. Add the red bell pepper and green onion and stir to combine. Chill thoroughly before serving.