STEAK FLORENTINE - Bistecca alla Fiorentina

This meal can serve 2 or even 4, depending upon the thickness of the steaks. This was very much like the lunch my husband, daughter, and I had in Siena, Italy.

2 Porterhouse steaks

1 clove garlic, pushed through a garlic press or mashed and minced

2 T chopped fresh rosemary

2 t oregano leaves

2 T Chianti or other dry Italian red wine

2 T extra-light olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Arugula, for serving

White or red balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Lemon wedges, for serving

Rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Place steaks in a large zippered plastic bag.

Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano, wine, and olive oil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Squeeze out air, seal, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Prepare a charcoal grill with coals and hickory wood chips.

Prepare a platter or 2 individual plates with arugula.

Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and a little extra-virgin olive oil.

When coals are white and glowing, add steaks and cook 5 to 8 minutes, on each side.

When finished to your liking, remove from grill and place on an arugula lined platter and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges and rosemary, for garnish.

Serves 2

 

CREMINI MUSHROOM & ONION PIZZA

If you love mushrooms, you will love this pizza with plenty of mushrooms and no tomato sauce. Did you know that mushrooms are a Super Food and are important in keeping the immune system strong?

1 recipe for pizza dough (divided into 3 balls)

1 T extra-light olive oil

1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

2 cups cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 to 6 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 leaves basil, torn

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with a pizza stone on the bottom shelf.

Spread a ball of pizza dough into a circle of about 10 to 12 inches.

Place on a lightly oiled pizza pan.

In a skillet cook the onion over medium heat until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stirring  often.

Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Stirring often.

Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

Spoon onions and then mushrooms onto pizza dough.

Add some mozzarella pieces and grated Romano cheese.

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and bake the pizza on the middle shelf of the oven for 5 minutes.

Slide off of the pizza pan onto the pizza stone and bake another 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and crispy on the bottom and cheese is melted and lightly brown.

FENNEL, SAUSAGE, & FRESH TOMATO PIZZA

Once you start making pizza, you will not want to buy carry-out pizza again. My recipe for pizza dough is in my cookbook. I made three different pizzas with my pizza dough.

1 recipe for pizza dough (divided into 3 balls)

1 link Italian sausage, removed from casings

1 T extra-light olive oil

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 to 6 oz mozzarella, torn into pieces

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Pinch of red pepper flakes

4 leaves basil, torn

Preheat oven to 450 F degrees F with a pizza stone on the bottom shelf.

Spread a ball of pizza dough into a circle of about 10 to 12 inches.
Place on a lightly oiled pizza pan.

In a skillet, cook sausage until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and discard most of the grease.
Add the olive oil and slowly cook the fennel for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

Spoon sausage and fennel mixture onto pizza dough.
Add some mozzarella pieces and grated Parmigiano.
Scatter on the cherry tomato halves and red pepper flakes.

Bake pizza on the middle shelf of the oven for 5 minutes.

Slide off of the pizza pan onto the pizza stone and bake another 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and crispy on the bottom and cheese is melted and lightly brown.

ITALIAN-STYLE ROAST BEEF DINNER

A rump roast is a fairly inexpensive cut of beef. Searing the roast at a high temperature for 15 minutes ensures a crisp brown crust on the outside. Reducing the temperature to low and cooking it another 90 minutes or so, ensures a tender and juicy roast beef. 

1 (3 lb) boneless beef rump roast

1 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil

2 T chopped fresh rosemary

1 T chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 t freeze-dried

1 T fresh thyme leaves or 1 t dried

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 medium cloves garlic, each sliced in half

6 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 medium onions, quartered

Extra-light olive oil or avocado oil, for vegetables

¼ cup red wine

1 cup beef stock or broth

2 T unsalted butter

Place beef in a heavy metal roasting pan or large cast-iron skillet.

Rub the beef all over the top and sides with extra-light olive oil.

Sprinkle on the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using the point of a paring knife, make 8 little holes all around the top of the beef.

Stick the garlic slivers into the holes. 

Leave a little of the garlic exposed because you will be removing them before carving.

Let sit on the counter while oven preheats.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the pan with beef in middle of oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Remove beef from oven and add the carrots, potatoes, and onions to pan.

Drizzle with some oil, stir to coat the vegetables and return to oven.

Roast the beef and vegetables for another 90 minutes.

Internal temperature should register between 135 degrees F for medium-rare and up to 150 degrees F for medium-well.

Remove beef to a cutting board and cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.

Using a large slotted spoon, remove vegetables to another baking pan or cast-iron skillet and raise oven temperature to 400 degrees F and let vegetables cook and brown another 10 minutes.

Place the roasting pan on the stovetop.

Pour red wine into the pan and over medium-high heat, stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the browned particles.

Add the beef broth and butter and stir until it begins to boil.

Pour through a strainer into a gravy boat, season with salt and pepper and serve with the roast beef.

Remove the garlic slivers and carve the roast into thin slices.