Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (40 page)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it boils, season it liberally with salt, add the pasta, and cook to al dente; drain well.

While the water is heating, prepare the sauce. Heat 3 tablespoons of the EVOO in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic, cook for a couple of minutes to soften, then stir in the sardines. Chop and reserve a few tablespoons of the lacy green fennel fronds, then trim off the remainder of the fronds and quarter the fennel bulb. Cut the core away from each quarter, then very thinly slice the fennel and add it to the pan. Sauté the fennel with the sardines, onions, and garlic for 6 to 7 minutes, then stir in the raisins and wine. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes more.

While the sauce simmers, toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over low heat for 6 to 7 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In a salad bowl, whisk the mustard with the vinegar until combined. Stream in the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO, then add the spinach and red onions to the salad bowl. Toss to coat with the dressing.

Stir the butter into the sauce and turn off the heat. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Serve in shallow bowls with the toasted pine nuts and the fennel fronds on top. Serve the salad alongside.

Wild Mushroom Beef Meat Loaf with Horseradish Gravy and Roasted Broccoli

Who says meat loaf has to be mundane? Strap in for this spicy, saucy version.

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place about 1 cup of the stock in a sauce pot over high heat and bring up to a bubble. Place the dried mushrooms in a small heat-proof bowl, pour the boiling stock over the mushrooms, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the mushrooms steep for about 5 minutes or until soft. While the mushrooms are rehydrating, tear the slice of bread into small pieces and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Pour about 2 cups of stock over the bread, just to barely cover it, and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

In another medium mixing bowl, combine the ground sirloin, thyme, sage, three quarters of the chopped onion, the garlic, and egg and season liberally with salt and pepper. With your hands, remove the soaked bread from the stock and gently squeeze out the excess liquid. Add the bread to the beef, and discard the soaking liquid. With a slotted spoon, remove the softened mushrooms from the stock to a cutting board, chop coarsely, and add to the beef, reserving the mushroom soaking liquid for the gravy. Mix the meat loaf ingredients together thoroughly. If you want to check the seasoning, make a thin quarter-size patty and cook it up in a skillet; taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer the meat mixture to a rimmed baking sheet and form a long, thin, oval-shaped loaf. Drizzle the loaf liberally with EVOO and roast for 45 minutes, or until the loaf is cooked through. Remove from the oven and let the meat loaf rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

While the meat loaf is in the oven, work on the broccoli. Trim the very ends off of the broccoli stems with a peeler or a paring knife and remove the thick fibrous outer layer of the broccoli stems. Cut the broccoli lengthwise into large spears that look like long, skinny trees and arrange them on a baking sheet. Drizzle everything with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Place the broccoli in the oven with the meat loaf for the last 25 to 30 minutes of cooking time, roasting until the broccoli is tender.

For the gravy, place a medium sauce pot over medium heat with the 3 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the reserved onion and the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions start to get soft. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, stir to
combine, and cook for 1 minute; if it seems too dry, add a little more EVOO. Whisk in the remaining 1 cup of stock, then carefully pour in the reserved mushroom steeping liquid, adding it slowly so that any grit from the mushrooms stays in the bottom of the bowl. Add the horseradish and mustard, bring up to a bubble, and cook over medium-low to medium heat until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, then stir in the parsley.

Serve the meat loaf topped with some of the horseradish gravy, with the roasted broccoli alongside. Pass the bread at the table.

Sliced Skirt Steaks with Deconstructed Guacamole

Marinated sliced steak is always a winner. Here it is topped with halved avocados that grill up to make a smoky, rich complement to the beef.

SERVES 4

Bring the chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of the EVOO to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the rice, bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and cook for about 12 minutes over low to medium-low heat. Stir in the scallions and black beans, replace the lid, and cook for 6 minutes more.

Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high. In a shallow dish, combine the hot sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, 3 tablespoons of the EVOO, and the grill seasoning. Coat the steak and marinate for 10 minutes.

Stick a toothpick through the side of each onion slice to keep the rings together. Brush the onions and jalapeños with a little EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Place the meat, onions, and jalapeño on the grill. Cook the meat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium-cooked steak. After you turn the meat, onions, and jalapeño, halve and pit the avocados. Place the avocados on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes to char and mark. Remove the meat, onions, jalapeños, and avocados to a platter. Let the meat rest for a few minutes, tented with foil, to settle the juices.

To serve, thinly slice the steak on an angle. Divide the steak slices among 4 plates. Serve with an avocado half, a thick slice of onion, a jalapeño half, a sprinkle of cilantro, and a few halved tomatoes. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the vegetables and meat. Serve the black beans and rice alongside.

I finally made it to a city I have always wanted to visit and eat my way through: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bife de Chorizo, a thick-cut strip steak served with these great toppings, was my favorite take-away recipe.

SERVES 4