Easy Entertaining for Beginners

6 beef burger patties, Angus ground chuck, if available 
Salt and pepper to taste
6 gourmet hamburger buns, toasted with butter
6 thin slices of feta cheese
1 medium red onion, sliced & grilled
Oregano Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried & crushed or ground, Greek

Mix mayo and oregano together and refrigerate. Pre-heat grill and rub with oil. Grill onion slices 2-3 minutes on each side and set aside. Season and grill burger patties 3 minutes per side until desired doneness. Top burgers with feta cheese and grilled onion. Toast lightly buttered buns on grill and place burgers on buns. Top with Oregano Mayo and tomato slices and lettuce, if desired.
Note: Buy a block of feta cheese and slice thinly. If you cannot find a block, purchase crumbled feta cheese and carefully top burger and melt slightly on grill.

Prepare this easy entertaining dinner of beef stew in the morning before you go to work in your slow-cooker. Let it slowly simmer all day and when you return home you will be rewarded with the aroma of delectable comfort food. This healthy and delicious stew is fit for company. Add a loaf of fresh bread and a light dessert for a delicious, casual meal.

Serves 8

2 lbs. beef stew meat, trimmed of fat, cut into 1” cubes
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
10 small red potatoes, halved
3 large carrots, peeled & chopped into 1” pieces
8-10 small white onions, peeled or 1 large onion, peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped into ½” pieces
2 cups beef broth, purchased
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped or ½ teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped or ½ teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

To pre-brown meat, heat large skillet to medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Combine flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Dredge half of beef stew meat in flour mixture and brown in hot oil, turning as needed, about 3-4 minutes total. Pour stew meal into slow cooker and add about ¼ cup beef broth into pan and scrape to remove brown bits and add to slow cooker. This is called de-glazing the pan. Repeat with remaining oil and stew meat. De-glaze and add to slow cooker.

Place potatoes, carrots, onions and celery in slow-cooker. Add remaining broth, oregano, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper and pour into slow-cooker. Cook on LOW for 9-10 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, mix cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and stir into stew. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes until stew is thickened. Sprinkle fresh parsley over stew before serving.

Serves 4

Makes 12 hamburgers
12 slices bacon
1 package (12 ounces) sliced white mushrooms
Salt to taste
1 large red onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil for brushing
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tomatoes, sliced
12 red leaf lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Sliced sweet and dill pickles
12 slices assorted cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss, jack, pepper jack)
4 pounds lean ground beef, Sirloin-7% fat, or ground turkey or garden burgers
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
12 gourmet hamburger buns
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp; drain on paper towels. Sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes in 1 tablespoon of the leftover bacon grease; salt to taste. You may grill some of the onion slices if desired. Brush with olive oil and grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Prepare the other accompaniments (avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and cheese). When slicing the avocados, sprinkle with the juice of 1 lemon. This will prevent them from turning black.
Mix the ground beef or turkey with the kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Shape into 12 patties about 3/4 inch thick. Light a fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to medium. Coat the grill with cooking spray and grill the patties. Turn them once, and do not squish down with the spatula as this will squeeze out all the juice. When cooked to the desired doneness (4 to 5 minutes on each side), put on a serving platter. If making cheeseburgers, put slices of cheese on the burgers and leave on the grill until the cheese is just soft and a little melted, probably no more than 1 minute. Let guests pick their toppings from your gourmet bar.
Tip: Most grocery stores carry a line of gourmet hamburger buns, such as potato, onion, or seven-grain or you can get fresh French or ciabatta rolls from your bakery. For this meal, definitely do not buy the white enriched bargain buns. The idea is gourmet hamburgers!

Makes 10 to 12 servings

6 to 7 pounds skirt steak (also called flap meat)
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer
Garlic salt
Barbecue spice (spice aisle)
3 or 4 large lemons
1 can beer (any brand)
3 dozen small corn tortillas, for serving

Light a fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. The steak should be no more than Read the rest of this entry »

Who doesn’t love steak on the grill? Mix together your own spice rub with this easy recipe and you can use it for steaks, chops or ribs. It adds mucho flavor for tasty steaks! Follow the recipe below for absolutely perfectly cooked steaks for your next summer party entertaining.

6-8 oz. New York Strip Steaks

BBQ Rub

2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt
½ teaspoon oregano, ground
½ teaspoon thyme, crushed
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Mix all ingredients together for rub. Store leftover rub in airtight container for future use. Rub on both sides of steaks and let marinate in fridge for 30-60 minutes. Grill over a very hot grill rubbed with oil for 4-5 minutes per side for 1 inch thick steaks for medium doneness. Do not overcook. Remove to platter, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

TIP: When grilling steaks, use a timer and do not leave the grill!

As we continue with your first dinner party menu, here are the recipes for the entree and one of the side dishes for Dinner with the In-Laws. Keep in mind that this is a special occasion menu and beef tenderloin can be a pricey cut of beef. However, there is next to no waste on it, it is low in fat and this recipe is absolutely delicious. Serve easy to prepare baked potatoes with a zesty blue cheese dressing. This compliments the beef well.

Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Savory Sauce
Makes 4 servings
Savory Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
1 cup beef broth (soup aisle)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (not sauce)
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steaks
2 to 2 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into eight 1/2-inch-thick steaks
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the mustard, beef broth, tomato paste, maple syrup, cider vinegar, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes over low heat, until the sauce thickens slightly. Turn off the heat, and cover until ready to use.
To prepare the steaks, brush the steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let rest at room temperature. When ready to cook, preheat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the steaks and pan-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes.
To serve, place 2 steaks on each plate, spoon some of the sauce over them, and sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top.
Tip: The biggest mistake you can make is to overcook the tenderloin. You really want it cooked no more than medium (pink in the center) for optimum flavor and tenderness.

Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese Dressing
Makes 4 servings
4 medium baking potatoes (Idaho or russet)
Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Dash of bottled hot sauce, such as Cholula or Tapatio
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Wash and dry the potatoes, and stab each one several times with a fork. Wrap in aluminum foil. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl. Fold in the blue cheese, vinegar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, shallot, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To bake the potatoes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the potatoes for 60 to 75 minutes, or until a potato is soft when you squeeze it (with an oven mitt). Serve with the blue cheese dressing alongside.
Tips: The reason you stab the potato with a fork is to allow steam to escape so it will not explode in your oven. Shallots are members of the onion family and are found in the produce section of your grocery store, by the onions and garlic.

My next post will contain the recipes for the Haricotts Verts with Garlic and Almonds and the Kahlua Fudge Brownie Pie.