Pepper-crusted Steak with Strawberry Zinfandel Sauce and Orange-Mustard Aioli

Ingredients
1/4 cup stone ground mustard
1/4 cup prepared mayonnaise
Juice of 1 orange
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups red Zinfandel wine
1/4 pint strawberries, cleaned and halved
1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur
1/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon honey
2 (4 to 6-ounce) strip steaks
3 tablespoons freshly cracked black peppercorns
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 head frisee lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 grape tomatoes, halved
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, and julienned
2 radishes, thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Blend the mustard, mayonnaise, 1/4 of orange juice, and salt, and pepper, to taste in a food
processor or blender.
In a saucepan, combine the wine with the strawberries, orange-flavored liqueur, beef stock,

and honey. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until its reduced by half. Pour
the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth.
Coat the steaks in black peppercorns and season liberally with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon olive
oil in an oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat and sear the steaks for 2 minutes on
each side, then transfer the pan to the oven, and cook for 8 minutes or until desired degree of
doneness.
While the steak is cooking, mix together the frisee, red onion, tomatoes, apples, and radishes
in a bowl. Whisk together the remaining orange juice, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil in a small bowl. Season the dressing with salt, and pepper, to taste. Add the
dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Serve the steaks over a bed of the salad and top with the
zinfandel sauce and a bit of the aioli.

Strawberry BBQ Chicken Club Sandwich with Bacon,

Avocado and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

2 small chicken breasts, pounded thin

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup roasted strawberry BBQ sauce

2 buns

2-4 leaves lettuce

2-4 slices tomato

4 strips bacon, cooked

1 small avocado, sliced

2 tablespoons roasted strawberry BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Heat the grill to medium-high, brush it with oil, grill the chicken until just cooked,
about 3-5 minutes per side, baste it with the strawberry BBQ sauce and let it cook for
another minute.
2. Lightly grill the buns and assemble the sandwiches with bottom bun, lettuce, tomato,
bacon, avocado, chicken, strawberry BBQ sauce, goat cheese and top bun.
Lemon-Ginger Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1X!/2X1/4 pieces
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown or raw sugar
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing wine or sherry
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
5 scallions, white and light green parts only cut thinly on the bias
3 cube fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine julienne
2 ripe red fresno or jalapeno chile peppers, sliced thinly on the bias
zest of two lemons, in long, thin pieces, and divided into two equal portions (I used a
zester, rather than a microplane grater to get these pieces)
2 tablespoons Shao Hsing wine or sherry
1-2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 pound broccoli, florets broken up into bite sized pieces, with the large stalks peeled

and cut into thin slices (If you do not like the stalks dont use them, but Zak likes them
better than the florets, and I think they are delicious, so into the wok they go.)
juice of two lemons
1 lemon washed and cut in half longitudinally, then cut into 1/4 thick half-moon
slices
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Method:
Mix chicken with the next five ingredients, and allow to marinate for twenty to forty
minutes.
Heat wok over high heat until a thin thread of smoke rises. Add 3 tablespoons peanut
or canola oil (reserve last tablespoon until later) and allow to heat another thirty
seconds. Add scallions, ginger, chilies and half of the lemon zest and stir fry for thirty
to forty seconds, or until all is fragrant.
Add marinated chicken, and spread into a single layer on the bottom of the wok, and
leave undisturbed for about one minute, or until the chicken browns on that side. Stir
fry until the chicken is 2/3 donein other words, 2/3 of the chicken is white or brown,
and the rest is pink. Add half the lemon slices and stir fry for another thirty seconds,
then remove chicken and lemon from wok to a clean bowl.
Add reserved tablespoon of oil to wok, and allow it to heat thirty seconds. Add
broccoli and stir fry for thirty seconds, then add wine and lemon juice. Deglaze any
browned bits sticking to wok, and add chicken back to wok. Add soy sauce and
continue stir frying until chicken is completely cooked. Add other half of lemon zest
and slices, and drizzle with sesame oil, and serve over steamed rice.
Strawberry Beef Filet

Ingredients

2 oz. superfine sugar

6 oz. strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus extra to garnish

2 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 1/3 C. beef stock

4 oz. unsalted butter

4 Texas prime beef filet steaks

1 Tbs. olive oil

Salt

Directions
Cook the sauce and strawberries with a squeeze of lemon juice in a pan for about 10 minutes
until the mixture has the consistency of thin jam, over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Sieve the sauce then allow to cool.

In a large non-stick skillet, toast the peppercorns until they are aromatic. Pour in the stock,
then add the butter, and boil to reduce liquid by half. Stir in the strawberry mixture and the
rest of the lemon juice; reduce to a rich sauce consistency.
Meanwhile, heat a grill or ridged grill pan over high heat. Brush steaks with oil and sprinkle
with salt. Cook to desired doneness (2-3 minutes for rare, and up to 5 minutes each side for
well done.) Serve immediately with the sauce and garnish with fresh strawberry slices. Serve
with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.

Summer Special Shrimp and Fruit Fried Rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divid

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, minced
2 red onions, sliced
3 green chile peppers, chopped
2/3 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 cup orange segments
6 walnuts, chopped
2 cups cold, cooked white rice
1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
Pour in the onions, and cook until just set; set aside. Increase the heat to
high, and pour another 1 teaspoon of oil to the wok. Stir in the shrimp, and
cook until the shrimp turn pink, and are no longer translucent in the
center, about 3 minutes; set aside.
2. Wipe out the wok, and heat the remaining teaspoon of oil over high heat.
Stir in the ginger, and cook quickly for a few seconds until the ginger
begins to turn golden brown. Stir in the onion and chile peppers; cook for a
minute or two until the onions begin to soften and turn brown around the
edges. Add the pineapple and oranges, and gently cook until the
pineapple is hot.
3. Stir in the rice, walnuts, and soy sauce. Stir for a few minutes until the rice
is hot. Fold in the egg, shrimp, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and
pepper, and cook to reheat.