Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Bell Pepper Salsa

Ingredients

Marinade
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
A couple of turns of freshly ground black pepper
A sprinkling of salt

Steak
1 2-pound tri-tip steak or roast
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Salsa
1 large green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped (if you don't have green, probably any color will do)
6 green onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chopped parsley, basil, or arugula
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Directions:
1 Prepare the marinade in a large bowl, stirring together all of the marinade ingredients. Place steak in the bowl and coat on all sides with the marinade. Let the steak sit in the marinade and come to room temperature while you prepare the grill. (No need to marinate the steak more than 20 minutes or so.)

2 Prepare the grill for direct high heat. If you are using charcoal, use approximately 5 pounds of coals. Bank the coals so that more of them are on one side than the other, so that you have a high heat zone and a lower heat zone.

3 When the grill is ready and hot, remove the meat from the marinade and dry it all around with paper towels. Sprinkle all sides of the tri-tip generously with both salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4 Place the tri-tip on the grill, on the hot direct heat side. Leave the cover off and watch carefully for flare-ups. As the meat browns, any fat will melt and drip on to the coals causing flare-ups. These are okay, as long as they don't get out of control. Keep moving the tri-tip around the grill away from the flames if they get too high. After one side of the meat is browned (about 5 minutes) use tongs to flip it on to the other side. When it is browned all around, move the tri-tip to the lower heat side of the grill. Cover the grill and close the vents enough so that you maintain about 300-325°F temperature in the grill. (If you are using a charcoal grill, you can place a meat thermometer through the vents to measure the heat.) If you are using a gas grill, turn off one of the burners and move the meat over that burner for indirect heating.

5 Cook the tri-tip until a meat thermometer reads 130°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat (15-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat). Remove the tri-tip from the grill. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

6 Prepare the salsa by combining all of the salsa ingredients into a small bowl.

7 Cut the tri-tip in 1/4-inch slices against the grain. Serve with the salsa.

Serves 6.

Note: If you don't have a grill, you can prepare the tri-tip by browning it in a hot cast iron pan on the stove top, then placing it a 325°F oven until the internal temperature of the steak/roast reaches 130°F.

Meat Loaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup dried bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

Cinnasticks

1 package pizza mix, or your favorite recipe
1/4 C. melted butter (they don’t use butter, you can use margarine)
1/2 C. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Icing
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out pizza dough to a rectangle, roughly 10 by 12 inches, cut in half across the longest side, and then cut the other sides into 8th’s. You should have 16 individual pieces now. Place pieces onto a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake for approximately 15 minutes.

While the sticks are baking, make the icing by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and 1 tbsp. of butter. You may need to add additional milk to thin down the icing. Set icing aside.

Combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl, mix well. Melt the 1/4 cup butter and when the pizza dough is done brush with butter. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the freshly buttered sticks.

Potato Salad

2 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes, peel on, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of mustard (your favorite, yellow, Dijon, stone ground)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 dill pickles, chopped into 1/4 in cubes (about 3/4 cup)
6 slices of bacon, cooked and finely chopped
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1 In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard. Add a little salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and use a rubber spatula to gently combine. Add the rest of the ingredients, again gently combining. (Include a couple tablespoons of the pickle juice for good measure.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sour Cream Apple Cake

1/4 lb. butter (unsalted) room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cup flour (unbleached)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 int regular sour cream
2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch square pan. utter pan generously.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Beat well. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add these ingredients alternately to the batter with the sour cream. Fold in the apples.

Spread entire batter into prepared pan. Mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of better.

Bake 45-50 iinutes. Cool completely. Remove cake from pan and serve.

Potato Soup

1/8 cup unsalted butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 1/2 qt. chicken stock
4 large peeled potatoes, sliced evenly in 1/4 inch slides
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bacon cooked and diced
salt to taste

In a large saucepan, add butter, leeks and onions, and cook. (Do not brown vegetables.) Add chicken stock, potatoes, salt and fresh thyme. Cook for 40 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Add cream, bring to a boil and serve hot. Garnish with Cheddar cheese and diced bacon.

Apple Pie Pops

Prep: 40 minutes Bake: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 large apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1 tsp. tsp. lemon juice
dash juice
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
1 15 oz. pkg. rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (2 crusts)
10 paper or wooden lollipop sticks
1 egg, separated
2 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. apple pie spice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium skillet cook apples, the 1/4 cup sugar, the 1 tsp. apple pie spice, the lemon juice, and salt over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until apples are nearly tender, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water until smooth. Add to apple mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and well combined. Mixture will thicken quickly.

3. Unroll piecrusts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each pie crust to a 12 inch circle. Using a 3 inch round or leaf cutter, make 10 cutouts in each circle of dough.

4. Arrange 10 of cutouts on the prepared baking sheet. Press a lollipop stick firmly into the center of each dough cutout. Spoon a scant tablespoon of filling in the center of each cutout. You will have leftover filling.

5. In a small bowl whisk the egg white and 1 tsp. water until frothy. Use a pastry brush or your fingers to brush mixture around the edge of each dough shape. Place a second cutout of dough on top of the filling. Use a fork to seal edges, taking care that dough is sealed around lollipop stick.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yoke and remaining 1 tsp. water. Brush atop pie pops. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice. Sprinkle over pops.

7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on the baking sheet.

Makes 10 pops. If you can't find wooden lollipop sticks, wooden chopsticks will also work. It's best not to overfill the mini pies. Any leftover apple filling is a treat served warm over ice cream or oatmeal.