Boursin-Crusted Steaks with Red Wine Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled butter

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3/4 cup low-salt beef broth

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 package Boursin garlic and herb cheese (5.2 ounces)

1/4 cup panko

4 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks (each 6 to 8 ounces)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, shallot, and thyme.  Sauté until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add broth and wine.  Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 12 minutes. Set sauce aside.

Blend cheese and panko in a small bowl.  (Both red wine sauce and Boursin cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Heat broiler.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.  Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare; undercook steaks a bit at this stage or they will be overdone after broiling.  Transfer steaks to rimmed baking sheet; reserve skillet.  Press cheese mixture onto top of steaks, dividing equally.  Broil until cheese browns, about 2-4 minutes.  Transfer steaks to plates.  Pour sauce into reserved skillet.  Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.  Boil 2 minutes.  Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon sauce around steaks and serve.

Serves 4.

From Bon Appetit, November 2003, with some changes

Peach and Maple Syrup Jam

600 grams/ 1 pound 5 ounces (about 5) fresh peaches

250 grams/ 9 ounces (about 1 large or 2 small) apples

50 ml/ 2 fluid ounces/ 1/4 cup maple syrup

400 grams/ 14 ounces granulated sugar

1 small lemon, juice only

Bring a pan of water to the boil, and with a sharp knife score the peaches in a cross across the bottom. Drop the peaches into the boiling water for a minute, then remove and peel off the skin.  Chop all the flesh away from the peach pits and discard the skin (reserve the pits).

Peel the apples and grate them, discarding the core.  Place the grated apple in a pan with 300ml/½ pint/1 cup of water, bring to the boil, and then cook for 10 minutes or until the water has almost evaporated.  Add the peach flesh and reserved peach pits and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the peach pieces fall apart and the mixture is thick. Pick the pits out with a spoon and discard them.

Add the maple syrup, sugar and lemon juice, bring to a boil, then cook until the mixture reaches 105C/220F on a sugar thermometer.  Stir frequently to stop it sticking on the bottom.

Leave to cool for a few minutes, spoon into hot, clean jars, and seal immediately in a boiling water bath or pressure canner.

Makes about 600ml/20fl oz.

From BBC Food, recipe by Dan Lepard

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 F.

Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long, and toss them with the oil.

Mix the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and toss them with the sweet potatoes. Spread them out on 2 rimmed baking sheets.

Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

From Mark Bittman, NY Times

Avocado, Cucumber, and White Bean Wrap

Soft Wrap Bread

White Bean Spread

Sliced avocados
Thinly sliced cucumbers
Other options: Arugula, thinly sliced sweet onion, tomato slices
Mayonnaise mixed with capers and harissa to taste

Spread bean spread on bread, add vegetables, drizzle with harissa and caper mayonnaise.

White Bean Spread

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, if desired (basil, thyme, parsley, etc)

Put olive oil in a small bowl.  Smash garlic cloves with the side of a knife and put in the oil.  Squish around with a spoon to release garlic flavor.  Allow to infuse for a few minutes, then remove the garlic pieces and discard (or use for another recipe).

Puree garlicky olive oil and all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.  Adjust seasoning as desired.  Use as a dip for vegetables or bread or as a sandwich spread.

Soft Wrap Bread

3 to 3 ¼ cups (361 to 390 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (283 grams) boiling water

1/4 cup potato flour or 1/2 cup potato flakes (43 grams)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons (25 grams) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon instant yeast

Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine.  Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir until smooth.  Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast.

Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes, by hand, mixer or bread machine, to form a soft dough.  A 5-minute knead in the bread machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky.  Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled.  Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Roll each piece into a 7" to 8" circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots.  Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out.

Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft.

Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag for up to 4 days.  Freeze for up to a month.

Makes 8 flatbreads.

From King Arthur Flour  

Sweetcorn Chaat

4 ears of corn (or 680 grams of corn)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
25 grams unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (plus extra to serve)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 onion, finely diced
20 grams fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 jalapenos, finely chopped
Handful of sev (chickpea noodles)

If using fresh corn, remove husks and silk.  Boil for 8 minutes, or cook in pressure cooker just until it hisses/whistles.  Drain, then rinse under cold water.  Slice off the kernels.

Set a large frying pan over medium heat and, when hot, put the cumin into it.  Stir-fry for a minute, until aromatic, then add the butter and let it melt.  Turn the heat up and, when the pan starts to smoke, add the corn.  Cook for 6 to 8 minutes - don't stir too frequently, so it has a chance to blacken and caramelize a bit, but be careful as the odd kernel may pop.  When the corn has a good amount of color, add the black pepper, chili powder, salt, and lemon juice and let it sizzle off.

Divide the corn between four plates and scatter over the red onion, cilantro, jalepenos, and sev. Sprinkle a little chili powder over the top.

Serves 4.

From Fresh India by Meera Sodha, with very minor changes