You may have noticed Jason has decided to take a back seat to the blog, I felt he wasn't quite into it when I was asking him what his favorite recipe was and he was not being so forthcoming, maybe it's because the playoffs were on...so he has informed me that he is now a "Special Guest Contributor". I'm sure you all are waiting with baited breath for his contribution. :)
Now on to the meal with no name. I say that it has no name because it was so fabulous, I could not even think of what to call it - it's too fabulous for a name. It's not because of me that it was so FAB it's because it was created with fresh ingredients. Maybe it's because I've been on a diet since January 2 and food tastes so delicious but I really think it's one of the best meals I've ever made! The menu consisted of: Honey Roasted London Broil, Red Pepper Rice Pilaf and Ciabatta Bread. I would have fixed fresh french cut green beans along with it, but Kroger was out of them. Whatever.
This morning before I left for work, I put the London Broil in a large Ziploc bag, added about 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup honey. I put it in the fridge to let it marinate all day. After about 8 hours, I put it in a baking dish, marinade and all, covered it in aluminum foil and baked it for about 3 hours in a 350 degree oven. After it was finished cooking I let it sit on the cutting board for about 10 minutes, then I effortlessly cut it into thin slices. It was so tender I was afraid it was going to fall apart. This picture does not do it justice:
For the rice pilaf:
1 red bell pepper, diced small
2 cups rice - I use Jasmine rice
4 cups chicken broth
dash of crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan; add 2 cups of rice to the oil. Basically what you are doing is browning the rice, it takes a few minutes. While the rice is browning, heat 4 cups of chicken broth in a large saucepan. After the rice has cooked for a few minutes, add the bell pepper, crushed red pepper and salt. You'll notice the rice turning a brown color-don't brown it too much.
This is a picture of the rice and peppers being sauteed. Is that a KitchenAid spoon rest you ask? Why yes it is. Once the rice changes color add it to the heated broth and heat until boiling. As soon as it boils, put a lid on it and reduce heat to simmer. DO NOT LIFT THE LID for about 25 minutes. People, I know it's tempting, I can hardly stand it. Anyway, after 25 minutes fluff it with a fork and you are good to go.As for the ciabatta rolls, buy them frozen from "The Joy of Cooking" section at Kroger's freezer.
So good, I can't even tell you.
I blew my diet tonight. Gotta go, Top Chef is coming on: GO STEFAN!!
