Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (42 page)

This sloppy supper is my latest Ode to Joe and it packs a spicy kick: lots of chimichurri. In Argentina, this sauce is used in many recipes and also is a more common condiment than ketchup, used on anything and everything. There are endless versions of the sauce. Here, I used herbs that I thought complemented the meat best, but you can switch up the combo in any way you like.

SERVES 4 REALLY HUNGRY ARGENTINES OR AMERICANS

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat and add the 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Add the meat and brown for 7 to 8 minutes. As it cooks, season it with salt and pepper and the paprika, and break it up with a spoon.

While the meat is browning, make the chimichurri. Place the rosemary, oregano, thyme and parsley leaves, garlic, onion, and vinegar into a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and pulse the machine to finely chop. With the machine running, stream in the
1
⁄
3
cup of EVOO.

Combine the Worcestershire, brown sugar, and tomato sauce in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the meat in the skillet and stir. Bring to a bubble. Stir in half the chimichurri and simmer for 5 minutes.

Wrap the rolls in foil and heat in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes. Split the rolls open and slather the tops with the remaining chimichurri sauce. Pile the meat onto the bun bottoms and serve.

Pour a nice glass of Malbec to complement the Joes and you'll be tangoing in no time!

My friend Vince came up with the idea of crisping up the little ear-shaped pasta that is such a fave of mine. The nutty pasta tastes amazing with walnuts and rosemary.

SERVES 4

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente. Heads up: reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, a few minutes, then cool. Place the nuts in a food processor with the rosemary, the whole garlic clove, salt, and pepper and turn on the processor. Stream
1
⁄
3
cup of the EVOO into the food processor and process until the pesto is fairly smooth.

Rub the chops with the cut clove of garlic, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare.

While the lamb cooks, drain the pasta and return the pot to the heat. Stir the reserved pasta cooking water into the pesto to thin it a bit. Heat 3 tablespoons EVOO in the pasta pot over medium heat. Return the pasta to the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, to crisp and toast the pasta. Season the pasta with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg.

Remove the lamb from the skillet and tent with foil to let the juices settle. In a clean skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high to high heat. Add the onions and kale and sear them. Season the greens with salt and pepper and wilt down, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vinegar to the pan and turn the greens to coat.

Serve a chop alongside a pile of the greens. Top the greens with the toasted pasta and drizzle some pesto over everything.

Salmon Burgers with Dill Mustard

Salmon is probably right behind chicken in the list of food we can never have enough recipes for, and salmon is so meaty it makes for a perfect burger.

SERVES 4

Preheat the broiler.

Place the fish in a food processor and pulse on and off until it forms small coarse pieces. Transfer it to a bowl and add the capers, lemon zest, parsley, and seafood seasoning. Add salt and pepper if your seafood seasoning is missing either. Mix the ingredients and form 4 salmon patties.

Heat the EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the oil ripples. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While the burgers cook, in a bowl mix together the cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. In a small bowl stir the Dijon together with the dill. Toast the rolls under the broiler until golden.

Squeeze the juice of the lemon half evenly over the cooked burgers and transfer to the bun bottoms. Top with the cucumber relish, lettuce, and bun tops slathered with dill mustard.

FEEL-GOOD SUPPER

• GINGER-GARLIC FISH IN PARCHMENT

• LEMON
CHIVE NOODLES

Next time you feel your jeans getting tight, check out this dish before you contemplate skipping meals altogether. To keep your metabolism up you need to eat dinner; just go lean. Parchment cooking is lean
and
delicious.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Rip off 4 pieces of parchment about 12 inches long to form packets. In a small bowl combine the honey, vinegar, and tamari.

Place a piece of parchment in a shallow baking dish for stability, then stack one quarter of the scallions and shiitakes in the center of the paper. Layer with slices of ginger and garlic and top with a fish fillet. Pour one quarter of the tamari mixture over the fish fillet. Season with pepper, then bring the parchment together over the fish and fold the top down twice to seal. Roll in the sides to form a sealed pouch. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Arrange the parchment pouches on a baking sheet and roast for 12 to 14 minutes. Serve with
lemon chive noodles as a starter or a side.