Pesto Stuffed Flank Steak

I am not a big meat eater, though at times the mood strikes me for a really good steak.  This recipe is for a grilled flank steak which is perfect for summer, particularly because it is stuffed with basil and parsley which are in season in your own back yard right now.  Throw it on the grill with your favorite grilled vegetable(s) and you have yourself a quick meal which doesn't require you to turn on your oven in the already hot summer.

Adapted from a recipe in the cookbook Canal House Cooks every day by Hamilton and Hirsheimer.

Pesto stuffed Flank Steak

2 loosely packed cups basil leaves

2 loosely packed cups fresh parsley leaves

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 anchovy fillets

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup Parmesan

2 lb. flank steak

salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto, puree the basil, parsley, garlic and anchovy fillets in a food processor.  Add the Parmesan and pulse a couple of more times.  Use right away on the flank steak or remove to a small bowl and cover (as air will turn the pesto dark).

Butterfly the flank steak, opening the steak as you slice, but stop about 1/2 inch from cutting the steam into two pieces.  Press the meat flat.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Spread the pesto onto the meat, leaving about 1 inch space all around the edges.  Roll up the steak and tie with kitchen string every two inches.  Wrap in plastic until ready to grill.

Preheat the grill so it is medium hot.  Place the steak on the grill and turn it until it is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the flame, but remain on the grill and let rest for about 10 more minutes.  Place steak on a cutting board and let rest another 10 minutes before slicing into 1-2 inch rounds.

Homemade basil pesto

Basil Pesto

If you have never tried to make your own pesto, you are missing out.  I highly recommend giving it a try as it is easy to do and doesn't take any time either.  Plus, you can use a variety of different herbs to change up the flavor and it makes a lot more than you can buy in the store.  The first pesto I made was one from Italian Immigrant Cooking by Elodia Rigante.  Once I realized how easy it was to make though, I now put in basically whatever I am feeling that day or what I have on hand.

Basil Pesto

1/2 cup basil (or whatever herb mixture you want to try)

3 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)

2-4 tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese, finely shredded

6 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup olive oil (more if you like it thinner)

1 tablespoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredient in a blender until smooth.  Serve over pasta or gnocchi of choice.  Or you can try my ricotta gnocchi.  You can easily double this recipe.

Sun-dried pesto dinner rolls

I have been baking sourdough consistently now for a couple of years.  I don't bake every week, but every few weeks I will take the time and make 3-4 loaves of bread to eat over the next weeks or to bring to a party to share.  As much as I love sourdough, I want to spread my wings and bake more types of bread.  I have always aspired to be a proficient baker like my grandma.  I remember her baking nearly every weekend.  Maybe that isn't quite correct, but to my memory as a child, it seemed like she was always baking bread rolls or cinnamon rolls or other equally delicious things.  When I came across this recipe online I decided the time had come to try some dinner rolls.  A while back I had made Danish Rye Butter Buns (http://invitedtodinner.blogspot.com/2011/09/danish-rye-butter-buns.html) and they turned out wonderful.  The time came to bake rolls again.  Conveniently, I had homemade pesto in the refrigerator from my last batch of pesto.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast

3/4 warm water (about 105F)

1/2 cup milk (preferably not skim)

1 large egg

1/2 diced sun-dried tomatoes (I bought them in a jars in strips and cut them into smaller pieces)

1/2 pesto (homemade is best!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups wheat flour

2 1/2 cups white flour

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Stir yeast and warm water together in a stand mixer bowl.  Let it sit until dissolved.  In another bowl whisk milk and egg.  Add this to the yeast mixture once the yeast is activated.  Stir together.  Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, salt and wheat flour into the liquid mixture.  Add white flour (start with 2 cups) until you have a floury dough.  Let the the dough rest for about 10 minutes.   Knead the dough with a dough hook on low speed until dough pulls away from sides (about 9 minutes).  You may need more flour depending on how wet your pesto is.

Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk - about an hour.  Dust your counter with flour and pull out the dough.  Divide dough into 12 pieces.  To shape each roll, you will make turns like when you rise a sourdough loaf.  Tuck the outside edges in until the roll is firm and will hold it's shape.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Place into a parchment lined 9x12 pan.  Arrange in the pan with a little space between rolls, though they will come together as they rise.  Once all the rolls have been made and placed in the pan, let rise a second time until they fill the pan and are airy looking, about 35-40 minutes.  Once the rolls have risen, bake until they are golden brown, about 18 minutes.  Sprinkle the top with Parmesan and return to oven to melt the cheese.

Let the rolls cool on a rack for a few minutes.  They are best eaten the same day, but will last a couple of days if wrapped tightly.  Makes 12 rolls.

Ricotta Gnocchi

One of the things I have been experimenting in this year is cooking more Italian food.  So this lead me to find a lovely Italian immigrant cookbook with tasty recipes which are easy to make, other than sometimes being time-consuming.  This was my second attempt at the ricotta gnocchi and both time it turned out lovely.  Added to that the pesto made from my own basil and you have a simple, yet filling dinner.  The book this recipe came from is called Italian Immigrant Cooking by Elodia Rigante.  Unfortunately, it is no longer published, but you can find it in the used book stores.

Ricotta Gnocchi

1 pound freshly made Ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups flour (maybe a little more if your ricotta is really wet)

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta and the egg.  Add the salt and pepper.  Gradually add the flour.  Knead on a floured counter.  Roll into finger-sized logs and then cut into equal length pieces (mine are usually about 3/4 inch each).

To cook: bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the gnocchi and stir to be sure they don't stick.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until the gnocchi is floating.  You can serve immediately with whatever sauce you like or just some grated Parmesan cheese.  The above photo is made with homemade pesto.

These freeze well.  Or if you prefer to cook them all and not eat them all, you can reheat them in the oven with some Parmesan cheese grated over them.