the moderate epicurean

a quest for measured pleasure...

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Happy Bunny to You! One of the most entertaining Easter dinners I've experienced included a rendition of that song, sung to the dinner guests by one of my (to remain unnamed) friend's usually teetotaller mom, after half a glass of wine. To the tune of Happy Birthday. Oh, man, it was fabulous, I thought my friend and her dad (and I) would die laughing. Happy Bunny indeed. It was awesome.

We opened this day with Nathan's annual Easter egg hunt, here in the house. Less hilarious than a tipsy teetotaller, but adorable and fun. I'm kicking myself that I didn't store the eggs in the fridge so I could make egg salad today. Dumb. Oh well. It's not like I can't hard cook another bunch of eggs in no time and make egg salad anytime I want. It's just the idea of waste, I guess, bugs me.

Oh, speaking of bugs, we had a brief pause in the action for me to vacuum a spider off the ceiling. Lots of the the creepy little speedsters this time of year. Ick. Shiver. Ick. (Sorry for the visual, Suz.)

I shrugged off the heeby jeebies and turned to the refrigerator, where there awaited me cold mmmmmmmatzo balls. My favorite leftovers' breakfast. I had two, right out of the pan. With three strips of crispy Neuske bacon. Hey, not exactly Kosher(!), but I had to get the nod to pork in there on Easter Sunday, I'm not having ham today. In fact, we're having the mellowist of Easters, hangin' here at the hacienda with no plan at all. I, of all people, don't really dig Easter eats. I don't know. Not a ham lover. I'm much more into the Passover goodies, truth be told. Me and my matzo balls, that's a Happy Easter in my book. You enjoy whatever treats and traditions you're sharing today!

Bistec Cubano (Cuban steak with onions), yellow rice, and black beans for dinner (recipes posted in comments, below). With lots of fresh lime. Not particularly Easter-y, but de-li-cious! I powered up for cooking dinner by having a little late-afternoon nap, ahhh. Nice enough to grill the steak outside, although not quite warm enough to eat out there. That's OK. It's been an amazing week, couldn't ask for more.

5 Comments:

At 11:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy bunny to you..
Happy bunny to you..
Happy bunny to....Steph, Jen and Elizabeth..Happy bunny to you!

I completely forgot..How could I?

 
At 12:22 PM, Blogger Stephanie said...

Man, I don't know, I think of it every Easter, so cute and funny. Hello to GSR for me. That was THE BEST. Now you can sing it to your kids! Or have them sing it to Grandma, see if she - or Grandpa -recalls, hahaha. Happy Easter!

 
At 9:12 PM, Blogger Stephanie said...

Bistec Cubano (Cuban Steak with Onions)
Stephanie Levy
Serves 4-6

2 lbs. flank steak or top sirloin
1 tsp. Adobo seasoning or salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. oil, divided
1 Tbsp. oil
1 lime, cut into several chunks
½ c. chopped yellow or sweet onion

Begin several hours (or 1 day) before you serve:
Sprinkle both sides of steak with Adobo or salt and dried oregano. Pound steak, covered with plastic wrap, with a meat hammer until ½ inch thick. In a 9x13 glass pan spread ½ of the sliced onion and garlic and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Lay the steak on top, then spread the other half of the sliced onion and garlic over the steak, and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To cook:
Scrape onion and garlic off the steak and into a small sauté pan with 1 Tbsp. oil. Cook over medium-low heat until onion is softened and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grill steak over high heat (or broil under a broiler) for a few minutes per side for medium-rare (check for desired doneness). Let steak rest for 5 minutes. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the steak, cover with sautéed onion/garlic mixture, and sprinkle with additional chopped raw onion and salt and pepper to taste. Slice thinly against the grain to serve.

 
At 9:13 PM, Blogger Stephanie said...

For black beans, I just follow the recipe for spicy beans already posted under recipes, using black beans instead of pintos.

 
At 9:20 PM, Blogger Stephanie said...

Cuban Yellow Rice
Serves 6

1/3 c. oil
1 c. finely chopped onion
2 tsp. Adobo seasoning or salt
3 small cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ c. finely chopped green pepper
2 c. long grain white rice
pinch of saffron, crumbled
¼ c. sherry
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 c. chicken stock or canned chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and Adobo or salt, turn heat to medium-low, and cook until starting to soften, 8 minutes. Add garlic and chopped green pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in rice, saffron, sherry, and tomato paste. Then stir in chicken stock. Turn up heat and bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

 

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