THE Bread

• 1 loaf French Bread, Split Lengthwise
• 2 sticks Regular (salted) Butter, Softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread one stick of softened butter on each half of the loaf. Just trust me on this one!

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until butter is melted and starting to soak into the bread.

Crank on broiler and broil bread for 3 to 5 minutes, watching the whole time. Remove when butter has started to brown and blacken. Don’t under-broil it! The flavor really kicks in when the butter’s color changes.

Slice into strips and serve immediately.

Shoyu Chicken

• 5-6 cloves of garlic, pressed
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated, or 1 t. dried
  
• 2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 teaspoons water
  
• 1 1/2 cups soy sauce (I prefer Aloha Shoyu)
  
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
  
• 1/4 cup vinegar
  
• 5 pounds chicken breasts, boneless
  
• green onions, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients except chicken and green onions in a large bowl or leak-proof plastic resealable bag. Add chicken to marinade. Marinate overnight. Place chicken in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour marinade over the chicken. Sprinkle with green onion. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until chicken is done. The chicken can also be grilled on a barbecue and basted with the marinade. Eat with white rice and Hawaiian-style macaroni salad.

Savory Compound Butter

1/2 C softened butter

2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Add ingredients to softened butter. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate.

Serve with warm bread or put a dab on top of a hamburger or steak.

*May adjust herbs according to what you have.

Steak Bites

• 1 pound Sirloin Steak (without Much Gristle) OR Pre-cut Beef Tips
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Trim off the large obvious piece of fat that runs along the side of the meat. Next, cut strips less than 1-inch wide. Rotate the meat and cut into small bite-sized pieces. If you see any more large chunks of fat, gristle or long silvery membrane, cut them off.

Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the meat around a bit to thoroughly coat with the seasonings.

Next, turn on your ventilation fan overhead. Heat the skillet over medium high to high heat. As the pan heats, add about 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt, then brown, before you add the meat. Don't let the butter burn.

Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan – if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 1-2 minutes. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes—just long enough to sear the outside of the meat but NOT thoroughly cook the inside.

Remove the meat to a clean plate. Add a little more butter to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the next batch just as before. Lastly, when all the meat is nicely browned and removed to the plate, pour all that browned/blackened butter all over the meat.

This recipe is simple but delicious!

Basil Tomato Tart

1 Pie Crust (homemade or store bought)

1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella, divided

4 medium tomatoes, sliced

1/4 c. chopped fresh basil leaves OR 1/4 c. pesto*

1 T. minced garlic*

1/2 c. mayo

1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Bake pie crust according to directions. Remove from oven and sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella on bottom. Let cool.

While crust is cooling, cut tomatoes into slices (about 1/4″ thick or thicker if preferred) and drain on paper towel.

Either spread garlic over cheese or spread layer of pesto over cheese. If using fresh basil, sprinkle over garlic. Place tomatoes over the top of this layer.

Combine mayo, parmesan, pepper and remaining Mozzarella and spread on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until browned.

*This recipe usually calls for the garlic and fresh basil. You can substitute these with pesto.