Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes (Fool's Gold #12.1)

1. In a mini food processor or spice grinder, combine thyme, oregano and rosemary; grind until powdery. Rub minced garlic over the steaks; sprinkle with paprika and chopped herbs. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Let steaks stand at room tem-perature for 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Drizzle both sides of steaks with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill about 10 minutes per side, until charred on the outside and medium-rare on the inside, or to desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

TIP: Let the steak rest for 10 minutes after cooking, to allow the juices to return to the center of the meat.

SUMMER

Flank Steak and Balsamic Spinach Salad

Pressed for time? Use a prepared balsamic vinaigrette. All you need is a crusty baguette to complete the meal.

Serves 4

Steak

1 tablespoon olive oil

1¼ pounds flank steak, cut into 4 pieces

Salt and black pepper

Salad

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, minced

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces (about 4 cups) baby spinach leaves

½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved

⅓ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

For steak:

1. Warm oil in a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Add to the hot pan; cook 6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board; let the steak sit 5 minutes before thinly slicing it on the diagonal.

For salad:

1. Whisk vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in oil until thoroughly blended.

2. Add spinach to the bowl and, using your hands or tongs, toss gently. Mound spinach salad on 4 plates; top with the steak slices, tomatoes and a showering of walnuts.

TIP: Let the pan get hot before adding the steak.

SUMMER

Marinated Green and White Bean Salad

with Garlic Shrimp

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the most delicious—especially when the ingredients are summer-fresh.

Serves 4

Salad

½ pound green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for garnish

½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and black pepper

Shrimp

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined

For salad:

1. Blanch green beans in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes; drain and rinse in cool water. Let cool; slice in half on the diagonal.

2. In a large serving bowl, whisk lemon juice, oil and garlic until blended. Fold in parsley and cannellini beans; let the cannellini beans marinate 20 minutes while the green beans cool.

For shrimp:

1. Warm oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring. Add shrimp; cook 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Fold cooled green beans, Parmesan and tomatoes into cannellini beans. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional Parmesan. Mound shrimp atop salad.

TIP: Don’t cook the beans all the way through; you just want them crisp-tender.

SUMMER

Crunchy Pork Chops with Beet and Carrot Slaw

Mild pork chops, coated with a golden crust and served with a lime-scented slaw make a refreshing change of pace as a summer dinner.

Serves 4

Slaw

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup raw beets (about 1 small beet), grated and peeled

1 cup carrots (about 1 large carrot), grated

Pork chops

3 cups panko or bread crumbs

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

3 large egg whites

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Nonstick cooking spray

4 center-cut, boneless pork chops, about 6 ounces each, 1 inch thick

For slaw:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk lime juice, oil, parsley, sugar and salt. Fold in beets and carrots until coated. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

For pork chops:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss crumbs with garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake about 10 minutes, until golden brown, stirring twice. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan and parsley.

2. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg whites and mustard. Add flour and whisk until blended (there may be some clumps).