Recipes: Lite & Easy

Tuscan Grilled Panini

Download Recipe (PDF) Perfect for a casual meal or cut into small pieces as an appetizer, these panini are easy to make. Ingredients 4 sandwich-sized focaccia, sliced in half horizontally Olive oil for brushing 8 ounces Fontina or provolone cheese, sliced 1 cup brine or oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped ½ cup roasted red pepper strips from a jar Fresh basil leaves 1 pound thin sliced Certified Hereford Beef® garlic roast beef

Instructions

1. Brush all sides of each foccacia slice with olive oil. On the bottom portion of each "sandwich," place the cheese, then olives, roasted red pepper strips, basil leaves, and lastly the garlic roast beef. Top with a foccaccia slice. Place the panini on a baking sheet to take out to the grill.
2. Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill. Have a heavy cast iron skillet, a foil-wrapped brick, a cast iron bacon press, or 2 heavy-duty grill spatulas by the grill.
3. Place each panini on the grill rack and weight or press down. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until you have good grill marks and the cheese has melted. If necessary, grill these one at a time.
4. To serve, slice the panini in half and serve with fresh tomatoes. Serves 4.

Ole Mole Short Ribs

Mole is a Mexican flavoring paste made with chiles, toasted sesame seed, and chocolate, available in glass jars in the Hispanic section of the grocery store. Use this paste to add zip and zing to lip-smackin'-good beef short ribs. Serve this dish with mashed potatoes or grits to soak up the delicious sauce. Ingredients 2-1/2 pounds Certified Hereford Beef® short ribs 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 cup freshly brewed coffee 1 tablespoon "hot" mole (from an 8 1/4-ounce jar) 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 cup chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh Salt and pepper to taste Chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown the short ribs on both sides in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Transfer the ribs to a plate, pour off some of the fat, and add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and herbs to the pan. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. In a bowl, stir together the hot coffee with the mole and brown sugar, until dissolved, and stir into the vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes. Transfer the ribs back to the pot and spoon some of the vegetable mixture over them.
3. Cover and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove some of the fat. Serve on a platter, garnished with chopped cilantro.
4. Variation: To slow smoke, place the ribs and vegetable mixture in a disposable aluminum pan. Place on the smoker rack and smoke at 225 to 250 degrees for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until fork tender.