Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna

Serves 4-6

•  nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups red pasta sauce
• 6 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1/2 a 15 oz container ricotta cheese
• 6 oz goat cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tbsp Chianti or other red wine (optional)
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup roasted red sweet peppers, drained well and cut into strips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly coat a 2 qt square baking dish with cooking spray.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the sauce in the dish.  Top with 2 lasagna noodles.  In a small bowl stir together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the goat cheese, and, if desired, the Chianti.  Spoon half the mixture over the noodles in the dish.  Sprinkle with 2 tbsp Parmesan.  Top with half the red pepper strips.  Spoon half the remaining sauce on the pepper layer. 
2. Top with 2 more noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and the remaining peppers.  Add 2 more noodles and the remaining sauce.  Dot the top with remaining goat cheese and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. 
3. Cover with foil.  Bake for 50 minutes.  Let stand, covered, on a wire rack for 20 minutes before serving. 

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Soy and Ginger Flank Steak

Serves 3-4

• 1 1/2 – 2 lb flank steak
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 4 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 3 tbsp honey
• cooking spray

1. Prop open a large Ziploc bag and add ginger, garlic, soy sauce, wine and honey.  Using your hands on the outside of the bag, mix well. 
2. Place flank steak in the bag and turn to coat.  Place in refrigerator and marinate all day. 
3. Heat grill to medium-high heat and brush grill grate with cooking spray. 
4. Remove steak and discard marinade. 
5. Grill approximately 15 minutes for medium-rare, turning once.  Transfer to a cutting board and slice against the grain into 1 inch slices to serve. 

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T-Bone Steak Dinner

Makes 4 servings

• 4 medium russet potatoes
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives, divided
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 T-Bone steak (1 3/4 lbs), 1 1/2″ thick
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped shallot or green onion
• 2 cups red wine or beef broth
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Scrub potatoes well and pat dry.  Pierce several times with a fork.  Bake until tender, about 1 hour.  In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, parsley, 1 1/2 tbsp of chives and salt.  Mix well.  Set aside. 
2. After potatoes have baked for about 30 minutes, spray a large skillet with vegetable cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat.  Rub steak with pepper.  Add to skillet; cook until browned, about 8 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Place on a carving board; keep warm. 
3. Reduce heat to low.  Wipe fat from skillet with paper towels.  Add shallot to skillet; cook for 1 minutes.  Add wine and vinegar.  Boil until slightly reduced, about 8 minutes.  Remove pan from heat. 
4. Remove steak from bone and thinly slice.  Drizzle with sauce.  Open potatoes; top with yogurt mixture and sprinkle with remaining chives.  Serve immediately. 

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Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

Makes 6 servings

• 6 (4 to 6-ounce) filet mignons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups dry red wine

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Generously season the steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the garlic and oregano and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the wine. Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Strain the sauce into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer and return the sauce to the saucepan and bring back to a slow simmer. Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into small 1/2-inch chunks and whisk in the sauce a little at a time. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.
4. Place filets on each of 6 dinner plates. Drizzle the sauce over the filets and serve.

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