Looking for a great red wine marinade? Check out my new Red Wine Marinated Flank Steak recipe too.

Just a quickie today –

I love a tangy, slightly tart, red wine marinade for London broil. This particular recipe is enough for one large London broil, but could be used for two round steaks instead if you prefer.

And don’t toss the leftover red wine marinade! It can be used to make red wine gravy. Simply combine equal parts of marinade and broth or water. Boil for 10 minutes and then thicken with a 1:2 ratio of corn starch to water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Red Wine Marinade

1 1/4 cup red wine
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp savory
1 tsp dried minced onion

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

To use: pour marinade into a resealable plastic bag with a large London broil. Let marinate for 1-3 hours. Cook as desired.

I entered a recipe into Sweetnick’s ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays, so check here for a roundup later.

The one I entered was my Spicy Turkey, which I really want to make again soon. I’ll have to pick up some turkey breasts this week.

So what is it with these brownies? Well they have a myriad of ingredients that are thought to be aphrodisiacs including cocoa, vanilla, honey, coffee, and ginger. It’s sure to get your honey bunny revving to go…if you believe in the power of aphrodisiacs, that is.

To serve, place in center of a plate and sift powered sugar over the brownie. Or serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge for an extra jolt.

I’ve heard it a million times. “I don’t like the taste of water.” And with that comment off the person goes to grab a soda, juice or whatever taste it is they do like. Of course, they’re abandoning the possibility that water could be made tasty with a few minor adjustments. But let’s face it, those people aren’t so much anti-water as they are pro-drink favorites.

See also Organic Hot Chocolate.

Nonetheless, this morning I was sitting here lamenting my late discovery of the food blogging event Sugar High Friday when I started cooking up ideas. Since this month’s theme was aphrodisiacs, I researched a bit on the subject and found out that there are many foods that fall into that category – chocolate, honey, ginger, etc. I romanced the idea of a late submission of my own special Aphrodite’s Ultimate Brownie, but ultimately decided to hold off and surprise my husband with those on Valentine’s Day.

Still, I was intrigued about what could be created using these mythical ingredients. Then it came to me: what about liquid desire, or rather a concoction of ingredients with aphrodisiac properties. So here it is, and it’s yummy.

1 cup brewed green tea
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup ice

- Combine all ingredients in a blender
- Blend on high for 45 seconds
- Drink

Now why is this so special? Well it combines the antioxidant properties of green tea, which are thought to be helpful in preventing diseases like cancer and heart disease, with the aphrodisiacs honey, cocoa (also has antioxidants) and ginger (a stimulant).

Just consider it liquid lovin’.

Super Stop & Shop had a buy one, get one free sale on ground turkey this week so I used that as an excuse to do a bait and switch exercise with my husband and he didn’t know the difference.

These turkey meatballs are really yummy, and the lean turkey is a nice alternative to red meat.

1 1/4 lbs ground turkey

1 cup breadcrumbs (I like the Italian style ones)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 tbsp Italian seasonings

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups marinara sauce

• - Gather ingredients – You will also need a large mixing bowl and a baking sheet. I prefer to line mine with aluminum foil (Reynolds Wrap Release) for easy cleanup.

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- Combine all ingredients, except the marinara sauce, in the large mixing bowl, mixing by hand until well blended.

- Heat marinara sauce in large saucepan until steaming.

- Roll by hand into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on baking sheet. Leave 1-2 inches between balls.

- Bake on middle rack in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes under center is no longer pink.

- Remove from oven and transfer meatballs to warm marinara sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

TO SERVE:

Serve on bed of pasta, topped with marinara sauce and cheese, if you like.

I like to try new things and drag along who ever I can get to join me. So it was no surprise a few weeks back when I saw red bananas on sale and bought them. I took them home (with the rest of my groceries) brimming with excitement at the prospect of discovering this new fruit. Well, new to me at least.

The next day, I tried to peel the banana, finding the skin hard, the flesh harder. I took that to mean that it wasn’t ripe and placed it in an airtight Ziploc bag and inside a paper bag to ripen.

I waited a few days and pulled it out, ready to tear into the sweet mushy flesh. Sure enough, it was much softer so I proceeded to peel it and try a nibble. My husband had warned me that they are unusually sweet so I was ready, or so I thought.

My teeth sank in, sliding easily through the flesh and my mouth filled with intense dryness. There was no sweetness, no smooth taste. Instead, it stole all my saliva and left me stumbling for water.

Nonetheless, I thought, “Maybe it’s just me,” and pureed it with blueberries for my son. He took one bite and cried. And I totally understood what he was saying.

So ultimately, it was my two beagles – Snoopy and Scrappy – who ate the red banana-blueberry mush. And even they dashed for the water afterward, slopping through two bowls.

And they didn’t beg the next day. Gee I wonder why.

Okay, I admit it. I am a devoted Martha watcher. Everyday at 11 a.m., you know where to find me. Yes, that’s right. Tuned into NBC watching Martha take on food, craft and culture. Who knew I would be so into her show when it debuted in the fall? Certainly not I.

So anyway, since I am an avid and admitted fan, you can imagine my joy and sheer excitement when I got an email this afternoon alerting me that yes, I did get tickets to the show. So there I will be on March 2 for the show, in the same room as the one-woman empire.

Don’t worry, Cucina Bella will have a play by play account of the taping…and probably even the pre/post show chow too. After all, why go to New York if you aren’t going to eat your way through it?

• Knives – Everyone should have a good knife set. And if you are really into cooking, that should be a great knife set. I have a set of Zwilling J.A.Henckles and they are good, reliable blades. But for the pro, something more along the lines of Global Knives is more appropriate. These sleek knives are lightweight and are perfectly balanced. I’ve used them once or twice, and they were superb.
• A Steamer Insert – This could possibly be the best invention since the fork. The steamer I have expands to fit into several different sized pots, which I love. Using a steamer to cook fresh vegetables really helps them to keep their color and, more importantly, their flavor.
• Silicone Spatulas - I love these. They don’t melt in high temperatures and are great for scraping the patina from the pan or just stirring in general. They are definitely an all-purpose tool.
• A Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer – I love my Kitchen Aid. I have the red Artisan series one (though I am a sucker for the pink Cook for the Cure Edition). Whether it’s fresh whipped cream, cookie dough or mashed potatoes, or whatever delight you might be conjuring, this powerful mixer helps you do it with ease.