Italian Beef Florentine Recipes

BEEF FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until evenly brown; drain excess fat. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in tomato sauce and water. Remove from heat, and stir in cooked noodles.
• In a medium bowl, combine spinach, cottage cheese, onion, and Parmesan cheese. Spread half of noodle mixture in a large casserole dish. Layer with all of spinach mixture, then cover with remaining noodle mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cover with mozzarella, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

BEEF FLORENTINE

Steps:

• SAUCE Place olive oil in large skillet.
• Add garlic and brown for about 2 minutes.
• Add ground beef and brown.
• Drain off excess grease.
• Add crushed tomatoes.
• Add tomato paste.
• Add nutmeg, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer for at least 1 hour.
• While this is cooking prepare the filling.
• FILLING Trim ends from spinach.
• Cook until wilted.
• Drain off all excess liquid and squeeze dry.
• Beat 2 eggs.
• Add cottage cheese and spinach.
• Add 1 cup of Italian blend cheese.
• Salt and pepper.
• CRUST Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 13x9 pan (preferrably glass) with non stick spray.
• Pour sauce into pan.
• Top with filling.
• Cover with rest of cheese.
• Take one sheet of Phyllo at a time and brush with melted butter until you have 8 layers.
• Bake at 350 deg.
• for 1 hour or until top is golden brown.
• Let stand for at least 15 minutes.
• Cut into squares and serve.

ITALIAN BEEF FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Place flour on a plate. Beat eggs gently, in a shallow bowl, until blended. In another shallow bowl, mix Panko bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Preheat large saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Dip patties in flour (coating both sides), then dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Finally, dip into Panko bread crumb mixture.
• Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add patties to pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side to brown.
• Reduce heat to medium; cook 2-3 more minutes on each side, until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, combine sauce mix and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; stir in butter and spinach. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often, or until spinach is wilted. Serve sauce over patties.

STEAK FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Rub the garlic cloves over the meat and the bone of the steaks. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator and allow seasoning to permeate the meat, for about 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before grilling, allowing the meat to come to room temperature.
• Place a grill pan over high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill the steaks until cooked to desired doneness, turning once, about 5 minutes per side for rare, 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. The key to getting those great grill marks is to place the steak down and not move them. After you flip them, do not shift the steaks.
• Allow the steaks to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing, otherwise all the juices will be run all over your cutting board. Run your knife along the bone and carve the meat off the bone. Slice the meat into 1-inch slices. Transfer the slices to a platter. Squeeze the lemon over the steaks. Drizzle with the oil and serve immediately with Grilled Vegetables.
• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the oil to coat lightly. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 8 to 10 minutes for the bell peppers; 7 minutes for the yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms; 4 minutes for the asparagus and green onions. Arrange the vegetables on a platter. The key to getting those great grill marks is to not shift the vegetables too frequently once they've been placed on the hot grill.
• Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil, and rosemary in a small bowl to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the herb mixture over the vegetables. Serve the vegetables, warm or at room temperature.

BEEFSTEAK FLORENTINE IN OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC MARINADE WITH NANCY'S MUSHROOM VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Make the marinade: mix together the oil, salt, pepper, and the garlic in a small bowl. Put the steak in shallow bowl or a dish and rub the mixture all over the meat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or, better still, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Turn the meat from time to time to coat both sides evenly.
• To prepare: remove the steak from the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking. When you are ready to grill, prepare a charcoal fire so that you have areas of higher and lower heat.
• Drain off any excess oil from the steak. Sear the steak over the high-heat area of the grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the grill rack and sprinkle 2 cups soaked hickory or oak chips on the low-heat part of the fire. Replace the grill and place the steak over the low-heat area. Cover the grill, but turn the steak frequently; this should take 10 to 20 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the steak and the heat of the fire. Check the interior of the meat with an instant-read thermometer, and remove the steaks at 5 to 7 degrees below the desired degree of doneness. Let the steak rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes or so before carving.
• To carve, cut the loin meat and the fillet meat away from the bone. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange meat on a platter with the lemon wedges. Serve with vinaigrette.
• Place the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover and soak for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the soaked mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Chop them and set them aside. Carefully pour the soaking liquid into a saucepan, leaving the last bit of liquid and any grit behind. Add the vermouth or sherry and the chicken or veal stock and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the flavors are concentrated and the sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside while you cook the mushrooms.
• Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and shallots or garlic and cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Put in the reserved dried mushrooms and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. If any liquid accumulates in the skillet, pour it into the saucepan with the reduced sauce. Boil the sauce briefly, if you wish, to intensify the flavors further.
• Pour the reduced sauce over the mushrooms and add both vinegars. Using a whisk, beat in enough of the remaining oil to form a slightly thick, homogenous vinaigrette. Taste for salt and pepper and red wine vinegar and serve with steak.

BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA (TUSCAN PORTERHOUSE)

Steps:

• Press chopped rosemary onto both sides of porterhouse steak; set onto a plate and allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Start an outdoor grill using hardwood charcoal, such as hickory. When coals are white and glowing, arrange for high heat.
• Gently brush or rub olive oil onto steak, then season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
• Place steak onto grill, and cook until a dark, golden brown (not burnt) crust forms, 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of meat. Turn over, and continue cooking until golden on the other side, 5 to 10 minutes more. When finished, place steak onto a platter, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• To serve, remove the two pieces of meat from the bone, and replace the bone onto the serving platter. Trim any unwanted fat from the round (tenderloin) steak, slice into 6 equal pieces at an angle to the grain, and fan out on one side of the bone. Slice the rectangular (loin) steak into 1/4-inch slices at an angle to the grain. Fan out on the other side of the bone. Finish by garnishing the platter with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of additional sea salt.