Sustainable Steak, Seafood on Shoestring!
He's a five-star chef from the Lone Star State.
John Tesar will be sharing his love of delicious, healthy foods that are also good for the Earth when he opens a restaurant he'll be calling Tesar's Modern Steak and Sustainable Seafood outside Houston later this month.
Its menu will be made up of 100 percent sustainable food products.
The eatery's Web site says it will feature "stylish contemporary cuisine with a menu that focuses on fresh, local, green food sources," with "zero-waste food ethics." The site says it will only have grass and grain-fed beef and "earth-easy seafood." It quotes Tesar as saying "modern steak" is "not only tastier, but healthier."
As "Chef on a Shoestring" on "The Early Show Saturday Edition," Tesar tried to prepare a three-course meal on our recession-busting budget of only $35.
And Tesar will be automatically tossing his chef's hat into our "How low Can You Go?" competition. The "Shoestring" chef whose ingredients total is lowest will be invited back to make our all-out year-end holiday meal!
Menu
• Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta
• Turkey Meat Loaf with Rustic Tomato Sauce
• Lemon Tart
FOOD FACTS
Heirloom Tomatoes: Like a valued family heirloom, the seeds from these specific varieties of tomatoes have been passed down from generation to generation. Unlike the red, round tomatoes we are used to seeing in the store, heirlooms have not been genetically engineered to look perfect, be disease-resistant, be mass produced, etc. Enthusiasts will tell you that heirlooms still taste like "real" tomatoes. They are bursting with flavor. Unfortunately, they're only available for a very short amount of time each year.
RECIPES
Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta
INGREDIENTS:
5 assorted or 2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes
1/4 of a seedless watermelon
1/2 cup Greek feta cheese
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons dill
2 tablespoons parsley
For Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
Season with salt and pepper
METHOD:
Slice tomatoes and equally share between 4 plates.
Cut watermelon into cubes and place on top of sliced tomatoes.
Sprinkle feta cheese equally among plates on top of tomatoes and watermelon.
Pick just the herb leaves, leaving stems behind and garnish each salad with equal amount of dill, basil leaves, and parsley. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
For Dressing:
In a mixing bowl gently whisk rice wine vinegar into olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dress salad with one and 1/2 tablespoons of seasoned vinaigrette and serve.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Turkey Meat Loaf with Rustic Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
For meat loaf:
1-pound fresh ground turkey
6 small shiitake mushrooms
One small Spanish onion
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup
4 slices fresh white bread for crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound bacon
2 eggs
One tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
For rustic tomato sauce:
One clove garlic
One sprig fresh rosemary
One medium carrot, diced
One Spanish onion, diced
One box or can of seeded chopped tomato
5 ounces olive oil
METHOD: For meat loaf
Dice onion and slice shiitake mushrooms, sauté them in vegetable oil, until soft. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
In a mixing bowl add ground turkey, sautéed onions, and mushrooms, ketchup, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and eggs, mix well and season with salt and pepper.
When well-mixed and seasoned, form mixture into four oval shaped loafs.
Rap each loaf with 3 slices of bacon and refrigerate for one hour to set.
Pre heat oven to 275°F and then on a lightly greased sheet pan cook at 275°F until bacon is crisp and internal temperature is 165°F, about 25-30minutes. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
For Sauce:
In a saucepot add vegetables, garlic and rosemary cover with olive oil and over medium heat slowly cook ingredients till golden brown. When ingredients are golden brown add chopped seeded tomatoes, lower flame and let simmer for 20 minutes, season with salt and pepper and remove any excess oil with a spoon or ladle.
Plating:
On a dinner plate, spoon portion of tomato sauce and place cook meatloaf on top of sauce and serve.
Lemon Tart
INGREDIENTS:
For Dough:
7 ounces unsalted Butter
7 ounces granulated Sugar
2 fresh eggs
16 ounces all purpose flour
For Tart:
2 large eggs, cold
2 large egg yolks, cold
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
For Blackberry Sauce:
One-pint ripe black berries
One-teaspoon confectionary sugar
One drop of lemon juice
METHOD:
For Dough:
Cream butter in mixer until soft, using paddle. Add sugar and cream until completely blended. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs and mix until smooth.
Add flour and mix until it comes together. Continue mixing on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it pulls away from the bowl and forms a clean mass.
Store in refrigerator. Use well chilled or even frozen. Store on paper lined pan and cover with plastic to keep fresh.
For the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough.
Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. (There may be some cracks in the crust; they will not affect the finished tart.)
For the Tart:
Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the tart. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth.
Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again and then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The filling may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm filling into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.
With a torch or in a broiler while it is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.
For the Blackberry Sauce and Plating:
In a blender add black berries and sugar, blend for one minute, season with lemon juice and strain. Place sauce on the middle of a dessert plate and place slice of tart on top garnish with a few fresh berries and whipped cream if desired (optional).
So, how did Tesar do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Tomatoes $2.50
Watermelon $.89
Feta $1.75
Rice wine vinegar $1.75
Basil $1.50
Dill $.99
Parsley $.79
Total $10.17
Turkey Meatloaf
Ground turkey $2.99
Mushrooms $1.99
Onions $1.78
Ketchup $.99
White bread $.99
Parmesan cheese $2.24
Bacon $2.00
Garlic $.39
Rosemary $.99
Carrot $.25
Chopped tomatoes $.99
Total $15.60
Lemon Tart
Eggs $.99
Butter $1.99
Flour $1.49
Lemon $.50
Blackberries $2.50
Total $7.47
His grand total? $33.24
And that's good enough to get him on our leader's board!:
1. Paul Liebrandt $32.35
Corton
2. Scott Peacock $32.60
Watershed Restaurant
3. John Tesar $33.24
Tesar's Modern Steak and Sustainable Seafood