... And pictures to prove it!

Some of my proudest moments as a mom are when my kids cook, but when they do the whole thing, from planning to cooking, to serving, now that's something special! After the last time my daughters cooked and I mentioned them on this blog, they decided that they would not only cook, but they would take pictures of their culinary adventures as well so that I would have good pictures of the food (and them) to post. Frankly, looking back at the pictures they took after the meal was almost as delicious as what they cooked.

They started the meal with an appetizer that I absolutely love - Bremmer wafers topped with goat cheese and red pepper jelly. I normally made this with cream cheese, but the girls saw this done with goat cheese, and it was really delicious. This was Molly's dish, and she took care of the assembly and serving.

Molly concentrates on making it perfect!

I could tell that the girls had looked through the cooking magazines, since Bridget picked an entree that we had seen in The Best of Fine Cooking 101 Quick and Delicious Recipes.

Hoisin-Glazed Flank Steak Spirals with Carrot, Red Pepper and Scallions sounds like an ambitions project but according to Chef Bridget, the most difficult thing was slicing the flank steak thinly for the rolls. Her advice? Slice while the steak is still partially frozen (Fine Cooking did not include that bit of advice in its recipe!) Since this dish included lots of veggies, the girls served it on its own as an entree, but if you needed a side dish either wild rice or potatoes would be good.

For dessert we had Molly's Magic Bullet Chocolate "Mousse'' (previously posted) which was a light and creamy (not to mention chocolate) way to end a fabulous meal. And I didn't have to do a thing... and I actually think they took better pictures than me!

Hoisin-Glazed Flank Steak Spirals with Carrot, Red Pepper and Scallions

From Fine Cooking's 2006 101 Quick and Delicious Recipes

1 lb flank steak, sliced thin against the grain (best done while meat is partially frozen)

kosher salt

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 tsp asian chile sauce (like Sriracha)

2 medium carrots shredded and squeezed dry

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin 2 inch long strips

1 bunch scallions (dark green parts only) halved lengthwise and cut into 2 inch strips

Position a rack about 6 inches from broiler and heat broiler on high. Season slices beef with kosher salt. Mix hoisin sauce and chile sauce and brush on both sides of beef. Sprinkle veggies with salt. Arrange pepper and scallion down the length of the beef slices. Sprinkle carrots over the scallions and peppers and roll the slices into tight spirals and place seam side down on broiler pan. Brush the tops with reserved hoisin sauce and broil until beef starts to brown and is firm (4-6 minutes), being careful not to burn. Turn off the oven and let spirals stand in oven for another 3 minutes, until cooked through but meat is still pink. To serve, insert toothpicks evenly down the length of the roll and slice between them to make bite-sized pieces.

Bridget makes it look easy!

But that apron will need some Tide!