Originally this recipe is supposed to be made with arugula and Fennel, however I didn't have any fennel so I just mixed 2 bunches of arugula with 1/2 a head of green leaf lettuce (red would have been better). I initially made this recipe to go with some fish I had, but I once the whole thing was ready I took one bite of the fish and decided it wasn't worth a night of puking. I tossed the fish and just ate the salad. I had some left over and had it with boneless/skinless chicken breast, that I heated separately, the next day. It was super tasty.
The dressing was really yummy, a tiny bit Asian tasting (ginger and sesame oil). The only thing I would change is to increase the amount of dry mustard or use actual mustard, good dijon if possible. The components of the salad interacted really nicely: the sweetness of the grapefruit, the spiciness of the arugula and the creaminess of the avocado.
I think the original recipe with the fennel would be amazing and I would SERIOUSLY like to try it next time I have some fennel.
Bottom Line: I give this recipe 4.5 Stars
Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Method
Whisk first 10 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Using sharp knife, cut between membranes of grapefruits to release segments.
Toss chopped/torn arugula and green leaf lettuce. Arrange grapefruit segments and avocado slices on top. Drizzle dressing over salad.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Homemade Vitamin Water
Drinking water is a serious issue for me. I don't much care for water, unless it's really cold and I'm really thirsty I don't enjoy drinking it. Drinking flavored waters is expensive, and they almost always add corn syrup and shit that I don't really want either. So for the next month I'm going to be doing my own flavored water.
One thing I would like to mention is I don't think these need to be left overnight, but you do need to let them sit at least a couple of hours. I also think that you can re-use stuff at least one time. For instance this week I'm doing Lemon, Cucumber and Mint, and I've refilled the pitcher, without changing the ingredients twiee. The flavor tends to change (the lemon looses a little oomph and the mint get's stronger), if you're on a budget I would recommend this. Also, I tend to just crush herbs like mint, basil and sage. It brings out the flavor and you don't end up with a bunch of green things stuck to the sides of your pitcher.
1) The classical : lemon/cucumber:
Mix in a pitcher:
One thing I would like to mention is I don't think these need to be left overnight, but you do need to let them sit at least a couple of hours. I also think that you can re-use stuff at least one time. For instance this week I'm doing Lemon, Cucumber and Mint, and I've refilled the pitcher, without changing the ingredients twiee. The flavor tends to change (the lemon looses a little oomph and the mint get's stronger), if you're on a budget I would recommend this. Also, I tend to just crush herbs like mint, basil and sage. It brings out the flavor and you don't end up with a bunch of green things stuck to the sides of your pitcher.
1) The classical : lemon/cucumber:
Mix in a pitcher:
8 cups of water
0.5 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh crushed basil leaf or 1/3 of crushed fresh mint leaves.
Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
2) The granite : Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
2) The granite : Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
6 strawberries or Raspberries
one thinly sliced lime
12 crushed fresh mint leaves.
Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
3) The digestive : Fennel/citrus
Infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix in a pitcher 8-10 cups of water
3) The digestive : Fennel/citrus
Infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix in a pitcher 8-10 cups of water
lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix)
1 small thinly sliced orange
12 fresh crushed mint leaves
The infusion of fennel seeds.
Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.
4) The antiOX : Blackberry/Sage
Note that a part from the berries, sage leafs is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
4) The antiOX : Blackberry/Sage
Note that a part from the berries, sage leafs is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed
3-4 sage crushed leaves.
Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.
5) WATERmelon : watermelon/Rosemary
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.
6) The exotic : Pineapple/Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
5) WATERmelon : watermelon/Rosemary
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.
6) The exotic : Pineapple/Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes
12 crushed fresh mint leaves
Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
7) The traditional : Apple/cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
7) The traditional : Apple/cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water
1 cup of apple cut into cubes
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
8) The zingibir : Ginger/tea
In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea
8) The zingibir : Ginger/tea
In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea
4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes.
Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Broccoli with Caramelized Onions and Pine Nuts
I don't know about you, but I get seriously tired of steamed broccoli. I'm dieting right now, and I know it's a really great vegetable, but after so many nights of it I just want something else. Don't get me wrong I eat other veggies, but steamed broccoli is an incredibly quick and easy thing to prepare so it get's thrown into the rotation with a little more regularity.
I think this recipe has a lot of potential. I think the next time I make it rather than steaming the broccoli I'm going to roast it, which, while taking more time, will bring out a nice nutty flavor that I think will mesh well with the additional nuttiness of the pine nuts and the sweetness of the vinegar. I also feel like it could do with a little heat, but I'm not sure what.
This recipe isn't perfect as far as diets go, onions have a lot of sugar (though they do prevent heart disease) and pine nuts have some added fat, but it's good fat, so I'm not going to worry too much. I think next time I'm going to do garlic, sun-dried tomato and red pepper flakes instead of the onion and vinegar.
3 tablespoon(s) pine nuts, or chopped slivered almonds
2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup(s) chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
4 cup(s) broccoli florets
2 teaspoon(s) balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Toast pine nuts (or almonds) in a medium dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
2. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting heat as necessary, until soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
I think this recipe has a lot of potential. I think the next time I make it rather than steaming the broccoli I'm going to roast it, which, while taking more time, will bring out a nice nutty flavor that I think will mesh well with the additional nuttiness of the pine nuts and the sweetness of the vinegar. I also feel like it could do with a little heat, but I'm not sure what.
This recipe isn't perfect as far as diets go, onions have a lot of sugar (though they do prevent heart disease) and pine nuts have some added fat, but it's good fat, so I'm not going to worry too much. I think next time I'm going to do garlic, sun-dried tomato and red pepper flakes instead of the onion and vinegar.
3 tablespoon(s) pine nuts, or chopped slivered almonds
2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup(s) chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
4 cup(s) broccoli florets
2 teaspoon(s) balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Toast pine nuts (or almonds) in a medium dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
2. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting heat as necessary, until soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Once the onions are finished add vinegar (the original recipe didn't do this, but it will coat things more evenly and pick up some good pan flavors).
5. Add the nuts, onion mixture and pepper; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
No pictures today! Sorry
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Roasted Romanesco
So my produce box came with one of the strangest veggies ever. Romanesco, also known as Roman Cauliflower, it is completely bizarre looking. It looks a little like a miniature alien city. Here's a picture!
See! Crazy right?
I'm pretty sure my Mom has made it for me before but I couldn't really remember, so I didn't want to do too much to it, because I wanted to get a good feel for the flavor. I decided to roast it, and then promptly made my boyfriend cook dinner, so he should probably be writing this post.
Overall I liked the flavor of it quite a bit. It was hard for me to eat cause Chris went a little nutso with the red pepper flakes, but what I could taste was pretty yum. Roasting brought out a really nice nutty flavor similar to what happens when you roast broccoli, but it overall it had a much more similar flavor to cauliflower. Anyway here's the recipe
Ingredients:
1 medium head fresh Romanesco, cleaned & chopped in to bite-size florets
5 medium cloves garlic, diced
1/8 cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper
See! Crazy right?
I'm pretty sure my Mom has made it for me before but I couldn't really remember, so I didn't want to do too much to it, because I wanted to get a good feel for the flavor. I decided to roast it, and then promptly made my boyfriend cook dinner, so he should probably be writing this post.
Overall I liked the flavor of it quite a bit. It was hard for me to eat cause Chris went a little nutso with the red pepper flakes, but what I could taste was pretty yum. Roasting brought out a really nice nutty flavor similar to what happens when you roast broccoli, but it overall it had a much more similar flavor to cauliflower. Anyway here's the recipe
Ingredients:
1 medium head fresh Romanesco, cleaned & chopped in to bite-size florets
5 medium cloves garlic, diced
1/8 cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 of a lemon (wedged)
1/4 (or less) cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
1/4 (or less) cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. In a bowl toss romanesco, garlic, olive oil , red pepper flakes and salt
3. Roast on a baking sheet for about 20-40 minutes or until just tender
4. Squeeze lemon over it
5. Sprinkle cheese over the top
Monday, March 4, 2013
Lentil and Veggie Soup with Italian Sausage
This is definitely going to be one of my new favorite early spring soups. It's easy to double and freezes well. You could easily put in a whole pound of sausage, but I'm trying to lose some weight so I kept it minimal. The original recipe called for escarole, which I'm sure would be delicious, but I had a head of cabbage so I used that instead. The flavor was really good, the vinegar adds a nice tang. Overall just really tasty, very comfort food and chock full of veggies which is nice. You could even add some canned diced or crushed tomatoes if you want a little more zing.
It is not the prettiest soup though, so no pictures this time!
1 2/3 cups lentils (11 ounces), rinsed well
5 cups water
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
.5 pound spicy Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 pound escarole or 1/2 Medium head of cabbage, chopped (4 cups packed)
1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1. In a 5-6 quart pot brown sausages in olive oil, about 7 minutes. It does not need to be cooked through as long as casings are evenly brown. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
3. Add lentils, broth and water. Simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender.
4. Stir in escarole/cabbage and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Stir in escarole/cabbage and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Add sausages and cook until cooked through.
6. Stir in vinegar to taste and season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Valentines Day Menu: Master Post
Happy Valentine's Day!
The last 3 days have been a little challenging.
Though I have put in a request to get out of work early I started preparing for this meal Tuesday night. I made the pink peppercorn butter Tuesday. That was super easy, and tasty.
Last night was.... less good. I made my vinaigrette no problem even though I made the recipe up without tasting it I knew approximately what the proportions needed to be and it turned out really great. I even forgot to add the lemon zest and it was fine. Then there was the mousse...
I always forget what a huge pain in the ass mousse is. Next year I think I'll make the penultimate valentines day dessert (strawberry shortcake), rather than the ultimate since it's such a huge headache. Anyway, basically what happened was this: my boyfriend had done the grocery shopping, and in spite of the fact that I told him I needed 6oz of chocolate he bought only 4oz. Simple mistake, especially given that Ghirardelli bars look so huge, but are super thin. I was using a recipe from Bon Appetit, against my better judgement I might add, even though it looked different from my Mom's recipe I went with it. I didn't notice the chocolate issue until my egg-espresso-sugar mixture was already finished. I yelled a bunch of expletives and ran from the house. I went to the closest (and certainly not cheapest market), grabbed a bar of chocolate and ran back. Even now I could have been okay, if I wasn't so flustered that my mind wasn't working. Instead of doing the smart thing and warming the chocolate separately I did the stupid thing and re-warmed my egg mixture. Of course it broke, but I was still being an idiot so I thought "Maybe it will be okay, the chocolate isn't scorched..." Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. So I beat my egg whites, added about half. It still wasn't fluffy, but I was still being an idiot so I thought "Maybe it will be okay, maybe this recipe is just weird." Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. It WAS a weird recipe, but not THAT weird.
Needless to say, I ended up in my kitchen at 10:30 at night covered with some very strange lumpy chocolate whipped cream, which was actually delicious but not mousse, crying over all the ingredients and time I had wasted. I immediately called my mom and talked over the best way to re-make it. So I have to do that later today. Hopefully that will be the final issue for my Valentine's Day dinner.
Dinner went off without a hitch last night. Everything tasted good, the presentation was nice. I actually spent some time on table setting. We made the rest of the house dark and then shone a single track light onto our dinner table. Vivaldi was playing in the background. It was really nice to just sit and talk and eat. Rather than watching a movie or a show with dinner. Not that Chris and I don't talk and hang out all the time, but it was nice to not have the screen presence.
My goals for next Valentine's Day: 1) To have spent more time having dinner with Chris, rather than along side him. 2) To let my meat rest more often (see the main course post).
Links to the recipes below.
Sides
Main Course
Dessert
The last 3 days have been a little challenging.
Though I have put in a request to get out of work early I started preparing for this meal Tuesday night. I made the pink peppercorn butter Tuesday. That was super easy, and tasty.
Last night was.... less good. I made my vinaigrette no problem even though I made the recipe up without tasting it I knew approximately what the proportions needed to be and it turned out really great. I even forgot to add the lemon zest and it was fine. Then there was the mousse...
I always forget what a huge pain in the ass mousse is. Next year I think I'll make the penultimate valentines day dessert (strawberry shortcake), rather than the ultimate since it's such a huge headache. Anyway, basically what happened was this: my boyfriend had done the grocery shopping, and in spite of the fact that I told him I needed 6oz of chocolate he bought only 4oz. Simple mistake, especially given that Ghirardelli bars look so huge, but are super thin. I was using a recipe from Bon Appetit, against my better judgement I might add, even though it looked different from my Mom's recipe I went with it. I didn't notice the chocolate issue until my egg-espresso-sugar mixture was already finished. I yelled a bunch of expletives and ran from the house. I went to the closest (and certainly not cheapest market), grabbed a bar of chocolate and ran back. Even now I could have been okay, if I wasn't so flustered that my mind wasn't working. Instead of doing the smart thing and warming the chocolate separately I did the stupid thing and re-warmed my egg mixture. Of course it broke, but I was still being an idiot so I thought "Maybe it will be okay, the chocolate isn't scorched..." Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. So I beat my egg whites, added about half. It still wasn't fluffy, but I was still being an idiot so I thought "Maybe it will be okay, maybe this recipe is just weird." Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. It WAS a weird recipe, but not THAT weird.
Needless to say, I ended up in my kitchen at 10:30 at night covered with some very strange lumpy chocolate whipped cream, which was actually delicious but not mousse, crying over all the ingredients and time I had wasted. I immediately called my mom and talked over the best way to re-make it. So I have to do that later today. Hopefully that will be the final issue for my Valentine's Day dinner.
Dinner went off without a hitch last night. Everything tasted good, the presentation was nice. I actually spent some time on table setting. We made the rest of the house dark and then shone a single track light onto our dinner table. Vivaldi was playing in the background. It was really nice to just sit and talk and eat. Rather than watching a movie or a show with dinner. Not that Chris and I don't talk and hang out all the time, but it was nice to not have the screen presence.
My goals for next Valentine's Day: 1) To have spent more time having dinner with Chris, rather than along side him. 2) To let my meat rest more often (see the main course post).
Links to the recipes below.
Sides
Main Course
Dessert
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Valentine's Day Menu: Dessert
In case you weren't completely overwhelmed by rich, decadent food already...
For dessert one of the richest and in my mind one of the most quintessentially Valentine's Day deserts out there.
Post Dinner Update:
So if you've read the mater post and seen my original edit at the bottom of this page you know I actually made two chocolate mousses. My Mom's was perfect. Light, airy, awesome. You will notice some white spots in mine. I personally don't worry too much about getting my mousse PERFECTLY mixed, because you end up crushing a lot of the egg whites and it tends to deflate even if you are the gentlest of folders (which I am not). I also did not add the extra whip cream dollop on top, I don't really think it's necessary aside from presentation, and just fills in space that should be reserved for chocolate only.
Mom's Chocolate Mouse
Can be made 1 day ahead.
Ingredients
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (60-72% cacao), chopped
2 large egg whites
1. Beat 1/2 cup cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form; cover and chill.
2. Dissolve sugar in coffee and heat over gently simmering water
3. Add chocolate and whisk till combined and hot through. Remove from heat
4. Add eggs one at a time whisking constantly. Let stand, whisking occasionally, until room temperature.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat egg white in another medium bowl on medium speed until foamy. 6. With mixer running, gradually beat in remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until firm peaks form.
7. Fold egg whites into chocolate in 2 additions
For dessert one of the richest and in my mind one of the most quintessentially Valentine's Day deserts out there.
Post Dinner Update:
So if you've read the mater post and seen my original edit at the bottom of this page you know I actually made two chocolate mousses. My Mom's was perfect. Light, airy, awesome. You will notice some white spots in mine. I personally don't worry too much about getting my mousse PERFECTLY mixed, because you end up crushing a lot of the egg whites and it tends to deflate even if you are the gentlest of folders (which I am not). I also did not add the extra whip cream dollop on top, I don't really think it's necessary aside from presentation, and just fills in space that should be reserved for chocolate only.
Mom's Chocolate Mouse
Can be made 1 day ahead.
Ingredients
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (60-72% cacao), chopped
2 large egg whites
1. Beat 1/2 cup cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form; cover and chill.
2. Dissolve sugar in coffee and heat over gently simmering water
3. Add chocolate and whisk till combined and hot through. Remove from heat
4. Add eggs one at a time whisking constantly. Let stand, whisking occasionally, until room temperature.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat egg white in another medium bowl on medium speed until foamy. 6. With mixer running, gradually beat in remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until firm peaks form.
7. Fold egg whites into chocolate in 2 additions
8. Fold whipped cream into mixture just to blend.
9. Divide mousse among six teacups or 4-oz. ramekins. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
9. Divide mousse among six teacups or 4-oz. ramekins. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
10. Cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
11. Before serving, whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form; dollop over mousse.
11. Before serving, whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form; dollop over mousse.
Sides
Main Course
Edit: If you looked at the recipe last night, you may have noticed some changes I have made today. The reason for that is I had a mousse crisis last night. The Bon Appetit recipe is overly complicated and it's very easy to break your egg yolks if you do it that way. This way is much easier, I've done it before with my Mom and it will make you way less crazy.
Main Course
Edit: If you looked at the recipe last night, you may have noticed some changes I have made today. The reason for that is I had a mousse crisis last night. The Bon Appetit recipe is overly complicated and it's very easy to break your egg yolks if you do it that way. This way is much easier, I've done it before with my Mom and it will make you way less crazy.
Valentine's Day Menu: Main Course
Man, am I excited about this steak. I start to salivate every time I think about it. Which ought to make this post pretty rough...
Post Dinner Update:
Dear God. So good. The steak was perfect. On the rare side of medium rare (pink all through but not blue-purple anywhere). Chris and I have been broiling steaks recently, more I think to keep the house warm and because it's easy. After last night that is out the window. Pan-fry every time. It's much easier to get a nice sear on the outside and control the degree of done-ness. I am usually really impatient and don't let my steak rest. This is a mistake. It means a lot of the time it ends up over-cooked and not as tender and juicy as it should be. I think my New Years Resolution will be to let my steak rest!
The sauce was really good. I let it cook down a little bit more than this recipe recommend. I think next time for that amount of steak I might use 1/2-3/4 cup of wine rather than the full cup since there was a lot of liquid and took a lot more time than the recipe said to get it to halve. The flavor was great though and even though Chris is usually not fond of super wine-y sauces he really liked this one.
Pan-Seared Strip Steak with Red Wine Pan Sauce and Pink Peppercorn Butter
Recipe via Bon Appetit (February 2011)
Pink-peppercorn butter:
Can be made up to 3 days ahead
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns
Coarse kosher salt
Post Dinner Update:
Dear God. So good. The steak was perfect. On the rare side of medium rare (pink all through but not blue-purple anywhere). Chris and I have been broiling steaks recently, more I think to keep the house warm and because it's easy. After last night that is out the window. Pan-fry every time. It's much easier to get a nice sear on the outside and control the degree of done-ness. I am usually really impatient and don't let my steak rest. This is a mistake. It means a lot of the time it ends up over-cooked and not as tender and juicy as it should be. I think my New Years Resolution will be to let my steak rest!
The sauce was really good. I let it cook down a little bit more than this recipe recommend. I think next time for that amount of steak I might use 1/2-3/4 cup of wine rather than the full cup since there was a lot of liquid and took a lot more time than the recipe said to get it to halve. The flavor was great though and even though Chris is usually not fond of super wine-y sauces he really liked this one.
Pan-Seared Strip Steak with Red Wine Pan Sauce and Pink Peppercorn Butter
Recipe via Bon Appetit (February 2011)
Can be made up to 3 days ahead
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns
Coarse kosher salt
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl; mix with fork until peppercorns are slightly crushed.
2. Season with coarse salt and black pepper.
2. Season with coarse salt and black pepper.
3. Place small sheet of plastic wrap on work surface; place butter mixture atop plastic. Using plastic 4. wrap as aid, form butter mixture into 1 1⁄2-inch-diameter cylinder; wrap tightly and chill.
5. Keep chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.
Steak and Pan Sauce:
1 10-ounce New York strip steak (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup low-salt beef broth or low-salt chicken broth
1. Rub steak with 1 teaspoon oil; sprinkle both sides with thyme, then coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Let steak stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Steak and Pan Sauce:
1 10-ounce New York strip steak (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup low-salt beef broth or low-salt chicken broth
1. Rub steak with 1 teaspoon oil; sprinkle both sides with thyme, then coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Let steak stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
3. Transfer steak to plate; tent with foil.
4. Add 1 teaspoon oil to skillet; add shallot and sauté until slightly softened, scraping up browned bits.
5. Add wine; boil until liquid is reduced by half, stirring often, about 1 minute.
6. Add broth; boil until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes.
7. Whisk in 3 tablespoons pink-peppercorn butter.
8. Season sauce with coarse salt and pepper.
9. Cut steak against grain into 1/3-inch- thick slices. Divide between plates. Top with sauce
9. Cut steak against grain into 1/3-inch- thick slices. Divide between plates. Top with sauce
Valentine's Day Menu:Sides
I am going to do things a little bit differently this week. I'm going to post the recipes I'm using for Valentine's Day Dinner today, that way if anybody wants to use them they can get their shopping and possibly some of the prep work done ahead, then I'll either post or just update the post with pictures (as long as I don't forget!) Friday. There will be a separate post for most items otherwise it would be stupid long, although I'm going to combine the two side dishes in this post, then just so that if people want to find them later on I'll do a master post with links to the individual items.
Salad with Pink Peppercorns, Lemon and Thyme Vinaigrette:
Can be made 1 day ahead
1/2-1 Tsp pink peppercorn Lightly crushed (you can do this with a fork, bottle, rolling pin etc.)
1/2-3/4 Tsp Lemon Zest
1/2-1 Lemon Juiced
1/2 tsp minced thyme
1/2 tsp minced shallots
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8-1/4 tsp anchovy paste
1/3-1/2 cup good olive oil
Sea Salt and pepper to taste (I'm going to use gray fleur de sel for extra oomph, but any will do)
1. Whisk everything but salt and pepper together and then season to taste. You may not need the additional pepper.
You can obviously customize this based on whatever you want to put in the salad, croutons, cucumber, tomato etc. We're a little light on salad fixings this week, so for me it's probably just going to be red leaf lettuce, which is fine since it's not even the sub-sub-focal point of this meal.
Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower with Caramelized Shallots
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter**, divided
2 cups sliced shallots
3/4 cup whole milk
1 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
Salad with Pink Peppercorns, Lemon and Thyme Vinaigrette:
Can be made 1 day ahead
1/2-1 Tsp pink peppercorn Lightly crushed (you can do this with a fork, bottle, rolling pin etc.)
1/2-3/4 Tsp Lemon Zest
1/2-1 Lemon Juiced
1/2 tsp minced thyme
1/2 tsp minced shallots
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8-1/4 tsp anchovy paste
1/3-1/2 cup good olive oil
Sea Salt and pepper to taste (I'm going to use gray fleur de sel for extra oomph, but any will do)
1. Whisk everything but salt and pepper together and then season to taste. You may not need the additional pepper.
You can obviously customize this based on whatever you want to put in the salad, croutons, cucumber, tomato etc. We're a little light on salad fixings this week, so for me it's probably just going to be red leaf lettuce, which is fine since it's not even the sub-sub-focal point of this meal.
Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower with Caramelized Shallots
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter**, divided
2 cups sliced shallots
3/4 cup whole milk
1 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
1 medium-large cauliflower*
1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat.
1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Add sliced shallots and cook until tender and brown, stirring often (20 minutes).
3. Transfer shallots to small bowl. Add milk to skillet. Set aside.
4. lace quartered potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to pan to cover potatoes by 1 1/2 inches. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are tender (15 minutes). Drain.
4. lace quartered potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to pan to cover potatoes by 1 1/2 inches. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are tender (15 minutes). Drain.
5. Return potatoes to pan and stir over medium heat until dry, about 1 minute.
6. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter**.
7. Bring milk in skillet to simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
8. Blend cauliflower and hot milk till smooth.
7. Add cauliflower puree to potatoes. Mash potatoes.
8. Stir in caramelized shallots and season to taste with salt and pepper.
* Instead of using cauliflower you can just double the potatoes.
**Instead of using 4 Tbsp of butter I used the remaining Pink Peppercorn Butter from the steak recipe + 1 tbsp regular butter.
Post-Dinner Update:
Both of these items turned out really nicely. The vinaigrette was really bright and light as a nice counterpoint to the richness of the other dishes. Next time I make it I might add a little more honey than I did, the lemon and shallots made it really acidic and I think a little honey might ease that bite. Overall though it was really nice. As for the potatoes, I didn't have as much shallots as the recipe called for, but that wasn't really a problem since I was also using the pink peppercorn butter which added a lot of good flavor. If you are making this without the butter I would definitely make sure you have the full amount of shallots. I have a ton left over, which is going to be a pain, since Chris is on a diet that only allows simple carbs once a week...
Master Post
Main Course
Dessert
**Instead of using 4 Tbsp of butter I used the remaining Pink Peppercorn Butter from the steak recipe + 1 tbsp regular butter.
Post-Dinner Update:
Both of these items turned out really nicely. The vinaigrette was really bright and light as a nice counterpoint to the richness of the other dishes. Next time I make it I might add a little more honey than I did, the lemon and shallots made it really acidic and I think a little honey might ease that bite. Overall though it was really nice. As for the potatoes, I didn't have as much shallots as the recipe called for, but that wasn't really a problem since I was also using the pink peppercorn butter which added a lot of good flavor. If you are making this without the butter I would definitely make sure you have the full amount of shallots. I have a ton left over, which is going to be a pain, since Chris is on a diet that only allows simple carbs once a week...
Master Post
Main Course
Dessert
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Italian Sausage and Cannellini Bean Stew
I love one pot meals. They make my life so much easier. Since I work until 7pm I like meals I can make relatively quickly and that are going to have as few dishes as possible. Its a wonderful thing when I can get out of the kitchen with one pan, a cutting board and a knife as my only prep dishes. This is a super easy and tasty meal, it is also pretty healthy all things considered.
You can substitute different sausage if you like, but I would recommend something with a little kick and a lot of flavor like Spicy Italian or Chorizo otherwise I think this dish could come off a little bland.
Sorry no pictures of this one! I was in a time crunch.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb fresh Spicy Italian Sausage/Chorizo
1 larg eonion
4 garlic cloves minced
1 sprig thyme
2 15 oz Cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground peper
5-6oz baby spinach
Paprika (smoked is preferable)
Directions:
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet ove rmedium heat. Add sausage and cook, till sausage is mostly cooked through and casing is browned (15-20 minutes). Transfer to plate.
In same pan, add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook until onion is softened (5-8 minutes).**
Add beans and broth, cook and crush a few beans with spoon to thicken sauce (8-10 minutes).
Season with salt and pepper
Add spinach by handfuls and cook till wilted
Add sausage
Sprinkle with additional olive oi and sprinkle with paprika if desired
Calories 570, Fat 33g, Fiber 11g, (I recalculated with Sparkrecipes and it said 466 calories, it just depends on the sausage I think...)
This recipe was originally featured in February 2013's Bon Appetit
**If you feel comfortable multitasking you can start the onions etc. sauteing as the sausages finish, this will cut down on your cooking time.
You can substitute different sausage if you like, but I would recommend something with a little kick and a lot of flavor like Spicy Italian or Chorizo otherwise I think this dish could come off a little bland.
Sorry no pictures of this one! I was in a time crunch.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb fresh Spicy Italian Sausage/Chorizo
1 larg eonion
4 garlic cloves minced
1 sprig thyme
2 15 oz Cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground peper
5-6oz baby spinach
Paprika (smoked is preferable)
Directions:
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet ove rmedium heat. Add sausage and cook, till sausage is mostly cooked through and casing is browned (15-20 minutes). Transfer to plate.
In same pan, add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook until onion is softened (5-8 minutes).**
Add beans and broth, cook and crush a few beans with spoon to thicken sauce (8-10 minutes).
Season with salt and pepper
Add spinach by handfuls and cook till wilted
Add sausage
Sprinkle with additional olive oi and sprinkle with paprika if desired
Calories 570, Fat 33g, Fiber 11g, (I recalculated with Sparkrecipes and it said 466 calories, it just depends on the sausage I think...)
This recipe was originally featured in February 2013's Bon Appetit
**If you feel comfortable multitasking you can start the onions etc. sauteing as the sausages finish, this will cut down on your cooking time.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Mom's Chicken Enchiladas
Chris loves Mexican food and I find this is an easy way to please and have left overs for lunch through the week! It's also a way for me to use left-overs from when I make roast chicken, which I did last night.
This is a slightly adapted version of my Mom's recipe, she usually uses green enchilada sauce and I like a mix. If you are some sort of alien and prefer red sauce feel free to do that. If you are using one kind of sauce just be sure to get a big can, nobody likes dry enchiladas.
Ingredients
1/2 onion
8-10 olives, sliced (optional)
1/2 roast chicken, meat shredded (you can also boil 2 chicken breasts if you prefer)
24+ small corn tortillas
1 small can green enchilada sauce
1 small can red enchilada sauce
butter/oil as needed
1/2-3/4 cup (or more if desired) cotija or queso fresco cheese. If you can't find either I recommend substituting a blend of jack and cheddar.
1. Chop onion and saute till glassy
2. Add shredded chicken and olives
3. Add equal parts red and green sauce till chicken is moist (god I hate that word) through
4. Spray 9x13" pan and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
5. Pre-fry tortillas and then 2 by about 30% (think of a Venn Diagram, don't know what that is? Ask a 3rd grader)
6. Fill tortillas w/ 1/4-1/3 cup of chicken mixture. Roll, place in dish and repeat
7. Take cans of sauce and add water till full again, you are just replacing the sauce you added to the chicken and the extra water will help keep you enchiladas moist (ugh).
8. Pour sauce-water mixture over enchiladas, wiggle the pan to make sure the liquids get down into the nooks and crannies.
9. Sprinkle with cheese and additional sliced olives if desired
10. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and liquid is bubbly.
Sorry I forgot to take pictures!
This is a slightly adapted version of my Mom's recipe, she usually uses green enchilada sauce and I like a mix. If you are some sort of alien and prefer red sauce feel free to do that. If you are using one kind of sauce just be sure to get a big can, nobody likes dry enchiladas.
Ingredients
1/2 onion
8-10 olives, sliced (optional)
1/2 roast chicken, meat shredded (you can also boil 2 chicken breasts if you prefer)
24+ small corn tortillas
1 small can green enchilada sauce
1 small can red enchilada sauce
butter/oil as needed
1/2-3/4 cup (or more if desired) cotija or queso fresco cheese. If you can't find either I recommend substituting a blend of jack and cheddar.
1. Chop onion and saute till glassy
2. Add shredded chicken and olives
3. Add equal parts red and green sauce till chicken is moist (god I hate that word) through
4. Spray 9x13" pan and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
5. Pre-fry tortillas and then 2 by about 30% (think of a Venn Diagram, don't know what that is? Ask a 3rd grader)
6. Fill tortillas w/ 1/4-1/3 cup of chicken mixture. Roll, place in dish and repeat
7. Take cans of sauce and add water till full again, you are just replacing the sauce you added to the chicken and the extra water will help keep you enchiladas moist (ugh).
8. Pour sauce-water mixture over enchiladas, wiggle the pan to make sure the liquids get down into the nooks and crannies.
9. Sprinkle with cheese and additional sliced olives if desired
10. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and liquid is bubbly.
Sorry I forgot to take pictures!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Home Made Granola and Updates
I've been terribly negligent with my blogs lately. A lot of that has to do with the past few months being completely crazy, both personally and professionally. I won't discuss the personal stuff, but I will explain the professional bit. I'm in the process of applying to Ph.D programs in clinical psychology which are RIDICULOUSLY competitive and difficult to get in to. Since around July I have been studying for GRE, taking the GRE, writing essays, assembling materials, applying for scholarships, filling out the FAFSA, etc. So I've been super busy, Chris has been doing a lot of the cooking during the week since on top of all that I'm still working 40 hours a week, and volunteering 5-15. So yeah, personal time is usually spent in comatose exhaustion. However things are starting to get better, all my applications are in and now I'm just waiting to find out who wants me to come for interiews (so far it's just University of Wyoming).
I thought I'd come back with something easy, delicious and more importantly (and fittingly) will save you some time during the week. Home made granola! Eat it with milk, over yogurt, by the handful! The best thing about making your own granola is that high end granola is expensive, this isn't and you can customize it anyway that you want. The recipe I'm going to give is my personal favorite, but I'll make some suggestions about possible substitutions to get you started.
I am totally thinking about making a few batches to send out as Christmas gifts to my gluten tolerant friends and family.
Cherry, Pistachio and Coconut Granola
Ingredients:
1 large beaten egg white
3 cups old fashioned oats
1.5 cups chopped Pistachios (almonds, pecans, hazelnuts whatever floats your boat)
1/2 cup honey (agave, maple syrup)
1.5 cups coconut shavings (unsweetened, if you use sweetened make sure you cut the honey down to 1/3 of a cup)
1/2 cup coconut oil (sunflower seed oil, almond oil, olive oil)
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1.5 tsp kosher salt
0.5-1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 cups dried cherries (any kind of dried fruit really
Optional: 1/4 cup sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds (add before baking), chocolate chips (after baking) really anything you think would taste good is fine.
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Toss together all ingredients above, except dried fruit. Spread on rimmed baking sheet
3. Bake, stirring every 10-12 minutes for 40-50 minutes until everything is golden brown and dry.
4. Mix in dried fruit, chocolate chips etc.
5. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
I thought I'd come back with something easy, delicious and more importantly (and fittingly) will save you some time during the week. Home made granola! Eat it with milk, over yogurt, by the handful! The best thing about making your own granola is that high end granola is expensive, this isn't and you can customize it anyway that you want. The recipe I'm going to give is my personal favorite, but I'll make some suggestions about possible substitutions to get you started.
I am totally thinking about making a few batches to send out as Christmas gifts to my gluten tolerant friends and family.
Cherry, Pistachio and Coconut Granola
Ingredients:
1 large beaten egg white
3 cups old fashioned oats
1.5 cups chopped Pistachios (almonds, pecans, hazelnuts whatever floats your boat)
1/2 cup honey (agave, maple syrup)
1.5 cups coconut shavings (unsweetened, if you use sweetened make sure you cut the honey down to 1/3 of a cup)
1/2 cup coconut oil (sunflower seed oil, almond oil, olive oil)
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1.5 tsp kosher salt
0.5-1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 cups dried cherries (any kind of dried fruit really
Optional: 1/4 cup sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds (add before baking), chocolate chips (after baking) really anything you think would taste good is fine.
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Toss together all ingredients above, except dried fruit. Spread on rimmed baking sheet
3. Bake, stirring every 10-12 minutes for 40-50 minutes until everything is golden brown and dry.
4. Mix in dried fruit, chocolate chips etc.
5. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
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