KC162009 Steak w/parsley sauce and steak and couscous salad

The other night for dinner I made steaks. To top it, I made a parsley sauce inspired by a dish I had at an Argentinean restaurant in Chicago years ago on my birthday. I served it with steamed brown rice and green beans from the garden sautéed with mushrooms and grape tomatoes. I also made a quick green salad with red plums, almonds, and blue cheese, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.



The steak was dressed with Worcestershire sauce and Montreal steak seasoning and seared in a very hot cast iron skillet for about three minutes on each side. It was then put into a 450 degree preheated oven for about five minutes to cook to medium rare.



I blanched the green beans in boiling water for just a minute until they turned bright green. I strained them dousing with cold water and ice to stop them from cooking. While these strained I sautéed the mushrooms with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Once the mushrooms lost most of their water I added the sliced grape tomatoes and sautéed until lightly caramelized after which I added the green beans. I added a little bit more salt and pepper and sautéed all the ingredients while the steak cooked in the oven.









For the sauce I picked fresh parsley from my garden along with Hungarian hot peppers, a sprig each of thyme, oregano, and young leeks. I blended all the chopped ingredients in a food processor pouring in a tablespoon or two of olive oil as it blended. I then added a handful of raw pine nuts, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and blended until incorporated. Once the steak was out of the oven I let it rest while I quickly warmed the sauce on the stove top over medium/ low heat. I served the sauce spooned over the steak.





I sauce went perfectly with the steak and surprisingly well mixed with the rice. It had a bright green flavor and the olive oil and parmesan gave it a creamy rich texture.

The next day for lunch I used the left over green bean mix, one left over steak, and the rest of the sauce to make a warm couscous salad. I used chicken broth instead of water for added flavor. I quickly warmed the sauce, green bean mix, and steak on the stove top. I sliced the steak as thin as possible and tossed all the warmed ingredients into the couscous. I added parmesan and stirred thoroughly to incorporate. I sliced a cucumber from the garden and used it as a garnish.

KC152009

Yesterday for lunch I made turkey salad with fresh celery grown in my garden, chopped walnuts, and fresh black cherries. I dressed the salad with light mayonnaise and a splash of açaí and pomegranate red wine vinegar. I used a canned white turkey, making sure to crush up the chunks using a wooden spoon before adding the other ingredients. I used just the stalks of the celery, freezing the rest to use in soups and stocks later. I chopped the walnuts coarsely with my sharp chef’s knife. I cut the cherries in half and removed the pits and then coarsely chopped them. I used the darkest cherries in the bunch because they have the most flavor and their pits are easiest to remove.

For the dressing I added about a cup of mayonnaise and a slash of vinegar, stirring until everything was incorporated. I then added salt and pepper to taste. I like to use coarse sea salt for salads because of its texture. Sea salt doesn’t blend into the background; every crystal bursts with flavor and then melts on the tongue bringing out the rest of the flavors in the salad as it mellows.

I served the turkey salad on whole wheat toast with a slice of aged Swiss cheese. For another turkey salad idea, follow this link.

For dinner last night I made chicken breast stuffed with swiss cheese topped with tarragon sauce and served with roasted Yukon gold potatoes and pan fried zucchini from the garden.

I pounded the chicken out flat and placed a small piece of swiss cheese in the center. I then rolled the chicken breast and secured it with toothpicks. I seasoned it with salt and pepper. I seared the chicken in a very hot cast iron skillet for about two minutes on each side. Turning off the heat, I added about a cup and a half of beef broth and tossed in a whole spring of fresh tarragon and oregano. I also added a couple of young leek sprouts coarsely chopped. The leeks in my garden are still quite small but the scent and flavor are still very strong. It gave the sauce a lovely garlic and onion flavor. I put the skillet in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Once the chicken was out of the oven I let it rest while I cooked down the sauce remaining in the skillet by about half. After the sauce had reduced I added a bit of flour and butter to thicken the sauce and give it a nice shine.

For the zucchini I first cut it into medallions and coated with flour. I then dipped it in egg and coated them in Italian style bread crumbs. I pan fried the zucchini in a then layer of canola oil on medium high heat until golden brown, flipping over once with a fork. I heated the oil too much and the first few medallions I put in burned within a mater of seconds. I had to turn off the heat and wait for the oil to cool down before continuing.

The potatoes were coated in olive oil and seasoned with rosemary, salt and pepper and baked for about 40 minutes at 450 degrees.

KC142009 Blue Cheese Burgers

This weekend I made blue cheese burgers with sautéed mushrooms. I sautéed some radish greens from the garden with olive oil, salt and pepper. I also served some curly fries on the side.
For the burgers I used ground sirloin. I formed it into patties slightly bigger than I wanted the burger to be because the meat will shrink during cooking. I used my thumb to make deep indents in the burger. I stuffed blue cheese into the indents and closed them back up by folding the meat back over. I seasoned the patties with Montreal steak seasoning and worshire sauce. I used the store bought brand of seasoning but have found some good copycat versions online.





I got my cast iron skillet VERY hot and added a bit of olive oil spray to the pan. I cooked the burgers on each side for about 2 to 3 minutes and then finished in a preheated 450 degree oven for about another 5 minutes for medium burgers.



Once the burger came out of the oven I let them rest for about 5 minutes while I sautéed the mushrooms in the same skillet that the burgers cooked in. I added a little salt and pepper. Once the mushrooms lost most of their water I added about a tablespoon of red wine for some added extra flavor and cooked until most of the alcohol was gone.



While the burgers cooked in the oven, I quickly sautéed the greens in olive oil and salt and pepper. The greens were a little bitter for my taste. But if you like bitter greens I strongly recommend radish greens.



The fries were the store bought frozen kind that I baked in the oven while I cooked a prepared the rest of the meal.

The blue cheese melted perfectly in the middle of the burger and gave it a rich creamy flavor. I topped the burgers with mayonnaise and A1 sauce.

KC132009 Leg of Lamb

Last night for dinner I made a boneless leg of lamb for six people. I served it with roasted carrots and baby Yukon gold potatoes and a salad of fresh greens tossed with apples, blue cheese, and chopped almonds. Today for lunch I used the leftover lamb to make gyros.

I stuffed the lamb with fresh herbs from the garden; thyme, oregano, rosemary, lavender, and savory. The leg of lamb came wrapped in a net to keep it held together. I removed this net and stuffed the herbs whole in the space where the bone used to be. I put the net back on to keep it held together and keep the herbs in place. I rubbed the outside with some Greek seasoning. I seared the lamb in a hot cast iron skillet for about two minutes on each side.







While the lamb was searing I quickly tossed the whole potatoes and baby carrots in olive oil and salt and pepper. I put these in the roasting pan around the seared lamb.



Once the searing was done and the lamb was out of the skillet, I de glazed the skillet with about a cup or two of red wine, using my coated tongs to scrap up all the cooked on bits. I poured this wine over the roast and covered. I put the roast in a 400 degree preheated oven for about an hour and a half.



Once the roast was done I took it out of the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for about 12 to 15 minutes. I took off the lid and let the vegetable cook uncovered while the lamb rested and was carved. I turned the heat up to 450 degrees to give the vegetables a crispy outside.



Before the vegetable went back in the oven I drained the wine and juices from the pan into the cast iron skillet. While the vegetables roasted and the lamb rested I cooked the sauce down on medium high heat. I added butter at the end to give it a smooth silky texture. I served the sauce over the carved lamb.

To carve the lamb I took off the net and removed the herbs stuffed inside. I found it easier to cut the lamb into three pieces and then carve it.





For the salad I cut up some sweet apples and tossed with fresh mixed greens, blue cheese and the chopped almonds I had left over from the Almond Encrusted Chicken from the other night. I dressed the salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.



Today for lunch I shredded the leftover lamb and stuffed it into pita bread to make gyros. I made a quick cucumber sauce. I blended Greek Yogurt and cucumbers in the food processor until smooth, then added garlic and onion powder and salt and pepper and blended until incorporated. I put the sauce over the sandwich, which was also stuffed with tomato and radish. I used radish because they are pretty spicy and I had only a half of a red onion but I am saving it to make more turkey salad.