Archives for posts with tag: steak

Broiled Steak and Asparagus with Feta Sauce

May 15, 2015 //

Broiled Steak and Asparagus with Feta Sauce

Welcome back, asparagus!!! After another long, cold winter I was really excited to see asparagus in the farmers market last week. I love asparagus roasted, and this is a nice way to roast them while also preparing the rest of your dinner.

I ended up using a sirloin steak because that is what I could find. I can’t see why you couldn’t try skirt or hanger steak either.

I found the asparagus to take about 10 minutes longer than the steak so ideally you should start them at the same time and while the steak is resting on a carving board keep roasting the asparagus. The feta sauce is delicious. I used some extra sauce on baked potatoes the next day and it was awesome.

Olive oil cooking spray
2 bunches asparagus (about 2 lbs.)
5 TB. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 ts. kosher salt
1/2 ts. freshly ground black pepper
2 steaks (each 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick; about 2 1/4 pounds total)
1 cup (about 6 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TB. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Preheat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches from the heat. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and mist a wire rack about the size of the sheet pan with cooking spray.

Snap off the bottom of each asparagus spear, wherever it breaks easily. Place the trimmed asparagus on the prepared pan, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer around the perimeter of the pan and set the wire rack on top, nudging the asparagus aside as needed so the rack lies flat and even.

Blot the steaks dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the steaks on the wire rack.

Place the pan under the broiler (the steaks should be about an inch from the heat). Broil, flipping the steaks once, until well browned and charred at the edges, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. (If you prefer your steak more or less done, adjust the cooking time accordingly.)

While the steaks and asparagus cook, make the feta cream sauce: Combine the feta cheese, sour cream, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and cider vinegar in a food processor or blender. Puree the ingredients until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and give the sauce one last pulse. Pour the sauce into a bowl and fold in the chives.

Remove the pan from the broiler and allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes on the rack while the asparagus finishes roasting. Transfer the steak to a cutting board before slicing it thinly against the grain. Serve the steak and asparagus with the feta cream sauce.

Tags asparagus, beef, chives, feta, sour cream, steak

Categories Meals

Distractions

May 15, 2015 //

It has been a long time since I’ve posted to this blog. I’m so sorry about that, but I swear I have several good excuses for my absence. We moved to a new apartment – toddler in tow; I planned an international conference for 400 people and I am currently 23 weeks pregnant! So as you can see, my winter/spring have been very busy. Fortunately, things are back to normal, for the most part, and I am back to cooking 3-5 times a week. My timing is pretty good at least! Asparagus is back at our local farmers markets which means the rest of my beloved fresh fruits and veggies are also on their way. I promise more frequent posting, at least until Baby #2 arrives, featuring new, exciting recipes to celebrate the new market season!

Asparagus – where have you been all winter?!

This week I’m sharing two recipes each from the New York Times and thekitchn.com. I am in love with the new New York Times recipe app “Cooking“, which you can access on your desktop, iPad and smart phone – check it out!

Meal #1: Roasted Chicken Provençal + Crispy Potatoes
Meal #2: Margarita Pizza with Quick Pizza Dough
Meal #3: White Fish Fillets on a Potato Raft
Meal #4: Broiled Steak and Asparagus with Feta Sauce

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

asparagus – 2 bunches (about 2 lbs.)
russet potatoes – 1 1/2 lbs. (about 2 medium)
yukon gold or red bliss potatoes – 4-6 medium
lemons – 2
shallots – 4-6 medium
fresh thyme – 1 bunch
fresh chives – 1 bunch
herbes de Provence
dried rosemary (if you don’t already have it)
crumbled feta cheese – 1 cup (about 6 ounces)
fresh mozzarella – 1 lb. (you will probably use less, but it isn’t like the rest won’t get eaten)
sour cream – 1 small container
bread flour
active dry yeast – 1 packet
whole tomatoes – 1 large can
capers (if you don’t already have them)
skinless sole fillets or other firm white fish – 4 (5 ounces each and 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
steaks – 2 (each 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick; about 2 1/4 pounds total)
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 8
dry vermouth

Tags asparagus, basil, beef, capers, cheese, chicken, chives, dough, feta, fish, herbes de Provence, lemon, mozzarella, pizza, potato, potatoes, rosemary, shallots, sour cream, steak, thyme, tomatoes, vermouth

Categories Meal Plans

When cooking is a chore

October 24, 2014 //

A couple of weeks ago The New York Times’ Magazine was devoted to food, specifically kids and food. For many of us this is a touchy subject. There are a thousand opinions out there on what kids should eat and how to get them to eat more. One of the magazine’s articles that caught my attention was Virginia Heffernan’s public confession “What if You Just Hate Making Dinner?” In it, she admits that not only does she hate to cook, but she hates cooking for her kids. Frankly, I thought it was pretty brave, but some others thought otherwise.

Since my primary goal in starting this meal planning blog was to help readers cook more frequently for their families her article struck a nerve. I get it. Not everyone likes to cook. I don’t like to knit or really make any crafts at all. If crafting was required for survival my family wouldn’t make it. But, cooking is different. We all need to eat and the more healthy it is the better.

I hope that rather than making you feel guilty about not cooking for yourself or your family that this blog has at the most inspired you and at the very least helped you. Even for me, cooking and especially meal planning, can be a chore. With this in mind, this week’s meal plan is super quick and easy. The maple dijon chicken take about 5 minutes of active time and uses ingredients you probably already have, while the butternut squash polenta is a bit more challenging, but still easy enough to make on a weeknight. Hang in there and remember it is 100% okay to order pizza sometimes!

Something spooky to get you into the Halloween spirit!

Meal #1: Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs + Roasted Green Beans and Potatoes
Meal #2: Skirt Steak with Arugula + Roasted Cauliflower
Meal #3: Butternut Squash Polenta with Sausage and Onion
Meal #4: Fennel and Garlic Shrimp + French Bread

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

red or yukon gold potatoes – 6 medium
green beans – 1 lb.
arugula – 1 bunch
cauliflower – 1 head
onions – 2
garlic – 1 head
fennel bulbs – 2
butternut squash – 1 small
rosemary – 1 bunch
fennel seeds (optional)
French bread
fine polenta (not quick cooking) – 1 cup
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
maple syrup (if you don’t already have it)
dijon mustard (if you don’t already have it)
rice wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
boneless, skinless chicken thighs – 2 lb. (approx. 2 per person)
skirt steak – 1 1/2 lb.
sweet Italian sausage – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 2 lb.
Pernod (optional)

Tags arugula, beef, butternut squash, cauliflower, chicken, dijon, fennel, garlic, green beans, maple, onion, polenta, potatoes, Sausage, seafood, shrimp, steak

Categories Meal Plans

Back to School

September 5, 2014 //

By the looks of everyone’s Facebook posts most of your kids went back to school this week. Next week Eliza starts a two-day a week, morning preschool program and I gearing up for the excitement and nervousness that starting school will bring – more so for me than for her!

The beginning of the school year means that all of our lives get a lot busier. Along with the daily grind, many of you are probably juggling sports practices and games, music lessons and scout meetings. Finding time to meal plan, grocery shop and cook is even more difficult and ordering pizza is very tempting. I get it, I’m with you too. But, if you can swing it, it is nice to sit down a few nights a week to a home-cooked meal, and I promise you that this week’s meals are quick. I mean really quick. At least three of them can be thrown together in well under 30 minutes. Give it a try and if you’ve got bigger kids, enlist their help to put dinner together – they can use those burgeoning math skills to measure!

Big kids will love chopping (carefully!) all of the ingredients for this quick, delicious Greek Salad

Meal #1: Grilled Shrimp with Greek Salad + Corn on the Cob
Meal #2: Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri + Cucumber Salad
Meal #3: Caprese-Stuffed Peppers + Steamed Green Beans
Meal #4: Italian Sausage, Panzanella, Corn on the Cob

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

tomatoes – 6
cucumbers – 4
red onions – 2
corn – 2 ears per person
shallot – 1
red pepper – 3
green beans – 1 lb.
basil – 1 bunch
cilantro – 1 large bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
oregano – 1 bunch
jalapeño – 1 (or use hot red pepper flakes)
feta – 2 oz.
mozzarella – 1 large ball
Italian bread – 1 loaf
red wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
kalamata olives – 1 jar (if you don’t already have them)
capers – 1 jar (if you don’t already have them)
Italian sausage – 1 or 2 per person, depending on the size
skirt steak – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 1 1/2 lb.

Tags basil, beef, bread, capers, cilantro, corn, cucumber, cucumbers, feta, green beans, kalamata olives, mozzarella, parsley, peppers, red onion, Sausage, shrimp, steak, tomatoes, vegetarian

Categories Meal Plans

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri and Cucumber Salad

September 5, 2014 //

Grilled Skirt Steak

skirt steak – about 6 oz. per person
olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a grill pan, large saute pan, or grill until hot. Meanwhile, drizzle a bit of olive oil on both sides of your steaks and season both sides generously with salt and pepper (if you have any fresh rosemary, chop one or two sprigs and add with the salt and pepper). Add steak to pan or grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Four minutes for medium rare, about five for medium, etc. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Chimichurri

The star of this meal is the chimichurri. This Argentinian sauce is usually used for grilled meats, but goes nicely with grilled fish and even vegetables. I like to make a good amount, store it in a mason jar in my fridge for a few weeks, and use it on as much as I can.

This epicurious.com recipe is great, but I usually half it since 4 cups seemed like a lot, Also, I used a few hot pepper flakes instead of a jalapeño because that is what I had.

Cucumber Salad

There is nothing easier than cucumber salad. I usually make it with red wine vinegar; but my Dad makes a killer mayonnaise version that he calls Combination Salad – does this sound familiar to any of my upstate NY readers? I was messing around on Pinterest recently and came across this recipe from Saveur. It reminds me of the cucumber salad you get at a good BBQ place. In a twist from my usual recipe it uses apple cider vinegar, which I think is one of the unsung heroes of our kitchens. My variation is below:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 TB. sugar
1/2 ts. salt
2-4 cucumbers (depending on size), peeled every 1/2 inch of so around and sliced thin
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
ground black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar and salt. Add cucumber and red onion and toss. Season with salt and pepper and chill.

Tags beef, cilantro, cucumbers, parsley, steak

Categories Meals

Steak with Parmesan Butter, Balsamic Glaze, and Arugula

June 16, 2014 //

Steak with Parmesan Butter, Balsamic Glaze, and Arugula

This is decadent! It is pretty fast to prepare, but it is more of a weekend dinner because it feels so special. I was thinking about it hours after we finished dinner…

Tags arugula, balsamic vinegar, butter, Parmesan, steak

Categories Meals

Longest Day of the Year

June 16, 2014 //

Tomorrow we celebrate the longest day of the year. With days full of sand and sun and evenings full of fireflies and fireworks. My favorite time of the year… This morning Eliza and I enjoyed the gorgeous weather at Brooklyn Bridge Park. We rode Jane’s Carousel twice, walked along the water, played on a giant jungle gym shaped like a pirate ship and took our sandals off and ran through the grass. It was lovely.

Although we are just hours away from the official start of summer we still have a few more weeks to wait for tomatoes, corn on the cob and fresh green beans. Until then, we can still relish in spring’s bounty of asparagus, spring onions and peas. Hope you enjoy this week’s meals. And, I hope that all of you are enjoying the beginning of summer wherever you are.

Selfie in the grass

Meal #1: Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta
Meal #2: Roasted Salmon with White Wine Sauce and Sautéed Summer Squash and Spring Onions
Meal #3: Steak with Parmesan Butter, Balsamic Glaze, and Arugula
Meal #4: Roasted Wild Stripped Bass with Lemon, Olives and Rosemary and Roasted Fennel and Artichoke Hearts

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

zucchini – 2
summer squash – 2
spring onions – 1 bunch (or 1 red onion)
arugula – 2 large bunches or 1 large bag
asparagus – 1 bunch
peas – 2 cups
scallions – 1 bunch
fennel – 2 bulbs
chives – 1 bunch
rosemary – 1 bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
shallots – 2
lemon – 3
artichoke hearts – 2 cans
fettuccine – 1 box
heavy whipping cream – 1 small container
flour (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
balsamic vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
ground chili pepper, preferably Turkish or Aleppo (if you don’t already have it)
pitted calamata or other good-quality black olives – 1/4 cup (if you don’t already have it)
white wine
pancetta – 3 ounces
rib eye steak – 2, 1 1/2 inches thick each
salmon fillet, skinless – 1 1/2 pounds
wild stripped bass fillet, skinless – 1 1/2 pounds

Tags artichokes, arugula, asparagus, balsamic vinegar, butter, chives, cream, fennel, fish, lemon, olives, pancetta, Parmesan, Pasta, peas, rosemary, salmon, seafood, spring onions, steak, summer squash, white wine, wild striped bass

Categories Meal Plans

Skirt Steak with Winter Salad

March 20, 2014 //

Skirt Steak

skirt steak – about 6 oz. per person
olive oil
salt and pepper

Winter Salad
Last winter, I ordered a fennel salad from a local pizza place that totally inspired me, and I was eager to recreate it. I’ve been making this recipe ever since, especially during this time of year when vegetables are hardly inspiring.

1 fennel bulb, cored and sliced thinly
1 radicchio, cored and sliced thinly
¼ cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Parmesan cheese, shave enough to taste
¼ cup olive oil
2 TB. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients in a salad bowl and season with salt and pepper. Adjust oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Tags beef, fennel, olives, radicchio, steak, sundried tomatoes

Categories Meals

Celebrations

March 18, 2014 //

This week kicked off with two celebrations – Eliza’s 2nd birthday and St. Patrick’s Day. For Eliza’s birthday we hosted a small family party and kept it simple by ordering pizza, but we did have a homemade birthday cake. Last year, I made the same chocolate cake with vanilla icing and decorated it in a festive confetti style.

But, this year, since Eliza’s interests are much clearer, I indulged her love of Elmo and all things Sesame Street with this cake. I was pretty proud of my work!

Since St Patrick’s Day was the next day, and fell on a Monday, I didn’t have it in me to make a stew or shepherd’s pie (I am not a corned beef and cabbage girl). So instead, I opted for something a little easier, but still in line with the holiday – Martha’s recipe for salmon, red cabbage and potatoes. I figured it had cabbage and potatoes, and the Irish love salmon so it worked. Plus, Patrick and I each had a Guinness with dinner – and there is nothing more Irish than that!

Meal #1: Salmon, Red Cabbage and Potatoes
Meal #2: Butternut Squash Salad with Pine Nuts, Pecorino and Balsamic Vinegar
Meal #3: Skirt Steak with Winter Salad
Meal #4: Penne with Brussels Sprouts, Chile and Pancetta

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

lemon – 2
red cabbage – 1 small head
red potatoes – 4-6 depending on size
Brussels sprouts – 1 lb.
butternut squash – 1 small (about 2 lb.)
fennel – 1 bulb
radicchio – 1 head
arugula – 1 bunch or bag
rosemary – 1 bunch
horseradish
sundried tomatoes
pecorino cheese – ¼ lb.
kalamata olives (if you don’t already have them)
grainy mustard (if you don’t already have it)
ground coriander (if you don’t already have it)
ground cinnamon (if you don’t already have it)
ground cumin (if you don’t already have it)
crushed red pepper flakes (if you don’t already have it)
pine nuts (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
penne – 1 box
pancetta – 6 oz.
salmon filet – 1 ½ lb. skinless
skirt steak – 1 ½ lb.

Tags arugula, beef, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, fennel, fish, horseradish, lemon, mustard, olives, one-dish, pancetta, Pasta, pecorino, potatoes, radicchio, salmon, steak, sundried tomatoes

Categories Meal Plans

Skirt Steak with Arugula and Roasted Cauliflower

January 24, 2014 //

When I was an apprentice farmer at The Farm School, the Spannocchia Foundation invited us to work for three weeks on their farm in Tuscany. Traveling throughout Italy had always been a dream of mine so I was beyond excited, even if it was in the dead of winter. A couple of my fellow apprentice farmers and I decided to tack a few extra weeks on to our trip to visit Rome, Umbria, Florence and Venice. In Florence, I was introduced to the classic Italian dish, Bistecca alla Fiorentina, which is essentially just a Porterhouse steak, but man, did it leave an impression. The first time I had the steak it was paired with a beautiful arugula salad, and the bitterness of the greens provided the perfect balance to the richness of the steak. Oh, I miss Italy… Anyway, we can’t all eat Porterhouse steaks all the time, so this recipe, inspired by my trip, calls for skirt steak, which is relatively inexpensive, but super delicious. Buon Appetito!

Skirt Steak with Arugula

skirt steak – about 6 oz. per person
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 large bunch of arugula
balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese

While the steak is resting, shave some Parmesan cheese onto the arugula and about 1-2 minutes before you are ready to carve the steak add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste, and toss (always add the oil first and always use more oil than vinegar). Plate arugula with sliced steak.

Roasted Cauliflower

We had a half a head of cauliflower from another dish I made earlier in the week so I decided to serve it alongside the steak.

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets*
1 TB. olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

* ingredients that can be prepped several days ahead.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cauliflower on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. About halfway through, toss the cauliflower so all of the florets are nicely browned. At the very end of roasting, sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan cheese on top and let it melt before serving.

Tags arugula, cauliflower, steak

Categories Meals

Broiled Steak and Asparagus with Feta Sauce