"Broasted" Beef with Roasted Mashed Potatoes and Veggie Gravy - And Introducing...

I'm back.  It's not without a good reason that I've been absent from posting and here's the reason.  The new addition to our family.   His name is Max.   Like his brother, Eddie, he is a Golden.

His older brother, Eddie, just loves him, although he's established some rules like "Do NOT touch my Milkbone." 

 

Raising a puppy at 52 is a little more challenging then when Eddie was a puppy when I was 38.  But it's worth every minute of lost sleep.

I promised you I'd be back by next week and I actually under-promised and over-delivered.  

I was talking with Dan's cousin, Betsy, about "broasted"  chicken.  I have heard of it but could never  figure out what it actually was.  I know this dish isn't anything like that dish but I thought it was a cute play on words hence the title.  You can call it whatever you want, but I know you're going to call it delicious.

It's chuck steak, slow braised in the crockpot with a combination of tomato soup, broth, herbs and  veggies.   Then roasted in the oven to get this great crust.  Potatoes are added around the roast as it... ummm... roasts, and then  are mashed with Greek yogurt. 

Now one of the ingredients in this might surprise you.  Sour wine,  MK?  Yes, if it was good enough for Julia Child, it's good enough for me.  Yes, I know that when wine reduces it doubles in flavor.  But so does wine vinegar... EHHH... Now you see where I am going with this. 

When I was younger, no wine would go without being consumed in my house.   Now that I am older, we often have an end of a bottle left over in the fridge.  If red wine sits over a week it often sours a bit.  But you can still use it to cook in recipes where you want something a little more acidic than wine but something less acidic than vinegar.  Got it?  I knew that you would.

While it looks like a lot of ingredients, you'll be surprised how super simple this is.

Okay, enough chit chat.

Why don't I just show you the recipe?

Ingredients:

3.5 lb. chuck roast
1 (10.5 ounce) can concentrated tomato soup, lower sodium
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 medium onion cut into thirds
four large carrots, chunked
2 stalks thick cut celery
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire flavored grill seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning
1/4 cup sour dry red wine
1 dried bay leaf
1 bunch fresh thyme (at least 15 sprigs)
8 red potatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon roasted garlic and herb grill seasoning
1/4 teaspoon browning sauce
2 teaspoons  ground Saigon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup 2%  milk
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place roast, tomato soup, broth, onion, carrot, celery grill seasoning, garlic and herb seasoning, sour wine, bay leaf into slow cooker.  Place the thyme bunch on top of the meat so that the stems do not fall into the cooker while it's cooking (you are going to remove these later).

Cook on low for five hours.

Preheat oven  to 375 degrees F.

Discard thyme springs and bay leaf.

Place roast in roasting dish with potatoes halved and placed around.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle  with the roasted garlic seasoning.  Brush the browning sauce over the top of the roast and bake for 45 minutes. 

While the roast and potatoes are in the oven, pour the sauce and veggies from the slow cooker into a blender. Add Saigon Cinnamon.   Pulse until smooth.  Pour into a sauce pan and heat over low. 

Remove roast and let rest 10 minutes.

Place the potatoes in a pan and mash along with Greek yogurt, cheese and milk.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve Veggie Gravy over beef and potatoes.   I love this with steamed and sautéed green beans and tomatoes to round out the meal.

See you soon!

A Simple Way to Roast Prime Rib

 

 

PRIME RIB WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

 

Happy holidays, everyone.  I trust you had a good one.   I've been so busy these past few weeks that I haven't had an opportunity to post anything for you.  Now, I did try, but my recipe either didn't turn out the way I hoped (and I won't EVER share those with you) - or I just dropped the ball.   Holidays  can be hectic. 

Before I get to the recipe, please tell me what you think of the new design of my blog?   It's cleaner and more professional looking, I think.   Feel free to send me feedback.

Okay,so Prime Rib is a holiday staple.Whether it be for Christmas Day or an elegant New Year's Eve celebration.

But roasting the perfect prime rib can be chore.   My "traditional" recipe requires turning the oven off midway and not opening the oven door. But how impractical  is that if  you  don't have a  double oven.  Still,  I'll share that previous post with you here:

http://mksfabfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/perfect-standing-rib-roast.html

Now my own recipe reinvented. You only need three ingredients.  And I took a little help from the store.  

I've gotten flack in the past, as  has hubby from cooking contesters like us for using steak  seasoning. Truth is, it's delicious on here.  And  if  you can go to the warehouse store and purchase a big  container of it, why buy all  these little bottles  of  this and that which  you may or may not use again?   Really?

You can certainly substitute  your  own  steak rub. But  I encourage you to try this recipe and  tell me if it's not delicious without all the fuss. That is  why I call this post, "A Simple Way to Roast Prime  Rib."  

As a side note, I made a simple porcini sauce for my prime rib by using these ingredients:

I simply added the dried mushrooms to the wine and put them  into the microwave for 30 seconds. Then  I  reduced the Marsala wine with the mushrooms and beef stock down to half.   I added in the garlic braise as well as the concentrated broth.    Butter is added a little at time thicken.  Salt and pepper are added last and to taste. 

So here we go with the prime rib.

INGREDIENTS:

1 prime rib roast, bone in (about 4 1/2 lbs)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning for steak
1/2 tablespoon dried Herbes de Provence

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 475.  Place roast in pan on rack.  If roasting potatoes, I suggest you place those right on the rack next to the roast.

Place in oven and  roast for 30 minutes.  

Reduce heat to 375 degrees.  Do not open oven door. 

Continue to roast for 85 minutes until internal temperature is 140.   Cover lightly with tin foil to tent.  Carryover cooking  with fifteen minutes under the foil should bring the roast to medium rare:   145 degrees.

 

Yeah,  it's that easy!

I'll see you next year.  And, yes,  I know that's a lot of sour cream on the potato,  but it's a holiday.;.)

Chipotle Teriyaki London Boil

Can you believe this London Broil is medium rare, and it's been cooked twice?
Check out my grilling technique!

                                     
These are the kinds of recipes that I love to bring to you -  here you are getting not one, but two meal ideas using the same cut of meat, as well as a simple side dish.

Grilling is one of my favorite things to do in the summer.  A couple of years ago, we had a gift certificate for a hardware store and we decided to go get ourselves one of those double grills; one side is gas, the other is charcoal.  I've been having all kinds of fun with it.

Living in Florida, we can grill all year round.  In the summer, I don't like heating up the house with the oven if I can help it.  So I fire up the grill.  Today I'm am bringing you a great (easy) recipe for London Broil. 

Let's talk about London broil:

London broil isn't a cut of meat; it's a style of cooking.  Most often it's thick cut flank steak or tri-tip, but you might just find it's any cut of meat that is less tender.  Check with your butcher to see what cut they market as "London Broil" in your store.  You might be surprised that it is actually sirloin or round.

 

What I love about this recipe is that you can actually get two meals out of it.  You can marinate it and grill it up one day, leaving the center kind of rare.  In fact, what I am showing you here is the re-do (day two) - yes, leftovers.  I wanted you to see how nicely the meal grilled up the second day (even if you like it medium rare like we do).

I first grilled this up on Saturday night.  On Monday, I used it to make this fabulous dinner.  Talk about a time saver on a busy weeknight!

 

I'm showing off my London broil recipe over leftover smashed potato salad mixed with fresh spinach and Dijon mustard (I also added a little spring onion to the leftover potato salad) and I served it with grilled Vidalia onion packs - yum, yum and more yum! 

Got to love this time of year when the Vidalia onions are for sale. 

 

This recipe is also great on top of a fresh Caesar salad.  In a future post, I'll share a great Caesar dressing with you. 

But the bottom line is, this is an excellent meal to prepare with any type of summer veggies. 

 

So fire up the grill!  Here we go:

 

Ingredients:

 

2 – 2 1/4 lb. London broil (thick cut flank steak or tri tip)

For the Marinade: 

1 tsp. Teriyaki sauce
1/8 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. salt free Chipotle seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of rice vinegar
1 tbs. canola oil, plus extra for bushing  

Other:
Grill seasoning for steak
Cooking spray for the grill
Freshly squeezed lime juice for seasoning after grilling (optional)

Directions:

Add the meat to a container.  Combine the Teriyaki sauce, ginger, Chipotle seasoning, garlic, rice vinegar and canola oil.  Marinate under refrigeration for at least 2 -3 hours; longer if you have the time.

When you are ready to grill, bring the meat to room temperature for about 20 minutes.  Pat the excess marinade off with a paper towel.

Bush the meat with extra canola oil or vegetable oil can be substituted.  Rub London Broil with the steak seasoning.  

Note:  Even though there is some salt in the Teriyaki seasoning, I like to add the steak seasoning (which adding salt right to the meat) right before I cook it.  Remember that salt draws the moisture out of the meat - and you don't want your meat to be dry. 

Preheat gas or charcoal grill treated with cooking spray to 400 degrees. 

Rub both sides of the London broil with the steak seasoning.

Grill on one side for about 5 without moving until the sear on the one side.  Turn and continue to grill for about six minutes over direct heat. 

Move the London broil to indirect heat and continue to cook for about 15 minutes each side until internal temperature comes to 145 degrees for medium rare.  The center should still be more on the rare side.    Adjust cooking time accordingly for your grill.

Let meat rest for about 20 minutes before slicing. 

Season with lime juice before serving. 

To reheat leftover London Broil, bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Rub a little extra canola oil over both sides of the meat (you can also add additional steak seasoning or Chipotle seasoning, or a combination of both is you like).

Grill for about four minutes first side, and three on the second until warmed for medium rare (pictured).  Adjust cooking time for your liking.   Note that in this case, you will still have a bit of a cold center.  If you like your meat warmed through, then do your thing and prepare it how you like to eat it. 

There are no definite rules with grilling.  Just like with wine; it's what YOU like that counts!

Okay, so what about the onion?   That is simple - 

I like to quarter small Vidalia onions, leaving the bottom intact so that they form a flower.  Don't cut them all the way through. I spray tin foil with cooking spray.   In the middle I add for each onion -

1/2 tbs. butter
A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 packet of concentrated beef broth

Form a foil packets (if not using heavy duty foil, you might need to double wrap like I did here).  I like to grill for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes over medium heat.  I also close the lid to create steam.  You are going to love these!  Try them.

Enjoy, and I'll see you again soon!

 

Special Feature: The Food of Chile

Before I begin this post, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Chile of the recent earthquake.  We were not anywhere near the area where we had the earthquake, but my thoughts go out to family members of those we met in Santiago who live in that region of the country.

****************

                                          Seafood Salad at La Perla, Santiago, Chile

My husband, Dan, and I both compete in the amateur cooking contests, as you know.  As a prize for one of the contests Dan won, we were both guests of Santa Rita winery for his prize in the "Kick it Up a Nacho" contest.  Interestingly, he was a last minute entry.  We just got back this week.  What a great trip.

This post isn't going to be a travel-log.   I am not endorsing any of the establishments here.   I wanted to share some of my favorite that I had in Chile, so that you can get an idea as to what type of food to expect if you travel there.

Tonight's post will be a little different as I am not providing recipes as these are not my dishes.  But I wanted to show you the types of food that ate while there.  I will give you an idea of how these were prepared. 

I was amazed at how many American chains are in Santiago.  From fast food to Chinese, you can find it all.  But who wants to eat someplace where you can eat at home?

Let me start with my favorite meal.  As guests of the Casa Real at Santa Rita, we were treated to breakfast each day, and one lunch and two dinners at the hotel.  By far my favorite was this almond crusted salmon that we had for lunch.  Deliciously seasoned and perfectly. It was served with peeled, boiled potatoes and asparagus sautéed with translucent onion.  The almond crust was superb. 

I am going to try to recreate this dish.  I'll be posting my version very soon!
 

The salmon was served with a starter of pumpkin soup.  The pumpkin was pureed with other vegetables to create this delicious appetizer.  The soup was quite savory. 

My second favorite meal on property was at the Dona Paula restaurant on the Santa Rita winery grounds, just a short walk from Casa Real.  The Dona Paula is a national monument, and is said to have housed the 120 soldiers who helped win Chile's independence.    It was a delicious swordfish with the best lemon caper butter sauce I had ever eaten.  It was served with creamed spinach pie.

At the same meal, Dan had the mushroom sauced sirloin with fries.

We also had our last night at Casa Real.  It was sirloin with sautéed mushroom and onions and accordion potatoes.  The starter for this meal with a delicious warm shrimp and zucchini salad with a lime and cilantro vinaigrette

.  

The meals at the Santiago portion of our trip were not included (except for the daily buffet breakfast offered by the hotel).  We found a wonderful local seafood restaurant at the mall called La Perla.  The seafood salad you see at the top of this page -- we liked it so much that we ate it for lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.  It was big enough to split.  We also split a plate of crab empanadas (it comes in four pieces) on Saturday.  On Sunday we tried the beef empanadas instead.  I have to say, they were good, but I preferred the crab, especially with a drizzle of the lemon oil that they bring to your table.   The sauces you see in the picture below are served with bread.  I rather enjoyed the artichoke and cilantro sauce with crusty bread.  Yum!

There were more food experiences, such as a delicious Chilean Sea bass we were served for dinner the first night at Casa Real.  I will also be posting a great Trip Advisor review about a great wine and tapas bar we found in Santiago.  The wine bar was on our own dime, and unfortunately, we dug into the tapas before thinking about taking pictures. I did get pictures of the establishment.

Finally, you're probably wondering what you get for dessert?  We had a couple of great custard dishes (with chocolate), but I found this was the most interesting.  It was type of gelatin with blueberries with a cream sauce on the side. 

As you can see, the food in Chile, while perhaps not as adventuresome as Peruvian cuisine, is heavy on seafood and beef.  At the restaurants, you can also find more traditional dishes such as seafood casserole and seafood soup.   Jellies, jams and sauces are served with freshly baked bread.  This is a sampling of what we had. 

I hope you enjoyed this culinary journey, and I'll see you soon!

Blue Cheese-Crusted Filet with Balsamic and Blueberry Gastrique

Blue Cheese-Crusted Filet with
Balsamic and Blueberry Gastrique

I am feeling very "blue" today, but not in the way you might think.  Here is my entry into the "Blueberries Meet Their Match" blogger recipe contest, and as you will note, I've got a lot of blue going on - blue cheese and fresh BLUEBERRIES.  Yum!

http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/blueberries-meet-their-match/

Over the last few weeks, this home cook has discovered the art of making a Gastrique;  You've probably heard about this delicious sticky sauce if you watch shows such as "Chopped."  But it's more than a fancy way of saying "sauce." A gastrique can be wonderfully complex in flavor and the perfect complement to any protein. 

A gastrique begins with caramelized sugar and equal parts of vinegar.  Then you can add in pretty much anything you want -  run the gamut of sweet to savory, or any variation in between.  

Here I opted for a more traditional method of making the sauce; I reduced the sugar with water to caramelize it, and then I deglazed with the vinegar.  Because I didn't want to overpower the natural sweetness of the blueberries, I opted to use one tablespoon less of the rich balsamic than I would had I used a lighter vinegar in a recipe.

When I made a savory gastrique a week or so ago (for another contest) using a lighter vinegar, I actually reduced the sugar with the vinegar to create the caramelized sugar,  and then added white wine to go "all out" and crazy with a double reduction.

The "double reduction" is part of this recipe, too:  I felt the balsamic needed to be showcased in a "supporting role," so I wanted it to marry into the sauce rather than have it caramelize along with the sugar.  Adding it in to "deglaze" using the more traditional method, and then creating a double reduction with the broth and wine really made a difference in how the flavors all came together.  You really taste the blueberry.  Why add in a delicious fruit like blueberry if you are going to mask the natural sweet flavors?

When you are making a sauce like this, it's important to have a few tasting spoons on hand so you can taste as you go.   That's really the key.

And if you do a Google search, you will see there are variations on how people make a gastrique.  A chef might tell you otherwise, but I am not sure there is a right or a wrong way.  As long as it comes out delicious, who cares if you break with culinary tradition, right?   

You can feel free to experiment, too.  I would encourage you to do so if you like to play around in the kitchen - the possibilities are endless! 

Today I paired this wonderfully sweet and fruity sauce with a blue-cheese crusted filet.  The flavor of the blueberry and balsamic with the cheese really make for a stunningly delicious combination.  I know you will want to try this. 

Note:  For this recipe, you will need a cast iron or heavy skillet (oven safe).

Ingredients:

2 beef filets, cut about 1 inch thick and 8 ounces each
1/2 tbs. olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the crust:
2. tbs. plain Panko bread crumbs
3 springs fresh thyme, stemmed
1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbs. blue cheese crumbles

For the Gastrique:
3 tbs. granulated white sugar
3 tbs. cold water
2 tbs. good quality balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine or non-alcoholic wine
1 flat (6 ounces) fresh winter blueberries, washed and divided
Fresh torn basil, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rub 3/4 of the olive oil onto both sides of the steaks and salt and pepper.

Combine the Panko, thyme, lemon juice and blue cheese into a small bowl.  Mix with a fork until well combined.   Set aside. 

Rub remaining oil into the bottom of a cast iron or heavy skillet.  Heat on high.  Add room temperature steaks and sear on both sides for about two minutes each side.  When you flip to the second side, top each steak with half of the blue cheese crust mixture.  Spread evenly over top with a spatula and transfer to a hot oven.  Cook for 11 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees).  Ovens vary, so adjust cooking time accordingly and to your desired temperature. 

Once steaks are cooked, remove from oven and let rest for about five - seven minutes to let the juices redistribute.   

While the steaks are in the oven, combine the sugar and water into a small sauce pan.  Simmer for about five minutes until caramelized.  You need to watch your sauce - stoves vary as well - and you don't want candy.

Once caramelized to your liking, add in 1/4 of the blueberries.

 



 

Reduce down until you get a sauce/jam-like consistency - about five minutes; add in a second layer of blueberry, reduce down for about three minutes.  Add in the remaining reserved blueberries right before serving.

 

This technique creates this vibrantly-colored, sticky, sweet and savory sauce.  The three "levels" of blueberry give this sauce a wonderfully fresh taste.  You want to taste the actual fruit. 

I recommend that you swirl a bit of it on the plate (as shown), top with your steak, and then drizzle some of the gastrique on top.  I like add a little fresh torn basil, but that is optional. 

 

 

Give this recipe a try.  I know you will love it.  And as always, see you soon!

 

Be sure to check out:  littlebluedynamos.com

 

 



Porcupine Meatballs with "Un-stuffed" Cabbage

Comfort Food at its Best!

Ah, porcupine meatballs;  Now, if that doesn't bring back the days of bell bottom pants (the first time) - and fond memories of "Scooby-Doo" and "The Brady Bunch," then I don't know what does! 

Porcupine meatballs were a staple in many 1970's moms' kitchens; they were in the regular rotation with the Shake 'N Bake chicken and the tuna casserole that nobody wanted to eat. 

I come from a Slovak/Rusian (yes, I spelled that correctly - Google it)/Polish, with a little Hungarian thrown in for good measure background.  My paternal grandmother was Slovak.  She would make these fabulous ethnic Sunday dinners.  One of her specialties was, of coarse, stuffed cabbage.  And she made the best ever; slow cooked on the stove (not baked) all day long; just sitting in the tomato juice with the perfectly cooked cabbage, tender meat and rice stuffing, and the kraut (can't for get that).  It's the type of dish that true memories are made of. 

If I were judging a stuffed cabbage competition, my mom's would come in a close second.  Mom wasn't a great cook, but she did make a few things really well.  I am sure she is smiling down from heaven on me now.

I have attempted stuffed cabbage over the years.  But while I get the flavors close to Mom's, I never can get the rolling just right.  Maybe I don't have enough patience?  Maybe I don't buy the perfect head of cabbage?  You can decide as  you look at an old "Just for Cooking" recipe which I created several years ago - link at the end.

A few years back, my friend and work colleague, Gosia, was visiting from Poland along with her mother.  I stopped by her brother's house for dinner.  Gosia's mom made "un-stuffed cabbage."  Through Gosia interpreting, Mom proceeded to tell me this was what she called "Lazy Day Stuffed Cabbage."  I thought "what a good idea."  And it was delicious.

A few weeks ago, another friend and work college, Jim, posted a recipe he found online for a similar dish.  That gave me an idea to "Kick it up a notch" and add in the porcupine meatballs as I created my own version.

My meatballs are baked, not fried in oil.  So even though I am using beef and pork, they will be a little lighter.  Instead of taking all day to make and bake, this recipe will only take you about an hour and 15 minutes.  It's perfect for today's Sunday dinner.

Oh, and my meatballs contain NO EGG.  The splash of beer tomato paste and mustard create enough moisture to keep them moist they do hold together.

Here we go and enjoy by "blast to the - cultural - past;" 

Makes 12 dinner-sized meatballs

Ingredients:

For the porcupine meatballs:
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2/3 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. celery salt
20 grinds fresh cracked pepper
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck and ground pork mixture  (suggest 50/50 mix)
1/8 cup light beer, non-alcoholic beer or diet ginger ale (reserve rest of 12 ounce can/bottle)
1 tbs. tomato paste
1 tbs. harvest ground or grainy mustard
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided (reserve half)

For the cabbage:
1 small head cabbage, cut into strips
1 tbs. butter
15 ounce can no salt diced tomatoes, with juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbs. (about one packet) concentrated beef broth*
1 can sauerkraut (about 15 ounces), drained and rinsed
Pinch of coarse sea salt (optional and to taste)
Dried thyme (hold for garnishing - optional)

Note:  Roasted red potatoes are optional.  These can be pre-baked and then added into the dish at the end.

*Concentrated broth or stock is an old chef's trick (I found this out from a friend who used to be in product development for a restaurant chain).  It is now available on your soup aisle.  If you cannot find this product, you may substitute two tbs. beef consommé. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, onion, garlic and celery powder, pepper, and the meat.  Add in the 1/8 cup of beer or ginger ale, tomato paste, mustard and oregano.  Work mixture until well combined but do not over-work.  Suggest starting with slightly room temperature meat.

Form into 12 even-sized meatballs.  Place meatballs on a tin foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with half of the vegetable oil (reserve the rest), and bake for about 25 minutes.  No need to turn.

While the meatballs are baking, drop the cabbage into hot boiling water.  Cook for about ten minutes.  Carefully remove to a large skillet coated with remaining vegetable oil.  Add the butter and sauté for about 10 minutes until the cabbage beings to crisp up to your liking. 

Stir in the diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce,  and the concentrated beef broth and the rest of the beer.  Add the baked meatballs.  Top with the kraut.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover and cook for about 20 minutes (longer if you like). 

 

If using roasted potatoes, stir in right before serving.  Add the dried thyme (just a little) over each plate just before serving, if using.

Here is the link to my previous recipe:  Chicken and Brown Rice Stuffed Cabbage

Enjoy, and as always, I'll see you soon!

Pub Steak Gorgonzola with Brussels Sprout Colcannon

In case you thought I fell off the face of the earth --

I apologize for being a blogger missing in action lately.  I had business to attend to, places to go,  and friends to see.  Now that things are back to normal -  are they ever really?  -  I'll be getting back into my posting routine.  I've got a few special features planned in the near future, so look forward to those!

I know, I promised you a special feature when I restarted this blog.  The wine event I had planned to cover turned into a rainy night.  While I had the constitution to taste, I didn't have the spirit to stand out in the rain to photograph.  Such is the life of an ambitious food blogger.

Excuses, excuses!

So today, as I am just getting back into the swing of things.  I'm going to bring you a recipe that I typed up several months ago.  I was going to submit this to a televised cooking contest but the website wasn't cooperating.  I never did submit it.  I'm sharing it with you instead.

I only have one picture to give you this evening.  The contest required a close up of the food and a picture of me standing behind the food (and you really don't want to see that one).  I guess they just wanted to see that I wasn't a werewolf or something before they "cast" me.  Since I never applied for the show, now the producers will never know that not only am I NOT a werewolf, but I don't even play one on TV. 

Okay, enough chatter.  Let's eat!

Serves 2.

1 ¼ lb. New York Strip Steak (2 steaks), cut about 1 ¼ inch thick

¼ cup Irish Whiskey or Scotch

1 tbs. extra tenderizing Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into eight pieces

10 large Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and quartered

2 tbs. olive oil, divided

2/3 cup diced onion

¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, divided

2 tbs. coarse sea salt, divided

½ tsp. white pepper, divided

¼ cup plus two tbs. Hellman’s® Olive Oil Mayonnaise, divided

¼ cup 2% milk, divided

½ tbs. freshly ground cracked pepper

1 cup fresh sliced white mushrooms

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 ½ tbs. Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Other:  Cooking spray

Directions:

Place steaks into a plastic storage bag.  Combine the whiskey, Worcestershire and garlic in a bowl.  Whisk.  Pour into storage bag with steaks.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes; longer if you have the time.

Add potato and Brussels sprouts to a pot of water.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, about 20 minutes until the vegetables are softened. 

While the potatoes are cooking, add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a skillet.  Add onions and cook until softened, about three minutes.  Remove from pan.

When the potatoes and the Brussels sprouts are cooked, drain and mash.  Add onion, half of the nutmeg, ¼ of the salt and all of the white pepper.  Add in 3 tablespoons of the Hellman’s® (or Best Food's) olive oil mayonnaise and ½ of the 2% milk.  Mash and keep warm until ready to serve. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add cooking spray to cast iron or heavy skillet (oven safe).  Season steaks with remaining salt and the black cracked pepper, pressing the seasoning into the steaks.  Add to hot pan. Cook on one side for about four minutes. TURN OVEN OFF.  Add hot pan with steaks to oven and set timer for five minutes for medium rare.  Let steaks rest for five minutes before slicing. 

While steaks are resting, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan that you sautéed the onions.  Add mushrooms and thyme and cook for three minutes. 

Add the remaining mayonnaise, 2% milk, gorgonzola and nutmeg to a sauce pan.  Warn over low heat and whisk until ingredients are combined.

Top steaks and potato with the sauce and parsley (if using).    

Enjoy!  As always, I'll see you soon!

MK

Note:  Not an endorsement for the mayo and no product was supplied to blogger.  You can substitute any brand you wish, but opt for an olive oil based mayo for best results.  

Don't want to use booze in your recipe?  That's okay, simply leave it out.  

If you like this post, check out my other steak recipes! 

Awesome Corned Beef and Cabbage

"Braised and Broiled" Corned Beef
served with carrots, crispy cabbage and
boiled potatoes with garlic butter and fresh dill

I love a good corned beef and cabbage recipe.  For years I struggled with making this dish as tasty as I would have liked.  

I mean, don't get me wrong; there's nothing like the slow-braised flavor of a corned beef, cooked all day in a savory broth, and served up with a ton of braised cabbage, carrots and boiled potatoes.  

I came up with this variation on my traditional slow cooker recipe.  It takes a little more time and "love," but it's worth it.  Especially if you are going to make sandwiches out of the leftovers corned beef the next day.

This method keeps the corned beef so juicy, while crisping up the edges.  The flavor is out of this world!

Keep in mind, the way that I "finish" this dish isn't exactly in keeping with my "Just for Cooking" healthy guidelines.  But this is a "splurge" meal.  Everything in moderation, and when you mess up, just jump around your living room and eat less the next day.

That's my philosophy - and I'm 50 and in better shape than I have been in a long time.   So I guess my "take" on eating and exercise works -- at least for me.

Note:  Look for real Irish garlic and herb butter to use in this recipe.

Here we go - 

1 corned beef brisket - 1 lbs. (with spice packet)
1 bay leaf
18 ounces lager beer or light beer*
1 beef bouillon cube
3/4 sweet Vidalia or Sweet Florida "Candy" onion (cut into three chunks)
1 small - medium head of cabbage, cut into eight pieces
3 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tbs. onion powder
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. small red potatoes
3/4 stick Irish garlic and herb butter
1 tbs. vegetable oil
Fresh dill for garnish

Directions:

Place the corned beef into a slow cooker along with the spice packet and a bay leaf.  Add enough water to completely cover the brisket.  Cook over low heat for 2 hours.

Remove about six cups of the water and replace with the beer.    Continue to cook for about 2 more hours. 

Add the bouillon cube, onion, cabbage, carrot, onion powder, salt and pepper.   Cook for 2 more hours.  Turn heat on high and continue to cook for one more hour until you can "smell" the wilted cabbage. 

Note:  Vegetables should be tender. 

During the last half hour while the meat and vegetables are still in the slow cooker, add the potatoes to a pan of salted water.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, about twenty minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.  Drain potatoes.

Add half of the butter and some of the dill to the potatoes and lightly smash.   Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove vegetables from the slow cooker.  Discard bay leaf.  Separate the onions and carrots into a bowl.  Add half of the remaining butter.  Cover and keep warm. 

Add the oil to a large skillet.  Add the cabbage to the pan and cook for about ten minutes until the cabbage starts to crisp.  Add the remaining butter to the cabbage.   Turn heat off.  Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.  Add the braised corn beef to a shallow roasting pan (broiler safe).  Broil on one side for about five minutes.  Turn and continue to cook for another three or four minutes until the edges get all crispy and goooooood...  (I am channeling Aunt Bea there, or at least Andy). 

Let the meat rest about five minutes before slicing.  Serve with fresh dill.

And there you go.   A deliciously delectable corned beef and cabbage like you've never had before.    I know you are going to love this recipe!

Next week, we're going on a little local "food" adventure.  

See you soon!

*Family-friendly alert:  Beer is optional in this recipe.  It simply adds another layer of flavor.  If you decide not to use the beer, continue to cook the beef in the slow cooker in the water for the entire four hours.