Archive for ‘Side Dishes’

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April 24, 2011

Steak & Lentil Salad

My barbeque has been sitting downstairs for eons now, all brand new, stainless steel, a lovely beast it is, grazing on my basement floor, in pieces, waiting for some love. 

So I have to turn to my trusty stove and oven to make a good steak, which is good, but not as good a charbroiled steak from a barbeque grill.  Calgary is known for their beef.  I know my beef.  There are steakhouses here that I skip in favour of the old boy’s club downtown that still grills steak in a glass enclosed barbeque showcase.  You just can’t beat the flavour.

At home though, I’m not that snobby.

Or, I try not to be. Or, more like, I can’t be.  At home, I have to make do with what I have and do well with it, hence my trusty stove and oven.  There’s a simple method to making a good steak at home without a grill or barbeque and that is a pan-fried steak.  You can choose to finish it off in the oven but I, like Chris tells me, like my cow still moving, somewhat.  The oven isn’t always needed.  Today’s entry is about a New York strip, seared over a hot pan accompanied with some nice bark, which is cause for you take a few bites of the strip of fat that usually gets discarded.

NOTE:  Murphy’s Law took over in the photography and for some reason, all but one photo turned out crisp and clear.  I solidly promise though that the one picture that survived is going to at least make you imagine. J

Steak & Lentil Salad
Yields 2 servings (extra for the lentil salad)

Steak
2 New York Strip steaks, 5 – 6 oz
2 cups of rapini, washed, trimmed and cut in half cross wise
Salt
Pepper
Sunflower oil

Lentil Salad (Adapted from this original recipe)
2 cups of cooked lentils (or canned)
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp of mint, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
½ cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 green onions, finely sliced
1 cup of light feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
Salt
Pepper

Pat steaks dry with paper towel.  Rub salt and pepper on both sides of the steak.  Set aside on a plate at room temperature.

In the meantime, make the lentil salad by whisking the oil and vinegar in a large bowl.  Season the dressing with salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust.  Add all ingredients except for the cheese.  Toss to coat.  Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed (careful not to over salt the salad since the feta will be salty).  Set the salad aside to marinate at room temperature.

Heat a skillet over high heat.  Brush the steaks with sunflower oil on one side.  Once the skillet is hot sear the oiled side for 2 minutes.  While searing, brush the top side with oil as well.   After 2 minutes pass, flip the steaks to sear the other side for 2 minutes.  When finished, use a pair of tongs to sear the side fat until crispy (use the tongs to hold up the steaks one at a time).  Set the steaks on a cooling rack to rest.

NOTE:  If you want a medium to well done steak cook both sides for additional 2 – 3 minutes. 

Using the same pan, add a tablespoon of sunflower oil and sauté the rapini over high heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken broth and simmer until the broth is completely absorbed by the rapini.  Saute the rapini until they are bright green and tender.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Plate half a cup of lentil salad sprinkled with 1 – 2 tablespoons of feta.  Place the warm steak on top of the salad and top with half of the rapini.

Posted in Beef, Dinner, Entrees, Salads, Side Dishes | 2 Comments »

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August 8, 2010

Herbed Pork Chops with Choy Sum & Garlic Potatoes

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Here is a recap of what has been going on in my busy life lately.  I will warn you that although it has been hectic for me, this review of the last month and a half may be boring to you since you are: 

  1. A third party reading this blog.
  2. Not me, the first party undergoing the experience.
  3. A third party reading this blog who can be better entertained by other realities other than mine. 

For the last month and a half, I’ve been: 

  1. Working.
  2. Working some more.
  3. Working some more, again.

There you have it.  An efficient recap of my life along with a strong sense of guilt since I’ve basically neglected: 

  1. My husband.
  2. My mother, who has left me 2 voicemails asking me (more like whining) if I am home.
  3. My friends.
  4. My precious garden.
  5. My summer.
  6. My tanning initiative on the deck.

On top of it, the machinery in my house seems to be giving up on me this year, which is part of the reason why I haven’t posted anything in a while because: 

  1. My home laptop died on me and I’ve finally replaced it thanks to my brother. 
  2. My fridge has undergone 2 defrosts in the last 3 weeks due to ice build-up in the freezer.
  3. My dishwasher is leaking and is warping the hardwood floor.

All of these things have caused nothing but inconvenience and grumpiness in my food blogging, which really aren’t excuses, just facts of my neglect otherwise known as being lazy.

Luckily, I have been saving this one recipe in my vault precisely for this type of a situation. Now that I am set up with some new digs (my 17” widescreen smoking hot notebook) I can post something and get going again.

Herbed Pork Chops with Choy Sum & Garlic Potatoes
Yields 4 servings. 

Herbed Pork Chops
4 boneless pork loin chops, approx. ½ inch thick
2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
3 tsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper 

Sautéed Choy Sum
4 cups choy sum, washed with stems trimmed
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp sunflower oil
¼ cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
Salt
Pepper 

Garlic Potatoes
4 cups new potatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Grind the olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper into a paste using a mortar and pestle.  Rub each pork chop with the paste. Marinade in the fridge overnight.

On the day of, preheat the oven to 500F.  Boil the potatoes until they are just soft (pierce with a knife). Drain and toss with the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper while still hot.  Cover to keep warm.

Prepare the choy sum by chopping the leaves into ½ inch strips. Dice the remaining stems.   

Lay the pork chops on a lined baking sheet and bake for 2 minutes on each side.  Turn the heat down to 350F and bake for 15 minutes until done. 

Heat the sunflower oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Cook the choy sum until the stems just turn bright green.  Add the leaves and toss for 1 minute.  Add the broth and cook the choy sum until just soft.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Turn the heat down to low and toss with the nutmeg.  Add more nutmeg if desired.  Remove the pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

Serve the pork chops on top of the choy sum with the potatoes on the side.

Posted in Dinner, Entrees, Pork, Side Dishes | Leave a Comment »

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June 18, 2010

Celery Salad

Celery Salad
Celery Salad - Close up.
Done Eating My Salad


Oh, what to do with a boring vegetable like celery? Celery sticks and peanut butter? Celery sticks with cream cheese? Boring. There must be more excitement to celery given how cheap it is and the many stalks you get in one bunch.

Until I recently discovered the joys of making mirepoix as a base for my vegetable soups or just as a nice side or topping to a dish, celery always sat in my fridge, at the back, uneaten, ignored and wilting.  One might why I keep buying it and the answer to that is that I eat it raw to keep my girlish figure. Yes, ladies, you want a fat burning food? Celery is your vegetable.  Its health benefits are largely due to the amount of fibre it has.  Besides, you can always tell you’re eating a healthy vegetable when it inadvertently becomes the floss in your teeth no less.

But eating celery sticks so… blah.  What do you do with it then??

So I googled for “celery salad”.

To my surprise, there were a couple of amazing recipes that stood out! One recipe in particular was from Food & Wine that I found particularly appealing to my favourite section of the palette, savoury food.  I’ve never read any of the Food & Wine magazines but if it’s anything like Bon Appetit then I’m all ears. Nothing is more tantalizing than finding a recipe that could appear to be something you get in a restaurant but it’s easy as pie.

On my first crack at it I only used what I had in the pantry so I substituted other ingredients into the salad. It turned out so great every time that I decided to stick with my version instead of making the original.

I have to tell you, I have made this salad about 4 times now.  The taste of it is just heaven with the salty, creamy texture of cheese coupled with the sweet and nutty flavours of the dates and walnuts. All of the enhanced the taste of the celery even more so and made that taste even nuttier!  I’m telling you, make a HUGE bin of it to store in the fridge for the week. It only lasts that long too, by the way, or less if you have a husband like mine who actually likes his greens.  The longer you leave the salad to marinate, the better it gets because of the sweet dried dates slowly releasing their sugars into the salad as they soften over time. Oh, my need for celery has become a love for celery and frankly, I am in love and my joy is renewed for eating this vegetable.

Celery Salad
Yields 6 – 8 servings.

1 ¼ cup of walnuts, or almonds, or half of each
½ red onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp of red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 cups of celery, thinly sliced on the bias, including the leaves
¾ cup of dried pitted dates, sliced on the bias
¾ cup of parmigiano reggiano or pecorino cheese, thinly shaved with a knife
Salt
Pepper

Toast the walnuts in a skillet over high heat until brown and fragrant.  Set aside and let cool.

In large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.  Taste the dressing to make sure it is seasoned well.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Add the onions, celery and dates to the bowl. Gently toss until coated. Taste and add more salt if needed. Toss the cheese into the salad and serve.

Since parmigiano reggiano and pecorino are such hard, robust cheeses they will stand up in the mix without the fear of disintegrating into some grainy, mushy mess in the salad.  You can be confident that the salad will look and taste just as good now and later.

Posted in Eat Cheap, Lunch, Salads, Side Dishes | Leave a Comment »

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