Smothered Rib Eye

Long weekends spent at my family's home up north mean three things: lots of rest and relaxation away from cell phones, plenty of time spent playing with and walking dogs and evenings spent around the dinner table with high-quality ingredients prepared simply to leave us more time to enjoy one another.

Last night we were treated to a dinner of the most beautiful rib eyes I have ever seen, grilled by my father. No one I know can grill meat better than him. Perhaps it's because I grew up on his food, but no restaurant I have ever been to has matched the flavors or the perfect degree of "doneness" that he brings inside from the grill. Last night he was using a Weber with 100 percent natural mesquite charcoal.

When I feel compelled to take a picture of a piece of raw meat, you know dinner is going to be good. To make these guys "smothered" we sauteed vidalia onions and portobellos until caramelized. Just cut up some fresh produce and throw in tomatoes from the garden for a salad and dinner is served.

Smothered Rib Eyes

Serves 6

3 large, well-marbled rib eye steaks

2 vidalia onions

6 small portobellos (or three regular)

3 T olive oil

3 T balsamic vinegar

soy sauce for marinating

salt to taste

Drizzle the steaks with soy sauce and sprinkle with salt. Leave them to marinate for a few minutes while you heat up the grill. Slice the vidalia onions and portobellos into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onions and saute for about five minutes before adding the mushrooms. Cook for an additional five minutes before adding the balsamic vinegar. Allow the mixture to hang out over low heat, stirring occasionally, while you grill the steaks (this process can be made much easier if you're inside taking care of the smothering, while dad is outside grilling and mom is getting the salad ready - I love family weekends). Once the steaks have reached your desired doneness. Bring them inside and let them sit for ten minutes before slicing in half and layering the smother on. Serve with salad and veggies and enjoy!

Petite Pea Risotto

I think I'm having trouble coming to terms with the fast approaching end of summer. I was talking with my friend Jodi about how we're always happiest right before something great happens. I think that may have subconsciously been the inspiration for this dish. In some way I'm trying to get back to spring when the farmers markets are starting to fill with a huge variety of produce and you know summer is on its way with all the BBQs, homegrown tomatoes and late, warm evenings that come with it.

So, I bring you spring. A petite pea risotto with a hint of tarragon. Enjoy and join me as we lament the passing of summer!

Petite Pea Risotto

Serves 2

1 cup carnaroli rice

1 T olive oil

6 cups chicken stock (homemade if possible)

3/4 cup petite peas

1/4 t chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish

1/2 t salt

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup ricotta

Bring the chicken stock to a boil on the stove and leave simmering. Heat the oil over low heat in a medium pot and stir in the rice to coat. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the rice and stir. Stir frequently until the stock is almost absorbed and then add more.  I don't measure as I pour, just pick up the pot of stock and pour a bit in at a time until the wonderful, creamy risotto texture comes out. You'll know you're there when the rice stops taking stock. Add peas and stir until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in tarragon, salt and parmesan. Divide risotto between two plates and top with a dollop of ricotta and a tarragon sprig if desired. Enjoy!

Beautiful Site Award

The Lovely Nazarina over at Giddy Gastronome (http://giddygastronome.blogspot.com/) gave me this wonderful award. Thank you and thanks for passing on the love! Now it's my turn to do the same. So, without further ado, here are two sites that I would visit even if I didn't love the recipes they put forth, simply because they are such a joy to look at!

The first blogger I'd like to sing the praises of is Myriam over at Once Upon a Tart (Cakestand). Her blog is simply beautiful. The pictures are stunning and I just can't get enough. You can find her at http://onceuponatart.blogspot.com/

And, Michele at Life Lightly Salted has been working on a site redesign and I love the black and white motif. Love that picture of the salt shaker and wish I could blow it up and put it on my wall! Check her out at http://lifelightlysalted.blogspot.com

Individual Corn Pudding

Finding dishes to go on the side is always a challenge for me. It's not that I don't have any to make, it's that when I get excited about trying a new main dish, I don't always plan for anything else. This is a great one to have in your repertoire because as long as you keep a bag of frozen corn around, you should have everything else on hand to whip these up. I make them in individual serving dishes because the pudding doesn't look nearly as pretty when scooped out of large serving dish.

Individual Corn Pudding

Makes 4 depending on ramekin size

3 cups corn kernels

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 t salt

1 t baking soda

3 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup melted butter (cooled)

Preheat Oven to 375*

Butter or spay four ramekins with cooking spray. Place half the corn kernels in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the remaining corn, sugar, flour, salt and baking soda to the processor and pulse until incorporated, allowing the second corn addition to become roughly chopped. Add the eggs, milk, butter and pulse just to incorporate. Divide mixture between ramekins and bake for 30 minutes until just set in the center. Enjoy!

English Pickle Spread

One of my must-make stops on our recent trip to London was my favorite sandwich shop when I lived there, Pret A Manger. It's a simple place that's committed to using the freshest ingredients and it really shows in the taste of their food. When we stopped in I found, to my delight, that they had created a cookbook. There is a spread that they use on their sandwiches called pickle and it's absolutely delicious. I made it to go on the sandwiches for our beach picnic. If you need some tart sweetness to complete a sandwich, this should be your go-to spread. My favorite application for it is Pret's mature cheddar sandwich. Absolutely delicious. I love finding new spreads for sandwiches to replace my usual mayonnaise. This picture is taken right after adding the water. After 45 minutes of simmering, it will be a dark mix of intensified flavors. Yum.

Pret Pickle

Adapted from Pret DIY

Makes 2 cups

1 T olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 t crushed ginger

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 t tomato paste

1/4 cup sugar

1 lb braeburn or fuji apples

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup water

salt to taste

Heat the oil in a medium pan and add the onion. Cook the onion until translucent. Add each ingredient, in order, allowing the mixture to warm through after each addition before adding the next. Once the water is added, but before adding the salt, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes until reduced and thickened but before the mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan. For a smoother pickle (which I prefer) puree half the mixture in a food processor and then mix back in with the remaining half. Cool and then store in the fridge to use on sandwiches. Enjoy!

Beach Picnic

As summer is winding down (noooooooooo!), we decided it was time for a picnic at the beach. Simple sandwiches wrapped in parchment paper to help keep the sand out and a few sodas was all we needed. As always, when keeping it simple, I believe that the highest quality ingredients make all the difference. Fresh sliced cheese and meat from the deli counter tasted delicious and a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store made quick work of the chicken salad sandwich.

Roast Beef Baguette

Serves 3

1/3 pound sliced roast beef

1/4 pound horseradish cheese

1 cup wild arugula (or baby arugula)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 large french baguette (large enough to cut into three sandwiches)

Slice baguette open without splitting the two halves completely apart. Spread mayonnaise on both halves. Stuff sandwich with cheese first, followed by arugula and finally roast beef. Close baguette and cut into three equal halves. Wrap in parchment paper if desired and enjoy!

Chicken Salad Baguette

Serves 3

2 cooked chicken breasts

handful of grapes, cut into quarters

1 celery stalk, diced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup pickle (recipe in a coming post)

1 large french baguette (large enough to cut into three sandwiches)

Shred chicken breasts and mix together with grapes, celery and mayonnaise. Slice baguette open without splitting the two halves completely apart. Spread pickle on the bottom of the baguette and stuff chicken salad into the baguette. Close baguette and cut into three equal halves. Wrap in parchment paper if desired and enjoy!

No Bake Vegetable Lasagna

I have been waiting at least six months to make this recipe, maybe more. I found it in an old Rachel Ray Magazine, but I knew store-bought tomatoes just wouldn't cut it in this case and I was months away from homegrown. Since nothing in this lasagna is actually cooked, the best quality and freshest vegetables make all the difference. You can find the original recipe here. I cut it down a little, but followed the general game plan.

No Bake Vegetable Lasagna

Serves 2

1 large zucchini (or two regular)

1 T olive oil

8 oz ricotta

2 T lemon juice, divided

zest from 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup pesto

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

handful of sun-dried tomatoes (reconstituted if dried)

1/4 t crushed ginger

1 large tomato cut into four slices

1/2 t salt, divided

basil for garnish

Slice the zucchini into 12 slices using a mandolin and toss with the olive oil. Combine the ricotta, 1 T of lemon juice, lemon zest and 1/4 t of salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove to a bowl. Add diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, ginger, remaining 1 T lemon juice and 1/4 t salt to the food processor. Blend until smooth.

Layer three slices of zucchini, slightly overlapping, on a dinner plate. Spread the ricotta mixture over the bottom, followed by the pesto and then the tomato sauce (use 2 - 3 T of each). Top the sauces with one slice of tomato and then repeat the layer again. Top with a few basil leaves, repeat the process for the second serving and enjoy!

Favorite Things - Vanilla Bean Paste

A couple of you have asked me about vanilla bean paste, which is called for in a number of my recipes. I love this stuff. I don't even keep vanilla extract in the house anymore. This paste has a much more intense vanilla flavor without quite as much of the alcohol flavor of extract. I was first introduced to it by someone who kept a huge jug of it in her fridge to use in everything. I bought a small bottle the first time I saw it at my local gourmet shop and have since graduated to the jug. I mix this into yogurt, use it in all baked goods and make killer homemade vanilla ice cream with it. You'll even get the specks of vanilla you would get from scraping seeds out of a vanilla bean in the ice cream since this is made up of actual vanilla seeds suspended in an ooey gooey delicious paste. Try it. It's yummy. More information can be found here. Enjoy!