Steak Sides: White Bean & Sun-dried Tomato Salad with Dijon Spinach

I love a good steak. Medium rare with a good sear on it, please. Steak sides on the other hand can get a little boring. Steamed asparagus & baked potato is my default setting. So, when Ray came home from a recent grocery trip with a beautiful boneless ribeye I decided to try something new.

White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad, for 2-3

1 can giant white beans, drained & rinsed (white kidney beans will do too)

6-8 sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil is best), julienned

6-8 large basil leaves, julienned

1 tbsp. olive oil (substitute the oil the tomatoes are packed in for an extra punch)

1 tsp. white truffle oil

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together & eat up. It's that easy!

Dijon Spinach, for 2-3

1 bunch baby spinach, stemmed

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1/8 c. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. olive oil

salt to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat & wilt the spinach. Salt to taste. While the spinach is wilting, whisk together the cream, white pepper & dijon. Pour the dijon mixture over the spinach & reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 minutes longer.

Beef Carpaccio & Garlic Artichokes

Our first Valentine's Day together was in 2007. Sick of waiting on tables in over crowded, impersonal restaurants & watching couples struggle to enjoy the "perfect night" together, we opted out. Armed with a bottle of Montepulciano Ray had stashed for ages from his brief stint in Italy, a DVD of the Apartment & a lovely piece of beef tenderloin we stayed in. Somehow, a musty rental house, a couple of candles & home cooked meal tops dinner reservations every time. So, with little fanfare, we achieved the "perfect night." The "perfect" Valentine's Day.

Beef Carpaccio, for 2

1 8-10 oz. beef tenderloin

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

salt to taste pepper to taste

1 small bunch arugula

1 small piece of parmigiano-reggiano

1 small lemon, zested & juiced

Freeze the tenderloin for at least one hour. Once frozen, heat a skillet over high heat (you want it very hot!) & throughly salt & pepper the tenderloin. Drizzle about half of the oil in the skillet & sear the tenderloin on all sides, about 4 minutes total. You're not trying to cook it through, just give it a good sear on the outside. Once seared, place the tenderloin back in the freezer for at least another hour. This will make it much easier to slice the meat very thinly.

While the meat is freezing, make a bed of arugula. After an hour, remove the tenderloin from the freezer & slice it as thinly as possibly (be very careful!). Arrange the slices on top of the arugula & toss some parmesan shavings over it (I usually use a vegetable peeler to get small parmesan shavings - though you could just grate it if you like). Finally, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice & zest. Serve at room temperature or cool.

Garlic Artichokes, for 2

1 large artichoke

6-8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp. butter

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Sauce options: Garlic Lemon Butter, Rosemary Lime Mayo

Bring 1 c. salted water to a rolling simmer in a deep pot. Meanwhile, trim the pointy tops off all the artichoke leaves, trim the base of the stem off & trip the very top of the artichoke off (leaving you with a flat top & bottom). Stick garlic cloves & small cubes of butter between the leaves (no where specific, just anywhere you can wedge a bit in). Put the artichoke, stem end down, in the pot & cover it. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the leaves easily pull away. Halve the artichoke & scoop out the choke (the thistly part in the center) with a spoon. Serve with dipping sauces of choice. My two favorites are Garlic Lemon Butter & Rosemary Lime Mayo - I've included recipes below.

Garlic Lemon Butter

2 - 2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

Whisk all ingredients together.

Rosemary Lime Mayo

3 tbsp. mayo

1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

1/2 tsp. lime zest

Whisk all ingredients together. Enjoy!

Camping: Italian Dogs

Hot dogs are, of course, a must when you're camping. Sitting around the fire with coat hanger skewered meat dangling over the flames feels so primal. Kind of. It's fun anyway. Plus, hot dogs are quick to cook (precooked technically), easy to pack, agreeable to even the most finicky eaters & all in all, pretty yummy stuff, but sometimes they can be a bit blah. Meat, ketchup, bun ... yawn. So, in an effort to dress up our dogs I decided a quick wrap of pancetta would do nicely. Over a crackling fire it crisps right up. Topped with spicy arugula these "Italian" dogs have a sharp bite to them. Serve 'em up with a big can of baked beans. Are they Italian? No. Are they perfect camping food? Yes.

Italian Dogs, for 4 - 8

1 8 ct. package of beef hot dogs (I recommend Nathan's)

1 8 ct. package buns (whole wheat)

16 slices pancetta

1 1/2 c. arugula

8 slices muenster cheese

1 tsp. per dog dijon mustard

1 tsp. per dog mayonnaise

For Campers: Get your fire going steady. Open your can of beans & remove the paper. Nestle in the coals or set on top of a grill plate over the fire. They should be warmed through in 10 - 20 minutes depending on your can size.

Meanwhile, wrap all your hot dogs in pancetta (1 - 2 slices per dog). Skewer them with a wire coat hanger & hold them close to the flames until the pancetta begins to crisp up. The pancetta likes to unwind itself if you do this too quickly, so do this slowly, it will pay off! This should take about 8 - 10 minutes.

Once cooked through & crisp, tuck the dogs into a bun & dress as you like. I prefer dijon mustard, munster cheese & arugula.

For Home Cooks: Preheat your oven to 400F. Prepare your beans according to package directions (or skip 'em all together & serve the Italian dogs with a green salad or roasted potatoes).

Meanwhile, wrap your all your hot dogs in pancetta & place on a foil lined baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until the pancetta is crisp.

Once cooked through & crisp, tuck the dogs into a bun & dress as you like. I prefer dijon mustard, munster cheese & arugula.

Camping: Hunter's Stew

Every summer, like clockwork, we packed up & headed out to the Ouachita National Forest. We swapped out our back yard for the Little Missouri River, traded in our cozy beds for sleeping bags & sparked our citronella candles. There was one thing that never changed though - our food! Over the crackling campfire, my dad always found ways to make meals interesting. S'mores & hot dogs of course popped up on the menu, but my favorite camp-food was Hunter's Stew. More like an abbreviated meatloaf, we always kicked off our trip with this meaty "stew." I'm sure my dad had an elaborate story tacked to this meal, but it has since slipped my mind. All I can remember is how juicy & delicious it was. So, to celebrate Ray's first official camping trip (one weekend in Marfa doesn't quite count) I knew just the thing. 

Hunter's Stew, for 4

2 lbs. ground chuck

2 carrots, sliced

1 bulb fennel, sliced

1 medium gold potato, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 leek, sliced

2 tbsp. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Salt & pepper the ground beef. Fold in the garlic. Form four patties. In a large square of foil, make a bed of potatoes & fennel then place a patty on top. Top the patty with leeks & carrots. Salt & pepper once more to taste. Drizzle with olive oil.

Wrap tightly & toss in the fire (nestled along the coals) for about 35 minutes turning ever 7 - 10 minutes or so. If you're making this dish at home, bake in a 375F oven until the beef is cooked through (about 15 - 20 minutes). Garnish with ketchup if you like.

Cinnamon Short Rib Parpadelle

I haven't seen a drop of rain in months. I believe February was the last time. I was in San Francisco & insisted on wearing my new sandals despite the rain & chill. I kind of wish I hadn't. The still have strange water spots on them. I suppose the unlikely pair, sandals & rain, just didn't work. Beef & cinnamon, on the other hand, are an amazing odd couple. Rolling off the tongue it sounds like a bad idea. Sweet...meat...eww..weird. Right? No. Wrong. These spicy short ribs are the most comfortingly delicious thing to come out of my kitchen in months. Kind of like that rain. I guess good things do come in pairs.


Cinnamon Short Rib Parpadelle, for two
1 short rib

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. red wine

1/2 c. tomato sauce

1 c. beef stock

1 white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. cinnamon, divided

5 grates of nutmeg

salt to taste

pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven, caramelize the onions in 1 tbsp. olive oil (about 10 minutes over low heat), then add the salt, a pinch of cinnamon & garlic. Sauté a moment longer. Meanwhile, salt & pepper the short rib. Push the onions & garlic to the sides of the pan. In the center, brown the rib (don't worry about cooking through) for 2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with one more pinch of cinnamon & more salt.

Add the stock, tomato sauce & wine. Simmer loosely covered for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Check every thirty minutes or so. The sauce should ultimately reduce by about half. If you find it too low, add a bit of water & keep on simmering. While the ribs simmer, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Finally, shred the short rib with a fork (this should be quite easy, it should practically fall apart) & toss with the pasta. Garnish with another pinch of cinnamon.

Organic Meat & Butchery

After a long day exploring the Southern California landscape we were beat. We needed a unassuming, satisfying meal. We wound up tucking into a simple, classic dinner: steak & salad. I'm lucky enough to live near an amazing little butcher -- the kind of local place where they know your name & just what you order. They have a small organic farm where they raise the majority of the beef sold in store. Growing up in Texas with a cattle farming Grandpa, the simplicity of a good cut of meat still makes me feel at home.

But, if you aren't lucky enough to have such a butcher, the now infamous Niman Ranch has just launched an on-line vendor. Raised under strict scrutiny (i.e. vegetarian fed, environmentally sustainable ranching, anti-biotic & hormone free, animals remain within their "social group"), this natural meat is known around the world & listed by name in some of the country's greatest restaurants (Alice Water's Chez Panisse, Lucques in LA, Vespaio in Austin, Oliveto in Oakland to name a few). Visit their store here to purchase dry-aged beef, pork, lamb, sausages, and the like.

Image, treehuger.com

Heirloom & Kalamata Short Ribs

In cotton shorts & bare feet I padded in to the kitchen. I slowly lifted up the lid to see what was could possibly be responsible for such an intoxicating smell. On tip toes I could barely see over the big pot's rim, but I knew something good was in there. Inevitably, I was shooed out of the kitchen by a grandmother or someone like that.

Pots mysteriously bubbling away on the stove top always housed something that peaked my interest. Believe it or not, slowly bubbling pots aren't found too often on my stove. I blame it one the shooing. Or the lack of time. Regardless, yesterday I found myself home from work earlier than expected. With ample time on my hands & no one to shoo or pull me way from the kitchen I decided it was time to cook something. You know, something that just cooks. You put it on the stove. You leave it alone. You just let it cook. With little help other than time, big hunks of meat can become something truly decadent.

Heirloom & Kalamata Short Ribs
3 short ribs
1 c. baby heirloom tomatoes
1/4 c. kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 c. dry red wine
1 c. beef stock
1 can tomato sauce
1 white onion, diced
1 leek, greens & whites, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh oregano, minced
1 sprig thyme, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Salt & pepper the short ribs & set aside. In a large dutch oven, saute the onions until translucent in half of the olive oil (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining olive oil & short ribs. Brown the ribs on both sides (about 5 minutes). Take the ribs out & set aside for later.

Toss in the tomatoes (slice any larger ones in half, leave the small ones whole), garlic, olives, leek, thyme, oregano, & a bit of salt & pepper to taste. Saute until fragrant then add the red wine to de-glaze the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato sauce & beef stock. Bring to a boil. Add the ribs & any drippings that have collected back to the veggies & stock.

Turn the heat down to a slow simmer, cover the dutch oven loosely & cook for at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The longer you cook it the more tender the meat will be. Serve over a bed of rice or with crusty bread.

Simple Supper: Seared Strip & Lemon Arugula Salad

Sometimes a steak just sits in your belly like lead. It's just too rich, too much...sometimes. Other times, it really hits the spot. After a long stint with vegetarianism, juicy, piquant meant satisfies the animal in me I suppose. Or maybe I have an iron deficiency, who knows...

So, next time your craving a meaty meal, but don't want to be stuck belly up on the couch, slice it & serve it tossed with some grains & vegetables. A perfect steak for spring, fresh arugula & bright lemon cut the weight out. It's much easier on the digestive system & the wallet too for that matter.

Seared Strip & Lemon Arugula Salad
1 6 to 7 oz. NY Strip Steak, cooked medium-rare
2 c. wild arugula
1 1/2 c. whole wheat penne pasta
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 small bunch of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Bring water to boil & cook the penne until al dente (about 8 - 10 minutes). Meanwhile, bring a grill pan up to medium-high heat & drizzle it with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Season the steak with salt & pepper & sear it until medium-rare (about 8 minutes per side). Remove the steak from heat & let rest for 5 minutes or so before slicing. Slice in 1/4" thick strips.

Drain & rinse the pasta & reserve in a medium bowl. Toss the pasta with the basil, arugula, steak, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice & olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Simple Supper: Meatball Sub

I'm sure your familiar with the adage "where there's smoke, there's a fire." Well, in my house it's more like "where there's spaghetti, there's left-overs." Too much of a good thing does not apply here. I always make more than necessary. It's not really a concious choice, I just don't think it's possible to make a small batch of the stuff. I suppose it's because you can always freeze a bit for one of those too-tired-to-think-cook-or-do-any-thing-but-microwave-defrost days. Keep some in the fridge for lunches. Or, better yet, treat yourself to an ooey-gooey, over the top, meatball sub. Yes, they're kind of excessive, but boy do they hit the spot!

Meatball Sub
3 - 4 meatballs
4" - 6" baguette, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 slices jarlsberg cheese
3 -4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
a pinch of fresh thyme
a pinch of fresh basil

Begin by slicing you baguette & making a small trench (about 1/8" deep) in each half. Plop your meatballs in the trench & top with parmesan, sun dried tomatoes, jarlsberg, red pepper flakes, thyme, & basil. If you have access to a panini press or grill pan, press your sandwich for 2 minutes or so until the cheese begins to melt. If not, microwave for 15 seconds to melt the cheese, or simply serve at room temperature.

Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato Meatballs & Spicy Sausage

What better way to round out a laxed Sunday of wandering through the farmer's market, lounging in the sun, & reading than with a meal of hearty spaghetti & meatballs? Armed with our bounty from the market, we minced & chopped our way to a simple classic meal.  I know I've confessed my love of this dish before, but I couldn't resist revisiting it. Always the crowd pleaser, who doesn't count spaghetti & meatballs among their favorites? 

A healthy dose of sun dried tomatoes & basil make these meatballs stand out from the archetypical version.  Pair them with spicy or sweet Italian sausage for an even more robust meal.  Said to be the "holy trinity" of most cuisines (Italian, French, Spanish, Cajun, even American), an ever essential Mirepoix (a simple 2:1:1 combination of onion, celery, & carrot) flavors the marinara. You can't go wrong with the standards. Top it all with salty parmigiano reggiano & eat up!

Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 c. bread crumbs
1 c. grated parmesan

1 tbsp. fresh basil, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs

6 Italian sausage links (spicy or sweet), optional

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients with your hands and roll into 1 1/2" balls. Put the balls & sausage on a lined cookie sheet drizzled in olive oil and roast in a 450F oven for appx. 15 - 20 minutes. Slice the sausages after they come out of the oven (this helps keep hem moist). Add both to marinara sauce and cook over low heat for an hour or two.

Laura's Marinara Sauce

2 28 oz. cans of tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion,chopped
2 - 3 stalks celery, chopped
2 - 3 carrots, chopped

1 tsp. fresh basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 c. red wine

salt to taste

pepper to taste

While the meatballs are browning in the oven saute onion, celery, & carrots until soft in a 5.5 qt. (or larger) dutch oven. Add the garlic & herbs, saute another minute longer. Add the tomato sauce & wine simmer over low heat. When the meatballs come out of the oven add them to the sauce & cook over low heat for an hour or longer.