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This vegetable recipe comes from a WW weekly beef dinner.  The vegetables and beef are roasted together.  Jim wanted steak instead of beef tenderloin.  I still fixed the vegetables.  I used half the potatoes but full Brussels Sprouts.  The cooking time is a little long and I would never fix a tenderloin this way.  The rosemary taste on the potatoes was just right.  it serves 4 and including the beef is 8 points which includes 3 oz. beef, 2 T horseradish sauce, 1 C Brussels sprout and 3/4 C of potato.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1/4 C minced rosemary

2 T EVOO

1 T minced garlic

1 t lemon zest

1 t koshere slat

3/4 t black pepper

1 1/2#fingerling potato, halved

3/4# Brussels sprouts, halved

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Combine rosemary, oil, garlic, zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  
3. Place the potatoes and Brussels sprouts on a sprayed sheet pan.  Drizzle the rosemary mixture and toss to combine.  Spread potatoes  and vegetables evenly across prepared baking pan.  
4. Bake about 25-30 minutes, stirring vegetables once halfway through cooking.

This was the hardest meal that I have made in a long time.  When we sat down to dinner, I said,”This better be the best meal I have ever made.”  I literally stood in the kitchen for 4 hours chopping and making sauces.  All this for steak, potatoes and broccoli.  They were all good.  I could not really judge how good as I was too tired.  The steak comes from Fine Cooking. the broccoli from a magazine called Dinner Special, and finally the potatoes from Martha.

Ingredients:   Steak

4 oz. (8T) unsalted butter

1/2 Large ripe Hass avocado, cut into small dice

2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 t fresh lime juice

1 t finely chopped Serrano chili

1 t toasted ground coriander

Kosher salt

2 T EVOO

2 t granulated garlic

2 packed dark brown sugar

1 t chili powder

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 #-2# flank steak

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, Serrano, coriander and 1/2 t salt, and mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves about 2 minutes.  Allow the mixture to cool, then rub it all over the steak.  Let sit for 15-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare a medium-high grill.  Grill the steak flipping once until medium rare, about 8 minutes.  
4. Transfer to a cutting board, smear with a good amount of the butter mixture, tent with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Slice against the grain and serve with the remaining butter.

Ingredients:  Broccoli

3 T EVOO

2 T Sriracha

1 T soy sauce

1/2 t brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 1/4# broccoli crowns, stems peeled and heads halved

Fresh cracked pepper

1/4 C chopped cilantro 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  In a bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients.
2. Place the broccoli on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil.  Drizzle the oil mixture over the broccoli.  Toss to coat evenly.  Season with pepper, then spread the broccoli in an even layer.
3. Roast for 10 minutes, turn the broccoli, then continue roasting 5 minutes more, or until tender and the edges are crisped.  
4. Transfer the broccoli to a bowl, toss with the chopped cilantro and serve.  

Martha has a section of her magazine called The Workbook.  The following potato recipe certainly qualifies as Work.  I cut this recipe in half.  I made and have preserved lemons in a jar in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

2 # Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1# cubes

1/3 C + 1 T EVOO

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large or 2 small jalapeños, sliced into 1/8 “ rounds, seeds removed if less heat desired.  

1 T finely chopped garlic

1/3 small red onion, thinly sliced

Preserved Lemon, chopped (about 1/2 C)

3/4 C packed parsley leaves

1/4 C packed mint leaves

1 t fresh lemon juice.  

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with water by 2”.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 5-6 minutes.  Drain and dry.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Toss potatoes with 1/3 C oil on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt, and roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 40 minutes.  
3. Add jalapeños, garlic, onion and 7 T preserved lemon.  Cook, tossing once, until onion and jalapeños are softened, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt.  (Watch the salt.  I seasoned the water I boiled the potatoes and skipped all the in-between salting.  Preserved lemons are also very salty.)
4. Meanwhile, toss parsley, mint and lemon juice with remaining 1t oil and remaining 1 T preserved lemon.  Season with salt and pepper.  
5. Serve the potatoes warm or a room temperature, with herb salad sprinkled over top.

These potatoes were very good but no one ate the herb salad topping.  The potatoes and the broccoli were finished, but we have about 1/2 steak leftover.  The fact that both the potatoes could be cooked in the oven at the same temperature was a real help while Jim grilled.  I prepared everything during the day then went swimming.  Finished the cooking and I think we ate around 10:00 PM.  

 

This did rank a great bottle from Jim’s cellar.  He served Grand Cru Chateau Giscour from Margaux,  2004.  

I have not done a lot of cooking since this was the Men’s member guest event at Jim’s golf club.  My brother told me that most of the men were complaining about the lousy food.  He described burned bacon and dry pulled pork sandwiches with canned onion on them.  Since I don’t go there anymore the lousy manager cannot blame me for influencing the members to complain about the short order cook he hired to act like a chef. 

Mary and I made our own activities in and around home.  The first day we went to Cheekwood to see the big bugs and had lunch in the Pineapple Room.  The luncheon venue at Cheekwood needs more press.  The lunch was wonderful.  That evening we went to an opening at the Frist.  The animation exhibit is great and can be enjoyed by adults and children.  The hors de’oves were bad and we went to the Flying Saucer in the train station.  The selection of beer is outstanding along with their pickled popcorn.  The food is horrible. 

The next day we went to The Mad Platter for lunch.  It is a delightful atmosphere and the food is very good.  After lunch we toured the Parthenon reproduction in Nashville.  This site and the museum under is a wealth of information on the fair, the times and American artists.  We stopped at a store called Fabu on the way home.  I have been egger to explore the store, but not alone.  It is a great shop.  That evening we went to my favorite local Italian restaurant.  I had learned on an earlier visit that our waiter went to Portage High School.  So I introduced my sister-in-law and they discovered that he knew her daughter.  They had attended Portage High School at the same time, small world.

Finally it was time for a major shopping event.  There was a huge country music event taking place in downtown Nashville so that had to be avoided.  We shopped the main street of Franklin.  The boys were skipping the Pool Party event at the end of the golf tournament so we came home to cook.  Resting from shopping on the front porch, I heard hound dogs.  Finally I saw them running in the street and called to them.  They seemed to be coming and veered into our neighbor’s yard.  Shortly after Jim and Bud arrived and Jim hollered in for me to bring a dog dish of water. They came out of the woods just as they arrived near the garage.  I brought water and treats.  We put them in the fenced back yard with water and treats.  Unfortunately they were well marked with their names and the owners’ phone number.  The owners had been searching for them for 6 hours.  They were in the middle of a move and the gate had been left open.  When the owners arrived the dogs were fast asleep in the back yard. 

Excitement over it was time for dinner.  The day before, I made the following Focaccia bread to go with dinner.  I hope it freezes well as we have half left over.

Ingredients:        

2 ¼ t active dry yeast

1 C milk, at room temperature

9T EVOO, divided

1 T kosher salt plus ½ t flaked salt, such as Maldon

2 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves, divided

6 C flour

2 C blueberries

1 t granulated sugar

Directions:

1.      Put yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and pour 1 C warm water on top (90-105 degrees).  Let sit until yeast dissolves, 5-8 minutes. 

2.      Add milk, ¼ C EVOO, the kosher salt and 1 T rosemary.  Attach the dough hook and with the mixer on low gradually blend in 6 C of flour. 

3.      Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, 10-12 minutes; if necessary, add about 2 T more flour until it’s only slightly tacky. 

4.      Cover the dough in bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 1 ¼ -1 ½ hours.  (We dined at the Italian restaurant during this period.)

5.      Oil a 12” x 17” rimmed baking sheet with 1 T EVOO.  Punch down dough, transfer to baking sheet, and use your hands to push it into an even layer.

6.      Cover loosely and let rise until puffy, 45-60 minutes.  Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

7.      With your fingers, poke holes 1 -2” apart straight down into risen dough. 

8.      Scatter blueberries over dough, and then drizzle dough with 2 T EVOO. 

9.      Combine the remaining 1 T rosemary and the sugar; sprinkle on top.   

10.  Bake until golden, 25-30 minutes.  Brush with remaining 2 T EVOO and sprinkle with flaked salt. 

11.  Cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes.  Loosen Focaccia with a wide spatula and slide onto a work surface. 

12.  Cut into pieces about 3” x 4” and serve warm or at room temperature.   

It accompanied the following dinner and I served it the next morning with bacon and eggs. 

Ingredients:

2 T whole-grain mustard

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 t balsamic vinegar

¼ t each kosher salt and pepper

1# skirt steak, cut into 3 pieces (I used 2# for the 4 of us so there would be enough for Jim and the 3 of us.)

5 oz. arugula (Panic time, I did not have arugula which I thought was in the second refrigerator.  I used romaine, it was fine.)

1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved

¾ C chopped celery (I did not use as the romaine has crunch)

2 green onions, chopped

3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

2 T lemon juice (I used white balsamic vinegar)

¼ C EVOO

Directions:

1.      Mix mustard, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the steak, tossing to coat. (As I had doubled the meat, I doubled the marinade.  I also let it marinate for about an hour before grilling.)

2.      Heat the grill to high.  Grill steak, turning once halfway through, until done the way you like, 6-8 minutes for medium.  (Ours took about double that time for medium rare.)  Let rest, covered with foil, 10 minutes before slicing. 

3.      While Jim was grilling I assembled all the remaining ingredients in a salad bowl, tossing with the dressing.  I then divided the salad on 4 plates evenly.  I served the sliced meat separately so that each could take the amount they desired. 

This was delicious.  We have meat leftover and I am going to make the salad again and serve it to Jim again tonight.  Both these recipes came from the June issue of Sunset Magazine. 

Jim served a Limited Selection Gainey Vineyard Syrah, 2008.  It went very well with this dish.  I almost forgot.  Memorial day weekend I had made an apple pie.  It made two pies and I froze half the dough and filling separately.  I defrosted and made the second pie today.  It was just as good as the made that day pie.  Two company desserts  a month apart out of one recipe.    

We were at a great pool and barbeque party on Sunday so we were ready for a relaxing evening.  What is more relaxing than Jim cooking?  I found this recipe in the May issue of Sunset Magazine. 

Ingredients:

¼ C shelled, roasted unsalted pistachios

1 C Arugula

¼ C butter, softened

2 boneless rib-eye steaks (each about 12 oz.)

1# asparagus, trimmed

2 T EVOO

1 ½ t each kosher salt and pepper

Directions:

1.      Whirl pistachios and arugula in a food processor until minced.  Add butter and whirl until smooth, scraping down inside of bowl as needed.  Transfer to a small container and chill.  (Use a mini processor.  I have an accessory that came with my immersion blender that I use. )

2.      Start your gas or charcoal fire. 

3.      Coat steaks and asparagus with oil, salt and pepper. 

4.      Grill the steaks and asparagus to your desired doneness. 

5.      Transfer the steaks to a cutting board.  Dollop steaks with butter and tent with foil.  Let rest 5 minutes. 

6.      Slice steaks and serve with asparagus.

My pistachios were unsalted and so was my butter.  It needed salt.  We did not like the steaks.  We usually buy beef at Costco.  We bought these at Publics, never again. 

I recently bought a cookbook called Carla’s Comfort Food.  Carla Hall is a host on the Chew.  I don’t watch the Chew, but saw her on the View.  This recipe makes two pies, basically feeding 8.  I made the whole recipe and froze half the apple mixture and the second pastry for latter assembly.  I was intrigued by the pie crust with the bacon and cheese in it.  I could taste the cheese, but could not ID that there was bacon in it. 

Rustic Bacon-Apple Pie

Ingredients: for filling

2 t cornstarch

1 t vanilla extract

¼ C plus 1 T water

1 T unsalted butter

1 t canola oil

6 apples, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise (skin on)

1/3 C packed light or dark brown sugar

1 t fresh lemon juice

½ t kosher salt

All purpose four, for rolling

Cheddar-bacon Crust (to follow)

1 large egg, beaten

2 T coarse sugar

Directions:

1.      In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch, vanilla, and ¼ C water until smooth.

2.      In a large skillet, melt the butter in the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the apples and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes.

3.      Add the brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt.  Cook stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

4.      Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring, until the liquid thichens, about 1 minute.

5.      Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Ingredients: for Crust

½ t kosher salt

1/3 C cold water

2 oz. thick-cut bacon, finely diced and frozen

2 C all-purpose flour

2 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated and chilled (she says ½ C, but that would be a pretty packed ½ C)

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ¼” slices and chilled

Directions:

1.      In a small bowl, stir the salt into the cold water until it dissolves. (I put the salt in the flour like I always do.)

2.      In the bowl of the food processor, use your hands to toss the bacon with the flour until well coated.  Pulse until coarse crumbs form.  (From here on out I did not follow her by hand directions.  I put the cheese and the butter in the food processor and pulsed until I had coarse crumbs.

3.      Add the water all at once and quickly gather the dough with your hands into large shaggy clump.

4.      Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, shape into disks, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.  (or freeze)

5.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

6.      Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

7.      On a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a ¼” round. 

8.      Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.  Divide the cooled filling between the two rounds, leaving a 2” border.  Fold and pleat the border up and around the apples, leaving the center open. 

9.      In a small bowl, beat the remaining 1 T water into the egg.

10.  Brush the egg wash over the dough, and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. 

11.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. 

12.  Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Jim served a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon called Reilly’s from Australia.  It was wonderful.