October 2nd, 2009

Steak With Raspberries, Figs and Blue Cheese

raspberry

This one sounds different.

I can honestly say I’ve never eaten raspberries and figs on my steak before. I just never thought about it.

But why not?

I love raspberries and figs give good flavor. Plus, blue cheese does wonders for steak. Why not combine them all?

You try it, too, and let me know what you think!

Steak with Raspberries, Figs and Blue Cheese 

1 cup red raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 large or 16 small figs, quartered
2 ounces ham, chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 boneless ribeye or beef tenderloin steak, about 2 1/2 pounds total
Salt
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on high, or preheat a broiler. Lightly oil the grill rack or broiler pan. 
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries, sugar and vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Set aside. 
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the figs, ham, rosemary, garam masala, and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the figs are very soft. Set aside and keep warm. 
Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the steaks for 12 minutes, turning once, or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare.
Place each steak on a plate. Top with an equal amount cheese and cover with some of the fig mixture. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the raspberry sauce over all. Serve the remaining fig mixture on the side. 

Recipe courtesy of newsobserver.com.

Photo courtesy of greenopia.com.


September 29th, 2009

Steak Fries or Pommes Frites?

So we went to a lovely restaurant to celebrate my mom’s birthday this weekend (Hi, Mom!). I, of course, ordered a steak — ribeye with a garlic mushroom sauce to be exact.

And this time, instead of my safe bet, the baked potato, I went for the steak fries. Pommes frites, as the French call them.

Or are they just French fries?

pommesfrites

I must admit, I felt a bit uncouth ordering them. I mean, this is what I eat when I’m forced to spend an afternoon at McDonald’s. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE those fries, but this was a nice, fancy meal. Should I have ordered fries?

They were well presented on a plate with a black folded napkin and sprinkled with parsley on top. And the flavor was out of this world.

But I just felt kind of cheesy. Is it just me?

Now, I’ve eaten at some lovely restaurants in France and they have these same scrumptious potatoes there. Hence, the name French fries. Yeah, I knew that. But have we fast-foodized them so much so that I feel goofy ordering them in the kind of restaurant where they got their start? Even if I ordered them with a ribeye?

See that photo above? It came from a Pommes Frites fan page on Facebook. Yes, there’s a Facebook page dedicated to these babies.

It has over 58,000 fans. Do they seem embarassed?

Um, no. What do you think??

58,000 fans (and counting) can’t be wrong . . . right?

Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/pages/Pommes-Frites.


September 25th, 2009

Dreamy Meatloaf

I was craving meatloaf.

I know, it sounds weird, maybe kind of twisted. And it’s SOOOO suburbia.

But I wanted meatloaf.

It’s been really cool outside here and meatloaf is the perfect warm-you-up dinner.

And my husband couldn’t agree more. Heck, he benefits when I have beef cravings.

dreamymeatloaf

I think I had been dreaming about it — which is why I made this picture look kind of dreamy around the edges. Like the meatloaf is floating on a cloud.

Who wouldn’t want to see meatloaf floating on a cloud?

All right, I saw some hands. If you raised your hand, you’re dismissed. The rest of us will discuss how I make my meatloaf.

I use ground beef with onions already in it. It’s scrumptious. Then, add a cup of Italian breadcrumbs, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in an egg to to help it form the loaf.

Lay bacon strips over the top of the loaf and bake at 350 degrees F for just under an hour.

Oh, the smell is heavenly. The onions, the bacon, the oregano. You can smell it all. FOR AN HOUR.

It’s almost torture.

But then, just when you think you can’t stand it any longer — it’s ready to eat.

It was a dreamy evening scarfing down dreamy meatloaf with my dreamy husband. It was almost like an episode of Mad Men, only without all the yucky stuff on Mad Men.

Hooray for meatloaf!


You are currently browsing the archives for the Other Foods category.

Subscribe

Subscribe in a reader
(or) Subscribe via Email


About Me

Hi! My name is Dena P., and I love steak. In fact, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect steak for a few years now.

I love experimenting with food and I like to get my family, friends and neighbors involved. They add a lot to my cooking experience by helping me perfect techniques and sharing recipes.

Read More About Me »

Steak Widget

Archives