Steak with Parsley Sauce and Sauteed Mushrooms

I made steak.

So what and big deal, right?

Well, I would like to inform you that this was my first time.  In fact, from the age of 13 until I was a married woman (12 years later) I never even ate steak, let alone made it.  The first time I re-had red meat was on our honeymoon... we drove past a Brazilian steak house or churrascaria (which you need to go to at the earliest opportunity -- TRUST ME).  I turned to my husband and said, "If you would like to go, I will go with you.  And I will eat the meat -- FOR YOU."

I don't think he trusted me.  The only other time he had taken me to a churrascaria was in Brazil.  Tri-tip and top sirloin, leg of lamb and other great meat, coming to our table one after another, being offered up to us to eat all we wanted.

What did I choose?

The salad bar.  And the weird sushi at the salad bar.

It was a waste of a great amount of money.

But he must have felt it was worth the risk because we went.  $45 a person is always a lot, but when you are newly married and have not that many pennies to your name, it is A LOT.  So I ate the meat.  I continued eating.  I cleared off my plate and ate a little bit more.  And I discovered something... this stuff is GOOD!  That little green/red chip stayed on green the entire time and I had the worst belly ache on the way back to the hotel.

It was totally worth it.

I don't eat much red meat still.  Except when we have BBQ.  Or the occasional hamburger.  It really is a rarity to me.  My husband loves it though, and I wanted to surprise him with a dinner just for him.  No vegetarian/chic stuff this night... I brought out the meat.  Medium-rare, just how he likes it, topped with parsley sauce and sauteed mushrooms over a bed of mashed potatoes.  A side salad with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In a word: perfection.

STEAK WITH PARSLEY SAUCE AND SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

Recipe from Great Food Fast, a cookbook by the creators of Everyday Food

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES

steak

·        2 strip, shell, or sirloin steaks (about ¾ pound each and 1 inch thick) ·        2 teaspoons olive oil ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper ·        Parsley Sauce (see recipe below) ·        Sautéed Mushrooms (see recipe below)	1.      Coat the steaks with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 2.      Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high.  Add the steaks; cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. 3.      Transfer the steaks to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before slicing thin.  Serve with the parsley sauce and sautéed mushrooms.
parsley sauce	sautéed mushrooms
·        1 glove garlic, chopped ·        1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves ·        ¼ cup olive oil ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper	·        6 ounces shiitake mushrooms ·        8 ounces cremini mushrooms ·        2 teaspoons olive oil ·        1 shallot, minced ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
In a blender, puree the garlic, parsley, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Any left over sauce can be stored in the refridgerator, covered in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Makes ½ cup	Cut off the shiitake mushroom stems and discard; thinly slice the caps.  Trim the tough ends of the cremini mushrooms, then quarter each mushroom.  Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot; cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the cremini; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the shiitakes; cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4

COST: $20.48  COST PER SERVING (4): $5.12

+ mashed potatoes and salad: $5.85 per plate

(Click on 'mashed potatoes' above to be taken to the recipe.)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I lived my entire life missing out on one of life's greatest food sources.  I can pinpoint the moment when I decided I knew that I didn't like sweet potatoes, one Thanksgiving years ago.  I tried candied yams and knew without a doubt in my 13-year-old mind that I would never eat yams or sweet potatoes ever again.  NEVER.

And I held true to that for 16 1/2 years.

The truth is, I would still be in that boat if I did not 'need' to make Joy the Baker's sweet potato cookies for the baking group I am in.  And I would have been fine, like a kid is fine the first year or two of their life when their parents vow never to give them sugar.  But then one day they have chocolate cake or a brownie and their little brain says, "Hey, why have you been holding out on me, huh?!"

That was the conversation I had with myself this winter after those cookies: "Why have you been holding out on me?!"

Sweet potatoes are GOOD! Really good. In fact, so good that you will be seeing at least three sweet potato recipes in the next week or two.  Why?  Because I want to eat them ALL. DAY. LONG.

And the easiest way to do that?  Mashed sweet potatoes.  Takes 15 minutes (mostly while you are waiting for the potatoes to boil) and tastes like Heaven on a spoon.  No more living in sweet potato ignorance for me!

MASHED SWEET POTATOES

Ingredients

TipCuttng the potatoes into smaller cubes allows them to cook faster.

TipYou can subtract the amount of dairy as you wish.  Sweet potatoes are flavorful and naturually creamy when cooked.

• 
  1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream 
• 2 T. butter

• 1/4 t. nutmeg

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 
  

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the potatoes until soft when pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes. Drain return to the pot.
2. Toss remaining ingredients into the pot and stir with a fork, until soft and creamy. 

COST: $2.20   COST PER SERVING (4): $0.55

How To: Make Mashed Potatoes

When I first started learning to cook I remember thinking people just needed to break things down a little more for me.  I asked a friend one day how she made alfredo sauce and she said, "I add some cream, some butter, a little bit of Parmesan..."

How much is 'some'?  A 'little bit'?  I didn't know, so I asked her...  "Oh, ya know," she said, "just enough."

Grr!

How can I make it if I don't know if we are talking a little bit as in a half a teaspoon or a little bit as in a half of a cup???

I know I am not alone in this.  And so, I am breaking things down here.  Today I will share my favorite side dish ever -- mashed potatoes.

You can really use any kind of potato, but the cheapest/most common kind is Russet potatoes...

(And by 'a little bit' I mean about a Tablespoon ;)  )

COST: $1.80   Cost per serving (4): $0.45

Mashed Potato & Kale Pancakes (Yes, yet another kale recipe...)

If you are a follower of this blog on Facebook, then you saw that I posted something the other day that went like this:

Trying a new recipe right now. If it tastes even close to how I am imagining it will, then I am about ready to fall in love.

And fall in love I did.  Potato and kale pancakes, folks... it is a winning combination. 

Once again, this meal comes straight from the November 2011 issue of Everyday Food.  I have tried several recipes from this one little booklet, and they have all been excellent.  Here are a couple of them:

//chicken and kale casserole// 

//greek style chicken with pickled onions//

Anyway, back to the little potato pancakes.  Easy.  Really easy.

The recipe yielded a lot (that Martha Stewart is not lying when she says it serves six!) so I had a bunch I was able to store in the fridge overnight and make for round two the next day.  Always a great thing when you have really great food, if you ask me.

One major word of caution, though: LET IT COOL DOWN BEFORE YOU GRAB A HANDFUL.  Yeah, I should have thought that one through a little more...  oops. 

The oven kept them warm while the rest were cooking, and then I added it to a plate with arugula and some homemade honey mustard dressing, and viola!  Dinner was served!  And it received a ton of compliments.  I was even told it was the most delicious things we have had for dinner, which means it must be great because I do put a pretty good spread on the table every night.  ;)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 6), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 leek (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch kale (3/4 pound), tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound bacon, diced medium
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Add leek and kale and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.
2. In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. With a fork, mash potato mixture until a few lumps remain. With your hands, form into 12 - 16 patties.
3. Pour off fat from skillet and wipe clean; add butter and melt over medium. In batches, cook cakes until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes, flipping once.

COST: $5.88         COST PER SERVING (6): $0.98
With arugula salad:    $1.38

Check out that price!  SCORE!

Garlic and Mushroom Mashed Potatoes {Guest Post}

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you are anything like me, you are excited.  Excited for the good food, excited for the time with friends and family, excited for a few days off of work.  Speaking of good food... I have asked several fellow food-blogger friends to share their favorite Thanksgiving recipes with us.  Why?  Because although my food is good, it is always the same and I want to see what else there is out there! 

The following (AMAZING) recipe is from Amanda over at Give Me Flour.  I have mentioned her before (in fact, she has a whole post dedicated to her...) because of her beautiful pictures, great tasting recipes, and the fact that she is a Brazilian woman learning English -- my counterpart, as I am an American woman learning Portuguese.  We are both navigating this American/Brazilian world at the same time, and it is fun to see it happen from the other side.  Be sure to stop by her page and give her some love (click on any picture and it will take you there).  You will not regret it!

 

The first time I made mashed potatoes (or thought I was making it), I was 10, 11, no more than 12. I simply put a bowl of smashed potatoes on the table and told everybody lunch was served. No salt, no butter, no pepper, no cream or even a drop of milk. Fortunately, my mom saw my mistake in time and nobody had to eat my insipid attempt. 

Ironically, I’m here in charge of a mashed potato recipe for the most important American food-related holiday.  Good thing I’ve learned from my mistakes and my mashed potatoes grew from that insipidness to a much more tasteful side dish. Garlic and mushrooms, come on, what could go wrong with that?

Well, potatoes are some of the most versatile ingredients I know and they go along with a bunch of good things but, when the matter is mashed potatoes, if you don’t have a good base, no other ingredient will do the job for you.

For a good base I mean a good quality, properly cooked and well smashed potato. And I have my preferences for that -- the Yukon gold potato. First because I care about the color, there’s something about a yellow “purée” that really stands out to me.  Second, it gives me the consistency I expect with mashed potatoes, smoothness without lumps.

So, for 6 to 8 servings you are going to need:

First of all, grab a large pot, add the potatoes in, and cover them with cold water. One of the first things I learned about cooking is we should always place potatoes in cold water and let everything heat together. It helps them to cook more evenly.

So, add bay leaves and 1 tbsp of salt to the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender or until they fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan; add garlic and thyme and sauté until lightly brown. Scoop out the garlic and set it aside.

Using the same frying pan with the thyme, heat the last two tbsp of olive oil and sauté the mushrooms in a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Scoop and set them aside.



As soon as the potatoes are tender, dry them in a colander and let them rest for about 5 minutes. That’s just another good trick to get rid of the extra humidity and the water that can make our base soggy.

Place potato in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher. If you have a food mill, go for it, it is just the best tool for making a smooth base.

Add butter, parmesan, black pepper and milk, a bit at a time, until you get the consistency you desired. I set a limit of 1 ½ cups of milk but the quantity can vary according to the quality of potato you are using too. Add more salt if needed and mix well.

Add sautéed garlic and mushrooms to the base; mix well and place in a serving bowl. Pile some extra garlic and mushrooms on top and serve immediately. 

Cooking with Friends: Tommy

Tommy

Meet my little brother.  Isn't he cute?  Well, he doesn't really look like that anymore, obviously, but I still think he is cute.  Just in a more grown up, manly way.  (And yes, I know, my glasses were awesome.)

Tommy is not a cook.  He can cook, I guess, but I have never really seen proof of these skills.  No wait, I have...  one day, when I came home from high school tired, Tommy said, "Sis, I am going to make you dinner!"  He had a big smile plastered on his face.  Being six and half years younger than me, that would put him at about 5th or 6th grade at this time.  I was curious to see what cooking skills an elementary schooler would have, so I sat down at the table and waited.  It didn't take long.  About five minutes later, beaming from ear to ear, Tommy presented me with my dinner: a bowl of Easy Mac. 

No bowl of mac n' cheese could ever beat that one.

Later, when he was in high school and he was visiting me at my place, he said those typical words of a teenage boy:  "I'm hungry."  So I told him to go into the kitchen and get something to eat.  "What am I supposed to eat? (grumble grumble)"  Suggestions went up, grilled cheese, tuna sandwich, quesadilla... each one was met with, "I don't know how to do it."  "Alright," I said while pulling him into the kitchen, "I am going to teach you how to make a quesadilla.  It is really easy."  (Grumble grumble)  And then he asked me the question that I hope he has learned by now to never ask the other women in his life: "Why do I have to make it?  Why can't you?"  Ha!  Yeah right, Buster Brown!  Well, Tommy learned how to make a quesadilla that day, and although he wasn't outwardly showing his happiness, I am sure on the inside he was oozing with gratefulness that I was helping him survive against future starvation.

Or maybe not.  Whatever.

This week he was back to visit, a little older, a little wiser.  Now he is a married man with a career and a life of his own.  And from what I hear, a little more cooking skills than before.  After I begged and pleaded gently suggested, he decided to help me cook dinner one night.  It was no new recipe to you (if you have been following this blog) but I will put the link to it  HERE so that you, too, might try. 

The store was out of large Portobello's so we used stuffing sized ones.

Proof that I am working, too.  He is busy making the sauce while
I am fixin' up some mashed potatoes.

The look of success!
(Or maybe, "Yeah yeah, I did it, now let's eat!!!)

INGREDIENTS:  (My changes are in italics.)

• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt and pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large portobello mushroom caps, stemmed and gills scraped out
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped 
• 1/2 cup cognac or brandy
• 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine the flour and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In an extra-large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Rinse half of the mushrooms quickly and shake in the bag of seasoned flour, then add to the pan and cook, turning once or twice, until golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Add the onions to the pan, lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Carefully pour in the cognac, simmer until nearly evaporated, then stir in the peppercorns, bouillon base and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the cream and mustard. Return the mushrooms to the pan and simmer, turning the mushrooms occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to serving plates and continue to simmer the sauce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the mushrooms.

I always make mashed potatoes and use the extra sauce as a gravy.  I serve with green beans.  Mmm mmm good!

COST: $8.65      PER SERVING (4): $2.16
Plus potatoes and green beans: $3.30

One Week Meal Plan -- Vegetarian (RECIPES)

Click here for the shopping list.

DAY 1 -- Mushroom Risotto

PREP -

• Chop one onion and two garlic cloves
• Prepare 3 cups of chicken or vegetable bullion (easiest way is to cook 3 cups water in microwave for 3 minutes and add either 3 cubes or 3 teaspoons, however your bullion comes)
• Grate 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, melt 1T of butter over medium heat.  Add sliced mushrooms, 1/2 of the onion, some dill, and a bay leaf.  Saute until onion is clearish in color.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In medium sized pot, melt 1T of butter over medium heat. Add the rest of the onion and the garlic.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until onion is clear.  Add 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice (or whatever other rice you have), stirring for one minute.  If you like, add 1/2 cup of white wine and cook until evaporated.  Add three cups of bullion.  Cover pot and turn heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes. 

After the 20 minutes is up, stir in the mushroom mixture along with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.  Make a small salad, butter some bread, and enjoy :)


DAY 2 -- Portobello Medallions with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
PREP -

• Trim edges off of a large handful of green beans
• Peel and cube 3 Russet (or other large) potatoes
• Scrape out gills and stem of 2 Portobello mushrooms

Put potato cubes in medium sized pot; cover with water (until about knuckle deep).  Add some salt and boil. 

While the potatoes are boiling, heat up some olive oil in a non-stick pan (large enough to hold the two mushrooms) on medium heat.  In either a zip-lock bag, mix 1/3 cup of flour with 1/4t of both salt and pepper.  Quickly rinse the mushroom caps, coat with flour by shaking in bag.  Add to the frying pan.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes each side.  Set aside.  (If you are feeling fancy and would like a sauce to go with it, you can make a cream sauce with 1T butter, 1T flour, 1c heavy cream, and 1T bullion -- Add the first two ingredients over medium heat, through in your favorite seasonings, add the cream and the bullion and cook until thickened.  Otherwise, have at it.  They are good either way.)

When the potatoes are soft (check by inserting a fork), remove from heat and drain.  Put drained potatoes back in the pot and add 1/4 cup of milk and 2T of butter.  Mix with a fork (or a potato masher if you have one) until potatoes are soft.  I often add some sour cream or cream cheese if I have it, but it is not necessary.

Cook green beans in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, uncovered.  Drain, throw on a dash of salt, and enjoy :)

DAY 3 -- Peas and Carrot Soup with Dumplings

PREP -

• Thinly slice 3 carrots
• Chop 1 rib celery
• Chop one medium onion
• Prepare 4 cups bullion
• Mix 2 cups Bisquick mix with 2/3 cup of milk.  Leave in bowl for now.

Heat 2 T of olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Melt 3T of butter.  Add the carrots, celery, and onion; season with salt and pepper.  Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes.  Sprinkle 2T of flour on the veggies and stir for a minute.  Whisk in the bullion and stir until thickened.  Stir in 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 T of Dijon mustard. 

When the soup is bubbling, roll the Bisquick batter into medium sized balls and drop (carefully) into soup.  When all the batter balls are in the soup, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.  Enjoy :)

DAY 4 -- Stewed White Beans with Spinach

PREP -

• Cube 1 lb. of baby red potatoes
• Make 1 cup of bullion
• Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a cup or whatever
• Grate 1/2 cup Parmesan
• Slice 1/2 onion into small slices

In large skillet, heat 2 T of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and cook until golden, 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in most of the onion, leaving just a bit to garnish later.  Cook for 5 minutes and then add 2 cans white kidney beans (drained), the bullion, and the lemon juice along with a bit of salt and pepper.  Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in 2 cups of spinach and cook just until wilted (about 1 minute only).  Enjoy :)

DAY 5 -- Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

PREP -

• Chop 1/2 onion

• Cut the stems off of 2 lbs. of broccoli and discard
• Prepare 1 cup bullion
• Grate 3 cups of cheddar cheese

Bring medium sized pot of water to boil.  Add 1 lb. of macaroni elbows, the onion, and some salt.  Cook 5 minutes and add the broccoli.  Cook three more minutes and drain.

Meanwhile, in medium sauce pan melt 3 T of butter.  Add 3T of flour and whisk until bubbling, then cook one more minute.  Then whisk in 3 cups of milk and the bullion; raise heat and bring to a boil.  Let cook 5 minutes or until thickened.  Add the cheese and 1T of Dijon mustard, some salt and pepper, and stir until melted.  Add to macaroni and mix.  Butter some bread, make a small side of salad, and enjoy :)

(This one makes A LOT.  Make it on a day you plan to feed many.)

DAY 6 -- Beans & Rice with Tomato Salad and a Fried Egg

PREP -

• Chop 1/2 onion
• Chop 1 garlic clove
• Dice 3 Roma tomatoes
• Chop 1/4 of a green bell pepper (one side)

Prepare rice according to the style you like -- in the rice cooker, instant rice, over the stove, whatever.  Set aside.

In small pot, heat 2 T of olive oil over medium heat.  Add half of the onion you chopped and the garlic and cook until clear.  Add 1 can of black beans and some salt.  Cook until warm.  Set aside.

For the tomato salad, mix the tomatoes, the remaining onion, and the bell pepper you already chopped.  Add 1 T of white vinegar and some salt to taste. 

Fry an egg, scramble an egg, or whatever you want.  Just cook the egg!   Put your beans and rice together, add a side of tomato salad, and throw that egg on your plate.  Enjoy :)

DAY 7 -- Tortellini with Green Beans and Tomatoes

PREP -

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Trim the edges off of two large handfuls of green beans.  Cut so the beans are about 1 inch in length.

• Cut 1/2 pound of mozzarella into small cubes.

Cut a pack of grape or cherry tomatoes in half and set on foil-lined baking sheet, cut sides facing up.  Drizzle olive oil on the tomatoes (no worries if you don't get all of them) and season with salt and pepper.  Place in oven and let cook for 15 minutes.  (Don't put them on the top rack, though!  The oil will pop up and cause the oven to get smoky.)

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil.  Add one pack of fresh Tortellini.  Cook for 3 minutes and add the green beans.  Cook for 3-4 minutes more.  Drain.

When the tomatoes are done, add them to the pasta/green bean mixture along with the mozzarella and stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Butter some bread and enjoy :)  And then celebrate.  Why?  Because you have a delicious meal in front of you AND you did it... you cooked seven meals.  WAY TO GO, YOU!

(Disclaimer - none of these pictures were taken by me.  They were found via a google search, and I did not mark down where I got them from.  But they are rather pretty, I think.)