What's cookin'? - Steak with Rosemary Garlic Butter/ Parmesan Mushrooms

Too hot!

We moved our meal to the outside - cooked it outside on the grill and then ate it outside too.

This meal was so delicious!

The only thing that would've made it better is a different color on the plate - it was so BROWN!

But, because of the heat, none of us were especially hungry. Therefore, we opted out of a dessert (egads!) or another side dish!

Tonight I had a London Broil to prepare on the grill. I think any cut of beef would do for this recipe. It is a man pleaser, and makes any steak even better (if you can imagine that!)

Tonight our meat was topped with a Rosemary Garlic Butter. 

Butter on steak?

Yep!

And it was damn delicious too!

I was happy that I got to use some of my rosemary from my herb pot on the deck!

I found the original recipe here:

http://www.vintagekitchennotes.com/2013/09/rosemary-garlic-butter-steak-tips-for.html?m=1

This Blogger chose to sear the steak in a frying pan, and make the butter along with it. Since we were grilling our beef, I only made the butter sauce in the frying pan.

Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

3 garlic gloves

2 T fresh rosemary leaves

4 T butter

1 T olive oil

Salt and pepper

A splash of white wine 

Directions:

•Mince garlic and rosemary. Add 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste). 

•Heat a skillet over medium/high heat and melt butter. Add oil to prevent it from burning too much.

•Add the wine, garlic and rosemary to the skillet. 

•Cook the wine until reduced and a kind of sauce if formed. (You don't want your garlic to turn brown - it tends to taste bitter!)

•Slice the steaks and serve them with the sauce.

Oh. My. Goodness.

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I served "baked" Parmesan Mushrooms on the side. (The original recipe calls for them to be baked in the oven; we cooked ours in a grill basket, lined with foil, outside.

These are the best mushrooms I have ever tasted!

Even my oldest son, who doesn't normally eat mushrooms, loved these! (The younger one, not so much.... he still won't even try them ever since he learned in school that mushrooms are a fungus....) 

Whatever.

Once again got to raid my herb pot, this recipe calls for thyme !

This is such an easy recipe, and it was easy enough to put it on the grill instead of in the oven!

Just toss the following ingredients together in a large bowl:

•1 1/2 pounds Cremini / Baby Bella mushrooms

•3 T of olive oil

•Zest and juice of one lemon

•3 cloves garlic, minced

•2 - 3T fresh thyme 

•1/4c parmesan cheese

•Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

Spread them all out in a single layer on a lightly greased (or sprayed) bake pan. Bake 375° for 15 minutes.

Again, we put ours in a foil-lined grill pan and just cooked them on the grill! About the same amount of time!

Yumm-o!

What's cookin'? - Grilled Steaks with Chimichurri Salsa

Summertime means grilling at our house!

My husband likes to eat steak, so at least once a week we have it on the grill.

Sometimes we just eat them plain with good ol' A-1.

Other times I dress it up!

In an earlier post I mentioned a "blue cheese and onion sauce" that you can serve with steaks:

Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman!

Next week I'm going to try "rosemary-garlic butter" on my steak. I'll let you know how that turns out and share the recipe! Recipe courtesy of: http://www.vintagekitchennotes.com/2013/09/rosemary-garlic-butter-steak-tips-for.html?m=1

Last night it was all about chimichurri! (or, has my husband refers to it "chimichanga."..)

Chimichurri salsa originated in Argentina. It is a green-herb sauce served with meat, poultry and fish or used as a dipping sauce. 

This picture doesn't do it justice! It is so flavorful and keeps the meat moist and tender when you put it on top of a cooked steak!

We have had chimichurri in the past. I followed the recipe for "chimichurri steak salad" from one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks. 

This recipe is mostly made with parsley. I threw in a little cilantro as well. Some chimichurri recipes are made solely with cilantro... Some have oregano or jalapeno peppers in them. I guess you can just make it the way you prefer.

I love cooking with fresh herbs!

Summertime, to me, means planting lots of herbs outside on the deck, where I can get to them easily for every night's meal.

(This pot has parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and basil. As you can see, it still has more room to grow, but summer has just begun! - I can't wait to make pesto after I get more basil!)

(If you want an easy herb to grow, try mint! Grows like a weed! Here my sweet mint, peppermint, and chocolate mint are taking over the lavender and marigold that I planted! Just to give you indication of how fast they grow, these were planted at the same time as the other herbs!)

Yikes! I'm going to have to throw a Mojito party!

Making chimichurri is just one way to use the parsley and cilantro (in another pot) that I have.

Whether you serve this salsa on top of steak alone, a steak salad, chicken, or fish - you're going to love it! I guarantee it! The fresh flavors just make your meat come alive!

I just throw mine all in a food processor because it's easier than chopping and mixing by hand.

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup fresh parsley

• handful of fresh cilantro

• 1-2 cloves garlic

• 1/4c olive oil

• 2T red wine vinegar

• 1/4t ground cayenne pepper

• Salt to taste, about 1/2t

Blend it up and spoon over your steak. Let sit 5-10 minutes so it can absorb the flavor.

Refrigerate unused portion in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to two weeks!

(Note that leftover graduation paper plates! Fancy dinnerware!)

What's cookin'? - "Lady sings the bleus"

I love bleu cheese.

For some it is an acquired taste, I know.

But even if you think you don't like it, I'm going to suggest that you read this post. There's bound to be something in it that you will like, and eventually become a blue cheese lover like myself!

We often buy a big hunk of Gorgonzola cheese. 

What's so special about Gorgonzola?

Actually, I don't know!

I do know that it is a type of bleu cheese... I know that it originally comes from a special place in Italy.... I know that it does not have as strong a smell as regular bleu cheese... It's still salty and sharp like bleu cheese... It melts and crumbles easily, so I cook with it a lot.

That was a big help, I know.

You're welcome.

Anyway, this post all started because of my dinner tonight. Two of my family members are eating elsewhere. That leaves just two of us.

I decided to make pasta but my son does not like red sauce. (Must be the part in him that's NOT Italian!)

What to do...?  What to do...?

I decided that he would have his favorite old standby of olive oil and Parmesan cheese (or butter and cheese). 

I, on the other hand, had a hankerin' for something special! We had some Gorgonzola in the fridge, so I decided to make a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce for my pasta.

I have made this sauce a few times, following a recipe, that also adds broccoli and is served over fettuccine.

I have no broccoli, but I knew I wanted this sauce! 

So, I consulted the cookbook that contained the recipe:

I skimmed over the "cast of characters"/ingredients ... Then, I threw caution to the wind.... I didn't measure a thing as I made a little bit of sauce for myself. (Gasp!) All of my measurements were "eyeballed", since I was only making a little bit of sauce for myself.

It was wonderful, just as I had hoped it would be! 

I started by bringing some white wine and chicken broth to a boil (maybe 1/2 cup of each). Then I added about 2 tablespoons butter, one cup half-and-half, one cup Gorgonzola. Simmer maybe five minutes, sauce will thicken somewhat. Add a sprinkle of pepper - the cheese is salty enough that you do not have to add additional salt!

Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley:

OMG... He doesn't know what he's missing!

** Usually cream sauces call for heavy cream. Many times I substitute half and half because it is what I have on hand. Just know that it won't be as thick as it would've been using heavy cream, but the taste is the same!

Another way to use a Gorgonzola cream sauce is with steak.

Yes. Steak!

If you are hesitant at all, this recipe will make you fall in love with blue cheese!

Grilled ribeye steak with onion-Gorgonzola cream sauce

Grill your steak to perfection and then set it on top of this delectable sauce (courtesy of The Pioneer Woman). For original post, go to:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/grilled-ribeye-steak-with-onion-blue-cheese-sauce/

• melt one half stick of butter in the pan

• add one onion, sliced

• Cook over medium heat until onions caramelize (that is, start to get soft and brown)

• add 1 cup heavy cream (I use half-and-half) 

• Cook until heated through and starting to thicken (cream will take on the brownish color of the onions)

• Add 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola. Heat through until melted, making sauce even thicker.

• Before serving, spoon the cream onto plate and top with your grilled ribeye.

Mmmm...

I need to learn how to make an appetizer I had once at La Cupola in Litchfield. It was "steamed mussels in a Gorgonzola sauce". I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I ate that. I just about licked the bowl! When I do figure out how to make it I'll be sure to share!

I love having the cheese on hand, we use it so much. 

Last night I sprinkled it on my steak salad.

It goes especially well with pears -sometimes I throw them both in a salad.

My oldest son mixes chicken breast strips with hot sauce and then adds the bleu cheese to make a buffalo chicken sandwich.

Once I made a cranberry-pear tart that had crumbled blue cheese on top. It was made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I'll have to find that recipe! That was so good!

What are ways that you use Bleu cheese? I am always looking for new ways to incorporate this favorite ingredient!