Left over steak part 1

I ended up not eating all my steak last night.  It is a very odd occurence, but stranger things have happened.  It was a fairly large filet mignon and knowing that those cuts are forgiving in terms of recooking the next day I planned myself a nice big breakfast.  Since I did not have to be at work until 10:30 this morning, it seemed like a perfect opportunity.  I first diced half of a yellow onion and a small yukon gold potato and put them in my cast iron pan over medium high heat with a blend of canola and olive oil, salt and pepper.  While the "healthy" part of the meal was cooking away I got out my left over steak and diced it up into 1/2 inch squares.  After stirring the potato and onion mix in the pan to make sure everything was browning up nicely I added the steak.  The cast iron pan was pretty hot at this point so I turned off the flame and let it all simmer.  In a separate non-stick pan I placed a little butter over medium heat.  Once the butter melted I cracked two eggs into the pan and salted and peppered them.  After a couple of minutes I flipped them and seasoned the other side.  I plated the filet mignon hash and then slid my two over easy eggs on top.  What a way to start the day!  I can honestly say that I hope I have left over steak next time I am hungover because that would be a perfect cure!

Regarding the photo: this is not a glamourous meal.  If I had really been thinking I would have gone out back and snipped some chives to garnish the plate.  Judge me not by how I look, but by how I taste!!!  Have a great weekend!

No sauce pasta meals rock!

The easiest thing for Kristi and me to do for dinner or lunch at home is definitely a no sauce pasta dish.  Angel hair is our favorite pasta to use for this, but that isn't even the star of the show.  What makes a good pasta dish when sauce is not an issue is a balance of flavors.  Acid and sweetness from tomatos, earthiness from shiitakes or baby bellas, saltiness from prosciutto and parmasean cheese, and spinach or zucchini to round it out.  I like to sprinkle some chopped basil over it as well.  That herbacious scent hits you before you take a bite and you already know it's going to be good.  What allows me not to miss a sauce is the quality olive oil that we drizzle over it once we plate the dish.  It doesn't take much to make a good dish great in that way.  There are so many olive oils to choose from these days that it has become fun to try an oil we've never had before once we run out of whichever we had been using up to that point.  Infused oil (those having an herb, chili, or fruit essence contributing to the flavor and aroma of the oil) is also an interesting secret weapon for making fast and easy pastas at home.

I promise to start posting pics with each entry... Bare with me here!

The go-to meal for feeling good

Well, aren't we just getting all fancy!  My first picture on the blog!  For my friends who are salmon adverse, please skip ahead...

Anyway, this is one of my favorite healthy meals.  It's also pretty affordable.  Pan seared salmon with sauted mushrooms and spinach.  Everything about this meal is good for you and it tastes so good that you would never know you were eating healthy!  Here's the how-to:

8 oz. filet of salmon
1 bag pre-washed baby spinach
1 small carton of baby bella mushrooms
1/2 small to medium yellow onion diced
1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil

If you like your salmon a bit more done, preheat your oven to 350.

Drizzle olive oil over the salmon on both sides.  Salt and pepper both sides, but remember that the salmon will not need a lot of salt due to its origin.  Put some oil in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium high heat.  Once the skillet is hot enough place the salmon in it skin side down for roughly 5 minutes.  Flip the salmon and cook until you have a nice sear on the flesh side.  For those who like their fish less cooked, remove the salmon to a plate and cover with tin foil.  For those who like it more done, place the skillet in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes depending on your desired doneness.

Oil a large skillet and place over medium heat.  Add onions and cook for a couple minutes to soften.  Add mushrooms and cook another couple minutes.  Add garlic and more oil if needed (the mushrooms really soak it up).  Before garlic begins to brown add the spinach.  You may need to add it a little at a time and wait until it wilts down a bit before adding more.  Once the spinach is wilted down, add salt and pepper and toss together.  If you add the salt too soon you will end up with a very soggy dish as the spinach will release it's water content of which it has a considerable amount! 

There you have it!  I hope some of you try it and enjoy it as much as I do!

Killer gravy and the other, other pinot

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday!  I am slowly but surely moving back in the direction of non-elastic banded pants this week.  Kristi and I had a great meal on Thanksgiving and I wanted to share one part of it that might be an uncommon addition next time you do your bird.  For the gravy we deglazed the roasting pan with chicken stock, a splash of red wine, and a splash of marsala wine.  The two wines really kicked up the flavor in an interesting way.  For those of you who don't know about marsala wine it is a fortified wine from Italy.  If you have ever had chicken marsala at a restaurant, it is the wine that makes the flavor of the dish so unique.  Marsala is wine that has brandy added to it, thus fortifying it like a port wine.  The flavor is slightly sweet and nutty and is just fine to drink on its own, but is usually saved for cooking here in the States.  It is very affordable and adds great flavor to a pasta dish whether you are using chicken or shrimp.  Reducing the wine in the pan is the best way to go.  That simply means leaving it over a moderate heat to condense a bit.  The alcohol will burn off as it cooks, so no worries there.  Mushrooms and shallots taste amazing in that kind of sauce!

Last night, we had a great dinner with friends and had a bottle of Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier.  That is pronounced Pee No Moon Yay.  I know at least half the folks out there are not interested in lighter bodied red wines, but this is so flavorful!  Pinot Meunier is the third grape in Champagnes, the other two being Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Very few Pinot Muniers are offered on their own, so when I see one, I try to grab it.  Granted, it is not the cheapest wine at roughly $23, but if you like a nice slightly toasty, fruit forward wine to go with chicken or seafood, this is a good one.  It is maybe a little lighter bodied than typical American Pinot Noirs, and has a less earthy flavor.  I know Central Market carries it, and I have also seen it at Veritas, but if you know of other places that carry it, please let us all know!