Seared Ribeyes with Chimichurri

This steak recipe is so delicious and easy. I like to make the chimichurri in advance so the vinegar will cut some of the harshness out of the raw garlic and shallots. It’s potent but so flavorful and bright. A friend of mine recently made this and we were pouring the chimichurri on our steak, mashed potatoes, swirling it into the salad....its very addictive.

What you need:

1 large boneless ribeye (about 1 lb)

salt and pepper

olive oil

3/4 cup of fresh parsley

2 tbsp fresh oregano

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 large shallot

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper or mixed peppercorns

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

Make the chimichurri up to 24 hours in advance but at least 1 hour in advance, the longer it sits the milder it will be. Finely chop all of your herbs, garlic, and shallots and mix with your olive oil and vinegar. Add remaining spices and refrigerate until you begin cooking everything else. Pull the chimichurri out of the fridge at least 30 minutes in advance so it can be served room temperature.

For the steak, I like to bring it to room temperature (let sit out for an hour before cooking) and season with salt and pepper. This depends on the size of your steaks, but for last night’s steak which was about 1 1/2 inches thick, we seared 3 minutes per side in a cast iron grill pan (preheat the pan so you can get a good sear) and finished in the oven for about 6 minutes at 450 degrees. Let the steak rest about 5-7 minutes before slicing and serving.

Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin and Smoked Paprika

We were all craving a good steak last night after eating very little meat for a few days and the slow arrival of Spring had me craving something herbaceous. Seared ribeyes with chimichurri really hit the spot and I wanted a side dish that could stand up to the raw garlic and shallots in the sauce. I was thinking of South American/ Spanish flavors, hence cumin and smoked paprika. Because I had the shallots and garlic out to make the chimichurri I put them in the pan as well, it all came together for probably the most delicious cauliflower I have ever made. Maybe up there with some of the best I have ever eaten. It is sooo good.

A note about the seasonings, good quality paprika is worth a few extra bucks. It might be a little more expensive but its a strong flavor and a little bit goes a long way.

What you need:

1 head of cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp salted butter

2 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 small shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place all of the ingredients in a glass baking dish (minus the butter) and swirl around to thoroughly combine and coat the cauliflower with the spices. Place in the oven and bake for a total of about 45 minutes. At roughly 15 minute increments, stir the dish. When the cauliflower has nicely browned and softened put in your butter and stir to combine, let finish an additional 5 minutes in the oven.

Kitchen Sink Soup

After the warm tease we got last week winter has returned with fog, rain, and cold air. I wanted to make an easy dinner that would be warm and comforting so I pulled out my slow cooker to make a soup that would be ready when we got home from the girl’s after school activities. What first began as just a white bean soup transformed into something reminiscent of a loaded potato soup but much lighter and healthier. I used just about everything I could find, leeks, garlic, potatoes, cauliflower, beans and it came together to be creamy and savory.

What you need:

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped

1 stalk celery plus its leaves, cleaned and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 small leek, white and green parts chopped

3 strips good quality bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp parsley

salt and pepper

2 cans cannellini beans, drained

1 cup diced yellow potatoes (skin on)

1 cup frozen cauliflower rice

4 cups chicken broth

Place a drizzle of oil in a large sauté pan and add your bacon first and start to brown and crisp it up. Next add your onion, carrot, celery, and leek and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir around for a few minutes to soften the vegetables and release their aromas. Lastly add your garlic and parsley cook for about 3 more minutes, add another small pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer everything to your slow cooker (or do previous steps in a soup pot and continue cooking on the stove top). Add in your broth, beans, potatoes and cauliflower rice and another small pinch of salt and pepper, let cook on low for up to 6 hours or until everything has cooked through. When the soup has finished cooking use an immersion blender to purée 1/2 of the soup or do what I did and use a potato masher to mash up the beans and potatoes in the soup, then stir everything into the creamy goodness that is ready to eat. Top with sour cream, cheese, and chives or scallions.