Customer Recipe: Cherry Balsamic

Thanks to our Facebook friend Nickkii for this recipe! Looks fantastic!

NickKii: Put it in steak and Portobello mushrooms filled with mozzarella and cherry balsamic glaze

 

Beef Stoganoff

My last post about the steak was fun. I've really missed posting food. It stinks that the weather keeps so many people away from town, but it does give me time to catch up here. So hello!

This is actually a leftovers recipe. That steak was fun, but I made a couple too many. So, I had to do something fun with the leftovers. And this sure was fun!

It's not a traditional stroganoff, but with the sour cream sauce, it's the closest thing. I enjoyed it anyway.

Beef Stroganoff

1 cup precooked beef strips
1 lb pappardelle pasta
2 cups mixed mushrooms, shitake, portobello, button
1/3 cup beef or vegetable broth
black pepper
1 tsp cumin
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup cream or milk
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
Himalayan Pink Salt
1 tsp Espresso Balsamic

Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and cumin. Saute in a very large pan over medium low heat until they are reduced by at least half. Increase the heat to medium high and add the beef strips, Balsamic, black pepper to taste and the broth.

Cook the pasta to al dente, rinse and drain. Slowly pour into the pan with the beef and mushrooms.

Stir in the sour cream adding the cream if it is too thick.

Chocolate Espresso Steak

This February, I'd love to say I'll only do things related to Chocolate and Desserts, but why limit myself? You know I'd never be able to stick to it anyway.

I did however decide to play with our lovely New Chocolate Olive Oil this week. Some mediocre cuts of steak plus a bit of oil, a little balsamic and it's just a mouthful of YAY!

Chocolate Espresso Steak
(recipe is per 1 steak)

1 Steak
1 Tbsp Chocolate Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Espresso Balsamic
Himalayan Pink Salt, or Espresso Sea Salt
black pepper

This recipe works best with a nicely fatted cut of steak. I love a rib eye or a strip streak, but the center cut sirloin is usually the cheapest thing at my grocery store. Rub the steak with the olive oil and a pinch of the salt.

Turn on your broiler and lay the steak out a little bit away from the heat. Almost the middle of the oven. 5 minutes on each side should get you a steak that's about medium done. Adjust up or down for your preference.

Top with the Espresso Balsamic and a twist of fresh black pepper.

Beef and Mushrooms with Dill Sauce

This is not a creamy dill sauce like you would have over fish or chicken. If you want it to be thicker, you could use sour cream or a thick yogurt in place of the heavy cream.

You can serve this over rice or pasta, or by itself as an easy weeknight meal.

And a big THANK YOU to Unionville Winery! They were nice enough to let us come to their tasting room and set up a small selection of our oils and balsamics this weekend. I really had a great time. And I love their Revolutionary Red wine with this dish!

Beef and Mushrooms with Creamy Dill Sauce

2 tbsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
1lb ground beef
2 pints mushrooms, any kind
Sea Salt (I used our new sea salt from Crete!)
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tbsp fresh dill, rough chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Heat the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil in a pan to medium high heat. Brown the beef, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.

Rough chop the mushrooms and add them to the beef. Sprinkle with salt and saute about 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the cream, mustard, dill and red pepper, if using. Stirring constantly, cook 2-4 minutes until everything is well incorporated and the cream is warmed through.

Serve with a glass of wine  and have a good night!

Thanks again guys!

Lemon Beef with Spinach

Can you believe I still have parsley left over? I think I'll be through with it after this!

And while I know that this isn't particularly Super Bowl-y, I think that it's fast enough and easy enough to make for a crowd if you wanted to scale it up a bit. Have fun tomorrow!

Lemon Beef with Spinach

1/2 lb beef strips
2 tbsp White Peach Balsamic
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 bag spinach
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers, red and orange
1/2 bunch green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, divided

Set your oven to broil.

Toss the beef strips in the White Peach Balsamic. Use 1tbsp of the olive oil and lightly grease a baking pan. Lay out the beef strips and broil for 4-6 minutes, turning once.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan to medium high heat. Saute the red onion, bell peppers and half of the green onions for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and parsley toss to coat. Let the spinach wilt, another five minutes.

Assemble, with the spinach on the bottom and the beef on top. Toss the rest of the green onions on just before serving. And maybe a teensy bit more White Peach Balsamic.

Easy Parmesan Meatballs

If you have a pound of ground meat in the fridge, some cheese, breadcrumbs and a little oil, we are in business to night!

Lets go with my husbands favorite: meatballs. Parmesan ones!

Easy Parmesan Meatballs

1 lb ground meat, I like turkey
1/4 cup Sun dried Tomato, Parmesan and Garlic Olive Oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs

Start by preheating your oven to 350degrees.

Mix all your ingredients in a large bowl. Form into about 12 meatballs.

Arrange on a baking sheet. As these bake, the parmesan gets everywhere, don't worry about it, they still taste great. But use a pan with sides, not a cookie sheet.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

I used my slow sauce to turn these into a sandwich. Life is good when you have food in the fridge!

Zesty Asian Beef

Many asian dishes call for fish or oyster sauce. I thought this would be an ideal place to use the bottarga pate I mentioned last week.

I also have a lot of oranges left over to eat from the holidays. And nothing goes better with orange in my mind, like chili sauce.


Zesty Asian Beef 

1 lb beef strips
1 tsp bottarga pate
3 tbsp Tangerine Balsamic
4 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 orange (or tangerine), sliced for garnish

Mix all the sauce together with the beef strips and place in a bowl to marinade at least 2 hours to as much as 24 hours.

Set your oven to broil. Bring strips to room temperature. Discard the marinade. Spread them in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. I suggest the Zesty Onion Olive Oil for this, it adds a little pop.

Broil for about 6 minutes, be careful to check on them halfway to make sure they aren't burning.

Serve with white rice and give everything a drizzle with the Tangerine Balsamic.

Rosemary Beef and Eggplant

I wanted something to warm myself up during this recent cold snap. Looks like it will get a little warmer next week, but right now it feels like November!

Rosemary Beef and Eggplant

1 tsp Rosemary or Garlic Olive Oil
2 tbsp Spanish Olive Oil

1 large eggplant, diced

1/2 lb ground beef

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup Rose Romano's Red Pepper Sauce*

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400degrees. 

Peel and dice the eggplant. Rinse and toss with the Rosemary olive oil. If you need more than one tsp, add something basic, maybe the Spanish Blend. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 40 minutes.

While that is cooking, brown the beef in a large nonstick saute pan, the fat in the beef should keep it from sticking. Keep it warm until the eggplant is done.

Transfer the eggplant to the pan and add the tomato. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, until the tomato is nice and soft. Add in the sauce and stir. Sprinkle with cheese and cover until the cheese starts to melt.

Serve with a nice crusty bread.

*The sauce I linked to is a very nice product. The makers were nice enough to send us a sample. If anyone tries this, let us know yea or nay if we should carry it!

Herb Butter Steak

Herb Butter Steak

serves 4

4 steaks, 1-2 inches thick

Fresh ground black pepper

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

1/3 cup chopped herbs, thyme, chives, parsley and scallions were what I had on hand

Save some chopped scallions for garnish

2-3 tbsp Butter Olive Oil

Mix butter and herbs together in a small bowl until well combined. Add in pepper. It will be very chunky. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil to medium high heat in your pan. Coat your steaks liberally with the butter/herb mixture and lay them in the pan. Cook at least 5 - 6 minutes on each side and more if you like it well-done. 

Serve with chopped scallions for garnish. 

Pair with green beans and roasted potatoes for a great dinner.

Cheese Steak with Fresh Hummus

I love a good cheese steak sandwich. Sometimes I buy them from our pizza shop, but more often than not, I choose to make them myself. 

I enjoy customizing my toppings and cheeses. Sometimes I make it a mix between chicken and steak. These are all steak with peppers and fresh hummus. Give it a try, it makes a heckuva meal.

Cheese Steak with Peppers and Hummus

makes 2

1/2 lbs very thin sliced meat, 

if using beef, rib eye is best

1 sliced bell pepper

2-4 tbsp Olive Oil, I like to use the Garlic

1-2 oz cheese of your choice

2 hoagie rolls (Amoroso's if you can)

Fresh Hummus, recipe follows

The best way to get the really thin slices of meat you need for this sandwich is to partially freeze your meat. If you have a local butcher, they might be able to do it for you. 

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan to medium high. Saute the bell pepper until it softens and just begins to brown. Three to five minutes. Remove to plate and set aside.

Add the meat to the hot pan. Saute, stirring constantly until the meat is done. Add a bit more olive oil if you need it. Add the peppers back to the pan and melt your cheese over top.

Spread hummus on the bread and pile on the steak filling.

Fresh Hummus

2 cans chick peas, drained, but reserve the liquid
1/2 cup reserved liquid
4 tbsp tahini
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Olive Oil, also Garlic

Put the beans and garlic into a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the salt, reserved liquid and tahini. Pulse again.

Slowly add in the lemon juice and olive oil. If it is still too thick for you, add a little more olive oil.

If you serve this by itself, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and serve with warm pita bread.

Cherry Bourbon Flank Steak

Cherry Bourbon Flank Steak

1/4 cup Cherry Balsamic*
1/4 cup cherry juice**
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Halved, pitted cherries for serving

Mix your liquids in a bowl with the salt and pepper. Stir well.

Set your oven to broil. Place your steak in an oven proof casserole dish. Pour your marinade over it and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Once it has marinaded, place the dish in the oven on the top rack near the top of your oven. Cook for at least 5 minutes per side.

Cool slightly and serve sliced thinly and against the grain with some of the pan sauce and some fresh cherries.


*Cherry Balsamic is available in limited quantities in store or by phone only.

**Cherry juice is becoming more popular in stores for it's heath benefits. I like it for the taste. If you can't find 100% cherry juice, you can use the pomegranate/cherry juice blends they sell in the vegetable sections of your grocery store.

This recipe would also work with cranberry juice. But then, swap out the Cherry Balsamic for some Cranberry and fresh cranberries for the cherries. In which case, it should be named, Cranberry Bourbon Flank Steak.

Thai Mango Beef

To keep on the Thai theme.....

Thai Mango Beef

1 pkg beef strips for stir fry

1 bell pepper, sliced

1/2 - 1 cup julienned carrots

1 lg onion, thin sliced

2 tbsp lemongrass paste*

1/4 inch piece ginger, sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tsp cornstarch

4-5 tbsp sesame oil, divided

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup Mango Balsamic

Place beef into a large bowl, sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss to coat. Heat a large saute pan to medium-high heat. Swirl 2-3 tbsp sesame oil around the pan. Add the beef and stir-fry 4-5 minutes, or until it is cooked through.

Set the beef aside and keep warm. With the pan still hot, add the onion. Stir fry for 2-4 minutes, until the onion just starts to brown. Add the bell pepper, lemongrass, ginger and carrots. Add a little more sesame oil if needed.

Add the beef back into the pan. Stir in the coconut milk and the Mango Balsamic, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir frequently.

Serve hot!

*I love lemongrass paste. Most grocery stores carry the Gourmet Garden pastes, but if not, you can find them online here.  Or just use 1 fresh lemongrass stalk, diced.

Black Currant Steak and Basil Mashed Potatoes

The weather is changing. Nights are getting chillier. There is a certain bite to the air that says 'Fall is coming!'

To heck with Fall! I decided to grill today. As it got darker, my refusal to wear long pants or shoes seemed sillier, but I still think that dinner turned out pretty well. Even if I did mess up the grill marks.

Black Currant Steak

serves 2

1/4 cup Black Currant Balsamic, plus more for serving

2 thick steaks, whatever cut you prefer

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Salt and pepper

Mix melted butter and Black Currant Balsamic together in a large dish. Place your steaks in and make sure to thoroughly coat each side. Set aside to marinade for 20 minutes to 4 hours. 

Heat your grill to high. (Oil your grates!) Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Place steaks on the grill and let cook for about 5 minutes a side. They should be golden brown and a little charred. 

Remove from grill and cover with foil until ready to serve.

Basil Mashed Potatoes

serves 2

1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup Basil Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Dried basil flakes

Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. 

Gradually blend in the butter and olive oil, using a hand mixer or potato masher. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with basil flakes.

Now pardon me, but I need to go get a sweater.

Tomato Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Onions

Tomato Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Onions

1 large beef roast, your favorite cut (2-3 lbs)
1 pkg large mushrooms, diced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (I love Hunts)
3 tbsp Butter Olive Oil, divided
Basiks Prime Rub seasoning (This isn't online yet, we have only had it for a couple of weeks. Sorry!)

Preheat oven to 400degrees.

Using a dutch oven, saute onion with about a tablespoon of Butter Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Give it about 5-7 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Add the mushrooms. Give it another 5 minutes or so and then toss in 1/2 cup  wine to de-glaze the pan. Give it a few stirs.

Generously rub both sides of the roast with 2 tbsp Butter Olive Oil and then the Basiks Seasoning blend. Lay it in the pan and pour the can of tomatoes around it. Add the rest of the wine and cover.

Place in the oven and let cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Cool slightly before serving.

Steak with Polenta

So I made a whole bunch of polenta. I have so much left over that I froze about half of the leftovers. Every couple days I grab it and slice off some to go with my dinner.

Today I decided to make steak. I wanted to serve it with some smashed red-skin potatoes, but when I got home I realized I had used the last of them on Monday night.

What to do?

I sliced it up and sent it to the frying pan.

Steak and Polenta 

You need a nice frying pan, some sliced polenta and some steaks. This will serve as many people or as few people as you need it to. This is directions for each serving.

Salt (Himalayan Pink) and Pepper
Steaks
2 Tbsp for each steak, I like Jalapeno, Bacon or Roasted Garlic Olive Oil. I used Portobello and Garlic Olive Oil for this one.


Salt and pepper your steaks liberally. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and heat over medium high heat.

Add the steak and cook until desired level of 'done'. This will vary according to how well-done you like your meat. I prefer medium-well, and cooked mine for about five minutes a side.

Keep it warm.

Slice your polenta into thin slices. Add it to the pan and cook until crispy. Also about five minutes.

Serve together and enjoy!

Black Walnut Pot Roast

Pot roast is one of my favorite things to make. It is so simple and good. I like that I can put it together and forget about it. And even when it's hot outside, I still like it. 

Hate the heat of the stove, but can't beat the leftovers.

Black Walnut Pot Roast

serves 4, or 2 with lots of leftovers

5 lbs Eye roast

4-5 potatoes, diced

6-7 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1inch pieces

1 large onion, sliced

4 Tbs. Black Walnut Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tbs. Butter Olive Oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1 14oz can of low-sodium vegetable broth

Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 350degrees. 

Cut slits in the roast and place the garlic inside. Rub 1tbs of the Black Walnut Balsamic into the roast. 

Heat Butter Olive Oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook for 5minutes, turning to brown on all sides.

Arrange veggies equally around the meat. I like to use tongs to lift the roast and stick some onions under it too. Do what you like. They are your veggies and will turn out just fine no matter where you put them. Add the broth and sprinkle the remaining 3tbs of balsamic over everything.

Cover and bake for about 3 hours. Enjoy your feast!

Cook's note: You can use whatever kind of veggies you want of course. I just usually have onions and potatoes hanging around. I have also had great success with parsnips and leeks. I sometimes add mushrooms halfway through too. Which is delightful. But I was out of mushrooms.