Steak, Steak, Steak

After many years of cooking steaks and all different cuts, I have decided that my favorite steak is a NY strip steak. There's a good amount of marbling, but not so much that it just tastes like fat. (I still love you, ribeye.) A good, hard sear makes the most delicious crust when the seasoned meat meets the heat and the perfectly cooked steak practically melts in your mouth as you eat it. Finished with a red wine pan sauce, there's no better way to eat a steak.

My mouth is watering. Remind me never to write these recipes up late at night again...

Ingredients

• 2 1-lb NY strip steaks (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp butter (optional)
• kosher salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Season your steaks with a healthy pinch of kosher salt and teaspoon of pepper on each side. Set aside and let it come to room temperature (about 10-15 minutes).
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet on medium heat. When the oil is hot (right when you see a waft of smoke coming off the oil and it's nice  and shimmery), place your steaks in the skillet. You should hear a nice sizzling sound. 
3. Cook on first side for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook other side for about 4 minutes for medium rare. Remove from heat and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
4. While the meat is resting, add the shallots, garlic, and rosemary to the skillet with the steak drippings. Increase the flame to medium-high. Saute for about 2 minutes, until shallots are translucent. 
5. Add the red wine to the skillet and using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up all the meat drippings and brown bits from the skillet to incorporate into the sauce. Allow the red wine to reduce about 1/3 (roughly 5-6 minutes).
6. If you want the sauce to have that nice sheen to it, add the butter once the sauce has reduced and whisk to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove rosemary sprigs.
7. Slice the steak against the grain. Serve with the red wine sauce drizzled over the steak. 
8. Embrace your inner carnivore.

Sin's Guaca-holy-mole

Guacamole. I love it. And I think that mine is the best. Of course, everyone does, but I really, really do. Eat it by the chipful, spoonful, or ice cream scoopful.

Okay, enough time talking. Time for guac-making.

Ingredients

• 4 large avocados
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 small jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3-4 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced

1. Combine all ingredients except tomatoes. Mash with a potato masher, fork, or if you're feeling primal, use your hands.
2. Fold tomatoes into the guacamole. Adjust seasonings as you like.
3. Hoard and eat the whole thing by yourself. Or share if you're feeling nice.

Cauliflower and Butternut Squash Risotto

I love carbs. Love, love, love them. But when I limit the amount I have in my diet, I tend to feel better. For this reason, I try to come up with alternatives that I can hashtag shamelessly for more likes on instagram. (Just kidding. Kind of.) #paleo #glutenfree #vegan

I served this dish with steak and some balsamic glazed mushrooms, but you can use this as a starch replacement for just about any meal. You want the vegetables to still retain some texture, so be careful not to overcook it (just like real risotto). It's sweet, spicy, savory, and has some tang all at the same time - what some would like to call "a party in your mouth."

One note: I buy butternut squash already peeled and cut into chunks in the produce section. Ain't nobody got time to try and peel, maneuver, and hopefully avoid cutting off a limb trying to hack through that thing.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 inch ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

1. Preheat a large, flat-bottomed skillet with the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the squash and coat in the oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook squash for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. When the squash has started developing some golden sides, add the shallot, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Once the shallots have softened a bit, add the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing the rawness of the cauliflower to cook out a bit, but not all the way from the larger chunks. 
4. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the vinegar and cook through for a minute. Then add the stock and stir the mixture until the liquid is fully absorbed and some of the starch from the squash has given it some creaminess. If you need more stock, do this, but this part shouldn't take more than 5 minutes (you don't want the cauliflower to get completely mushy).
5. Take off the heat and add the arugula, mixing it in to wilt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Honey-Dijon Glazed Roast Chicken

When I am stressed out and want to cook a meal to decompress, the first thing that comes to mind is roast chicken. It's simple, it's satisfying, and can feed you for days afterward. There's also an incredible feeling of accomplishment as you pull a whole roasted chicken out of the oven and marvel at it while it rests.

Now if there's a meat that can use a bit of a shake up, chicken is it. How did I do it this time? I made a sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce to drizzle over the perfectly crisp skin. As an added bonus, the sauce is reduced in the same pan as the chicken drippings, giving it a richness balanced by the tang of the sauce.

Pour this sauce on chicken, potatoes, anything you want - I promise you'll be licking your fingers clean!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 - 4 lbs
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 4-5 tbsp juice)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 sprigs rosemary 
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper

Equipment

• heavy-bottom, ovenproof nonstick pan (cast iron preferred) - large enough for the chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Dry the chicken with paper towels, inside and out. Season the bird liberally with salt and pepper. 
2. Set the pan over medium heat. When the pan is nice and hot, place the seasoned chicken in the pan, breast side down. You should a nice, loud sizzle when this happens. Place in the oven.
3. After 25 minutes, flip the chicken over. Place back in the oven for another 25-30 minutes.
4. While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Combine the honey, dijon, zest and juice of the lemon, and rosemary sprigs in a bowl. Salt & pepper to taste.
5. When the chicken is done cooking, remove from the pan and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Place the pan on the stovetop and pour the sauce into the pan. Let reduce for about 5 minutes, whisking the chicken bits from the bottom of the pan into the sauce.
6. Serve the carved chicken on the platter with the sauce drizzled over the meat. (Discard the rosemary sprigs.)

Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Nothing warms you from the inside out like roasted tomato soup. It's rich, sweet, tangy, and (if you're like me) has just enough heat to keep you going back for more. Pair that with cheesy bread, and it's the ultimate soul-satisfying starter (or meal!). Roasting the veggies first adds a depth of flavor and gives you plenty of time to prep the rest of meal. 

Make it, slurp it, take a bath in it - whatever makes you happy. 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes
• 2 medium or 1 large onion (maui or walla walla, if possible)
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup basil, plus more for garnish
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup cream (or any dairy product you like)
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• Baguette & romano/parmesan/whatever cheese you please, for serving

Equipment needed:

• Baking sheet
• Soup pot
• Blender (immersion or standing)

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Cut the tomatoes in half and onion into quarters. Toss them on a baking sheet with the garlic cloves and a couple tablespoons of olive oil with salt and pepper to taste. Place the tomatoes cut side down and roast all the veggies for about 25 minutes, until they have a bit of char on them.
2. After veggies are roasted, put them into a soup pot with the stock, basil, and butter (and red pepper flakes, if using). Simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove soup from heat, then blend until smooth. 
4. Return to low heat and simmer for 5 more minutes, adding salt and pepper to season as needed. 
5. Add in cream and stir into soup right before serving. Ladle into bowls and garnished with reserved basil. Serve with cheesy toast!