Grilled NY Strip w/ Vegetables & Olivada

Can you believe that before this meal, I haven't had a bit of red meat in over 2 months?  And you know what?  It made this meal all the better!

It was simple, but elegant.  We had our friend Terry over and he straight cleaned his plate.  That's always a sign that the meal is good, right?!

While I'm not usually a big fan of olives, this olivada (very similar to a tapenade - but easier!) was a winner in my book.  Intermingled with the vegetables and on top of the steak, it was a great condiment and rounded out the dish well.

So the next time your in the mood for a steak dinner - this is where it's at!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

1 red onion, cut into thick slices
1/2 cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into strips
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
salt and pepper, to taste
3 12 oz. New York Strip Steaks

Olivada:

1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon capers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

To make olivada, combine olives, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl.  Let sit for about 20 minutes for flavors to meld.

Meanwhile, combine onion, cauliflower, asparagus, and bell pepper in a grill pan  Toss with 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill under direct heat until vegetables start to char - about 10 minutes or so.  Toss vegetables with about half of the olivada.  Set aside.

Brush the steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill steaks on direct heat, turning once, about 8-10 minutes for a medium rare.  Cook a little bit longer if you want them more done.  Let rest on carving board for about 5 minutes.

Serve steaks alongside the vegetables and top steaks with additional olivada, if desired.

Seriously, if you're a carnivore, this is sure to please ya!  I don't know if it was because I hadn't had meat in so long or what, but this meal is definitely a keeper!  See you guys tomorrow - have a great rest of your Wednesday!

Good-bye Summer!

The temperature has literally dropped like 40 degrees since Saturday.  It's a beautiful 58 F outside right now.  It's the first morning I've had to actually put on a sweatshirt to walk around the house.  And it feels amazing!

I'm still dreading going back to work after a nice and relaxing long weekend, but the bills gots to be paid, right?!  Anyway, in honor of letting summer go, I'm leaving you with a bowl of summer.  Because from here on out, the food is gonna get "comfy" and hearty... just like fall intended it to be!

No real recipe here.  Just combine your favorite fruits of summer (in my case, just simply green grapes and chunks of watermelon), and get your snack on!

I'll be back tomorrow with something less-lazy... I promise!

Peach & Clove Ice Cream

Happy Labor Day guys!

I always joke that this is my day... well, because my last name is "Labor".  I know, I'm a dork.

I thought I'd celebrate the day by sharing a special treat with you guys!

This was the first time I had busted out my ice cream maker all season long.  And I had to make it perfect if I was going to get Andy to like it - he's got this crazy belief that "dessert should not include fruit" - so if I was going to make this, and make him like it - it had to be incredible.

And you know what?  He LOVED it!  Albeit... he did mix it with a crumbled up brownie and drizzle it with chocolate syrup - but hey, I'll still take it as a win!  Me?  I enjoy the simple flavors of the peaches, and interesting addition of the cloves.  I like to savor every bite of this one, because it truly is one of my favorites!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Oklahoma Peach Fuzz's recipe

1-1/3 lbs ripe peaches (about 6), peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Triple Sec
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
juice from 1 lime
Combine peaches, water, cloves, and Triple Sec in medium nonreactive saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat.  Mix in sugar, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Add peach mixture to food processor with Greek yogurt, heavy cream, milk, vanilla, and lime juice. Process until smooth. Chill thoroughly in refrigerator, about 6-8 hours. Once chilled, transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Happy Labor Day guys - I'll be spending the day relaxing and not thinking about having to return to work tomorrow!

Steamed Salmon w/ Greens, Corn, & Pickled Vegetables

Happy Friday guys!

We've got a big Labor Day weekend planned, too!  Our great friends Ike & Becca are getting married tomorrow - so congrats to the future Lehrs! 

Sunday, we'll probably head out to World Fest - which showcases the cultural diversity of Louisville by food, music, and shops!  We went last year and had a great time, so looking forward to that one! 

Still don't have any Labor Day plans, but if all else fails, I know we'll be lounging around - which is good enough for me!  Anyway, let's get to today's dish!

We haven't been eating a lot of red meat around these parts.  I don't know why, we've just been opting for lighter meals.  Salmon is always a favorite of ours, and when I saw this simple dish over at Joanne's Eats Well With Others, I knew I had to try it out!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Eats Well With Others' Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-inch thick slice of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup kale, chopped
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup mizuna greens
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus extra for drizzling
2 6 oz. salmon fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups fresh corn
pickled vegetables

In a large skillet under medium high heat, add both oils.  Add the ginger and garlic powder.  Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add kale, spinach, mizuna, soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of water.  Saute until the greens start to wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread the greens in an even layer in the skillet.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place the fillets on top of the greens in the skillet.  Cover pan and lower heat to medium.  Steam fish for about 5-7 minutes, or until just cooked through. 

You can choose to cook your corn if you'd like, but I'm weird and I like the taste of raw corn.  Divide corn among two plates and top with salmon fillets.  Serve alongside the greens and pickled vegetables.  Drizzle additional sesame oil, soy sauce, and/or remaining steam liquid in pan (it was infused with the garlic and ginger, so it's tasty!).

This was a great meal.  Andy and I both had our plates cleaned on this one.  That's a sure sign of a winner there!

Hope you guys have a great holiday weekend and I'll be back Monday!

Danville, KY - A Hidden Gem

You might have remembered last week, when I said I was meeting up with a few other Kentucky Food Bloggers.  I had such an amazing time, and thanks to Adam from the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau, we were set up with a culinary tour of Danville, KY.

Now let's get one thing straight.  Before this planned meet-up, I'd honestly never heard of Danville, KY.  Well, I only know of one story that Andy has told me about how, when he was in a band in his early 20's, they played a show at a Centre College (which is in Danville) frat house.  They were-in turn banned from Centre due to leaving a few prohibited things around - a.k.a. kegs of beer/beer bottles.  Why such a harsh punishment?  Well, up until May 2010, Danville was a "dry" city - meaning no purchasing of alcohol (which is a little crazy right?)  So since the law was passed to declare Danville "wet", the city has blossomed with a few new restaurants and pubs - something us foodies were ready and willing to explore!

Our first stop?  V the Market.  It was a quaint little shop full of wine bottles, loads of different kinds of beer (many sold by the bottle, not the 6-pack - which is a sure sign you'll find great beer), bourbons, hand-picked cheeses, chocolates, and other gourmet treats.

Next was Mermaids where we enjoyed sipping on two different types of signature cocktails - the Porch Punch & Mermaid Punch.  Both were delicious and unique!  Definitely made me want to lounge around on a beach somewhere with one of those in hand!  We were also served a small plate of 3 different appetizer-type dishes: prosciutto-wrapped prawn, slice of local beef,  and a cucumber-wrapped slice of ahi tuna with a wasabi sauce.  All three of which were mighty tasty!

 

Then we headed to 303W where we were greeted with a table full of appetizer selections.  It was an old-fashioned pool hall (pool tables were in the back) and definitely had the feel of a laid back, sit down and have a beer-type bar.  The appetizer selections were tasty, especially the soft pretzel breadsticks - yummo!

Next we dove into the local pizza joint, Bluegrass Pizza & Pub - which definitely had similarities to Louisville's own Wick's Pizza (which isn't my favorite because I'm a New York, thin slice-pizza kinda gal) - but Bluegrass was definitely spot-on with their traditional-style pizza and I would prefer them to Wick's any day.  Sorry Wick's! 

Then came my personal favorite stop of the night, The Beer Engine.  I mean, the location of this place says it all - if you didn't know it was there, you'd be sorry because you'd be missing out!  It's kind of secluded in the back area of a parking lot, with just an emblem of a skull and "hops"-bones marking the door.  The logo is sheer awesomeness in my opinion.  We got to do a tasting of a few beers that they had on tap (and they had quite a selection!), and all were mighty tasty.  This is definitely the kind of place you can find yourself hanging out with friends over a few beers on a regular basis!

We ended the night at The Hub Coffee House & Cafe.  While I didn't indulge in any coffee, we winded down, ate cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter and chatted with eachother about our night.  We were given goodie bags from Karamel Kreations & Burke's Bakery Delicatessen - and I'm sorry that I don't have any pictures of the contents of the bags - I snacked on the goodies during my hour and a half trip home!  I couldn't resist!

For our first meet-up, I thought this was successful night!  I got to meet an amazing group of people - all unique in their own ways - and we all got to share in a tour of one of Kentucky's hidden gems of a city - Danville.  Seriously, if you're in Kentucky, or driving through Kentucky - Danville is well worth a visit!  I know I'll be back!

And I want to take a moment to thank Mindy from The World in My Kitchen (who has a great review up on her blog, as well!) and Adam from the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau for setting this whole evening up and letting us experience Danville!

Mixed Greens w/ Apples & Smoked Gouda

I know I've been posting a lot of simple salads over the past few months - but I can't help it!  I love lunchin' on salads!

One of my favorite additions to salads are julienned apples - Granny Smiths to be exact.  Raise your hand if you agree!  They just give a welcomed and refreshing sour bite in the midst of some semi-bitter greens.

Happy mid-week to ya guys and just remember - 2 more days and it's a 3 day weekend (for those of us in the US that is!).


Ingredients:

Mixed greens
1/2 cup Smoked gouda, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Granny Smith apple, peeled and julienned
1/4 cup deli turkey, chopped

In a large bowl combine greens, gouda, apple, and turkey.  Serve plain or dressed with your favorite dressing!

Simple right?  Right. 

I promise I'll start posting "harder" recipes soon!  Stay tuned tomorrow for my review of our Danville, KY tasting and a meet-up with other KY Food Bloggers!  Have a great rest of your Wednesday guys!

Black Bean Salad

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!  I'm already ready for our three-day weekend!

I've got to head out to work tonight, but I just wanted to do a quick post first.

This black bean salad is quick, easy, and practically goes with any summer meal!  You could even eat it all by itself (I know, because I did for lunch a couple times!)

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can seasoned black beans, drained
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
small handful fresh Basil, chopped
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium sized bowl, toss together black beans, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.

Let marinate in the fridge for at least 45 minutes for flavors to meld.  Serve as a side dish for practically anything!

Don't you just love easy, throw together dishes like this?  I know I do!  Have a great Tuesday guys!