Steak and Frites Our Way

Born to midwestern parents, I LOVE potatoes. But recently, something has taken their place in my heart. I'm not sure exactly when/how it happened, but I'm a very late comer to the cauliflower lover's group. Luke and I cannot get ENOUGH of these little white florets, most often seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed with olive oil and then an extra herb or spice to make them compliment the meal we're having that evening.

This meal is our twist on steak and frites and was a bit indulgent, but SOOOO good. Enjoy!

Steak and Frites Our Way

1 head of cauliflower, florets removed and cut into about 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ounce Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 pound New York Strip steak, about 1 1/2 inches thick
2 large shallots, thiny sliced
2 tablespoons balsmic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the cauliflower florest on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Season liberally with salt and pepper, add rosemary and drizzle olive oil, then toss until thoroughly coated. Bake 30-40 minutes, turning cauliflower once, until it starts to get browned and a little crispy. Remove from oven and top with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately.

For the steak, preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Place one tablepoon butter in the pan and melt. Season steak heavily with salt and pepper, then place in skillet, careful not to move it, and sear about 3 minutes on each side. Then place in oven and let cook about 8 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached.

Remove skillet from the oven and set steak aside on a cutting board to rest. Return the cast iron to the stove top and heat to medium. Add the reserved tablespoon of butter and melt. Then add shallots and saute about 5 minutes, until caramelized. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced, about 3-4 minutes. Serve balsamic shallot mixture over steak and enjoy!


Truffled Side Salad

4 ounces spring mix
1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh grated

Top spring mix with truffle oil, salt and pepper and Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve next to the steak and the delightful truffle hints will get picked up in every bite :)

Chickpea Arugula Salad

Need a tasty lunch or a light, pre-workout dinner? This is a great way to use items you probably already have on hand (no arugula? no problem. Sub in spinach or other leafy greens). This was the perfect weeknight meal that got me through a strenuous cardio session at the gym and came home feeling great. Give it a try!

1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (I made this with 2 lemons the second time for a real pop!)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (the good stuff, it's worth it)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 cups fresh arugula
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Toast chickpeas for 4-5 minutes until almost fragrant. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Add in basil, cheese, almonds and arugula. Toss and season with salt and pepper. Add in chickpeas and enjoy.

Lemon Parmesan Swordfish Steaks

Ok, so swordfish wasn't officially on my list of new ingredients to try for the blog, but I HAVE been meaning to attempt it. Luckily, this recipe was simple and ROCKED and I couldn't wait to share it. We enjoyed it with a simple Greek salad to utilize the lemon juice and the parmesan that I already had out and was grating :)

Since this was a Sunday meal, I prepared the Pioneer Woman's easy Olive Focaccia bread to go with it. It takes a few hours, but it has easy ingredients and takes little effort - give it a try!

Lemon Parmesan Swordfish Steaks

1 pound swordfish steak
Kosher salt
Crushed black pepper
2 tablespoons butter (divided)
2 teaspoons shredded parmesan
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season swordfish with salt and pepper liberally on both sides (especially the pepper!). Heat a cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe pan) on medium high heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Cook swordfish about 4 minutes, then flip and place in oven, cooking for another 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 tablespoon butter with parmesan and lemon zest. Spread over swordfish and enjoy!

Simple Greek Salad

6 ounces spring greens
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, cooked and cooled
1/2 cup sliced olives, assorted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinaigrette

Parmesan Tortellini Salad with Pancetta

Apologies for the long absence. I have an exciting announcement that I'll post about shortly which held explains my month off.

So Whole Foods was holding a recipe contest for Parmigiano Reggiano on their blog the Whole Story, so I figured why not try and participate? I was a finalist in their budget recipe challenge back in 2008, so it can't hurt right? My fellow Austin foodblogger MisoHungry made a Bacon & Parmigiano Reggiano Wassail Apple Turnover that sounds DELICIOUS. Check it out :)

This recipe is great because it's simple with really big flavors - a really fabulous weeknight meal.

Parmesan Tortellini Salad with Pancetta

1 (20 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini (I used Buitoni)

1/3 pound pancetta, cut into 1/3-inch cubes

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

8 ounces spring mix greens

6 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, plus more for serving

Cook tortellini to package instructions, drain and set aside. While tortellini cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet on medium heat and saute pancetta, about 6 to 8 minutes, until crisp. Add balsamic vinegar to pan and stir to combine; set aside.

In a large bowl, toss spring mix, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper, tortellini and pancetta. Add 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano and toss. Serve with additional parmiagiano reggiano and enjoy!