Luscious Steak and Pasta
Roasted Beet Arugula Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Freshly made Fettuccini with Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce
Steak Bites with Balsamic Glaze
Maple Pecan Tart
Beet, Orange and Arugula Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or sunflower oil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large or 4 small beets, roasted, peeled, and cut in rounds or half-moons (depending on the size)
1 oranges, peel and pith removed, cut into slices or half-moons (depending on the size)
4 cups wild or baby arugula
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped walnuts
PREPARATION
Step 1
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sherry or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and oils. Taste and adjust the acidity, adding a little more vinegar or orange juice if desired.
Step 2
Toss the beets with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Toss the arugula with 3 tablespoons of the remaining dressing and arrange on a platter or in a wide bowl. Arrange the beets and oranges on top of the arugula in an alternating pattern and drizzle on the remaining dressing. Top with the cilantro and walnuts, and serve.
TIP
Advance preparation: Roasted beets will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator. They can be prepared and tossed with the tablespoon of dressing, and the oranges can be prepared, several hours before assembling the salad.
Fresh Pasta Dough
yield: 2 servings
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.
In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.
Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.
Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.
Creamy Garlic Steak Fettuccine
Yield: 2:
1 pasta recipe, prepped and cooked
1 cup cubed or sliced steak
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup parmesan
1 tablespoon parsley
½ cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups spinach
1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
In a large skillet over medium high heat add steak. Cook until caramelized then remove from pan. Add butter and garlic then cook until fragrant. Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring to pick up any fond on bottom of pan. Once heavy cream in added bring to a boil and add tomatoes, and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Turn heat off, add cooked pasta to pan along with parmesan, parsley, and steak. Toss to fully coat and incorporate. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper then finish with balsamic glaze. Serve.
Maple Pecan Tart
Ingredients
CRUST
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1large egg yolk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vodka
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
FILLING
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Preparation
CRUST
Step 1
In a bowl of the food processor add the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse until the butter is pea sized, then add the egg yolk and vodka. Continue to process until it starts to clump together, then turn out on the counter and using your hands bring the dough together and shape into a disk. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 10 1/2-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Step 2
Place crust in freezer 30 minutes before filling and baking.
FILLING
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Whisk in maple syrup, corn syrup, melted butter, and salt. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked crust. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet.
Step 4
Bake tart until filling is slightly puffed and set, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.
Step 5
Cut tart into wedges and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
