the perfect steak, maybe..?

back in january, i wrote this entry: red meat and i. i am by no means an expert at cooking steak, but i think i've found a way i truly enjoy it - broiling! by following exactly what i did in the aforementioned entry, i once again was able to enjoy a succulent, flavorful chunk of cow.

this time, however, i used something different...alder smoked sea salt. smells like an ashtray, tastes like grilled diamonds. i enjoyed the cut a bit more rare this time around, and was pleasantly surprised by how powerful the smokiness of the salt was, even after broiling. not a clue where it came from, but thanks for having it in the kitchen!

juicing

(and no, i don't mean of the meat-head variety.)

juicing! the art of shoving whole (or halved) fruits and vegetables into this terrifying machine of grating power, receiving the fragrant gift of both tasteless shavings, and sweet, sweet nectar of the goddddds...

alright, so i'm a little enthralled with my new-old juicer. recently i watched a documentary about a man who was in desperate need for a major life change (Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead). Aside from losing an obscene amount of weight, his diet was extremely inspiring, and i took it upon myself to give it a whirl. first of all, beets are disgusting. blech. but as most unappetizing things go, they're very good for you. the first drink i ended up making was a carrot, ginger, broccoli, and beet juice. which was so awkward, that it took some major convincing (even audibly, "MM GOOD, TRY SOME.") for me to get around it. after adding some apple, peach, and honey, the drink began to take form. but just a heads up, a (large) grape sized amount of ginger is morrrrre than enough for an entire blender full.

speaking of blender....i re-found my love of smoothies <3

(pictured is a mix of granny smith apple, strawberries, raspberries, nectarine, honey, and milk)

this post is dedicated to the lovely Jess, for the donation of her very welcome juicer.

merlot steak with sauteed red pepper

 

just another simple meal that is mostly preparation. and a box of rice and beans. and a bottle of wine. alright, so it's not exactly the easiest thing to make, but i promise it's just a lot of chopping! i tried an experiment by broiling the steak in merlot and sliced onion. it turned out alright, but nothing incredibly memorable. i should try it again, but make a reduction out of the merlot, onions, and a little butter. mm, mouth watering just at the thought..

my favvvvvorite part of this dish was the sauteed pepper side. i diced an absurd amount of garlic (my hands stunk for a week) and roasted it a little in olive oil before adding the pepper slices. ugh! i have no idea where my sudden love for peppers came from, but i could eat a serious bowl of this alone.

ooh...a thought occurs..what about broiling the steak with peppers and garlic?

 

as usual, one of the dogs are always waiting for a snack..

how not to cut cheese

i'm going to need to bring a hacksaw to work...

pear, and roasted pine nut salad

 

 

a while ago a friend had served me this great salad. it had warmth, crunch, and bursts of refreshing flavor. the pine nuts really make this complete. when roasted, their flavor comes out in an almost meaty smokiness. next time i think i'll pick out softer pears, or put them in the oven to soften and caramelize! i think this might be my favorite salad, ever.

i used the following:

- organic endives (chopped) and arugala,

- peeled pear quarters, seared in a pan.

- caesar dressing (should have gone for balsamic!)

- pine nuts, roasted in olive oil, on a low heat until golden

birthday suit

 these have successfully aided in my acquiring of a juicer, so i can drink more food.

(thank you, jess, for the juicer. you are lovely)

home-made asiago wheat 'pizza'

(with chicken!)

   prior to a few months ago, i was cellphone free for a little over a year. i found this very liberating, and after a while i honestly could say i didn't need a phone. i didn't even bother getting one of those pre-paid deals. it just wasn't necessary for my life style. but then, i caved in and got myself a trusty ol blackberry. which i eventually grew out of. within 30 days. i was hungry for more! 
 

 

i ended up with an android phone, and promptly became addicted to the different camera apps available. the different settings took some getting used to (ie: image on the left) and at often times frustrate me...but hey, beats lugging a 15lb camera around the kitchen, eh? and now that i'm addicted to camera apps, i no longer need to go into my closet to whip out different cameras! which i never really do anyway..

i have become a lazy photographer. 

the badly exposed photo above (ohmygo- is that a real polaroid??) contains the ingredients for this particular evenings dinner: chicken, chopped spinach and mushroom, and some bits of fragrant asiago cheese. a good friend stopped by (who also happens to be heavily interested in the culinary arts) and we got a little creative..

working with whatever we had available (literally), wheat flour seemed like a great start. we looked up a quick no-yeast recipe (a little olive oil, water and a pinch of salt) and improvised with some honey. it didn't quite take the right consistency at first, but an egg and a pinch of regular flour later...pizza dough! kneading it was most fun, and reminded me quite of a bit of taking ceramics class in highschool. i kept repeating to myself, "no bubbles! it'll explode in the kiln!" 

well, it worked. my kitchen is intact. despite not having a kiln.

for the sauce, we used a generic four cheese alfredo sauce with some parmesan cheese melted in. both the mushrooms and spinach were prewrapped from the supermarket, as was the shredded cheese. i got the asiago from work <3 the chicken was boiled the day prior, in parsley, celery, carrot, parsnip, and onion. my mother had been making a broth, so the chicken was fairly lean at this point. and since everything was ready-to-eat, it only needed to be in the oven long enough for the cheeses to melt. (i had it in around 350)

 

 

we were inventive, and it paid off. somewhat. honestly, the sauce should have been a sweet tomato sauce to bring out the honey in the crust more. which was amazing. but often overshadowed by the cheeses. i love asiago, but it wasn't for this meal. in fact, a lot of this sounds like a mismatched nightmare, but it was really good - i promise!!!