On today's menu: Grilled Steak & Mushrooms with Tomato-Asparagus Ragout
I was listening to Oprah on XM Radio the other day and she had a guest on that made a statement that registered with me. The guest is a famous writer that I shall not name but here's the back story. The question was asked, if the writer thought that her fans would be mad about her dramatic change in genre and material for her yet-to-be released new book. The writer simply said, "true-to-themself, writer's write, not just for an audience but often times to bare their souls!" It hit me like a ton of bricks and made me more resolved than ever to hone my writing skill set. As you should know I am a cook but I love telling stories so writing seems like a natural progression.
The funny thing about listening to the self-help genre of programming is that the information shared can usually be applied universally. In a different episode Oprah stated that the one thing that all of her guest have in common is a need to be heard or more appropriately, validated. To have someone in the world say, "I hear you!" Nothing can be closer to the truth........
When I started The Other Parsimonious Chef blog, I wasn't quite sure of what I would do with it. As it has turned out it's been extremely organic. I steer it in a certain direction but I allow it to drift along the way, which to me keeps it from being rehearsed or unauthentic. As previously stated I love sharing my stories and as life races onward I have more and more experiences to share, more laughs to relay and many more recipes to hand off for you to do what you wish with them. My hope in sharing my blog is to inspire my readers not only to cook but to live a richer life. Write, blog, bike, travel, love, share, praise, teach, cook and stay humble.. Whatever it is DEMAND to be HEARD. Do You Hear Me?????
For the Steak we will need the following:
- Tomahawk, Sirloin or Porterhouse Steak (1-2 each)
- Olive oil (1 Tbs)
- Butter (1 Tbs)
- Cremini Mushrooms (2 lbs)
- Sweet Onions (1 each)
- Thyme or Oregano (1 tsp)
- Red Wine (1/4 cup)
- Salt & Pepper (T T)
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| Tomahawk Steak |
Start off by washing the mushrooms and then cutting them into 1/4, stem and all. Next add half of the oil to a heated pan and place the mushroom in the pan, cooking until they are golden and starting to brown, remove and set aside once done. Julienne the onion and add the rest of the oil and the cut onions to the pan, allowing to brown. Add the herbs and the cooked mushrooms back to the pan adding the wine and scraping the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside for later use.
For the steak simply heat a skillet and add the butter and place the well seasoned steak in the skillet, cooking on one side for 3-4 minutes or until it has a crust. Flip and place in an oven pre-heated to 425 for an additional 5 minutes or until your desired level of doneness. Be sure to allow the steak to rest for 2-5 minutes once cooked, trust me this will keep your steak juicy.......
For the Potatoes we will need the following:
- Yukon Gold Potatoes (6 each)
- Olive Oil (1 tsp)
- Butter (1 Tbs)
- Salt & Pepper (T T)
Cut the potatoes into slices or chips and add the oil and butter to a heated skillet and place them into the skillet in a circled fashion overlaying each other. Cook on one side to 5 minutes and then carefully flip over and cook in an oven preheated to 350 for no longer than 15 minutes (they should be sliced fairly thin so this is more than enough time).
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| Tomato-Asparagus Ragout |
For the Ragout we will need :
- Tomatoes (3 each)
- Garlic (1 Tbs)
- Sweet Onions
- Asparagus
- Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
- Balsamic Vinegar (1 tsp)
- Salt & Pepper (T T)
- (Optional) Butter (1 Tbs)
Cut the Asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces, julienne the onions, dice the tomatoes into large pieces and roughly chop the garlic. Add the oil into a heated skillet and then add the asparagus, cooking until it is slightly brown, add the onions doing the same. Finally, add the tomatoes and garlic then cover for 3-5 minutes to allow the tomatoes to liquify slightly. Remove cover and add the vinegar and season to taste (T T). Optional - add the butter and stir in, creates a richer and thicker ragout... Yum Yum...
