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Kitchen Challenge {Cauliflower Steak Au Poivre}
Challenge, meatless steak au poivre…
I think the natural choice would be portobello mushrooms, they are a great stand in for beef. My mind went to cauliflower, my love of cauliflower has been well established, and I did love those cauliflower steaks.
Hot out of the oven. The cast iron skillet is a rock star in the oven, it is also a great tool to crush the peppercorns. You can see a lot of the peppercorns fall off, but that is quite OK because in the end they will be in the sauce that is poured over the steaks.
Traditionally au poivre is served with French fries, skinny fries are best, though I think garlic bread would sit in very nicely too. I skipped an accompaniment, I don’t suggest you do that, it was a bit awkward trying to get all that spicy sauce goodness into my mouth with a fork alone.
Cauliflower Steak Au Poivre
Author: Jacky Hackett
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 2 slices of cauliflower, cut about 1″ thick
- ¼ cup freshly cracked peppercorns, crushed
- 1 TBLS. olive oil
- 1 TBLS. butter
- 2 TBLS Brandy (Cognac preferred)
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- Salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Brush the cauliflower slices lightly with oil.
- Dredge the cauliflower in crushed peppercorns to coat.
- Heat remaining oil and butter in oven proof skillet over medium heat.
- Add cauliflower to heated oil/butter and let cook on one side about 2 minutes.
- Place skillet in the oven and cook 10 minutes, turn cauliflower and cook another 10 minutes.
- Remove skillet from oven, take cauliflower out and set aside on plate (peppercorns may fall off, this is ok).
- Return the skillet to the stove-top over medium heat.
- Add brandy to pan (careful it will flame up, also do not pour directly from bottle). Once flames are gone, stir in broth and season with a pinch of salt.
- Cook to reduce to about half.
- Optional, stir in a ½ TBLS. of butter to finish the sauce.
I think this pictures is a clear indication that this challenge was a success!
It doesn’t take too much time to get this on the table, so it makes a great quick weeknight meal, though I wouldn’t overlook it as a dinner party or special occasion meal. Next attempt will be with the portobello perhaps, and a side of French fries.
Posted in Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Main
3 Comments
Derby Dip {Roasted Red Pepper Dip}
Not sure I ever mentioned I used to do roller derby. Well not the full contact version, but a derby for “women old enough to know better!”, Derby Lite. It was so fun, challenging, and the women were all amazing. It has been a few years since I last skated with them, purely a time management decision. My running miles picked up, and in the end the time efficiency of running won the time slot. One of the the beauties of running is that there is no bag to pack and no travel time. Just lace up and head out the door, it is a time efficient workout option.
I learned a lot in the years that I did skate with the group. The first and most important lesson, how to fall. The key to getting up unharmed is a proper fall. Falling, brushing yourself off, and getting back on your feet is a valuable life lesson no matter the sport or situation.
I also met some amazing people through the program, some of the most creative and talented people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Quite a few of the ladies went on to the big leagues to give the full contact version a go. How fun would that be! Maybe in my next life. Anyway, one of my favorites to skate with was Payne D. Spencer. We always had great conversations and we have a mutual love for good (mostly healthy) eats and cold beer. She passed along a recipe to me ages ago, and I make it quite often. I’ve tweaked it over time and adjust the ingredients for the consistency I’m craving. This dip is a great way to enjoy more veggies and a thicker version makes a great sandwich spread.
I’ve craved this dip (and vegetables) lately. I knew I had a jar of the peppers in the cabinet, and the other ingredients in the fridge, except fresh lemons. But I of course have those preserved lemons patiently parked in the fridge. You know where I got the idea for preserving the lemons? Poppy Spock, another favorite derby lady I met at Derby Lite. Not only is she a skater extraordinaire, but she has an awesome blog (alla Poppy), and always adds a bright spot to my Facebook news feed. If you are a fan of the mechanics of fitness, great recipes or just want to read some kick-ass writing, check her out — her bout day breakfasts alone are worth tuning in for. Anyway, you see where this is going. I used the preserved lemons in the dip. Perfect! The tart salty lemons were a bright addition.
Voila, derby dip…
Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Author: Jacky Hackett
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
- 1 small jar roasted red peppers
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup low-fat cream cheese
- ¼ of a preserved lemon (or juice from 1 small lemon)
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a food processor and processes until smooth.
- Serve with fresh vegetables.
Notes
The dip is little on the thin side, if you prefer it thicker adjust the proportions of yogurt and cream cheese.
Another great use for those preserved lemons, and a super easy dip to have on hand in the warmer weather. By the way, I fully intend to get back to skating in the future and reclaim my derby name, JaxSin.
Posted in Appetizers, My Life, Recipes
7 Comments
Perfect Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon Sauce
So ya know I preserved those lemons with no clue how I was going to use them. My husband actually hates lemon is his food which makes using them up even more of a challenge. I just could not see them to go to waste.
Well even preserved lemons have a shelf life. As much as I hate when my husband travels, the timing is right this trip because I can finally use the preserved lemons. I had some bone-in split chicken breasts in the freezer — the flavor and juiciness of bone-in chicken far out weigh the convenience of boneless skinless chicken.
I seasoned the chicken with za’atar, my go to chicken seasoning these days. I had not heard of this seasoning until a good friend gave me some as a gift. Now I can’t get enough of it! It is a mixture of thyme, sesame seeds, summac, olive oil and sea salt.
Za’atar and pepper on the chicken, the preserved lemons are salty so no additional seasoning is needed. You could first dredge it in flour if you prefer.
I browned the breasts in a mixture of oil and butter and then finished them in the oven. Browning in the oil and butter combo, and then roasting in a hot oven uncovered makes for the perfect roasted chicken! Once out of the oven I set them aside and made a sauce in the same pan I roasted the chicken in.
Topped the chicken with the sauce and served it simply with lightly dressed arugula. Though on the second go-round I served it with a creamy polenta, which was perfect to absorb the sauce. A bit of chicken, bite of arugula dredged through the sauce topped polenta was the best of it all in one bite.
The sauce was outrageously delicious, not enough of it pictured above! Rich from the chicken stock, tangy from the lemons, and salty from the preserve juices. This recipe is all about the sauce. All about the sauce! I served extra on the side and added plenty as I eating.
Perfect Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon Sauce
Author: Jacky Hackett
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breast, bone-in and skin on
- 3 T. Za’atar (or favorite poultry seasoning)
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 T. butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ preserved lemon
- 3 T. juices from preserved lemons
- 1 T. butter (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Rinse chicken and pat dry, coat with seasoning.
- Heat oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium heat.
- Brown chicken breasts on all sides.
- Place uncovered Dutch oven in heated oven. Cook chicken for 15 minutes and flip. Cook another 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from oven, set breasts on a plate and return the Dutch oven to the stove top over medium heat.
- Stir garlic into the Dutch oven and heat about 30 seconds, pour in stock, lemons, and lemon juice. Stir and scrap up crisp bits on the pan.
- Bring sauce to boil, reduce heat and cook until reduce by half.
- Optional, stir in 1 T. butter.
- Add chicken breasts into the pan, coat with sauce and serve.
One of my best creations in the kitchen in a long time.
Posted in Poultry, Recipes
3 Comments
Pictures of the Week
1) More progress 2) Post race refresh 3) Mother’s Day 4) Hell yea! 5) I scream 6) Airport dining 7) My view
Montauk Vacation
I took a long weekend for Mother’s Day and headed to Montauk to visit my son. After a long travel day I arrived to just in time to enjoy happy hour on a beautiful day with an equally beautiful view.
A fabulous start to a fabulous weekend where I was so well taken care of. I checked into my ocean view room and was greeted with a fruit and chocolate basket, with a nice note about my son written by his boss. My room not only had a great view, but a nice covered deck. So even in the rain I could sit out an enjoy the view and scent of the ocean.
We started our evening with a walk into town, we took the beach route. It was a few miles but who cares how far it is when you are on the beach.
A fun evening out that ended at Liar’s Saloon. More like a house party where I was the den mother, but an extremely fun time. When you are visiting a new city, the best way to get to know it is to trust the locals and skip the tourist spots. Proof positive was our dinner at The Hideaway, this place is literally hidden away in the marina. This time of year the lot in front is filled with large boats that block you from even seeing the building. Seems pretty shabby at first glance, but don’t let the appearance fool you. With the windows open to the water I imagine this place is even better in the summer months. The food is fresh from scratch Mexican with some BBQ items mixed in. The owners are friendly and their love of the place comes through in the food. The brisket tacos are simple and delicious, seriously the best brisket I have ever had!
The chips are fresh made and so light and crispy, great with the creamy guacamole and salsa. The shrimp burrito was awesome, super fresh and light (as much as a burrito can be anyway)! The margaritas are made to order and shaken to chill, no sour mix in sight. Bonus they had my long sought after Watermelon Wheat beer, a special request on my behalf, I was well taken care of over the weekend.
On our way to The Hideaway we stopped off at The Montauket to check out the sunset. They were not serving food yet for the season, but it is a great place for a drink on the water, especially at sunset. There is plenty of seating outside and even on a crummy day the view from the bar is pretty spectacular, all you see is water as if you were on a boat.
After a late night, it felt great to sleep in on Saturday morning. Waking to the sounds of the ocean is best case in my world. I took a nice long walk on the beach, grabbed some lunch, and then was off to enjoy my early Mother’s Day gift, an hour-long Swedish massage. See, I could not have been taken better care of. Such a treat and boy have I wanted a massage lately. I headed back onto the beach to walk into town. The weather wasn’t ideal, actually I could only see about 40 yards in front of me on the beach, a bit eery. On the plus side, I had the beach to myself. The beach gods took care of me too, collecting beach glass is an obsession of mine, though I rarely find any on the ocean beaches. Not only did I find glass on my walk but I found blue beach glass, a rare find, and lots of it. Best souvenirs ever!
Once in town I stopped in a few stores and stopped in for a small bit to eat at South Edison.
South Edison was a great find. They had a list of craft cocktails, including a design your own pickle martini where you can select from a variety of pickled items and have it mixed with your choice of gin or vodka. I wasn’t in the mood for a cocktail so stuck to my watermelon wheat beer. Seriously, how is this beer from Minnesota and not available in Illinois? The food menu, not surprisingly, had a lot of seafood options. I only wish I had been more hungry so I could have tasted a few other options. I went with a red snapper crudo with pickled watermelon, ginger and kaffir lime.
Delicious! pickled watermelon has been added to my to-do list. I loved the check delivered in a little pale with salt water taffy too.
With Sunday’s early morning race looming, Saturday was a low-key evening. More tasty food from The Hideaway and bed before midnight. I crashed hard, a late night and lots of walking made for a tiring and fulfilling day!
I was well cared for all weekend, it was s such a nice treat! Though I majorly failed on the picture front, ZERO pictures of me with my son. #FAIL! Mother’s Day weekend wrapped up airport style, worth every minute of it…
Back to reality!
Pictures of the Week
1) Almost there 2) Happy hour ocean side 3) LIRR 4) Progress 5) Brisket tacos 6) Tball fiesta 7) Salt water shot
Posted in My Life
4 Comments
Montauk Mother’s Day 5K
I spent Mother’s Day weekend visiting my son in Long Island. The end of the island, and the easternmost point in New York state. Not one travel hiccup, which is amazing consider it involved four planes, two cabs, one train, a bus, and a few car rides. Not the easiest place to get to from Chicago but it was certainly worth the effort.
My flight home wasn’t until early evening on Sunday, so I was excited to see there was a Mother’s Day race planned for the Sunday morning. After a long hiatus from 5Ks, I ran a second one in as many weeks. The distance is not my favorite since it often takes me about that distance to start feeling good. My last 5K I rode my bike the few miles to warm my legs up, this time I didn’t have that option. The weather wasn’t too great, drizzling and foggy, it was cool but bit humid.
The race was a good old-fashioned home-grown race. No online sign up, no swag, no shirts, no chips, no time clocks. I was handed an index card with my number when I crossed the finish, they manually tallied results. A nice table of cold water and juicy orange slices at the finish line, love orange slices after a race.
Not a huge turnout, though I have no clue how it compared to earlier years. If I had to guess, I would say maybe 60 people, it was definitely the smallest race I have ever run. The route was loop around Fort Pond. Being unfamiliar with the area I had to be sure to keep the runners in front of me in view so I’d know where the next turn was, pretty bare bones course marking as would be expected for such a small race. A nice scenic quiet, slightly hilly course, it actually reminded me a lot of my last marathon experience.
On the last curve headed into the finish I spotted my son and girlfriend at the finish line to cheer me on. Up early on a day off, that’s love. We headed out for breakfast and a hike in Shadmoor State Park. The trails are on bluffs with great ocean views and a WWII Bunker to explore.
Overall a great day and a fun race, bonus I improved my time from a few weeks ago.
Pictures of the Week
1) Blue skies 2) Chit chat 3) Understatement 4) Start Me Up 5) Porch guest 6) Player 7) Overdue
Posted in My Life
3 Comments
Kitchen Time
This about sums things up these days…
Luckily this weekend I had time to pick up some of the broken pieces and make some progress on the to do list. Lots of time for some fun and relaxing too. I got a lot done in the kitchen to help prep for our busy week ahead.
We have a couple of busy evenings, so something quick to grab to eat is on the menu. First up, the incredible edible egg. Leftover rice makes a great crust, mix it with an egg and season with salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of a greased casserole or pie pan.
Pour on top of it a mixture or eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Top it with cooked vegetables and cheese. I used leeks and Swiss. I used 6 eggs, about 1/2 cup of milk, a tablespoon of mustard, and two leeks (chopped and sauteed), 4 oz of cheese, season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Reheats perfectly for a quick weeknight meal. Makes a great lunch too, served on top of some salad greens or baby arugula. These casseroles are a great way to use up what you have on hand in the fridge, which I am a bit obsessive about.
Up next, cheeseburger wraps! I should have used more meat in each wrap and less foil. Grilled on the stove-top grill and these are another quick weeknight meal.
Finished off my time in the kitchen with an appetizer to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. So easy to throw together and so very tasty. Very refreshing for our first evening to sit outside for drinks and appetizers.
It was nice to wrap up the weekend with some fun and our delicious grilled brat burgers. The work in the kitchen was much preferred to the never-ending yard work, wish I knew it was all done but lots more work on the agenda for next weekend too. Regardless, it always feels good being productive!
Posted in Appetizers, Recipes
8 Comments
