Monthly Archives: September 2013

Ribeye + Roasted Tomatoes + Potatoes + Cauli Mash

September 30, 2013

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Seared Ribeye

  • 2 Boneless Ribeye
  • Tommy’s Coffee Rub
  • Olive oil

About an hour before you want to cook your steaks, take them out of the fridge and season them. I used a coffee rub on mine, and just simple garlic salt + pepper on Crawford’s. In a heavy bottomed pan that has been on the stove heating for about 3-4 minutes, add in olive oil to coat the pan. When it starts to shimmer, add your steaks. They should sizzle. Sizzle means a good crust, and nothing’s worse that a rubbery, soggy steak. After 2.5 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove the steaks and cover them for at least 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy.

Purple Cauliflower Mash

  • 1 head purple cauliflower, chopped
  • 4 oz goat cheese
  • 1 tbs light butter
  • Salt/pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain and add to vitamix with the rest of the ingredients and puree. It’s a weird color, but tasty.

Parmesan and Rosemary Potatoes

My brain hurts and it’s Sunday. Just follow a recipe similar to this, but add rosemary : http://imperrfections.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/parmesan-roasted-potatoes/

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

  • Package of cherry tomatoes
  • Olive oil

Cut tomatoes in half and put on a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a little s&p. Bake in a 225 degree oven for 3 hours. YES, three hours. These are like crack, and are worth the wait.

Places I’ve Been + Midland Moments

September 29, 2013

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Well sh*t. I officially went to Chili’s on a Friday night. After having a casual binge drinking outing on Friday afternoon with some girls, our husbands decided they would pass on joining us for dinner, leaving us on our own to figure out where we would stumble to. Cut to us walking across the parking lot to Chili’s, where there was a line out the door of Midland’s finest singles and more Rascal scooters than I care to see. We walk in, and knowing that the wait would be well over 2 hours, I decide to tell a little lie (shocker). I walked up to the hostess and told her I had put myself on the list and gave her my name and phone number. She couldn’t find it, and apologized. I was a sweet girl, and told her not to worry–I’d “called” 40 minutes ago, she could just add me to the list. Boom. That ended up not making a difference, since we sat in the bar anyways. After politely declining a drink from a gentleman with a tattoo sleeve and knock off Ed Hardy shirt, I joined the ladies at our table. I kid you not–I ordered a cosmo, and was served Tequila and Cranberry juice and almost puked. I asked the waitress for a cosmo with vodka, and she went to go grab it, but had to turn around and take my martini glass from me–they were fresh out. Score. Well, a round of skillet queso, a triple dipper and some soft pretzel later, we were ready to roll out. Literally, roll. I was so full I almost had to snatch a rascal ride back the the car. And guess what? Chili’s DID. NOT. SUCK. I hate myself for loving it.

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On an unrelated note, I bought my dog a Tommy Bahama shirt. photo 4

AND…. When I wen to H-E-B, there was literally no one there. If you live in Midland, you know how incredible this is. I was in Fatty Heaven (and tried all the samples).

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Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken + Corn Salad + Faux Fried Okra

September 29, 2013
Final Product

Final Product

Stuffed Chicken rollups

  • 2 chicken breasts (or 4 chicken cutlets)
  • Goat cheese
  • 1 jalapeño
  • ½ shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Long toothpicks or skewers

Pound out your chicken breasts to about ¼ – ½ inches. Cut each in half so that you have 4 pieces. In a food processor combine the goat cheese, jalapeno, shallot and garlic until it is blended together. Spread on the chicken and roll them up and stick the toothpick in and put on a baking sheet. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 25-35 minutes.

Sautéed Sweet Corn salad

  • 3 ears of fresh corn on the cob
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 2 tbs cotija cheese
  • Handful of fresh bell peppers, chopped (I had an orange one on hand)
  • 3 leaves of fresh basil

Cut the corn off the cobs. Melt the butter in a sauté pan. I added some garlic and shallots, but you don’t have to. Add in the corn and sauté for about 8-12 minutes, I like mine a little brown. Add in the bell peppers and cook until soft (3 minutes appx). Turn the heat off and mix in the cotija cheese and chopped basil.

Faux fried okra

  • As much okra as you want
  • Cornmeal
  • Spices
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup buttermilk

Cut the okra up in pieces the size you want. Whisk your egg together with the buttermilk.  Soak in buttermilk mixture for about 5 minutes. While it’s soaking, add some spices to your cornmeal. I used a little bit of garlic salt, some cayenne pepper and paprika. Totally up to you. Toss the soaked okra in the cornmeal and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 425 oven for about 15 minutes, flip and cook another 15. Check them at this point and make sure they are crispy. If they aren’t, don’t be a bozo and take them out—let them cook longer. I served my okra with a mixture of equal parts ketchup to sriracha. Also—my cornmeal was stale and this okra actually tasted like sh*t, but I know it will be good next time. Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions!