Butter Basted Ribeyes

I made two ribeyes, figuring Miss F could share with C and me. Turns out, these steaks were a huge hit with everyone and I definitely finished dinner wanting more. Next time, I will make each one of us our own steak.  Miss F still refuses to eat potatoes, she tried one bite of the twice baked potato and declared them to be gross.  Such a silly girl.  This recipe is adapted from Food and Wine.

Butter Basted Ribeyes

Two 1 pound, bone-in rib eye steaks
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves
1 rosemary sprig

Season the ribeyes with the salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the steaks and cook for 5 minutes, flip the steaks and add the butter, thyme, garlic and rosemary to the pan. Baste the steaks with the butter and herb mixture, for about 5 minutes more. Transfer the steaks to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

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Creamy Chicken Asparagus Pasta

I love asparagus, especially in the spring and summer when I can get a big bunch for under a dollar.  This recipe was inspired by Cooking Classy, but very little remained the same once I was through.   If you are going to the trouble of frying bacon, you might as well fry the chicken and the asparagus in the leftover bacon grease.  Go big or go home, right?  I added some fresh basil at the end for my dish, Miss F and C were quite happy without.  Heck, they would have been happy without the dried basil, oregano and thyme, but the herbs really add a lovely flavor.

Creamy Chicken Asparagus Pasta

12 ounces penne pasta
5 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sauce
1 pound asparagus, trimmed of ends, remaining diced into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¾ cup milk
¼ cup cream
1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

Prepare the pasta per package instructions, drain and set aside, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the bacon to a plate and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan. Stir together the basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the herb mixture all over the chicken. Add the chicken and asparagus to the pan and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Remove the chicken and asparagus to the plate with the bacon, set aside.

Add the butter to the pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add the garlic and whisk for 30 seconds more. Whisk in the milk and cream, bring to a boil, stirring constantly to keep smooth. Add the parmesan cheese, penne pasta, bacon, chicken and asparagus. Toss well to combine and serve with additional parmesan on top.

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Garlic, Herb, and Cheese Bread Rolls

I love any sort of yeast roll. I went to Ranch 99 the other day to get beef tenderloin for a dinner I was hosting for my uncle in from Maryland, they had a ton of fresh herbs for super low prices. Miss F helped me make the dough before school, she loved helping prep the herbs, especially plucking the thyme leaves off their stem.  These rolls are amazing, especially the sprinkle of parmesan on the top.  Miss F was so proud of herself, she kept insisting she made the whole dinner.  She was a great help though, she has great enthusiasm for cooking.  Thanks to Handle the Heat for the recipe.

Garlic, Herb, and Cheese Bread Rolls

¼ cup lukewarm water
1 cup warm milk (100 – 110°F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
4 ½ cups (20 ounces) bread flour
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Stir together the water, milk, 1 tablespoon of the oil, eggs, sugar, salt, garlic powder, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in 2 cups of the flour, until it forms a rough, shaggy dough. Using the dough hook on medium-low speed, knead until the dough comes together, adding the remaining flour as it kneads. Turn the speed to medium-high and knead for 5 minutes more. Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan. Brush with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

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Pan Roasted Lemon Herb Chicken

The citrus madness continues around these parts, I love this time of year.  When we used to have a boat, we would always take fried chicken to eat on the water, Miss F calls it "boat chicken."  She was quite disappointed when C cut up her chicken thigh and tried her best to eat what was remaining off the bone, "boat chicken style."  I loved this dish, there is just a subtle hint of lemon, it isn't overly powerful at all.  I liked searing the skin in the pan to get it crisp, then finishing off the chicken in the oven. This recipe is inspired from A Pumpkin and A Princess.

Pan Roasted Lemon Herb Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon lemon zest
6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
1 lemon, sliced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large oven safe skillet, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir together the salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, lemon zest and remaining tablespoon of olive oil; rub onto the chicken thighs. Saute the chicken, skin side down, for five minutes. Flip the chicken over, add the lemon slices and put the pan in the preheated oven. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, serve.

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Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I initially made this for my dinner party, but I like it so much, I made it for a family dinner at home a week later. The pork is flavored perfectly by the herbs and fresh lemon juice. All the herbs came from mom's herb garden, they were left over from the dinner party and held up nicely in the refrigerator, the rosemary keeps for quite a long time. I really need to get back into container gardening at our house once it cools down for the year (um...maybe November?) This recipe is from Ina Garten, no wonder it turned out just perfectly.

Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin 

1 lemon, zest grated
¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Place the tenderloins in a baking dish, roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the meat registers 140 degrees. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in ½ inch thick diagonal slices. Serve warm.

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Herbed Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

"What's the green stuff in the biscuits?"  "Next time, make mine without the green stuff!" These biscuits were amazing, but apparently neither C or Miss F like thyme in their cheesy biscuits.  The kitchen was a flour mess once i was done with them, though the effort was entirely worth it.  And the best part?  I get to eat every last biscuit due to the thyme aversion of C and Miss F.  At least Miss F made an effort to pick around the thyme.  C ate half of his and was done.  Thanks to Fine Living for the fantastic recipe.

Herbed Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¾ cup grated cheese, such as Cheddar, Asiago, or Parmesan, or a mix
1 large egg
1 ¼ cups buttermilk; more if needed

Heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut or massage the butter into the flour with a fork, a pastry cutter, or your fingers until the mixture looks like cornmeal and the biggest pieces of butter are the size of large peas. (You can also do this in a food processor; just be sure not to overmix.) Add the thyme and the cheese. Break the egg into the buttermilk and stir briefly with a fork to combine. Make a shallow well in the dry mix and pour in the buttermilk. With as few strokes as possible, stir until the mixture is just combined. It should be loose, but if it doesn’t hold together at all, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Generously flour a counter and turn the dough out onto it; it will be shaggy and very soft. Scrape any bits in the bowl onto the mound of dough. Flour your hands. Shape the mixture into a very loose rectangle with the short side nearest you. Using a bench knife, a pastry scraper, or a spatula to help lift the ragged dough, fold the bottom third over the center third, and then the top third over the center, as if folding a business letter. Pat down to shape another rectangle, turn it so the short side is nearest you, and repeat the folding. Pat down again into more of a square shape, ¾ inch thick and about 8 ½ inches square. With a pastry brush, brush off any excess flour. Punch out the biscuits with 2 ½ inch round cutter. Gather the scraps, press them together lightly, and punch out more biscuits until all the dough is used. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet (or one lined with parchment) for 20 to 25 minutes.

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Roasted Rack of Lamb

I actually have half a rack of lamb pictured in the picture.  Lamb was on sale for Easter and I jumped on it.  Miss F's favorite meat is probably lamb, but we don't have it that often.  I figured I started her on lamb with herb roasted lamb chops last year, why not try a pricier cut on Easter Sunday?  She (and C) gobbled it right up.  We ate the entire (half) rack.  Thanks so much to The Imitation Chef for the fantastic recipe.  I am not sure how often I will get to make it in the future considering the half rack was $18 on sale, but I know I want to make it again soon for my favorite tiny carnivore.

Roasted Rack of Lamb

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 rack of lamb, trimmed and Frenched

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and move oven rack to center position. In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron grill pan over high heat. Season the rack with the herb mixture and sear in pan for 1-2 minutes on each side. Wrap the bones in foil to prevent burning. Transfer the rack to a baking dish and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature is 130 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

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Herb Roasted Lamb Chops

I have always had ham on Easter, but this year I was ready for a change. I had company coming into town the day after Easter and I need something simpler for dinner that didn't produce a mountain of leftovers. Lamb was on sale, so I decided to give it a shot. It was the first time I have ever cooked lamb and it certainly won't be the last. Miss F gobbled it right up. She liked it so much that she was even happy to eat a green bean or two. I got to use my fresh herbs from the front stoop again, which just thrills me. They have already paid for themselves ten-fold.

Herb Roasted Lamb Chops

2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, lightly crushed
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1¼ inch thick lamb loin chops

Mix first 4 ingredients and 1 teaspoon olive oil in large bowl. Add lamb; turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat remaining olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add lamb; cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast lamb chops to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to platter, cover, and let rest 5 minutes.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

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