Tomato Soup

Bison Burgers

A true pleasure is a great, meaty, juicy hamburger. So anyway I can find to have that same taste with less fat and cholesterol so I can have it more often works for me. Making a burger is also one of the fastest weekday meals, and that is something I can appreciate. For a long time, my stand-by hamburger alternative has been turkey burgers . But I've been getting tired of them lately, so I had to find inspiration elsewhere.

Inspiration came in the form of Bison Nacho's from the Schlafly Brewery (a post from November), and the realization that my local grocery store carries ground bison (also called buffalo) meat. Bison has a great, deep flavor like ground beef, but is leaner and lower in cholesterol. It made a great burger:

It needed slightly less doctoring-up then my turkey burgers because the meat has more flavor, and was a nice change of pace. My mom also uses bison meat to make meatloaf- a recipe that I am going to try sometime soon!

I'll be back after the holidays- after a trip to St. Louis and finally being able to walk without my walking cast on, I'll have lots of posts!

E-mail Food Chain

Most of my family is comprised of food lovers. I don't actually think I can name a family member who doesn't have a signature dish and a passion for food. Even my Grandma, who eats like a bird and always wants to split a meal at a restaurant, appreciates the true art of making a chocolate chip cookie.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that I often get emails from family members with "the best recipe!" that "you just have to try!" I trust their judgment and their taste buds, so I always rush to try these out. But this may be the biggest hit in awhile- and may also be the simplest of the e-mail food chain recipes, courtesy of my Aunt Britt:

It's an edamame salad where the edamame marries happily with tomatoes, celery, red onion, cannellini beans, and fresh basil. It may seem a bit summery, but once you try it, you won't really mind what season it's made for. It's flavorful, delicious, and makes a perfect filling side dish. Andy and I had it along with a beautiful filet of salmon, and my coworkers and I shared the leftovers for lunch the next day mixed with a bit of pasta. It's a versatile salad that is incredibly easy to whip up- and a very healthy lunch alternative.

I've passed it along already to a few people via email, but here it is for my blog readers!

Edamame Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

3 Tbsp red-wine vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ tsp salt

1 (15-15 ½) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Mini-tomatoes quartered

1 celery stalk, diced

Red onion diced, about 1-2 Tbsp depending on preference

½ cup chopped FRESH bail leaves

Cook the edamame, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.

Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, and salt in large bowl.  Add the edamame, beans, tomato, celery, onion, and basil; mix well.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours, or serve room temperature.

The Parkside

At long last, I've made it out to dinner! I hobbled through the sleet, snow, and absolutely freezing temperatures on Saturday night to finally enjoy a meal out at a restaurant I've been wanting to try. I do really want to apologize for the infrequent posts- it has been awful not being able to cook and go out to dinner as much as I like! But my foot is on the mend, so the number of posts shall only be uphill from now on.

So, I decided to spend my first evening out in awhile at Parkside Rotisserie and Bar on South Main Street. From the oustide, I always assumed that the Parkside was quite upscale (also due to its proximity to XO Steakhouse), but, in fact, it is quite a relaxed, casual atmosphere on the inside which Andy and I both found welcoming during such a cold day. We went very early (around 5:30!) so the restaurant was fairly empty, but I noticed that later in the night it really started picking up.

Andy started with the soup special of the day, a Tuscan white bean with sausage and vegetables:

It was warm and savory, and was a perfect start to a winter meal. It was full of veggies and meat and only $3.50 for a generous bowl.

For Andy's main, he had the Spicy Lemon and Cashew Roasted Chicken:

The huge half chicken came atop a heap of russet and sweet potato fries, and with a side salad with crumbled blue cheese. Andy thought it didn't have a strong lemon flavor, but the chicken was certainly moist and tasty. He thought the fries were disappointing because they all became soggy fast while sitting underneath the chicken. While it makes for a nice and interesting presentation, I think the fries would do better served on the side.

I had the pasta special which was pumpkin ravioli in a creamy spicy sauce with ham and tiger prawns:

The sauce was delectable and had a subtle spice that worked well with the sweet, festively spiced ravioli filling. The prawns were a little overcooked and tough, and I actually didn't enjoy them with the pasta as much as I had expected. The dish came only with about 4-5 ravioli, and the three prawns, but came with a price tag of $22, which I found to be a strike against the restaurant. Most of the dishes on the menu were appropriately priced, but for a filled pasta I think $22 is a little steep.

Andy and I both enjoyed the atmosphere, but concurred that we could enjoy a similar atmosphere and similar cuisine (done better)  at 3 Steeple Street and would certainly head there before returning to Parkside.

The Red Bridge Tavern

Although my foot isn't healing as fast as I'd like it to, I've still had some opportunities for dining out.

Check out my article about The Red Bridge Tavern for Motif Magazine here!

Strip Steak

As you may have noticed, my posts have not been as plentiful as usual. This is due to the fact that I fractured my foot over the Thanksgiving holiday and so have had limited opportunities to cook or eat out because I can barely walk!

But, on Saturday, I was getting a little anxious and decided I need to do something- and that something was cook up a nice feast for Andy and I.

It started with a recipe from the 2007 Food and Wine cookbook that my Aunt Sal gave to me for Strip Steak with Arugula Pesto.

I made the strip steak in a pan with butter, thyme, rosemary, and whole, unpeeled garlic cloves:

As the steak cooked, I basted it with the herb and garlic infused butter and made the accompaniment- the arugula pesto. The pesto is made the same as basic basil pesto, except the arugula is cooked in boiling water for about 10 seconds before it is pureed with the pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

I wanted to make a real steak and potatoes type meal (the temperature has really started to drop in Providence and I have been craving warm, hearty foods!) so I also made a garlic layered potato gratin:

This was an easy dish with lots of chopped roasted garlic, fresh thyme, nutmeg and thinly sliced potatoes.  Of course, there is a little cream and chicken stock- but just enough to flavor the potatoes and add a creamy texture to compliment the crispy top, not enough to make it unhealthy! The recipe came from Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything".

For the vegetable, I sauteéd some kale with olive oil, and here is the final plate:

I arranged the slices of steak on top of the arugula pesto and garnished it with some fresh arugula, the steak juices from the pan, and the whole garlic cloves. It really is a beautiful, bright plate full of bold flavors. The steak was juicy and every bite not only had big steak flavor, but also the more delicate flavors of the herb butter it was basted in. The arugula pesto added a nice, smooth contrast to the steak and was a great way to  take a steak to the next level. The meat would be delicious even without the pesto, if you wanted to eliminate some time and extra dishes, but it does add a special touch and a great visual on the plate. This meal definitely made the 25 degree, windy, snowy weather a little more bearable!