Pan-seared Sirloin with Chimichurri

I don’t know if it’s the cold weather or an iron deficiency trying to communicate with me, but I’ve recently found myself intensely craving steak. Not to mention that I’ve finally learned how to cook it exactly how I order at a restaurant (medium rare), and it didn't involve setting off the smoke alarm (let’s hope that was a one time occurrence) or a 2-day bout of food poisoning from undercooking. My vegetarian-leaning self has finally learned how to flawlessly prepare bovine meat, and now, I can’t get enough; specifically, this Pan-seared Sirloin with Chimichurri. 

I’ve shied away from learning how to cook steak in the past—as if because I rarely ate it I wasn’t worthy of knowing how to prepare it—assuming I was inherently set up to fail. Previously, I’d nervously overcook a piece of meat, making sure I paired it with a flavorful sauce to cover up any of my missteps. Only with a little bit of research did I figure out a few essentials for proper steak cooking. How simple the basic principles are!

1. Temperature matters. Bringing steak to room temperature an hour before cooking ensures optimal heat penetration to the middle.

2. Seasoning matters. A generous rub of salt, pepper, and olive oil will suffice.
3. Flipping matters. Turning the steak every minute promotes an even sear.
4. Resting matters the most. Letting the steak sit for five minutes, plus half the cook-time, lets it finish cooking properly after being removed from the heat.

The last step is arguably the most important because there’s nothing more disappointing than an overcooked slab of beef. Trust me on this one—the steak needs to sit to finish cooking through.

Adding to this enthusiasm was my discovery of Piedmontese heritage beef at the Union Square Greenmarket, produced by Stony Mountain Ranch (full market schedule here). Although Stony Mountain Ranch’s cattle is raised in Pennsylvania, the breed is originally from the Piedmont region of Italy, known for having the best beef in the country due to its supreme succulence and super lean disposition. This desirable combination is a result of the cows’ genetics: Piedmontese cattle naturally carry a unique gene that reduces fat yet improves tenderness. And while the beef is genetically lower in total fat than other breeds, it also has the highest percentage of good polyunsaturated fats within that total fat. Think omega-3s like DPA and DHA. On top of that, its exclusively grass-fed. If looking for a healthy breed, you’ve found your guy.

The quick and easy chimichurri sauce hails for Gjelina, one of my favorite cookbooks for condiments and vegetables. For me, it’s essential for a chimichurri to have the right oil to vinegar ratio—not too slick, not too tart—and this one delivers exceptionally, dotted with spices that accent the grassiness of the herbs.

Pan-seared Sirloin with Chimichurri
Makes 1 ½ cup chimichurri

Ingredients:
Grass-fed, tender cut of steak (i.e. rib-eye, tenderloin, porterhouse, T-bone, skirt steak, top sirloin, filet mignon. Budget 6 ounces, or a little more than 1/3 lb, per person)

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed and chopped
½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and chopped
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ shallot, minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (can use less if desired)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground lack pepper
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions:
1. Make the chimichurri. In a medium bowl, combine the cilantro, parsley, oregano, paprika, shallot, and olive oil and stir. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Just before serving, add red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Make the steak. Heat a hot cast iron pan with oil, and follow the 4 steps above! A medium rare steak should cook for 6 minutes (flipping every minute), and rest for 8 minutes before serving.

Spicy Peanut Dressing

Don’t cook. Here’s why.

Last weekend I saw the first batch of local summer squash (shout out to New Jerz and your slightly warmer climate) oblong, squat, or slender in a rainbow of buttercup yellow and sage green; sugar snap peas, shelling peas, fava beans; tomatoes large and small. The bounty will continue to amass, accruing peppers, stone fruits, and cucumbers, begetting infinite possibilities in the kitchen. But for me, the time has never been riper to not cook.

By not cook, I mean not heat; rather, enjoy these fruits and vegetables in their raw form. Just yesterday I purchased my first local strawberries and was blown away by how juicy, sweet, and intensely flavorful the pint-sized locals compared to the genetically-altered Driscoll giants. We all know that less food miles equals a fresher foodstuff, rendering it unequivocally superior in taste as well. But in the colder months, when the only options are supermarket produce hailing from other continents, it can be easy to forget just how monumental the flavor gap is. I grew used to my Trader Joe’s sugar snap peas, until they once again became available to me locally. The difference is night and day.

What I ask is simple: take a moment to delight in the vim and vigor of local produce. Even if it’s just cutting a slice of zucchini before it goes into the pan for stir-fry, experience what that difference tastes like.

This Spicy Peanut Dressing is a versatile condiment to relish all vegetables in their uncooked glory. It can live as a summer crudité dipping sauce, a chopped leafy green salad dressing, or the flavor mainstay of cold sesame noodles/zucchini noodles. It is sweet and nutty, spicy and vinegary, and overall, utterly drinkable (spotted: husband consuming sauce by the spoonful out of the jar. I’m only guilty of petty misdemeanor plate-licking). On these 90+ degree days, where the thought of turning on a stovetop burner feels like it might be the final straw to literally melt you into a puddle, pull out this dressing. (It keeps for weeks in the fridge, tripling the recipe is highly recommended). Pair with any variety of cool, crisp vegetables. Rinse, repeat, all throughout summer. 

A few ideas for ingredient combinations (just add protein):

• Lacinato kale, mint, cucumber, pomegranate seeds
• Soba noodles, cabbage, carrot , mango, sesame seeds
• Rice wrappers, cucumber, jicama, bell pepper, scallions
• Lettuce cups, sweet potato, radish, cilantro 

Spicy Peanut Dressing (from Food52)
Makes 3/4 of a cup; dressing for 4

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients by hand or in a blender.

Spaghetti Squash with Market Tomato Sauce and Turkey Sausage

Two years ago, I abandoned my quest for the perfect tomato sauce recipe because I found it in a jar. It is Cucina Antica Spicy Arrabbiata, par excellence thanks to robust flavor, whole ingredients, and absence of excess sugar or salt.  I use it for everything, from chicken parmigiana to Shakshouka.

At the Greenmarket, gourds, pumpkins, and Indian corn carouse Autumn’s arrival front and center, but I couldn’t help notice the cornucopia of late-season tomatoes, ripe and bursting in a myriad of shapes and size, that populated the tents.  As excited as I was to jump on the season’s first delicata or acorn squash, I knew these guys would stick around for months, while the tomatoes were approaching final harvest. A raw preparation seemed to a la summer, and I craved a slow-cooked concoction. As I surveyed the rest of the produce, picking at my ratatouille sample courtesy of National Gourmet Institute, it came to me. I would make a ratatouille-inspired marinara sauce! A fabulously chunky, tomato-based fusion of early Fall’s best offerings: slow cooked tomatoes, carrots and red peppers; riddled with fresh basil and thyme.  Part French country, party Italian basic. The sauce would dress spaghetti squash noodles, and accompany DiPaola Turkey Farm hot turkey sausage.

I used Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Italian Tomato Sauce for the basic recipe, and the end result was outstanding. The carrots and peppers added a sweet, complex flavor to the late season tomatoes, so that the sauce felt unique and interesting without straying too far from a classic marinara flavor.  Notes of hot red chili and fennel from the sausage added a burst of heat to the mild sauce.

The red sauce is a bit time consuming, which is why I fervently recommend you gather a giant haul of market tomatoes and make a huge batch at once. It will keep in the refrigerator for over a week, and in the freezer indefinitely.

If you are a vegetarian? Substitute cannellini beans for turkey sausage.

If you are feeling creative? Add late summer squash, sundried tomatoes, capers, or olives to the mix.

If you are lazy? Sautee onions, carrots, red pepper, garlic, and thyme for eight minutes. Add it to your favorite jarred tomato sauce.

If you are in a time crunch? Substitute spaghetti squash noodles for zucchini noodles, which take only minutes to cook.

If you are human? You can’t deny the undeniable power of a good spaghetti and meatballs…consider this its evolution of sorts. A healthier, more flavorful, locally-sourced cousin of everyone’s beloved classic dish.

 

Spaghetti Squash with Market Tomato Sauce and Turkey Sausage (inspired by Mollie Katzen)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 red peppers (sweet or bell), diced

1 carrot, diced

5 large tomatoes, such as Jersey or beefsteak, chopped

¾ cup loosely packed basil leaves

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

½ cup tomato paste

½ cup red wine, or, 1 Tbsp honey or sugar

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt & pepper

10 to 12 oz turkey sausage

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and place (cut sides down) on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil lightly coated in olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes.

2. While the spaghetti squash is cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in a Dutch over or large skillet. Add onion, pepper, carrot, thyme, oregano, and 1 tsp salt. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine/honey/sugar, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. While the sauce is simmering, cooking the sausage. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium sized skillet, and cook sausage, turning frequently until it is browned on all sides and cooked through in the middle, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

5. Add garlic to the sauce, and cook about 10 minutes more. The sauce will have a loose, chunky consistency, but if you desire a more uniform thickness, take an immersion blender to the pot once it has cooled a bit. Stir in basil leaves.

6. To serve: scrape out the seeds of the spaghetti squash and discard. Using a fork, scrape out the flesh of the squash—it will dislodge in spaghetti-like strands—distributing evenly amongst four plates (each squash half serves two). Top each plate with two heaping spoonfuls of sauce, and turkey sausage cut into pieces of ½ inch thickness. Garnish with extra basil or thyme, and enjoy with a side of thick, toasted whole grain bread.

Grilled Halibut Tacos with Watermelon Salsa

When I first saw the recipe photos for Grilled Halibut Tacos with Watermelon Salsa, I was overcome with emotion—of raging jealousy. What do we have here...the Michelangelo of tacos? Art that uses food as a medium, eh? How many hours did this blogger spent meticulously food styling the dish, from the garnish of tiny edible flowers (really) to the perfectly crisped, U-shaped tortilla edges (never been able to accomplish that without a finger in the photo) to the rustic, charred-chic (if that could be a thing) backdrop. Uh uh, I decided as I stared, mesmerized, at the salsa's beautiful warm coral, freesia and cantaloupe hues. These tacos are not real. They are meant to be stared at and ruminated over, a Rembrant of aesthetic pleasure and thought.  A work of such caliber of beauty cannot also bring pleasure to the tongue. Then I read the ingredients, and thought: ok, these actually look like they would taste really good.

Still grumbling, I set out to make them, waiting for my watermelon to dissolve from flawless cubes into pulpy mush, dampening my not-so-perfectly charred tortillas into flaccid rounds. As I sliced and diced, preoccupied with figuring out how I would explain why my tacos bore so little resemblance to the ravishing originals, I hardly had time to notice the end result. My tacos were beautiful! They were Rembrant tacos, Michelangelo tacos, a visual rainbow of color—and they were tasty AF.

The watermelon was the perfect conduit to temper the bite of the chili, onion, cilantro and chives, and its inherent sweetness soaked up the tangy lime and salt effortlessly. The fish, mild but firm, ensured texture variety within each corn tortilla. Cilantro, radishes, and avocado line the serving platter not only for aesthetics—it also allows guests to pick and choose their garnishes as they please.

As quickly as it had come upon me, my jealousy washed away—jealousy is a wasted emotion, after all. I ate the tacos on my roof, watching the sunset fade into the Hudson, with an easy salad of greens, corn, avocado, and cucumber tossed in nothing more than a little lemon juice and olive oil. As dusk settled and the sun was no more than a sliver of pink behind the clouds, I took a moment to reflect on the intense satisfaction of both my eyes and appetite. Once more, I changed my tune: food doesn't have to be beautiful, but when it pleases more than one of the senses, it feels almost indulgent; a rare, secret treat.  If only I had known earlier that the secret to happiness lies in watermelon tacos!

I want to take a second to talk about feedfeed, the site where this recipe hails from. Simply put, feedfeed is a network that connects people who love to cook. The content on their site, organized into various "feeds"such as recipes, community, and videos, is designed to fuel conversation and inspiration amongst likeminded foodies from around the globe. The founders are wholehearted supporters of local and sustainable eating. My favorite part? Their commitment to GrowNYC: feedfeed has a special feed just for meals cooked with NYC greenmarket ingredients.

Grilled Halibut Tacos with Watermelon Salsa (from Heather Christo)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Tacos

1 pound halibut (any white, firm, not-too-fishy fish will do)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 lime, zest and juice

1 serrano/jalapeno chili (halve or omit if you are sensitive to heat)

kosher salt

Watermelon Salsa

2 cups seedless watermelon, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ white onion, small diced

1 serrano/ jalapeno chili, finely diced

½ cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chives (optional)

juice of 1 lime

kosher salt

9 to 12 corn tortillas, or 3 per person (Trader Joe's 100% corn tortillas are my favorite)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Garnishes

Avocado slices, radish slices, cilantro sprigs, queso fresco/crumbed feta cheese

Directions:

1. Place the fish in a dish. In a small bowl, combine the oil, lime zest and juice and then grate the chili into the bowl. Mix well and then spoon over the fish. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and let sit in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
2. While the fish is marinating, make the watermelon salsa. In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, cherry tomatoes, onion, chili, and fresh cilantro and chives. Squeeze the lime over the salsa and gently toss. Season to taste with kosher salt.
3. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the fish on a piece of foil and place onto the BBQ. Cook 3 -5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish. You want it to be just cooked through. When you are done set the fish aside and turn the grill to low heat. (Alternatively, you can cook fish on a stove top for the same amount of time, or in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes).
4. Let the fish rest for a minute while you spread the vegetable oil over the tortillas evenly and grill each one briefly over low heat until it is barely charred at the edges and hot, soft and pliable. (Or, use my foolproof stovetop tortilla-warming method). 
5. Season the fish with a little extra kosher salt. Divide the fish between the tortillas and top each generously with the watermelon salsa and garnishes of your choice. 

Grilled Chicken with Ginger Peach Sauce

Well isn't this just peachy: a new study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that the nutritional benefits of peaches—low in calories/glycemic index, stellar source of vitamins, phytonutrients and fiber, and potential cancer-fighting properties—are only amplified when canned. Picked and parceled at the peak of freshness, canned peaches let their [cell] walls down, freely distributing greater levels of vitamins (specifically, vitamin C, antioxidants and folate) than when fresh.

So, should you make this Grilled Chicken with Ginger Peach Sauce using canned peaches? No! It's summer, dum dum. Eat this iconic summer stone fruit now, when the fuzzy is fresh. I'm just telling you because this sauce is so good you're going to want to make it all year round, so in the winter when you're craving any connection to summer, you don't have to feel guilty for buying your main ingredient a la can. (No added sugar though. That ruins everything.)

Hailing from Better Homes and Gardens (my favorite magazine, despite owning neither a home nor a garden), this recipe appeared in the August edition highlighting dishes featuring peaches. At only 41 calories per serving, it truly is summertime light. Biting ginger and crushed red pepper perfectly offset the honeyed peaches, while the soy sauce, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar add subtle Asian flare. Slow simmering the peaches makes the flesh delicately soft and tender to the touch; yielding a liquid that is literally drinkable.

I served the Ginger Peach Sauce atop grilled chicken; I think it would work with grilled shrimp, salmon, and tofu as well. Alternatively, you can serve as a dipping sauce for rustic, crusty bread. Either way, these peaches could not be more palatable—a must-try during peak season of the sensational stone fruit.

Grilled Chicken with Ginger Peach Sauce (from Better Homes and Gardens)

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Grapeseed oil

¼ cup chopped yellow or red onion

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

3 cups peeled chopped peaches (can also be frozen and thawed)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like heat)

Directions:

1. In a midsized saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and ginger; cook and stir for 1 minute.

2. Add peaches, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar and fish sauce to the saucepan; bring to simmer.

3. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until peaches soften. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.
4. Serve atop grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tofu.

Spaghetti'd Zucchini with Lentil Marinara

Move over immersion blender, step aside olive oil spritzer: there's a new kitchen gadget in town! Front and center in my kitchen cabinet, I proudly introduce to you "The Spiralizer"; paramount to today's Spaghetti'd Zucchini with Lentil Marinara recipe.

Obsessed with the idea of zucchini noodles—I love any dish that replaces a well-known ingredient with a healthier, more calorie-conscious counterpart—I made my first batch of zucchini noodles (affectionately named zoodles) with a vegetable peeler. Two band-aids and a hand cramp later, I decided there would be no more faking my zoodles. Perfection was principal. I didn't want peeler slivers, I wanted spaghetti. Right then and there I decided (insert rap video slow entrance music into Bed Bath and Beyond here) that it was time to invest in a spiralizer.

I was deciding between the Paderno Tri-Blade Spiral Vegetable Slicer and my Gefu Spirelli Spiral Slicer, but ultimately, the latter won out because it was small—an essential for any cramped NYC apartment kitchen. The Gefu may not spiralize firmer vegetables like carrots (thats ok, coodles sounds weird) and is a bit of a pain to clean, but for $29.99 (minus 20% if you bring a BB&B coupon!) it totally gets the job done. My zoodles are as spaghetti'd as can be. (A larger blade gives you the option of linguini-ing your zucchini too.) And you really get bang for your buck: estimating one zucchini for each serving, it really makes—yes I am going to say it—oodles of zoodles!!

So, have you noticed the variety of squash overflowing the farmers market right now? The Spiralizer is your way to try them all! From golden yellow squash to evergreen zucchini to the sage-colored tints in between, there's no denying the copious quantities of summertime courgettes. I usually sauté them up with onions until they sweat, but to most closely mimic the texture of an al-dente pasta, you only need to flash-cook these bad boys. The firmer texture is a really enjoyable and refreshing departure from their regular preparation.

At first, I envisioned a rich ground turkey bolognese to top my zucchini noodles, but decided to stick with the food-fooling theme, achieving "meatiness" and protein instead with lentils. (This recipe is 100% vegan.) The lentils blend wonderfully with the sweet, acidic tomatoes; a hearty, chewy enrichment to the sauce. To really beef it up, I think I'll try adding mushrooms and carrots to the sauce next time as well, or maybe sun-dried tomatoes.

Another great thing about this recipe is its extremely adaptable to your schedule: As the zoodles themselves take about 8 minutes total to prepare—less time than it takes to boil and cook a pot of pasta—you also have the option of buying cooked, refrigerated lentils and prepared marina sauce, for a meal that will truly be ready in minutes.


Twisting each strand of "spaghetti" around my fork in classic Lady and the Tramp style, I decided I was in love with this recipe. In the way that only comfort food can make you feel—satiated in appetite and spirit—I was so excited to realize that this dish was probably as healthy a bowl of noodles as could ever be. So, are you ready to zoodle your noodles? I'm eager to hear what you think!

Spaghetti'd Zucchini with Lentil Marinara (adapted from In Sonnet's Kitchen)
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried French lentils (or 3/4 cup precooked lentils)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes (or 1 15 oz can tomato sauce)*

1 teaspoon sugar*

1 tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar*

1 teaspoon dried basil*

1 teaspoon dried oregano*

½ teaspoon dried thyme*

1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

2 large or 3 medium zucchini, spiralized into pasta

salt and black pepper to taste

Parsley, for garnish

*Omit if using premade marinara sauce. (I prefer Antica Cucina or Rao’s Homemade)

Directions: 

1. In a medium pot, bring lentils and 1 cup of water to boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until lentils are tender and liquid is evaporated, about 20 minutes. (It’s ok if they aren’t cooked through—they will cook more later on.)

2. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for an additional minute, until fragrant.

3. Add the tomatoes (drained, if not using sauce), sugar, vinegar, basil, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

4. When lentils have absorbed the water (but are still slightly firm), add them to the sauce and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

5. In a separate pan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the zucchini pasta for 2- 5 minutes. Err on the side of underdone—you don’t want to overcook them, because they may become liquidy. 

6. Divide the pasta into two portions and top with lentil marinara.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.

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