Buffalo, the Beef alternative!

On Saturday, my husband and I visited a local butcher shop that carries everything from Venison to homemade Italian Sausage.  We were on a mission to try something new, and they happened to have grass-fed Buffalo Hanger Steak in stock.  If you are trying to eat a "heart healthy" diet, and fear that all red meat is now "off the table," Buffalo is here to save the day!  Much leaner than beef, Buffalo has a slightly sweeter taste and is a bit chewier than your typical cut of beef.

Having never cooked Buffalo before, I was unsure how to prepare this cut of meat.  I knew it contained less fat than beef, and decided to try braising it with vegetables in a tomato based sauce in order to tenderize the muscle fibers without drying it out.

Here is the process in pictures:

Three cheers for grass-fed meat!

Juicy!

Dry rub = salt, pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary, & thyme.

Saute garlic, onion, carrots, & celery in olive oil.

Create a 'hot spot' in which to sear the steak on both sides.

Sear meat for 2-3 minutes per side.

Add a large can of San Marzano tomatoes to the pot.  

Let simmer for 4 hours over low heat until the meat falls apart.

Not very pretty in pictures, but it was very flavorful!

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I learned that this cut of Buffalo is a great candidate for marinating prior to cooking.  Recipes I found (after the fact) call for a long marination process, followed by a quick, high-temperature searing/grilling of the meat on both sides.  Since we were making this for dinner the night we bought it, we did not have the time to devote to marinating this steak.  Next time, we will give this cut some more TLC and a chance to reach its full potential :-)

That said, the flavor that this Buffalo steak had was outstanding!  The vegetable sauce did not overpower the meat and served to keep it very moist.  Although the meat was chewy, I would not describe it as being "tough."  After 4 hours of braising, it fell apart like the best beef roasts do when cooked for long periods of time.  What little cartilage and fat it did contain fell right off the meat as well.  

If you are looking to switch things up in your kitchen, give Buffalo a try tonight!  If you have tried it, I'd love to know how you prepared it :-)

Librarian turned Foodie  

Spinach Pastry Puffs

If you didn't hear, Spinach is a 'Superfood' with tons of health benefits!  Yet, it is also one of those foods that, if not prepared correctly, tasted like something dredged up from the bottom of the ocean!  Yes, we all know how good it is for us.  I recently read an article touting the benefits of this food in its frozen brick form...  not all that appealing at first, but let me tell you, the possibilities are endless when said brick is used in a number of spectacular recipes :-)

One such recipe that is sure to transform that brick of chopped spinach into a decadent treat is for Spinach Pastry Puffs.  I had originally set out to discover a tasty dessert recipe [using the my leftover frozen puff pastry] when this one caught my eye.  I had everything I needed to create the puffs, so I got to work!

Here is the recipe, with a few of my own twists that, I'd like to think, made it even better!

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Spinach Pastry Puffs

Ingredients:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 brick of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. chopped Kalamata Olives

1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

flour for rolling out pastry dough

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray the 4 corner cups of a muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium size bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients.  Beat one egg separately and add it to the spinach mixture, stirring well to combine.  

Roll out the puff pastry until it measures 10" x 10".  Flour your work surface to keep the dough from sticking.  

Slice the pastry into 4 even squares of dough.  Press each square into a muffin cup.  Fill each cup to the top with the spinach mixture.  Bring up the four corners of the dough until they meet in the middle of the cup, then pinch them firmly together.  Do this with all four pastries.  

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg.  Using a pastry brush, brush the egg over the top of each puff pastry.

Bake on the middle oven rack for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for another 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Top View

Side View

Inside View... Yum!

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These delicious pastries became our lunch on Sunday, but I could see them making an amazing appetizer for a holiday party... the red and green would be a festive addition!  

If I were to make these into an appetizer, I would definitely buy a mini-muffin pan and create bite-sized pastries.  It may require a bit more prep time, but these puffs can be made in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours.  The bake time would be cut in half as well!

I must say that I was more than pleased with how these turned out!  The flavor combination is reminiscent of a traditional Greek Spanikopita, which is my all-time-favorite Greek food!  Even if you aren't a fan of Spinach, you must give these a try.  My husband doesn't care for the 'taste of spinach,' but who does?  It's all about what you add to the Spinach that makes it something delectable!  Puff Pastry makes anything seem fancy... not-to-mention the fact that its flaky, buttery pastry is to die for!  [Note to self: Remember this trick when you have children who won't eat their veggies!]

Just knowing that these puffs contain a 'Superfood' should make you feel good about enjoying each and every savory bite :-)  

Librarian turned Foodie

Brown-Butter Penne Pasta with Squash, Kale, Pancetta, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Here is yet another wonderful recipe, compliments of Wine Spectator magazine :-) 

The ingredients that come together to create this dish are the most wonderful combination of earthy, nutty, sweet, salty, and creamy flavors/textures on the palate that I have ever encountered in a pasta recipe!  Having never bought Kale before, I was excited to finally have a recipe that calls for its use.  The particular squash I used was in place of a Kabocha Squash, which I was unfamiliar with and unable to find in our grocery store.  It was described as being sweet, so I decided that Butternut would make a good substitute. 

Below you will find this simple-to-make meal that looks so elegant on the plate, you could imagine ordering it at a great restaurant!

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Brown-Butter Penne Pasta with Squash, Kale, Pancetta, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
1 bunch of green kale, stemmed
8 slices of pancetta
12 ounce box of penne pasta (we used whole wheat pasta)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
12 ounces ricotta cheese
4 tbsp. pine nuts
1/8 tsp. nutmeg (my personal addition to the recipe)
Olive Oil
Salt

Directions:

Preheat the over to 400 degrees.  Toss the squash cubes with olive oil and salt and spread out evenly on a sheet pan.  Roast them in the over for approximately 20 minutes until they are tender. 

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add in the kale.  Cook for about 4 minutes, then strain and reserve.

In a medium sauté pan, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until crisp, then remove to a paper towel and reserve. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook to al dente.  Strain and set aside.

In the same pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat and cook until slightly browned.  Grate in the fresh nutmeg. Add the squash, kale, and pasta to the pan and stir to combine and heat through. 

When ready to serve, scoop the pasta mixture onto plates and top with a spoonful of ricotta, crumbled pancetta, and the pine nuts. 

Serves 4-6

 

 

 

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What is very nice about this particular recipe is that the squash, kale, and pancetta can be prepped ahead of time.  This leaves time for you to enjoy a glass of wine with your sweetie prior to boiling the pasta and putting it all together, which took a total of 20 minutes.

 

With this dish, we enjoyed a 2011 Rose from France, which was spectacular! 

 

Note:  If you don't think you like Rose, you are probably drinking the cheap stuff!  It's totally worth spending a little more to experience this wine's true potential!  It was crisp, dry, and had lovely peach and grapefruit notes.  We loved how it complimented the sweetness in the squash as well as the richness of the cheese and pancetta. 

 

I must acknowledge the fact that pancetta and pine nuts are NOT cheap!  I about fell over when I saw that a 6oz. package of pine nuts was $14.00 at our local grocery store... yikes!  Thanks to our friend Tiffany's generous contribution of pine nuts to our cooking cause, we were spared this cost.  Without her help, I probably would have left out the pine nuts, or substituted a different nut in its place. 

 

Pancetta is also a pricy purchase at nearly $7.00 for a package of 8, very thin slices of the stuff!  I would recommend substituting bacon if you cannot afford the pancetta.  It won't taste exactly the same, but it will come close... and who doesn't love crispy bacon anyway?!

 

I will be adding this to my recipe repertoire in hopes that I have the opportunity to make it again for family and friends in the future :-)

 

 

 

Librarian turned Foodie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll 'Shoyu' fine dining at MSP!

It isn't often that my husband and I have time to explore the unique culinary offerings available to us while traveling between Minnesota and Michigan by plane.  Usually, we are too rushed to even fit in a meal at the airport, let alone one that features iPads at every seat to facilitate one-touch ordering and convenient flight updates!  

If it hadn't been for an article in the local paper featuring Andrew Zimmern's favorite airport restaurants, we never would have taken the time to relax with a sit-down meal at Shoyu before our flight home for Thanksgiving.  Zimmern, a native Minnesotan, is known for his Travel Channel show Bizarre Foods, where he is known for being a culinary explorer and indulging in the most bizarre foods on the planet.

So, if Andrew Zimmern says it's good, well, it probably IS good... once you get past the weirdness of it all!

Nevertheless, there is nothing outlandish about the cuisine offered up at Shoyu, located at MSP near the entrance to Concourse G.  They feature a modern Japanese menu and make their own noodles and dumpling wrappers fresh daily.  If you aren't a fan of Japanese cuisine, don't fret, they offer up a wide variety of options, including soups, sandwiches, salads, and even burgers.  

Upon scanning the menu, one dish in particular caught my eye...  Wild Mushroom Soba!  As a mushroom fan, I had a feeling that I couldn't go wrong with this selection ($11.50).   As the server placed the steaming bowl of beautifully arranged ingredients in front of me, I couldn't help but admire it for a few minutes... which was just long enough to grab my phone and snap a picture before giving in to my hunger.

Wild Mushroom Soba: shiitake, enoki, tamagoyaki, and spinach.

I often joke about meals being 'death bed meals,' or those that are so good, I would choose to have them during my final hour on Earth.  This, my friends, is one more I will be adding to my list (I think my last day on Earth will be spent eating... yes, just eating :-)

The beef broth made this soup into a meal with its rich, salty flavors that perfectly enveloped the soba noodles, mushrooms, spinach, and tamagoyaki (grilled, slightly sweet Japanese omelette).  I received a very generous serving of this soup, which my husband gladly helped me finish.  (He wished he had ordered the same thing!)

I recognize that this restaurant recommendation may not be explored by most of you, but if you do find yourself passing through Minneapolis/St. Paul, Shoyu is worth a visit.  Strapped for time?  You can also order your meal to-go :-)  Our friendly and efficient service allowed us to enjoy our dinner in under 40 minutes, allowing plenty of time for us to arrive at our gate just as boarding began.  The restaurant isn't one I would consider "inexpensive," but rather a great "bang for your buck" place if, like me, Subway isn't your idea of dinner.  Afterall, your airport meal could technically be your "last supper," so why not make it a memorable one?!  Just some food for thought...

Librarian turned Foodie