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Steak with Pink Peppercorn Sauce

7 · · 35 Comments

Like many couples starting out, Dave and I felt a lot of pressure to go out and get a fancy meal on our first Valentine’s Day. We had a multi-course set meal at a nice place, but honestly, it disappointed. Since then we’ve often opted to stay at home and cook something special together. We really love steak but don’t have it very often so this kind of occasion is perfect to indulge and buy the nicest steak we can.

This time I’ve made it with a really rich, pink peppercorn cream sauce. It isn’t too complicated to throw together and has only a handful of ingredients. The bright peppery flavor and color of the pink peppercorns make it a little different and special, and the cream makes it nice and rich.  You see it served here with a light salad but you could easily up the ante with some creamy mashed potatoes or a butternut squash gratin. This meal will never disappoint and it will be a small fraction of the cost of a restaurant meal.

This post is part of the Second Annual Good Cookies Food Bloggers’ Valentine’s Event. We are raising money to benefit Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, an organization that raises money for childhood cancer research. We have all donated to this great cause, and we are asking you to do the same to help make a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer.

Cancer is the #1 cause of death of children by disease in the U.S. Currently, there are 40,000 U.S. children actively battling cancer. With less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget going to all childhood cancer combined, it’s important for all of us to get involved.

Help us make a difference by donating to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer! Our goal was to raise at least $3000. Thanks to blogger participation, we have reached that goal with these three companies matching our donations up to $3000: Dixie Crystals, Mediavine and OXO. However, we can still raise more for this great cause, with 100% going straight to this great organization.

Donate here.

Print
Steak with Pink Peppercorn Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Steak
  • 1 NY strip steak at least 1 inch thick, 12-16 ounces
  • kosher salt
Pink Peppercorn Sauce
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp pink peppercorns, lightly crushed
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Pat the steak dry and salt heavily with kosher salt.

  2. Place the steak in the skillet and sear for about a minute. Flip once the steak easily releases from the skillet and sear on the other side for about one minute. Cook for about six minutes, flipping every minute or so until the steak is cooked to your liking (medium-rare is about 125-130 degrees).

  3. Set the steak in a oven proof dish in the oven. Pour off any excess fat from the skillet and lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and cook the shallots a few minutes until soft and golden.

  4. Add the brandy (or cognac) off the heat to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits. Cook until it just glazes the pan. Add the cream, peppercorns, and salt. Reduce by half.

  5. Add any juices that have accumulated from the steak to the sauce. Slice the steak and top with sauce.

Recipe Notes
  • I recommend searing the steak in a cast iron skillet (affiliate link).
  • If you get nervous about cooking your steak to the right temperature, I recommend a digital meat thermometer (affiliate link). 
  • You can find pink peppercorns at most fine grocery stores or online (affiliate link).

 

For all the other wonderful recipes for this event:

Yellow Heart-Shaped Rainbow Funfetti Cookies from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Peanut Butter Cookie Cake from Julie of Julie Blanner
Cherry Coconut Macaroons from Miranda of Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Brownie Cookies from Mel of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
No-Bake Chocolate Candy Cookies from Debi of Life Currents
Double Dark Chocolate Chery Black Forest Cookies from Jamie of Southern Revivals
White Chocolate Valentine Madeleine Cookies from Marlynn of Urban Bliss Life
Pillowy Soft Sugar Cookies from Stephie of Stephie Cooks
Creamy Beet Risotto from Rachel of Copper & Verdigris
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Sugar Cookies from Denise of Chez Us
Red Velvet Donuts from Gwynn of Swirls of Flavor
S’mores Brown Butter Panbanging Cookies from Marybeth of babysavers
Gluten-Free Chocolate Kiss Cookies from Audrey of Mama Knows Gluten Free
Gluten-Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies from Brianna of Flippin’ Delicious
Rose Meringue Cookies from Kirsten of Comfortably Domestic
Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Curry from Shashi of Savory Spin
Double Chocolate Meringue Cookies from Dee of Meatloaf and Melodrama
White Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie from Sarah of Sarah Cooks the Books
Cream Wafer Cookies from Kelly of Live Laugh Rowe
White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies from Wanda of My Sweet Zepol
Raspberry Fudge Cookies from Jessica of A Kitchen Addiction
Raspberry Cookies from Courtney of Know Your Produce
Syltkakor Raspberry Jam Cookies from Megan of Stetted
No-Bake Chocolate Tart from Rachel of Rachel Cooks
Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies from Angela of About a Mom
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies from Lisa of TasteCookSip
Chai Latte Shortbread Hearts from Sue of It’s Okay to Eat the Cupcake
Soft and Sweet Sugar Cookie Bars from Carlee of Cooking With Carlee
Strawberry and Cream Cookies from Ashley of A Cup of Charming
Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies from Lisa of Blogghetti
Galete Waffle Cookies from Shaina of Food for My Family
Almond Shortbread Cookies from Denise of addicted 2 recipes
Easy Strawberry Fudge from Chrysa of Thrifty Jinxy
Valentine’s Day Mug Hug Cookies from Aimee of Southern From Scratch
Doughnut Sandwich Cookies from Bree of Baked Bree
Chocolate Nutella Cookies from Melissa of Modern Honey
Easy Crinkle Cookies from Amy of The Nifty Foodie
Chocolate Sugar Cookies from Becca of The Salted Cookie
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies from Sara of Confectionary Tales
Meringue Cookies from Sara of My Imperfect Kitchen
Rose White Hot Chocolate from Susannah of Feast + West
Gluten Free Lavendar Shortbread Cookies from Carolann of Apron Warrior
Fruit Filled Chocolate Waffle Cones from Nicole of For the Love of Food
Chocolate and Vanilla Sweetheart Cookies from Sheila of Life, Love, and Good Food
Raspberry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies from Nancy of The Bitter Side of Sweet
Chai Spiced Snickerdoodle Cookies from Ashley of Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
Heart Happy Valentine Cookie Chocolate Cheesecake from TammyJo of The Chocolate Cult
Persian rice cookies from Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking
Chocolate Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies from Julianne of Beyond Frosting
Fudgy Chocolate Sixlets Cookies from Barbara of Barbara Bakes
Bake Chocolate Donuts with Cherry Glaze from Deb of Taste & Tell

 

Pomelo and Shrimp Salad

4 · · 5 Comments

After my wedding last month we went on a three week honeymoon to Vietnam and Hong Kong. It was the longest trip I’d ever been on besides long stays in Korea to visit family as a kid. Luckily we passed our first marital test with flying colors! We decided to start our trip on the island of Phu Quoc so that we could stay at a resort and relax for a few days to recover from wedding madness and the extensive traveling we had to do to get to Asia (14 hours to Seoul and then 5.5 hours to Ho Chi Minh City then an hour to Phu Quoc Island). It was there that I was first introduced to pomelo and shrimp salad.

The island is off the southern coast of Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand and is famous for its black pepper and fish sauce. The resort we stayed at offered a cooking class and we decided to take it to learn how to make a few Vietnamese dishes. We started our day at the local market with Chef Hung and he showed us the abundant seafood caught here and the produce the farmers grow on the island. We returned to the resort with freshly caught scallops and ripe fruit.

We must have cooked at least six different dishes but my favorites were this pomelo salad and the scallops Chef Hung grilled for us over a wood charcoal fire. I couldn’t stop eating this salad-I found it to be so bright, fresh, and interesting. Pomelo is a citrus fruit that is somewhat similar to grapefruit but I find it to be less bitter. It’s pepperiness balances the sweetness of the shrimp and the fish sauce dressing seasons the two main components perfectly. Crispy fried shallots and toasted sesame seeds add texture to the salad and the herbs make it fragrant and fresh. It was difficult to get off the long flight home from such a beautiful and temperate place and step into the middle of the “bomb cyclone” in NYC, but I’m immediately taken back to the beautiful country of Vietnam whenever I eat this salad.

Print
Shrimp and Pomelo Salad
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
32 mins
 
Course: dinner, Salad, Side Dish
Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 pomelo
  • 8 oz shrimp (I cooked them in the shell then peeled and deveined them. If it's easier you can buy them already prepared.)
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Dressing
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp hot water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 chili, minced (You can use a Thai chili or half a serrano chili)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
Instructions

  1. Bring a small saucepan filled 2/3 of the way with water to boil. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drop the shrimp in and cook them for a minute or so, until they turn pink and opaque and curl. Strain them and immediately put them in the ice water. When completely cooled, peel and devein (if not already prepared), and cut into bite sized pieces.

  2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan to medium-low. Press the sliced shallots with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. When the oil is hot drop in the slices of shallots making sure to spread them out. Stir occasionally and cook until golden brown (it will take about 10 minutes). Drain on paper towels and allow to cool to crisp up.

  3. Meanwhile, prepare the pomelo by using a large knife and cutting off both ends (the rind will be quite thick), then cut off the sides. Break the pomelo in half with your hands and take out the segments from the membrane over a bowl. They should easily peel off but you can also use a small paring knife. Break up the segments into bite sized pieces.

  4. Mix together the dressing ingredients. Add the dressing, shrimp, half the shallots, half the sesame seeds, and half the mint and cilantro to the bowl with the pomelo pieces. Mix together and plate it on a serving platter, then top with the remaining shallots, sesame seeds, and herbs.

Recipe Notes
  • I really like Red Boat fish sauce (affiliate link).
  • You can find pomelos in the citrus section of your grocery store. I saw them at Trader Joe's. You will probably also find them at an Asian market. A ripe pomelo feels heavy for its size and will have a grassy, floral scent.

Korean Braised Short Ribs

6 · · 3 Comments

This post is sponsored by Sonoma-Cutrer. A big thank you to the sponsors who make this site possible!

This year’s holiday countdown has overlapped with the countdown to my wedding in early December. It’s a little over thirty days away and I can’t believe it’s already here, much like how I feel at the end of every year when it’s almost time to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Korean braised short ribs (or galbi jjim) are what I think of when I think of cozy, cold weather dishes for celebrations. This is not an everyday dish but something you serve during the holidays or a special occasion like lunar new year, Chuseok, or a birthday.

And speaking of special occasions, a version of this dish was actually served at my parents’ wedding in Korea. My aunt cooked it for the reception for everyone to enjoy and my dad still says it was the best galbi jjim he ever had.

When I have gatherings at my home, I like to offer both red and white wine so that people can drink whatever they prefer. These short ribs are delicious with Sonoma-Cutrer’s 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and their 2014 Les Pierres Chardonnay. The pinot noir’s bright, velvety finish and aromas of cranberry, red cherry, and plum pair perfectly with the richness of the ribs. The chardonnay’s bright citrus aromas and flavors cut through the richness of the beef and the hints of roasted nuts, spice, and mineral notes complement it perfectly. Both of these wines were easy to order off of Sonoma-Cutrer’s website.

These beef short ribs simmer in a salty sweet mixture, mirin, sugar, garlic, ginger, onion, and apple for a few hours until tender and richly flavored. Carrots, daikon, and mushrooms are added for the last thirty minutes and the stew is ready when the vegetables are tender.

I recommend cooking the ribs a day or two before serving- braised dishes always seem better the next day. It also gives you a chance to defat the sauce by letting it cool completely and simply scooping the fat off the top. I don’t mind fat in sauces but in this case the ribs are super rich and make the sauce a bit too greasy if you don’t remove the fat.

 

Print
Korean Braised Short Ribs
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
3 hrs
 
This dish is best made a day or two before it is served. The flavors deepen and it also gives you a chance to easily remove the fat by letting it solidify on top. Simply scoop off the fat and reheat slowly over low heat.
Servings: 4
Author: Sonja Bradfield
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds of short ribs
  • 3/4 cup of soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 small onion chopped into big pieces
  • 1 small apple peeled and chopped
  • 10 cloves of garlic peeled
  • 3 inch piece of ginger peeled
  • 1 large carrot peeled and cut into 2 inch large chunks
  • 2 cups of daikon radish cut into 2 inch large chunks
  • 8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed and halved if large
Instructions
  1. Soak ribs in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Meanwhile, take the rest of the ingredients and blend it in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  3. Put the mixture in a large dutch oven, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
  4. Add the ribs and lower to a simmer and cover with a lid for at least two hours until the ribs are tender.
  5. Add carrots, daikon, and mushrooms and simmer for another 30 minutes.
  6. Skim the fat off the top, or use a fat separator for the sauce. You can also cool and store in the fridge overnight and remove the fat off the top. Reheat over low heat.
  7. Serve with steamed white rice and kimchi.

 


Pumpkin Risotto with Sage Brown Butter

8 · · 5 Comments

This post is part of the #VirtualPumpkinParty hosted by Sara of Cake Over Steak. Check out all the amazing recipes that are part of this party!

It’s hard to believe it is nearly the end of October already. It has felt like this whole year has been a nonstop blur ever since we found out that we would have to move to New York City. Back in May, Dave was offered a job and we had to scramble to find an apartment in Brooklyn (no small feat), take a planned vacation, and move all within a three week timespan. Suddenly, our wedding planning went on the back burner and we were trying to settle into a very different life than the one we previously had.

Once the wedding nightmares started in August (showing up to the ceremony with no flowers, a dress that hadn’t been fitted properly, and no music), I realized that we had to focus on finishing up planning our wedding down in Virginia, and things kicked into full gear. Now we are less than 50(!) days away, and I can hardly believe everything we’ve done and still have to do. The things we are focusing on now are fun things though, namely planning our honeymoon to Vietnam and Hong Kong. We’ve traveled a lot but never to Asia together. It’ll also be our first trip that has lasted more than a week- a true and immediate test of our new marriage! 😛

And of course, as with every October, we must celebrate all things fall and pumpkin. This year I’ve contributed a pumpkin risotto with sage brown butter to the Virtual Pumpkin Party. Roasted pumpkin purée has been added to the risotto, and it’s served with cubes of roasted, caramelized pumpkin, and nutty, sage brown butter.

Make sure to check out all the other delicious pumpkin recipes today!

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Pumpkin Risotto with Sage Brown Butter
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
Servings: 4
Author: Sonja Bradfield
Ingredients
  • 1 small sugar pumpkin about 2.5-3 pounds
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 1 1/4 cup of arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup of dry white wine
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 12 fresh sage leaves
  • salt
  • grated parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the chicken broth into a small saucepan and set it over low heat.
  2. Chop off the stem of the pumpkin and cut it in half vertically to scoop the seeds out. Take one half of the pumpkin and slice it horizontally, the cut off the orange peel carefully with your knife. Chop the pumpkin flesh into 1/2 inch cubes.
  3. Rub the whole half of the pumpkin with a teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Toss the cubes of pumpkin with the other teaspoon of oil, salt, and four sage leaves. Cook for about 30 minutes, tossing the cubes after about 15 minutes. Cook until the whole half of the pumpkin is tender enough for a fork to go through it (remove the cubed pumpkin if it finishes before the other half).
  4. When pumpkin is finished roasting, scoop out the flesh from the whole half of the pumpkin and mash or puree until smooth.
  5. While the pumpkin roasts, heat the olive oil over medium low heat in a medium sized saucepan or dutch oven and cook the onion for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the rice and stir until evenly coated with oil. Let it toast for about two minutes.
  6. Add the wine and let it cook until it is mostly evaporated. Add a ladle full of broth to the rice.
  7. Stir frequently, until the broth has been completely absorbed and add another ladle full of broth. Repeat with adding the broth until the rice is cooked (either al dente or a little softer, to your taste). Add about a half teaspoon of salt and stir. Taste to check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Add a cup of pumpkin mash to the finished risotto.
  8. Melt the butter in a small saucepan with the sage leaves over low heat watching it carefully so it doesn't burn. The foam should subside and the butter should smell nutty and turn a rich, toasted color. Remove the sage leaves.
  9. Serve risotto with cubed, roasted pumpkin cubes, sage brown butter and grated parmesan cheese.

 

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

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I recently moved to New York City. It was a sudden and unexpected move but a very exciting one. I feel very fortunate that we found a great apartment in a neighborhood we love. I’d have to say my favorite thing about my apartment is its patio out back. It’s big enough to grow a modest garden in containers, to have a table and chairs, an area with a little sectional, and a grill. My summer cooking centers around the grill, especially when it’s too hot to turn on the oven.

Our favorite thing to do for dinner after a long day of work is to quickly throw something on the grill. This is an easy shrimp recipe made spicy by a seemingly small half teaspoon of fiery cayenne pepper and flavored with bright lemon zest and juice and minced garlic. I like to let the shrimp marinate for a half hour, skewer and salt them, and throw them on the grill for a few minutes on each side until pink and a little bit charred. For a completely grilled meal serve this with grilled summer vegetables like tomatoes and zucchini (olive oil, salt and pepper, and any herbs you have on hand). These spicy shrimp pair really well with a wine like Cavit Moscato. Its refreshing sweetness pairs well with shrimp and plays off the spiciness of the cayenne. It’s a perfect way to wind down after a long day of work and commuting in the summer heat.

A big thanks to Cavit Wines for sponsoring this post!

Print
Spicy Grilled Shrimp
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
Total Time
41 mins
 
You will need about 6-8 skewers for this recipe if you use two skewers through each shrimp. Using two skewers make it easier to flip on the grill.
Servings: 4
Author: Sonja Bradfield
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of shrimp shelled and deveined
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of half a lemon
  • salt
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients except the salt. Let the shrimp marinate in the fridge for about half an hour.
  2. When the shrimp is ready, turn on the grill to high and let it preheat.
  3. Thread the shrimp onto skewers and season them with salt on both sides.
  4. Grill about 3 minutes per side until pink and opaque.

 

Walnut Bread with Boursin and Prosciutto

0 · · 3 Comments

When Saghar from Labnoon reached out to me about joining her Virtual Midsummer Potluck for Peace I knew I had to join. These days, with all bad news seemingly streaming into our computers and smartphones and into our consciousness constantly things can feel so dark and dire. I know I’ve written about it before, but besides taking action locally to fight for things we believe in, I really believe one of the best things you can do is gather with people you love and people in your community.

Get off your phone, out of Facebook and Twitter, and just spend time with people face to face. It reminds you of what is important- your relationships with people, that life does go on, and things can get better no matter how hard things seem now.

This walnut bread is a simple quick bread that you can whip up with most things you already have in in your pantry. It’s nutty and slightly sweet, and a great accompaniment to something creamy and salty. I love to top a slice with Boursin and prosciutto. If you can’t find Boursin, you can easily use a creamy fresh goat cheese (with herbs and garlic would be perfect), a ricotta, or any kind of spreadable cheese. I love it with prosciutto the way my friend’s mom serves it, but you could do any kind of sliced ham or none at all. I bet roasted red peppers or grilled summer vegetables would be great on this, too.

And for more inspiration for your summer picnic, check out all the amazing participants of the #virtualmidsummerpotluck4peace!

Adventures in Cooking: Strawberry rhubarb pie ice cream sandwiches

An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Spiced Green Beans with Olive Oil and Tomato

Brewing Happiness: Healthy Southern Baked Beans

Cloudy Kitchen: Earl Grey blueberry pie

Cook Til Delicious: Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles

Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan

DisplacedHousewife: Strawberry Scone-Cakes With Fresh Orange Blossom Whipped Cream

Donuts, dresses and dirt: Tahini Pavlovas

Floating Kitchen: Blistered Green Beans with Apricots and Chive Blossoms

Harvest and Honey: Chasing Summer (drink)

Hortus Cuisine: Panino with Roasted Peppers, Pesto & Arugula

Lab Noon: Persian Cucumber & “Sekanjebin” Summer Drink

On The Plate: Sriracha Scotch Eggs

Ruby Josephine: Halwa d’Tmar (Moroccan Date-Stuffed Cookies)

Tasty Seasons: Grilled Mojito Chicken

Tending the Table: Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts, Parsley and Currants

TermiNatetor Kitchen: Strawberry Shortcakes with Gluten-Free Yogurt Biscuits & Mint Whipped Cream

The Little Epicurean: Halo-Halo (Filipino Shave Ice Dessert)

This Mess Is Ours: Simple Tomato & Avocado Salad

Twigg studios: roasted beet leek and feta quiche

Vermilion Roots: Tofu Salad with Spiced Peanut Sauce

Wood and Spoon: Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake

Print
Walnut Bread with Boursin and Prosciutto
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 
Author: Sonja Bradfield
Ingredients
  • 3 cups of flour
  • 4 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cups chopped walnuts
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups of milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter just the bottom of a loaf pan.
  3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a large bowl.
  4. Add the walnuts and mix.
  5. In a separate bowl whisk the egg, then add the butter and milk and whisk together.
  6. Stir in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (don't overmix!).
  7. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.

 

Spring Pasta with Mushrooms, Asparagus, Spring Onion, and Goat Cheese

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Although ramps are the most loudly heralded on social media every April, I also look for spring onions and asparagus. Spring onions are young onions that haven’t fully grown into the round onion you find in the supermarket. They have a small bulb and come with the greens attached. They have a less assertive onion flavor and I love them charred on the grill.

Though we now see asparagus in the market year round these days, asparagus also comes into season in spring. I love the tender, skinny asparagus that require very little cooking. I will eat them prepared in any fashion- grilled, boiled, steamed, and if in season, cut into long, raw ribbons.

My friends or maybe even anyone who visits this blog might think that because I love cooking and discovering new foods that I dine nightly on a fancy meal with exotic ingredients and difficult preparations. But in fact I suspect most cooks, even people online that present a perfect plate of food with lots of pretty elements and complicated techniques, typically eat fast, easy, and simple dishes. This is a perfect example of such a dish.

This pasta is a kind of pasta primavera, or spring pasta, tossed with mushrooms, asparagus, and spring onions and the simplest of sauces, fresh goat cheese thinned with a few splashes of the pasta cooking water. You can use any kind of small bite-sized pasta for this dish, but I like orecchiette because it kind of catches the sauce like a little scoop. With lemon peel zested right into the pasta for a bit of brightness and topped with freshly grated cheese and black pepper, it’s the the perfect easy dish for spring.

Print
Spring Pasta with Mushrooms, Asparagus, Spring Onion and Goat Cheese
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Servings: 4
Author: Sonja Bradfield
Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb of pasta I used orecchiette because the scoops capture the sauce!
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 4 oz of mushrooms chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1 bunch of the skinniest asparagus you can find trimmed of the woody bottoms and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 spring onions trimmed of their roots and any dry, green tips and chopped
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 5 oz of goat cheese chevre
  • lemon to zest over pasta
  • pecorino or parmesan for serving
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta according to the maker's instructions (my orecchiette took 10 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large sauté pan over medium hight heat and add the mushrooms. Let them sit undisturbed for about five minutes until golden then stir fry until all the liquid has released.
  3. Add the onion and cook until the white parts are translucent.
  4. Add the asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom. Let the wine evaporate completely. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
  5. Put the drained pasta into the pot, reserving about a 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Stir in the goat cheese and thin out the sauce with pasta cooking water a spoonful at a time until smooth.
  6. Zest the whole lemon over the pot and stir. Check for seasoning and salt as needed.
  7. Serve with grated cheese and fresh black pepper.

 

Pascualina (Spinach and Ricotta Pie)

3 · · 4 Comments

It’s time for some beautiful, sunny weather before the humidity creeps into the Mid-Atlantic. If you can somehow remedy the symptoms of spring allergies enough to want to sit outside and enjoy this season, I recommend having as many picnics and cookouts as possible before it gets too hot. For picnics I always prepare some kind of cheese plate that is composed of cheese, fruits, and pickled things that can easily be thrown into a bag and later assembled, some crudités and a dip or two, and a ready-to-eat dish that doesn’t need to be heated to be delicious.

I was introduced to pascualina by my dear Uruguayan friends, a trio of sisters and their parents that I consider family. It’s a savory dish of greens and cheese, with eggs baked right into the mixture, wrapped in a savory, flaky crust. It’s great warm out of the oven, but it tastes even better cooled to room temperature. It’s a dish that was traditionally enjoyed at Easter (Pascua means Easter in Spanish). Of course it’s great any time of year, but the greens and egg seem so appropriate to this season and holiday.

Print
Pascualina (Spinach and Ricotta Pie)
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 
Servings: 6
Author: Sonja Bradfield
Ingredients
  • 2 pie crusts store bought or two of this recipe
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 1 cup of chopped onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 10 ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach (or about 3 1/2 pounds of fresh spinach or chard cooked until wilted)
  • 1 cup of ricotta
  • 1/2 cup of grated parmesan
  • fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 6 eggs
  • flour for rolling out
Instructions
  1. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  2. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about five minutes. Add the frozen spinach and let it thaw out and the liquid cook off. Set aside to cool.
  3. Mix the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Mix in the cooled spinach mixture. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
  4. Turn on the oven to 400 degrees to preheat.
  5. On a floured surface, roll out one of the pie crusts to about 12 inches in diameter and place on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  6. Pile the spinach mixture into the center of the crust, and smooth out in a circle, leaving a two inch edge.
  7. Make five indentations and carefully crack the eggs into them.
  8. Place the second pie crust on top and carefully seal the edges by crimping or folding and twisting the edge in as pictured.
  9. Whisk the remaining egg and a splash of water together and brush evenly over the pie crust.
  10. Place it in the oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 350 degrees.
  11. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  12. Let cool for at least 20 minutes to eat warm or cool to room temperature.

 

Steak Salad with Salsa Verde

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The gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one. It hurdles the language barrier, makes friends among civilized people, and warms the heart.

–Samuel Chamberlain


A lot has happened since I last blogged in October. I likely don’t need to review current events for you, and I’m not really interested in getting overtly political here. But something would be amiss if I just blogged as if something hasn’t shifted for me personally.

The whole point of me starting this blog was to share experiences and memories through food. And of course, food can be quite political, as anything can be. But I want to use this space to emphasize something that I think is very important and seems to be getting lost these days – gathering and sharing a meal together, and seeing the faces of your family, friends, and neighbors without the noise of the news and social media drowning out real connections you have with folks who may or may not have voted the same way you did.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t stay informed or get involved. If you feel uneasy, upset, disoriented – take action. I know it’s really helped me a lot to channel these feelings into something productive. But you need to take care of yourself and spend quality time with people without a smartphone or the TV on. My fiancé (a story for another post!) and I have been sitting down to a home cooked dinners every night we are both at home, unplugging, and just talking about our day and what’s going on around us. It’s a small act, but it helps. And as the weather gets warmer, we plan to get together with friends more often to do this very thing.


This meal is quick and easy and perfect for a weeknight dinner. But it’s also a bit different and nice enough to share with dinner guests. The sauce comes together in a blender or food processor in a few seconds and the steak cooks to a medium rare in about ten minutes, either in a cast iron skillet or on the grill. While the steak rests, use a vegetable peeler to create shavings of parmesan and simply dress the greens with lemon juice and olive oil.

A quickly seared steak sliced on peppery arugula with parmesan shavings and topped with a fresh Italian style salsa verde is the perfect dinner to eat outdoors on a warm night (or inside by an open window).

Print
Steak Salad with Salsa Verde
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
I've had great success using NY strip steaks, ribeyes, and sirloin for this salad, but you could also use flank or skirt steak cooked medium rare and cut against the grain.
Servings: 4
Author: Sonja Bradfield
Ingredients
Salsa Verde
  • 1 cup Italian parsley leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 2 anchovy fillets rinsed
  • 1 tablespoons capers rinsed
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
  • A few pinches Red pepper flakes
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Steak & Salad
  • 20 oz New York strip steaks ribeye steaks, or sirloin
  • vegetable oil and butter or ghee if cooking on stovetop rather than grill
  • kosher salt & coarsely ground black pepper
  • fresh lemon juice from zested lemon
  • baby arugula
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • parmesan
Instructions
  1. Pat both sides of the steak dry and season with salt and pepper.
  2. If using a skillet on a stovetop (preferably a cast iron skillet with vents going and windows open!), place over high heat with a mixture of oil and butter or use ghee (clarified butter). OR, if using a gas grill, turn to high to preheat.
  3. Put all the ingredients for the salsa verde in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined, scraping down the sides a few times.
  4. Place steak in skillet and cook for about ten minutes, flipping every 30 seconds. OR place steak on the grill, cooking for about 5 minutes on each side. Steak should reach 130-135 degrees for medium rare.
  5. When finished, rest the steak for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the arugula with fresh lemon juice, then with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between plates.
  6. Slice the steak and place on top of the arugula. Top the steak with the salsa verde. Use a vegetable peeler to shave parmesan on top.

 

Pumpkin Jeon

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The Mid-Atlantic region has had another confusing bout of very warm weather. The AC was turned back on and I had to find the summer clothes I had started putting away. Then this weekend, a trip out to a Maryland farm took a very chilly turn. With falling temperatures and a cutting wind at our backs, we  took a hayride to a pumpkin patch to find our perfect jack ‘o lantern. Buoyed by warm spiced cider and a cannon that launched pumpkins at sculptures modeled after Transformers (yes, this exists!), we attempted to navigate a massive corn maze in the dark….

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Prosciutto Wrapped Pecan Stuffed Dates

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I first discovered these delicious prosciutto wrapped pecan stuffed dates when I hosted a group of girlfriends at my house while I on the Whole30 diet. The best way to socialize when you’re on some kind of specialized diet is to host because you can control the menu and the ingredients. I couldn’t do a cheese plate or a dip with bread or crackers since I couldn’t have dairy or any refined sugar, but I realized that prosciutto could replace bacon since it’s only pork and salt, we well as dates and nuts. It was an easy three ingredient appetizer my friends could also enjoy while they waited for me to grill steaks.

I was so excited when Stephanie asked me to contribute to her blog International Palate. I first found Stephanie’s blog when I lived in Arlington, VA and looked for Instagram posts tagged to the Westover Hills Farmers Market. I saw that she contributed recipes to the farmers market’s blog and I was even more impressed when I saw that she was in high school!

I thought this would be a great recipe to share as the run up to the holiday season gets started. You can easily throw this together with very little prep time and enjoy it within 20 minutes while you cook, bake, or decorate for the holidays. Check out the recipe on Stephanie’s blog.

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Tomato, Charred Corn, and Burrata Salad

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I think the best part of traveling to Italy this spring, besides watching our two friends get married, was the food. Of course, I’m not the first person to write about the experience of eating in Italy and I certainly won’t be the last. But there’s a reason so many people leave with the impression that they experienced something special and worth sharing. Simple ingredients, at their peak, are expertly prepared to make them shine, rather than obscuring them under heavy sauces, novel assembly, or complicated technique.
…

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(Post-Thanksgiving) Turkey Curry Rice

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When I worked as an English teacher in a Seoul public elementary school I was still in my early twenties. During these days I didn’t take care of myself as I should have and I hardly ever ate breakfast. I’d rush to work, grabbing a cappuccino along the way to tide me over until lunch time. Lunch was at 12:10 p.m. and by the time we sat down in the cafeteria I was ravenous. With an indifference to what was on our buffet cart, I’d load up my steel lunch tray with rice, soup, and whatever banchan, or side dishes, were available that day. Unlike in the US, kids in Korea generally get served a meal made from scratch and schools have a registered dietitian/nutritionist on staff to design the lunches according to set nutritional guidelines. The processed food is pretty limited. I don’t know if you’ve seen this article on school lunches around the world, but you can clearly see the difference….

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Pumpkin Ricotta Gnudi

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The last time I posted here was for a #drinkthesummer virtual party over two months ago. Since then summer has ended and we even had a cold snap this past weekend that had us bundled up in parkas and fighting the sniffles with copious amounts of hot tea. I originally intended to just take a bit of time off to move (I live in DC now!) and settle into my new life with my boyfriend, who just moved back home. However summer turned into fall, weekends became filled with plans with friends, community events, and exploring our new home. The blog got a bit away from me so when Sara from Cake Over Steak asked me to participate in a virtual pumpkin party to celebrate fall and all things pumpkin, I thought it a perfect opportunity to get back on track and share how much my new neighborhood and home have been inspiring.

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Tomato and Corn Galette

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It’s August and I keep seeing mentions of summer being over but the 90+ degree days tell me otherwise. The evenings hint of an impending change. While I still get painful mosquito bites whenever I dare to bare my legs, I can feel a coolness in the air at night. I try to ignore the signs for pumpkin spice treats and the back to school signs, but I know that many changes are coming quickly.

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Herb Potato Salad

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This post is sponsored by Sharp. A big thank you to sponsors that make this little blog possible! All opinions are my own.

This weekend my family is flying to attend my dad’s graduation in Phoenix. Yes, at just shy of 60 my dad has become Dr. Bradfield after earning a PhD. I can’t wait to see him receive his diploma on Saturday.

My whole life I have seen my dad work hard at everything he does. When I was young, he was a very involved and present figure in my life despite working in high stress jobs for most of his life. Dinners consisted of history lessons and debates on current events (and often still do). Any sport we took up as kids had my dad coaching us (minus my stint as an ice skater) including when I played soccer, a sport he had hardly played himself. I even had one of my first feminist lightbulb moments as an awkward, insecure teenager because of my dad when he pointed out how every headline on a beauty magazine cover is designed primarily to make women feel insecure and focus on gaining the attraction of men. He is the best coach and the best teacher.

In short, he is a wonderful father and role model for me and my brother. …

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Crispy Baked Chicken with Onions and Lemon

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This post is sponsored by Sharp. A big thank you to sponsors that make this little blog possible! All opinions are my own.

This is the easiest, simplest meal I’ve ever thrown together for a weeknight (besides reheating leftovers or just having a cheese plate as dinner…). I know I’ve written before about my lack of love for the humble chicken but I do enjoy dark meat. Good luck sharing a bucket of fried chicken with me and getting a drumstick! I thought of what would be a simple yet delicious and satisfying quick dinner in my new Sharp microwave and convection oven and I thought of these crispy baked chicken thighs….

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Rampchi Or Kimchi Made With Ramps

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Rampchi-13

This post is about a month too late. I figure I’ll just post it for next spring when the ramps pop up again after a long winter. Ramp season is tragically short and my love of them is so deep that I figured I needed to find a way to preserve them to eat throughout the summer and possibly fall. I’ve heard of pickled ramps and I’m sure I’m not the first person to kimchi them, but I haven’t seen a recipe out there.

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Balsamic Skirt Steak Tacos with Blue Cheese and Chimichurri

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I’m partnering with Castello for a Summer of Blue. A big thank you to Castello for sponsoring this post!

I seem to be on a grilling kick since the weather this May has turned to weather you’d typically experience in the DC area in mid-August. Yesterday it was sunny, hot, and humid at dawn. The heaviness hung in the air until dark clouds formed across the sky and a deluge of big, heavy raindrops soaked the city during the evening commute. This weekend is a long weekend since Monday is Memorial Day. Swimming pools will open, grills will be cleaned of the winter cobwebs and fired up as people attempt to soak up the nice days that this season brings.

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Grilled Pizza Two Ways

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This is a post sponsored by Colavita and inspired by Italian summer grilling. The content and opinions expressed below are mine.

An unseasonably cold spring has turned into a hot, sticky summer seemingly overnight. Scarves and jackets quickly turned into flowing dresses and open-toed shoes as I attempt to commute to work in DC by subway. There’s a commonly repeated fact to explain the humidity that is untrue. DC was not built on a swamp but rather a tidal plain. Either way, DC is one humid place when the weather gets hot.

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Pimento Cheese Scones

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Sometimes a certain food gets ingrained in my mind to the point of obsession and it doesn’t stop until I finally have had my fill of it. This can lead to certain food catastrophes, such as the Cheesecake Incident of 1998 where I helped myself to large, gluttonous portions of Costco cheesecake until I got sick. I still can’t have more than a few bites of the stuff 17 years later, and I am filled with regret that the teenage version of myself lacked restraint.

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Lately I’ve had my mind on pimento cheese, the southern staple that has recently popped up more and more on menus and food blogs. Grated cheese, minced pimento peppers and mayo are typically the foundation. It’s rich and satisfying stuff, whether you eat it on pork rinds or spread it on bread to make a sandwich. I wanted to incorporate it into a scone because I imagined the cheese inside being melted and gooey while the cheese on the outside crisped up on the baking sheet. I think we can agree that the best part of a grilled cheese sandwich is those crispy bits of cheese on the pan….

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The CSA Cookbook: Review

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CSA Cookbook-9

I’ve been following Linda Ly of Garden Betty for years. Although I seem to kill every living plant I attempt to grow, I have these romantic notions of growing my own food and having backyard chickens someday. This of course is a dream that will need to wait since I live in an urban condo with only a concrete balcony for my outdoor space. In a way I live vicariously through Linda sharing her life on her verdant urban homestead-by-the sea in California. While searching for tips on growing seedlings a few years ago, I stumbled upon Linda’s blog which had a really cute idea of growing them within eggshells. Over the years I’ve been inspired by her stories of gardening, raising chickens, traveling and cooking.

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Orange Spatchcocked Chicken

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A roasted whole chicken is the ultimate comfort food for many people. To be honest, chicken is my least favorite kind of poultry after turkey (it’s so dry!) and well seasoned and/or crispy skin makes or breaks poultry for me. This is why I usually love double-fried KFC (Korean fried chicken). It’s all about the skin. I’m ashamed to say that at Thanksgiving, I’m only eating a bit of dark meat and mostly skin. It kind of reminds me of that scene in South Park when Cartman eats all the crispy skin off the fried chicken in a bucket and leaves only the meat behind. None of his poor friends get to enjoy a single bite hearing that beautiful crunch and Kenny is reduced to tears. Cartman is a jerk but in this case I can sympathize with his actions. Most chicken isn’t worth eating unless it’s encased with breading….

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Crispy Korean Tofu Bites

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A big snowstorm hit the DC area yesterday. It was a large storm that affected large parts of the country- from 100 cars being stranded on a Kentucky highway to a plane skidding off the runway at La Guardia Airport. Everything was covered in up to 8 inches of snow where I live (a lot for this area) and since the office was closed I stayed home most of the day except to go out and buy flour from the grocery store next door and to go to the gym which is thankfully only a block away.

The last time I had walked around in snow like this was about two years ago in Seoul. I had been in France for most of December, and when I returned to Seoul on Christmas Eve, I discovered that the city had been experiencing record snowfalls. The streets and alleyways had turned to sheets of ice, and snow just kept falling and falling. Despite that, I spent what I knew to be my last Christmas Eve in Seoul out with my friend Rosemary, doing what we always did- wandering the streets of Hongdae, which was where I lived during my last few years in Korea….

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