New York Strip Roast with Port Wine and Mustard Sauces

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When all is said and done, Christmas is much like a wedding. Weeks of planning and preparation are over in nanoseconds, and along with the special memories we create are the remains of the day, which someone must attend to. The best part of being responsible for planning and execution of a feast is being excused from its clean-up detail. That gives me time to sit a spell and tell you about our dinner tonight, as others, very noisily I might add, tackle table debris and the dishes. Being queen is not half-bad on these occasions. One of the delights of living in an area where cattle and sheep are raised, is the abundance and affordability of meat, especially during the holiday season. Beef, standing rib and loin, can be had for under $5 a pound and that means that groaning boards in this area don't groan, they moan under the weight of holiday meat entrées. Most years, I prepare a really large boneless rib roast, but my trip to the market this week revealed some really nice looking New York Strip roasts that I decided to bring home as well. I've had a recipe developed by Wolfgang Puck for several years now and the roasts gave me the perfect opportunity to experiment with it. This is a nice alternative to a standing rib roast for the holiday. It is very easy to do and I made the roast as directed, save for the fact that I used coarse garlic salt and seasoned the roast 24 hours before cooking. It may be in my head, but I think the meat is more flavorful if its seasoned and sits for a good long while before baking. Our dinner began with a fresh pea soup and gravlax. Because of the potential sweetness of the sauce, I kept the remainder of the food quite simple and served the roast with Potatoes Anna and plain, lightly steamed asparagus. As it turned out, the sauce is wonderfully nuanced and I recommend it without reservation. I do think the beef, if cooked to specifications, will be overdone. I personally will aim for rare beef next time around. I also had to make a last-minute slurry to thicken the sauce, but in the light of eternity that was a small glitch and easily taken care of. I'm so glad I gave this recipe a try. It did not disappoint. Here's how the roast is made.

New York Strip Roast with Port Wine and Mustard Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Wolfgang Puck

Ingredients:

Roast

1 whole New York strip, about 5 pounds, trimmed, trimmings reserved

Kosher salt (I used a coarse garlic salt)

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

Port Wine Dijon Sauce

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 cup port wine

1 cup beef stock

1 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1) Place rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Generously season all surfaces of roast with salt and pepper. Place a heavy metal roasting pan or cast iron skillet on a burner over high heat. Heat pan, then film bottom of pan with olive oil. When oil begins to smoke, carefully put meat in pan and turn down heat to medium-high; scatter reserved trimming scraps around it. Sear until meat is evenly brown, about 5 minutes per side.

3) Transfer meat and trimmings to a roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven and cook meat for about 45 minutes, or until it is medium rare, 140 to 145 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

4) Transfer meat from roasting pan to a serving platter, tent with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

5) While meat rests, remove and discard scraps from roasting pan. Pour off all but a thin film of fat. Transfer pan to stovetop and heat drippings over medium-high heat. Add shallot and, as soon as it starts to sizzle, pour in port wine and stock, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to dissolve pan deposits. With a whisk, stir in the cream. Reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer and, a piece at a time, whisk in butter until it melts. Continue cooking until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off heat and stir in mustard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer sauce to a small saucepan. Keep warm, but do not let boil.

6) Uncover New York strip and transfer it to a cutting board. Stir any juices that have collected into sauce. With a sharp knife, cut meat across grain into slices about 1/2-inch thick and place on a serving platter. Ladle a little sauce over meat. Pass remainder of sauce at table. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Roast Beef Tenderloin - Sea Salt with Food

Garlic Studded Herb Beef Roast - Life's Ambrosia

Herb Rubbed Roast Beef - Phoo-d

Roast Beef 3 Ways - Food and Whine

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding - Chow and Chatter

Braised Beef Provencal - Fight the Fat Foodie

Slow Roasted Beef with Red Wine Sauce - Gourmeted

Farfalle with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This pasta lacks any vestige of sophistication and is ridiculously easy to make. I'm featuring it here because it's one of my favorite go-to meals for the fall season. I can't resist the the flavor and fragrance of roasted tomatoes and each year I'm lured by the myriad colors in those tiny baskets that stack the shelves of stores and farm stands. Practicing my usual restraint, I generally end up buying a basket of each color and am left to ponder ways in which to use them. Would that all life's dilemmas be so easy to handle. While I've probably never made this dish twice in the same way, I wanted to formalize a recipe for you to follow. My hope is that you'll use it as a road map first time through, then take the first detour you see and make this recipe your own. There is nothing not to like here, so unless you hate tomatoes or garlic give it a try. Here's my disposable recipe.

Farfalle with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
12 garlic cloves, cut in half (don't be shy)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
12 ounces farfalle
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set pasta water to boil.
2) Combine and toss tomatoes, garlic, oil, basil, salt, hot pepper flakes and ground pepper in a baking pan large enough to hold vegetables in a single layer.
3) Roast until tomatoes are shriveled and garlic is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
4) About 15 minutes before tomatoes are finished, cook pasta in boiling salted water per package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup water, and return pasta to pot.
5) Add contents of roasting pan to pasta. Toss to distribute vegetables and coat farfalle. Fold in basil. If pasta appears dry, add some reserved pasta water to moisten. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Your might also enjoy these recipes:
Bow Tie Pasta with Peas and Bacon - Deep South Dish
Bow Ties with Sausage and Leek Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Farfalle with Mushroom and Prosciutto Ragu - Worth the Whisk
Farfalle with Savoy Cabbage, Pancetta and Mozzarella - Cookography
Chopped Spinach and Farfalle Salad - Living the Gourmet
Farfalle with Broccoli and Feta - The Picky Cook

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This soup is a wonderful way to use the last of summers bounty. It's flavorful, quite easy to assemble and its wonderful color belongs on an artist's palette. The only downside to all this is that you'll need a blender or food processor to puree the vegetables. If you are fastidious you'll also want to pour the soup through a fine mesh strainer to capture those odd bits and bobs that escape the blender blades. The soup can be served warm or cold and it's perfect to pack in a thermos to offer as a warmer at the game. I prefer to serve the soup warm, but it was actually developed to be served cold. Remember cold soups require more salt than those that are served warm, so adjust seasonings accordingly. Hot or cold the soup should be allowed to rest and ripen before it is served. I think you'll enjoy this. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/4 pounds Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
3 large red bell peppers, quartered, seeded
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 cups water (approximate measure)
Heavy cream (optional)
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange tomatoes (cut side up), bell peppers, onion and garlic cloves on large baking sheet. Drizzle oil over; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until brown and tender, turning peppers and onion occasionally, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool.
2) Transfer vegetables and any accumulated juices to processor. Add thyme leaves. Puree soup, gradually adding enough water to thin soup to desired consistency. Chill soup for 3 to 24 hours. Reheat if serving warm. If soup becomes too thick, thin with additional water.
3) Adjust seasoning. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with heavy cream if desired. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if using. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Bacon and Potato Soup - Yum Sugar
Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup - Smitten Kitchen
Split Pea Soup with Pancetta - Bread and Honey
Spinach White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup - Closet Cooking
Pureed Sweet Potato Soup - Saveur
Bacon and Cabbage Soup - Epicurious


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Southwestern-Style Potatoes Roasted with Peppers and Herbs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you like roast potatoes, chances are you'll love this version which has a slightly Southwestern twist. The potatoes are topped with a medley of herbs and absorb additional flavor from three types of fresh peppers that roast along side them. There are a couple of tricks to making this dish work, but I assure you they are simple. To prevent the peppers and onions from releasing juices that would braise, rather than roast, the potatoes, hot becomes the operative word. The oven must be hot and the pan on which the vegetables roast must be hot enough to sizzle when the vegetables are dumped onto it. To assure a hot pan, place it in the oven as it preheats. Spray it with a nonstick vegetable spray or olive oil just before you place vegetables in it. Resist the temptation to oil the pan while it preheats. You'll end up with enough smoke to set off your alarms. This lesson comes from the been there, done that school of life which I've completed with high honors. These potatoes are a wonderful accompaniment to steaks and roasts and can make a plain meal sparkle with flavor. If I can get you to make them, I know they'll become a favorite of yours as well. While I make this with baby Yukon Gold, any small potato, including fingerlings, can be used with similar result. Leftovers can be warmed the following day and served with poached or fried eggs for a quick and easy feast. Here's the recipe for roast potatoes made new again.

Southwestern-Style Potatoes Roasted with Peppers and Herbs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/2 to 3 pounds small new potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large poblano pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in very thin crosswise slices
1 large sweet onion cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 large lemon

Directions:
1) Place a large baking sheet into oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Place potatoes, red pepper, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, sweet onion, basil, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss well to coat all ingredients. Quickly spray hot pan with nonstick spray. Dump potato mixture in a single layer onto pan. Return to oven.
3) Bake, turning mixture every 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft and brown, about 50 minutes. Yield 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Savory Roasted Potatoes for a Crowd - One Perfect Bite
Mustard Glazed Potatoes - One Perfect Bite
Caramelized Potatoes (Brunede Kartofler )- One Perfect Bite

Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup - Passato di Peperoni

A golden soup to brighten a stormy day on the Oregon coast.









From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Storms pass, but when you're in the midst of one it's wonderful to have a meal that will warm the cockles of your heart. Bob is grilling a chicken to accompany this wonderfully light soup that originated in a Florentine trattoria. Its molten color evokes summer and the soup captures the heady flavor of peppers that have ripened under the Tuscan sun. Served hot or cold, Passato di Peperoni, is a perfect first course, and a wonderful way to begin a meal. This is really simple to make. The trick to making what could be an ordinary soup spectacular lies in the roasting of the peppers. No short cuts should be taken here. I've found I get the best flavor if the peppers are drizzled with olive oil and placed in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes before they go into the stockpot. Once that's done, you're on your way to having one of the best soups you've ever tasted. I highly recommend this. As a matter of act, I happen to love this soup. Serve it with a lovely salad, some great bread and plain grilled meat or poultry for a peasant feast that kings will envy. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup - Passato di Peperoni...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Patricia Wells

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil + olive oil for drizzling
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds thick-skinned yellow peppers, roasted and sliced
Salt and pepper
2 medium-size baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 quart water
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
1) Combine olive oil, carrot, celery and onion in a stockpot set over medium heat. Saute until vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and cook for 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes, water and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2) Use an immersion mixer or a blender to puree soup. If using a blender puree soup in batches to prevent burns. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in soup bowls, drizzling each portion with a generous amount of olive oil. Yield: 6 to 8 serving.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Tuscan Bean Soup - One Perfect Bite
Avgolemono - One Perfect Bite
Tortilla Soup - One Perfect Bite
Easy Black Bean and Chorizo Soup - Stacy Snacks
Roasted Red Pepper Soup - Klutzy Chef
Roasted Cauliflower Red Pepper and Garlic Soup - Savoring the Thyme
Creamy Corn and Red Pepper Soup - Simply Life
Pepper Soup - eCurry
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup - One Perfect Bite

Roast Lamb - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was sent this photo by a friend who has long insisted that photography is an art form. She's made it very hard for me to argue the point and in the process managed to stimulate my taste for lamb and excite an already chronic case of wanderlust. Hopefully, the yen for lamb will be satisfied by tonight's dinner, but wanderlust is another story. Normally, we'd just pack up and go. That would be fine if Bob and I could agree on which continent to visit, but at this juncture he's in Africa and I'm in Asia and we may have to settle the stalemate with a roll of the dice. After looking at the photograph, I decided that if I paired the photo with a recipe, I could share it with you. I still had a gorgeous piece of of lamb that had been sent to me by the folks at Lava Lake Ranch several months ago. It was a top round roast which I decided to bake and serve with a new sauce. I really like this particular cut of meat. It comes packed as a 1 to 1-1/2 pound roast which is perfect for folks who love lamb, but don't want to deal with leftovers for days on end. Roasts this size can be baked in about 20 minutes and while they require another 20 minutes to rest, they can be table ready within an hour. I decided to do a coffee based sauce but I wanted to brighten it with pomegranate molasses and orange essence or zest. It worked out well and we had a lovely meal. Here's the recipe for the roast lamb.

Roast Lamb with Coffee and Orange Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs lamb top round, room temperature
1 large clove of garlic, finely slivered
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
.
1 cup strong coffee
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Cut slits into top of lamb with knife tip and insert garlic slivers into them. Rub outside of roast with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cover top surface of lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3) Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. Add reserved olive. Place lamb, seasoned side down, into skillet and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle exposed meat surface with reserved salt and pepper before turning. Turn and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for about 15-20 minute, or until an instant read thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove from oven, transfer roast to a serving platter and tent with foil. Let sit for 20 minutes.
4) Deglaze skillet with 1 cup strong coffee. Add sugar, molasses, orange zest and juice and boil rapidly to reduce by half. Add cream and any accumulated meat juices. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Keep warm.
5) Cut lamb into thin slices and serve with sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lamb Shanks with Black Cherry Wine Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Moroccan Shepherd's Pie - One Perfect Bite
Persian Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Quick Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce - No Recipes
Pomegranate Molasses - The Hungry Mouse
Lamb Stew with Dill - Bitten

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday