Monthly Archives: June 2013

Steak Tips in Soy Sauce and Red Wine

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

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This is a simple recipe that can be made in a slow cooker. The key is to sear the meat first to seal in the juices. Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect wine to use, but other tannic wines such as Malbec will also work. I would not use Pinot Noir. Its low tannins and higher acid make it a great red wine for turkey and salmon, but not for steak.

What you’ll need:
2 lbs steak tips
Olive oil
1.5 cups Cabernet Sauvignon (or other tannic wine)
1/8 cup Soy Sauce (I use low sodium)
1 clove garlic (if you don’t have a garlic press, you can use the equivalent in minced garlic from the store.)
Thyme
Fennel
Savory Spice
Basil
Onion Salt
Ground Peppercorn

Prep time: 15-20 minutes (mostly waiting on your cast iron skillet to heat up)
Cook time: 3-4 hours on high, 6-8 on high. (My slow cooker tends to dry out the meat at the longer times.)

To Prepare
-If you have a cast iron skillet, heat it in your oven at 500 degrees. The skillet is hot enough when a bubble of water hops around on it before evaporating. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, get one soon, and in the meantime, you’ll have to use a very normal skillet for the sear.
-While the skillet is heating, let the meat slightly warm up to room temperature, and very lightly coat it with olive oil.
-Sear the meat in the hot skillet. It will only need a 60-90 seconds per side. It will release from the pan when properly seared.
-Add the wine and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Add the meat, and do a quick sprinkle of each seasoning over the top.
-Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or 6-8 hours on low). Meat should “fall apart” on your fork and be moist. Check at 3 hours (6 on low) to make sure the meat isn’t dry.

Pairs well with starchy foods and whatever wine you cooked it in!

Buttery Olive Oil Pasta

06 Thursday Jun 2013

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I love trying new and exotic olive oils and balsamic vinegars. They can take a dish from average to awesome if they are of good quality. I recently discovered The Olive Vineyard in Agoura Hills, CA. This cheery little shop hosts a remarkably large selection of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. The fun, personalized experience includes tasting cups so you can try before you buy. Then they fill your chosen bottle size with the oil or vinegar of your choice. The store even has recipe cards for different flavors to help you jump into cooking with flavored oils and vinegars.

I fell in love with their butter flavored olive oil. It was easy to imagine a host of dishes to use it in, but I ended up starting simply. I was getting ready to make pasta for dinner one night and realized I had no sauce. How I manage to have 6 packets of yeast and 8 jars of cinnamon at any given moment, but no milk or simple sauces is beyond me, but I’m working on it. So I look around and see that I do have the butter olive oil, garlic, and fresh Parmesan cheese. The result has turned out to be one of our favorite easy dishes.

What you’ll need:
14 oz Pasta (I like Farfalle)
Butter olive oil to taste
1 clove garlic (if you don’t have a garlic press, you can use the equivalent in minced garlic from the store.)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Prep time: None, unless you plan to grate your own cheese.
Cook time: 14 minutes

To Prepare
-If you are using box pasta, prepare your pasta according to the instructions on the box, else fill a large pot 2/3 full with water and heat to a boil.
-Add a sprinkle of salt and the pasta and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for approximately 14 minutes. Pasta should be slightly firm, but chewy.
-Drain the pasta.
-Drizzle the butter olive oil over the pasta until lightly coated.
-Stir in the remaining ingredients.
-Once the Parmesan is melted, it is ready to serve!

This pairs nicely with any white wine that has undergone malolactic fermentation, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or Verdicchio.

Real Deal Slow Cooker Risotto

03 Monday Jun 2013

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I love risotto– I love the creaminess, how it pairs with many foods, how it smells after you spend the hour massaging it–but I’m not so fond of how badly I need a massage afterwards. So I was interested when I saw several postings on Pinterest for slow cooker risottos. Unfortunately when I looked at the recipes, I wasn’t impressed by various calls for onion flakes, but no celery. Some even left out the wine. I decided to try my own version.
When I first started making risotto (pre-slow cooker), I switched the onion for shallots to lose the sharpness of the onion. I am not a fan of oaked (barrel fermented) Chardonnays (the aftertaste is too much), but someone had given me a bottle and not being one to waste wine, I used that in the recipe. Happily, the oaked Chardonnay added a toasted nuttiness to the flavor.

What you’ll need:
2 pints chicken stock (I use organic and low sodium when I can find it)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot
1 head of celery (This is optional, but many professional chefs include celery in their recipes and I love the freshness and texture. I cut so much off it ends up being about 1/2 head)
2 cloves garlic (if you don’t have a garlic press, you can use the equivalent in minced garlic from the store.)
1 2/3 cups arborio rice
2 glasses Chardonnay, oaked
6 tablespoons butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours on high, 4 hours on low

To Prepare
-Chop the celery and shallot. I like to use my mini chopper for this.
-Press the garlic.
-Begin heating your chicken stock in a large pot.
-Heat the olive oil and half of the butter in a skillet. Add the celery, garlic, and shallot and slowly cook on low until the vegetables are soft.
-Increase the heat by a notch. Add the rice to the vegetables, and continually turn the rice over until it is slightly translucent.
-Add the Chardonnay and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
-Add the chicken stock and the rice mixture to your slow cooker and mix well.
-Cook on high for 2 hours (or low for 4). Halfway through the cooking, stir the rice. (Yes, I’m telling you to break the cardinal rule of not opening the slow cooker.)
-Add the rest of the butter and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until well blended.

Serve with the remainder of the wine. It also pairs well with steak cubes.