Sunday, March 25, 2012

Steak and Arugula Salad

For many of us spring has arrived. Sunny days and warm temperatures call for grilling, and tonight I just so happened to have access to a grill...and a steak. 

Before grilling the sirloin steak rare I coated it with just a little bit of olive oil, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. After the grill was nice and hot I cooked the steak for just a few minutes on each side, leaving it seared on the outside and tender and rare on the inside. After removing it from the grill I let it sit for a few more minutes before slicing it, allowing the juices to circulate and settle. 


While the steak cooked and sat, I prepared an arugula salad as the final resting place for the lovely steak. Before I ate it, of course. The salad was simple--just baby arugula, chopped fresh cherry tomatoes, and finely chopped red onion. I tossed it all together with a vinaigrette composed of blood-orange olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, crush red pepper, and a raw egg yolk. 


I tossed the dressing with the salad and topped it with the sliced steak. It's a simple and absolutely delicious dish for these delightful spring days.


Honey, Honey

Friday, March 16, 2012

Irish Cream

Last year I put up a recipe for delicious homemade Irish cream. This year I decided to repost the recipe and document the process for your viewing pleasure. 


This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Best of the Best from North Carolina Cookbook, but I've made a couple of changes over the years.

Ingredients:


1-1/4 cup Irish whiskey

4 eggs

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened-condensed milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon coconut extract

1 tablespoon instant coffee (or coffee extract)

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
(or chocolate extract if you can find it)

Blend all the ingredients together and refrigerate for about 12 hours before serving over ice. Enjoy!