Rib-Eye Steak with Pan Jus

The Bride and Groom Cookbook suggests you serve over mashed potatoes... I also would serve this with baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes and a vegetable of your choice!


What you'll need: 

• 1 Rib-Eye steak, 18-20 Ounces, 4 inches thick. 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 spring fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 small springs fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 400.
Season the Steak with salt and pepper, press rosemary leaves into steak.
Heat the olive oil in an oven proof saute pan over medium heat.
Just before the oil starts to smoke, sear the steak, 1 minute on each side, be sure to get the edges too!
Place the pan with the steak in the oven for 10-12 minutes for medium rare, longer if you like it cooked more.
Remove from the pan and let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the wine, stock and thyme to the drippings in the plan and place over medium heat.  Deglaze the pan by stirring with a wooden spoon.
Simmer until reduced by half. Remove the thyme springs.
Carve the steak along the grain into thin slices, arrange on plate and pour the pan jus on top!

YUM!

Minestrone Thickened with Bread

Tis the season for Home Made Soup!!!  From my Bride and Groom Cookbook.


What You'll Need: 

• 1 Loaf of day old peasant bread
• 5-7 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper for taste
• 1 lb shelling beans, canned cannellini beans work great! 
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 3-6 slices pancetta
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 TSP chopped fresh sage
• 3-5 ribs celery, diced
• 2-4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 small bulb fennel- i left this out. 
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• 1 head of kale, or other sturdy green, coarsely chopped
• 6-8 drained canned whole tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced savory cabbage
• 6 cups chicken stock or water 
• parmesan cheese for garnish. 

Mix it all together!
Preheat the oven to 350, cut the crust off the bread, tear into bite sized pieces, toss lightly in olive oil, spread on baking sheet, season with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until crispy.

Heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot, add onions, pancetta, bay lead and sage. Saute until onions soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the celery, carrots, fennel and garlic.

Mix in the kale, tomatoes, and cabbage, saute until the vegetables soften slightly, 3-5 minutes.

Season with Salt.  Add the stock, raise the heat to high, bring to a boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

Add the beans, and 1 cup of water and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Add the bread pieces, start with half, and see how thick the soup becomes, add more as desired.  Save the left over as crutons! Cook with lid on, for about 15 more minutes.

Serve with fresh parmesan and pepper!

Enjoy!

Delicious French Toast

The blend of flavors in this french toast makes it a perfect treat for FOOTBALL SUNDAY BRUNCH.  If you know my husband, hes parked in front of the TV on Sunday's with a game on TV, a Game on the IPad and a computer up and running tracking his fantasy team... we call this the command center on Sunday's. When I don't work on Sunday, we love to make bunch and hang out!

What You'll Need:

• 1 day old Baguette
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 2 Cups Milk
• 1 TSP Vanilla Extract- I always put more! 
• 1 TSP Orange Zest- I use the zest of 1 large naval orange... more flavor!!! 
• 2 TBSP Orange Juice- from the orange you zested.
• 4 1/2 TSP Sugar- plus a little extra :) 
• 3/4 TSP Salt
• Butter as needed for the pan. 

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, yolk, milk, vanilla, orange juice and zest, sugar, and salt.  Put this mixture into a 8 x 8 glass baking dish, or large shallow bowl.
Slice the Baguette into 1 1/2 - 2 inch slices.
Submerge the bread into batter, soak for 10 to 15 minutes - flip bread over half way through.
Warm a few TBSP of Butter on a cast iron frying pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
If cooking for a large number of people, warm the oven to 200 and set bread in oven to keep warm while you cook another batch... or serve immediately.

Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar and serve with warm Maple Syrup.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea, milk or OJ and GO Chargers!!!

Banana Bread

To start a new chapter in Kristie's Kitchen, I've been using some recipes out of cook books that I got when Nick and I got married.  One in particular, "Bride and Groom Cookbook, from Williams Sonoma" we've had sitting on our island for 2 months and when I have time to cook a well thought out dinner, Nick or myself pick a recipe and we give it a go!

This first one is for Banana Bread.  Now, I LOVE to bring baked goods to work and someone told me this was "the best Freaking Banana Bread I've ever had in my life."


What You'll Need: 

• 1 3/4 Cups Flour
• 2 1/4 TSP Baking Powder
• 3/4 TSP Salt
• 1/3 Cup Butter, @ Room Temperature
• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 TSP Lemon Zest
• 2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 Cup Mashed Ripe Banana (about 2 bananas)

Optional: 
1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Cups Dried Cranberries
*You can also use pecans, dates, or other nuts / dried fruit. Chocolate Chips are also a nice sweet option!

Preheat the Oven to 350, Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 Loaf Pan with Butter
Sift the Flour, baking powder and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to beat the butter with the sugar and lemon zest, until soft and creamy.
Add 1/3 of the Flour Mixture, stir until fully incorporated.  Repeat until you've added all of the flour.
Mix in the Eggs and Banana until well blended.
Gently fold in the nuts / fruit.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour- or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm with butter, or at room temperature... nick loves his nice and warm right out of the oven!

I love this because it doesn't have a lot of sugar in it.  Its fluffy and delicious!

ENJOY!