Recipe: Spinach Salad with Steak & Blueberries

Normally, I'm not a salad person. Like at all. I'm pretty picky about what I like to put in salads (hint: tomatoes get a thumbs down). As a general rule, I don't eat salads with: a) nuts of any kind, b) cheese of any kind, or c) meat (unless it's chicken). As you may imagine, this severely limits my salad options. But like I said, I don't really like salad, so it doesn't really bother me.

All of this changed, however, when I had the California Spring Salad at Milestones Restaurant. This salad is magic, and I quite regularly make a copycat recipe at home. This is the salad which taught me that spinach + goat cheese + pecans + any kind of vinaigrette = deliciousness.

I know what you're thinking. Goat cheese? Pecans? I thought you don't eat salad with nuts or cheese, never mind both? This is all very true. But over the years I have given up trying to understand my very finicky tastebuds and have simply learned to embrace whatever they choose to tell me. In this case? That goat cheese and pecans are a match made in heaven.

Anyways, I digress. My mom brought the recipe for this scrumptious salad home from our local grocery store and I knew right away that it had to try it. Did it have goat cheese and pecans in it? No. But that was easily remedied. In fact, the original recipe called for feta and walnuts, both of which I hate, but the substitution was very easily done. I'm sure the original recipe is good too ... you know, if you're into that kind of thing.

Although this salad cost a mint to make (having none of the ingredients on hand except olive oil and salt/pepper, I was forced to make an emergency grocery store run. My recommendation? Make this recipe when blueberries are in season. Holy expensive fruit, Batman!) ...  it was absolutely worth it! Tangy, filling and delicious, it was also ready to eat in 15 minutes flat. Now that's my kind of meal!

The only remotely difficult thing about this recipe is cooking the steak to your desired level of well-doneness. If you can handle that, you're golden. First step? In a food processor or Magic Bullet, combine some blueberries, pecans, minced shallot, sugar, salt and vinegar to form a sort of paste which will be the base of your vinaigrette. When that's done, slowly blend in the olive oil until it's completely mixed in. It should look something like this:

Meanwhile, throw your steak on the grill/frying pan. It's getting to be barbecue season, so I recommend you cook it on the grill. But if Victoria is up to its usual weather antics and you don't want to brave the wet outdoors, then just cook it in a skillet on the stove top.

While the steak is cooking, rip the spinach into bite-size portions and pile on a plate. Top with toasted pecans (either whole or crumbled, your choice), fresh blueberries and crumbled goat cheese. When the steak is done, let it sit for a few minutes before slicing it into bite sliced strips and layering on top of the salad. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top, and devour at will.**

**A note about the vinaigrette: I followed the recipe exactly the first time, but as you can see from the pictures, the dressing still turned out quite thick. It tasted amazing, but for ease of pourage/presentation, I would double the amount of olive oil that it calls for.

Here's the full recipe:

Spinach Salad with Steak and Blueberries


Ingredients;
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
1/2 cup chopped walnuts/pecans, toasted  (2-4 minutes in a dry skillet)
3 Tbsp fruity vinegar, such as raspberry vinegar
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt, divided
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound sirloin or strip steak (1 - 1 1/4 inches thick), trimmed
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
8 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup crumbled feta/goat cheese

Directions;
1.  Preheat the grill to medium

2.  Pulse 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 nuts, vinegar, shallot, sugar and 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor to form a chunky paste. With the motor running, add oil until incorporated. Transfer the dressing to a large bowl.

3. Sprinkle steak with pepper and remaining salt. Grill the steak about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, 6 minutes per side for medium. Let rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes.

4. Add spinach to the bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Divide the spinach among 4 plates. Thinly slice the steak crosswise. Top the spinach with the steak, cheese, and remaining blueberries and walnuts.

Makes 2 very large portions.

Nerdville: The Avengers

Tonight was opening night for, The Avengers, the latest in a long ling of Marvel movies. What makes this one so special? I have 6 words for you:

Thor.
Captain America.
Hulk.
Iron Man.
Black Widow.
Hawkeye.

(Okay, technically that was 9 words. But 6 people, so that's close enough, right?)

All of them. In one movie. It's like I've died and gone to superhero-comic book nerd heaven. Not to mention the fact that it's directed/written by my all-time favourite sci-fi hero, Joss Whedon. Joss and I are, not gonna lie, pretty tight. I mean, sure, we've never actually met, but I've watched pretty much everything he's ever made with rabid enthusiasm (the one exception being Dollhouse -- sorry Joss. I liked it, but it's certainly no Firefly. It's not even a Buffy.)

Anyways, back to The Avengers. It was AMAZING. So, so, so, so, so, so good. I mean, I know I like superhero movies more than most people. In fact, I even do a fairly good job of tolerating the terrible ones (Daredevil, anyone?). But this? This was magic.

It goes without saying that the action and the fight scenes were phenomenal. How could they not be with that many heroes in play? But mostly I love how true to character they stayed (i.e., the various heroes spend most of the movie fighting each other over various ego trips) and Joss' brilliant humour, which he brings to all of his films (except again not with Dollhouse. What's up with that, Joss?). I'm not sure what is so inherently funny about the Hulk beating the crap out of our villain, but it's pretty damn hilarious.

If you like superhero movies, what are you still doing reading this blog? GO SEE THIS MOVIE. If you don't like superhero movies, shame on you.

Just kidding.
(Well, sort of anyways)

If you don't like superhero movies (really? really? who are you?), I still think you should go see this movie because it's a riotously fun ride. Is it ridiculously implausible? Yes. Does it involve a) aliens, b) genetic engineering far beyond our capabilities, and c) Samuel L. Jackson wearing an eye-patch? Yes, yes, and yes. What's not to love? Not a damn thing.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Muffins

I have one word for these muffins: scrumptious. Scrumptious, scrumptious, scrumptious. I discovered this recipe about two months ago I'd say, and I've made it at least 5 times. And every time the entire batch disappears in like a day. Maybe a day and a half if we're not feeling particularly snackish in our house on that particular day. I've modified the recipe slightly to make the muffins lighter than the original, which I found here.

Anyways, your first step is easy. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees and either grease a muffin tray or line it with muffin cups.

In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another, whisk together the egg and sugar. Then slowly mix in the melted butter and sour cream. The finished mixture should look something like this:

Next, add the chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts to the liquids and toss to coat. Fun fact that I learned from my grandmother: you can freeze macadamia nuts to keep them fresh until you need them.

Once you've mixed in the chocolate and nuts, then it's time to add the dry ingredients. The important thing here is not to overmix it. A few lumps are still fine when you're done. If you stick to the original recipe, these muffins turn out quite dense, so I like to add an extra 1/4 cup of milk or so at this stage, but that's up to you. The finished batter should look something like this:

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, making sure to distribute the batter as evenly as possible. I find this recipe usually makes about a dozen very large muffins or 15-16 smaller muffins. It's up to you and the size of your muffin tray. :)

Throw the muffins in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until they're slightly golden brown on the top. These muffins are pretty pale even when they're cooked through. You don't want to overdo it!

Pull them out of the oven, and enjoy them fresh and warm when the chocolate chips are still melted. Mmmmmmm.

Here's the full recipe:

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Muffins:


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you use salted macadamia nuts, omit the salt)
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/4 unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup milk (optional)

Directions;

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or line with muffin cups. Set aside.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture is thick and thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk the butter into the mixture until combined. Add half the sour cream, whisking until just combined, repeat with the remaining sour cream.

4. Add the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts to the flour mixture and toss to coat.

5. Add the flour to the sour cream mixture and fold with a spatula until combined and the chips and nuts are evenly distributed, but do not overmix.

6. Evenly divide the batter in between the cups of the muffin pan. Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until very light golden brown colour and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Update: Housesitting

Bonjour!

My life has been a bit topsy turvy of late. I was housesitting at one place, I moved home for 1 night (and did a hella lot of laundry), and then proceeded to move into a new housesitting place. With all that moving back and forth, I haven't had much chance for cooking but I did manage to go grocery shopping last night, so I should be able to manage something relatively soon. In fact, I think I may bake some delicious muffins this afternoon and post the recipe later on.

But first, look at this face. Really, who could say no to her?

This is Nellie, the psychotic, ultra-needy, and yet somehow still completely lovable goldendoodle that I was looking after during my first housesitting stint. And as crazy and neurotic as she was (going up and down stairs with her around was nearly impossible -- she was always trying to sit on my feet!), I totally miss her.

When I went back a few days ago to return the key she basically wet herself in her excitement at seeing me again ... not going to lie, it's a pretty good feeling having someone that excited to see you when you get home. On the plus side though, I'm very much enjoying no longer being woken up at ungodly hours of the morning simply because there's a squirrel in the backyard.

Anyway, here's to you Nellie!

Nerdville: Star Trek Cookies

Now, as most of you know, I am not a true Trekkie. Sure, I love the new Star Trek movie with Chris Pine (which I definitely did didn't watch this morning in my pajamas) and am beyond excited to see the sequel when it finally comes out in May next year (2013? Really? Get it together guys! You have fans that want to see this!)

And you know what, I even enjoy the occasional dose of the good ol' fashioned original series or Next Generation. But I know some Trekkies, and I am definitely not one of them.

But even I couldn't contain my squeals of glee when I saw these two posts on one of my favourite food blogs ... seriously, who knew you could make Spock so adorable??

So. Freaking. Cute. Aaaaah. I might die.

But wait! There's more. Look at these!!!



Adorable. ADORABLE.

Both of the images above link to the original blog posts, with full instructions on how to make your own scrumptious, adorable Star Trek cookies!

Live long and prosper!

Recipe: Maple Roast Pork Tenderloin

It's time for another recipe, this time birthday style! Yesterday was my gramma's birthday, and I cooked jher a birthday meal for her and the rest of the family. This was only the second time I'd cooked this particular recipe, but it turned out fabulously and I'm glad I now have a chance to share it on the blog because, really, everyone should try this. It. Is. Delicious.


I didn't take any pictures of the process this time because well, you know, I was concentrating on making sure everything was ready on time. And not burning stuff.


So, without further ado, I will skip straight to the full recipe:


Maple Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apples
Ingredients:
½ cup maple syrup2 Tbsp Dijon or grainy mustard2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (optional)2 Tbsp lemon juice2 Tbsp soy sauce2 ¾ lb pork tenderloins1 Tbsp canola oil1 Tbsp butter3 large Granny Smith, McIntosh or other tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced1 ½ cups apple cider or juice1 tsp cornstarch


Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, mustard, rosemary, lemon juice and soy sauce. Pour over the pork and marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.


2. Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and brown the tenderloins on all sides, turning as necessary. This should take about 5 minutes.


3.  Transfer the pork to a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover it with foil, and let it stand until you’re ready for it.


4.  Meanwhile, add the butter to the skillet (don’t wash it out!) and sauté the apples for 5-7 minutes, until the apples are tender and golden. Transfer the apples to a plate. Add the marinade and apple cider to the pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up any flavourful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.


5.  Pour a small amount of the sauce (about ¼ cup) into a small dish, whisk in the cornstarch until you get rid of all the lumps, and return the mixture to the pan. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Return the apples to the sauce along with any juices that have collected on the plate.


6.  Slice the pork and serve it topped with the apples and sauce.

Happy Birthday Gramma!

Recipe: Spicy Individual Meatloaves

You know what's really hard to do? Take an appetizing picture of meatloaf. Don't get me wrong. I love meatloaf. And this meatloaf was freakin' amazing. But meatloaf does not photograph well. :(

Ah well. Photographs aside, I am very proud to say that I came up with this recipe myself. The idea for individual meatloaves came from my lovely aunt (thanks!), and I thought it was brilliant, especially since I am currently living alone (not counting the dog, who I'm very certain wanted to be included in the guest list for tonight's dinner). There were 2 added bonuses of making small individual meatloaves: 1) it took way less time to cook, and 2) the leftovers can be wrapped and frozen individually for future meals. Woohoo!

The actual ingredients for these bites of savory goodness were more a result of what I happened to have on hand, so the recipe will be less precise than usual. No matter. Meatloaf is one of those very flexible dishes that you can flavour or spice however you want (within reason though, of course).

Your first step is, of course, to make a big gooey mess. Combine some ground beef, Italian sausage meat, thinly sliced onion, garlic, barbecue sauce, cracker crumbs and Worcestershire sauce and mix with you hands until everything is evenly combined.

Fill a muffin tray with the meat mixture and brush the tops of each with barbecue sauce. No need to grease the tray beforehand -- the beef would probably have enough juice on its own not to stick, but the sausage makes extra sure of that. Once the tray is full, simply fire it in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes, and presto! Mini meatloaves. They pop out of the muffin pan like a charm, leaving most of the fat behind in the bottom of each cup. It makes the pan a disgusting mess to deal with, but it means you avoid that nasty layer of squishy fat that you sometimes get on the bottom of meatloaf.

Serve with potatoes or rice, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Enjoy!

Here's the full recipe, but most of the measurements are approximate, so feel free to jimmy with them to suit your preferences:

Spicy Individual Meatloaves
Ingredients:
1 pkg lean ground beef
1/2 pkg spicy Italian sausage meat
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (+ however much you brush on top of each individual "loaf")
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
10-15 crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions;
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until evenly combined.

3. Place an even amount of the meat mixture in each cup of a muffin tray. If you fill them really full, you may want to put a baking sheet under the muffin tray when you cook them to catch any juices that run off.

4. Brush each loaf with additional barbecue sauce.

5. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove from muffin tray, leaving behind the excess fat.