Blogiversary, Older Recipes, Medical, Pickling,

Hilary Melton-Butcher mentioned her 10 yr. Blogiversary this weekend. Made me check on mine, I have made a note of it for future reference. I have already written over 3,000 blogs. Who knew I had so much to blether about. Maybe I should re-publish a few of my earlier blogs. I started reading some of the very first ones and see Matt was still hunting for recipes and cooking them. He no longer does that unfortunately. Luckily we have similar tastes so he always enjoys what I cook. Saturday I tried a simple recipe for pork loin with mushrooms and onions. It wasn't bad  but not that exciting. However, Sunday I did a favourite sautéed cabbage dish and added the remaining pork loin, cut in pieces, and it worked pretty well.

I should check my older blogs for recipes I thought were good then too, probably some I have forgotten that I would enjoy still. One recipe I did come across was one of my father's but unfortunately it calls for smoked haddock which is something I haven't seen in this part of the world. It used to be a favourite of mine too.

Decided to do grocery pick up today. The CAS bunch couldn't do me a shopping driver for Wednesday so I am going with just Matt and I this afternoon - decided he can push the shopping trolley upstairs, it kills me. Hard on him too, but not quite so bad. Then Tuesday, Matt has an appointment to see the urologist at the hospital so we are being picked up at 12:40 by, coincidentally, Joe, in a blue car. Got another appointment on Thursday for me this time, ultra sound. Right on noon too so I will be lunching at breakfast time I think.

Didn't mention, I bought some Lunch Herring last week. They are delicious. Matt doesn't seem to like them, he doesn't like pickles anyway. I think I will be buying some more. I must do some more of the pickles I was doing before my hospital visit. No cucumber though, it doesn't work. I do cucumber to eat that day with a little sugar, salt and vinegar. But if you actually put it in brine in a jar overnight the cucumber makes the brine too watery. Yes, I know they sell pickled cucumbers, but not with the same kind of brine I guess. I still have two jars of asparagus which I pickled properly with a water bath and everything.

I thought this might be a good way to cook some of the steak I have in the freezer.

Pan-Roasted Steak with Crispy Broccoli

4 servings plus leftovers
2 large heads of broccoli (about 2 ½ lb. total)
6 Tbs plus ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup finely chopped shallot or red onion
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 12-oz. sirloin, boneless rib-eye, or New York strip steaks (about 1 ¼" thick)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbs rinsed capers, coarsely chopped
½ jalapeño, finely chopped

1. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Cut broccoli into large florets with some stalk attached. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment or foil. Drizzle each with 3 Tbsp. olive oil; season generously with salt and some pepper. Toss to combine. Roast, tossing and rotating baking sheets halfway through, until crisp around the edges and charred in spots, 35–40 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

2. Meanwhile, mix shallot, lime juice, and ½ tsp. salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Season steaks generously all over with salt and pepper, pressing to adhere. Heat a dry large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Swirl vegetable oil in pan to coat. Pat steaks dry; cook 2 steaks, undisturbed, until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn; cook until other sides are browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130° for medium-rare, about 5 minutes. Turn steaks onto fat cap and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Wipe out skillet, leaving just enough fat to coat pan. Repeat with remaining steak.

4. Mix cilantro, capers, jalapeño, and remaining ¾ cup olive oil into reserved shallot mixture. Reserve 1 steak and ¼ cup cilantro salsa verde for making the Steak Sandwiches another night. Thinly slice remaining steaks against the grain. Top with salsa verde and serve with broccoli.

Servings: 4

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day