steak and blue cheese salad with balsamic glazed walnuts

Once in awhile I get to work from home when I have a lot of website updating to do for my company. This happened last week, and since I was home all day I planned a romantic dinner to surprise my husband when he got home from work.

It was fun to figure out what I wanted to make, set the table, get all dressed up, turn off the lights and wait for him to walk in the door. Then seeing the look on his face was priceless.

This beautiful steak salad is served on a bed of mixed greens with dried cranberries, balsamic glazed walnuts and topped with a homemade buttermilk blue cheese dressing. Um yes.

The walnuts are a nice touch. They are coated in a mixture of honey and balsamic vinegar, then laid on a sheet pan to harden. They add crunch and sweetness, plus tons of flavor.

Whether this meal is for your family, friends or a romantic way to surprise your loved one.. I know it will be a huge hit.

Side note: If you are wondering about the interesting wine bottle, it's a special bottle shaped like the Fenwick Island Lighthouse from a local winery here in Southern Delaware, Fenwick Wine Cellars. The wine is called Reflections of Fenwick. It's a special blend and tastes sweet with hints of citrus and spice. One of my favorites!

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Steak and Blue Cheese Salad with Balsamic Glazed Walnuts

Serves 2 (with some walnuts and dressing left over)

For the Salad:
1 pre-washed bag of Spring Mix salad greens
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Balasmic Glazed Walnuts (recipe below)
Seared Sirloin Steak (recipe below)
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe below)

Separate greens evenly between 2 plates. Sprinkle dried cranberries and walnuts evenly over each salad. Lay thinly sliced steak on top, and drizzle dressing to taste. Serve immediately.

For the Steak:
1 pound sirloin steak
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season both sides of the steak liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a medium skillet on high until very hot, but don't let the oil burn. Drop the heat a bit, and put the steak in the hot oil. Let it cook (don't touch it!) for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the steak has a nice sear. The steak will be medium. If you want medium-well, cook it for a few more minutes. Take the steak out of the pan and sit it on a cutting board. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before making thin slices to put on the salad.

For the Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise and vinegar until combined. Add the blue cheese and stir until incorporated. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing can be made up to three days in advance

For the Walnuts:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 cup walnut halves

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir together sugar, honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until the syrup begins to bubble and thicken.

Stir in walnuts. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes or until the walnuts are coated with a thick and sticky glaze. Turn out onto the lined baking sheet. Using a silicone spatula, spread the walnuts out into a single layer, separating into individual pieces as much as possible. Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container lined with paper towel. You may need to break the walnuts apart a bit before putting them in the container. Walnuts can be prepared up to three days in advance, or serve them on this salad once they are cooled and hardened.

Salad Dressing and Walnut recipe adapted from Crumb Blog.

vanilla chai cupcakes

It's no secret that chai is my drug of choice. I will take a super-extra-large soy chai latte (extra spicy) any day, any time, all day, all the time...

When I saw a cupcake version of my favorite drink, I think I heard angels singing.

To make these cupcakes, you first make a spice mix of cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Half the spice mix goes in the batter and the other half goes in the icing. It gives the cupcakes so much flavor, and the cardamom really makes it taste like chai. If the price of cardamom scares you, I totally understand. But it will last you a long time! A little bit goes a long way.

 My kitchen was a hot mess trying to get all the spices together. I just needed to share that with you.

I have to be perfectly honest... I'm a bit of a cupcake snob. I hate it when they are over baked, dry, and way too sweet. But these little beauties are perfectly balanced. The cake is moist and the icing is creamy and spicy. It's like a dream.

Enjoy these!

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Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

Makes 12 Cupcakes

For the cake:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 quantity chai spice mix (recipe to follow)
1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Chai Spice Mix
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Vanilla Chai Buttercream:
2 stick (1 cup) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 quantity chai spice mix
1-2 tablespoons cold milk, if needed (I didn't)

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan and set aside. Take a small mixing bowl and mix together the cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.


In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for a few minutes. Add the vanilla and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add half the quantity of your spice mix (this will be about 2 teaspoons) and stir until well combined. Add in the flour and buttermilk alternately (starting and ending with flour) being sure not to over mix the batter.

In a small bowl, mix together the baking soda and vinegar. It will bubble up and form a paste, then add it to the batter. Stir until just combined, then spoon into prepared cupcake pan until 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

For the buttercream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy. This will take a few minutes! While the mixer is on low, add the vanilla and remaining spice mix (about 2 teaspoons). Carefully add in the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach the desired sweetness and texture. If it is is too thick add 1-2 tablespoons of cold milk, but I did not have to do this. Pipe the buttercream onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Recipe from The Novice Chef Blog... and I didn't change a thing!

chocolate orange cake

You will never know how good it felt to bake this cake... to stand there calmly stirring the batter, layering the cake, pouring that luscious chocolate glaze on top and watching it drip down the sides. It was food for my soul, really. Especially after 3 long weeks of going out to eat, traveling all over the place and hardly stepping in my kitchen at all except to get some water to drink or pour a bowl of cereal.

This is my own little "welcome back" celebration. And I picked a pretty awesome cake to celebrate with. I am three weeks into my new job and loving it. I am back from Arkansas. Michael and I are way ahead in our wedding planning. Everything seems to be settling down nicely.

Thank you guys for hanging in here with me. Reason #854 why you are awesome.

Now on to what you are really here for: the food. This beauty is a light chocolate cake with a fluffy orange filling and rich chocolate ganache poured on top. Oh yes.

This is an old fashioned cake recipe too, the kind that uses boiling water and cocoa powder to make a paste, which is mixed into the batter. Can't go wrong with that.

I chopped up about 8 total ounces of chocolate and almost a full cup of cocoa powder for this cake. So - it is chocolatey, people. In the best way possible.

Raise your hand if you love fruit and chocolate! Love love love. I really love the bright citrus flavor that bursts out with this filling combined with rich chocolate cake. And the filling couldn't be easier - it's just cool whip mixed with orange zest and juice. So fresh and delicious.

I took this cake to Michael's Grandma's house for Easter dinner. It was so festive and perfect. Believe me when I say that the entire cake was gone. Someone even ate the decorative orange slices (probably my future husband)...

And of course the best part is the thick chocolate glaze on top. It adds this crazy richness to the cake and makes it look beautiful... totally irresistible. You know you want to stick your finger (or face) through this screen! I understand.

I missed you guys. Can't wait to reconnect!

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Chocolate Orange Cake

print this recipe

Cake:
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Orange Filling:
6 ounces frozen light cool whip, thawed
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Chocolate Glaze:
2 tablespoons evaporated low-fat milk
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare cake, combine 1 cup boiling water and 2/3 cup cocoa powder in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Add 2 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, coat 2 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray or butter.

Place 1 3/4 cups sugar, 6 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minutes. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream; beat at medium speed 2 minutes, egg whites should become slightly fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to mix. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture alternatively to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just combined. Divide batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then place on wire racks to cool completely.

To make filling, combine cool whip, orange zest and juice in a bowl. Set aside to assemble cake.

To make the chocolate glaze, combine evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon butter and 4 ounces chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds until smooth.

Place cake layer on a plate and top with orange filling. Place the other cake on top and spoon chocolate glaze on top, until it's just falling over the edges.

Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

croissant bread pudding

I believe my blog is a place for me to be honest. I would just like to say that I will take a buttery, flaky croissant over any food, any day. I love croissants. I love croissants as bread for sandwiches. I love chocolate croissants for breakfast. There is nothing better than a croissant.

With that said, I took some buttery, flaky croissants... poured an egg custard over them and baked it in the oven. Die.

It's rich, creamy, buttery and totally decadent.

I also used my homemade bourbon vanilla extract to flavor this incredible dessert.

Just a warning: it has almost a dozen eggs. Are you as shocked as I was?

Mix the eggs and some milk together with sugar and vanilla. Then line the croissants up in an oval shaped baking dish.

Pour the custard over the croissants while pushing down gently. Let this soak for about 10 minutes before you bake it. I put it in a large dish with about an inch of water.  A water bath will help this cook evenly.

After baking this for way too long, you finally get to enjoy it. It's the best pudding you will ever put in your belly.

I made this for Michael and I for our Valentine's dinner. After making this huge batch, I thought it would have been so clever to make individual bread puddings with like one or two croissants instead of six. But the excitement of making this dish totally overtook my good sense.

Nevermind. I agree with my decision.

Croissant bread pudding for breakfast!

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Croissant Bread Pudding

print this recipe

3 extra large whole eggs
8 extra large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups half and half
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 croissants

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half. In a 10x15x2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up) evenly. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

filet au poivre with hasselback potatoes

This meal is actually very easy. You will be surprised that you can make something so elegant with hardly any effort. It's also delicious in every way. The steak is super tender, the pan sauce is creamy and rich, and the potatoes are crispy and buttery. Does it get any better?

I made this for our Valentine's Day dinner last night. It was a big hit with the boyfriend, who is a true meat and potatoes lover.

By the way, how hysterical is this potato? I knew I wasn't serving an appetizer or any other side, so I wanted what little I was making to be filling. So I bought 2 of the most ginormous potatoes I could find. They look monstrous compared to a tiny filet.

So first you want to bake the potato. Hasselback potatoes are new in my life, I discovered them on Tastespotting a few months ago. You can take a plain old potato and make it super fancy.

Start by cleaning the potatoes, because you're going to be eating the skin. Then slice off a small portion of the bottom, just so it sits evenly while you slice and bake it.

Work your way down the potato with a sharp knife, cutting thin slices about 3/4 of the way through. Leave it attached at the bottom. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil, salt and pepper. I sliced up 2 garlic cloves and fit the slices into the potato, as you can see above.

This adds a nice roasted garlic flavor. I disposed of the burnt cloves before I served the potatoes.

Now your side dish is done. It look like 5 minutes to prepare and after an hour in the oven, you have a crispy, delicious potato. I think I will make this all the time.

Next comes some beautiful filets. I love this cut of meat. It's so tender and low in fat.

Start by heating up an oven safe skillet on high heat. Melt some butter and coat the steaks in salt and freshly ground black pepper. Traditionally, steak au poivre uses peppercorns.

Sear the steaks for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until you are confident there is a nice crust. To achieve this, don't move the steak while they are searing, only to flip them. It's a beautiful thing when you turn them over. I saw the above and I yelled from the kitchen, "MOM COME LOOK AT THIS!"

Stick them in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes to finish cooking.

The pan sauce is easy too. Immediately take the steaks out of the pan when they are done. Put the pan back on low heat, it will be hot from the oven so be careful. Swirl around a tablespoon of butter while scraping the bottom of the pan with a whisk. Add dijon mustard, beef broth and cream. Whisk it and try to stop drooling.

Then spoon the sauce over both the steak and the potato. It's out of control.

I hope you try it!

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Filet au Poivre

print this recipe

2 whole beef filets
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup beef broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat up an oven safe skillet over high heat.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper, then sear steaks about 2 minutes on each side. Place skillet in hot oven for 5 to 6 minutes to finish cooking, for medium well. Remove from the oven and immediately put the steaks on a separate plate and set aside to rest.

Put the skillet over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and stir with a whisk to scrape bits off the bottom of the pan. Add dijon mustard and whisk. Add beef broth and heavy cream. Season with more salt and pepper. Whisk everything together until the sauce bubbles up and thickens. Remove from heat and pour over steak.

Serves: 2

Hasselback Potatoes

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2 large russet potatoes
2 cloves garlic (or 1 large)
2 tablespoons butter
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub potatoes. Slice a small section off the bottom of the potatoes to give them stability. Slice each potato into thin slices, about 3/4 of the way through leaving the bottom attached.

Slice garlic into thin slices. Slide the garlic into several layers of the potato, being careful not to split the bottom. Place potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle generously with olive oil, salt and pepper. But 1 tablespoon of butter on each potato. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

30 minutes through the cooking, drizzle the potatoes with olive oil again. This will make sure it has crispy skin. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serves: 2