Recipes & Food-Related Ramblings
I mentioned last week that my partner and I combine forces to make an at-home steakhouse menu every Valentine’s Day. Welcome to the sides portion of this year’s feast. These Loaded Baked Potato Croquettes are a riff on the classic jacket potato. These jumbo croquettes house a filling of baked potato flesh and a rich mornay sauce packed with cheddar cheese, scallions, garlic, shallots, and sour cream. This is everything you love and expect from a loaded baked potato in a golden, crisp format.
My partner and I do an at-home steak house night for Valentine’s Day every year. This tradition was born after a less-than-favorable experience at a very expensive steak house. The following year, we decided to take the steak house menu into our own hands and have never looked back. Steakhouse classics are, after all, fairly simple to make. And no matter how expensive a ribeye is in the grocery store, it’s guaranteed to be cheaper than any steak you’d order off a menu. Each year we tinker with these classics and come up with fun alternatives. These dishes maintain the spirit of the traditional chop house but are unique to us and our tastes. Today’s Portobello Steak Diane is our first plant-forward riff and I am head-over-heels in love with it.
January is almost over, but so is my patience for winter. And I don’t feel like I’m alone in this. This is the point when the realization of just how long the winter is, starts to kick in. Sure, one month is nearly done and dusted. But February is in the wings, and March and April can’t be trusted. Sure, they’re considered spring months, but their actions don’t always suggest that. All this is to say I am done with winter, but winter isn’t done with me. So bring on the comfort food! Today, that comfort food is this Chicken Fried Oyster Mushroom Sandwich with Carolina BBQ Sauce and Dill Pickle Slaw. It may not speed up winter, but it will make it slightly more delicious.
Kale and I are not the best of friends. I know it’s good for you and yes, I am aware of its versatility but most of the time it’s just too fibrous for my taste. That’s why you’re far more likely to see Tuscan or Lacinato kale on this blog rather than the green or red variety. But even the more tender members of the kale family can require a lot of chewing. That’s where this Marinated Kale Salad comes in. This fully loaded bowl of green goodness features bite-sized pieces of kale marinated in a pickled shallot rice wine vinaigrette. The bowl is rounded out with soy braised tofu pieces, heirloom carrots, blood orange segments, and tamari almonds. Trust me, this is far from a sad desk salad.