Sunday Roast

I actually made this on Wednesday last week. I did an oven roast beef with a horseradish crust and horseradish mashed potatoes on the side. The horseradish flavor in both the mash and the roast was really subtle. The leftovers made excellent sandwiches. I also stuffed whole cloves of garlic inside the roast by poking a butter knife into the side of the roast in multiple places then using a finger to push the garlic cloves inside. It's pretty gnarly looking to see your entire finger inside a piece of meat and it feels weird, but the end result leaves you with delicious flavor and pretty slices of garlic when you cut up the roast.

Horseradish Crusted Roast Beef

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

1. Mix about 1/3 cup horseradish and 2 tbs minced garlic.
2. Generously salt and pepper the roast.
3. Spread horseradish paste all over roast. Let sit for half hour at room temperature to let flavors infuse.
4. Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Be careful not to let the butter burn. When oil and butter begin to smoke a little, place roast fat side down. Brown the roast on all sides, being careful not to lose too much of the horseradish crust.

Remove roast to roasting pan and place in oven. Cook 15 minutes for each pound for medium rare or until the internal temperature reaches 130°-135°F. Other than rare, I don't know why anyone would eat beef any other way, but you can this chart to help you out. You'll need a meat thermometer though.

When oven roast reaches desired done-ness, remove to carving board and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Otherwise, all the juices will run and your roast will be dry and gross. Yuck.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Prepare mashed potatoes as you normally would and throw in some horseradish.

Here's how I did it.

1. Wash, peel, and quarter potatoes (1 1/2 potatoes per person allows for generous portions and seconds for piggies).
2. Place in pot and cover the potatoes with water.
3. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender.
4. Drain in a colander.
5. Mash potatoes with a masher. If you have a rice mill, use that for really creamy potatoes.
6. Add half and half (or milk if you want to be boring) and butter to desired consistency and taste.
7. Add prepared salt, pepper, and horseradish to taste.
8. Eat up, piggies!

Pied Piper

Pies rule because they are easy to make and you can fill em up with anything you like. Tuesday night I made a chicken pot pie. Find the original recipe I used here. I left out the celery seed because when the hell do I ever use celery seed? I also swapped out the chicken broth for two chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in warm water and added a potato because who the hell makes a pot pie without potatoes? It's too warm out for chicken pot pie, you say? Who the hell turns down chicken pot pie at any time of the year? Cray-cray! I think next time I'll try some Indian spices to make it like a samosa pot pie.

Then yesterday I made a lovely blueberry pie for my main booberry (barf!). I'm not so good at making pie crusts; I kind of work slowly and have a lead hand. It still tasted delicious.

jerkface chicken for jenny-fa

Jenny-fa requested that I make jerk chicken for her birthday dinner, so I happily obliged. I used a recipe from the New York Times that I changed to taste. I leave the oil out because even though it makes the chicken really tender, it also makes it greasy. Since I don't have a charcoal grill, I cook it in the oven then put it under the broiler for about 5 minutes at the end to char the chicken. It adds a little something. I also switch out the scotch bonnet peppers for jalapenos because my crap grocery store doesn't carry them. I'm sure you could find them at Whole Foods or some shit, but I like to shop with the common folk at Key.



I also did some jerk tofu for the veggies. I used the same marinade then seared the tofu on each side for 3 minutes.


Coincidentally, Tyler Florence, whose show I DVR, had an episode this week on jerk chicken in which he created a stove-top smoker. Can't wait to try that.

I also made the accompanying New York Times recipe for pigeon peas and coconut rice, which is soo easy and soo good. I also made pickled red cabbage, which is as easy as sauteeing some garlic and a 1/4 white onion sliced, then throwing in one shredded red cabbage along with a cup of white vinegar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar.

Jenny-fa brought over the cutest mini cupcakes that were yum yum (peanut butter and honey; red velvet). And Olivia brought over delicious gelato from El Laboratorio (watermelon; espresso). I'm not much of a baker, so it's fantastic when people bring desserts.



Happy birthday, Jenny-fa!

See ya around, jerks!

BEP

Delicious Vietnamese food in Williamsburg not made by me. It's like going to a friend's for dinner. Except you have to pay for it because it's your friend's restaurant and not your friend's apartment.

Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup--It's pronounced more like FUH, not FO.)



Banh Mi Thit Nuong (Grilled Pork Sammy)

I'm so sleepy, meester or: mexican rice, black refried beans, and chimmichurri marinated skirt steak

I think I might have been Mexican or some kind of Latino in a previous life. You should hear me roll my Rs.

Chimichurri Marinated Skirt Steak



1 bunch parsley (cut off stems)
3 large cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
1/3 to 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil
salt to taste

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. (It's that easy!)

** The supermarket was out of mint and cilantro, which can also be used in addition to/instead of parsley. You'll just need to adjust the amount of olive oil and red wine vinegar. This was delicious with just parsley.

Marinade your steak in this godly sauce for a half hour, but set aside some of the it to slop on top of your steak. You'll be glad you did. I want to bathe in this stuff.


MY Mexican Rice

2 c. white rice
one 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 white onion diced
1 1/2 c. chicken broth (or 2 cubes chicken bullion dissolved in 1 cup of water)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tb cooking oil

1. Heat cooking oil (I used olive) in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add onions, jalapeno, garlic, and oregano and sauté until onions are translucent.
4. Add rice and coat with the oil, almost toasting the rice.
5. Add diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Mix well.
6. Increase heat to high. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to low and cover.
8. Cook for about 25 minutes or until rice is done.

* The quantities for the liquid I used are approximate. I'm Asian, so cooking rice is second nature for me, kind of like squatting. The rice to water ratio when cooking white rice is usually about 1:2.

Black Refried Beans

2 cans whole black beans
1 jalapeno diced
1/4 white onion diced
1 clove garlic diced
pinch of cayenne powder (optional)

1. Sauté onion, jalapeno, and garlic over medium heat until onions are translucent.
2. Add beans and cayenne.
3. Increase heat and bring beans to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low.
5. Allow beans to simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
6. Use a potato masher to mash beans to desired consistency.

Kim's Got Balls

Kim made spaghetti and meatballs. It was
awesome!

Dressing the salad


Arugula, tomato, and parmesan salad


Kim's balls