Happy New Year!

This New Year’s Eve Zach and I decided to take it easy, relax, and celebrate the New Year at home. We slept in and then did a little shopping. After we worked up a good appetite, we came home and ate. And boy, did we eat. Our menu was: pan seared New York Strip steaks, Italian style risotto, and fresh green beans sautéed in butter. The risotto paired perfectly with the spicy steak and crisp, buttery green beans. Honestly, I would not have changed a thing as all items got a rave review from Zach, Butterscotch, and Max (the latter two being our cats). And myself, of course. Yummy!

Just a couple of tips here- Do not be afraid of risotto! It is so delicious and pretty hard to mess up. Yes, it is time consuming, but it is totally worth the effort! Also, don’t be afraid of seasoning!!! Salt and pepper are your best friends in the kitchen. Just a touch of salt can enhance the flavor of anything and make it taste so much better. I just want to note here as well, the pairing of meat and pepper is a match made in heaven. A good steak will hold up to the spicy kick of pepper and your taste buds will love you forever. So without further ado, our menu…

New York Strip Steaks
Steaks- Look for a nice red color and it should not have a bad odor. It should spring back to its original shape when touched.
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Seasoned Salt

Season the steaks with the spices and grill or pan fry until desired temperature. Let rest for 5 minutes before eating so juices can redistribute throughout the steak.

Buttery Green Beans
1 lb. fresh green beans
3 T. butter
Salt
Pepper

Trim ends off green beans and remove any strings.

Fill a medium to large pot halfway full of water. It doesn’t really matter how big the pot is as long as the beans will all fit in without being crowded. Generously salt the water and bring to boil.

While waiting for the water to boil prepare an ice bath by putting a generous amount of ice in a bowl and filling it with cold water.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until almost done but still crisp. Drain and immediately place the beans in the prepared ice bath. This will stop the cooking until you are ready to finish them.

When ready to finish the beans, melt butter in a sauté pan and get the pan hot. Add the beans and toss together until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Italian Style Risotto
½ c. Arborio rice
¼ c. chopped onion
4 T. butter, divided in half
1 ½-3 c. chicken broth (amount will vary depending on rice)
2 T. heavy cream
¼ c. shredded Italian style cheese (mixture has Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Romano, Fontina, and Asiago cheeses)
¼ t. dried oregano
¼ t. dried basil
Bay leaf

Heat chicken stock.

In a separate pan, sauté the onion in half of the butter until soft.

Add rice and sauté for about 2 minutes.

Stir in 1/4 cup of hot broth and cook over medium high heat while stirring until all the broth is absorbed.

Add bay leaf, oregano, and basil.

Continue adding stock ¼ cup at a time, cooking until all the broth is absorbed before adding the next amount. The rice will be done when it is soft or slightly al dente, depending on preference.

Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream and cheese.

Source: Me!