TUESDAY
Rolled Flank Steak Stuffed with Pesto | Baked Potato | Steamed Asparagus with Mustard Cream Vinaigrette
After a week away, it is SO wonderful to be home & cooking again! Yesterday, our first day home after break {and a horse show} was a blur. But, today, the sun was bright & the house clean, laundry done…we are back to normal. Our next door neighbor had surgery today so I organized a dinner for them tonight. Actually, “organize” is an overstatement…I doubled what we were having tonight…and delivered a full course dinner to both she and her husband this evening. So easy, making double what you are already having, and they were so appreciative! Warmed my heart being able to give them a break today.
Tonight’s dinner is perfect for a weeknight dinner but still has the WOW factor for guests…easy, make-ahead, visually {gorgeous} & DELICIOUS!
{REMEMBER: Tonight, I am preparing dinner for two families, so the recipes which appear below have been doubled from the original recipes}
Begin with the Pesto…
Basil Pesto
- 1½ cups firmly packed basil leaves {from 2 large bunches}
- 1 cup pine nuts
- ½ cup firmly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 12 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Place basil leaves, pine nuts, parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse until mixture is finely chopped. With machine running, add the olive oil and blend until a thick paste forms. Fold in cheese. Transfer to a small bowl & season with salt and pepper. Set aside. {Can be made 1 day ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using}
Rolled Flank Steak with Pesto {adapted from Canal House Cooks Everyday, by Christopher Hirsheimer & Melissa Hamilton}
- 3 {1-2 pound} flank steaks
- Pesto {recipe above}
- Sea Salt, freshly ground pepper & olive oil
- Click here to view How to Butterfly a Flank Steak…
- Season the butterflied flank steak with salt & pepper. Spread the pesto all over the butterflied meat, leaving a 1-inch space around the edge.
- Roll up the steak, with the grain running the length of the roll & tie up with kitchen string every 2 inches or so. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.
- Grill over a medium charcoal fire built on one side of the grill, turning the steak roll{s} until browned all over, about 15-20 minutes. Move the steak roll{s} to the side of the grill off the fire, allowing it to cook as it rests, about 15-20 minutes.
- Place the steak on a cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the strings & slice across the grain into 1-2-inch slices.
Asparagus with Mustard Cream Vinaigrette {adapted from Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison}
- 2 cloves garlic
- Sea Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons aged Sherry vinegar
- 2 shallots, minced
- 10 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Pound the garlic with the salt in a mortar until creamy. Transfer garlic/salt mixture to a bowl and stir in the mustard, vinegar and shallot. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Vigorously whisk in oil & sour cream. Taste & adjust seasoning if needed.
The final dinner plate…
Now, if you are delivering dinner, you must, in my opinion, include dessert. Tonight I chose a FABULOUS devil’s food chocolate cake from David Lebovitz {of Living the Sweet Life in Paris fame…click here to view the recipe}. I made two, 8-inch cakes and served each {one for our neighbors & one for us}, separately, without frosting…topped only with a sift of powdered sugar. Our neighbors enjoyed their cake with a cup of tea…our children enjoyed their cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream tonight…
And, a Dinner Basket with Dessert, ready to be delivered…
See you tomorrow…
