Steak with Parmesan Butter and Balsamic Glaze

It should be obvious we don’t cook steak often. Or beef of any kind for that matter. However, every once in a great while I’ll stumble upon an irresistible sounding recipe, and if it seems like we’ve got a cheap week or a short list ahead of us, we might just splurge. Which is exactly what we did here.

The ‘dressing’ is very similar to a Burgundy steak salad we’ve made in the past, except that one added in some red wine. Which might be a good idea if you want more than this recipe produces. After the steak had rested, we also added back the juices that had gathered in the foil to the sauce. No point in letting all that flavor go down the drain…

Steak with Parmesan Butter and Balsamic Glaze

Makes 2 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese plus Parmesan cheese shavings
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 12-ounce rib-eye steak
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon (packed) dark brown sugar
4 cups (lightly packed) arugula or mixed greens
2 large lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS
Mix grated cheese and butter in small bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside. Sprinkle steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add vinegar, shallots, and sugar to skillet; boil until reduced to glaze, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Divide arugula and Parmesan shavings between 2 plates. Squeeze lemon over. Slice steak; place atop arugula. Top steak with Parmesan butter. Drizzle lightly with glaze.

Baked Parmesan Basil Fries

I hate deep frying. Not only is it unhealthy, but I hate emptying entire bottles of oil just to fry a few pieces of something. Plus oil spatters and makes me uncomfortable. So there.

While I have yet to replicate a true “twice-fried” french fry in the oven (they never seem to get quite as crispy as you’d like), they do come pretty darn close. So if you don’t mind softer fries, baking them is definitely the way to go. You only need a few tablespoons of oil rather than a few cups, and you can just sit back and wait for them to cook, rather than having to constantly watch as they sizzle (and burn) in hot oil.

If you had a fancy slicer/cutter thing, these would be super quick. But even cutting them by hand they’re still a breeze to make, tasty too!

Baked Parmesan Basil Fries

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 medium red potatoes

DIRECTIONS
In bowl, combine parmesan cheese, oil, basil, and garlic powder. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks; add to cheese mixture and toss to coat.

Spread evenly on a large cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan coated with nonstick cooking spray, trying to keep all the fries in a single level. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then flip. Bake 20 more minutes or until crisp and tender. Sprinkle with additional parmesan if desired.