Penne with Beef and Arugula

This is a recipe from Food Network Giada De Laurentiis, that was send to me from Aubrey, my favorite
San Diego dwelling person. This is delicious, healthy (to my standards, if using a lean cut of beef, whole grain wheat pasta). This will be a regular in our home. I love it, thanks Aubrey!

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence (I don't have this, so I used Montreal Steak seasoning)
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound penne pasta (I use Whole Grain Wheat Pasta)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula
 
Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Toss, Serve

Makes 4 servings
Recipe and Photo: Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

I made this last night for Dinner.. It was really delicious! I added a chopped Tomato to the finished dish, and I used Angel Hair pasta because it's our favorite. Next time I will also add chopped Artichoke hearts. Do you like Arugula? I would suggest trying it in this recipe, it is so yummy. It's peppery and crisp. Adds a great texture to this dish, and.. it's good for you!

Ingredients

For the lemon oil:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

1 pound linguine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces frozen shrimp
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
For the lemon oil:
Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add some of the cooking water to desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Recipe and Photo Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis

Steak Sandwiches with Sauteed Mushrooms, Spinach and Roasted Garlic Mayo

To serve 4
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 whole head of Garlic, paper on for Roasted Garlic Mayo
1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 ts Lemon juice, optional
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 tbs. Butter
8 oz White Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium Onion, thinly sliced
1 tbs. Red Wine or Red Wine Vinegar
1 bag (10 oz) Baby Spinach
8 slices crusty Bread (I used Sourdough Rolls) toasted
4 slices Swiss Cheese, optional

To make the Roasted Garlic Mayo:
Preheat oven to 400. Take a whole head of garlic, paper on and slice it in half, width wise. Drizzle the cloves with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and roast in oven for 30-35 minutes, or until they are caramelized, soft and slightly brown. Your house will smell amazing! Let cool.
Once cooled, remove the roasted cloves using a fork, and put in a bowl. For 1/2 cup of mayo, I used about 6 cloves. They are very mild and delicious once roasted. If you want, start with a few and taste test until you have the flavor you want!
Once mashed, mix with the mayo and about 1/2 ts lemon juice. I also added a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Grill or cook your steaks to your desired doneness. We like ours Medium. Once cooked, let rest.

In a skillet, add 1 tbs olive oil. Add onions and cook until softened. Add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are brown. Add minced garlic during last 5 minutes of cooking. Turn off heat. Add red wine and a pat of butter. Just do it, it's delicious!

Thinly slice the steaks against the grain. Spread Roasted Garlic Mayo on one side of the bread, top with sliced Steak. Add the Onion/Mushroom mixture. Top with fresh Baby Spinach, and to hold it all together, the Swiss Cheese. Top with remaining slice of bread.


Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, May 2010