Tagliata ai ferri

Well, for most of you, this week doesn't have any meaning, but for me is a very important, I am celebrating The Eastern Orthodox Easter on Sunday April 27, and I am preparing myself for some serious cooking.

Before the holiday I should quit eating meat, but in exchange I did quit relaxing :).

Our extended family will be joining us for lunch on Sunday, so I have to plan the menu.Thanks God I have few days left, to prepare it.

I think will make 4 courses, and Sophia (my wife) will make sure that everything will be photographed and posted along with the recipes.
The wines are we going to have will be posted as well.

Since I am not observing lent this year, I am going to have some meat today.
I have few Angus sirloin steaks in my fridge, so I will sacrifice one for myself.

For this dish all you need is:

1 pc of 10-12oz sirloin steak

some mixed greens( I did put arugula)

1 tomato

shaved Parmigiano

1/2 lemon

extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

Rub the steak with salt and pepper then drizzle it with olive oil.

Heat up the grill, then put the steak on.

Cook it to the desired temperature.

Take it of the grill, let it rest, then slice it.

Add the salad tossed with chopped tomato, a squeeze of lemon and olive oil.

Put shaved Parmigiano on top of the salad and enjoy.

I had a beer with it Fischer Amber from Alsace, great match.

Shrimp and yellow string beans

It's 10am, and I have to get Ravi to the Day Care then to go to work,but there is no dinner prepared, so I have to put together something quick,otherwise my lovely wife will order some for delivery again .(I don't really care for delivered food) .
Well, so I have handy the following ingredients to play with:
12 shrimp 16-20 size
2 organic loose carrots
2 oz baby green peas
1 onion
garlic
chili powder
herbs
1 lb of yellow string beans
1 red bell pepper
1 tomato
To begin with I cleaned up the string beans, then I chopped the carrots, onions and tomato.
In a shallow saute pan I did heat up a little oil, the I added the vegetables and a cup of water.
I added the garlic, a dash of chili powder, salt and pepper, letting the whole thing simmer for about 18 min.
The shrimp has been added as well, stirring and mixing them with the vegetables.
Cook the whole thing for another, 12 minutes the add frozen green peas and stir them in.
By now, the water has been reduced, and all we have is a melange of vegetable and shrimp, perfectly cooked.
It's 10:40 already, I'm ready to go, the dinner is ready, all we need is some vino.
I suggest for this dish, to try the Salneval Albarino 2006, see the review at:
http://www.21cdigital.com/civusa/condes_de_albarei_reviews.htm

Summer salmon salad

Today's recipe is something quite simple and refreshing. I think that everyone can prepare it.

This salad can be done as an appetizer or as an main course.You just need the following ingredients:

4 oz of salmon fillet

4 0z mixed greens

pitted Kalamata olives

thinly sliced red onion

seeded cucumber

peeled orange segments

lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

First of all, cut the salmon in 3-4 pieces, add salt and pepper, heat up a little oil,

then lightly sear the fish on both sides.

It can be cooked through or can be let under done, depends how you prefer it.

Meanwhile the fish cools off, you can start preparing the salad.

Toss the greens,onions, olives, orange segments and cucumber,

with a squeeze of lemon then add olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place the salad on a center of the plate and the salmon as pictured.

The wine I suggest with this salad is Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Macrina 2006