Strip Steak with Balsamic Cream Sauce and Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

On Saturday I had favorite GalPal Claudia over. She's my leftover taker. We have this deal that I cook and what ever is left, I freeze. Once a month or so we meet - she buys lunch/breakfast and I give her leftovers. It's a perfect business deal. I love cooking and she loves to eat leftovers. While she can cook, and does, she will never turn down a leftover.

Of course, she's also very good at stroking my ego by saying things, sarcastically, "Too bad you can't cook."

It got me wondering why I cook. Aside from the obvious to feed myself, I could just as easily feed myself with a PB&J. No, for me it's deeper than just feeding, its about creating. I'd say it's about following a structured set of directions, but if you've read this blog long, you know that I struggle with following instructions. Though I've vowed to get better at it. Anyhow, cooking is a release that allows my creative side to shine. I've thought about getting into the cooking industry as a job, but have to wonder if I'd enjoy it as much if I did it all the time.

Regardless of my reasons, I enjoy it, others enjoy it, and so I say...let them eat cake!

This particular recipe was good. It wasn't great, but it was good. It can be quite elegant I think. If you were making a special meal for a loved on, and wanted to impress, this would do the trick. Minimal effort with a lot of bang for your buck.

Strip Steaks with Balsamic Cream Sauce

Serves: 4

• 3 Strip steaks (10-12 oz each), about 1 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup Heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Finely chopped chives

Pat steaks dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks until well browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil. (So you know I didn't put these on the stove right? I BBQ'd mine. Though I think having done them on the stove would have added to the flavor of the sauce. Some day I'll break down and cook a steak on the stove.)

Add shallot to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 30 seconds. (I added a Tablespoon of butter because I hadn't cooked the steaks in the pan)

Stir in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until syrupy, about 1 minute.

Add cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in chives and season with salt and pepper.

Slice steaks and serve, passing sauce to table.

Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

Makes 4 cups

• 2T Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup Snipped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 450F; coat a baking pan with nonstick spray.

Combine oil and seasonings in a bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat with oil mixture. Place in a single layer on prepare baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

Stir, then road an additional 20 minutes.

Toss potatoes with Parmesan cheese, chives and salt and pepper.