It was raining. From the time we woke up to time to go home, dreariness was the prevailing mood for the day. This called for a meal of warmth and comfort… soup. Soup, the food hug that seems to be part of the cure to anything, is like taking the lemony raindrops and turning them into savory lemonade. Yeah.
I decided to do Vichyssoise simply because I only found the leeks inspiring at the store. I don’t cook with them often, but they are great ingredients to add an interesting, unique flavor to dishes. It is certainly a way to break away from the usual garlic and onions, even if leeks are basically their lovechild. A wonderful elevation.
The steak flatbread is just a redeployment of a basic pizza crust made with yeast, water, flour, and salt rolled thin instead of pressed out. This worked as a great alternative to the flavors of basic sandwiches or the component of the dish. The steak used here is one of my favorite cuts, the NY strip, spiced and sauteed with butter, cut to be tender. This method made the steak very tender and the flatbread just like eating a pizza with ground beef.
Let’s just say the night feels a good bit sunnier than the day after this meal.
Vichyssoise:
2 leek roots, cut into rings
3/4 sweet onion, diced
8 red potatoes, coarsely peeled
4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp marjoram leaves
3 bay leaves
2 tsp italian seasonings
1 tsp herbs de provence
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cream
Rinse the leek rings in warm water in a colander. Heat a large pot/dutch oven to medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add leeks and onion and saute about 10 minutes until color starts to appear.
Chop the potatoes into small pieces. Add them to the leek and onion along with all the herbs and salt and pepper. Stir until potatoes are well coated and cook about 5 fives. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook about 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Pour entire mixture into a blender and return to the pot. Add the cream and stir. Ladle into a bowl and top with garnish of your choice (here, marjoram and parmesan cheese).
Note: to serve chilled, place in refrigerator after blending and add cream after chilling.
Steak and Tomato flatbread
1 Smitten Kitchen quick pizza crust
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 NY strip steak
Salt, Black and white pepper, paprika to cover steak
Parmesan cheese
4 compari tomatoes
Make the crust.
Coat the steak with each of the seasonings. Using a tenderizing mallet, pound the spices into the meat. Let sit at least 30 minutes to marinate.
Roll 1/2 the crust on a floured surface until very flat perhaps and 1/8 of an inch. Press the garlic and soak in the two oils. Coat the top of the crust/flatbread with the oil and garlic mixture and parmesan. Slice the tomatoes and set aside
Heat a pizza stone to 500. Place the flatbread with oil and parm on the stone and cook 4 mins. Cut the steak into thin strips. Leaving the bread on the stone, layer the tomato and steak on the bread and top with more parm and a garnish of your choice (basil, parsley, rosemary). Return to oven and cook 10 minutes until crust begins to turn golden brown.
Remove bread with peel and cut into quarters to serve.
Enjoy!
Bungalow Kitchen 