Summery Steak & Pasta

Despite the stifling heat, I ended up having a great weekend. Saturday night I went out to eat at The Claddagh with Rick, Joe, Tim and Kelly. Liz always enjoys having visitors and I think it's great fun to go in while she is working, so it works out pretty well. She actually got off around the time we finished eating, so we all headed back to Westwind Apts (home to both Joe and I) for an evening swim. We got down to the pool around 9:30pm and had it all to ourselves, it was wonderful. After cooling off, we went up to my apt for a rousing game of Catch Phrase and some refreshments. We even broke out the s'mores maker for a little dessert. All in all, a perfect summer Saturday night.

While watching a little Food Network earlier on Saturday, I happened upon Giada De Laurentiis whipping up a very tasty-sounding summery pasta salad. It seemed like an ideal dinner choice for Sunday night. I didn't have measurements for the ingredients, so I guesstimated on everything and took my own liberties with the recipe.

I first put a large pot of water on to boil. I seasoned 2 small, lean steaks with salt, pepper and dried Italian seasoning. I cooked them in a pan on the stove, searing both sides and then sticking the pan in the oven to allow the meat to finish cooking. Once the water was boiling, I added some salt and dumped in a full pound of penne pasta. While both the pasta and meat cooked, I made the vinaigrette. I whisked together a few heaping spoonfuls of dijon mustard, perhaps about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, freshly chopped parsley and basil and some EVOO.

Once the meat was cooked through, I took it out of the oven and allowed it to rest for a few minutes before slicing it. I drained the pasta into a large bowl and poured on the vinaigrette. I added the sliced meat, halved cherry tomatoes and some torn spinach and arugula. I tossed it all together, adding course salt, ground pepper and more fresh parsley and basil. Man, this really was sooooo good. Rick even asked if he could have seconds. He and I both ended up eating quite a bit of it last night, and there was plenty left for Liz and I to each pack a big bowl of it in our lunches.

This was so simple to make and can be easily tailored to personal preference. You can add or delete ingredients (Rick thought mushrooms might be a good addition) and when you aren't worried about measurements, you can concentrate more on adjusting to taste. On a hot summer Sunday night, this pasta salad couldn't have tasted any better.

So Many Birthdays...

This is a big week for birthdays in the Lundgren family. It was my cousin Jake's birthday on the 23rd, cousin Marc was on the 25th, and today's birthdays are Gramma Rita, Grampa Dale (who we miss desperately), cousin Eric and cousin Connor. Happy Birthday to all of you!

I think this is the perfect day to explain a little bit about my love of food and entertaining. I come by it honestly, owing it in large part to my mom's parents. Growing up, we enjoyed many wonderful home-cooked meals at Gramma and Grampa's house. Grampa always took pleasure in cooking big breakfasts, or firing up the grill for some Juicy Lucy burgers. Gramma could be found at the stove, stirring a big batch of something we knew would be delicious.

The kitchen was a place of love and laughter, somewhere we all felt comfortable and welcome. Family dinners were no small affair, with tables set up in the dining room, living room and sometimes even the porch to accommodate our ever-growing clan. Friends were always received warmly, and I brought them often. My high school graduation party took place at Gramma and Grampa's house, as did a fabulous birthday brunch following a 5K race down at Lake Harriet. Rick and I even took our Holiday Ball pictures there one year!

Gramma and Grampa also exposed us to different types of food, taking us out to a variety of restaurants. I remember Grampa getting so proud and excited when I ate squid with him for the first time. He so appreciated that I would even try it, and was even happier when I actually liked it. Once after the three of us went to the State Fair together, Mom stated that Gramma and I were great dates because we "ate our way through the Fair," sampling and sharing all sorts of unusual delicacies. Both Gramma and Grampa set a great example when it came to trying new foods, and from them I learned not to be a picky eater and to never be afraid of expanding my "food horizons."

As many of you know (either from personal experience or from me explaining it to you), my Gramma makes the best cookies in the whole world. The molasses with meringue frosting are my absolute favorite, but all the other kinds are positively mouthwatering as well. And she is constantly on the lookout for new cookie recipes, stating on more than one occasion, "I never met a cookie I didn't like." Gramma also hosts all of us each year for a fantastic, much-anticipated Gingerbread Day. She bakes the pieces herself and we all have a blast putting together our very own gingerbread houses.

It makes me happy now to spend time in the kitchen, playing with flavors and creating colorful dishes. I love to see my apartment full of people I care about, eating good food and having a good time. Sometimes I have my Gramma over, and consider it a privilege to lovingly serve her a meal, as she has done for me so many times. So you see, an affinity for cuisine is in my genes. I was blessed with these 2 amazing people who helped teach me that food is something to share, to savor, to enjoy.

Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Strawberry Sauce

I just love lazy summer weekends, don't you? Friday night Liz and I ventured to Stillwater to see Meggie and watch Sister Hazel and the Gin Blossoms perform at Lumberjack Days. On Saturday we went for a brisk walk around Calhoun, stopped at Whole Foods and headed home to make a healthy lunch of brown rice with edamame and shrimp. In the afternoon I was able to spend some time with Rachel. We went for a walk around Uptown, stopping off at Lucia's Wine Bar where we each enjoyed an icy glass of White Sangria.

On Sunday I threw on my ipod and went for a long walk out near my apartment. I then went and vacuumed out the inside of my car (long overdue!), went grocery shopping and stopped at Jamba Juice. I tried a new smoothie, the Melon-ade Wave. It's a tangy mix of honeydew melon and lemonade with mango-passionfruit juice, very tasty. Then it was back home to begin preparing a fancy Sunday dinner.

I decided to make Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Strawberry Sauce, out of the June/July Rachael Ray magazine. To begin I needed to make the basic sweet strawberry sauce, which involves heating, cooling, blending and straining a mixture of fresh strawberries, brown sugar and the juice of 1 lemon. I stuck the finished, smooth, ruby red sauce in the fridge and got started on the pork. I had thawed 2 large pork tenderloins, removed all visible fat, cut them each in half, placed them in a large ziploc bag, poured in the prepared marinade and placed the bag in the fridge for an hour. The marinade consisted of the zest and juice of 2 limes, 1/4 cup whole grain mustard and a bit of EVOO (that's Rachael Ray code for Extra Virgin Olive Oil).

Towards the end of the hour, I began making the sauce. I heated a skillet and added 2 slices of chopped bacon, minced garlic, chopped onion, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and a cup of the previously-prepared strawberry sauce. Once it had thickened, I strained it into a small saucepan and kept it on very low heat. I washed the skillet, stuck it right back on the stove and heated some EVOO. I seared the meat on all sides and then stuck the whole skillet in the oven to finish cooking. In the meantime, I made parmesan risotto and steamed broccoli to have alongside the pork.

The end result was aesthetically pleasing, smelled amazing (Nicole said she could smell it in the hallway before she even got to our apartment!) and tasted divine. Nicole, Liz, Rick and I all agreed this was a winner.
I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

duplex

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at a charming little restaurant called duplex (yes, I mean not to capitalize that). After seeing the play Wicked at the Orpheum, Liz, Mom, Aunt Diane, Gramma and I headed towards Uptown for our 5:30pm reservation. Having tried and failed to get weekend reservations before on more than one occasion, I was very excited to finally eat here.

I started with a very good, 3oz glass of Placido Italian Pinot Grigio ($3.50). I really appreciated the option of a smaller glass of wine at a cheaper price. I wish more restaurants would pick up this idea, it was a great way to try a new wine without spending a lot of money.
I began my dinner with the Banana Glazed Sea Scallops ($8), which were served with a black bean jicama slaw and mango dressing. The scallops were perfectly tender and complemented nicely by the crisp jicama and sweet glaze.
For my entree, I chose the Center Cut Pork Loin ($16) with a sate peanut glaze, braised bok choy and baby carrots. The meat and vegetables had absorbed just the right amount of flavor and were moist and delicious.

Each one of the lovely ladies I dined with ordered something different off the menu. From garlic ceasar salad to chilled pea soup, wild rice risotto to fried chicken, all of it was good. Portion sizes are not overwhelming, and you leave feeling blissfully satisfied thanks to the abundant flavors of both the food and the wine.
If you are in the mood for a delicious meal and a nice glass of wine, I highly recommend you give this quaint little restaurant a try. How quaint is it, you ask? On the way out, I popped my head into the small kitchen and personally thanked the chef for such a wonderful meal.

I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to my good friend, John Quinn. John turns 26 years old today. I hope you have a great day, and congratulations on finishing your thesis. Happy Birthday!

Welcome

If you know me at all, you know I have a passionate love for food. I love eating out, cooking, baking, experimenting with new recipes, relishing a delicious meal. I have decided to share this love with all of you via my new blog. This blog is being created as a complement (not as a rival!) to my cousin Eric's blog. He has provided me with the idea, inspiration and model to get started.
Computers on the other hand, are not a love of mine, nor do I possess much talent in this area. So I am going to do my best to figure all this out; posting, adding pictures, etc.
Wish me luck, and enjoy!