Here we are – the first day of the new year! 2017 blew by in a sneeze. Seriously hard to believe, that the holidays arrived without warning and were gone in two blinks! It is my fervent hope 2018 becomes a year overflowing with compassion and benevolence, with less hatred and unquestionably more love and tolerance spread around our planet. We are in desperate need of that.
I am sure some are probably suffering the after effects of imbibing copious amounts of bubbly. There is nothing worse than a champagne hangover – no matter how costly the label. I am sure a spicy Bloody Merry is in order right about now!
John and I decided to party indoors last night; avoid the multitudes and say adieu to the old in quiet togetherness. He had planed our NYE’s feast meticulously to give me some reprieve from toiling in the kitchen! His menu consisted of fresh live lobsters served with sweet, melted butter, 2” fork tender Kobe filet mignons and corn on the cob – soaked in water, while still in the husk and then BBQ’d.
He’s a master when it comes to the handling, preparation and cooking of these spiny crustaceans – and these guys were big suckers, 2 LBS a piece! I have no steadfast desire to plunge anything that is still eyeballing me into a pot of boiling water, head first. True, I am a chef and don’t ever shy away from any culinary task, however, there are things I try to circumvent and in this case I was delighted to circumvent lobster duty.
After a sensational dinner, we polished off a bottle of Dom with a Godiva truffles and before we knew it, 2018 had arrived.
We had made quick work of the lobsters, which made for messy eating and we had quite a bit of filet left over. There’s no better way to greet the first day in the New Year than with breakfast hash and leftover filet mignon. Alleluia ring the bells!
½ green bell pepper – sliced
½ red bell pepper – sliced
1 Poblano pepper – (Optional) – sliced
½ sweet onion – sliced
1 garlic cloves – chopped
½ LB of potatoes – unpeeled if small and cut in half – peeled and cubed if larger
1 small sweet potato – peeled and cubed
2 cups of cubed steak – take it out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temp
½ TSP cumin
½ TSP smoked Spanish paprika
½ TSP sweet Spanish paprika
¼ cup of white wine
A couple of dashes of tabasco or any preferred hot sauce
¼ cup of low sodium chicken stock
¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Steam the potatoes till tender and set them aside. In a skilled with high sides, add some olive oil and add the onion, bell peppers, poblano, garlic and sauté for about 5-6 minutes. Add spices and seasonings and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Incorporate the cooked potatoes with the chicken stock. Cook for about 5-6 more minutes till the veggies are soft but not mushy. Add the cubed steak to warm through and add the tabasco splashes. Check for seasoning and place some sunny side eggs on top and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
