Grilled steaks with blue cheese walnut relish

This recipe calls for sirloin steaks, but we chose chuck eyes, our favorite cheater steak. It’s about the cheapest cut of meat that’s worth grilling, and it’s often much cheaper than sirloin or rib eye but still tender enough. Make sure you get chuck eyes rather than mock chuck or chuck tenders, which are different cuts that need long stewing time to not be tough. Where you buy it makes as much difference as anything. Chuck eyes from Target are just passable, but chuck eye from a good grower/butcher combo are worth it, and still cheaper than fancier steaks from the same source. Either the farmers market or if you’ve got an in at a local small town locker are your best bets.

Grilled steaks with blue cheese walnut relish

Adapted from “American Favorites” by Betty Rosbottom

Ingredients

3 ounces blue cheese

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Zest of half a lemon

Steaks to grill

Dried thyme, salt and pepper

Method

Combine cheese, walnuts, green onions, parsley and lemon zest. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.

Sprinkle steaks liberally with thyme, salt and pepper, rubbing into meat. Grill until desired degree of doneness. Top with a generous tablespoon of cheese relish.

Rating: Super simple, and perfectly fine. The leftovers worked on a salad of roasted beets and greens.

Risotto with roasted asparagus and preserved lemon

 I was finally feeling up to a bit of cooking after a week of vertigo. I was amply rewarded with this very tasty meal.

Risotto with roasted asparagus and preserved lemon

 Adapted from healthylivingmarket.com in Saratoga Springs,N.Y.

The original recipe didn't call for roasting the asparagus, but I think the combo pack of the deepened asparagus flavors with the lemon was wondrous. It also called for God's own supply of chives, which I certain have in spades in the alley, but I'm glad I greatly scaled that back.

 Ingredients

12 ounces fresh asparagus

Olive oil for drizzling

4 cups broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup risotto

½ cup white wine

½ a preserved lemon, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped chives

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap ends off asparagus spears where they feel like they want to break, discarding ends. Place spears on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes until just tender. (Mine were pretty thick and took about 20 minutes for that stage, so check sooner if you’re using the pencil-thin size.) Remove from oven and set aside. When cool enough to handle, chop most of the asparagus into pieces of an inch or two.

Meanwhile, heat broth to a simmer. In a separate saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in risotto and cook, stirring for a few minutes until the kernels are well glistened and starting to dance. Add white wine and cook, stirring, until liquid is nearly absorbed. Add broth a ladle at a time, stirring and letting the liquid cook down until nearly absorbed each time. When broth is all absorbed (it will take a good half hour, so pull up a stool), add asparagus chunks, preserved lemon and most of the chives and Parmesan. Serve risotto topped with remaining asparagus spears and garnished with remaining chives and Parmesan.