log 44: 3 Course Meal

attempt

My first ever attempt at making a multi-course meal all by myself. Mushroom and ricotta crostini, browned butter sage gnocchi, New York Steak with apple chimichurri. I flew back to Hawaii to surprise my parents and wanted to cook them a special meal by myself. While the food came out acceptable, I was disappointed with my timing. It came out far too late to the point where everyone was famished from waiting. I tried to do too many new things while also filming so the timing was completely off. But, I got it done and we all had a nice meal together. 

Mushroom and Ricotta Crostini

Ingredients

• Baguette

• Ricotta

• Baby Bella Mushroom

• Thyme

• Dry White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc)

• Butter

• Garlic

• Shallot

Method

1. Finely dice the shallots and garlic. Thinly slice the mushrooms

2. On high heat, sautee the mushrooms in a neutral oil. Be sure not to crowd the mushrooms or they won’t brown well.

3. Add salt! It helps remove moisture and releases natural flavors from the ingredients. 

4. Add the garlic and shallots. Sautee for a few minutes then add the thyme.

5. Slice the baguette into thin pieces and toast. Either in a toaster oven or in a pan. 

6. Add a splash of white wine to the mushrooms and continue sauteeing for another minute until the alcohol has cooked off. 

7. Spread a thin layer of ricotta on the toasted pieces of baguette.

8. Add the mushrooms to each piece and serve!

Browned Butter Sage Gnocchi

Ingredients

• Potato

• Egg

• Salt

• All Purpose Flour

• Sage

• Butter

• Parmesan or Pecorino Romano 

Method

1. Score the potatoes and add them to a pot of salted boiling water

2. After they are fork tender, remove the skin and mash.

3. Add one egg and all-purpose flour incrementally. Once the dough is pliable (not too wet or dry), quarter it and roll it into logs. Cut each log into small gnocchi-sized pieces (not very descriptive I know). Roll on the back of a fork and there you have it! Homemade gnocchi.

4. Add the gnocchi to a pot of salted boiling water.

5. While the gnocchi is cooking, add half a stick of butter to a pan on low heat.

6. Let the butter melt and eventually brown. Once it has browned, add the sage and some salt. 

7. Once the gnocchi is floating, it’s ready! Add it to the pan. 

8. Shave in a good amount of pecorino or parmesan along with some gnocchi water to make a nice creamy sauce. 

9. Plate and top with some extra pecorino, then serve!

New York Strip with Apple Chimichurri

Ingredients

• Steak (N.Y. Strip) 

• Parsley

• Cilantro

• Apple

• Fresno Pepper

• Olive Oil

• Red Wine Vinegar

Method

1. Finely chop the cilantro, parsley, apple, and Fresno pepper. 

2. Mix together with olive oil, salt, and pepper

3. Cook the steak the way your preferred way. My go-to method is pan-seared and butter based with herbs. 

4. Add a small amount of red wine vinegar to the chimichurri before serving. Adding it too early will turn the green herbs brown.

5. Serve on top or as a side to the steak!