Date Night--Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Where to begin, where...to...begin? 

I guess the beginning is as good a place as any, but the middle, the main course, really deserves that prime spot as it is driving the rest of the meal.  So buckle up...this is gonna be a twisty-turny ride through dinner at the Saxes.

Main Course



Really, do I need to say anything else?

I don't think I do, but I'll share the recipe anyway.

Garlic Lover's Roast Beef Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes Servings: will vary • Size: 3 oz cooked • Old Points: 4 • WW Points+: 4 pts Calories: 175 • Fat: 8 g • Protein: 24 g • Carb: 0 g • Fiber: 0 g • Sugar: 0 g  Sodium: 32 mg (without salt) • Cholest: 50 mg

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lb roast or eye round, all fat trimmed off
• 3-4 cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers
• olive oil spray (I used my misto)
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp dried chopped rosemary
• meat thermometer

Directions:
Remove the roast from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to reach room temperature. Trim all the fat off the meat. Using a sharp knife, pierce meat about 1/2-inch deep and insert slivers of garlic in each hole, pushing all the way in. Lightly spray the meat with olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper and rosemary. Place the thermometer all the way into the center of the meat.

 Preheat oven to 350°. When the oven reaches 350°, place the roast in a roasting pan and put in the oven.
Roast until the thermometer reads 130° for rare, 140° for medium rare, 150° for medium, and 155-160° for well done. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest 10-20 minutes before you cut it so that the juices distributed evenly. I personally remove my roast beef from the oven when it is 135° for medium rare. The temperature will rise an additional 5 degrees as it sits.

Now this lump of beefy-garlicky heaven will be accompanied by smashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.

So, to back up to the beginning.  A classic meal such as this one must begin with an equally classic appetizer.  How does Shrimp Cocktail sound?  Sounds pretty good to us.  And cocktails?  I'll be enjoying either a Pimms Cup or Whiskey and Soday.  And Josh?  Well, he'll either have a Manhattan or a Gibson. (I know he'll +1 this post, maybe he'll actually read it this time and call his cocktail.)

Dessert?  Well, dessert will be baked nectarines (thanks for the idea CJ!).  I didn't have any peaches, so I'll be using their less fuzzy cousins.

 

Brown Sugar Baked Peaches Source:  Adapted from In Him We Live and Move and Have Our Being

Ingredients
Per serving:
1 fresh peach
1 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 to 4 tsp. brown sugar, divided
Sprinkling of ground cinnamon, to taste


Directions
1.  Halve peaches and remove pit.  Place in baking dish, skin side down.

2.  Place 1/2 teaspoon butter in the hollow of each peach, top each peach half with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

3.  Bake at 375 degrees until peaches are tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve warm.



Sounds and looks yummy, doesn't it? 


This concludes this week's installment of Date Night.  Next week, due to the travel plans of the blog's author, Date Night will not be on Wednesday.  Check on Friday, but she's not making any promises.



happy cooking