Pan Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce

I was looking for something else to go with my salmon dish for Christmas Eve and found this at Canadian Living.   It's gonna work just great.   I'm switching the All-Purpose Flour out for Cornstarch to make it gluten free.


Pan Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce

4 rib grilling steaks (6 to 8 oz/175 to 250 g each)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) red wine
1/2 cup (125 mL) beef stock
1 tbsp (15 mL) brandy (optional)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cracked black_peppercorns
2 tsp (10 mL) butter, softened
2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch
2 tbsp (25 mL) minced fresh parsley

Preparation:

Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper. In large skillet, heat oil over high heat; fry steaks, turning once, until browned and medium-rare inside, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate; tent with foil and keep warm.
Drain fat from skillet; add wine and bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits. Boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add beef stock, brandy (if using), thyme and peppercorns; return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
In small bowl, mash butter with flour; whisk into sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley. Slice steaks if desired; serve with sauce.

Source: Adapted from Canadian Living Website

Roasted Chickpea Snacks

I found these today, and thought they looked great, so I had to try them. Low and behold that the recipe called for onion powder. Turns out that I don't stock onion powder in my kitchen. I really should. I decided to try curry powder. Same result.

Chinese 5 spice powder worked great and they taste wonderful.


Roasted Chickpea Snacks
1 - 19.2 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then drain again and spread out onto a towel to dry.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic powder, chinese 5 spice powder, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Stir until fragrant. Turn off the heat, pour in the chickpeas, and stir gently with a rubber spatula until coated with the oil mixture.

Spread the chickpeas in a foil-lined rimmed baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, stirring the pan every ten minutes or so. When they’re done, they will be brown and crunchy.

Source: Adapted from http://bethanyactually.com