Anniversary Dinner In

Since we ate out so much over the mid-weeks of July (on which more later), I decided to make steak in for our anniversary. We found some beautiful Delmonicos at a good price and J broiled them. I added a caramelized onion sauce that needed something else. It was too sweet for me on its own, but I think some good blue cheese would have improved the effect. I think, though, that if you like sweet flavors with your meat, you'll love this sauce. I baked some potatoes and did a salad of baby greens with warm goat cheese rounds.

Caramelized Onion Sauce

4 tbsp. olive oil
4 onions, halved and thinly-sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. plus 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. brown sugar (I may omit this next time & see what happens)
Salt to taste

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in skillet. Cook onions until they are light brown, about half an hour. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the rest and cook 2 minutes. Makes enough for 6 steaks. This recipe is from Susan Branch's wonderful Autumn cookbook, in which she suggests serving this with roasted veggies, which might be considerably better than with steaks. If you have not seen Susan Branch's cookbooks, they are absolutely charming, with delightful illustrations, wonderful little stories and musings and great recipes. They're the sort of cookbook you feel you must own, and buy for all your foodie friends, once you have seen them.

Baby Greens with Warm Goat Cheese Rounds

1 egg white
1 tsp. water
1/2 c. panko
4 oz. log goat cheese, sliced (I used one with garlic & herbs)
4 tsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pepper
7 tbsp. olive oil
Mixed baby greens

Whisk egg white with water. Dip cheese slices in egg, then dredge in panko. Stick in freezer 20 minutes or so. whisk vinegar, salt, sugar, Dijon and pepper together. Add 1/4 c. oil in a slow stream, whisking all the while. Heat the other 3 tbsp. oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook cheese in oil until lightly browned on each side, about 1 minute per side. Toss the greens with the dressing. Divide between 2 salad plates and top with warm cheese. This recipe is my recreation of one I had several years ago, perhaps at The Winds, perhaps not. Can't remember for sure. Maybe in Monterey?