I never knew how beautiful the words “In Stock” could look. Until I saw them under our cookbook [1] which, according to readers and friends, is now being delivered to your homes and bookstores around the country. This is part of the note that just arrived in my inbox from Christina in Oregon:
…Now the reason for this email. Um…….THANK YOU! Thank you and your co-authors for this compilation. I consider myself an average to better than average cook and can confidently say I know my way around the kitchen. What you managed to do is allow me to see my kitchen anew…..I love the entire book but especially the I WANT TO HAVE A FAMILY DINNER WHERE WE ALL EAT THE SAME MEAL, and your I WANT SOMETHING SIMPLE, FAST AND HARD TO SCREW UP chapters. Using a muffin tin to make meals more enticing for kids, clearing out the fridge and dishing it up as an appealing smorgasbord, using the waffle iron for grilled cheese sandwiches? None of this is rocket science, none of it requires extra work from me, it’s all there right in front of me and yet I didn’t see it until you pointed it out to me. I could go on and on but I want to save it for the amazon review. Thank you and your collaborators for the wonderful gem Time for Dinner [1] has turned out to be.
In honor of this day — and in honor of Christina…Bless you, Christina — I wanted to share a recipe from “Chapter 5: I Want to Use What I Already Have.” Well sort of. This is a slightly different version of the steak-and-chard hash in Time for Dinner [1], but it’s every bit as awesome. Why? For starters, the meal takes advantage of the mound of chard that I always have leftover at the end of the week, no matter how hard I try or how carefully I buy. Next, since we’ve been watching our red meat intake lately, it’s the kind of dish that reminds me how a little bit of steak goes a long way. (You can play with the measurements here, but I find you only need one part beef to one part potato and one part chard.) Lastly, it’s 100% deconstructible for the kids. (See Chapter 4!) If you don’t think they’re going to go for the chard — What? Your kids don’t eat their beet greens by the boatload? — then it’s easy to turn it into a classic meat and potatoes dish. And everyone is happy. Not just Christina.
Steak and Chard Hash
Takes about 30-35 minutes
In a baking dish lined with foil, toss cubed potatoes (preferably Yukon gold, approx. one per diner) in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425°F until potatoes are crispy and golden, about 30-35 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, brown 1 pound of salted and peppered cubed sirloin in olive oil over medium-high heat in a small Dutch oven or pot. Cook about five minutes (you may want to drain some fat along the way) until beef is cooked rare. (It will cook more later.) Remove beef from the pot and add one chopped onion. Cook about 2 minutes until slightly softened, then add 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon of horseradish. Stir until combined. Add one bunch of washed, chopped, Swiss chard and cook until leaves have wilted. Add beef to chard and onions and toss together. When potatoes are finished cooking, toss into the pot with the chard and beef (as shown) or serve separately alongside the hash.