Daddy's Dinner

Having done lunch for Mama, next came dinner for the Poppers: steak sandwiches, baked "chips," and a mache salad.

The recipe calls for searing the meat in olive oil, but we grilled instead. If you to decide to grill the steak, I suggest adding some of the steak juice to the onions for cooking; the original method cooks the onions in the steak pan while the steak is resting. I also used ciabatta because the store didn't have focaccia buns - I'm sure any good quality bread of your choice will do the trick.

Because there are so few ingredients in these recipes, I think it's really important to use the fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary). No, nothing bad will happen if you don't use fresh. Just a friendly suggestion. The potatoes will probably be just as good (according to Ina) if only seasoned with olive oil and garlic and no rosemary. I also sprinkled a spot of sea salt on them when I took them out of the oven.

Steak Sandwich
Ina Garten
Makes 2 sandwiches

1 (12-ounce) 1-inch thick New York strip boneless beef top loin steak (grass fed if available)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 small yellow onions, sliced in rings
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 recipe Mustard Mayo, recipe follows
2 mini focaccia buns, sliced in half
1/2 cup baby arugula

Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium satue pan over high heat until it's almost smoking, then sear the steak on each side for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and cook the steak for about 7 to 10 minutes, turning once, until very rare in the middle. Remove to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Slice the steak into strips.

Using the same saute pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and thme and saute for 10 minutes, until the onions are brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread a tablespoon of Mustard Mayo on the bottom half of each bun. Place a layer of the steak on top of the mayo, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with the caramelized onion rings. Place the baby arugula on top of the onion rings, and cover the sandwiches with the top half of the buns.

Mustard Mayo
Ina Garten
Yield: 1 cup

3/4 cup good mayonnaise (such as Hellmans)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Baked "Chips"
Barefoot Contessa: Family Style (Ina Garten)
Serves 2

2 large baking potatoes, unpeeled
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. You'll have six long wedges from each potato. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together, making sure the potatoes are covered with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with 1 cut side down.

Bake the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, turning to the other cut side after 20 minutes. Bake until they are slightly browned, crisp outside, and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Mache Salad

Mache
Olive oil
Tarragon vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Place mache in a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Season generously with salt and pepper; toss well.

If making ahead, place dressing at the bottom of the bowl before adding mache. Toss when ready to serve.