Food Lush

Restaurant Spotlight: Red PrimeSteak in Oklahoma City

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Tara

Since this is my actual last post, I'll pick another favorite from over the years reading the Lush sites. Jennie's post on Personalized Handmade Thank You Cards was so awesome. I often have prints made of my daughter using toys or wearing clothes given to her and write a quick note on the back to say thank you. Genius! Another of the favorite posts I've written is Red Wine Love; I am, after all, a Lush at heart. Gosh, I'll miss this site!

***

If you're in or near Oklahoma City, go right now and make a reservation at Red PrimeSteak. Located in the up-and-coming, old-but-renovated, very-hip part of the city, it's a great place for a date or party.

There are red neon lights everywhere, which kind of gives an other-worldly glow to the whole restaurant (but doesn't make you see red when you leave the building).

We started with RP's Tomatoes: yellow, red, and green, fried, with mozzarella and a bunch of other deliciousness. We were also served a bread with garlic butter. It was awesome.

I had the 7-oz filet with a garlic herb crust and creamy horseradish sauce, and the horseradish potato gratin.

I didn't take a picture of my husband's dinner, but he had a sirloin and the slivered asparagus and it was also delicious.

For dessert we ordered the Red Velvet Cupcakes, which were DIVINE. 

(Personal Photos)

The staff was friendly and knowledgable, the food was incredible. All-in-all, it was a wonderful all around experience.

Have you eaten at a great restaurant in Oklahoma City?

Pepperoni Dip

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Tara

I think it would be impossible to pick a favorite post. I've been a fan of the Lush sites since long before I wrote for Food Lush. Since before Food Lush was around and I still got recipes from Style Lush! I think of myself as an adventurous cook, and that means that the Recipe Round-ups were probably the most-used of the posts over the years. My favorite post I wrote was my first: World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. I was so honored to become a part of the Lush team, and I shared the best recipe I had. I hope you enjoy those cookies as much as I always do! I might make some tomorrow! 

***

With Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, I know what we're all thinking about: food, commercials and what Beyonce's going to wear! (Wait. You mean some people watch the football game? Weird.) Anyway! Here's a crowd-pleasing recipe for an appetizer dip. Easy and delicious!

Pepperoni Dip

Ingredients:
-1 can cream of celery soup
-2 8-oz bricks of cream cheese
-1 package of pepperoni
-crackers and/or bread torn into dippable chunks

Directions:
1. Add soup and cream cheese to smallish slow cooker.*
2. Cut pepperonis in half and add to cooker.
3. Let warm, stirring occasionally, until creamy and easy to dip stuff into.

*I'm positive this can be made in a regular pot on the stove, or even in the microwave, but in a slow cooker is easiest because then you can keep it warm after it's done (and also just dump everything in and then leave it while you do other things).

I Heart Horseradish

by Tara

Do you guys like horseradish? I always forget how much I do until I cook with it again. It's awesome. I'm going to try to use it more often. The other night I made steak, potatoes, and kale, and the potatoes I made were especially delicious.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

(Such a colorful dinner!)

Ingredients:

-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 tsp sugar
-1 tsp oil
-1 lb potatoes*, cubed
-1/2 cup milk
-2 tbsp fresh parsley
-1 tsp horseradish (approximately; to taste!)
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sautee onions in oil with sugar until onions are tender and browned
2. Meanwhile, add potatoes to large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until fork tender.
3. Drain potatoes, add milk, and mash. Add onions, parsley, horseradish, and salt and pepper. 

Makes side dish for 4.

It's amazing how such a little bit of horseradish can add so much flavor!

*I used red potatoes in this instance, but I think any kind would work, even sweet. 

What's your favorite way to eat horseradish?

Clearance Coffee

by Tara

Here's something I'd like to recommend: go to Target right now and buy some Christmas Blend coffee by Archer Farms. I love coffee (no secret there), and this is one of the best blends I've ever tried.

It's so good! It's spicy but not too dark, and really smooth, and not Christmasy, but somehow worked to get me in the Christmas spirit. It's on clearance right now, so you can get it cheap! I got some for $5.85 yesterday. Go get some before it's all gone!

You won't be disappointed.

Do you have a favorite seasonal treat?

(Personal photos)

Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole

by Tara

Now that the holidays are over we can focus on plain, old, winter cooking. I love winter squashes, and butternut squash, in particular, is one of my favorites. I set out to make a vegetarian meal one night using spinach, carmelized onions, and butternut squash and pasta, and it looked like a lot of work. So I made this up as I went along, instead, and it turned out great!

Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
-1 large butternut squash
-3 large yellow onions
-1 tbsp butter
-2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)
-6 cloves (1 tbsp) minced garlic
-Italian sausage
-15 oz ricotta
-1 tsp crushed red pepper
-1/4 cup milk
-1/4 cup chopped parsley
-2 oz shredded parmesan
-1 cup shredded mozzarella
-spinch and/or arugula (I like the pre-packaged 50/50 mix)
-olive oil spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Slice the onions in half and then slice in thin, half-moon strips. Melt butter in large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook over medium heat, slowly, until a pretty brown color, about 20-25 minutes.
2. Remove onions and cook sausage and garlic in the same pan until sausage is browned.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta as package directs. When the pasta's finished, drain pasta over spinach/arugula (so that it wilts without an extra step!).
4. Add onions, ricotta, red pepper, milk, and parsley to skillet and cook until well-mixed and thickened. Add pasta and spinach/arugula.
5. Spray a casserole pan with the olive oil spray and pour the mixture from the skillet into the pan. Top with shredded cheeses and bake for ~30 minutes or until cheese is melty and browning.

(This makes a LOT of food. A lot. It made three pans and will easily serve 8-12 people as a main/only course. I froze two pans and while it was okay, the casserole wasn't nearly as delicious as when it was fresh. So you could fill up a 9x13 pan and feed a crowd.)

I'm calling this a success. I hope you enjoy it, too!

 

Quail for Christmas

by Tara

I was going to make duck for Christmas, but my butcher shop only offers whole ducks, and I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with a whole duck. Plus, it’s just my little family (three of us, including a two-year old) for dinner, so I didn’t want to have the leftovers from a whole duck.

So I decided to get quail instead. I bought four whole quail, and… now I’m completely lost. I mean, I’ve eaten quail; we used to have it for every Christmas dinner when my grandmother was alive if my grandfather had a good hunting day before the holidays. But she didn’t keep recipes for things like that, and I have no idea what I’m doing. Thank the heavens for the Internet, right?

This recipe from Simply Recipes looks good. And easy!

This recipe at Epicurious uses wine, so that’s more leftover for me to drink.

This one at Jules Food looks good. I don’t like oranges, though, so that might be a problem?

I love blackberries, and I’m thinking the balsamic and blackberry combo in this recipe from Jenn’s Cuisine would be delicious.

My husband doesn’t like stuffing (WEIRDO), or I’d be all over this recipe from Food Network:

I wonder if I could talk my husband into a stuffing made with Andouille sausage from a recipe created by Emeril? Possibly.

This recipe from Food Network might be the winner. Anything wrapped in bacon tends to top my list.

(Photo from: Food Network.com)

Have you ever made quail? Have a recipe that will help me out?

Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramel

by Tara

I have not been eating well this holiday season. And you know what? The seasonal chocolate on the shelves isn't really helping. My latest obsession? Dark chocolate and sea salt caramels. My holiday season goal is to try every kind I can find. Wish me luck!

A lovely friend sent me these (since, sadly, I have no Trader Joe's near me) (everyone should have friends that send them chocolate), and oh. OH! So delicious.

 

These were sent by a different lovely friend (seriously, everyone should have friends that send them chocolate), and I LOVE them. 

 

When I was at The Blathering in New Orleans I bought some of these Avery chocolates at Sucre and I ate them really fast because they were incredibly delicious.

 

(Photo from Sucre.)

I also am setting a goal to make the cake A'Dell mentioned in this post, because WOW it looks good. Or maybe all of the recipes she posted there. 

I'm interested in finding more candies, chocolates, and recipes that involve dark chocolate and sea salt caramel. Please make some recommendations!

 

 

Verde Chicken Stew

by Tara

Again with the soup, Tara? Yes. It is soup season! (Perhaps a lot of us need to send a memo to our local weather, because I hear my area isn’t the only one with 70-degree December temps?)

Ingredients:
-1 tbsp olive oil
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 can (15-oz) white hominy
-1 can (10-oz) green enchilada sauce
-1 cup water or chicken broth
-1/2 cup + 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro*
-2 cups (about 1 lb) diced, cooked chicken
-1 cup uncooked rice**
-3 green onions, sliced
-shredded cheese***

Directions:
-Add oil and garlic to a large pot (at least 4 quarts) and cook over medium heat until garlic is fragrant, about 45 seconds.
-Drain hominy and add to pot, along with broth/water enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup cilantro. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 8-10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, cook rice in a large pot or rice cooker, as instructed on package.
-Add chicken to stew and let simmer ~20 minutes.
-Stir in cooked rice and remove from heat.
-Serve topped with green onions, reserved cilantro, and cheese.

Mmmmm. Ignore my thumb. A photographer I am not.

*If you’re one of those people that hates cilantro, you can remove this. Just add something that has a flavor you like: Mexican oregano, an onion, more green onions, etc., if you remove this.
**I used brown rice, but it doesn’t really matter. Just remember that brown rice takes longer to cook!
***I used a combination of Colby Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses.

Italian Chicken Soup

by Tara

I received a similar recipe in an email from a friend, and because I can't just follow instructions I messed with it, added a bunch of stuff, and it was still delicious. Here's what I did:

Italian Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste
-olive oil (extra virgin olive oil is preferred)
-1 large onion, chopped
-5-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp crushed red pepper
-28 oz canned, diced tomatoes
-32 oz (1 quart) chicken broth
-1 tbsp Italian seasoning
-8 oz mushrooms, sliced
-1 package greens (I used a spinach/arugula blend, but just spinach would work)

Directions*:
-Salt and pepper chicken to your desire
-Heat about 1 tsp olive oil in a large pot
-Add chicken and cook through; Remove chicken and set aside
-Add about 1 tsp to same pot and add onion, garlic, and red pepper; Cook until onion is browned and garlic is fragrant
-Add tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning; Bbring to simmer and let cook about 10 minutes
-Add chicken back to pot; reduce heat, Cover, and let simmer about 20 minutes
-Add mushrooms and greens to pot; Re-cover and let simmer about 10 more minutes
-Let cool about 10 minutes and serve with your favorite Italian cheese on top.**

 


(I also made garlic bread and it really added to the meal! I broiled a sliced loaf of bread that was sprayed with EVOO and sprinkled with garlic salt and dried parsley.)

My bowl right before I devoured the whole thing.

* I feel like this would work in the crockpot, but haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet.
** I forgot to buy mozzarella, but I had parmesan on hand and it was delicious with that on top.

 

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

by Tara

I've been seeing the cinnamon rolls in the waffle iron thing on Pinterest for awhile, and since I love cinnamon rolls and I adore my waffle maker, I thought I should try them. I was kind of disappinted. I thought they'd be bigger! They were teeny when they were squished in the waffle iron. (I suppose it's common sense that this should happen, but I was still disappointed.)

Okay, we still ate them all.

Maybe the jumbo cinnamon rolls would work better? I think I need a do-over. I'll update you when I figure it out.

Or maybe this post makes you interested to put other food items in your waffle maker, here's a post that talks about that very thing! 

I guess this is a Pinterest plausible, not a total bust.*

Have you tried any Pinterest recipes that were disappointing?

*Mythbusters!