I've always loved rosemary. It has to be my all-time favorite herbs to grow. However, I usually have little luck. I have always lost the plant during the winter. Well, I think I finally found the perfect spot and soil to grow it. I've had this plant for two years now and it's the healthiest I've ever seen.

This recipe contains the three things I like to cook with the most. Rosemary, garlic and basil. It's a match made in heaven. Here's the ingredients:

2 chicken breast and 2 legs (that's what I had available)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 sprigs of  rosemary (whole)
4 leaves basil cut into strips
2 cloves garlic cut into slices
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine ( I use chardonnay)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, instructions below


Mix the olive oil, basil and garlic in a plastic bag. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken. Add chicken and rosemary. Mix well to coat chicken. Seal and put in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Overnight preferred.

Preheat  oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet on stove top heat  2 tbsp of olive oil.  Add chicken and cook until browned. (It's ok to leave any garlic or pieces of the herbs on chicken.However, remove and reserve the rosemary sprigs. ) Once browned remove chicken pieces and set to the side. Stir in wine and simmer until reduced by half. Next add chicken stock, lemon juice, zest from lemon and stir. Then, add chicken, slice the lemon into then slices and add them on top of the chicken. Finally, add the rosemary sprigs from marinade. Cover and put into oven. Cook about 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

That's all there is to it. Serve with a side salad, rice, roasted veggies, or roasted potatoes.

You may have noticed the change from Max's Menus to Sassy in the Kitchen. Why the change you ask? Well, I never could come up with a name for this blog that I liked. I was looking for something creative. But, I just couldn't come up with it when I started the blog.

The other night my wife and I were walking through the kitchen with our dog "Sassy." My wife made a comment about "Sassy in the kitchen." I thought it sounded like a good name for the blog. So, that's what I decided to call it. I guess you can say it's a tribute to my girl "Sassy. "

Honey Teriyaki Skirt Steak with Tri- Color Potatoes

On my recent trip to Las Vegas I went to the Aureole in Mandalay Bay. Aureole is known for it's world class cuisine and four story high wine rack. "Wine Angels" don a harness and "fly up" to retrieve your wine. The rack holds an impressive 9865 bottles.

Upon passing by and looking at their menu I decided this was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to eat here. And, being the food lover I am, I just had to try it out. Besides, with all the great food in Vegas everyone else wanted to go to a buffet. (booorrrriinnnggggg)

The menu was a three course meal which included corn bisque as an appetizer, American Wagyu Beef Skirt Steak (soy-glazed romano beans and fingerling potatoes, ponzu vinaigrette) and Dark Chocolate Caramel Bar for dessert. It was delicious. So, I had no other choice when I got home than to try to make a similar meal myself.

When I got home I had to try to copy the recipe. My version is slightly different. I made some additions and changes. But, it turned out terrific. It was a sweet dish with a little wasabi kick.

Description: 
Teriyaki skirt steak with garlic, mushrooms, edamame, and tri-color potatoes with a wasabi finishing sauce. This meal will feed two

Ingredients:
1 lb skirt steak (skirt steaks usually come packed 2 to a pkg)
6 med size tri-color potatoes cut in half or quartered if large. ( The original recipe had tri-color fingerling potatoes.) 
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Edamame 
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil
honey
Teriyaki sauce
1  scallion
wasabi finishing sauce (optional)

 
Directions:
In a plastic storage bag mix 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix well. Add meat, coating meat well, and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Begin by preheating the oven to 400. Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and cook for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft to the touch. After about 20 minutes go ahead and begin cooking the skirt steak. When potatoes are done remove and sit to the side.

You can cook the skirt steak in an iron skillet, outdoor grill or stove top grill. I have a stove top grill that I use when grilling indoors. No matter how you are cooking the steak make sure that you do not overcook. Overcooking a skirt steak will make it very tough. The desired method is to cook it no more than medium. You should still see a little pink inside.  If in a pan or on a stove top grill make sure to add a little olive oil to keep it from sticking. The skirt steak will cook pretty fast because it is such a think piece of meat. It will also brown very nicely because of the sugar in the merinade.When steak is done sit to the side to let cool. Once cool, cut the steak against the grain into pieces about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide. By cutting against the grain it will make the meat even more tender.

Heat another pan to medium heat, add shallots and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Next add the Edamame and mushrooms, cooking about three minutes. Toss in the meat and potatoes and mix with other ingredients. Reduce heat to low.

In a glass bowl mix 1/4 cup of Teriyaki  sauce and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix well and pour over the ingredients in the pan. Mix well and turn heat to high. Let the sauce come to a bubble and reduce to about 1/2. Once the sauce has reduced it is time to plate up.

Put a nice serving on each plate. Cut the scallion in small pieces, spreading over the dish as a garnish. Then top with a drizzling of the wasabi finishing sauce. Enjoy!

(Note: the wasabi finishing sauce I used was already pre-made and bought at a store. If you are unable to find the finishing sauce you can also make it yourself by mixing wasabi powder or paste with water to a thick consistency. Then, just spoon over the plate. )