A Hearty, Late-Winter Dinner

This was the menu we made for dinner on Saturday night:

Porterhouse Steaks with Brandy Sauce

Apple-Roasted Parsnip Puree

Rum Raisin Ice Cream with Sauteed Bananas

Everything was very good, although the quality of the beef would have been better (and more expensive) if we had shopped at Whole Foods instead of Harris Teeter. The porterhouses were broiled, roughly 7-8 minutes on each side. Some people prefer to sear both sides first and then cook the steak through.

The sauce was prepared using low-fat beef broth, butter, chopped shallots, herbs de Provence, brandy and then a little arrowroot to thicken it. First, I melted about three tablespoons of butter and sauteed about a 1/4 cup of shallots. Next, I added about a 2/3 cup of beef broth (low-salt, low-fat) and brought it to a boil until it was reduced slightly. Then I reduced the heat to medium, adding two tablespoons of brandy and the herbs de Provence. I mixed a tablespoon of arrowroot with a 1/4 cup of beef broth and then added this to the saucepan, stirring it constantly to incorporate. The sauce should thicken slightly within a few minutes.

For the apple-parsnip puree, I relied on the ingredients from this recipe, but I cooked the parnsips and apples differently. Instead of relying on a slow-cooker, I roasted the parnsips for 45 minutes in a 425-degree oven and sauteed the apple in a skillet. Then I pureed them in a blender. In all honesty, this was the best dish of the entire meal.

Basically, the dessert was no more complicated than preparing Bananas Foster but serving it with Rum Raisin ice cream (rather than vanilla).