Just your average sunday night dinner ...

This week's dinner menu

 While shopping for this week's dinner, I stopped by the fishmonger's counter at Whole Foods and spotted some great looking local oysters (one of the great benefits of living so close to the Chesapeake Bay) that I of course decided to improve in to the menu.  So before tonight's main beef and veg course, we started with a little fun ...

Chesapeake Bay oysters w/ soy, white wine, mustard mignonette

These guys were the perfect starting course with a dry vodka martini (me) & dry white wine (Shells).  After slurping back a few oysters, we moved on to the main course ...

Broiled dry-aged NY Strip w/ Roasted Starches & Vegetables

Tonight I broiled a Whole Foods dry-aged NY Strip (about 12 ounces total) and then sliced it between the two of us.  I did a very basic steak with just a bit of seasoning and some butter while under the broiler.  I served it on top of a variation of roasted starches & vegetables ... something I enjoy using with a lot of different proteins.  Tonight was potato, kale & yellow onion ...

Roasted Starches & Vegetables (serving for 2)

2 Medium Red Potatoes

1 Bunch Kale

1 Small Yellow Onion

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F

Cut potatoes into strips (about french fry size) ...  hold the potato in the same position and cut 4 slices (will create four ovals).  Cut each of those slices into four pieces (long ways).  Put the potatoes in a bowl & toss in half of the olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Put the potatoes flat on a baking sheet and put in oven ... set timer for 15 minutes.

Trim the kale from the central stalks and tear into manageable pieces (no bigger than 2 inches by 4 inches).  Cut the ends off the onion, cut in half, remove outter skin & cut each half long ways into 5 slices.  Put the kale and onion into the bowl used earlier with the remainder of the oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper, mix well.  Put kale and onions on a second baking sheet (do not put in oven yet).

When 15 minute timer ends, remove potatoes from oven and using a spatula, flip over the potatoes, return to over with a 15 minute timer.  When second timer goes off, put the kale and onions into the oven ... set a timer for 10 minutes.  When 10 minute timer goes off, remove potatoes, flip again and return to oven, remove kale and onions and stir ensuring that any kale on the bottom of the pan moves to the top ... return to oven for no more than 10 minutes (checking at 5) until kale is just crispy.  Remove from oven, toss together & serve.