Seared Grass Fed Ribeye over Asparagus and Shiitake Risotto

I know, I know...I've been away longer than I'd planned. Too many things in life getting in the way. I had to travel for work for a week where I was lucky enough to experience my first earthquake. It was nerve racking to say the least and I'm glad to be back on solid ground. I'm also serving on Grand Jury two days a week and back in Physical Therapy for my back. All those things add up to very little time to cook, and when I do, it's old standbys that have already been blogged about. Except for tonight. My husband went off to watch the UFC fight and I was looking forward to having the house to myself. It's a rare occaision these days and I take advantage of it! I knew I wanted to make a risotto to use up some of my homemade chicken stock in the fridge. A quick trip to Sprouts this afternoon resulted in some fresh asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and nice piece of grass-fed Ribeye.

Asparagus and Shiitake Risotto:
(serves 2)

1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces and blanched
6 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and julienned
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup parmigianno reggiano, grated

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and hold at a simmer.

Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat and add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the garlic and shallot and saute until fragrant. Add the rice and cook until opaque. Deglaze with the wine and stir with a wooden spoon constantly until most of the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Ladel the chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until all liquid is absorbed. This takes a bit of time but is quite worth it. Once the rice is creamy and plump add the asparagus, mushrooms, lemon juice, and cheese. Stir well to combine and keep warm until ready to serve.

Seared Grass Fed Ribeye
(serves 1 plus some scraps for the dogs)
Salt
Pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb ribeye - brought to room temperature

Season the ribeye with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Place the ribeye in the olive oil and allow the beef to sear for about 3 minutes. Flip and sear the other side. Normally I would finish a steak in the oven once it is seared but I didn't want to heat up my oven for one 1/2 lb steak. Once the steak rested for a few minutes I sliced it up (it was still VERY rare, even for my taste) and then I placed the slices back in the pan and seared each side an additional minute or so. Place the slices of the ribeye on a bed of risotto and serve. Pair this with a nice Pinot Noir and you have the makings of a wonderful dinner...