Beef prime rib roast and sausage with lentils and artichokes

I apologize that I didn't have the opportunity to write about our wonderful meal last night sooner. It took me all night to recover from the aftermath...I ate way too much and had a lot of dishes that needed my attention. With that said, it may have been the best, highest quality meal that I've ever made. Since I started this blog, my awareness of cooking and flavors has expanded ten-fold. I'm starting to feel a little pressure now to repeat these wonderful results. If my culinary skills continue to improve, I'll be in for a life of tremendous meals.

The menu was robust and included a beef prime rib roast, sausage with lentils and artichokes and Swiss chard with garlic and basil. I also baked a dozen pop overs that were provided by Sturdiwheat.

Beef prime rib roast

The preparation started on Wednesday. I picked out a beautiful prime rib roast (7 pounds) and marinaded it overnight. I'm slightly upset as I "shot from the hip" on the marinade and didn't write down the measurements of the ingredients. It was full of flavor. It was great.

I started with an onion, 6 cloves of garlic, a little orange juice and some olive oil. I made sure I didn't add too much liquid since I wanted a consistency that was similar to paste. I added oregano, rosemary, sage, ground pepper, salt, white pepper and red pepper flakes (great for winter cooking--claims to raise body temperature) and blended everything in a mini-food processor. I cut holes in the roast so the marinade would penetrate the outer sheath. After setting it in a stainless steel mixing bowl, I covered in with Saran wrap and refrigerated overnight.

I took the roast out of the 'fridge an hour before I cooked it. To roast, I put it on a baking pan with one cup of water and waited until the internal temperature was 130-degrees. It took approximately two hours in the oven at 350-degrees. It was nothing short of amazing! The "paste" was unbelievable. I'm kicking myself for not writing down the recipe.

Sausage with lentils and artichokes

This "side dish" could have been the entire meal. It was very rich and oh, so good. With an earthy taste, it was very nutritious as well. If you're reading this, you must take my word on this one. Make it as soon as you have the opportunity. It will blow you away. Who knew that some day I would cook with lentils and artichokes?

In a large frying pan, I heated extra virgin olive oil on medium heat then added garlic. I smashed the garlic instead of mincing it. Shortly after the garlic, I added the onions. I sauteed the garlic and onions until the onions looked transparent (2-3 minutes) and added the chicken sausage and bay leaves. About two minutes later, I added the artichokes (drained), sage, oregano sauteed for 4 to 5 minutes more.

The second part of the preparation came with the Beluga lentils. I prepared them according to the package instructions and had them waiting on the side to add to the vegetables. Along with the lentils, I added the chicken stock. Everything cooked together for abut 20 minutes. The goal was to stir until the chicken stock reduced completely. Then, I added buttermilk. It gave the final product a hint of sourness. It was so good; it was unexplainable

Swiss chard with garlic and basil

I also sauteed a bunch of Swiss chard. I'm beginning to love leafy green vegetables. That's a good thing, right? When I started the Swiss chard, it almost didn't fit in the frying pan. When it cooks, it shrinks, though. I fried it in olive oil and chicken stock and added garlic and basil. It's a favorite side dish of mine.

There's no great way to conclude this entry. This meal was fantastic. I wish I could think of a better adjective, but you'll just have to take my word on it and make it yourself. Let me know how it turns out for you.

Ingredients (sausage with lentils and artichokes):
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 yellow onion, diced
10 ounces chicken sausage (Trader Joe's basil & pesto chicken sausage)
3 small bay leaves
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, quartered (drained)
2 tablespoons sage
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cups cooked Beluga black lentils
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cups buttermilk

Music: Michael Buble - Haven't Met You Yet
Weather: 5-degrees and frigid