Food and Beverage
Make the Holidays Magical with Hearty Meals
Capturing the magic of the holidays often happens at the dinner table as loved ones toast the season with stunning meals worth celebrating.
Last Updated on July 14, 2024 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) Capturing the magic of the holidays often happens at the dinner table as loved ones toast the season with stunning meals worth celebrating. This year, call the entire family together and make your festive feast truly memorable with pairings that offer favorite flavors for all.
Starting with tender cuts of meat hand-trimmed by master butchers at Omaha Steaks, these dishes from chef David Rose call to mind the extravagant holiday gatherings of yesteryear with modern twists you can claim as your own.
Roasted Chateaubriand with Red Wine Gravy and Lemon-Garlic Asparagus offers classic taste while Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Crushed Potatoes brings some zing to the kitchen. For seafood lovers looking to make a splash at this year’s get-togethers, Crab Stuffed Lobster Tails with Dirty Rice provide a savory, succulent pairing worthy of the season.
Visit OmahaSteaks.com/Blog to find more recipes fit for the holidays.
Roasted Chateaubriand with Red Wine Gravy and Lemon-Garlic Asparagus
Recipe by Omaha Steaks Executive Chef David Rose
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 90 minutes
Chateaubriand:
- 1 Omaha Steaks Chateaubriand (2-4 pounds)
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Red Wine Gravy:
- Reserved chateaubriand juices
- 1 medium shallot, small diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to tastePreheat smoker or pellet grill to 275 F.
Lemon-Garlic Asparagus:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound jumbo asparagus, stems trimmed and spears blanched in salted water
- 1 pinch kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1 pinch ground black pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- To make chateaubriand: Pat chateaubriand dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with salt and pepper; bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- In large cast-iron pan, bring grapeseed oil to high heat.
- Sear chateaubriand on all sides until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove chateaubriand from pan, reserving pan drippings; place chateaubriand on wire rack-lined baking sheet. Bake according to cooking chart for cook time and desired doneness. Use meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
- Rest chateaubriand 15-20 minutes. Slice to desired thickness.
- To make red wine gravy: Bring cast-iron pan with reserved chateaubriand drippings to high heat then add shallots and minced garlic. Brown 30 seconds.
- Add red wine and deglaze pan, cooking until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and flour until all clumps have disappeared and mixture is well-incorporated, 3-4 minutes.
- Add water and bouillon cubes; bring to boil then whisk in stone ground mustard.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer until achieving sauce-like consistency, 7-8 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Turn off heat and whisk in remaining butter until fully melted and emulsified into sauce.
- To make lemon-garlic asparagus: In large saucepan, bring olive oil to medium-high heat.
- Add asparagus and season with salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Sear undisturbed about 1 minute.
- Turn asparagus and add minced garlic, sauteing about 10 seconds. Add lemon juice and continue sauteing until reduced by two-thirds, about 1 minute.
- Turn off heat and add butter, stirring until emulsified into pan sauce. Season with salt and ground black pepper, to taste.
- Serve chateaubriand with lemon-garlic asparagus and red wine gravy.
Crab Stuffed Lobster Tails with Dirty Rice
Recipe by Omaha Steaks Executive Chef David Rose
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Dirty Rice:
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound Omaha Steaks Ultra-Premium Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium red bell pepper, small diced
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1 cup small diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup tomato-based sofrito
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
Crab Stuffing:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 20 butter crackers, finely crushed
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
Crab Stuffed Lobster:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 Omaha Steaks Cold Water Lobster Tails (5 ounces each), halved lengthwise
- To make dirty rice: Rinse jasmine rice with water until water is clear. Drain.
- In large saucepot, bring vegetable oil to medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika; saute 5 minutes until browned.
- Using slotted spoon, remove browned beef and set aside.
- Add butter to pot then add red bell pepper, green onions and yellow onions. Saute 2 minutes until lightly caramelized.
- Add sofrito and jasmine rice to pot; saute 1 minute. Add cooked ground beef and chicken stock; bring to boil. Once mixture boils, reduce heat to simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave lid on pot 5 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To make crab stuffing: In medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, seafood seasoning, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
- Gently fold in crushed butter crackers and crab meat. Set aside.
- To make crab stuffed lobster: Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Stir melted butter, salt and lemon juice. Brush lobster tails with butter mixture.
- Divide crab stuffing into eight portions. Stuff each lobster tail half with crab stuffing, pressing stuffing into lobster. Place stuffed lobster tails on aluminum foil-lined sheet pan and bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with dirty rice.
Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Crushed Potatoes
Recipe by Omaha Steaks Executive Chef David Rose
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: about 2 1/2 hours
Servings: 4-6
Creamy Horseradish Sauce:
- 15 ounces crema or sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons horseradish
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Pepper Rub:
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground peppercorn medley
- 2 teaspoons ground guajillo chili
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Prime Rib:
- 1 Omaha Steaks Boneless Heart of Prime Rib Roast (4 pounds)
- pepper rub
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Crushed Potatoes:
- 1 pound baby red skin potatoes
- cold water
- 1 pinch kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely minced Italian parsley
- ground black pepper
- To make creamy horseradish sauce: In medium bowl, whisk crema, mayonnaise, horseradish, vinegar, chives, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika until well-incorporated. Season with additional salt and white pepper, to taste.
- To make pepper rub: In small bowl, stir salt, peppercorns, chili and thyme.
- To make prime rib: Pat prime rib dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with pepper rub and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- In large cast-iron pan, bring grapeseed oil to medium-high heat.
- Sear prime rib on all sides until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Place seared prime rib on wire rack-lined baking sheet. Bake according to cooking chart for cook time and desired doneness. Use meat thermometer to ensure doneness. Cook until internal temperature is 10 F below desired doneness.
- Rest prime rib 15-20 minutes. Slice to desired thickness.
- To make crushed potatoes: Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Add potatoes to stockpot. Cover with cold water by about 1 inch and add 1 pinch salt. Over high heat, boil 8-10 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and completely cool with running cold water.
- Once cool, carefully crush potatoes with palms until skin breaks and potatoes are slightly crushed.
- In medium bowl, whisk olive oil, garlic and parsley.
- Place crushed potatoes on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and toss lightly with olive oil mixture. Season potatoes on both sides with kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste. Roast potatoes until crisped and golden brown, 15-17 minutes.
- Serve prime rib with crushed potatoes and creamy horseradish sauce.
SOURCE:
Omaha Steaks
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Recipe of the Week
Jumpstart Busy School Mornings with Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos
Hectic school mornings get much easier when breakfast is already waiting in the fridge or freezer. These Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos can be assembled in advance, frozen individually and easily reheated for quick, filling meals to keep your family going through the day.
(Feature Impact) Hectic school mornings get much easier when breakfast is already waiting in the fridge or freezer. These Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos can be assembled in advance, frozen individually and easily reheated for quick, filling meals to keep your family going through the day.
Eggs, cheese and black beans supply protein to fuel kids for gym class or sports, while vegetables, beans and whole-grain tortillas add complex carbohydrates and fiber to stave off hunger until lunch. Breakfast burritos also make for a hearty, grab-and-go option for adults heading off to work.
One of the best things about homemade breakfast burritos is how easily they can be customized to fit each family member’s unique nutritional needs and preferences. If you’re making a batch for the whole family, prepare a basic filling and let everyone choose their own combination of ingredients. Spice fiends might want to add jalapenos or hot sauce, while vegetable lovers can pack in sauteed broccoli or diced roasted sweet potatoes. Just remember to label the different varieties separately before storing, e.g. “Mild” and “Spicy.”
Although it’s best to avoid mixing in ingredients that don’t freeze well – like avocado or fresh tomatoes – you can always serve the reheated burritos with a side of guacamole or pico de gallo for even more flavor and nutrition.
Find more school-year meal prep inspiration at Culinary.net.
Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos
Recipe adapted from The Gracious Pantry
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 tablespoons salsa
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, water or dairy milk
- 4 large whole-grain tortillas
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- In pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
- Stir in cooked black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, salsa and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat.
- Whisk eggs with milk or water. In nonstick skillet over medium heat, scramble until just set; avoid overcooking. Season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Lay tortillas flat. Divide eggs, veggie-bean mixture and cheese across each. Roll into burritos then toast, seam side down, in dry skillet to seal.
- Remove from pan and let cool. Wrap in parchment then foil. Freeze up to 2 months.
- To reheat, remove foil and parchment. In microwave or oven, heat until warmed through.
Notes: To prevent tortillas from becoming soggy, let filling cool to room temperature before assembling burritos.
Burritos can be warmed from frozen or, for best results, thawed overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
SOURCE:
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The Knowledge
When Did Water Vending Machines Become a Thing?
When did water vending machines appear in America? Explore their history from a 1908 penny water vendor to the refill machines of the 1970s and 1980s.
You’ve probably seen them hundreds of times.
They sit outside supermarkets, convenience stores and shopping centers—or sometimes stand alone in small roadside kiosks. You bring an empty bottle, usually one, three or five gallons, put in some money, push a button and watch purified water pour into your container.
For many people in California, Arizona and other parts of the American West, water vending machines seem like they’ve simply always been there.
But when did we actually start buying water this way?
The answer takes us back more than a century, although the machines we recognize today didn’t really arrive until the 1970s.
The Water Vending Machine’s Surprising Ancestor
The story begins in Boston in 1908 with a man named Lawrence Luellen.
Luellen was working on something that sounds surprisingly modern: a machine that would allow someone to pay a penny and receive a clean drink of water in an individual disposable cup.
At the time, public drinking water was often consumed from a communal cup or metal dipper—a practice that increasingly worried public-health officials because of the potential spread of disease.
Luellen developed a paper drinking cup along with what became known as the Luellen Cup & Water Vendor. The porcelain machine contained water, ice, disposable cups and a place for discarded cups.
For one penny, a customer could get a drink of cold water in a fresh cup.
Historical records at Lafayette College’s Hugh Moore Dixie Cup Company Collection show that Luellen completed work on the vending apparatus in early 1908. His company, the American Water Supply Company of New England, was incorporated on April 4 of that year.
There was just one problem.
The complete water machine was expensive to manufacture.
The company eventually concentrated on selling the disposable cups and cup dispensers instead. Those cups ultimately evolved into one of America’s most recognizable household products—the Dixie Cup.
So although Luellen’s machine wasn’t the five-gallon refill station we know today, the basic idea was already there:
Put money into a machine and receive drinking water.
The Modern Water Vending Machine Arrives
The next major chapter didn’t occur until roughly 65 years later.
According to histories of the water-vending industry, the first practical machines designed to sell purified water in bulk appeared during the mid-1970s.
These were fundamentally different from Luellen’s machine.
Instead of giving customers a cup of water, the new machines treated water—typically municipal tap water—and allowed customers to fill their own reusable containers.
And we have unusually strong evidence that these machines were operating by 1976.
On July 26, 1976, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a memorandum specifically addressing the regulatory status of water vending machines.
The EPA described machines that filtered and disinfected water with ultraviolet light and then dispensed the treated water into a customer’s own container using a coin-operated mechanism.
In other words, by the summer of 1976, the basic water-refill machine many of us recognize today was already operating in the United States.
Why the 1970s?
The timing wasn’t accidental.
Americans had become increasingly concerned about pollution and drinking-water quality during the 1960s and 1970s.
Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, establishing a federal framework for protecting public drinking-water supplies. National drinking-water regulations followed during the decade.
Meanwhile, technologies such as filtration, activated carbon treatment, ultraviolet disinfection and eventually reverse osmosis made it practical to build relatively compact systems capable of treating municipal water at the point where it was sold.
The result was a new business opportunity:
Instead of transporting thousands of bottles of water to a store, a vending company could connect a machine to the local water supply, purify that water on site and sell it by the gallon.
Customers supplied the bottle.
California Helps Turn It Into a Business
California became one of the industry’s most important early markets.
One company that would eventually become a major player was founded by Robert G. Miller.
In 1983, Miller established Bottle Water Vending Inc., the predecessor of Glacier Water Services.
The company manufactured water vending machines and placed many of them outside supermarkets. Customers brought their own containers, while participating stores often sold reusable plastic jugs nearby.
The machines treated municipal water using combinations of filtration, reverse osmosis, carbon treatment and ultraviolet sterilization.
The idea caught on quickly.
In 1984, the company expanded from California into Arizona.
Nevada followed in 1986.
By 1987, the company reportedly had nearly 900 water vending machines operating.
Texas and Florida followed in 1988.
The familiar supermarket water-refill station was becoming a significant business.
Then Came the Drive-Up Water Kiosk
Another variation appeared at almost exactly the same time.
In 1984, Lani and Don Dolifka developed what became Watermill Express in Colorado.
Their idea was an automated stand-alone purification kiosk capable of taking municipal water, processing it through multiple purification stages and selling the finished drinking water directly to customers.
Instead of walking into a supermarket, customers could pull up to the kiosk with their bottles.
Later Watermill Express systems were designed to accommodate reusable containers ranging from one to five gallons, using treatment processes including sediment filtration, activated carbon, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection and ozone treatment.
That basic concept remains familiar today.
Why Five-Gallon Bottles?
The five-gallon container was already well established through traditional bottled-water delivery services.
But refill vending changed the economics.
Instead of purchasing another filled bottle—or waiting for a delivery—a customer could keep the same container and refill it repeatedly.
That eliminated much of the packaging and transportation involved with conventional bottled water.
It also made purified drinking water relatively inexpensive.
Bring the jug.
Buy the water.
Take the same jug home.
Bring it back when it’s empty.
More than four decades later, that’s still essentially how the system works.
So Who Invented the Modern Water Vending Machine?
That’s where the story gets complicated.
There doesn’t appear to be a single universally recognized inventor of the modern bulk purified-water vending machine.
Lawrence Luellen developed an important early coin-operated water vending concept in 1908, but his machine dispensed an individual drink and disposable cup—not gallons of purified water into a customer’s reusable bottle.
The modern bulk-water machine emerged much later, apparently during the mid-1970s, as water-treatment technology and consumer concern about drinking-water quality converged.
By 1976, the EPA was already dealing with the regulatory implications of machines that treated municipal water and sold it through coin-operated dispensers into customers’ own containers.
Entrepreneurs and companies then refined and expanded the idea during the 1980s.
From a Penny Cup to Five Gallons at a Time
The evolution is remarkable.
1908: Put in a penny and receive a cup of cold water.
Mid-1970s: Machines begin treating municipal water and selling purified water in bulk.
1976: The EPA documents coin-operated machines dispensing treated water into customers’ containers.
1983: Bottle Water Vending, the predecessor of Glacier Water Services, begins operations in California.
1984: Glacier’s predecessor expands into Arizona, while Watermill Express develops its automated purification kiosk in Colorado.
Late 1980s and beyond: Water refill machines become increasingly familiar outside supermarkets and at stand-alone locations throughout the United States.
Today, paying a few coins—or tapping a card—and filling a five-gallon jug might seem thoroughly ordinary.
But the machine sitting outside your neighborhood supermarket represents more than a century of evolution in how Americans buy something that once seemed almost unimaginable to sell from a vending machine:
a drink of water.
Sources and Further Reading
U.S. EPA — Status of Water Vending Machines Under Public Law 93-523
Lafayette College — Hugh Moore Dixie Cup Company Collection
U.S. EPA — Safe Water Research Milestones
Glacier Water Services Company History
World Vision — History of Watermill Express
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Food and Beverage
6 Simple Yet Fun School-Day Meals to Feed Your Kids with Minimal Chaos
School-Day Meals: When it comes to planning lunches and dinners on busy school days, simplicity is the name of the game. Parents who are already juggling carpools, practices, errands and homework don’t need anything extra added to their plates while they’re trying to get food onto everyone else’s. Make it easy for your loved ones with these registered dietitian-approved meal ideas packed with the nutrition to keep your family fueled all day.
6 Simple Yet Fun School-Day Meals to Feed Your Kids with Minimal Chaos
(Feature Impact) When it comes to planning lunches and dinners on busy school days, simplicity is the name of the game. Parents who are already juggling carpools, practices, errands and homework don’t need anything extra added to their plates while they’re trying to get food onto everyone else’s.
Choosing uncomplicated meal ideas like these back-to-school recipes lets you reclaim some precious time from the morning and evening chaos. Designed to fit seamlessly into your existing routines, the recipes are familiar, flexible and filling – and, perhaps most importantly, won’t keep you standing at the stove for hours. Make it easy for your loved ones with Healthy Family Project’s registered dietitian-approved meal ideas packed with the nutrition to keep your family fueled all day.
Visit HealthyFamilyProject.com to find more easy, family-friendly recipes for back-to-school season.
- Mandarin Chicken Rice Bowls – This fresh, fun dinner starts with a base of rice topped with juicy mandarin slices, savory chicken, fresh vegetables and a bright citrus dressing. Plus, it’s easily customizable to each family member’s tastes and preferences.
- Lemon Blueberry Pancake Lunchbox Bites – To make your kids’ eyes light up when they open their lunchboxes, opt for recipes that feel a little playful. These mini pancakes paired with colorful fruits definitely fit the bill, and they’re a great way to disguise nutritious ingredients like oats, eggs and bananas. Include a cup of yogurt on the side to make lunch dippable and interactive.
- Tomato Turkey Burger Bowls – Burger night gets a healthy twist in this creative recipe, which swaps a beef patty for lean ground turkey and oily French fries for roasted potato wedges while leaning into classic toppings like lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. If the kids still prefer their burgers as sandwiches instead of bowls, provide buns on the side so they can build their own.
- One-Pot Cheeseburger Mac – If just imagining a sink full of dishes makes you tired, that means it’s the kind of night for a one-pot dinner. Pasta, cheese, tomatoes and onions combine with your choice of protein for a hearty and satisfying comfort meal that might remind you of your own childhood.
- Greek Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Watermelon – Whether you pack them as a healthy school lunchbox side or serve as a refreshing after-school snack, these salad cups keep weekday flavors fresh and interesting. The combination of cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes, feta and mint means your loved ones are getting fruits, veggies, protein and herbs all in one. For on-the-go enjoyment, remember to pack the dressing on the side.
- Easy Quesadilla Dippers – Cookie cutters aren’t just for cookies anymore. Eating is generally less of a battle for kids when their food is in fun shapes, so let them choose their star, heart, gingerbread man or dinosaur to make these quesadillas more craveable. Fillings are flexible, too: layer cheese with chicken, beans or cooked veggies of your choice then serve with a side of salsa or guacamole for dipping.
SOURCE:
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