Orecchiette with Spicy Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

      The old expression ‘while the cats away’ certainly applies to this particular dish.  Andrew was off in Texas visiting his family and I was here in New York playing away in the kitchen.  Now Andrew is not a picky eater but there are certain things that just don’t fly on his palate.  To name a few: Olives, Goat Cheese and Broccoli Rabe.  On the other hand, I am the consummate omnivore and there’s very little that I won’t eat.  But in the interests of domestic harmony, I avoid recipes with any ingredient Andrew doesn’t like.  I eat these favorites when we go out.  And I’m fortunate that we eat out often enough that I never feel deprived.  However, his absence lets me cook whatever comes to mind and, in this case, gives me a perfect opportunity to share one of my favorite dishes.

Weeknight Roast Beef with Dijon-Caper Sauce

Eye of Round...not the tenderest cut
but one of the least expensive

        To cook a roast beef during the week has always struck me as quite an accomplishment.  Then I discovered the Eye of Round roast at Costco.  Now I grant you this is not the most tender cut of beef—far from it.  But it is exactly the right size at around 3 lbs that makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner.    And it cooks very quickly taking under an hour from start to finish. To compensate for its lack of tenderness, this recipe gives you a great pan sauce that not only flavors the meat beautifully, it also works with sides really well.  I chose to serve Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes with it—two easy sides both of which could use a little flavor themselves.