Ruth's Creamed Spinach

Not a copycat recipe but the real thing, aside from the addition of garlic, which we love, and extra spinach. This recipe comes right from Ruth’s Chris Steak House. It's rich, creamy and deliciously indulgent!

One of my husband’s favorite dishes is creamed spinach, the kind they serve in fancy steak places like Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris Steak House so I was not surprised last week when he ordered the spinach at Taste of Texas, a local steak house.

I had read the menu a little more carefully, so I pointed out to him that it was just normal spinach, not creamed. He quickly amended his order but he was very disappointed. That’s when I decided that I needed to make creamed spinach for this week’s Sunday FunDay event! It is truly a steak house favorite.

A brief search online turned up the actual recipe for Ruth’s Creamed Spinach, printed on cards that are (or at least were) given out at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House San Antonio location. (I’m pretty sure “steamed” is meant to be “stemmed” and that’s just a typo since cooking instructions follow.) 

You can find a few other Ruth's Chris recipe cards here: https://ruthschrissa.com/marketing/ Scroll down and click on the recipe card to see them. 

A little piece of trivia I also discovered about the famous steak house chain, Ruth’s Chris Steak House: The story goes that Ruth Furtel bought a restaurant called Chris Steak House from owner, Chris Matulich, and kept the name. But when she opened a second restaurant and called it the same, he sued her for using a name he had established. 

This prompted Ms. Furtel to name all of her restaurants Ruth’s Chris Steak House, to avoid any issues. And that’s why such a good restaurant has such an awkward name. 

Ruth's Creamed Spinach

Half and half is a particularly American dairy item, which is half heavy cream and half whole milk. You can substitute one cup or 240ml of each. I weighed the spinach after cooking and squeezing in case I want to use frozen spinach next time, which would make this a considerably faster dish. You are welcome! 

Ingredients

1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter

1/4 cup or 32g flour

2 cups or 480ml half and half 

1 small shallot (or 2 tablespoons minced onion)

1 clove garlic

1 small bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

18 oz or 510g fresh spinach (or 270g frozen, thawed and squeezed dry)

To serve:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Salt to taste, if needed

Few good grinds black pepper

Method

Pick the stems off of your spinach leaves and discard. 

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it near the stove. When the water comes to a boil, add the spinach. Cook for one minute then use tongs to transfer the spinach to the ice water bowl. 

Once the spinach has cooled, use the tongs to transfer it to a colander. Leave in the sink to drain while you make the white sauce.

Peel and mince the shallot and garlic. 

To make the white sauce aka béchamel, melt the butter in a small pot. Whisk in the flour. 

Cook for a few minutes to get rid of the floury taste.  Add in the shallot, garlic, bay leaf and salt. 

Cook for two minutes, then whisk in the half and half. 

Cook for about five minutes, whisking frequently, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens. Once it thickens, cook for a further two minutes then remove the pot from the stove. 

Squeeze the spinach in the colander to remove as much liquid as you can then chop it finely in a food processor.  

When you are ready to serve, remove the bay leaf then add the spinach to the white sauce.Warm the mixture gently over a low heat, stirring frequently. 

Add the extra butter, salt to taste and a few good grinds of black pepper. 

Stir well and serve. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing our favorite steak house recipes, in honor of National Steak House Month and in case you want to make them for Father’s Day. Check out all the links below. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. 

• Palatable Pastime: Chopped Steak with Longhorn Steakhouse Seasoning 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Grilled New York Strip Steaks with Herb Compound Butter 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Keto Fried Beef Steaks 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Shallots and Rosemary 
• Food Lust People Love: Ruth’s Creamed Spinach 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Steakhouse Garlic Butter

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Mom's Slow Roasted Brisket

Meat falls into two categories for me. Tender cuts that should be cooked quickly to char a little on the outside and still stay rare and juicy on the inside, and tougher cuts that need a long time on the stovetop or in the oven to become tender. Brisket most definitely falls into category two. With its thick layer of fat on top, cooked long and low, there is no more succulent cut of beef. 

Almost the whole while that my husband and I were dating and for our first year of marriage, he worked offshore. That meant five weeks away working and then five weeks at home. Whenever he got back, we had a family get-together since everyone wanted to see him again. My mother almost invariably made her slow roasted brisket. In fact, it became kind of a joke, because if Simon was home again, we must be having brisket. Fortunately, he loved it. Her recipe was simple. Cover the brisket with onion powder, salt and pepper and roast, covered first with foil and then the lid of your roaster, until tender. Of course, the time varied with the size of the brisket but you were looking at a minimum of three or four hours.

When this week’s Sunday Supper theme of Man Food was posted, I knew what I wanted to make but brisket is difficult to find overseas. Butchers just seem to divide the cow up differently. I was delighted when I got a lead on the elusive cut from fellow food bloggers in Dubai. My husband and I were out running errands and I mentioned the possibility in passing to him since we were in the neighborhood of the butcher. I wish you could see how his eyes lit up. The good news was that they had one whole brisket. The bad news was that you had to buy the whole thing. I’m talking about seven kilos or almost 15 1/2 pounds of meat. That’s a lot of beef! Keep in mind that our children no longer live at home. But dear husband looked so full of hope that I found myself taking out a second mortgage and buying that brisket. (Just kidding about the mortgage. It was crazy expensive, but he’s worth it!)

I don’t have onion powder so I used fresh onions and to try to replicate the pungent sharpness of the powder, I added lots of garlic as well. It ended up tasting very much like my mom’s brisket and we were delighted. As for the copious leftovers, I’ve got a few ideas you might like to try and I’ll add those after the recipe. And if you are looking for Man Food ideas for Fathers' Day, be sure to scroll down to the bottom for a spectacular list of recipes.

Ingredients
1 whole brisket (about 15.4 lbs or 7kgs)
20 cloves or about 100g garlic
2 medium or about 300g onions
2 tablespoons flakey sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Olive oil

Method
Take your brisket out of the refrigerator and let it warm up till it’s almost room temperature. Take any plastic wrap off and dry it thoroughly with paper towels.

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Put all your seasoning ingredients into a food processor and process until they become a rough paste.

Put the brisket in your large roaster (preferably one with a tight fitting lid), fat side down. Spread half the paste all over the meat and give it a good drizzle of olive.

Turn the brisket over so it is now fat side up and spread the rest of the paste on the meat. Drizzle generously with olive oil.

Roast uncovered for 30 minutes in your preheated oven. Cover well with foil and then put the lid on nice and tight. Reduce the heat to 275°F or 135°C. Cook for three and a half or four hours and then check for doneness. Baste with the drippings every couple of hours.

See all that juice that is created? Some of it is fat that can be skimmed off. The rest is a lovely gravy.

Brisket is done when you can practically cut it with a dinner knife that isn’t even sharp or shred it with a fork. I ended up cooking mine for almost seven hours. No joke. It was a very large piece, or maybe New Zealand brisket isn’t as tender as Texas brisket. All I know is when I took it out again at seven hours, it was falling apart. So good! Best part is, it makes its own gravy.

According to my husband, brisket is best served with potatoes and gravy and a side of buttered peas the first night. So that’s what we had.

In the following days, it also turned up 1. In omelets with added chopped tomatoes and onions and cheese.

2. Sliced in brisket sandwiches on baguette with whole grain mustard, mayo, sliced tomato and greens.

3. Reheated in a skillet with added taco spices and served as brisket fajitas with caramelized onions, salsa, cheddar cheese and avocados in flour tortillas.

4. Reheated in a skillet with added ground cumin and coriander and served with tabouli and hummus in pita bread for lunch with a little Middle Eastern flair.

5.  Reheated in a skillet with barbecue sauce and served on a bun with extra slices of onion for a delicious barbecue sandwich. I forgot to take a photo of the original sandwiches but because it's Father's Day weekend, you know we slow roasted another brisket here in Texas yesterday.

And, finally, a confession, 6. I froze a big chunk in its gravy because the man left town on business and I just couldn’t look at it anymore. Someday it will be cottage pie, which is another of his favorite meals.

If you are looking for Man Food inspiration for Fathers’ Day, we’ve got you covered. Our Sunday Supper host this week is the talented and fabulous Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen who just happens to be running a Kickstarter campaign right now and will bake you cookies if you contribute.

Check out all the wonderful recipes this week! Never mind the men, I want to eat them all!

Manly Starters

• BBQ Chicken Nacho by Country Girl in The Kitchen
• Beer Battered Fried Mushrooms by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Burrata Bresaola and Arugula Appetizer by Family Foodie
• Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
• Chipotle Pork Belly-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers by The Redhead Baker
• Coconut Beer-Battered Prawns with Spicy Marmalade by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Devils on Horseback by Nosh My Way
• Fried Pickles by Cookin’ Mimi
• Garlic and Herb Wine Jelly by What Smells So Good?
• Maple Sriracha Chicken Wings by Manu’s Menu
• Tomato Bacon Jam by Feed Me, Seymour

Manly Mains:

• Bacon Bourbon BBQ Burgers by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Bacon Cheeseburger Crustless Quiche by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Beef Barbacoa by Casa de Crews
• Beef Short Rib Sandwich by Life Tastes Good
• Beer Brats with Pepper Relish by Jelly Toast
• Beer Can Chicken by Curious Cuisiniere
• Chicago Style-Pizza by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Chili Dog Casserole by Simple Gourmet
• Chipotle Pork Chops by girlichef
• Coconut & Lime Grilled Shrimp Skewers by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Colossal Burger by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Gluten Free Lemon Pepper Wings by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Grilled Chipotle Chicken Pizza by Peaceful Cooking
• Grilled Lobster with Miso Butter by Kimchi MOM
• Grilled Sweet Guava Chicken by The Foodie Army Wife
• Ham and Pineapple Pizza Pockets by gotta get baked
• Huevos Rancheros Casserole by Pescetarian Journal
• Lacquered Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker by Shockingly Delicious
• Maple Chipotle Barbecue Pork Tenderloin by Flavor Mosaic
• Meatball Burger on Garlic Bread by Healthy.Delicious.
• Mom’s Slow Roasted Brisket by Food Lust People Love
• Perfectly Pan Seared Steak by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Pollo al Peperoncino by Run DMT
• Polish Coal Miner Piggies (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls- Golabki) by Rants from my Crazy Kitchen
• Red Chile Shredded Chicken Tacos. How to win over your man’s stomach and steal his heart. by Simply Healthy Family
• Ropa Vieja by Meal Diva
• Salt of the Earth Ribs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Salisbury Steak w/ Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Smoked Turkey Drumsticks by Cindy’s Recipes and Writing
• Stuffed Chipotle Bacon Cheese Burgers by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Stuffed Pork Chops by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Tex-Mex Gut Buster Chili by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• The Cleveland Hogg Burger by Seduction in the Kitchen

Manly Desserts:

• Beer Funnel Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc.
• Black Forest Cake by Noshing with the Nolands
• Carob Chip Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Chunky Monkey Vegan Banana Bread by Ninjabaking.com
• Classic Cheesecake by Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
• Fat Man’s Pie by Magnolia Days
• Mandarin orange cake aka southern pig pickin’ cake by Baking & Browning
• Pizookies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Grilled Pound Cake Stacks with Roasted Strawberries by Melanie Makes
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie With Mascarpone Cream by La Bella Vita Cucina

• Wine Pairings for Man Food byENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Barbecue Beans and Pork Ribs

Barbecued beans and pork ribs cooked with loads of flavor make a great meal for Sunday Supper or anytime.

Since we are celebrating fathers today at Sunday Supper, I thought a manly meal was most appropriate.  And there is nothing more manly than barbecued beans served alongside barbecued pork ribs that have been tenderly baked and then slathered with barbecue sauce and grilled over an open charcoal flame.   If you want to throw together a green salad, that works too, but many men will find it quite superfluous.  Our Sunday Supper host this week is none other than our illustrious leader, Isabel from Family Foodie. creator and chief motivator of the Sunday Supper group.

I’d love to write a tribute here to my father, but, the truth is, I just don’t know where to start.  Maybe it’s a daughter thing, but my father has always been larger than life for me.  He is a man of intense intelligence and quick wit, with the softest heart.  My parents divorced when I was nine years old so time with Daddy has always been precious.  Let me tell you one story.  Many years ago, summer of 1983 to be precise, Daddy had just moved from Jakarta to Brunei.  In the days pre-internet, the only way I could let him know that I was headed his way was to make a very expensive transatlantic phone call or to ask his Dallas office to send him a telex.   As a poor college student, I chose the latter.

I arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan, after more than 30 hours of traveling, exhausted but elated to be there.  No one was at the airport to greet me.  Since this was my first visit, I suddenly realized that I didn’t even know Daddy’s address or phone number.  I approached the counter of the local car rental company and asked if they had a phone book I could borrow.  Mercifully, they did and Daddy’s office telephone number was listed there.  The lady behind the counter was kind enough to dial it for me and Daddy’s secretary put me through.  My father’s response to hearing my voice was succinct.  “Stacy, you screw up!”  Yet somehow Daddy made it sound like an endearment.   He roared up to the airport to collect me.  And he took the afternoon off and we went home.

Daddy is a great storyteller, a trait he inherited from his own father, a raconteur from way back.  (His advice has always been to never to let the truth get in the way of a good story.)  Lots of his tall tales involve the exploits of his daughters and I have heard him tell the story of my first arrival in Brunei many times over the years.  I think that he has a certain pride in our ability to travel alone and land on the ground, feet first, even in strange land.  This week I am visiting my father and my stepmother in their current home of Ecuador.  I reminded him of that old story, and his own snippy response.  Never mind that it has been 30 years, he had the good grace to blush.  It’s so great to share the laughter.  Now let’s cook some beans and ribs.

I made these dishes a while back and took the photos in less than ideal conditions so my apologies for the poor lighting.

Ingredients
For the beans:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup or 60ml apple cider vinegar
6 oz (by weight) or 1 cup or 170g dried cannellini beans
1 can (14.5 oz or 411g) chopped tomatoes
1/2 small can (3 oz or 75g) tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
1- 2 teaspoons cayenne (depending on how spicy you like your beans)

For the ribs:
1 rack of baby back pork ribs per person
Sea salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Barbecue sauce (I usually make my own but use whatever sauce is your favorite.)

Method
First, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and put the ribs in an oven safe baking pan.  Season them liberally on both sides with sea salt and black pepper.  Give the ribs a good drizzle of olive oil and add a cup of water to the pan.

Cover with foil. When the oven reaches the correct temperature, put the ribs in and set a timer for one hour.

Now get the beans started.  I use a pressure cooker because I prefer to keep the beans whole.  I find that if I start with soaked beans and cook them in a normal pot, by the time they are soft enough for me, they are also a big mush.  The pressure cooker cooks them through without them completely disintegrating.

Put all the bean ingredients into a pressure cooker with enough water to cover the beans plus about two inches or 4cm.

Close the lid and turn the fire on high and bring to a boil.  When you hear the ch-ch-ch noise of the steam start, turn the fire down to medium low.  The pressure should still be making an audible ch-ch-ch, just more quietly.

Cook for about 40 minutes and then remove from the stove.  Allow the pressure cooker to cool enough until it is safe to open.

Open the pressure cooker and test a bean.  If they are cooked or very close to cooked, put the pressure cooker back on the stove, without the lid, and cook until the liquid reduces to your desired thickness.   Or, if sticking seems to be problem, put the beans into a non-stick skillet and do the same.  Some folks like their beans runny but when it comes to barbecue beans, I think thicker is better.  Use your own judgment.   Taste the salt and pepper and add more if necessary.

Meanwhile, about 15-20 minutes before your ribs are done, light your grill.   When the coals are ready, remove the ribs from the oven and take off the foil.

Grill the ribs, applying the barbecue sauce of your choice liberally on one side and then the other.

Turning the ribs every few minutes, until the sauce is cooked on and the ribs are sticky.

This only takes about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Dad’s Favorite Main Dishes

• Father’s Day Ribs by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Chorizo Burgers by  La Cocina de Leslie
• Whiskey Sliders by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Beer Can Chicken by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Pesto Shrimp Roll Sandwich by Growing Up Gabel
• Cast Iron Filet Mignon with Wine Sauce by I Run For Wine
• Grilled Tilapia with Blueberry Mango Salsa by Runner’s Tales
• Chicken Wings for Dad by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Fish with Black Bean Sauce by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs by Curious Cuisiniere
• Tamale Pie Ring by Treats & Trinkets
• Grill-Roasted Chicken & Vegetables by Foxes Loves Lemons
• Grandma Papina’s Lamb Stew by Webicurean
• Barbecue Beans and Ribs by Food Lust People Love
• Skillet Meat Lasagna by Peanut Butter and Peppers /a>
• Panko Crusted Snapper by Supper for a Steal /a>
• Gluten Free Bourbon Honey Grilled Pork Chops by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Boiled Shrimp for Father’s Day by The Catholic Foodie
• Dad’s Famous Baby Back Ribs by Family Foodie
• Turkey Stuffed Peppers by Ruffles & Truffles
• Lightened Up Fish Biriyani With Fresh Dill by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheddar Pierogi by Healthy.Delicious

Dad’s Favorite Appetizers and Sides

• Spicy Caramelized Bacon Wrapped Smoked Oysters by Noshing with the Nolands
• Tuna Pasta Salad – Dad’s Recipe by Juanita’s Cocina
• Grilled Bok Choy by Shockingly Delicious
• Bacon-Cheddar Potato Salad by Home Cooking Memories
• Couscous Tabbouleh by Soni’s Food

Dad’s Favorite Desserts

• Dad’s Cheesecake by Table for 7
• Cheese Crackers by The Urban Mrs
• Coconut Cream Pie by Cookin’ Mimi
• Chewy Oat Cookies with a Banana Bread Influence by What Smells So Good?
• Homemade Nutter Butters by Pies and Plots
• Shoot for the Stars Chocolate Cupcakes by Ninja Baking
• Golden Coconut Bars by Magnolia Days
• Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by NeighborFood
• Velvet Cookies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Pecan Pie by Small Wallet Big Appetite

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