Cowgirl Chef: For entertaining, go small and savory for New Year’s Eve party

▪ 1/2 stick butter, softened

▪ 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

▪ 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

▪ 2 rib-eye steaks, about 1 pound each

▪ Olive oil

▪ Sea salt and pepper

1. Mix butter and herbs in a bowl, then spoon the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Roll into a log and put in the fridge to firm up.

2. To cook the steaks, bring them out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes ahead of time so they’ll reach room temperature. Use a large cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to high. Just before cooking, rub a little bit of olive oil all over the steaks and sprinkle salt and pepper on the top and bottom. (Note: Don’t season the steaks in advance because the salt will draw out the moisture and you’ll have tough, dry steaks.) Put the steaks in the skillet and let them cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until you can see the bottom browning and caramelizing (they’ll also pull away from the skillet). Flip them over and let the other side brown, too. Once both sides have browned, flip them every couple of minutes until the steaks are cooked to your liking. Remove from heat, cover with a piece of foil and let them rest 5 minutes.

3. To serve, either plate the steaks with a slice of herb butter on top or slice them against the grain and serve the slices fanned out on the plate with butter on top.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 480 calories, 37 grams fat, trace carbohydrates, 35 grams protein, 118 milligrams cholesterol, 190 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 70 percent of calories from fat.

▪ 8 ounces Brussels sprouts

▪ 1/2 bunch kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced into 1-inch ribbons

▪ Juice of 2 lemons

▪ 1 clove of garlic, minced

▪ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

▪ Sea salt and pepper

▪ Olive oil

▪ 1/2 cup Roquefort crumbles

▪ 1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

1. Shred the Brussels sprouts using a food processor or box grater, or simply chop them finely. Toss into a large salad bowl along with the thin ribbons of kale.

2. Make the vinaigrette: Put the lemon juice, minced garlic, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper into a jam jar and shake. Let this sit for a minute or so. Add the olive oil and shake again. Making vinaigrette is easy, see?

3. Right before tossing and serving, sprinkle the Roquefort crumbles onto the salad along with the chopped toasted pecans. Pour some of the dressing over the whole bunch of greens, toss, and if you need a bit more, add and toss again.

Note: This salad keeps quite well in the fridge for a day or two because the Brussels sprouts and kale don’t wilt. I think this salad is even better the next day (and not bad shoved into a tortilla as a “salad taco,” either).

Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 6: 197 calories, 17 grams fat, 8 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 191 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber, 75 percent of calories from fat.

▪ 1 pound russet potatoes

▪ 1 pound sweet potatoes

▪ 1 tablespoon butter, softened

▪ Sea salt and pepper

▪ 8 ounces heavy cream

▪ 1 bunch fresh sage leaves (leave a few extra for serving)

▪ Butter, for crisping in the skillet

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel the potatoes. With a mandoline or sharp knife, thinly slice all of the potatoes, putting the white ones in one bowl and the sweet potatoes in another.

3. Grease the bottom of an 8-by-11-inch casserole with the butter.

4. Make a layer of white potatoes on the bottom of the casserole. Add a little salt and pepper and 1/4 of the cream. Sprinkle a few sage leaves on the potatoes.

5. Repeat with the sweet potatoes. Again with the white. End with the sweet ones, making sure to cover all of them with cream (do not add the sage leaves to the top). Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and bake 30 more minutes or until the potatoes absorb most of the cream and the top is slightly browned. Let cool. (Note: You may do this as much as a day in advance and refrigerate the potatoes.)

6. Put a bit of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the potatoes into 4-inch square pieces and add them to the skillet when it’s hot. Cook until the bottoms are crisp, then gently turn them over and let the tops crisp as well. Do this slowly so the insides can warm through.

7. While the potatoes are cooking, put a little more butter in a small skillet over low heat and let it brown. Add the extra sage leaves and cook until crispy. Place one on top of each piece of potato casserole for serving — so restaurant-y.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 264 calories, 16 grams fat, 28 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 57 milligrams cholesterol, 145 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber, 54 percent of calories from fat.

Adapted from a recipe on Food 52 and Gourmet

▪ 2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for pan

▪ 8 ounces good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

▪ 1 1/4 cups sugar

▪ 6 large eggs, separated

▪ 1 teaspoon vanilla

▪ 1 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

▪ 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

▪ Powdered sugar, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then generously butter the pan and paper.

2. Melt chocolate and butter over a double-boiler or in the microwave. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Incorporate egg yolks, adding one at a time. Stir in the vanilla.

3. Sift the powdered chocolate and salt into the mixture and whisk well to make sure there aren’t any lumps.

4. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, until incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cake puffs and cracks like a brownie. Let cool completely before serving with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 361 calories, 24 grams fat, 37 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, 149 milligrams cholesterol, 116 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 56 percent of calories from fat.