As the old saying goes, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". So I say embrace the blues and bring on the stilton. I can't think of a better way to beat back the winter blues than sitting down to a good steak topped with blue cheese and served with some swiss chard.

Don't be afraid to try this recipe with stilton; broiling the cheese over the steak seems to lessen the pungency of the cheese on the nose, but leaving all of its deliciously bold flavour. If you don't like blue cheese but still want to try the steak and cheese pairing, use Compliments Goat's Milk Cheese Crumbles instead, it packs more than enough flavour to stand up against the steak and will hold its shape nicely under the broiler.

Swiss chard can be found in a rainbow of colours. This time around, Sobeys had red and white varieties, so that's what I went with. You will need more than you think. The 8 cups used in this recipe reduces down to only 2 cups after cooking. So to serve four people pick up two good sized bunches of chard, about 2 lbs (908g) total. Make sure you spend a little time taking care of the chard and wash it really well, two or even three times to get all of the sand and dirt off the leaves. There is nothing worse than discovering grit in perfectly cooked swiss chard!

Remember, just because it is winter doesn't mean you can't venture outside and fire up the BBQ - I was grilling last week! Although this recipe calls for the broiler out of convenience, it could possibly taste more delicious coming off a hot grill!

Blue Cheese Broiled Beef Strip Loin and Swiss Chard
Makes 2 Steaks
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

1 tbsp (15 mL) Compliments Pure Olive Oil [1]
¼ cup (63 mL) finely diced shallot
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced garlic
8 cups (2000 mL) swiss chard, leaves torn and stems sliced 1" (2.5 cm) long
½ cup (125 mL) vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
2 strip loin steaks, cut 1" (2.5 cm) thick at room temperature
Coarse salt and cracked pepper to taste
Canola oil to lightly brush the steaks
1/3 cup (80 mL) crumbled stilton cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pot over medium high heat, add the onions and sweat until clear and softened. Stir in the garlic and greens, mixing briefly to combine. Add the broth, cover and simmer until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste.
2. Pre-heat a dry metal sauté pan over medium high heat and pre-eat your broiler. Rub the steaks with the coarse salt and pepper, pressing it into the meat. Lightly brush them with oil and sear in the hot pan on both sides 1-2 minutes and well caramelized.
3. Top the steaks with the crumbled cheese and place under the broiler, cooking for 6-7 minutes for medium. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.
4. Serve the swiss chard and stilton broiled steaks with your favourite potato dish and enjoy.

Embrace Winter!
Chef Ryan Skelton