I’ve been using this recipe from Alton Brown for cooking steak.  I’ve had great success so far.

Sirloin Steak

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, 1 to 1 1/4-inches thick
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven on broiler setting. Make foil ‘snake’ out of aluminum foil to use to keep oven door slightly ajar so that broiler won’t turn off if it gets too hot. Brush steak with oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Place a piece of foil on the bottom rack as a drip pan. Place another rack in the position above this and put the steak directly on this rack. Cook steak in this position for 5 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 5 minutes. Move rack with steak to top position in oven, moving rack with foil and drippings just underneath, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip 1 last time and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer steak to wire rack and rest for 3 to 5 minutes. The above times are for medium doneness. Adjust cooking times up or down as desired.

I rubbed some salmon tonight with some Potlatch Seasoning that I got at Williams-Sonoma.  Did a light poaching of the salmon in a little bit of chicken broth on medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side.  Served with sauteed kale and medium grain brown rice. It was really good!

This aromatic blend was inspired by the natural flavorings Pacific Northwest Indians once used when preparing salmon for their ceremonial feasts known as potlatches. Fruity and slightly hot, this wonderful amalgam combines paprika, crushed red pepper, chili pepper, oregano and other herbs. Its rich flavor and color particularly complement grilled Pacific and Atlantic salmon. The seasoning also enhances meat and poultry, and adds a spicy kick to corn on the cob. 3 oz. A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.
I found a recipe for making Potlatch online:

Potlatch Seasoning, Makes 6 ½ Cups

Our celebration seasoning with a kick!  The word Potlatch comes from the Northwest Native
American languages as a word for a gathering in celebration.

Ingredients:

• 3 c  Paprika, sweet
• ½ c  Cumin, whole seed
• ½ c  Fennel, whole seed
• ¼ c  Onion powder
• ¼ c  Garlic powder
• 1 c  Searing seasonings (see recipe)
• 1/3 c  Cayenne pepper, ground
• ¼ c  Thyme, dried leaves

Method: Combine all of the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
Notes : For a traditional Northwest flavor, add sun-dried blueberries to the mix.

Serves 8 to 10
Baby fennel is in season in the late fall; cut the bulbs in half instead of quarters, and reduce the cooking time as necessary. Frozen chestnuts are available at specialty stores.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen chestnuts, peeled
• 6 fennel bulbsor 12 baby fennel bulbs (about 6 pounds)
• 15 small shallots
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock , or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat

Procedure:

1. If using frozen chestnuts, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add chestnuts, and boil for 3 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
2. Remove and discard stalks from fennel, reserving some fronds for garnish. Trim and discard tough outer layer if necessary. Quarter fennel bulbs lengthwise, and set aside. Peel shallots, leaving root ends intact.
3. In a large, wide saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots and chestnuts, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook, shaking pan occasionally until chestnuts are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove shallots and chestnuts from pan; set aside.
4. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to pan, and melt over medium-high heat. Add fennel and sugar, and sauté, turning, until browned on all sides, 12 to 13 minutes. If sugar begins to burn, reduce heat, and continue to cook.
5. Add shallots, chestnuts, stock, salt, and pepper to fennel; stir to combine, scraping up any crisp bits at the bottom of the pan. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, carefully turning vegetables occasionally, until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium high, and cook until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with reserved fennel fronds, and serve immediately.

originally from www.marthastewart.com/

Serves 4 to 6
To intensify the simple seasonings, Martha’s friend Madhur Jaffrey first fries the fennel and cumin seeds in oil—a method of coaxing more flavor out of the spices by heating them known as“tarka.” The spicy spinach is delicious with chicken, lamb, beef, or rice.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and cut crosswise into thin half-rings
• 1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 3 pounds fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
• 1 fresh long hot green chile or 1/3 jalapeño, cut into thin rings
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Procedure:

1. Heat oil and butter in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. When hot, add fennel and black cumin seeds. Stir, and add onions and ginger. Stir-fry until onions turn a rich brown color, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add spinach. Cover pan, and cook until spinach has wilted completely, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. When spinach has wilted, reduce the heat to medium. Add chile, salt, and cayenne pepper, and stir. Cover pan, and cook for 25 minutes more.
3. Uncover skillet, and stir. Cook until there is hardly any liquid left in the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes more. Serve.

originally from www.marthastewart.com/