Steak Dry Rub + Spiced Butternut Squash + Home-style Spinach

Tonight I tried out a new dry rub for a New York Strip Steak. It's a strange combination, but it turned out AMAZINGLY well…

AMAZING Dry Rub for Ribeye or New York Strip Steak:
- Garlic powder
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Minced cloves
- Chille powder
- Black pepper
- Brown sugar

The side dishes included for tonight’s meal...

Spiced Butternut Squash:- 4 cups of butternut squash, cubed
- Butter
- Garlic (fresh is better, but garlic powder is fine)
- Rosemary
- Garam Masala
- Sea Salt
- Maple Syrup (grade A)

Pre-heat oven to 450°. In a medium-sized Pyrex dish, combine melted butter and seasonings. Add maple syrup and mix thoroughly. Add cubed butternut squash and stir until the butternut squash is completely coated. Total cooking time is about 40 minutes. Make sure to stir after 15 minutes and then another stirring after another 10 minutes.

Home-style Spinach:
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Garlic (fresh)
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Sea salt

In a large pot (to fit uncooked spinach leaves), add ¼ cup of water and a tsp. of sea salt and bring to a boil. Add spinach leaves, reduce heat to medium (low), cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain spinach in a colander, making sure to remove all excess liquid (pressing down the a large spoon helps). Put the well-drained cooked spinach back into the pot and add the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. Turn the stove on to medium and chop the spinach while cooking off excess liquid.

This meal pairs perfectly with the Clos du Bois Zinfandel 2006.