Steak with Parsley Sauce and Sauteed Mushrooms

I made steak.

So what and big deal, right?

Well, I would like to inform you that this was my first time.  In fact, from the age of 13 until I was a married woman (12 years later) I never even ate steak, let alone made it.  The first time I re-had red meat was on our honeymoon... we drove past a Brazilian steak house or churrascaria (which you need to go to at the earliest opportunity -- TRUST ME).  I turned to my husband and said, "If you would like to go, I will go with you.  And I will eat the meat -- FOR YOU."

I don't think he trusted me.  The only other time he had taken me to a churrascaria was in Brazil.  Tri-tip and top sirloin, leg of lamb and other great meat, coming to our table one after another, being offered up to us to eat all we wanted.

What did I choose?

The salad bar.  And the weird sushi at the salad bar.

It was a waste of a great amount of money.

But he must have felt it was worth the risk because we went.  $45 a person is always a lot, but when you are newly married and have not that many pennies to your name, it is A LOT.  So I ate the meat.  I continued eating.  I cleared off my plate and ate a little bit more.  And I discovered something... this stuff is GOOD!  That little green/red chip stayed on green the entire time and I had the worst belly ache on the way back to the hotel.

It was totally worth it.

I don't eat much red meat still.  Except when we have BBQ.  Or the occasional hamburger.  It really is a rarity to me.  My husband loves it though, and I wanted to surprise him with a dinner just for him.  No vegetarian/chic stuff this night... I brought out the meat.  Medium-rare, just how he likes it, topped with parsley sauce and sauteed mushrooms over a bed of mashed potatoes.  A side salad with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In a word: perfection.

STEAK WITH PARSLEY SAUCE AND SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

Recipe from Great Food Fast, a cookbook by the creators of Everyday Food

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES

steak

·        2 strip, shell, or sirloin steaks (about ¾ pound each and 1 inch thick) ·        2 teaspoons olive oil ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper ·        Parsley Sauce (see recipe below) ·        Sautéed Mushrooms (see recipe below)	1.      Coat the steaks with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 2.      Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high.  Add the steaks; cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. 3.      Transfer the steaks to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before slicing thin.  Serve with the parsley sauce and sautéed mushrooms.
parsley sauce	sautéed mushrooms
·        1 glove garlic, chopped ·        1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves ·        ¼ cup olive oil ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper	·        6 ounces shiitake mushrooms ·        8 ounces cremini mushrooms ·        2 teaspoons olive oil ·        1 shallot, minced ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
In a blender, puree the garlic, parsley, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Any left over sauce can be stored in the refridgerator, covered in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Makes ½ cup	Cut off the shiitake mushroom stems and discard; thinly slice the caps.  Trim the tough ends of the cremini mushrooms, then quarter each mushroom.  Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot; cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the cremini; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the shiitakes; cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4

COST: $20.48  COST PER SERVING (4): $5.12

+ mashed potatoes and salad: $5.85 per plate

(Click on 'mashed potatoes' above to be taken to the recipe.)