Twenty-eighth Post ~ Herbed Steak with Mushrooms and Baked Potato

I was in the mood for steak tonight, but not a super heavy meal. What to do? I decided that an herb marinade might lighten the meal a bit. That, and mushrooms go with everything. A little red potato would pair well with the whole thing (and whether it would have, we'll never know...)
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Here's what you'll need to prepare tonight's meal:
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~ Steak (I got my usual two-pack at Wegmans for around $5. They are not big steaks, and that fit the bill for me)
~ Herbs (my favorites ground together are dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, and paprika)
~ Olive oil
~ Red wine
~ Soy sauce
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For the mushrooms:
~ Mushrooms (I go for my standard pre-cut, pre-washed baby bellas)
~ Chives
~ Garlic
~ Salt/Pepper to taste
~ White wine
~ Olive oil
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For the potato:
~ Potato
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::PAUSE::
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Here's the thing - I had a red potato at a barbecue a few weeks ago, and granted, it had probably been sitting in the coals for the better part of the afternoon, but it was the best potato I've had in years. Ergo, I bought two reds to try to replicate the same effect in my toaster oven. I rubbed each with a bit of olive oil, pierced them, wrapped them in tin foil and broiled them for over an hour, and they were still underdone. So the potato in the picture is a prop potato, if you will. I don't include the picture of myself looking highly disappointed when I take a bite and find that it's still way too starchy and not at all smooth. I actually kept broiling the other one while I ate the steak and mushrooms. I was full when I was done with that, so I saved the potato for a later meal this week. Oh, well...
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::UNPAUSE::
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So commence with the preparation of the meat and then the mushrooms. Mix your herbs together and grind them with a mortar and pestal. I got one at TJMaxx of all places for $3.00. Up until that point I had used two bowls ground against each other.
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Pour a dollop of oil into the herbs, followed by a splash of red wine. and then a tiny bit of soy sauce. Mix this together and pour it over your steak. Let the steak sit in the marinade for a while - in a perfect world you'd let it marinate while your potatos finish, but I think the steak would have been pickled if I had actually waited until that point.
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In the mean time, prep your mushrooms. In a pan, splash some white wine over them, some olive oil, salt and pepper them to taste, and add some garlic and chives. Here's a pic of everything ready to be cooked:
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In actuality, this ended up comprising the meal, and it was a perfect amount of food. As previously mentioned, I like my steak on the rare-to-medium-rare side, so I broiled it about 5 minutes on one side and about 8 on the other.
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The mushrooms simmered nicely, and I added a bit of wine here and there if they started getting too low on moisture.
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Rather than breaking out a heavy, hearty merlot or cab, I paired tonight's dinner with the light-yet-earthy Italian pinot that I had with the caprese salad. Pinot noir is to a wine rack what a little black dress is to a woman's closet: It's versatile and can be "accented" for nearly any occasion. Pinot noir is one of the only wines that can be passed around a table at which every diner has ordered something different from the menu. Paired with a caprese salad, it's light and fruity. Paired with tonight's meal, it's balanced and earthy. Paired with chocolate, it's... well... what's not awesome when paired with chocolate? But I digress...
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So yes, tonight's meal came together nicely in spite of the potato, and the pinot noir added the final touch of lightness that I was striving for tonight!
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Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL
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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.