109 ~ Tuna steak and Veggies (at a price)

Last night I left campus at 7pm - yes, on a Saturday - because I had been riding a wave of productivity that continues even today. So this is going to be short and sweet, as I'm heading back in to finish my To-Do list! But last night I was craving simple, wholesome fare. And so I did one of those "If I could have anything in the world right now, what would I eat" games. It's a dangerous game to play when you're living so far away from Wegmans or Panera. I settled on simply prepared fish and a steamed veggie.

I wandered in to Cold Storage and grabbed a tray of Brussels Sprouts, which, I'm sad to say, were 50 cents a sprout. But fresh veggies are worth it, right? Next was a tuna steak - a tray with two - so I could justify the cost since I'd be getting a second meal out of it, right? I won't tell you what I paid for the tuna. I just won't. Next into my cart went an oaky Chardonnay. Because if you're gonna be a big spender, you might as well go all the way, right? RIGHT?!

This was one of those meals that was so simple I almost wonder if anyone out there wants to read a blog post about it, but I think the reason I will post on it is because it shows how fast preparing a truly delicious meal can be. I was sitting down to eat this less than 15 minutes after I walked in the door.

Here's what you'll need:

• Tuna steak
• Butter
• Seasoned salt (I chose garlic salt)
• Coarse salt
• Brussels sprouts (yours will be cheaper. Be quiet.)

First things first - open the wine. Ha! You thought I was going to wax poetic about starting the pan heating? Let's be realistic. Okay, NOW you can get the pan on the stove. I always cook with stick-free cookware. Start a good chunk of butter melting down in the pan. 

Wash the brussels sprouts. With the absence of an oven, another great way to eat Brussels Sprouts is how my mom and I prepare them when we're home together. We buy them pre-shredded at Wegmans and steam them. Since mine aren't pre-shredded, I make short order of them myself with a chef's knife, then stick them in a bowl with a little water and tightly cover it with cling wrap. I popped them into the microwave on 1:30 and then put the tuna steak onto the pan. I seasoned one side lightly with the garlic salt, and when I saw it was heated partway through, I flipped it over. At the same time, I stirred the Brussels Sprouts and popped them in for 30 more seconds. 

: : PAUSE : : 

All in all, the tuna was probably cooked for about 10 minutes (I decided to cook this tuna all the way through, but you can use your judgment on cooking times and make it to your preference).

: : UNPAUSE : : 

I flipped the tuna steak one more time, making sure to move it around the pan to get all that good browned butter on it, turned off the heat but let it sit there a little longer while I drained, buttered and salted the sprouts. 

Onto a plate it all went, and I called it dinner.

And a grand dinner it was!

Yours in the love of good food and wine and a speedy combination of the two,

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.

Thirteenth Post: Breathing New Life into Tough Steak

It happens. Sometimes you get a steak that just doesn't turn out the way you'd hoped. And as you're sitting there chewing on this darned piece of meat until your jaws ache because you're sure not going to throw it out, you come to the decision that there's nothing to be done with tough meat. Right?.

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Wrong!

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I prepared some steaks the other night when my mother came over for dinner, and of course, because I was preparing food for someone other than myself, bad luck was on my side. The fire alarm was relentless, the broiler inconsistant, and in the end, the steaks were tough. My mom told me that when she had bad luck with steaks, this was always her fallback plan (I always thought it was just a yummy way to cook steak, little did I know...)

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What you'll need to save your steaks:

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~ Steak that has caused you personal, emotional harm, cut up into smallish pieces (use the aforementioned Crocodile Dundee knife from post #12 to maximize feelings of proper revenge)

~ Leftover juices from cooking said steak

~ Soy sauce

~ A baggie and a bowl

~ Time

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After eating and apologizing to your guest(s), smile to yourself with the secret satisfaction of knowing that later on in the week, you shall reincarnate your steak into a delectable dinner for you and you alone. Place the chopped pieces of steak in a baggie in a bowl (It will leak. Trust me). Pour in the remaining juices (I had broiled it in the herbed marinade from post #8, and had added some fresh rosemary). Add some soy sauce. Soy sauce is one of nature's marvels. Not only is it awesome on sushi, but it also acts as a tenderizer for tough meat. Let your steak marinate in your fridge for a few days.

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When you do decide to eat it, heat it in the baggie in the bowl in the microwave for about 2 minutes or under. Serve it over buttered toast.

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::PAUSE::

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It's a very common practice in our family to eat steak on top of buttered toast. It was not until quite recently that I learned that buttering one's steak is a very English thing to do. Perhaps this was my family's way of, over time, adhering to their cultural culinary habits without actually having to admit to putting butter on their steak ("It's not on the steak! It's on the bread which is under the steak, see, I've not buttered my steak at all...")

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::UNPAUSE::

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So you'll need:

~ Bread

~ Butter

~ A toaster

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Just in case you needed help with that one. Extra snark in this post is courtesy of my English ancestry.

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I served tonight's dinner with some baby bella mushrooms sauteed in white wine and olive oil with some fresh basil and a bit of grated parmesan. I uncorked my last bottle of Norton Cabernet Sauvignon (ultimately, a good decision - the cork was crumbly!), which became fruity in the face of the salty marinade, but full-bodied enough to stand up to the ::ahem:: butter.

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And the steak was delightfully tender!

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Yours in the love of giving food a second chance,

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.