So, to say a lot has been going on in our lives would be an understatement. It's hard to know how much to share in such a public way. I know all five of my readers probably know what has been going on, but to put it succintly: We are in a different home and church, and are currently pursuing God about what is next for us as a family. We are living in a blessing of a house on a beautiful property in M-town. As soon as I find our camera I will definitely do a home tour, but for now I want to focus a bit on cooking.
This new kitchen is awesome! I LOVE cooking in such a light and airy space, filled with windows, counter space, and a giant pantry. Pair that with the new cook set I got from Ron for Christmas and we're talking FOOD!!
I was given two Rachel Ray magazines, and have been on a Rachel Ray kick ever since. She has great recipes for healthy eating, which I am hoping will help me to lose some of this baby weight. I have been walking in the afternoons while the boys nap, and I think I have already lost a LITTLE weight!
Last night we had grilled sirloin steak with avocado corn salsa on grilled corn tortillas. I just use my grill pan and it works great.
I had defrosted four steaks and only used two, so tonight I wanted to use up the steak and the leftover arugula I had in the fridge.
So tonight: Grilled steak strips with sauteed mushrooms, pasta with sauteed arugula parmesan cream sauce, and steamed peas. No. not exactly on the healthy menu, but goooooood.
I started my water boiling, then put 2 T of Extra virgin olive oil and butter into a pan and got it warmed on medium heat. While it was heating, I sliced the steak that had been marinating for two days in soy sauce into thick, one inch slices. Then I sliced a carton of baby portabello mushrooms and threw them into the pan. The baby portabellos are so good! So meaty and earthy and YUM! I let my mushrooms get soft and then spread them in a thick layer on the bottom of my pan. Then I layered the steak slices on top of the mushrooms and let it sit for a while. After the mushrooms had started to get browned, I stirred it all up together and turned the heat down just a bit.
Throw your futtucine into the boiling water.
Onto the cream sauce. First I put about 2 T of EVOO into a pan and let it warm up on med heat. I pressed two cloves of garlic into the pan. If you are even THINKING about using the precut stuff, FORGET ABOUT IT! Don't be lazy, use the real stuff and you will thank yourself. Let the garlic warm, but don't fry the little suckers. Dump in your arugula and stir softly til it has wilted down. Add cream, as much or as sinfully as you want. I just used a little bit. Add salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper your steak slices since you and I both forgot to do it earlier. I took the steak off the heat when it was nicely browned but still a tad pink inside. Do not cook the living daylights out of your meat. You will not die from strange germs and the flavor is the whole reason we eat animals!
When your pasta is al dente drain and mix into your cream sauce.
Howl because you forgot to steam the peas and then let it go. Look, a lot of this recipe isn't exact because cooking doesn't always have to be exact. I used about 3/4 a box of fettucine noodles and it was a bit too much. Whatever!
Serve the pasta alongside the steak and mushrooms for a really yum meal. Eat hunched over your laptop watching the latest episode of Downton Abbey.
I also love her iconic handwriting, and would love to somehow get Amanda, of Kevin and Amanda, to make it into a font that I could use on, oh, everything! One of the things I like about Fell's work is her use of color- rich and vivid, it creates dynamic feeling without becoming overpowering.
