Ohhhh! Steak infused with an Asian flair. My mouth is watering just thinking of it.

This recipe combines so many things I adore:  steak, garlic, noodles, soy. I might just start writing it love letters. . .

STEAK STIR FRY

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 beef top sirloin steak (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1 package (8 ounces) dry rice stick noodles

¼ cup dry white wine

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups matchstick-size carrot sticks

1 cup green bell pepper strips

½ cup sliced green onions

4 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and drained

Preparation:

1. Cut beef lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. Set aside. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well. Set aside.

2. While noodles are cooking, combine wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar and ginger in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add beef strips; toss to coat well. Set aside.

3. Heat oil and garlic in large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers and green onions; stir-fry 4 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl. Cover; keep warm.

4. Add beef strips and marinade to wok; stir-fry 6 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet; stir until blended.

5. Line serving platter with spinach. Arrange noodles over spinach; top with beef mixture. Serve immediately.

Photo and recipe courtesy of howstuffworks.com.

So, Monday evening I was cleaning up dust bunnies from behind the dryer in the laundry room. (Yes, seriously.) I had moved the dryer out so I could really get back there.

And, um, we have cabinets that hang above the dryer.  Well, I stood straight up into the cabinets. Head first.

Bang!

One trip to the ER later, plus one CAT scan and I officially had a concussion.

It could have been worse. I had visions of going to sleep that night and not waking up. And since I didn’t want our family story turned into a Lifetime movie, I went to the hospital to make sure my head wasn’t going to explode or morph into some blob with a big bump on it.

Thank goodness my parents live 7 minutes away. My mother took my children who hadn’t been fed yet (one of whom requires carb ratio calculations and an insulin shot) and cared for them.

There was no way I could do math. Or give a shot.

My father stayed with me at the hospital. I texted my husband the deal and he met us there.

I’m sure that was a fun text to get :). No real information, just:  Hit head hard. At ER. Come quick.

When he walked in his eyes were like saucers, but as soon as he realized I was going to be okay he commenced making fun of me.

Just the way I like it.

We decided the doctor wouldn’t take us too seriously if we were giggling so we tried to cut it out.

And once we were kicked out of our “suite” in the ER I realized I was STARVING.

Oh yeah, and my head really hurt. I opted out of the $20-per-pill hospital Advil and we got some on the road.

“What do you want to eat?” my husband sweetly asked.

“Steak fajitas.”

“We could go to that Italian place over . . .”

“Steak fajitas.”

“Really?”

“Steak fajitas.”

And after my near death experience . . . those might have been the best steak fajitas I’ve ever had.

Steak fajitas photo courtesy of myrecipes.com.

So, a couple of weeks ago I received a question from a reader asking about a recipe for a filet mignon encrusted in bleu cheese.

This, of course, was a new one on me so I posed the question to Super Sister-in-Law Chef  Sandy.

And, as expected, she used to prepare this delectable dish when she toiled in the kitchen of the Ritz-Carlton.

Here, she shares her secrets for making it just like the pros!

(And check out that picture she took — isn’t it to die for???)

Here’s what she has to say . . .

Recently I was asked a question about how to make a bleu cheese crusted filet like someone’s favorite restaurant did it.  There are several ways to do this, depending on the outcome you are looking for.

You can simply cook your steak to desired doneness via any combination of direct and indirect cooking that works for you (sauté/oven, over the hot coals/on the side) and then simply top the steaks with bleu cheese for a moment, just like you would top a cheeseburger, thereby insuring a gooey topping.  Or, you could put the whole thing in a fiery hot oven which would brown the cheese.  My favorite method is the one below. You make a cheese crust, using breadcrumbs, butter and seasonings, in addition to bleu cheese.  You could even add pecans or walnuts to this versatile topping, or substitute another cheese if you like.  Just keep the ratio about ½ breadcrumbs and ½ other stuff.  Plus enough melted butter to hold it together. This mixture is finished on top of the steaks and you get a crunchy, cheesy topping which I think is a great contrast to the very tender steak.

Bleu Cheese Crusted Filet of Beef

2 5-6 oz Tenderloin of Beef Steaks (Filets)

Salt and Pepper

½ cup panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs, or fresh breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp butter

½ tsp garlic or onion salt, or

1 tsp kosher salt, if desired

4 turns fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon minced fresh herbs, such as rosemary or parsley

½ cups crumbled bleu cheese

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

Canola or Peanut Oil, for searing

Allow the steaks to set at room temperature for about 30 minutes to equalize the internal temperature for more even cooking.

Meanwhile, prepare crumb topping:  Combine panko or fresh bread crumbs and cold butter in microwaveable bowl.  Season with flavored salt or kosher salt and pepper.  Heat on high in microwave until butter melts, stirring every 30 seconds to distribute the browned crumbs.  Remove from microwave, allow to cool for a few seconds and add the herbs and bleu cheese.  Use a fork to distribute the bleu cheese into the crumbs without making it into a paste.  Taste for seasoning, set aside.

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Just before searing, season the filets with salt and pepper.

To sear the meat, preheat shallow sided sauté or frying pan over medium high heat until it is very hot.  Add 1 teaspoon canola oil and heat until the oil is shimmering.  Without crowding them, carefully add the steaks to the hot pan.  Do not move them for about 90 seconds, in order to ensure a nice crust.  Using tongs, carefully brown all sides of the steak, each time allowing the crust to form before disturbing the steaks.

When well-seared, remove steaks to an open baking pan to rest until the final cooking.

Everything may be prepared ahead up until this point, as much as a day in advance.  Allow steaks to come to room temperature if they are cooked ahead and refrigerated.

When you are about 10 minutes out from serving time, finish the steaks in the preheated oven. The time this will take will depend on the doneness you desire and the thickness of your steaks.  For the 6-oz filet pictured, which was a traditionally shaped (i.e. tall) filet, prepared medium rare, about 8 minutes of total oven time was required.

First, put the steaks into the oven for 5 minutes without topping.  Then remove from the oven and carefully brush mustard onto steaks to allow the crumb mixture to adhere. Just a thin coat — you may not need all of it, depending on the surface area to cover.  Then simply divide the crumb mixture over the steaks and return to the oven.  Watch carefully, they will burn quickly.  Check after 2 minutes; my steaks took about 3 minutes to get the topping brown and bubbly.

Allow the steaks to rest a minute as you prepare the plates for service, then serve and enjoy!