Steak Enthusiast

You can take the headline of this post to mean a few things:  Rose has a hero who is a steak, Rose’s recipe for a steak hero sandwich or, well, that’s all I got.

We’ll go with number 2.

Check out this magnificent way to present some scrumptious beef steak . . .

Rose’s Steak Hero

Caramelized Onions:
5 oz. butter
3 lbs. onions, sliced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
2 Tbsps. balsamic vinegar

Creole Mustard Aioli (Yield: 3 cups):
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup creole-style mustard
2 tTbsps. garlic, minced
7 1/2 lbs. beef flank steak
1-2 tsps. salt
1-2 tsps. pepepr
24 individual ciabatta breads, split
1 1/2 lbs. blue cheese, crumbled
6 oz. spinach leaves

1. TO MAKE CARAMELIZED ONIONS: In rondo over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and sautè until caramelized, stirring often. Add garlic and sautè 1 minute. Stir in vinegar. Cool and cover. (Yield: about 1 lb., 8 oz.)
2. FOR CREOLE MUSTARD AIOLI: In bowl, mix mayonnaise, Creole-style mustard and garlic. Cover and refrigerate.
3. FOR EACH SERVING, TO ORDER: Grill 1 steak to medium. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Slice 4 oz. steak thinly at an angle across the grain. Cover and reserve the remaining steak.
4. Spread 1 Tbsp. Creole mustard aioli on each cut side of bread. Top bottom bread half with 1 oz. blue cheese, the warm steak slices, 1 oz. caramelized onions, 1/4 oz. spinach leaves and other bread half. Plate and serve.

Recipe and photo above courtesy the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef.

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.