Did you know that one out of seven adults lives alone? As of 2012, according to the New York Times, there were more than 30 million people living alone.
What are 30 million people eating for dinner? I bet it’s not steak they cooked themselves! But, I asked myself, why not? So I picked up a 5-ounce strip steak for less than $3, added some leftover mushrooms, a splash of red wine and some leftover gorgonzola cheese — and I had dinner. Altogether, my dinner, including the leftovers and the baked potato, cost only five bucks, and it was amazing!
I, for one, am tired of feeling like I have to eat blah food because it’s just me in the house. What’s wrong with sizzling up a steak every now and then? No special occasion is required, unless you are like me and celebrate getting a good deal at the grocery.
Of course if you are cooking for two, it’s easy to sizzle more than one steak. Either way, don’t wait another minute. This recipe is classic, fast and easy.
Steak for One
2 tbsp. butter, divided use
4- to 6-oz. New York strip steak
1 tbsp. crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese of choice
2 oz. sliced mushrooms
¼ cup red wine of choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Melt half the butter over medium-high heat in a regular skillet. Sear the steak on both sides, about 2 minutes each. Transfer the steak to a baking dish and sprinkle the cheese over the steak.
Bake 6 minutes for rare, an additional 1 to 2 minutes for medium, and an additional 3 to 4 minutes for well done. (Based on a 1-inch-thick steak. Adjust times as needed for other thicknesses.)
While steak is in the oven, saute the mushrooms in the skillet over medium heat. When mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes, add the red wine to deglaze the pan.
Loosen any brown bits from the bottom.
Cook to reduce liquid by one-half and remove from heat. Swirl in the remaining butter.
When steak is cooked to your preference, pour the mushroom sauce over the steak and serve.
Makes 1 serving.
Each serving has about 461 calories, 23 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 123 milligrams cholesterol, 47 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 311 milligrams sodium.
Alicia Ross is the co-author of three cookbooks. Contact her c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, email tellus@kitchenscoop.com, or visit http://kitchenscoop.com.
