Blame Julie or Julia

Blog Dry for months... but am beginning to think "hey I should blog that..." again- not this in particular, but things like cooking my first steak and checking the temp with the shield still on the thermometer... or Molly leaving last night for Honduras etc. or how do I say thank you for 10 years of ministry to Sunset, so... here we go again and it begins with food. blame Julie or Julia.

Heres' what we had for dinner a while back, and it was simple and scrumptious!

Inexpensive Steak with Mustard-Cream Sauce for Two

One of the things I've learned as I've discovered my love of cooking is great knives and maison plas. Chopping/Measuring it all out ahead of time ala cooking show style. Life changing (giggle).

I recently made steak for Michael and I for the first time. Yep. Strange huh? I grew up with thin tough steak and didn't consider it an option for us at home, til now. Thank you America's Test Kitchen(yet again) and my DVR.

Cheap Steak for two with a mustard cream sauce

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 boneless strip steak about 1 pound and 1 1/4 inches thick
1 small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

Instructions
1. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, season both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Place steak in skillet; cook, without moving steak, until well browned, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; reduce heat to medium. Cook until well browned on second side and internal temperature registers 125 degrees on instant-read thermometer for medium-rare (about 5 minutes) or 130 degrees for medium (about 6 minutes).

2. Transfer steak to large plate and tent loosely with foil; let rest until internal temperature registers 130 degrees for medium-rare or 135 degrees for medium, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. While steak is resting, pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from now-empty skillet. Return skillet to low heat and add shallot; cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high; simmer rapidly, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom, until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 30 seconds; add broth and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in mustard; season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Using sharp knife, slice steak about 1/4 inch thick against grain on bias. Arrange on platter or on individual plates, and spoon sauce over steak; serve immediately.

I cooked the canned green beans with bacon and tossed them in the pan with the dripping from the meat and mustard cream sauce.