Mom’s have great advice, there is no question about that. Sadly as hard as I try to recreate some of Mom’s home cooked recipes in my own kitchen they just don’t turn out the same. Of course, as long as Mom is cooking FOR me every so often, I really don’t feel that bad about it 
While I was browsing the net I came across a the site named momadvice.com which I think is pretty self-explanatory in what information it contain, but I thought to myself “I need to read this blog!” hell, there are tons of things that Mom knows how to do well that I have no idea!
Not saying that the following is one of those things, but I would suggest you go take a look at the site or bookmark it when you’re looking to do different things around the house.
Ok, got off topic there.. I guess it’s due to the fact that I’m starving right now and I don’t want to write about Steak.
After I read the article located here, I immediately want to try it. I especially like the part where they called going out to eat on New Years Eve and Valentines Day as ‘Amateur Night’. Heh heh.. I think Liz would get a kick out of that.
They list a great recipe for a total dinner which cost them $30 (including Wine.. of course, that’s in the States, but with my home Wine making, it’s a non-issue). Another great things is that you don’t need to BBQ the steak! Bonus Winter Time!
I’m going to copy the Recipe from their site for easy reading, enjoy.. even if you’re going to need to go on that diet with that wonder-drug phentermine afterwards.
Yes, this DOES look delicious
Steakhouse Steak Marinade (adapted from Recipezaar)
2 steaks (whatever is on sale and looks good)
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or white vinegar
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper
Mix all ingredients together and place steaks into freezer bag with marinade overnight. This makes enough marinade for two large steaks.
Below is an approximate timetable for how long to cook your steaks for a medium steak. I opt for a little shorter cooking time and prefer my meat to be medium rare. If you are unsure, a meat thermometer is the best gauge for the perfect steak!
Grilling Steak Timetable
- Filet: 13-18 minutes
- Ribeye, Boneless: 6-8 minutes
- Ribeye, Bone-In: 9-12 minutes
- T-Bone /Porterhouse: 14-16 minutes
- Top Sirloin: 13-16 minutes
- Strip, Boneless: 10-12 minutes
Cooking steak, to me, is not easy. I know it is not easy to a lot of other people too because I often get asked how to cook the perfect steak. Use the above timetable for steak as a loose guideline for how long to cook it. The best gauge for cooking will always be the scientific approach… a handy meat thermometer.
(Quick temperature guidelines: Rare is 120 degrees, Medium is 125 degrees, and Medium is 130 degrees)
More important than the degrees though is letting your meat rest. Don’t cut into it to check it when you pull it out of the pan. Give it plenty of time to let everything redistribute itself and then slice into it. That is the real secret to a deliciously juicy steak.
I love steak cooked out on the grill, but refuse to venture out there in the cold. Pictured above is my favorite tool for cooking steak and I got it at Goodwill! It is a cast iron grill pan that had rusted and been poorly cared for. I loved it up and got it in much better condition, and this is my favorite tool for cooking a beautiful steak without getting cold. I found one similar to it on Amazon, should you also be in the market for staying warm, and it costs less than $20!
So simple, so good..
Bella’s Rosemary Red Potatoes (adapted from Allrecipes Dinner Tonight Cookbook)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together melted butter and oil; pour into a 9×13? baking dish. Place the potatoes into the dish and stir until coated. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir potatoes to ensure even cooking. Yields four servings.
Great idea - One Veggie, but lots of it!
Pan-Fried Asparagus (adapted from Allrecipes Dinner Tonight Cookbook)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook garlic in butter for one minute, but do not brown. Add asparagus and cook for five to ten minutes or until crisp-tender, turning asparagus to ensure even cooking. Yields two servings.
This dinner was served with a loaf of french bread (on sale), festive bakery cupcakes (on sale), and a bottle of red wine (guess what? ON SALE!!)