Date Night - Steak with Shrooms and Shallots & Warm Dijon Potato Salad

I know it doesn’t look very exciting from first glance but if you look closely you will see something…..You will see that this was an evening where the table was set for 2 not 4. This was an evening with candle light and flowers. This was an evening with real placemats and napkins and not the regular Dora and Princess plastic mats. This was an evening with wine. This was an evening with great food and better company. This was “date night” and it was much deserved and much needed by both hubby and I.

Our Menu:
Marinated Steak
White Wine Mushrooms and Shallots
Warm Dijon Potato Salad

The Grocery List

Steak:

• 2 strip steaks (or really any steak will do because the marinade rocks)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a zip lock bag, toss in the steaks, seal the bag - don't forget to remove all of the air! Smoosh the steak around in the marinade and let it hang in the fridge until you are ready to get cooking.

White Wine Mushrooms and Shallots

• 3/4 lbs cremini mushrooms (if you aren't a fancy chick use plain old white mushrooms, I did)
• 3 Shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 bunch of scallions aka green onion, green parts (white parts are used in the potato recipe)
  

Warm Dijon Potato Salad (this one is adapted from Rachel Ray "Just in Time!"...it's so delicious!!)

• 1 pound of baby red skin potatoes, cut in half
• 4 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin Olive Oil)
• 4 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped (or 6 or 8 if you LOVE bacon and really - who doesn't LOVE bacon?)
• 1 bunch of scallions, white parts
  
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 6 tbsp dijon mustard
• handful of flat leaf parsley (also known as italian parsley)

Cooking It Up:

Start by cooking the potatoes in boiling water until tender (about 12-15 minutes).

Take the steaks out of the fridge, they are best if cooked at room temperature - nothing worse than tough chewy steak (I promise this won't be!)

Preheat your grill to high heat, this can be your outdoor BBQ or your indoor counter top grill.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsps of EVOO, add the bacon. Cook until almost crisp, add the white part of the scallions, lower the heat and cook for 7 minutes until very tender. Add the vinegar (stand back!) to deglaze the pan. Whisk in the Dijon. Add the potatoes and leave on low to hang out and absorb the flavors.

After you add the scallions in the above step, place the steaks on the grill. Hubby likes his cooked for 7-8 minutes to give him a medium-rare steak, i like mine cooked for 10-12 minutes to give me a well done steak. Let the steak sit for a solid 5 minutes before you slice it into strips.

While the steaks cook, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the muchrooms and shallots and cook for 7 minutes, add the wine and let it reduce for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the butter and turn off the heat. Scatter green part of the scallions over the top. (to be honest I don't add the butter because I'm trying to be a little bit health conscious and I really don't miss it when I leave it out but it does make the sauce a bit smoother)

Slice the Steak against the grain, top with the White Wine Mushrooms and Shallots. Serve the Warm Dijon Potato Salad alongside.

Enjoy!