What's at Steak?

Whenever I dine out and see pasta with steak or salad with steak I turn my nose up. I just don't think it sounds good and they don't seem to belong together. Steak goes with potatoes, period. Steak and potatoes are like cookies and milk - hard to say one without the other.

Since I feel so strongly about that pairing I am not exactly sure what intrigued me about this dish. But the second I saw it in this month's Cooking Light I was sure I would make it. And I am so glad I did - this dish was hearty and mouth watering. The mushroom sauce was the perfect compliment to the succulent steak! Another great benefit of this dish was the short cooking time. For such an elegant dish, it came together in no time flat.

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light January 2010

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked egg noodles
• Cooking spray
• 1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces, fat trimmed
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 (10-ounce) package presliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. While noodles cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; sauté 5 minutes, browning on all sides.

Remove from pan; cover.

3. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots

and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes.

Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in Worcestershire Sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Gradually add broth, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Add pepper, salt, and thyme sprigs.

Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Discard thyme sprigs. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.