20-Minute Meal: Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce, Asparagus and Rice

I did something that made me happy yesterday! I cooked on my stove and got to eat yummy food and watch someone else enjoying the result of my effort—truly satisfying. This meal took just 20 minutes to prepare and it is SO good. The secret it that the steak and asparagus both cook in the broiler. The rice is Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. It cooks in the microwave in 90 seconds and it’s actually whole grain rice.

Menu

Steak with blue cheese sauce

Broiled asparagus

Brown and wild rice

Ingredients

Tenderloin steaks

1.5 oz of blue cheese per steak (room temp.)

1.5 tspn butter per steak (room temp.)

A few garlic cloves

Parsley

Asparagus spears

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

Cut the woody ends from the asparagus spears. Make a tray out of tinfoil that fits the spears. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then shake the tray until spears are evenly coated. Broil until areas nearest flame turn brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Mix blue cheese and butter together. Grease broiler rack OR if you don’t have one, use rack from toaster over (put it on a cookie sheet). Chop garlic, rub onto steaks, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place steaks on broiler rack. Broil for about 6 minutes on each side. Spread cheese mixture directly on steaks and leave in broiler until it melts, or put cheese mixture in broiler (in oven safe bowl) until melted and pour over steaks once placed on plates. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Throw the rice in the microwave for 90 seconds and you’re ready to eat. I put my steaks and asparagus in the broiler at the same time and they were done at the same time. Easy peasy.

The Year of Happy

Hi guys. I'm getting personal today. I have never made a resolution that I remember. I always thought it best to strive for self-improvement year round, not just in January. The last couple years have been a rollercoaster of highs and lows for me (divorce, homeownership, health issues, job issues, winning the roller derby championship). It made me realize that maybe I should reevaluate how I view life, the world, and my place in it. And why not do it in January?

This year I want to spend more time each day being happy and/or doing things that make me happy. I know what some of those things are, others I will experiment with and see how they go.  Here’s a few of the known things. The plan is to revisit the list, add, delete and see how it changes over time.

1. Cook more (on my fabulous stove). I’ve started making a list of things I cook that I think are pretty good so that I can refer to it when I’m drawing a blank on dinner ideas. I’ll start printing out recipes I want to try when I see them. Maybe I’ll put them on the fridge next to the shopping list.

 

2.

2. Don’t waste money. I’ve signed up for Mint.com to help me see where exactly I spend it. This is related to the master home renovation list, but I’m not going to put deadlines on individual projects. Keeping it real.

3. Take better photos for this blog.

4. Jam more (roller derby). 

5. Don’t defeat myself/be an awesome blocker/most improved 2013 (roller derby). Inspiration: Self love via galadarling.com.

That's me in red.

6. Explore career options that would make me want to jump out of bed in the morning. Inspiration: liveyourlegend.net

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and productive 2013!