Ooooo! Steak tips! Oooooo! Mushroom sauce! And what? Egg noodles?

I must have died and gone to heaven.

This is one of my absolute favorite meals. But I’ve never tried it with thyme or quite this way.

I can practically smell the onions, shallots and garlic cooking now. Can’t wait to try this one!

Little tip:  Wanna skip the cutting of the steak and ensure your beef is really, really tender? Try these already-sliced tenderloin tips.

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.
3. Remove from pan; cover.
4. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes.
5. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in Worcestershire Sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly with a whisk.
7. Add pepper, salt, and thyme sprigs.
8. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
9. Discard thyme sprigs. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Photo and recipe courtesy of ElizabethsEdibleExperience.Blogspot.com.

That is one gorgeous cut of beef!

Ribeye is my favorite and it’s blogger Melody’s fave too!

Here’s her post over at BouchonFor2.com with an amazing ribeye recipe.

Thyme-Infused Red Quinoa with Lemon-Mustard Black Kale with Ribeye

Ingredients

2 cups red quinoa

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 bunches of kale, aprox 1.5 lbs.

1 fennel bulb, white parts only, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/4 cup grainy mustard

1 bunch thyme

Olive Oil, S&P

Preparation

Quinoa: Place in a fine sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Initial red and foamy water is normal.

Thyme: Tie the sprigs together with twine or spend 10 minutes picking them out like I did.

Stock: Bring to a boil.

Kale: Strip the leaves from the stalk by grabbing the stalk by the bottom and pulling the leaves towards the tip. Chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Directions

In a large pot, sweat the fennel on medium heat with the garlic in some olive oil. When the fennel is tender, add the quinoa and continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Add the hot stock, 2 tsp. of salt, and thyme bundle, cover with a lid, and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

The quinoa is done when all the liquid is absorbed and little white curls are released. When ready, remove the thyme, fluff through with a fork, cover, and keep warm.

In a deep skillet, heat up some olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the kale in by handfuls and welt it down for about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Unlike other leafy greens, kale does not release much liquid.)

When the kale is tender, stir in the mustard and lemon zest + juice.

Toss the kale into the warm quinoa.

Serve with beef below.

Serves 4 as main dish.

Ribeye is my favorite cut for steak. A pristine piece is distinctly flavorful, tender yet toothsome, and releases the proper amount of fatty juices with each bite.

To cook the proper steak is to not fear, over- think, or complicate it.

Rub the slab down with some oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt.

Sear both sides quickly in a hot skillet, transfer to a baking pan, and a finish it in hot oven (400 °F) for several minutes.

A rare steak will feel soft and remain slightly indented after a poke, while a medium rare steak will spring back gently.

Use a meat thermometer if you are not confident to test its doneness by touch initially. For a medium rare steak, remove it at 125-130 °F.

Remember that the residual heat will continue to cook it during the resting time.

Cover the meat gently with foil and allow it to rest until the moisture re-absorbs (8-10 minutes).

Slice it thinly against the grain.

Refrain from drooling.

Lay it over the Quinoa and garnish with a sprig of basil.

Serve with a ripe, freshly sliced tomato.

No sauce, no jus, maybe just a dollop of tangy horseradish mustard.

Large, crunchy flakes of Black Lava Salt can’t hurt though!

Recipe and photos courtesy of BouchonFor2.com.

Doesn’t that look absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious?

This beef tenderloin with black peppercorn and mushroom sauce is a specialty at Lavendou in Dallas. Oh yum!

But — here’s the great thing — we have the recipe right here so you (and I) can make this at home!

You’ll need beef tenderloin for this recipe, and I like to use tenderloin tips — you can get them from my favorite place here.

Lavendou Recipe?Tournedos Felix Faure?Beef Tenderloin with Black Peppercorn and Mushroom Sauce

Recipe to Serve 4

The Ingredients

4- 8 oz Beef Tenderloin

2 Teaspoons of Salt

4 Teaspoons of coarse Black Peppercorns

2 Cups of  Diced  Mushroom

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

¼  Cup Butter

½ Cup of Cognac

½ Cup of Veal Stock

¾ Cup of Heavy cream

The Method Season both sides of each tenderloin with salt and pat them in the black peppercorns. Heat oil and butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat, and then sauté the tenderloins, 2 at the time, for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the tenderloins to a heatproof dish and keep them warm in a 175 degree F oven.?In the skillet, add the mushroom, sauté for 2 minutes, until cooked. Add the tenderloin to the skillet and carefully add the cognac and flame it. Add the veal stock, then a minute after, the cream, bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. ?Serve the tenderloin coated with the sauce with some Pommes Frites!

Photo and recipe courtesy of SavorDallas.com.