Saturday night TheHub and I shared a steak and thought Son2 was going to be here to eat with us, so I thawed 2 steaks, one for TheHub and I to share and one for Son2. We ate and enjoyed ours, but the son was a no show (fine) and it left us with one thawed steak that could not be refrozen. I slapped it on the hot grill and cooked it to mid rare then stuck it in a container in the refrigerator. I honestly thought i would serve it one night as a black and blue salad. Well that never happened and last night I remembered it was still hanging out in the meat drawer and had to be eaten. Son3 was going to be joining us for dinner and that complicated it a little because TheHub and I can easily split a steak, but it is a little harder to split one 3 ways.
Punt time! I went through the pantry and the freezer to seewhat bits I had that needed to be used how
I could possibly stretch a 5 ounce steak into a meal for 3 adults. I found a bag of spatzle, a half bag of frozen broccoli, part of an onion in the fridge, and a lot of dehydrated mushrooms in the pantry. The reformation began.
I cut the steak into very thin strips then sautéed it in a pan with the onions. When the onions were slightly softened I put everything in the pan into a bowl the added water to the pan I was using to saute' the onions. I scraped the bottom of the pan with a spatula to get any beef and onion flavoring mixed into the water then added the bag of spatzle. When it had cooked to a semi soft state I added more liquid (including about 1/2 cup of white wine that was left in a bottle) 1/2 cup dried mushrooms, and a half of a bag of frozen broccoli. It ws seasoned lightly with 1 teaspoon thyme, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of parsley. It cooked until the mushrooms were soft and the spatzle was done. Then I stirred in the meat and onion mix and let it all cook together for about 5 minutes over a low heat. At the last minute I looked through the refrigerator and found about 2 tablespoons of sour cream so I threw that in the pan, gave it a quick stir and called it good enough.
This was amazingly good. I am sure it would have been equally good with egg noodles but I didn't have any, and am trying very hard to use up what I have on hand. The only problem? After the 3 of us ate all we wanted (Son2 even had seconds) there is still a boatload left over, so now it is in a container in the freezer waiting for an
emergency meal when I need something quick.
Punt time! I went through the pantry and the freezer to see
I could possibly stretch a 5 ounce steak into a meal for 3 adults. I found a bag of spatzle, a half bag of frozen broccoli, part of an onion in the fridge, and a lot of dehydrated mushrooms in the pantry. The reformation began.
I cut the steak into very thin strips then sautéed it in a pan with the onions. When the onions were slightly softened I put everything in the pan into a bowl the added water to the pan I was using to saute' the onions. I scraped the bottom of the pan with a spatula to get any beef and onion flavoring mixed into the water then added the bag of spatzle. When it had cooked to a semi soft state I added more liquid (including about 1/2 cup of white wine that was left in a bottle) 1/2 cup dried mushrooms, and a half of a bag of frozen broccoli. It ws seasoned lightly with 1 teaspoon thyme, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of parsley. It cooked until the mushrooms were soft and the spatzle was done. Then I stirred in the meat and onion mix and let it all cook together for about 5 minutes over a low heat. At the last minute I looked through the refrigerator and found about 2 tablespoons of sour cream so I threw that in the pan, gave it a quick stir and called it good enough.This was amazingly good. I am sure it would have been equally good with egg noodles but I didn't have any, and am trying very hard to use up what I have on hand. The only problem? After the 3 of us ate all we wanted (Son2 even had seconds) there is still a boatload left over, so now it is in a container in the freezer waiting for an
emergency meal when I need something quick.
That doesn't sound like the worst problem in the world. Says the woman who OFTEN wants something quick and tasty. At the moment I am preparing meals for three separate diets. I am over it. So over it.
ReplyDeleteI understand how horrible it sounds to gripe about excess food. Three diets! I think we would have to have every man fend for himself, or either all eat the blandest of the three.
DeleteI love having enough basic know how to stretch the odds and ends into something that doesn't look or taste like odds and ends.
ReplyDeleteIt really did kind of look like stretched odds and ends but it was pretty blooming tasty!
DeleteThis is how to cook girl. Why can't more people figure this out. Aisle after Aisle of food in boxes in fridge/freezers at the store it is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI fully understand I have an excessive amount of food in storage, but I hate food waste so I am compelled to do something with all leftovers. I even understand keeping some "emergency" prepared foods, but why anyone would rely on them is beyond me.
DeleteIt sounds like a total success!
ReplyDeleteIt was a successful meal!
DeleteYou did great with stretching the meat and making a very yummy sounding meal at the same time!
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty tasty!
DeleteGreat.
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious. Way to improvise.
ReplyDeleteWhen it's time to punt, you have to punt!
DeleteIt is amazing how little meat we can eat and be happy by using meat as an ingredient and not the star of the meal.
ReplyDeleteYes it really is.
DeleteI LOVE your meal stretching hacks! And to have leftovers - WOW! I bought a whole roasted deli chicken last Monday and it stretched over several meals: we had a meal out of it while it was fresh and hot then had chicken salad, chicken tacos and a stir-fry. Works out to about $2.00 per meal. And I still have over half of my food budget left for the month. Fingers crossed I'll make it to the end of the month!
ReplyDeleteI hate to throw food away, especially meat, so I will hack it to death (both literally and figuratively)
DeleteThat sounds yummy! Way to save the day. It always cracks me up how what doesn't seem like enough food suddenly becomes almost too much food! The same thing happens with fabric scraps. ;) At least for me.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to happen all the time with food. I am a crappy seamstress so I have few fabric purchases, much less scraps.
ReplyDelete