I feel the need to grill something!

Most of my meals lately have been cooked inside, partially because of the weather.  Between the rain and extreme heat, I have been relying on the stove top and oven.  But now that the temperatures are dropping, I can't wait to start grilling again.  Tonight I am going to make one of my family's favorites, rib eye steak, garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed Bella mushrooms, and fresh broccoli.  This cut of steak is so tender and flavorful that it comes out delicious every time.  The key is the grilling time.  You want it to come off the grill a little more rare than you want.  Place the steak on a serving platter and cover with foil.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes, which is enough time for the juices to settle and for the steak to finish cooking and become medium rare.

This time I chose to marinade the steak in Mr. Yoshida's sauce, which is a teriyaki-style marinade.  While they are marinading, I begin to make the garlic mashed potatoes.  Now, on a weekend, I will take the time to peel potatoes, boil them, drain them, and go through the process of mashing and seasoning.  But, on a week night when time is of the essence, believe it or not, I use Potato Buds!  You will not believe how delicious they come out.  I have gotten the same amount of compliments from the instant mashed potatoes I make, that I have gotten from fresh ones, so please stay with me and try them.

Follow the directions on the box, but add 1 good-sized garlic clove, minced.  I also add about 1/4 tsp of onion powder.  After you have added the potatoes and whisked everything together, you are going to add some Parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup of sour cream or cream cheese (depending on what you have on hand), and salt and pepper.  At this point, you need to taste them.  You may need to add a little more butter, and more garlic if you like them with a strong garlic flavor.  I usually need to add a little half and half, so that they aren't too thick.  That's about it. 

I start the grill and let it heat up pretty hot.  The key to cooking rib eye steak is to use a hot enough fire so you can cook them quickly.  The longer they sit on the grill, the tougher they become, and nine out of ten times they get too well-done.  I usually let them cook for about 10-12 minutes on each side, depending on how thick they are.

Once they are done, I head in to cook the mushrooms and cook the broccoli.  The best mushrooms to use are the Bella mushrooms.  Once they are thickly sliced, I saute them in some butter, just until they start to cook.  I turn off the heat and add  a couple of sprinkles of Tarragon and some fresh parsley.  Sometimes, I will omit the Tarragon and add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, but not this time!

Lightly cooked broccoli, for me, topped with a few splashes of lemon juice, shredded Parmesan cheese,  fresh pepper and a small amount of butter....easy!

So there you have it.  A very easy steak dinner that will get raves.  Hope you enjoy it...