Tuscan Steak

After our wonderful Caribbean vacation, where we ate mostly seafood, we came back really wanting and craving steak.   Like with everything else I cook, I like to make things in a variety of ways to keep our meals fun and exciting, so I am always coming with new twists to old classics.

I used a nice flank steak that I marinated with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika and Worcestershire sauce.  I let it marinate for about 4 hours before grilling it up.  To me, the best way to eat a steak is medium rare.  That’s when it is really juicy and tender and all the flavors just really pop.  But, as I always say, cook it how you like it.

To make my steak Tuscan style, I used fresh baby spinach, tomatoes, garlic, onions, mushrooms and butter beans.  Normally I use the smaller cannellini beans, but I accidentally picked up the wrong can.  I usually have a wide variety of beans on my shelves, both canned and dry.  In the end, it really does not matter.  Cannellini beans are smaller, but their flavor is pretty similar to butter beans.  Any white beans will do.  I removed all the stems from the spinach and diced all the vegetables.

Once everything was cut, I was ready to cook my vegetables.  I sauteed them all in olive oil with salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, basil and thyme.  I use both dried and fresh herbs.  It really just depends on what I have on hand at the time.  If you are using fresh herbs, a general rule of thumb is to add them towards the end of the cooking process so they do not get lost in the cooking process, whereas with dried herbs, you can add them at any stage of the cooking process and the flavors will incorporate into whatever you are cooking.  Also, when using fresh herbs, you will use a bit more than if you are using dried herbs.  With dried herbs, the flavors are more concentrated than they are with fresh herbs.  I prefer fresh when I have them, but dried is certainly a great alternative.  Usually, unless a recipe calls for specific amounts (although if you have been following me, you should probably know by now, I rarely follow a recipe when cooking), I use about 1 tsp of each herb.

After the vegetables were cooked and softened, I added the beans. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the vegetables, then continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.

I layered my plate by starting with the beans and vegetables, then added the cooked steak, and finished with a little more beans and spinach on top.  I added a slice of polenta with caramelized onions and herbs Caramelized Onion, Herb & Polenta Loaf then completed the meal with a smooth, medium-bodied fruity red blend.  This was a perfect end of summer meal that we enjoyed out on our deck.

Tuscan Steak

2 lbs flank steak, cooked

2-3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed and chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, quartered or diced

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 heaping TBSP garlic

1/3-1/2 cup onions, diced small

1 can of cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp each basil, oregano, thyme

 

Cook your steak to your liking.

Saute all the vegetables and herbs together in olive oil.  When the vegetables are done, add the beans, and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Layer your plate with the spinach and bean mixture, then add the steak, and if you like, add a touch more spinach and beans on top of your cooked steak.