Cooking Light Night #8

Don prepared this dinner tonight and it was heavenly. Despite my adventurous spirit in the kitchen, I think this is the first time I've ever had shitake mushrooms. Me likey very much! The depth of flavor was both meaty and earthy and with a nice sweet caramelization. We served this with one of our new favorite side dishes - Spicy Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus (see post Cooking Light #1). Give this one a try. I'm sure you will like it as much as we did!

Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce


The steaks are sautéed in cooking spray to create a crust, while the mushrooms are sauteed in butter for flavor. Since the mushrooms release liquid as they cook, the butter is less likely to burn. Shiitake mushrooms create a sublime sauce with deep, earthy flavor, but you can substitute any other mushroom variety. Serve with mashed potatoes and Broccolini.


4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Sprinkle steaks with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steaks to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer steaks to a serving platter.

2. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling to coat; cook 15 seconds or until foam subsides. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, and soy sauce; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon mushroom mixture over steaks. Sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Wine note: Merlot can be as serious as many cabernets. It's also a natural with both red meat and mushrooms, making it a good partner for this dish. California's Paso Creek Merlot 2005 ($20) has flavors of dark cherry and smoke with a savory edge that will highlight the thyme, while firm, drying tannins balance the steak and buttery mushrooms. —Jeffery Lindenmuth

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak, 1/4 cup mushroom mixture, and 3/4 teaspoon thyme leaves)

CALORIES 326 (31% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 4.7g,mono 4.2g,poly 0.5g); IRON 2.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 95mg; CALCIUM 34mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22.9g; SODIUM 428mg; PROTEIN 34.9g; FIBER 3.2g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2008