A prepared pesto sauce and grilled sliced mushrooms go perfectly with a grilled steak. The pasta salad is made with red bell peppers. You can add any vegetables you have on hand to the salad. It’s made with an oil and vinegar dressing. Some people prefer a mayonnaise dressing for a pasta salad. Add 4 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise instead of the dressing if you like.
Fresh Tasker’s wine suggestion: Steak? I just felt my knee jerk: Drink a cabernet sauvignon.
Helpful hints:
• Any type of quick-cooking steak can be used: flank, skirt or strip.
• Any type of short-cut pasta such as macaroni or penne can be used.
• Steak can be cooked on a stovetop grill of skillet instead of an outdoor grill.
• The best way to cut basil is to snip the leaves with a scissors.
Countdown:
• Place water for pasta on to boil.
• Prepare the ingredients.
• Cook the steak.
• Make pasta salad
Shopping list:
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Quick Fix Dinner.
To buy: 3/4 pound skirt steak, 1/4 pound sliced portobello mushrooms, 1/4 pound rotini, fusilli or other short-cut pasta, 1 container prepared pesto sauce, 1 bunch scallions, 1 red bell pepper and 1 bunch fresh basil.
Staples: Reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing, salt and black peppercorns.
Grilled Pesto Steak and Mushrooms
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
3/4 lb. skirt steak, visible fat removed
1/4 lb. sliced Portobello mushrooms (about 1 2/3 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. prepared pesto sauce
Heat grill. Place mushrooms on a grill pan on the grill to keep them from falling through the grates. Place the steak on the grill and cook 2 minutes. Turn over the mushrooms and steak. Cook the steak 2 minutes for rare. A meat thermometer should read 125 degrees. Or, cook another 2 minutes for medium-rare (145 degrees) or 2 more minutes for medium (160 degrees.) Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper to taste. Remove mushrooms and steak. Place the steak on a cutting board and let rest while the pasta salad is made. Slice the steak on a diagonal against the grain. Divide between 2 dinner plates and spoon pesto sauce on top and place the mushrooms on the side.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 346 calories (51 percent from fat), 19.5 g fat (6.3 g saturated, 8.5 g monounsaturated), 111 mg cholesterol, 39.6 g protein, 3.9 g carbohydrates, 1.1 g fiber, 242 mg sodium.
Pasta Salad
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1/4 lb. whole wheat rotini, fusilli or other short cut pasta (about 1 1/2-cups)
2 scallions, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 cup)
4 Tbsp. reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup snipped basil leaves
Bring 2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta and boil 8 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and add scallions, red bell pepper and dressing. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle basil on top.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 254 calories (11 percent from fat), 3 g fat (0.3 g saturated, 0.8 g monounsaturated), 2 mg cholesterol, 8.4 g protein, 48 g carbohydrates, 3.2 g fiber, 16 mg sodium.
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