Steaks with Tomato-Mushroom Ragout

I woke up to the smell of roasting chicken this morning — sort of.

Last night things in my life kind of went to hell in a handbasket and my plans for roasting a whole chicken in my brand spanking new roaster pan flew out the window. Instead, I sat on my parent’s couch watching Wheel of Fortune and watching CBS sitcoms while stuffing my fact with Chipotle.

By the way, I’m pretty good at Wheel of Fortune. Jeopardy, on the other hand, is a whole other beast.

I made it home around 9:30 ish and didn’t want to take the time to roast the bird in the oven, so into the Crock-pot it went. I actually hate doing it this way because it all falls a part and making stock from the carcass is more difficult, plus the chicken is just meh. It has that unmistakable Crock-pot flavor and texture. Do you know what I mean?

But I had to do something – I had thawed it out entirely and I didn’t want it to spoil. I got the whole chicken on special for 89 cents a pound. So now I have tons of Crock pot chicken for another use — probably enchiladas or soup. The roaster will have to wait until the next time there’s a chicken sale.

Speaking of sales, I have new dishes! I got the whole 16-piece set for $20 and I even found two open stock white porcelain plates for 62 cents a piece. The set isn’t bright white like I was hoping, and a few have imperfections, but for the money, I’m pleased. They look nicer in pictures than my slightly chipped retro Corelle with the orange and pink flowers.

And in the spirit of being thrifty, I even put out a frozen sirloin steak. It’s another pricey-ish cut of meat I usually only buy when it’s on sale. Then, I freeze it for later. And it comes in handy for this recipe.

What drew me to the page was the creamy polenta the steak was sitting on, honestly. I needed to make a batch of soft polenta for something later this week, so why not make it double-duty and use up some of the frozen meat chilling out in the freezer?

Pretty good, though, if I must say so. But I’m biased, I love steak and mushrooms and polenta. Definitely three on my favorite foods list — especially when they’re together on a plate (my new plate to be exact). YUM!

Steaks with Tomato-Mushroom Ragout
Everyday with Rachael Ray

1 pound sirloin steak
salt and pepper
4 tsp olive oil
6 ounce package cremini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
One 28-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes (such as Muir Glenn)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat 2 tsp oil over medium high heat in a nonstick pan. Salt and pepper the steak on both sides and add the steaks to the pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet and warm the last 2 tsp over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned. Stir in the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water and the crushed red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occaisionally.

Stir in the vinegar, then add the steaks back to the skillet to warm through. Serve the steaks on top of creamy polenta and topped with the tomato ragu and grated cheese.