Mushroom Topped Steaks With Creamy Polenta

The Flying Chef's Note:

This is a great quick and easy meal tastes great and is on the table in about 35-40 Min's. I have listed liquid amounts as used by the brand of quick cooking polenta I buy so please adjust and prepare according to you packet instructions. I buy 2 minute quick cooking polenta so cooking times will vary if you can not get quick cooking polenta.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 large flat mushrooms, sliced thickly (like a portobello)
• 200 g swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 40 -50 g butter
• 4 steak fillets (I like thick cut steaks but thin is fine too.)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking polenta
• 1 teaspoon chicken stock
• 200 g mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 100 g baby spinach leaves
• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 8 tablespoons dry red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon beef stock
• pepper

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a pan, add mushrooms and garlic, cook until mushrooms soften and are browned slightly. Add wine, balsamic vinegar, sugar and beef stock, stir to combine and add pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile combine water, milk and chicken stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil, gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat, stir until polenta thickens, add cheeses and stir to combine, stir in spinach. (I usually cook my steaks while making polenta and let them rest while I stir in the cheeses and spinach, but it will keep warm over a low heat stir occasionally to prevent bottom from burning.).
3. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and cook steaks until desired doneness. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the steaks.
4. To Serve: Place a few spoonfuls of polenta on a plate top with steak and mound steak with mushrooms, drizzled with balsamic sauce.

Reviews

[adopt a greyhound]

Very good and loved the flavors with the mushrooms and sauce.

[SJBG]

This was super tasty! Scaled back to serve 2, and made just a couple changes based on what I had on hand: used 2 largish cloves of garlic, chopped finely, in place of garlic powder and sauteed that in the butter for a couple minutes before adding the mushrooms; used 6oz cremini mushrooms, sliced; used arugula instead of spinach, not stirred into the polenta but more like a bed. So, a bed of arugula, then the polenta, then the steak, then the mushroom sauce. Really, really good. The polenta would work as a side to other meals as well, and I could see making this vegetarian by leaving off the steak and using veggie broth in place of the chicken and beef broths. Definitely will make this again. Thanks for the recipe!

[mersaydees]

Very fast, and very wonderful! Even picky DH -- especially picky about his steak -- loved this! He normally doesn't like polenta, but couldn't resist the mushroom sauce with its balsamic vinegar and red wine reduction. And the polenta with the mascarpone and parmesan cheeses -- wow! Thanks, Flying Chef! Made for Aussie/New Zealand Swap #16.