Pinot Noir Steaks, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Macaroni, and Roasted Asparagus with Gruyere

For dinner tonight, we had steaks with a Pinot Noir reduction with macaroni and cheese with caramelized onions and roasted asparagus with gruyere. Super super yummy!!



For the awesome steak;
This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook.
freshly cracked black pepper
4 beef tenderloin steaks
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup red wine (I love Pinot Noir, so I used that. Use what you like to drink.)
1/4 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

Use your fingers to press the pepper into the steak, coating both sides well. In a large skillet, cook the steaks in the butter and oil over medium to medium-high heat, turning once. For medium rare, cook 10 minutes, 12 for medium, and 13 for medium well. Remove steaks from heat, reserving drippings, and keep warm.

Remove skillet from heat and add wine and beef broth. Add back to heat and gently scrape the delicious browned bits off the bottom. Whisk in mustard, bring to boiling and boil gently for 5 to 6 minutes, until reduced, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter at the very end, and spoon over steaks.

This recipe serves 4

For the macaroni;
This recipe takes about 55 minutes to prep and cook, and 10 minutes to stand.

4 strips bacon
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
4 ounces blue cheese (If you don't like blue cheese, use Swiss)
1 cup evaporated skim milk
black pepper
1/4 cup Swiss cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions, drain, return to pot, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning once. Blot grease well from bacon on both sides of bacon and crumble. Cook onion in bacon drippings over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until tender and golden brown.

Add the caramelized onions to the macaroni in the pot, and and stir in the bacon, mozzarella and blue cheese, evaporated milk and pepper, toss to combine. Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart cassarole.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Top with Swiss and Parmesan cheese and bake 10 more minutes, until the top is browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
This recipe serves 4 to 6.

The asparagus was also very delicious. Here is how to make it;
This takes about 35 minutes to prep and roast.

2 pounds aparagus spears
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 small red or yellow bell pepper (This is what I REALLY wanted to use, but I only had green on hand.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Snap off woody bases from asparagus and reserve to make stock with. (To do this, hold each in in each hand and bend until it snaps.) Toss asparagus, onion, and pepper with oil and spread in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender. Plate and sprinkle with cheese.

This recipe serves 6