Quick Recipe: Steak with Mash Potatoes and Simple Vegetables

As weird as this sounds, going grocery shopping is one of my favourite past times. Walking through aisles on aisles of colourful fresh produces and packages, comparing prices, finding new brands and products - I could do all these all day long!

One of my resolution for September is to cook more at home and eat less takeaways. Not for any particular reason, it is definitely normal to make a new resolution in the last quarter of the year. I really think 2016 is just going at the speed of light! Whatever happened to the last 7 to 8 months I don't even know, I feel like the new year was just last month.

Rambling aside, the new resolution helps me enjoy more of my favourite past times and the trips to grocery stores have definitely increased in the past few weeks. In the past, the resolution has almost never worked out because I always run out of time to cook my meals from scratch. So, I think it's a good idea to document the successful, quick and easy recipes on my blog. Whether you're a busy bee or just a lazy cook (like me), this recipe is very do-able.

Today, we will start with the fool-proof steak with mash potatoes and simple vegetables:

As for raw ingredients, you will need:

• Steak, raw and at room temperature (work out the size as you wish)
• Potatoes
• Your favourite vegetables (to save time, I use frozen packed vegetables)

The condiments that I use are:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Mixed herbs (or your other favorite dry condiments)
• Olive oil
• Full cream milk (you will only need a few dashes)
• Instant gravy (optional)

The process are quick and easy, it takes me about 15-20 minutes to prepare this deliciousness:

1. Boil water in a pot, seasoned with a pinch of salt.
2. Peel and wash potatoes. Cut them into medium chunks and fork these chunks. You can skip the forks but I find it helps the potatoes to soften to the core a little faster, making it easier to mash.
3. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until it is soft.
4. Meanwhile, brush your steak with olive oil and rub salt, pepper, paprika, and mixed herbs on both sides.
5. Bring your pan to hot temperature, spray it with a little bit of oil if it is not a non-stick pan.
6. Grill the steak to medium rare or medium, about 4 minutes on each sides. Flip it regularly to prevent burning. Plate it aside.
7. Microwave your milk for about 30-40 seconds. 
8. Once the potatoes are soft, mash them up in a bowl, pour the milk little by little to make sure the mash is smooth and creamy. Plate it aside. (You may also put butter in your mash to make it even more creamy)
9. Microwave your frozen vegetables, or boil them to your liking. Plate it aside
10. Lastly, prepare your instant gravy according to the instruction. You can skip this step as you wish.

And there you go, a fresh, very quick and easy plate of juicy steak with mash potatoes and simple vegetables in 10 easy steps ready to eat! Hope this has been helpful to kick start your cooking and let me know if you try this out :)