While I was at Aldi for dog food ingredients, I found the best thing ever! Two tiny steaks wrapped in bacon. Good quality steaks, the bacon isn’t the best but it works. I had found some freezer meals for one at my store. We sell so many of them that I figured they would be tasty. I can’t recommend them because they were not tasty. When the nutrition info says 710 mg of sodium and it still needs salt, that is bad. I think they must not season each ingredient. One fundamental thing about cooking is that each ingredient gets some love. I suppose on a commercial scale that can be difficult. I am also surprised by how many people enjoy bland food.
After being disappointed by pre-made meals, the steaks were like a gift from the Gods! I decided on sauteed shallots and garlic for a steak topping, mac and cheese and green beans. The mac and cheese was also an Aldi find and the green beans were from a can. I haven’t quite figured out the microwave oven thing. I am sure a whole new world of possibilities awaits me but I’m worried about ruining the food.
On my tiny stove I have to cook in rounds. Not only are the burners small but they are slow to heat. I put the shallots and garlic on first. I used butter and a fancy olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. I turned them on low and ran a bath. I had time to watch an episode of Grantchester while they cooked. I splurged and added some bubbles to the bath.
Back to the food. With the shallot and garlic getting frizzled I started the water for the mac. It takes ages for the water to boil and the noodles needed 12 minutes to cook. Once the water finally came to a boil I added the noodles and dropped the steak.
The tiny steak didn’t need 12 minutes to cook only about 7 but it had to rest. My goal is always to have all the things ready at the same time. This time I achieved my goal! Back to the steak. They come wrapped in bacon but I haven’t quite got the hang on cooking it with the bacon on. Either the bacon is mostly raw with a lovely steak or they are both crispy. This time I cooked the bacon in the same pan so the fat would help the steak cook and I could use less oil. Beautifully cooked meat and a bacon treat! Bacon is a bit salty, even just the one piece, so I only salted one side of the steak. I used white pepper, granulated garlic and onion powder for the main seasoning.
Even tho the mac and cheese was from Aldi, I wasn’t as impressed with it as I usually am. I was craving plain old Kraft in the blue box but Aldi doesn’t carry it. This one was a white cheddar and peppercorn cheese sauce, it sounded amazing and probably is, it just wasn’t what I wanted. I ended up putting a bit of steak sauce on it. Not everything from a box is going to be stellar, no matter where it comes from and that’s OK. A1 makes almost anything better!
Seven minutes cooking with a 4 minute rest made the steak perfect. The bacon bit was ready before the steak was and it made a tasty treat while the rest finished up. The simple seasoning on the steak made it OK that I had to add the steak sauce to the mac. Everything ended up being delightful!
Now that I have gotten the hang of cooking on the tiny stove the world is my oyster! Well, only 2 of them as my fridge is also tiny! I get to be here for 6 months so I will get all of it down to an art! I am excited for this new adventure!
Don’t be daunted by your cooking conditions! Enjoy your kitchen!
Ali's Kitchen 