Balsamic Steak with Garlic Summer Squash

 Need a quick weeknight meal?

One of the things I love to do is buy beef on sale and freeze it for later use.  It saves me money by taking advantage of the sales prices and allows me to treat ourselves to some wonderful beef when we crave that meaty flavor.  Most often we eat chicken, so beef a couple times a month is a great treat.  Especially a steak! Yum! My absolute favorite.

So I had a nice sirloin steak in the freezer.  I love this cut because of it's versatility. I think our favorite way to make it is to cook it whole, with special seasonings or with a sauce, and slicing it across the grain in long strips.  A great cut of beef which is easy to cook.  Perfect for the grill or inside in a skillet.  

This wonderful dish can be made in 30 minutes, which is perfect for a weeknight.  Very few ingredients and the result is bursting with flavor.  The steak is accompanies by an easy balsamic sauce.  Served alongside is a wonderful vegetable.  Summer squash is perfect with this dish.  Simply saute the squash with some garlic to give it a nice kick.  It goes so well with the steak.  A nice crusty bread and you are done...dinner's on!

I found the inspiration for this recipe on Everyday Food.  Martha is a perfect source for quick yet flavorful meals.  She also makes items simple, and easily adaptable to your taste as I have done here.  The original recipe calls for skirt steak and zucchini, and as you can see I substituted what I had on hand and it turned out just fabulous!

Take Martha's word for it...it's a good thing!

Balsamic Steak with Garlic Summer Squash

adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food, September 2012

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

2 T olive oil, divided

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium summer squash, cut into thin half-moons

salt and pepper

1 pound top sirloin steak

3/4 c balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add garlic and squash, season with salt and pepper, and saute until zucchini is tender and browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook about 7 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness.  Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil.

Discard fat from skillet, add vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Slice steak across the grain.  Add any accumulated juices from steak to skillet and stir to combine. Drizzle steak with sauce and serve alongside squash.