Thursday Dinner.

Porterhouse steak for dinner, simple and easy, served it with pumpkin in sage butter, steamed potatoes with a cheesey topping, steamed beans and an onion & mushroom sauce.

I use a heavy non-stick baking dish to finish everything off at the one time in the oven, this is how it all came together.

Steam 2 small potatoes

In a small saucepan, caramelise ( 1 small, finely sliced onion) in 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter, finely slice 6 small mushrooms, add to pan and when softened, sprinkle in a little plain flour , just enough to take up the oil and butter, (about a dessertspoon), stir and cook until flour is starting to colour a little, add just enough water to make a very thick beginning of a sauce, you will be adding the pan juices later to finish the sauce. Remove from stove and keep warm.

Cube a scant cup of Butternut Pumpkin and add to the almost done potatoes, the pumpkin will not take long to soften.

Place a heavy baking dish on the stove top and heat to moderate. Turn oven on to high, about 220 deg C.

Cheesy Topping for Potatoes
Finely dice 1 Tablespoon of each Red and Green capsicum with spanish onion. Add to baking dish with 1 teaspoon oil, soften and remove from baking dish.

While capsicum is cooking, remove pumpkin cubes and potatoes from steamer, put beans into steamer on low heat.


Melt 1 teaspoon butter, at one end of the baking dish, add 4-6 sliced fresh sage leaves , add steamed pumpkin cubes and toss to coat with the butter.

Increase the heat under the other end of the baking dish, by placing the end directly over high heat.
Add the two Porterhouse steaks to the baking dish to brown.

Halve the potatoes, and spoon the capsicum and onion mix onto the cut surface, place cheese slices (used Grana Padano but I think a softer melting cheese or even a brie would be nicer) over the capsicum and put potatoes into the baking dish.

Quickly toss the pumpkin cubes, to brown the other sides

Turn the steaks, salt the browned side and pop the baking dish into the oven for 4-7 mins, depending on how well done you like your steaks - ours was 5 mins.

Re-heat the beginning of the mushroom sauce,

Plate the meal onto warm plates, use a little water from the bottom of the steamer to deglaze the baking dish, pour the pan juices into the mushroom sauce, stir over heat to finish the mushroom sauce.
By this time you deserve a nice glass of something to go with your dinner.............enjoy!