We traveled to Cincinnati over Halloween weekend, arriving back in Geneva at 8am Monday morning, definitely brutal. With catching up on work from being out the previous week, I had no time to plan meals and did what I usually do when we haven't been to the store lately, head to the freezer. I had picked up some entrecote steaks and figured a straightforward steak-and-potatoes meal would be easy enough. Surprisingly my thyme is still alive in the flower box and I had most of the other ingredients for several recipes I saw in my new favorite food magazine, Donna Hay.

I am a believer in preparing steaks simply and this recipe adds just a little something with the use of hot English mustard.

Mustard-Crusted Beef with Thyme Butter

2 tsp hot English mustard
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt flakes
2 entrecotes/rib eyes

thyme butter:
6 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

mashed potatoes:
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp butter, chopped
1/3c heavy cream (warmed)
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a saucepan of salted cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to the pan. Roughly mash with a masher or fork. Add the butter, cream and salt and pepper. Taste and season more if necessary.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine mustard, oil and salt in a small bowl, then brush on the beef. Cook as you prefer (oven, grill, stovetop), I cooked for 5 minutes per side in a hot skillet on the stovetop. Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

To make the thyme butter, melt the butter in a pan over high heat, add the thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Scoop out mashed potatoes, then top with a steak and spoon the thyme butter over the steak and potatoes (and green beans if you're using!).

Results: Obviously butter makes everything even better, but this turned out really well regardless. You don't really taste the mustard at all, but there is a depth of flavor. The salt seasoning is perfect as well and it wasn't at all necessary to add salt after cooking.This was such an easy dinner too, could easily be prepared in 20 minutes, especially since you can do the butter and steaks while the potatoes are boiling. This was definitely one of Dave's favorites as well, but anything with steak usually is.

Recipes from Donna Hay magazine, issue 45.