Saturday Night Dinner for two!

With one kid in college and one still in high school, but working most weekends gives us some time for quality dinners together as a couple. When we want to spoil ourselves we head to a small local grocery store  that has the best meat department and pick up some tenderloin steaks.  Those are prepared using Ian Garten's Steakhouse Steak recipe.  Now top that off with a homemade blue cheese sauce (melted butter and blue cheese)and sautéed mushrooms for a dinner that melts in your mouth. 

This dinner was accompanied with roasted potatoes and a Parmesan Roasted Asparagus that was very easy to prepare and delicious.  Asparagus is in season now so grab a pound and give this a try.  And to top off the dinner - Dirty Martini's!  These were made with a Dirty Martini mix I found at Marshall's and some Bombay Sapphire East Gin.  

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.

Combine asparagus and olive oil in a large zip close bag and shake to coat. Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the bag and shake to coat.

Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the asparagus is still

slightly crisp-tender.

Steakhouse Steaks

Ingredients

          

2 (2-inch-thick) filet mignons ( 8 to 10 ounces each)
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoons fine fleur de sel
1 tablespoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

                      

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat dry the filet mignons with paper towels. Brush the filet lightly all over with the oil. Combine the fleur de sel and cracked pepper on a plate and roll the filet on all sides in the mixture, pressing lightly to help the salt and pepper adhere. The steaks should be evenly coated with the salt and pepper.

When the pan is extremely hot, add the steaks and sear evenly on all sides (top, bottom, and sides) for about 2 minutes per side. (Be sure the cooking area is well ventilated.) You'll probably need about 3 turns to sear the sides and about 10 minutes total.

Remove the pan from the heat and arrange all the filets flat in the pan. Top each with a tablespoon of butter, then place the pan in the oven. Cook the filets for 8 to 12 minutes to 120 degrees for rare and 125 degrees for medium-rare. Remove the steaks to a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from  Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?

Cocktails anyone?