Steak Lovers Unite!

Now forgive whatever parts of this post doesn't make sense and/or are offensive, as I have had some wine and cannot be held responsible for what I type. Today I finally managed to get to the grocery store, and I picked up some stuff for a "fancier" type of dinner. You know the filet that comes prepackaged with the bacon wrapped around it that you don't want to buy but you do because your grocery store doesn't have any other kind of filet? And you're thinking as you buy it "Oh god. What did they do to this meat. Why is this filet so cheap?" Well that's what was for dinner! I've succumbed to the ease of this prepackaged filet many times in the past months. It's not that terrible, but let me advise that you don't eat it often. It's probably like tuna fish...not toxic... in small quantities.

Anyway, though. I use a recipe out of my Williams Sonoma cookbook that I talked about in this post and usually I just use their quick method for cooking filet mignon but this time I decided to make the recipe... kinda. Let's get this straight... I'm not LAZY exactly but when it comes to marinating steaks in bone marrow juice for 6 hours... well let's just say both "ew" and "I have better things to do." I am just not really going to sit around poking bone marrow out of cow bones...not to mention then I'd have to buy cow bones and who knows what kind of look the cashier would give you. Just not for me. I'm not that crazy yet.

Anyway, I was able to put together a really delicious meal in about 40 minutes. Would have taken less time if I had more than 2 operational stove top eyes to work with... Damn you 1950s kitchen! You are funkyretroawesome and yet you suck. We had long grain wild rice, wheat rolls, filet mignon with "bordelaise" sauce, and garlic asparagus. Delicious! (Anyone else see filet mignon and say in their head "mig-non" for giggles? Ok, good.)

For the long grain wild rice I opt for Carolina brand - it's cheap (under $1 per package) and has a great flavor. For the rolls, I had some pre-baked frozen rolls that you just pop in the toaster oven for 12 minutes and they are crusty and very tasty. In this instance, I used Rhodes rolls out of the frozen aisle. The asparagus was fresh, and always tastes better with fresh garlic, though I used bottled minced garlic. And the filet was tender and delicious with the quick'n'easy "bordelaise" sauce. Below are the recipes for the asparagus and the filet, and this recipe serves 2.

Filets Mignons with "Bordelaise" Sauce and Garlic Asparagus

• 1 Package pre-bacon-wrapped filet mignons (2 Filets)
• Olive oil
• 1/2 Tsp beef bouillon concentrate (I use "Better than Bouillon" brand) combined with 1/4 C. water
  
• 1 Medium shallot, minced
• 3/4 C. Red Wine (I use a Michigan wine, Grand Traverse - best red wine for people who don't like red wine.)
• Butter, unsalted, unsoftened
  
• Pinch of Thyme (dried OK)
• 1 Dried bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• Asparagus 1/2 bunch
  
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Remove the filet from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. Rub it lightly with olive oil on both sides and let it sit.
   
3. In a shallow skillet, melt 1/2 tbsp butter and add shallots, cooking until translucent about 5 minutes.
   
4. Add the wine, thyme, and bay leaf and simmer uncovered until it's reduced by 3/4ths about 12 minutes.
5. In the mean time, heat about 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet, and sautee the garlic lightly. Add the asparagus, and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes, and medium heat until the asparagus is cooked but still slightly crisp, about 10 minutes, tossing regularly to keep the asparagus from burning.
   
6. If you have a double oven, place the asparagus in the oven that is not on. If not, place it (skillet and all if possible) in the microwave and close the door.
7. At this time, when the wine mixture is reduced, add the 1/4th cup of beef bouillon and let it continue to simmer uncovered.
   
8. Heat a well seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Return to the filet and coat it lightly in fresh cracked pepper and salt. Place it in the skillet, and cook on one side 2 1/2 minutes. Flip and cook 2 1/2 minutes on the other side.
   
9. Transfer the whole skillet into the oven and cook 3 minutes for rare, and 5 minutes for medium. If you like it really well done, you probably shouldn't be eating filet.
10. In the mean time, while the filet finishes, continue to stir and simmer down your sauce. Let it cool for a few minutes. When the filet comes out of the oven and/or the sauce has cooled a bit, take 1/2 tbsp chilled butter and mix it in until it melts - this will thicken the sauce a bit.
    
11. On the serving plate, pour the sauce over the filet, and serve the asparagus and other sides together. They all blend well with the "bordelaise" sauce.
    

Spring...Summer... AUTUMN!

Hmm. I just realized how odd the word Autumn looks. Well... That aside, autumn is my favorite season. In the South, I loved spring because it brought the dead world back to life, and the blooms were amazing and the weather was even better, but in New England, it's autumn that has stolen my heart.

New England autumn is absolutely stunning. With so many deciduous trees, and lots of rain, the colors in the fall are absolutely magical. From late September to October and slightly into November, the leaves catch fire in yellows and oranges and reds. But it's not even the trees that get me so excited. New England comes together as a community in the fall. There are pumpkin festivals and hot Yankee soups in fresh bread bowls and tours of cemeteries in Salem and best of all, there are apples. Autumn is apple harvest in New England, and I absolutely adore the U-Pick apple orchards all over the state. Every year since I've moved up here, Aj and I go to the orchards at least once or twice. We're learning the different types of apples. What's best for pies, baked apples, caramel apples, eating, storing through the winter.... It's a past time that a lot of people up here take for granted, but being from the outside I can see the pure magic of it. I can't wait to do all of these things with my children some day.



The trees haven't really started to change just yet, and the apple orchards will operate until late October, but I am already in the autumn mood. I can't help but think of hot spiced cider and caramel apples and pies. Yum! Here is a recipe that I think is good for fall nights. The original recipe called for ricotta cheese, but I substituted marscapone in a pinch. It's good either way.

Spaghetti with Sweet Potatoes and Marscapone

• 12 Oz. Spaghetti (about 3/4 box)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 2 Small sweet potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• Sea/Kosher salt & cracked black pepper
• 2 Shallots, sliced thin
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 Cup marscapone or 1-2 dollops per plate

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. I like to cook mine a few minutes longer because I think Al Dente is Italian for "gross."
   
2. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water before you drain the pasta.
3. Meanwhile in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the potatoes, pepper and salt (to taste) and cook, covered, stirring every few minutes for 10 minutes.
4. Add the shallots and rosemary and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender about 3-5 minutes longer.
5. Toss the drained pasta with the potato mixture, Parmesan, and the reserved cooking water. Top with a dollop of marscapone.