I wasn’t surprised when I asked my husband what he wanted for Valentine’s dinner and he said filet mignon. We don’t do flowers or cards here. No, it’s always been a good meal, break out an old bottle of wine, and talk until the sun comes up or these days pass out on the couch. Filet mignon is very simple to cook, actually. And when paired with some simple rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes and steamed green beans, you have an elegant and delicious meal in 30 minutes with little fuss.

Seared Filet Mignon serves 2

• 2 filet mignons
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbs salted butter cut into 2 pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Bring both fillets close to room temperature.
3. Generously sprinkle each side of the fillets with salt and pepper. And nothing else! I saw someone once (I won’t mention any names You know who you are) put mustard on a filet mignon and I almost fainted. You don’t need one thing on this cut of meat it is perfect as it is.
4. Heat oil on medium high in a good, oven-safe, saute pan.
5. Place both fillets in the saute pan and sear the fillets for 3 minutes a side or until browned. Sear on the end sides as well for 1 minute each.
6. Once all of the sides are seared, place the pan in the oven.
7. Roast for 3 minutes for rare, 5 minutes for medium-rare, 6 minutes for medium and 7 minutes for medium well.
8. Place 1/2 tablespoon on each fillet and let rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

* If you wish, saute sliced cremini mushrooms with a teaspoon of olive oil in the same pan that the filet mignons were cooked in. Once caramelized, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of red wine and cook until the mushrooms absorb the wine. A quick and wonderful compliment to a good steak!

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Potatoes

• 1 pound small new potatoes and blue potatoes
• 1 Tbs freshly chopped rosemary
• 1 Tbs (3 cloves) chopped garlic
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise.
3. Place in a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients.
4. Toss until the potatoes are completely covered with oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
5. Pour onto a large baking sheet, making sure potatoes don’t overcrowd.
6. Place in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until cooked through.
7. serve

Steamed green beans

Ok I cheated, I just placed 1/2 pound of washed green beans in a bowl, filled the bowl halfway with water, covered with plastic wrap and placed in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Drained and tossed with a pinch of salt and a drizzle with olive oil. It’s Valentine’s Day. Who wants to clean a lot of pots and pans?

For desert… Grand Marnier Molten Chocolate Cake

So the chocolate Lava Cake has worn out it’s welcome on the foodie trend scale, I know. But it is still an easy go to desert for a special occasion when you need a quick and decedent last bite. I have used this recipe for years and it is now burned into my head. I encourage you to keep this one in your recipe stash for a long time as I have. It is from a 2004 Food & Wine issue. For tonight I have cut the recipe in half and added 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier orange liquor and 1 Tablespoon of orange zest.

Molten Chocolate Cake Food and Wine 2004

Sorry no photos of this one, it was gone just too fast.

Happy Valentine’s Day!