It’s hot here! Have I said that already? It’s so hot that this sorbet melted halfway into shooting it. Ok, yes I had a chicken pot pie in the oven that made the already hot kitchen 1500°F but it was well worth it. I do not own an ice cream maker. I wish I did but I would have no where to put it in this tiny kitchen. So I had to come up with a more simplified version to make an icy treat to help cool us down. It was a certain success as I turned to look at Mia and she had gobbled it up in one bite and screamed for more. Strawberry Peach Sorbet is a simple sweet refreshing treat to make with the kids to beat the summer heat. Look below for an adult version. wink wink.

Strawberry Peach Sorbet makes 4 to 6 servings (about 1 quart)

• 1 pint strawberries, organic if possible
• 2 medium peaches, organic if possible
• 2 to 4 Tbs pure honey, amount will depend on how ripe your fruit is
• 3/4 cup peach nectar

Slice strawberries in half and place in a food processor or blender. Pit and slice peaches and put them in the food processor or blender with the strawberries. I like to leave the skin in the peaches for a little extra nutrition. Get it where you can, right? Add 2 tablespoons of honey and process for 2 minutes until very smooth and it becomes liquid almost. Taste. If it’s too sour add a bit more honey and blend to mix.

Pour into 2 ice cube trays and freeze for at least 3 hours but 5 would be best. Keeping it real here. I just can’t pour like Martha Stewart. It got a little messy.

When frozen, place the frozen fruit cubes in a food processor with the peach nectar. Pulse just one to three times if using a food processor or blend for a couple of seconds if using a blender. Puree just enough to have a creamy yet still solid consistency. Note that it was 1500°F in my kitchen this day and Mia could not wait a full 5 hours to allow the cubes to frreeze thoroughly so they were a little on the mushy side.

Listen up. This is where you add a cup of very cold white wine for a nice little treat for yourself.

Scoop into a serving dish and garnish with a strawberry slice or a mint leaf. A perfectly easy cool down indulgence to beat those summer blues.

I’ll see y’all later. I’m going to go make some more. Maybe with mangoes this time.

There’s nothing better than taking a bite of slightly sweet and toasty homemade granola to drown out the bickering between a dog and a two year old little girl. Yes, they bicker. No, I didn’t realize adopting a 60 pound lab meant adopting a another toddler and yes, I’m considering never having anymore children because my hair is quickly turning grey. There’s also the possibility of me entering a psych ward soon. But for now I have the crunchy bites of heaven covered with milk to save my sanity and make me smile when I realize that my once white dog is now neon blue and a beheaded Barbie rolls under neath my feet.

Dried Cherry Coconut Granola makes 10 cups

• 4 cups oats
• 2 cups almonds
• 2 cups raw shredded or flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cups dried sweet or bing cherries, pitted
• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil*
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 Tbs pure maple syrup

*the low down on virgin coconut oil, in case you were wondering: Virgin coconut oil is one of the safest oils to cook with. It does not contain trans fatty acids and does not break down. Coconut oil is known as the “energy fat” and is favoured by dieters, athletes, and body builders. It is slightly lower in calories than most other fats and oils and is processed in the liver and converted directly into energy unlike most oils. So, in conclusion it’s pretty healthy.

Preheat oven to 300° F.

With a sharp knife, coarsely chop almonds. If you have little kiddos like I, you might want to chop the almonds in pieces they can handle.

In a large bowl, combine oats, chopped almonds, shredded coconut, and cherries. I like to chop the cherries a bit so that Mia can eat them easier. Warning: little hands find their way into this recipe fast. Dried Cherries may be irresistible to some. Proceed with caution.

In a small bowl or measuring cup combine coconut oil and honey. Mix well.

Pour the coconut oil/honey mix into the oats and stir well until combined.

Spread evenly on a large baking sheet (11″x17″) and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are golden.

Allow to cool completely before serving or storing. Store in an air-tight container.

Perfect on cherry Greek yogurt. Have you noticed I’m addicted to Greek Yogurt lately?

In Texas, apricots are right up there with peaches and when they hit the markets you know it’s the beginning of summer.That’s why yesterday when I was at the market I must of lost my head with excitement and bought 5 pounds. Hmmm? What am I going to do with 5 pounds of apricots I kept asking myself as the dog was liking the side of my face and drooling down my arm in the car ride home. That’s when, for some unknown reason, I remembered an episode from the Two Fat Ladies and a chocolate almond crusted tart that I have been dying to make. With a couple of twists and turns and running out of time before dinner, I quickly put this together for a DELICIOUS summer desert (or breakfast *wink wink*).

Rustic Apricot Tart with Almond Crust serves 8

for the crust

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 9 Tbs butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cup flour

for the filling

• 2 cups strained Greek yogurt (I recommend FAGE)
• 2 Tbs honey

For the apricots

• 4 apricots
• 1 1/2 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 Tbs sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a food processor, combine almonds, powdered sugar, and salt and process until almonds are finely ground. Add butter and egg yolk and pulse until combined. Next, slowly add flour and pulse until a soft dough forms.

Lightly grease a tart pan with a removable bottom and press the dough uniformly into the tart pan. Now you can be fancy and wrap the dough in plastic wrap, refrigerate for 3 hours, and roll it out to a thin well formed crust but that’s not rustic now is it? Place on a baking sheet. Pierce the dough with a fork numerous times. Cover with foil and add dried beans or pie weighs on top of the foil. This prevents the crust from bubbling. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Slice the apricots into eighths and place on a lightly greased baking sheet (I line mine with foil sprayed with cooking spray). Sprinkle the brown sugar on the apricots and place under the broiler for 5 to 8 minutes until the apricots start to slightly brown. Set aside and cool.

While the crust and apricots are cooling, make the filling by combining the yogurt and honey. Mix well.

Next, toast the almond slices in a skillet over medium heat. Remove when they turn golden.

Now time for the good part. Pour the filling into the almond crust and spread evenly. Top with apricot slices and toasted almonds.

Remove from the tart pan and serve.

Sweet, tart and tangy, this rustic apricot tart with almond crust is a refreshing decedent treat perfect for hot summer days. Seriously good.

There’s nothing better in the summer than a refreshing granita and I’ve made quite a few. Granitas have even been my close friend during those teething days with Mia. Her favorite, cantelope and mint, was devoured daily and helped sooth her swelling gums.

I love granitas because they are supper simple to make and like a good dress can be dressed up or down with the addition of a touch of liqueur. This grapefruit and rosemary granita is so delicious and is my favorite yet! Don’t be put off by the rosemary my friends, it a delightful and elegant pairing with the grapefruit and will surprise you.

grapefruit and rosemary granita serves 4

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 rosemary sprig, 7 inches
• 2 1/2 cups fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (about 4 grapefruits)
• 1/2 cup vodka, optional

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, sugar, and rosemary to a simmer. Here’s a little note: I am a rosemary lover, my husband not so much. I like this granita with two sprigs of rosemary and he thinks I’m just a little crazy. So, if you are like me you might consider an extra sprig. Once the sugar is dissolved remove from heat and allow to cool. This is a low sugar simple syrup.

While the simple syrup is cooling, squeeze the grapefruit juice into a large bowl retaining some pulp. You could just go and buy grapefruit juice but where is the fun in that and I promise you it will not be as good!

Remove the rosemary sprig and add the cooled syrup to the grapefruit juice. Add the vodka (by the way I know I don’t have to really say this but I’m going to anyway: do not add vodka if you are serving this to your kids). Stir to combine.

Pour the grapefruit/syrup mixture into a 9×13 glass or metal baking pan. Place in the freezer. Allow to freeze for an hour without disturbing.

Once the juice begins to freeze, scrape the entire dish with a fork every 30 minutes until you reach a fine slushy consistency, about 2 hours.

Serve and enjoy!

Today, I made Mia her own batch the exact same way as the grapefruit rosemary granita using fresh squeesed orange juice with no simple syrup. Oranges are in season and super sweet already. She loved it.

What’s an APO cookie you ask? It’s an awesome cookie that not only makes your tastebuds tremble but brings a little taste of home to a solider. I call them APO (Army Post Office) cookies because they tend to not spoil as fast as a traditional cookie with flour and butter making the long trip overseas to your favorite solider. My favorite soldier is my brother, Michael who is stationed somewhere in the Afghanistan area. Love you Mike!  I just sent him and his brothers a box full and I was glad to get them out of the house as I was about to eat them all.

I’ve been making these for years and found the original recipe in a Food & Wine issue. With time I’ve changed the recipe and came up with my own favorite version with peanut butter chips and sea salt (chocolate chips and peanuts are good too). They are made without flour making them gluten-free and are sinfully delicious and crispy! Perfect for a quick cookie fix or to send overseas to our amazing troops.

Peanut Butter APO Cookies makes 18 to 24
adapted from Food & Wine magazine

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• sea salt, fleur de sel

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar, egg and baking soda. Mix well. Note: On a daily basis we use natural fresh pressed peanut butter. It WILL NOT work well in this recipe. If you are a fresh peanut butter person as I am, bite the bullet and grab a jar of the processed stuff!

Fold the peanut butter chips into the batter.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. With a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop out batter and place on the baking sheet. Depending on how big you make your cookies, you might need two baking sheets.

With your hands, roll the scooped batter into balls.

With a fork, press down and make a crosshatch pattern on the soon to be cookie.

Top each cookie with just a little pinch of fleur de sel (sea salt) and place in the oven. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack before serving or shipping.

Seriously crunchy goodness. And if you’re not sending them overseas drizzle with melted dark chocolate and you have one hell of a cookie.

Remember, freedom isn’t free. Don’t forget to thank our troops and veterans!

A couple of days ago my phone rings. It’s Kim, my next door neighbor and sometimes a product reviewer on In Sock Monkey Slippers. This is what happens when you live next to me; I talk about you to hundreds of people and make you work for me without real pay but it’s all good because I feed you constantly. Kind of like Oprah and Gale. She’s in a hurry (has some REAL work to actually get to) and begins to tell me that someone is looking for me, contacted her and wants my phone number. At first I’m like, “uh…do they want money, cause if so tell them you don’t know me!” She then proceeds to tell me that it’s a newspaper reporter and gives me a number to contact, which of course is the wrong number (sorry to whomever I left a lengthy message to). After we finally get it right and I’m having a conversation with this reporter I suddenly realize it’s not a newspaper reporter but a television reporter. My brain stops with fear as he’s telling me he wants to come over as soon as possible to do a story on me an the blog. Ok, as long as it was a newspaper reporter I was totally cool but now that I have to

#1 have cameras in my OH SO MESSY HOUSE (picture a week of being out of town coupled by two weeks of the flu) and
#2 I’m a complete ball of crazy lady anxiety in front of a camera

…needless to say, I was a little stressed. I’m not gonna lie I seriously considered popping open a bottle of wine in the middle of the afternoon.

So, in a rush I cleaned the house and came up with a quick recipe to do on camera that tried to show the real food/nutritious side of the blog with what was left of a very barren pantry. This is that recipe… Sweet Potato and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. A quick so very simple cookie that is still sweet and delicious with gasp… a vegetable.

All in all I pulled it together without any sort of medication or psychotherapy and Mia and I had a great time.

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Raisin Cookies makes 45 small cookies

• 1 large sweet potato or 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) and 6 Tbs of butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1 cup raisins, organic if possible

Preheat oven to 350° F.

If you don’t have sweet potato puree or a cooked sweet potato on hand, here’s a fast way to cook a sweet potato using a microwave. This is how I ate in college.

1. Pierce a large washed potato numerous times with a fork.
2. Wrap the potato in a wet paper towel and then wrap that in plastic wrap.
3. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 6 minutes, flipping the potato over halfway through cooking.

Cut the potato in half and scoop out the flesh, placing it in a bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat butter, sugars, and honey in a large bowl until creamy.

Next, add the sweet potato, vanilla and eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir and add to the sugar and egg mixture. Mix until combined.

Add oats and raisins and stir.

With an ice cream scoop or large spoon, drop dough onto an ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack. And then eat as many as you can before they disappear by your kids, husband, or news crew if you have one hanging around the house.

I love how the sweet potato gives these cookies a slightly different taste and a round shape. These are seriously good and packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin E, calcium and beta carotene!

When I arrived home from a fantastic trip to San Francisco there was a brand new B0n Appétit sitting ever so patently in the mailbox. The unpacking would have to wait. Magazine reading always comes first, right? Ever since we left the airport I have been racking my brain to come up with new recipes based on the fresh seasonal foods I had on the west coast. With rhubarb season starting I was baffled about how to even attempt to use this fruit, vegetable, plant…uh, what is this red stalk thingy anyway? (upon further research I found it’s an ornamental vegetable for those of you who were wondering) And when I opened my favorite mag my questions were answered as there was a beautiful photo of a Rhubarb Fool from a previous issue. I immediately went to the store and grabbed me some rhubarb and got to cooking.

Can you believe I’ve never actually eaten a rhubarb! For some reason I was raised thinking they were poisonous and should only be eaten cooked down in a pie. Imagine how I freaked out when I turned around to see Mia, my two year, old chomping down on a stalk right out of the bag! I panicked, grabbed my phone to call poison control and then thought, why would they sell poisonous produce at the grocery store? My blonde moment slowly started to fade as I put down the phone and checked the Internet for a little research. Ok, so now I feel like an idiot. Rhubarb is not poisonous at all, just a little sour. Am I the only one who thought this? This is just going to have to go down in the “Blonde Moments of Meredith Book” right next to the chapter, “People don’t actually work underground changing the traffic signals, it’s done electronically.” Granted that chapter was written when I was young although I would rather not mention how old I was when I figured that one out.

This Rhubarb and Blackberry Yogurt Fool is a healthier adaption of the traditional Rhubarb Fool featured in Bon Appétit but just as delicious. A little tart but rightfully sweet this little treat disappeared fast and will be returning frequently in this house! If you are looking for a quick and easy way to use rhubarb for your family, try this today! This one is Mia approved.

Rhubarb and Blackberry Yogurt Fool serves 2
adapted from Bon Appétit April 1995

• 8 ounces fresh rhubarb stalks, trimmed, or 8 ounces frozen and thawed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
• 1/2 cup blackberries, organic if possible
• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, organic if possible (for an even sweeter version use vanilla greek yogurt)

Cut rhubarb crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and place in a saucepan.

Add orange juice and zest.

Uh, yeah you don’t have to do this particular step but by all means if you want to suck the orange dry be my guest.

Add sugar to the rhubarb and juice.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add blackberries and cook for 5 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened. Turn off heat.

Stir in the Grand Marnier. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 15 minutes. NOTE: If you are making this for your children, add the Grand Marnier at the same time that you add the blackberries. This will give the alcohol enough time to cook out or you can leave it out all together.

To serve, add 1/4 cup of yogurt to the bottom of a cup or bowl. Top with 1/4 cup of rhubarb mixture and then place 1/4 cup yogurt on top of that. With a knife swirl yogurt and rhubarb together.

Serve and watch it disappear fast!

I can’t describe in words how good and fresh this is but maybe this picture can help you understand. Rhubarb = Awesomeness.

I’m sharing this photo with you because my grandfather, my Papa, would want me too. It sits in my bookcase and mysteriously would make it’s way to the center of the mantel when he would visit. It was his favorite photo with his favorite plane, Krazy Daisy, and he let you know it. A distinguished WWII hero, accomplished businessman, golfer, fisherman,  chocolate pie connoisseur, loved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather, Paul J. Babb Jr. took flight this week to heaven. He will be missed.

I have many memories of my grandfather but my favorite is how every holiday, birthday or Sunday dinner he would steal the chocolate meringue pie. First of all, if you did not have grandmother’s chocolate meringue pie for desert he would sulk and mention the absolute failure of this travesty every ten minutes or so. I would laugh when my grandmother would say, “Oh Paul hush.” But when there was pie I kept a good eye on my grandfather as he would sneak into the kitchen when no one was looking and steal the pie. I would then try to follow him without him noticing as he hid the prized pie. He usually just put it in a cabinet but on one Christmas I found it in his underwear drawer. From then on we just made two.

I could go on for hours with stories of my grandfather and how he always tried to make everyone in his life laugh but I would be here in front of the computer for days. I cook to nourish, to love, to create and today to remember. I hope Jesus knows how to make chocolate meringue pie or he’s in for an earful.

Individual Chocolate Merigne Pies makes 4 pies
my grandma’s recipe

• 1 c sugar
• 4 Tbs flour
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 3 Tbs coco powder
• 1 c evaporated milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 store bought pie crust (noted my grandmother makes her own but I’m in a hurry today)
• orange zest, optional

Sorry, I wasn’t able to take step-by-step photos today as I usually do.

1. Combine sugar, flour, salt and coco powder in a medium bowl.
2. Add evaporated milk and egg yolks and stir until combined.
3. In a small saucepan bring about 2 cups of water to boil and reduce heat to medium. Place the bowl on top of the sauce pot, creating a double broiler.
4. Add butter and vanilla to the coco mixture in the bowl and stir.
5. Stirring constantly, cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and pour the chocolate pie filling into four 3″ in diameter ramekins, leaving an inch of space from the top of the ramekin.
7. Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refriderate fpr 2 hours or overnight.
8. To make the meringue, place egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer  (you can use a hand mixer as well) and beat on high until the egg whites are white and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. To test, remove a beater and hold right side up. If the egg whites stay on the mixer you are done.
9. Once the pie filling is set and cold, spoon on a heaping pile of meringue on top of the filling completely covering the edge of the ramekins.
10. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in a 425 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes until the meringue is golden. Remove and set aside to cool.
11. Reduce the heat in the oven to 375 degrees.
12. On a floured surface, roll out the dough. Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out shapes in the dough and place on an ungreesed cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and Oh My Goodness, orange zest! You must try this it is Divine! I did not use the pie crust “cookies” with orange zest in the photos because my mind was somewhere else and forgot to use a timer which lead to burnt zest. Not too pretty but if I didn’t smile with joy when I dipped an orange zested pie crust into the chocolate and took a joyful bite! YUM!
    
13. Place in oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly golden.
14. Remove and slide one our two pie crust “cookies” in the meringue.
15. Serve and just to try it out, dash a little salt on your pie just like Papa used to do.

This post is dedicated to my little brother that is currently stationed in Afghanistan and who’s proven theory in life is that everything tastes better on a “steeeek.” Sorry, it’s an inside joke.

I saw these many years ago in a little bakery in Dallas and the idea has stuck in my head since then. It wasn’t until this past weekend when we were spending time at the ranch that I remembered these little delights. My mother-in-law had taken Mia to the neighboring ranch for a visit and upon their return my 2 year-old little girl had a new word, bue-bery-pie. I didn’t have to decipher what she was saying because the evidence of her new found word was smeared all over her face. And that’s when I remembered, pie on a stick and jumped in the kitchen when we returned home.

Buttery, flaky, sweet, and perfect for those little hands without a huge bue-berry-pie mess.

Blueberry Pie Sticks makes 15

• 1 cup fresh blueberries, organic if possible
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• pinch kosher salt
• 2 store bought pie dough crusts for a 9″ pie
• flour, for dusting
• 1 egg white
• 15 lollipop sticks

Preheat oven 375°F.

In a bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt. Stir well and set aside.

Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out one pie dough crust. With a size-able cookie cutter, about 2″ to 4″ in diameter, press into the dough and cut out a shape in the dough. Make sure for every shape you cut that you have one to match. Each “pie on a stick” uses two pie crust shapes. Place on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper if you have any. By the way, will someone remind me to please go to Gourmet Gallery and grab some parchment paper please! I keep forgetting.

Repeat with the other pie crust dough. You will have to gather, roll, and cut with the cookie cutter a couple of times to use all of the dough.

Place the lollipop sticks into the center of each piece of pie crust dough on the baking sheet.

Place a small teaspoon of the blueberry mixture into the center.

Top with a matching pie crust and crimp the edges with a fork or a lollipop stick making sure all edges are sealed. Brush with top of the pie crust with egg white.

Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the the crust is golden. Once finished, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

It’s like a little bite of blueberry awesomeness. I can’t wait to make more with many different fillings and before you ask, I’m sure you can use store-bought pie filling. I didn’t because I didn’t want all of the excess sugar and corn syrup that those tend to have but if I was in a hurry and wanted to make these for a party I might try it. If you do though, be careful about how much “syrup” from the pie filling that you add to avoid leakage.

num, num, num, num, num, num! Pie on a stick is awesome and I almost ate them all! Thankfully, it was my neighbor’s birthday and I gave the majority to him.

Mia approved.

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!