Happy Valentine's Day!
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Cooking time: 60 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for "menu" instructions |
Creamy Broccoli Soup Time: 30 minutes
1/3 head broccoli, 1 - 1 1/2 cups, chopped
potato, 1/2 - 2/3 cup, chopped use the trimmings from the Turned Potatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp marjoram
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 - 1 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, 2 oz (60gr)
2 tbs crème fraiche, plain yogurt or sour cream
Roughly chop broccoli, leaving a few small florets whole and kept separate - for garnish. Roughly chop potato. Heat chicken stock, marjoram, potatoes and chopped broccoli in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Put separate florets on top, reduce heat, cover and simmer. After about 7 minutes remove small florets and set aside. Continue cooking soup until broccoli and potato are tender, another 8 - 10 minutes. Purée soup. Return to heat and add mustard and enough milk to get the consistency you like. Heat through then add the cheese and heat, stirring. Do not let it boil or you will have strings! Add more milk if needed. Serve. Garnish each serving with 1 tbs crème fraiche and half of the reserved broccoli florets.
Note: I know this is a rich first course but it is also our vegetable for the dinner. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! You could thin it more and/or save some for lunch tomorrow.
Filet Mignon with (simple) Marchand de Vin Sauce Time: 30 minutes
4 slices beef tenderloin, each 1 inch thick (2.5 cm) or other steak of choice, thicker or thinner - adjust
cooking times for desired degree of doneness
for sauce
2 - 3 oz ham (80gr)
1 small bunch green onions
2 oz mushrooms, stems are fine
2 cloves garlic
1 cup beef stock
1 cup red
wine
1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs beef stock
Make sauce: Finely chop green onions, including 3 - 4 inches (7.50 - 10cm) green tops, garlic, mushrooms and ham. Put vegetables in saucepan, add red wine and beef stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and keep at a hard simmer for 20 minutes. It should reduce by about 1/2. Strain liquid, discarding solids. Return sauce to pan and bring back to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in beef stock and stir into sauce. Stir constantly until thickened and clear. Keep warm while you cook the steaks.
For the steaks
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté beef 2 minutes per side for rare, (3 for medium rare) and remove. Here is a site that explains the thumb test for checking doneness or you can make a small cut in the top of one and peak. Adjust time for thicker or thinner steaks and remember: you can always put it back if it's not done enough.
To serve
Put 2 steaks on each plate and spoon a little sauce over top. Put the rest of the sauce in a sauce boat and serve on the side.
Turned Potatoes Time: 45 minutes
these look trickier than they are but do take a bit of work and planning
2 large or 4 smaller potatoes
1 1/2 tbs butter
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
salt - sea salt if you have it
We'll start backwards. The finished product is a potato that is barrel-shaped and app. 2 inches (5cm) long by 3/4 inch (2cm) thick at the middle (like a barrel, ends will be just a bit thinner). Look at your potatoes. Ideally you should be able to cut the potato in half the short way and have two pieces a bit longer than 2 inches (5cm). Cut these halves into 4ths the long way and, as they say, 'cut away the part that's not the barrel'. Trim the pieces into something close to a barrel-shape. The potato trimmings go into the soup. A large potato will give you 8 turned potatoes and a small potato will give 4 - you won't cut it in half the short way first. You will want 6 - 8 per person. Don't be overly concerned about your carving abilities, just try to keep them similar in size. A little smaller is fine. Okay, now the cooking instructions:
Peel potatoes and put into a large bowl of cool water. Select a potato and start carving, keeping the pieces that you're not working on in the water. The potato scraps should go into a measuring cup until you have enough for the soup. When you do, put them in the stock for the soup and discard the rest, if any, of the potato trimmings. It shouldn't take more than 5 - 10 minutes to carve the potatoes. When done, put them into a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 10 minutes. In large nonstick skillet heat the butter and oil over medium heat. When potatoes are done steaming add them to the skillet. Brown the potatoes on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove, sprinkle lightly with salt and arrange attractively around the steak.
Chocolate Mousse Time: 40 minutes
it's a challenge finding quick desserts for two....and, as it's Wednesday...
1/2 cup plus 1 tbs heavy cream
2 oz (60gr) good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate
2 oz Kahlúa (or however much you want)
Melt the chocolate in a small bowl placed over simmering water or very carefully in the microwave, just until it's melted. Stir to melt evenly. Let chocolate cool about 10 minutes before adding the whipped cream. Whip the cream and Kahlúa together in a medium bowl until soft peaks. You can use a whisk or hand egg-beater or hand-mixer. A soft peak is when you pull the mixer out and the cream follows, making a peak but the top falls over. Scrape the chocolate into a medium bowl. Slowly and carefully stir in about 3 tbs of the whipped cream. When it's mixed, slowly fold in all but 2 tbs of the whipped cream. Do not stir hard or fast. Folding is lifting up from the bottom and gently laying it over. You don't want to 'break' the cream. When mixed (doesn't need to be perfect, this is a case of less being better) cover and chill for 30 minutes. Also cover and chill the last bit of whipped cream. To serve spoon into dessert dishes and top with whipped cream. A bit of Kahla with the coffee would be nice.
Note: If you'd rather not fuss with dessert just pick up some premium coffee-flavored or chocolate ice cream. Spoon it into dessert dishes and pour some Kahlúa over the top. Serve with fancy cookies.
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Cooking Schedule: 60 minutes |
Mind the sauce, if reduced adequately, strain |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
Our Weekly Menu Planner Service gives you healthy, gourmet dinners, carefully planned to eliminate waste and insure a wide variety of seasonal, wholesome foods each week.
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