Well, I couldn’t resist sharing 2 more Valentine’s Day recipes after I chatted with Matt Swaim on the Sonrise Morning Show about St. Valentine and his connections with this “lovely” day. Did you know that St. Valentine, who lived in the 3rd century Rome, was immortalized by Geoffrey Chaucer who in the 14th century wrote a lot about St. Valentine and connected him with what was then known as courtly love. Chaucer, being one of the founders of what would become English literature, had a big influence and that influence holds true today.
So I wanted to share a couple more recipes, both delicious, both easy and foolproof. I’m making it easy for you to make your special Valentine feel, well…special!
EASY FILET MIGNON
Tip: Chefs like to bring their filets to room temperature before cooking. “More consistent cooking”, they say.
Ingredients
- Filet mignon, thick pieces – 1-2″ thick each (count on about 6-8 oz each)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 – 425 degrees.
- Add a little olive oil to an oven safe skillet and heat over medium high heat.
- Season each filet on both sides. Place into skillet.
- Cook for two minutes on each side ONLY to sear meat.
- Put skillet in the oven for 6-10 minutes. This can vary depending on the thickness of the steaks and how well done you like them. I like medium rare. You can always heat them more but remember, you can’t take away any doneness. Remove from oven and let them sit a couple minutes to rest and reabsorb juices. Serve immediately with a side of broiled asparagus and roasted potatoes.
- Tip:
- You can also mark them on the grill and finish them in the oven. You can do the grilling ahead of time, too.
- Gilding the lily:
- Put a little bit of blue cheese on top of the steaks right when they come out of the oven. It will melt a bit and be oh so yummy!
NUTELLA MOCHA SAUCE
Whether you want something that’s a last minute sweet for your special Valentine, or if your budget is a bit stretched, try this silky, decadent, double chocolate sauce. You can say “I love you” to 5 of your favorite sweethearts – this recipe makes 5 jars!
Ingredients
- 12 oz semi sweet or milk chocolate morsels
- 13 oz jar chocolate hazelnut spread, like Nutella
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Optional but good: 1/2 cup strong coffee or coffee liqueur, like Kahlua (the coffee is what makes it mocha)
Instructions
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt morsels and hazelnut spread together, stirring constantly.
- Add milk and vanilla and stir until smooth. Cook over low heat several minutes. Remove from heat and stir in liqueur.
- Spoon into 5 jars, 1 cup each. Cover and refrigerate.
- To use over ice cream or cake, warm in microwave until pourable.
About Eating 