Gourmet Cooking For Two

The press release for my book finally came out! Thanks for your support! Gourmet Cooking for Two A romantic gourmet adventure that will satisfy your appetite and spice up your love life. SPRINGVILLE, Utah - August 19, 2014 - Author Chrisiti Silbaugh and Cedar Fort Publishing and Media announce the release of "Gourmet Cooking for Two," acookbook that gives credence to the statement: "The way to man's heart is through his stomach," and then some. Loaded with delectable delicacies and tantalizing treats, every soul-satisfying recipe has been created with love in mind.     Not only do the beautiful photographs of each dish seduce you to want to partake, but every recipe is accompanied by a romantic tip that is sure to fan the flame of your love or reignite the embers of a waning romance.      Whether its an appetizer, salad, soup, main dish, side dish, or dessert, Christi Silbaugh infuses romantic fun and wisdom into over 120 recipes. With unique romantic tips to accompany recipes such as Refreshing Shrimp Bites, Hot and Sour Soup, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Orange Dreamsicle, "Gourmet Cooking for Two" will satiate your appetite while spicing up your love life. Maybe the way to your lover's heart really is through the stomach! Get your copy HERE About the Author: CHRISTI SILBAUGH is the self-educated chef and author of three cooking blogsincluding: Mom, What's For Dinner, Gourmet Cooking For Two andZero Calorie Life. She writes for foodie media giants Glam Media and Federated Media and works for Fast Forward Events, covering food and wine events in San Diego. Since 2009, she has created and posted over 1,000 gluten-free recipes. She lives with her family in California.

Cedar Fort Inc. 2014

Beef Wellington

 

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. So I decided to do something bold to please my Man. He LOVES beef, and I wanted to try to make a challenging beef recipe that I have never attempted before. Beef Wellington. Not sure how I would like such a dish, not being a beef fan, I decided to make 2 individual servings. The dish turned out amazing. I even ate a few bites and loved it! Knowing I got the highest quality grass fed beef helped I am sure. 

Don't be scared to tackle this dish. I was actually so pleased with how easy it was to make, that I plan on making this ahead of time the next time I have company over for dinner. This is a dish that is very easily made ahead of time, with the results that will most definitely wow your guests. 

Beef Wellington for two

adapted from Gordon Ramsay

Two fillet Mignon (8 oz filet's, or a 1lb fillet of Angus beef)

Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

5oz crimini mushrooms

1 Tbsp butter

1 large sprig fresh thyme

2 fl oz dry white wine

6 slices prosciutto

1/2 lb puff pastry, thawed if frozen

a little flour, for dusting

2 egg yolks beaten with 1 tsp water

Heat a tablespoon olive oil in a large pan on high heat. Season the fillet generously with salt and pepper. Sear the fillet in the pan on all sides until well browned.

Remove the fillet from the pan brush the fillet on all sides with Dijon mustard. Set aside.

Chop the mushrooms finely in a food processor. Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add butter, thyme and white wine along with the chopped mushrooms into the pan and let cook down. 

When the moisture boiled away, set aside the mushroom mixture to cool.

Roll out a large piece of plastic wrap. Lay out the slices of prosciutto on the plastic wrap so that they overlap.

 Spread the mushroom mixture over the prosciutto Place the beef fillet in the middle, roll the mushroom and prosciutto over the fillet, using the plastic wrap so that you do this tightly. 

Wrap up the beef fillet into a tight barrel shape, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to secure. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet to a size that will wrap around the beef fillet. Unwrap the fillet from the plastic wrap and place in the middle of the pastry dough. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten eggs. Fold the pastry around the fillet, cutting off any excess at the ends (pastry that is more than 2 layers thick will not cook all the way, try to limit the overlap). Place on a small plate, seam side down, and brush beaten egg yolks all over the top. Chill for 5-10 minutes.

 Place the pastry-wrapped fillet on a baking pan. Brush the exposed surface again with beaten eggs. Score the top of the pastry with a sharp knife, not going all the way through the pastry. Sprinkle the top with coarse salt. Bake for 25-35 minutes. The pastry should be nicely golden when done. (To ensure that your roast is medium rare, test with an instant read meat thermometer. Pull out at 125-130°F for medium rare.)

 Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Filet Mignon with Orange sauce

 
Candle's are my favorite. I think the majority of a romantic setting involves lighting. Any kind of low light, is romantic, that is why dinner dates after dark are more romantic than lunch dates at noon.

Romantic Tip: Turn off the lights and light as many candles as you can for dinner. the air of romance will be so thick, your love will be blind to anything else but the radiance of your love. 

Now on to today's food. Once again lucky husband came home to a nice Filet Mignon dinner. Since Blood oranges are in season right now, I used them for the orange sauce. You can use regular oranges if you prefer. 

Filet Mignon with Orange sauce

adapted from Lost Past Remembered

2 filet mignon

4 T white wine vinegar

1/2 cup red wine

pinch of cloves, nutmeg cinnamon, ginger, and coriander

Smoked Salt and Pepper to taste

6 T butter

juice of one large orange

Optional: Cooked Carrots and loose herbs of your choice for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Marinate the filets for an hour in the vinegar, wine and spices with salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet till hot (cast iron is good). Add 1TBSP butter and the steaks and sear, browning well on all sides. Place in the oven for 5 minutes for rare, 10 minutes for Medium.

When they are done, remove them to a warmed plate and cover lightly. 

Add the rest of the butter and the orange juice and strained marinade to the pan you cooked the steak in, over medium heat on the stove. Reduce a little and pour over the steaks.

Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauce

Want to know something about me you probably would not have guessed? I don't eat red meat. I don't have some religious reason, nor is it an ethical thing. I believe God gave us animals to eat, it is all over in the bible. I just don't care for it. I know it is not healthy to eat all the time so once a week, I fix my husband his beloved steak. He is a huge red meat lover. So I set out to learn how to cook it just the way he likes it. When we go out to eat he will order it: "Rare, rare, rare, no whiney". I am not joking, that is what he says almost every time. It took a bit for me to learn how to make it the say he loves it. But I have now accomplished it. Almost every time I serve it to him his eyes roll back in his head and he says: "oh my goodness!". That means I was successful! 

Romantic Tip: Does your partner have a dish they love that you just don't like at all? Pick a time to be absolutely unselfish and make them their meal just the way they like it. It shows them you care about them and listen when they tell you things they like... It is not always about you! 

Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauce
adapted from No Recipes

2 1.5″ thick filet mignon steaks
coarse cracked black pepper
kosher salt

1 C shiitake Mushrooms
2 shallots minced
2 Tbs brandy
3/4 C low sodium chicken stock
1 Tbs butter
lemon juice

Bring the steaks to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the steaks are at room temperature, start heating a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the steaks and press the salt and pepper into the surface of the steaks to ensure it sticks.

When the skillet is very hot, place the steaks in the pan and allow them to brown undisturbed until they don’t stick to the pan anymore. Flip and brown for another few minutes on the other side.

Quickly put the pan in the hot oven and turn it off. Allow them to rest in the oven without opening it for 10 minutes for a rare steak, or 15 minutes for medium rare steak. My hubby likes it rare.

Transfer the steaks to a plate, then return the skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil and saute the minced shallots until they start getting soft. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until they are limp and glossy and there is no liquid in the pan.

Add the brandy and swirl it around the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add the chicken stock and raise the heat to high, boiling until it starts to thicken and there’s only about 1/4 C of liquid remaining.

Serve the mushrooms and sauce over the steak.