Make Your Man Love You Steak Dinner

This was one of the last meals we had in our old apartment. My man was craving meat and I think I delivered! It's filet mignon, boursin mashed potatoes (see earlier Father's Day post for recipe), garlic broccollini and for a personal and feminine flair, a simple caprese salad.

I seared the filet mignon seasoned with only salt and pepper in a cast iron pan and finished them in the oven until perfectly medium rare. I pulled them off and set them aside. It's always key to let meat sit for 10-15 minutes before serving, especially red (and expensive!) meat for the juices to reincorporate.

The sauce pictured is the inspiration for the "Make Your Man Love You Forever" title. A food critic/best friend of mine told me that after she pulls the meat off of the stove she adds a container of creme fraiche to deglaze the pan. The creme fraiche mixes with all of the delicious fatty bits of meat and melts in to pure divinity. I added thyme to mine to add more flavor and woodiness and it was spectacular. Thanks, Mullete!

In case you are wondering what creme fraiche is, it's a tangy soft french cream most comparable to sour cream, but much more delicate. You can find it in the specialty cheese section for about $6. It's worth trying out! I add it to pasta dishes to make an instant cream sauce and it's fabulous. Its tanginess adds another dimension of flavor to whatever you add it to!

As for the caprese salad, it is the quintessential salad at my house at home and I can never get enough. For this one I put down a bed of spring greens, diced red onions and of course the sliced mozzarella and tomatoes. I salted and peppered them generously but I didn't pour the balsamic vinegar and olive oil until we sat down. If you do it too early, as with ANY salad dressing, it makes the lettuce leaves soggy.

The broccoloni I did super simple with a splash of olive oil and two garlic cloves. I detest floppy veggies so with this method they soften only slightly on the outside and they keep their color. Broccolini tastes and looks very similar to broccoli with longer stems and less florets. They're an attractive alternative although apparently not related.

The way to his heart is through his stomach, right? Enjoy!