Easy to Love - Fast and Foolproof Valentines Menu For 2

They say love is a battlefield, but your kitchen need not be.

If you're looking to whip up an easy, elegant, and delicious meal for your special someone, the dishes on today's Valentines Menu for 2 will allow you to do just that while looking pretty cool the whole time:

2 Course Valentines Day Menu 

Asparagus and Prosciutto Toasts with Truffle Oil and Poached Egg

Lamb Loin Chops With Meyer Lemon and Herb Butter


Whether you're a pro or a cooking novice, these recipes are relatively easy and come together nicely with just a bit of planning. The Lamb practically makes itself and the bright yet subtle Herb Butter that accompanies it is fast and simple. Especially creative cooks might even think about cutting the butter pats into an adorable heart shapes - extra points! More tips on the planning and prepping for this meal can be found below. First, let's check out the results:

Lamb Loin Chops with Meyer Lemon and Herb Butter, Photo: NK 

Asparagus and Prosciutto Toasts with Truffle and Poached Egg, Photo: NK

Now, a few important notes on timing and the ideal preparation order to accompany the recipes below:

Planning and Order of Prep:

Make the Herb Butter in advance if you like. It can be stored in the freezer and brought to room temp before serving.

The Day Of:

Take Lamb out of the fridge to bring meat to room temperature. Tip - Meat ALWAYS cooks best when it's started at room temperature. 

Preheat the Oven for the Lamb Chops - 350

If frozen, take the Herb Butter out of the freezer and slice into rounds. Allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve. 

Place water in a medium sized high sided saute pan (for the Poached Eggs).

On another burner, fill a medium sized sauce pan with water (for cooking the Asparagus).

Heat a medium sized oven proof skillet over medium-high flame for several minutes (for browning Lamb).

Season the Lamb on both sides with Salt and Pepper.

Sear Lamb in the medium sized skillet on both sides (3 min per side), then transfer the skillet to the hot oven to finish the Lamb.

Place Asparagus in medium sauce pan once water is boiling. Boil 3 minutes. Strain and set aside. 

About two minutes before the Lamb will be done cooking, toast the Bread for the Asparagus Toasts. Now Brush with Truffle Oil and sprinkle Toasts with Pepper.

Remove Lamb Skillet from the oven and cover lightly with foil. Allow Lamb to sit about 5 minutes before serving.

Crack each Egg into a small bowl. 

Place Prosciutto on top of each of the Toasts, and arrange several spears of Asparagus on top. 

Turn on the flame on beneath the medium sized sauce pan (for poaching the Eggs). When the water comes to gentle boil, add a dash of vinegar and carefully shimmy the Eggs into the water. Allow them to poach for 1-2 minutes until the Whites are opaque and the Yolks runny. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon and place one Poached Egg gently atop each Asparagus Toast. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of Salt and Pepper.

Plate and garnish the Lamb, adding a round of Herb Butter on each Chop. Enjoy! 

How to Assemble, Photo: NK 

Lamb Loin Chops With Meyer Lemon and Herb Butter
Serves 2 
Lamb Ingredients:
4 Bone In Lamb Loin Chops - 6-7 Oz each
Coarse Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Meyer Lemon or Organic Lemon, halved
4 Slices Meyer Lemon Herb Butter (Recipe Below*)
 
Method:
Prepare Herb Butter. Recipe follows Below* 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Bring Lamb to room temperature.

Sprinkle liberally on both sides with Coarse Salt and Black Pepper.

Heat an oven proof skillet over medium high flame for several minutes. 

Sear Lamb for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. 

Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 22 minutes for medium rare.

Remove skillet from the oven and  lightly tent it and the lamb with foil for 4-5 minutes.

When ready to serve, squeeze a bit of Meyer Lemon over each chop and top with a round of Herb Butter. Optionally garnish with Rosemary, Chives, and Lemon halves.  


Herb Butter for Lamb 

Rosemary, Chives, Oregano, Meyer Lemons, Photo:NK

Yields 1/2 Cup or 1 Stick
*May be made ahead and frozen 

Ingredients:

1 Stick of Salted Butter,room temperature

1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano or 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Chopped Oregano

1.5 teaspoons chopped Fresh Chives

2 teaspoons finely minced Fresh Rosemary

Zest of 1 Meyer Lemon or Organic Lemon
A quick squeeze of Lemon Juice 

Method:

Mix the Herbs and Zest and dash of Lemon Juice into the butter until well incorporated. 

Spoon the butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and try to spoon it a row. Roll up the plastic wrap around the butter to create a log shape.

Transfer to the freezer for 10 minutes or so the refrigerator or until firm. 

Slice and bring Butter to room temperature before serving. 

When Lamb Chops are still warm, top each with a round of butter and serve. 

Any leftover butter can be stored in the freezer 1-2 days for another use. 


Asparagus and Prosciutto Toasts with Truffle Oil and Poached Egg
Inspired by Anthony David's Restaurant
Serves 2 - Yields 2 Toasts
Cook's Note:  The only potentially tricky part is poaching the eggs for this recipe. When in doubt, it's a great idea practice ahead of time. Even if something goes awry, you can always poach another Egg in just a few minutes. You'll want your yolk to be runny - that's the beauty of this recipe and what makes it so heavenly - not to mention the truffle flavor!

Ingredients:
1/2 bunch of Asparagus (about 8 to 10 spears)
2 Eggs
2 Slices Prosciutto (or 4 slices, 2 each, if you like)
Salt and Pepper
Truffle Butter or Truffle Oil (optional but recommended)
2 longish slices of Italian Bread (a sliced round of Semolina works well)
Vinegar, for poaching the Eggs 

Method:
Boil water and toss in the Asparagus. Boil for 3 minutes and strain, pouring cool water over the Asparagus Spears to stop the cooking. 

Toast the Bread very lightly. You want to be able to cut it easily once served. Now Brush with Truffle Oil and sprinkle Toasts with Pepper.

Crack each egg into a small bowl. 

Place Prosciutto on top of each of the Toasts, and arrange several spears of Asparagus on top as pictured above. 

Turn on the flame on beneath a medium sized sauce pan. When the water comes to gentle boil, add a dash of vinegar and carefully shimmy the Eggs into the water. Allow them to poach for 1-2 minutes until the Whites are opaque and the Yolks runny. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon and place one Poached Egg gently atop each Asparagus Toast. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of Salt and Pepper.

What's for Dessert, you ask? 

Well, as I always say, make it easy on yourself. Buy a beautiful ready made pastry, or make last year's super easy Fruit Kebab and Chocolate Fondue (recipe HERE). It comes together quickly in the microwave and is easy and fun to assemble. Maybe you're in an ice cream mood and you'd like our Grasshopper Ice Cream "Pie" Sundae (recipe HERE). I chose to finish today's menu with a Traditional New York Egg Cream from Gale Gand's classic interpretation (recipe HERE). Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy your Valentines Day and remember that nothing says "I love you" like a delicious meal.

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Wine With Everything - Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

After just two days in Napa, we were all wined out. Luckily, the Mr. and I have a quick recovery time. Predictably, we were right back on the horse in no time flat. Although I know I'll continue to be the type of girl who's quite content an everyday bottle, tasting so many extra special wines in Napa has opened my eyes a bit. 

David Arthur Winery, Photo: NK

The Tasting at Domaine Carneros, Photo: NK

Photo courtesy of Cakebread Cellars

Our winery tour took us to some great vineyards in the famed Napa region where we sampled many delightful glasses. Several were leaps and bounds better than our everyday purchase. Now better doesn't always mean more expensive, but training your palate on a few exceptional wines is worth it in the long run. Though I am far from expert, I feel I'll have an easier time identifying a good quality, good value wine in the future. And when I do pony up some extra bucks for a sought-after bottle, I pledge that I will savor it, not gulp. 

Here are the best wines that we tasted in Napa:

Chiarello Vineyards, Eileen, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 
Domaine Carneros, La Reve, Blanc de Blancs (Sparkling)  
Cakebread Cellars, Chardonnay Reserve, 2010  
David Arthur, Elevation 1147, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002 
Domaine Carneros, The Famous Gate, Pinot Noir, 2009
And because you can take the girl out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the girl, here's a list of 9 fantastic wines from the still up-and-coming Long Island Region, courtesy of Saveur: 9 Long Island Wines Worth Buying. But this is a food blog, after all, so today, I'd like to share a very special meal that uses wine in the cooking - and naturally also lends itself to a little wine on the side. 

Photo: NK 

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce is a knockout dish where wine takes center stage. Using a dry red, we'll create a delicious, classic sauce that complements but doesn't overpower the beef. Best of all, this recipe requires very few ingredients and is totally accessible to the starter cook. My one directive is that you please don't break my heart by cooking your filet any more than to medium doneness. This also happens to be an ideal romantic meal for two. Is it too early to practice for Valentine's day?
Since there are a lot of myths associated with wine in cooking, I thought we should clear them up, and learn a bit more about cooking with wine while we're at it. Check out these great tips below, all courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine's Marcia Kiesel. 
All content from Food & Wine:

1. Dilute wine marinades and braises

"I love wine-based stews, but I think they need to be cut with chicken or beef stock; otherwise, they're too astringent. I prefer to use a ratio of half or one-third wine to stock. If I'm braising an exceptionally flavorful cut of meat for several hours, like lamb shanks, I have no problem adding water instead of stock. When marinating meat, I never use straight wine—again, it's just too harsh. For marinades, I cut the wine with oil." 

2. Save nice wines for drinking

"Some people say that it's best to cook with the wine you're drinking. That's fine if it's an everyday $10 bottle, but not if it's something much more expensive. For the most part, wine's nuances are killed by heat, so I usually cook with an inexpensive dry white or red, even if I plan to drink a nicer bottle. If a recipe calls for a wine that's more expensive, like a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I downgrade to a similar but less complex wine, like a Côtes-du-Rhône." 

3. The exception to rule #2: Aromatic whites can transform a dish

I finally tried the Wine Confit we brought
home from France in my mushroom side.
A delicious way to add wine essence!
Photo: NK

"Usually, it doesn't matter what wine I use when cooking, but there is an exception: I've found that perfumy whites, like Riesling, Vouvray and Muscat, can give an ordinary dish so much character. When we tested a chicken-with-Riesling dish from chefJean-Georges Vongerichten, I couldn't believe how well the floral notes of the wine came through. The Riesling literally turned a simple braised chicken into an extraordinary dish." 

4. If you have leftovers of a special bottle, make vinaigrette or steam mussels

"If, for some reason, I don't finish a bottle of excellent wine, I make a salad dressing  with it. First, I soak minced shallots in the wine to mellow the oniony flavor. Then I add minced garlic and whisk in some good olive oil. It's not as tart as a vinegar-based vinaigrette, but it still has a lovely winey tang. If I have about a half-cup of wine left, I love to steam mussels in it. The wine is heated only briefly, so it maintains some of its distinctive flavors, which meld so beautifully with the mussel liquor. Champagne-steamed mussels are my favorite, on the rare occasion that I have any left over!" 

5. Fat enriches wine sauces

"If a wine-based sauce tastes too sharp, swirling in cream or butter rounds it out so it's not quite so harsh. Plus, since fat absorbs and carries flavor, I find that cream or butter actually enhances the taste of wine in a sauce or stew."

Now we are ready to cook!

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce
Recipe from Food Network/Giada De Laurentiis
Prep and Cook Time - about an hour total, largely inactive time 

Serves 2 

Straining the Sauce, photo: NK

Suggested Wine Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingredients:
2- 6 Ounce Filet Mignon Medallions
Kosher Salt 
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cold  
1/2 White Onion, sliced thinly
1/2 Tablespoon Garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano  
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1.25 Cups Dry Red Wine (we used a 10 dollar bottle of Merlot)
 
Method: 
Liberally season Filets with Salt and Pepper and drizzle all over with Olive Oil. 

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high and grill steaks to desired doneness - about 5 to 6 minutes per side for Medium Rare. When done, set aside on a platter and tent with foil. Let rest for about 10 minutes

Next, melt 2 Tablespoons of Butter in a medium saucepan. Add the Onions and saute them until they are tender - about 5 to 6 minutes. 
Sprinkle Onions with a bit of Salt and Pepper. 

Add the Garlic and Oregano to the Onions and stir until fragrant - about 30 seconds.

Stir in the Tomato Paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. 
Now, whisk in the Wine. Lower heat to medium low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until the volume of the mixture reduces by about half - about 10 minutes.

Pour Sauce through a sieve and into a bowl to strain out the solids. Press the mixture into the sieve to help the sauce through and maximize the yield. Discard the solids and pour strained Sauce back into your pot. Return it to a gentle simmer. Add 2 Tablespoons chilled butter one by one, whisking continuously until incorporated. If necessary, season Sauce with a little more Salt and Pepper (keep in mind that your steak has been generously seasoned already). 

To Plate, set Filets on your dinner plates, drizzle with wine sauce and serve! Voila!

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce, Photo: NK

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