Valentine's Day...P.M.

Tonight for dinner, I made steaks, roasted asparagus, and fingerling potatoes. Everything was really good, except the potatoes, which took longer to cook than expected, so I didn't really get them cooked all the way. For the asparagus, I put them on a baking sheet, drizzled olive oil over them, and topped them with roughly chopped garlic and salt and pepper. I baked them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes (just watch them). This is my favorite way to cook asparagus. It gives it such great texture and flavor.

The best part of the meal was the steak. Josh and I both love steak, and we are pretty picky about how it is cooked. An overdone steak just isn't the same. We both like ours cooked more medium-rare. So, since we have been married, we have tried and failed many times in an attempt to make the perfect steak. We use to always grill them, but recently I have been trying pan-searing then baking. This time, we finally achieved success! We had thick steaks, and depending on the size of the steak you cook, times will vary. I put 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan and melted it over medium-high heat. I patted the steaks dry with a paper towel, then seasoned them on both sides with salt, pepper, steak seasoning, and dried chives (I had them on my spice rack and figured I would give them a try). Then I seared all sides of the steak in the pan of melted butter (about 3-4 minutes total). After searing them, I cooked them in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes (you can leave them in the same pan you seared them in as long as it is oven-safe). Then, I placed them on our plates and let them rest for about 5-7 minutes. I covered them with the remaining butter and bits from the pan. Man, these were great steaks! My dad would be very proud of me for these (although he may not be too sure about not using the grill)! Josh said it is one of the best steaks he has ever had!

Josh's favorite dessert ever is funfetti cake (just the Pillsbury box mix). It is really funny how much he loves it. I can make cakes from scratch, and although he likes them, nothing compares to the funfetti! They usually have seasonal kinds, so I bought him the Valentine's box and baked it yesterday. I decided to bake it in this Le Creuset heart-shaped dish we were given for our wedding (note: I did not register for this, but Le Creuset is a great brand, so even though it is heart-shaped, I didn't complain)! Well, this was a bad idea. I don't think these were made for baking. The inside did not bake all the way through very well, so although it looks cute, it was a disaster, our first ever funfetti to throw out...oh well (now I know to stick with casseroles for this dish)! Next time I will go back to baking it in my metal cake pans.


Before dinner, we sat in our living room watching the Winter Olympics (which we love), and had this great appetizer. Just take a block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, and top it with raspberry chipotle sauce, or any kind of pepper jelly. Serve with organic wheat crackers and good wine...yum!