Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauce

I discovered these filet mignon in the grocery freezer the other day and couldn't resist buying a couple. That's the thing about living in a place where you can't depend on certain products being there.  It leads to a lot of impulse buys just in case whatever it is runs out and isn't shipped in again for a few months.  And after seeing the price as they rang up, I don't think I'll be getting these again.  But they were delicious and still cheaper than going out to a nice dinner, so it all works out.

I made a creamy mushroom sauce to accompany these, and served them with Green Veggie Soup and Fake Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  

What you need:

2 (6 oz) filet mignon steaks
Salt and pepper
Olive oil spray

Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray an oven proof skillet or pot with olive oil.  If you don't have something that is oven proof, that's fine, but you will need to have a cookie sheet or something like that as well.

Pat filet mignon dry and then season all sides of each with salt and pepper.

Heat the pot over high heat until oil is sizzling.  Sear for 2 minutes on each flat side.  Then roll each filet mignon on its round side to quickly sear it.  Place entire pot/ skillet in the oven.  (If you are using a baking sheet, heat in this in oven for the last minute that the steaks are searing, and then place steaks onto this pan).  Cook for 2-6 more minutes, depending on thickness of the steaks and how you want them cooked.  With 1 1/2 inch thick filets, I cooked one for 2 minutes (very rare) and then other for 4 (medium-rare to rare).  Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with mushroom sauce and enjoy!


For the mushroom sauce:

I used basically the same Mushroom Sauce as I did with my t-bone steaks.   The only changes were that I used button mushrooms instead of portobello (about 5 ounces) and add in some rosemary stems while everything was simmering, and removed them before serving.

Pan-Seared T-Bone Steak with Creamy Portobello Mushroom Sauce

No need for a grill to make a delicious steak, especially when it's topped with a delicious mushroom sauce.  I served this with a variation on Roasted Romaine Hearts.  Instead of just using olive oil, salt, and pepper, I also added a little crumbled bleu cheese in between the leaves before broiling and drizzled it with balsamic vinegar afterwards.  Yum!

Just to warn you, this makes a lot of sauce, so you may want to halve the recipe if you are only planning on serving two people.  I don't mind the leftovers myself as I'm sure I'll find some other use for this awesome sauce (maybe an excuse to make more steak?).  

What you need:

2 T-Bone steaks (not sure how much they weighed, but they looked pretty average, other than being on the thin side)
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 small-medium onion, finely diced
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely diced
2 medium-large portobello mushrooms, diced
Salt and pepper
1/2-3/4 cup red wine (I used a Merlot)
1 cup beef broth
1 cup milk or cream (I used 1 % milk)
3-4 tablespoons light cream cheese
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons dried parsley
Olive oil

Take the steaks out of the frig about half of an hour before you'll be cooking them (I took mine out at the same time I started the sauce).  Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat.  Add the onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt.  Stir and let cook for a few minutes until they start to become translucent.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes.  Add some pepper and the red wine.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the milk and beef broth.  Turn heat to low and continue to simmer as you cook the steaks.

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pat steaks dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a large saucepan over high heat and add a teaspoon or so of olive oil.  When oil begins to pop, place steaks in the pan and sear for 2 minutes on each side (My pan was actually only big enough to do one at a time, so I did them one at a time).  Place steaks on a baking sheet and then put in the oven.  Cook for 4-10 minutes, depending on thickness and how well done you want them to be (my steaks were thin- about 1/2 inch thick.  Since I like mine rare, I skipped out on the oven finishing, but put Rob's in for 4 minutes while mine was still searing).  Take out of the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

While the steaks rest, finish the mushroom sauce:  Add the cream cheese and stir to mix.  Mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and stir until there are no clumps.  Add this to the sauce and let cook for a minute, or until nicely thickened. Add the parsley.  Done!

Serve with the sauce spooned over the steak.  Enjoy!

Pan-Seared Filet Minion with Onions and Portabella Mushroom in Red Wine Sauce

The other half of our Valentine's meal (the tuna I just posted was the first half).  Steak is pricey on Saba, but definitely a nice treat every once and a while- and still much cheaper than going out!  We also had a blue cheese dressed salad to accompany this.

What you need:

1 6-ounce Filet Minion
Salt and Pepper, Olive Oil Spray
1 large Portabella mushroom, sliced
1 small Onion, sliced thinly
Garlic Powder, to taste (I probably use 2-3 teaspoons)
1/2 cup dry Red Wine
Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Pat the steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet on high and spray with olive oil, or drizzle a small amount into the pan.  Let heat up, and then add the steak.  Sear on each side for about a minute and half.  Add the mushroom, onion, garlic powder, wine, and rosemary to the pan.  Stir everything around and lower heat.  After a couple (if you want a rare steak) or a 4-5 minutes (if you want it more well done), take the steak out of the pan and let it rest while the vegetables finish cooking in the wine.  Remove from heat when they are tender.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.  Slice steak and serve with vegetables and sauce on top.  Enjoy!

Steak Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing or Balsamic Glaze

I made this for my boyfriend and I.  He got the blue cheese dressing, and I opted for balsamic glaze since I watch calories.  Either way, delicious.

What you need:
2 (6-8 oz) steaks (here on Saba I used strip loin, because that was handy)
Steak Marinade (see below)
Romaine Lettuce or Bibb Lettuce
Arugula
Tomato, chopped
Cucumber, sliced and quartered
Blue Cheese Dressing (see my recipe) or Balsamic Glaze

Start by marinating the steaks in the refrigerator for at least two hours and up to overnight.  I did mine for 10 hours.  Take out of the refrigerator when you start prepping the salads so that they can warm up a little.

Create the salads by placing a pile of torn lettuce and arugula leaves in the center of each plate.  Top with cucumbers and tomatoes.  If you want to get fancy, place the cucumbers and tomatoes so that they rim the edge of the plate.

Heat up a greased frying pan on high.  Place the steaks in the pan and sear for a couple of minutes on each side.  I ended up cooking mine for 6 minutes total, which gave a medium rare 3/4 inch thick steak and a rare 1 1/4 thick steak.  Let sit for 10 minutes, then slice.  Place slices on top of salad and dress with the blue cheese dressing or balsamic glaze (or some other dressing of your choice).

Enjoy!


Steak Marinade::
1/4 cup EACH balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce
2 t garlic powder
2 t black pepper