Pan Seared Filet with Cabernet Sauce

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

I just moved over the weekend and last night was the first time I was able to cook in the new kitchen! What better meal to break it in than filet mignon? I decided to make some asparagus and potatoes as well, because they just naturally seem to go well with steak :)  My boyfriend, aka new roommate, also worked an extremely long day, so I thought coming home to a steak dinner could be nice. Cooking with wine also gives me an excuse to drink the wine, minor detail. I did scale this recipe in half, and it turned out just fine!

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled butter
• 4 filet mignon steaks (each about 4 ounces
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 2/3 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 generous tablespoon drained capers
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and generous amount of ground black pepper. Add to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. (This actually took me a bit longer to cook b/c the filets were thick -- adjust as necessary.) Transfer steaks to 4 plates. Tent with foil. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add wine, capers, and mustard; simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon over steaks.

Roasted Potatoes
Take about 12 small golden potatoes and half them (you could also use red). Coat a baking dish with Pam and drizzle a little olive oil over the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Rosemary Herb Seasoning (or whichever seasoning you prefer, but rosemary works nicely). Bake at 375 for approximately 35 minutes. Stick a fork in the potatoes to ensure they are tender.

Asparagus
Portion this out however you would like. Snap the spears at their natural snapping point. Place into a Ziploc Steamer bag if you have these on hand -- they are wonderful. Drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper into the bag. Steam for about 1.5 minutes. If you do not have steamer bags, simply broil these in the oven for a couple of minutes, or bake them.