Well, for those May not know, this past Valentines Day marked my 30th birthday. A milestone to say the least. However the weekend before my fiancé threw me a wonderful surprise party with friends and family. It also being Valentines Day, I wanted to make it special for her, also it would be our first in our new apartment.
I scoured the internet for recipes and came across three that I thought would be a good test for myself.
The menu consisted of a 3-course meal (you can see in the picture below). For appetizer, I went with a 3-three cheese crostini. For the main dish, I decided on Surf and Turf of seared scallops, tenderloin steaks drizzled with a Manhattan sauce, garnished with chives, and served with a side of asparagus.
For the Crostini I used the following ingredients:
- 1 whole French baguette
- Crumbled Blue cheese
- Ricotta Cheese
- Mascarpone Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
I sliced the baguette on angles for small pieces(got about 18 pieces). Laid them out on a baking pan, drizzled them with olive oil, and some salt. Threw it in the oven for about 5-6 minutes just to get a good crisp on them. While that was going on I took blue cheese, ricotta, and Mascarpone and mixed them all together in a bowl. Take the baguette out of the oven, and smear the cheese mix on the slices of bread. For added flavor, you can drizzle honey on top of the cheese.
Now on to the Entree - Seared Scallops and Tenderloin Steaks:
- 4 1-inch thick tenderloins
- 8 Thick Sea Scallops
- Chives
- 1 Shallot
- Vermouth
- Asparagus
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
I wound up cooking the steaks first, using a nonstick pan. I drizzled a little bit of olive oil on top of each steak, as well as some salt and pepper for flavor. Cooked each steak for about 8 minutes on each side, as I wanted to keep them rare. Once done, I took them out of the pan and put them off to the side. Next up, the scallops (also, might I add, this is my first time cooking scallops, so I was nervous about screwing them up)! In a separate pan, I drizzled olive oil, slat, and pepper on each scallop as well. I cooked all 8 for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, till they were golden brown on the bottom. I took each scallop off, and put 4 each on top of the steaks.
For the manhattan sauce (using same pan I cooked the mean in):
- Diced up Chives
- Thinly Sliced Shallots
- A little Vermouth
- A little olive Oil
Stir together for about a minute or so, than take sauce and garnish scallops and steaks.
For the asparagus, I put it in a pan, and cooked for about 10 minutes...I like to keep it crisp and not too soggy.
Now, you're probably also wondering why I don't give specific measurements of my cooking...well it's because I don't measure anything, I eyeball it. I'm unconventional when it comes to cooking like that, but it works for me. And this meal came out fantastic! My fiancee loved it, and I loved it. We actually made the crostini the next night again it was that good. So enjoy, have fun while you cook, and always try new things.
Now on to the Entree - Seared Scallops and Tenderloin Steaks:
- 4 1-inch thick tenderloins
- 8 Thick Sea Scallops
- Chives
- 1 Shallot
- Vermouth
- Asparagus
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
I wound up cooking the steaks first, using a nonstick pan. I drizzled a little bit of olive oil on top of each steak, as well as some salt and pepper for flavor. Cooked each steak for about 8 minutes on each side, as I wanted to keep them rare. Once done, I took them out of the pan and put them off to the side. Next up, the scallops (also, might I add, this is my first time cooking scallops, so I was nervous about screwing them up)! In a separate pan, I drizzled olive oil, slat, and pepper on each scallop as well. I cooked all 8 for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, till they were golden brown on the bottom. I took each scallop off, and put 4 each on top of the steaks.
For the manhattan sauce (using same pan I cooked the mean in):
- Diced up Chives
- Thinly Sliced Shallots
- A little Vermouth
- A little olive Oil
Stir together for about a minute or so, than take sauce and garnish scallops and steaks.
For the asparagus, I put it in a pan, and cooked for about 10 minutes...I like to keep it crisp and not too soggy.
Now, you're probably also wondering why I don't give specific measurements of my cooking...well it's because I don't measure anything, I eyeball it. I'm unconventional when it comes to cooking like that, but it works for me. And this meal came out fantastic! My fiancee loved it, and I loved it. We actually made the crostini the next night again it was that good. So enjoy, have fun while you cook, and always try new things.
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