EAT YOUR HEART OUT #6: VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER – SAHD STYLE

NY Strip & Brie Sandwiches, Baby Green Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette AND Vanilla Ice Cream with Candied Rosemary Apples & Walnuts…

February. The second most commercially celebrated month in America. Women all over are secretly pining for brighter bling, a smellier flower arrangement or a more fattening box of chocolates than any of their co-workers and BFFs.

Men everywhere are just hoping to get lucky. Both with their gift selection, and in the sack.

My advice? You’ve got two options that are guaranteed 60% of the time, to work every time:

1. Place a rush order for a bottle of Sex Panther by Odeon.
2. Make her this for dinner…

NY Strip & Brie Sandwiches

(makes 2 sandwiches)

• 1 (12 oz) boneless NY Strip beef loin steak
• 4 (1/4” thick) slices of French double or triple cream Brie
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small crusty French baguette

Salt & pepper to taste

Baby Green Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

(makes 2 side sized salads)

• 2 cups (pre-packaged) organic mixed baby greens
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Vanilla Ice Cream with Candied Rosemary Apples & Walnuts

(makes 2 cups topping)

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple (peel on, cubed)
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Coarse ground sea salt

To make the Ice Cream Topping, preheat oven to 350 degrees and toss the walnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet, spread to a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven until golden, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. In a medium sauté pan, melt the butter then add the brown sugar and rosemary and stir over medium heat until golden brown (3-5 minutes.) Add the cubed apples and gently stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes or until the apples have softened slightly. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cool to room temperature then transfer to a bowl and cover until ready to serve. To serve, warm the topping for around 20 seconds in the microwave then spoon generously over vanilla ice cream.

To make the Dijon Vinaigrette, whisk the olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar in a small bowl. To serve, spoon over pre-washed mixed baby greens.

To make the Steak Sandwiches, season both sides of the NY Strip liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a few splashes of olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or heavy sauté pan) over high heat until it’s almost smoking. Add the steak and sear on each side for one minute, then reduce the heat to low and cook the steak for around 7 – 10 minutes, turning only once, until rare in the middle. Transfer the steak to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the baguette in half and brush both sides with olive oil. Heat for a few minutes in the oven set to low broil, just to warm it and give it a slight crunch.

Slice the steak into strips and arrange them on one half of the baguette. Arrange the sliced Brie on top of the steak and top with the other half baguette then slice into four evenly sized sandwich pieces.

This meal is pretty much a no-brainer. The flavor combinations are insane, and the entire meal will take you less than an hour to prepare, so you’ll have plenty of time before the wife gets home to shower your manly parts with Sex Panther.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

Jenn is a full-time mom, flex-time advertising industry ninja, full-time food lover in Scottsdale, AZ. When she’s not busy feeding faces, wiping butts or searching for her sanity, you can find her trying to outwit other food bloggers at http://www.omfgsogood.com, on Twitter @OMFGSoGOOD, Facebook, or promoting her husband’s graphic design and fine art business, Trapdoor Studio.