Valentines Dinner for 2 - Cocoa-Rubbed Filet Mignon and Fondue Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Special breakfast. Box of chocolates. Cute card. Lavish surf and turf dinner. This was every Valentine’s Day in my mama’s house. Although it was my parents’ home, holidays belonged exclusively to Mama Chin. My mom decorated (and still does) for every holiday. Coordinating festive table linens, appropriate lighting, and music when applicable. No holiday complete without a special meal, and she’s get creative with things from her homey Minnesotan Betty Crocker mental stash or Food Network magazine. Before Pinterest, food influencers, and mommy bloggers alike, there were just really crafty moms doin’ their thing.

So while Valentines Day is a holiday where people think of their significant other, I’ll always think of my mom, who managed (and still manages) to make every holiday even more special than the previous. Food is a gift, an act of kindness, and a love note all in one, and my hope is that I can make holidays special with food as my mom did with me.

If you’ve made it past the first two paragraphs without needing a Kleenex like I did, congrats. You’ve moved on to recipe talk. This recipe is an amped up, gourmand’s version of fondue and chocolates. Cocoa-chili-rubbed filet mignons that are toasty and tender, fondue cheese scalloped sweet potatoes that are moist and savory. If you can look past the simplicity that is classic “steak and potatoes” you’ll see the beauty in this meal, and you’ll find yourself wishing you’d reserved the two servings for you and you alone.

Happy Valentines Day!

Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

for the steaks

• 2 4-6 oz petit filet mignon steaks

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tbsp european-style butter

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

for the potatoes

• 2 tbsp european-style butter

• 1 c heavy whipping cream

• 1 c chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 c shredded gruyere cheese

• 1 c shredded parmesan cheese

• ¼ c all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• ½ tsp brown or dijon mustard

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• Salt, to taste

(optional) for the baby broccoli

• 6 heads and stems baby broccoli (broccolini)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lemon, sliced

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Steaks

1. Pat the steaks dry and rub them with the salt, chili powder, and cocoa powder on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Take the steaks out about 15 minutes before they’re ready to cook so they get closer to room temperature.

3. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high and in it, melt the butter.

4. Once the butter is melted and on the verge of sizzling, place the steaks down into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes, constantly basting with the pan butter.

5. Flip the steaks to the other side and baste again, adding pepper to your crust and salt as desired.

6. After steaks have cooked for about 4 minutes each side (or more if you’d like them more well-done than medium-rare), remove them from heat and on to a cutting board to rest.

7. Serve after about 7-10 minutes of resting.

Potatoes

1. Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes so that they’re just thick enough to not be see-through.

2. Preheat oven to 375

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter on medium high heat

4. Add the heavy cream and broth, then incorporate the garlic, nutmeg, mustard, and black pepper. Bring to a rolling boil.

5. Once boiling, whisk in the flour and turn the heat down to low, whisking until you have a thick, gravy-like consistency.

6. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and incorporate the shredded cheese into the sauce. Taste the sauce to make sure it’s just salty enough to off-set the sweetness of your potatoes

7. Grease a small baking dish with neutral oil with butter, and layer potatoes and cheese sauce on top of each other until the potatoes are covered.

8. For softer potatoes: Bake at 375 for 30 minutes then broil at 475 for 5 minutes

9. For ‘al dente’ potatoes: Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes then broil at 475 for 5 minutes

10. Your potatoes should have a nice bubbly-brown crust on them. Serve hot!

Broccolini

1. Heat neutral oil in a grill pan or skillet on high heat for 2 minutes

2. Char the slice lemons in the pan for 2 minutes on each side, until you see grill/char marks

3. Carefully add a little more oil to the pan and the broccolini, and char for 3 minutes on each side.

4. Salt to taste. Serve immediately with the charred lemons.

Red Curry Ramen Soup

Toward the end of 2018 when it was getting reaaaaalllyyy chilly up here in NYC, I going out for ramen twice a week, and when it was getting hard to keep my pants button I wanted to swear it off. Being the kitchen solutioneer that I am, I decided to riff on ramen with something Thai insipired, with less salt, and NO MEAT?!? I’m just as surprised at myself as you are, but trust me when I say this bowl will have you satisfied. 

Serves: 1 | Time: 20 minutes  

 INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c coconut milk 
• 2 c vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 oz dry ramen noodles  
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced
• 1 c scallions  
• 1/2 c sweet corn
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp grated garilc
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• sriracha, to taste 
• black pepper (optional) 
• red chili flakes (optional)
• sesame seeds (optional) 
• fresh lime (optional) 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1.  Bring the the coconut milk and broth to a simmer in a large pot on medium low.
2. Add everything but the optional ingredients and the ramen noodles to the pot, stir and cover.
3. Once everything comes to a really aromatic boil, add your ramen noodles and cook as directed (usually 3 minutes). 
4. Serve soup immediately with pepper, chili, flakes, sesame, lime, and scallions as a garnish. 

Savory Oxtail Stew

All my favorite recipes start with a sale. With oxtails going for as much as $7 a pound now, seeing them at my local grocer for $5 a pound, I couldn’t shy away. Being Jamaican, you grow up eating sweet and savory brown stew oxtail, sucking on the bones and hoping more meat might magically appear in your mouth, or in the gravy. I recently texted my grandmother asking for her best oxtail recipe, to which she coyly replied, “I don’t have a written recipe just cook it and add my little touches here and there”. That’s fine, grandma, because I’ll be watching and learning come Christmas.

I had (and still have) a few pounds of perfect pre-sliced oxtails in my freezer calling my name, so I got to work! If you couldn’t tell already, I’ve been on a miso kick. I started with a really familiar white miso paste and now I’m using savory red miso paste in almost everything. It’s the star of this stew, and lends it such a hearty flavor. My grandma would probably faint if she saw the contents of this recipe, but what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right? 🤗 Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2-2lbs sliced oxtails

• 1 whole medium yellow onion, quartered

• 3 celery stocks, sliced

• 4 large carrots, sliced

• 2 c water

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp red miso paste

• 1 tbsp dry red wine

• 1 tbsp garlic paste

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp white pepper

• coarse sea salt

• fresh thyme sprigs

FOR THE RICE:

• 1 c of your favorite white rice

• 1 c coconut milk

• 1 c water

• 1 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spread the oxtails out on a sheet pan and liberally sprinkle all sides with sea salt. Make sure they’re at about room-temperature.

2. In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil on high.

3. Place the oxtails down in the hot oil, browning them for 5 minutes on each side (lots of sizzles and pops here!)

4. After browning, remove them from the pot, turn the heat down to medium, and set aside.

5. Add the carrot, celery, and onion to the pot, and allow them to saute in the residual liquid from the browned meat, for about 5 minutes.

6. Stir in the garlic paste, red miso, tomato paste, and white pepper, until you’ve got a fragrant, pastey, melange going

7. Add 2 cups of water to the vegetables to help deglaze the pan and build your broth.

8. Turn the heat down to low, carefully add the oxtails back into the pot, then the thyme,  soy sauce, and red wine.

9. Give it a good stir, cover, and simmer for an hour.

10. After an hour has passed, ladel about a cup of the broth into a bowl and whisk together with flour, until very thick. Stir this back into the pot to thicken the broth.

11. Cover and continue to simmer for another hour.

12. Rice can be made ahead of time if you’d like it to be ready sooner. Bring well-rinsed rice, salt, water, and coconut milk to a boil in a medium-sized pot.

13. Once the rice has boiled, bring the heat down to low and cover

14. After about 10 minutes, uncover the rice and fluff it well with a fork.

15. After about 2.5-3 hours of simmering, your oxtails should separate from the bone on their own or easily with a fork! Serve over rice immediately.

Egunsi Peanut Butter Chicken Stew with Squash

When Yemisi sent me a few beautiful, colorful jars of her soups and sauces, I knew it was time to get to work. Egunsi Foods, her baby, brings West African flavors into our American kitchens with the twist of a cap. Everything is fresh, flavorful, colorful, and bright. And did I mention she’s in Harlem too? Egunsi can be found at Whole Foods Harlem and online direct to your door!

Groundnut, or peanut butter stew, is a traditional West African stew, and using the groundnut soup from Egunsi, I got to make my own twist. It’s earthy, creamy, and savory all at once. Get the recipe and warm yourself up this fall...scroll down for the deets.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs dark meat chicken, skin-on and bone-in

• 4 c plain cooked white rice

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 c collard greens, shredded

• 2 zucchini squash, sliced and quartered

• 1 c full-fat coconut milk

• 1 jar Egunsi peanut butter soup

• 2 plum tomatoes, in chunks

• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 lime, juiced

• Garnish with: cilantro, crushed red pepper, crushed coriander, salt flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil to high heat for about 2 minutes

2. Brown the chicken for 3 minutes on each side, then add the apple cider vinegar to de-glaze the pan

3. Turn the burner down to medium-low and add the peanut butter soup, coconut milk, onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, ginger, bay leaf, salt and pepper, coriander, garlic, and lime juice to the pot. I know that was a lot

4. Cover and simmer for one hour.

5. Un-cover the pot and add the zucchini and collard greens we are doing this towards the end so they don’t get mushy

6. Cover the pot again and simmer for another hour.

7. Serve the stew over rice and garnish how you’d like!

Steak n Eggs

 

Steak n eggs is my favorite thing to order at brunch, especially when made with my favorite cuts, skirt or hanger steak. It’s super indulgent and they almost never give you a big enough piece of meat so you’re left wanting more. When you make it at home you save some change, and you can put your own spin on it. For me, that spin is lots of garlicky, herby butter. If you haven’t made my five ingredient whipped herb butter yet, try it now!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 lb hanger steak

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 c whipped herb butter

• 2 tbsp oil

• salt + pepper

• bread for toasting

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. On a clean cutting board, liberally sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper, covering both sides of the meat

2. Melt half of the butter in a cast iron skillet on high heat, until it starts to bubble

3. In a separate small non-stick skillet, heat the oil of your choice on medium high and sprinkle the pan with salt

4. Throw the steak into the screaming hot cast iron skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side, basting in butter repeatedly

5. Simultaneously, fry the eggs in the hot oil, only flipping them once when the outsides start to crackle

6. Once the steak has developed a nice crust, remove it from heat and place it on a clean cutting board. Allow the meat to rest while you finish the eggs.

7. Toast the bread and smother in the remainder of the butter.

8. Slice the steak and serve with your fried eggs and toast, and possibly more butter if desired...enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp Cobb Salad

Inspired by a recent overpriced and over indulgent lobster Cobb I had during a work lunch, this is a deconstructed grilled shrimp version. Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 romaine lettuce heart 
• 8-10 large shrimp  
• 2 strips thick-cut bacon  
• 1 oz crumbled blue cheese
•  1 avocado (get the teeny tiny avocados from Trader Joe’s if you can find them)
• 5-7 grape tomatoes  
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp honey  
• 1 tsp minced garlic  
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper  

Green Goddess dressing - makes 2 cups 

• 1 bunch flat parsley  
• 1 bunch cilnatro
• 3 stalks green onions
• 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 c water
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp white Modena vinegar  
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1.  Throw together the dressing first. This’ll give it time to refrigerate and for all the lovely flavors to marinate. In a high-powered blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients until your desired smoothness. I like my mine kind of chunky, entirely up to you!
2. Tail, peel, and de-vein your shrimp if necessary. In a large bowl, coat them in the lime juice, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until the end.
3. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Boil the two eggs for as little as 5 minutes (soft boil) or as long as 12 minutes  (hard boil). Rinse the, under cold water and carefully peel them.
4. On a grill or in a grill pan set to medium-high, fry up the bacon strips for 5-7 minutes on each side. If you’re using a grill pan, this rendered bacon fat will come in handy.
5. At the same time, grill the split avocado and the grape tomatoes for 5 minutes tops or until the tomatoes sizzle and burst (it’s OK if they do, just be cafeful)
6. Slice the heart of romaine in half and grill it for 5 minutes without flipping. 
7. Last but not least, throw the shrimp on the grill. They will cook fairly quickly so don’t take your eyes off them! 3 minutes each side or until they’ve got some char.
8. Assemble salad as follows: romaine, bacon, shrimp, avocado, eggs, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, dressing. Bon appetit!

Chilled Ramen Noodles with Ginger-Shallot Vinaigrette

Eat em with steak, eat em with fish, eat em with forks, or chopsticks, or nothing at all. These cold and refreshing ramen noodles are gonna be your go-to side dish all summer. 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 packs dried or fresh ramen noodles
• 1 c chopped scallions  
• 1/4 c light sesame oil  
• 1/4 c mirin (rice wine vinegar) 
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 shallot chopped finely
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar 
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds  
• 1 tbsp grated ginger  

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil and cook the ramen according to the package instructions  
2. When you strain the noodles, reserve a little water and place them in a bowl to be refrigerated.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, mirin, soy sauce, shallots, garlic, honey, sesame seeds, and the ginger. cover and refrigerate immediately.
4. After about 30 minutes or when the noodles and vinaigrette are cold, carefully toss the noodles in the dressing. 
5. Serve with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. 

Pesto Baked Eggs

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Spread pesto inside ramikens, getting high up the sides and making a nest for the eggs
3.  Crack an egg in each ramiken
4. Sprinke with kosher salt and black pepper or red chili flakes  
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes for runny eggs and 25 minutes for well-done eggs

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pesto (I made walnut pesto from)
•  Non-stick spray or butter

Goat Cheese Polenta with Asparagus and Balsamic Glaze

You might be looking at this plate and thinking, grits? Well yes and no. Polenta and grits are both popular dishes made of cornmeal, but polenta is always made with coarse ground cornmeal. But if you’re me you als make your grits with coarse ground cornmeal. Ok, so yes, grits. But for the sake of this being Italian-inspired, let’s say polenta. Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 c dry polenta (coarse ground corn meal) 
• 3-4 c unsalted chicken broth
• 2 c sliced portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 c crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 c half and half  
• 1/2 c white sugar or sweetener
• 1/2 c balsamic vinegar 
• 1/4 c goat cheese, more for crumbling  
• 2 slices thick-cut bacon
• 6 stalks asparagus  
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp white pepper  
• 1 tsp sea salt, more to taste

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. In a stock pot bring 2 cups of the chicken broth and the polenta to a boil
2. Once it has come to a boil, turn the heat down to low and add one tablespoon of butter and slowly stir in more broth - stir and add more broth every few minutes or so
3. In a separate skillet, heat up the sliced bacon strips with a splash of olive oil on medium high for about 5 minutes
4. Add the sliced mushrooms, sliced (in quarters) asparagus, plus 1 tablespoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper and toss until everything is well-coated 
5. Cook for another five minutes until veggies are firm but finished, then set aside
6. To make the balsamic glaze, heat on high the sugar and balsamic vinegar, stirrring well.
7. After the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer into a thick glaze
8. Add another tablespoon of butter, the goat cheese, half and half, and remaining garlic to the polenta and stir well
9. Take off of heat and add salt to taste.
10. On a plate, layer the polenta, veggie and bacon mixture, glaze, and crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy. 

Beer Cheese Grilled Cheese

A classic dish turned into a classic American sandwich. Beer cheese, meet grilled cheese. You might have to put your stretchy pants on for this one, folks. Enjoy! 

Serves: 6 Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 slices of country white bread
• 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• 2 cups extra sharp cheddar, shredded
• 4 tbsp butter, then more for spreading
• 1 cup beer (I used Miller High Life)
• 1/2 c half and half
• 1 tsp garlic (minced or paste)

• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp white pepper

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. In a large stock pot, melt half a stick of unsalted butter on medium high.
2. Add the half and half, the garlic, paprika, mustard, and white pepper and whisk. Then whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time. Finally add the beer and whisk. You should have a thick white sauce by now.
3. Turn the heat down to simmer and slowly stir in the cheese, one cup at a time. Salt to taste and turn off the heat.
4. Your mixture should be like a very thick dip, if isn’t, add a tablespoon of flour or more until it is. Salt to taste and set aside.
5. Heat a cast iron or other skillet on medium high and either spray or coat with butter.
6. For each slice of bread, lightly butter one side (the outside).
7. Start by putting one slice of bread, buttered side down into the skillet. Carefully spread the cheese somewhat thinly on this slice (DO NOT BURN YOURSELF).
8. Spread the cheese mixture on the other slice of bread, now make them kith (LOL)
9. Immediately flip the sandwich with a large spatula and grill for 2-3 minutes or more if you like charred bread.
10. Let the sandwich “rest” momentarily before serving. It will be messy, but that’s OK. Repeat steps 1-9 until you’re out of cheese!

Sous Vide Chipotle-Infused Flap Steak Dinner Salad

What's in a name? Well, to start, dried chipotles. Some crushed coriander. Many smoky things. Some tender meat. A mean dinner salad.

To give you some background, I like salads because I'm a greedy Taurus, not because I'm a health nut. My salads aren't chock-full of nuts and berries, they're topped with (good) fats and (seared) meats. This salad does not stop short. The star of the show is this amazingly smoky flap steak that might actually surprise you. I recently at ate Lalito NY for the first time and felt really inspired by the West-Mex vibes they were bringing. Everything was fresh and for the most part light but the Mexican flavors were very much present. This past Saturday I was craving those flavors again, and not pico-de-gallo Mexican, but earthy and smoky Mexican. To my slight surprise, this creation did not disappoint.

I always say the key to a good salad is many textures, and that's why there's so much going on in here. Mellow, salty, crumbly queso fresco, crunchy oven-roasted corn and radishes, bitter crisp greens, sweet-like-candy tomatoes, smoky and chewy steak, all drowning in my favorite cilantro lime dressing. You're going to love this salad, and if you don't, well, I wasn't quite prepared for that.

Buen provecho, friends!

Serves: 2 Time: 2.5 hours.

INGREDIENTS:

Steak:

• 1 lb flap (skirt or hanger works) steak
• 1 lime
• 1 cup chunked mango
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 3 whole star anise
• 3 dried chipotle peppers
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp kosher salt, more for searing
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Salad:

• 1 pound bag leafy greens (I used a mix of arugula, chard, baby kale)
• 2 ears of corn
• 3-4 radishes
• 1 dozen grape tomatoes
• 1/2 c queso fresco

Dressing:

• My cilantro lime ranch

INSTRUCTIONS:

*Note: if you do not have a sous vide machine you can still make this recipe! For the steak, you're going to want to make a marinade with canned chipotle chilis instead of dried ones. Still incorporate the other ingredients, just make a marinade/wet rub instead of stuffing a sous vide bag with the spices. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours and sear for 4-6 minutes on each side in a screaming hot cast iron skillet.

1. Preheat your sous vide circulator in a large pot or bucket of water. I like my steak medium rare and I recommend in that way. That can be anywhere for 129-134 degrees.
2. Crush the star anise, chipotle, and coriander with a mortar and pestle or with a grinder.
3. In a large bowl, combine the star anise, chipotle, cumin, coriander, paprika, mango, salt, sliced lime, and crushed garlic. You should have a damp mixture of ingredients varying in size.
4. Carefully layer your steak and flavor mixture in a bag so that most of the meat is touching something that will give it flavor. Although the steak is in a sealed bag with all of the ingredients, you want as much surface area touching them as possible. We're going to Flavortown, remember?
5. Stick the bag into your pot with the sous vide circulator and set a timer for 2 hours. 
6. Let an hour pass, then preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. In a large cast iron skillet or a sheet pan, stick the ears of corn and radish in the oven for 30 minutes. Keep the oven on!
8. While the veggies are roasting, make your dressing! There will be extra and that's OKAY!
9. Prepare all the fixin's for your salad: crumble the queso fresco, slice the grape tomatoes, cut the corn kernels off the cob, thinly slice the radish, and wash your salad greens.
10. Once your timer goes off, remove the steak from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. 
11. Get a cast iron skillet hot in the oven. 
12. On a medium-high stove, finish off the steaks with a 30 second sear on each side. *This is for color purposes, you do not want to COOK your steak, that is what the circulator just did!
13. Allow the flap steak to rest for about 10 minutes while you plate your salads with everything but dressing and meat.
14. Slice the steak, and carefully place it on your finished salads. Use dressing liberally.