A Luxe Dinner for Two a la the Prettiest Pretty Princess

This is my favorite go-to meal when I want a sumptuous mouth party without a lot of fuss, prep, cleanup, or expense. In order to come in under budget there’s an assumption that you have some basic cooking paraphenalia in your lovely cupboards. Note: I usually just make this for myself with one steak and I get to have leftover veggies, but if you have someone you’d like to treat to a yummy meal, it’s a perfect date night dinner. If you already have most of the ingredients the dinner is less than $15 and both people will be VERY satisfied.

Purchase:

• 1-2 pre-packaged bacon-wrapped filets ($3.50-$3.99 each at Kroger)
• 1 Bag of cut vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
• 1 bottle of Red wine to cook with and serve
• 1 Lemon
• On hand: Salt Black Pepper Hot Sauce Garlic Olive Oil Possibly Veg oil Dill Weed (fresh is better, if you don’t mind paying for it!)
• Teryaki sauce, soy sauce (or worcestershire sauce)
• Mayo or Miracle whip
• Rinse one cup of Basmati rice in a pot to get any starch out by adding water, swirl, pour the water out, and repeat until all the water rinses clear. Cook the rice (with 2 cups of water) in your rice steamer. (For extra flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the water and 3 pinches of salt before you turn on the rice steamer, or skip this step if you are trying to cook healthy).
• Note: Adding red pepper flakes to your rice before you cook it adds a yummy extra kick for no additional calories! Try it some time.

If you do not have a rice steamer, you can cook on the stove in a pot following these instructions:   http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Basmati-Rice-232006

Relax with a glass of wine for the next 15-20 mins. (Trashy Butt In:  This is my fave intsruction.)

Heat 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil in a small sautee pan over low-med heat. Using a garlic press, press one clove of garlic into the oil and sautee for 2 minutes. I always squeeze the clove and use a butter knife to slice off the garlic bits that come out of the press to tidily get the garlic particles into the pan. This is cleaner and requires less touching than either thinly slicing the garlic or grating it on the small holes of a cheese grater, which is what you will need to do if you do NOT have a fabulous soft-grip garlic press.

Add black pepper to the oil. I use a LOT of pepper, but you know how much you like, so use that much. If you like freshly ground pepper and have a pepper grinder, use it. Add a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce, chili paste, chili sauce, Louisiana Hot Sauce, or whatever hot sauce you have on hand as long as it is NOT SWEET. If you do not have any useful hot sauce, add red pepper flakes to the pan. If you do not like spicy food, just stick with the black pepper and get a grip. (Just kidding, I love my bland sisters too!)

Add a tablespoon of Teryaki sauce and half a tablespoon of soy sauce to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium. Take your bacon-wrapped filet and place it into the pan. (NOTE: I hate bacon and usually remove it and throw it away before cooking. If you have a dog, the bacon might be a nice treat for him.)

Add 2-4 tablespoons of either red or white wine. Cover and cook each side for 3 minutes (for a total cook time of 6-7 mins). GO TO VEGGIE STEP WHILE MEAT IS COOKING. Remove from heat and let the meat REST for a few minutes before serving. Puncture your bag of vegetables and microwave for 3 minutes. While it is cooking, whisk 3 tablespoons of low-fat mayo with the juice from half a lemon and a teaspoon of fresh dill. When the veggies have finished steaming in the microwave mix the mayo/dill/lemon juice fully with the vegetables. This is YUMMY. Miracle whip instead of mayo is also good. You can adjust the ratio of these ingredients up or down to taste, depending if you prefer creamier or more tart. Alternates to the veggie sauce: You can just drizzle the veggies with lemon juice or spritz with ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ spray. Everything should now be done cooking all at once. Serve the rice with the steak placed on top (with juice!) and arrange the veggies to the side. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the steaks. Serve with red wine OR Pear Cider to lighten up the flavor.

Alternate to sauteeing the steak: Marinade the steak for 3 hours in the sauce described above. Rub the dry ingredients (pressed garlic, pepper) into the steak before adding the wet ingredients to the marinade, leaving out the olive oil entirely. Broil in the oven in a GRILL PAN for 3 minutes on each side. ALWAYS let your steak rest for 3-5 minutes after you take it off the heat before serving.

Email me at PrettyPrincessG@gmail.com if you have any questions or want other ideas for substitutions! -PrettyPrettyPrincess