Pan Seared New York Strip Steak with Wild Mushroom Saute and Pink Peppercorn Sauce

Certainly one of the most decadent dinners I have yet to create. Simply made in three easy steps and versatile enough that you can use your favorite cut of beef and whatever mushrooms you desire. The sauce is even versatile in that if you don't care for the perfumed, aromatic flavor of pink peppercorns you can easily substitute crushed black peppercorns instead for a more spicy sauce. I've created this recipe using a steak large enough to serve two comfortably and thought that more romantic for Valentine's Day. This is a great dish for sharing and feeding each other making the evening very romantic. I hope you enjoy.

Pan Seared New York Strip Steak with Wild Mushroom Saute and Pink Peppercorn Sauce

Ingredients:

Wild Mushroom Saute:

1 tsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups assorted mushrooms, quartered

1/4 cup dry sherry

salt and pepper

Pan Seared Steak:

1 tsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 lb. New York Strip Steak

salt and pepper

Pink Peppercorn Sauce:

1 tsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 Tbsp. cognac

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. pink peppercorns, cracked

1/4 heavy cream

2 Tbsp. chives, chopped

salt and pepper

Begin by preparing the wild mushroom saute. Melt one teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add 1 Tablespoon of chopped shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves and saute on medium until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the dry sherry. Return pan to heat and cook until the sherry is evaporated and the mushrooms have cooked down. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Pour into bowl, cover to keep warm and reserve.

Preheat oven to 375'

Make sure steak is at room temperature before cooking. Season the steak with salt and pepper if desired. Using the same saute pan melt 1 teaspoon of butter and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Heat on medium high until the butter and oil are very hot and the foam from the butter is gone. Place the steak in the pan and do not touch for about 2 or 3 minutes to get a good sear. Turn the steak and place in oven. Cook steak until desired doneness is reached. (120' for rare, 125; for medium rare and 130' for medium) Carefully remove hot saute pan from oven, place the steak on a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Let steak rest while preparing the sauce.

Carefully wipe the saute pan if necessary with a paper towel. On medium high heat, melt the last of the butter and add the last of the olive oil. Saute the shallots and garlic until the shallots are translucent. Remove pan from heat and add the cognac. Place back on the heat and add the dijon mustard and pink peppercorns, whisking it in to blend thoroughly and scraping up all the bits (called fond) from the bottom of the pan. Add the heavy cream and continue to whisk. Reduce until slightly thickened and add the chopped chives.

Slice the steak into thin strips and top with peppercorn sauce and sauteed mushrooms to serve.

Nutrition Facts

2 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 579.8

Total Fat 30.9 g

Saturated Fat 14.4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 g

Monounsaturated Fat 12.8 g

Cholesterol 121.3 mg

Sodium 209.5 mg

Potassium 804.1 mg

Total Carbohydrate 9.1 g

Dietary Fiber 2.5 g

Sugars 2.1 g

Protein 28.5 g

Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes

I wanted to create something chocolate for Valentine's Day and what better than a chocolate cupcake? Well, how about a chocolate cupcake with chile chipotle powder and Grand Marnier? Now, that's a cupcake! The addition of these flavors are so wonderful and compliment chocolate so well. When you eat one of these cupcakes the first thing you taste is the Grand Marnier, then the sweet and delicate chocolate and it finishes with the warmth of the chipotle in the back of your throat. Absolutely delicious. Not too much heat but just enough to know it's there. The chocolate and chile is a very flavorful combination but if you prefer a plain chocolate cupcake then you can easily omit these two ingredients without a problem. You can also just use the chipotle and not the Grand Marnier if you don't have any or just don't like its mild orange taste. This is a very versatile recipe and you can make it your own in so many ways. I hope you enjoy.

Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup almond flour

2/3 cup coconut flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. chile chipotle powder (optional)

pinch salt (optional)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Splenda

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)

vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 375'

Pour boiling water into the cocoa powder and stir well to dissolve. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together in a small bowl the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, chile chipotle powder and salt.

Cream butter in a large bowl with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy. Add the Splenda a little at a time, beating after each installment. Beat for a minute or two to combine well. The mixture will not look very smooth but don't worry because it will come together later. Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add the vanilla and cream and stir to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.

Lightly coat a mini muffin tin with vegetable spray and divide the batter equally among the 24 compartments. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes and then carefully remove and cool completely on a rack.

Nutrition Facts

24 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 86.5

Total Fat 7.5 g

Saturated Fat 3.6 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.6 g

Cholesterol 31.5 mg

Sodium 48.0 mg

Potassium 36.0 mg

Total Carbohydrate 5.3 g

Dietary Fiber 2.2 g

Sugars 0.2 g

Protein 2.1 g

~ Thank You All ~

I wanted to thank you all for bearing with me over the past few days while I was dealing with an important family situation that needed my undivided attention. I appreciate everyone that has sent me their good thoughts and prayers on my Facebook page as well as those of you who have still been stopping by here and want to thank you so much for your show of support. I have finally reached the point where I have the mental strength and focus to move forward again, albeit slowly, and I will try and post another delicious recipe for your Valentine's Day dinner later today and promise to work tirelessly over the weekend to make up for lost time. I will post my recipes throughout the weekend as my time allows and I should hope to have everything back to normal and caught up by early next week. Just the thought of you all out there waiting for me so patiently to post my recipes is the driving force helping me get back into the kitchen again.

As you all know, stress and diabetes are not a good combination but I have been sticking to eating mostly the right foods. I say mostly because late at night it was difficult to overcome the desire to stress eat but I stuck to just one food. I over indulged in eating nuts. I found that they were satisfying in that they were crunchy and took time to eat. They really did not seem to effect my meter too terribly much, which was a good feeling. Food has always been my emotional shoulder and I am sure many of you feel the same way. If I can get through what I am dealing with right now and still maintain a balance in my eating then anyone can in any given situation. I am completely convinced of that now.

So, with that said I am about to get right back into my kitchen and work on more wonderful recipes for you all. Don't forget to check back later and look for my next Valentine's Day dinner recipe. Thank you all once again.

Eat, live and enjoy life,

Chef Barrae

Chicken Stuffed with Brie, Apples and Walnuts with Balsamic Drizzle

As my second recipe for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner for two I have chosen a stuffed chicken breast. The stuffing of brie cheese with a tiny bit of apples and walnuts and aromatic herbs is what absolutely makes this dish so wonderful. A simple balsamic reduction lends an additional layer of flavor with its tangy sweetness. Although I had planned this recipe for two I have written it for four because this will surely become a family favorite, too. If you are preparing this for just two you can simply cut the ingredients in half and it will work just fine. If you prefer you can even stuff the chicken the night before and just pop it into the oven about 30 minutes before you are ready. Another dinner that is easy to prepare to leave you with lots of extra time to spend with your special someone on Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy.

Chicken Stuffed with Brie, Apples and Walnuts with Balsamic Drizzle

Ingredients:

4 - 4 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat

3 ounces Brie, finely diced

2 Tbsp. apple, finely diced

2 Tbsp. walnuts, finely diced

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. thyme, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. rosemary, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp. agave nectar

salt and pepper

4 or more toothpicks for sealing chicken

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400'

Clean and trim chicken breasts. Starting on the thickest edge, carefully cut a slit into the middle of the breast with a small paring knife. Wiggle the knife to form the pocket and make sure pocket is large enough but does not go through the chicken. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper if desired and set aside.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, except the balsamic vinegar, in a bowl and stir to blend well and distribute. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Fill each chicken breast with about 2 tablespoons of the stuffing and close with toothpicks. Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan or in an oven proof casserole dish and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Let the chicken rest for about 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

While the chicken is cooking pour the balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan and place on medium heat. Bring to simmer and reduce heat to low. Reduce balsamic by about half. It will become thick and syrupy. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't reduce too far and burn. Drizzle balsamic over the chicken breasts before serving.

Nutrition Information

4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 245.5

Total Fat 9.8 g

Saturated Fat 4.4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g

Monounsaturated Fat 2.1 g

Cholesterol 97.8 mg

Sodium 225.3 mg

Potassium 59.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 6.8 g

Dietary Fiber .06 g

Sugars 5.4 g

Protein 32.2 g

Oven Roasted Talapia with Mediterranean Vegetables in White Wine

This week I'll be posting some wonderful recipes for two for Valentine's Day. My first recipe is for my oven roasted talapia for two. Talapia has grown in popularity nationally and is a wonderful white, flaky fish fillet. Talapia grows fast, is harvested quickly and is fed on a vegetarian diet making it very low in mercury. There is some debate over the omega-6 and omega-3 ration in talapia and if you have chronic heart problems you can substitute another similar fish like flounder or even red snapper in this recipe. Both of these fish are also delicate in taste and present well as a nice flaky fish fillet. I prefer to oven roast the talapia to keep it moist and tender and have added a wonderful mild dijon and herb glaze to it. Quick cooking in just one dish make for a fast clean-up and leaves extra time after dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day with your special someone. I hope you enjoy.

Oven Roasted Talapia with Mediterranean Vegetables in White Wine

Ingredients:

1 cup zucchini, sliced into rounds

1/2 cup cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced fresh or canned no-salt added

1 tsp. shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. chives, chopped

1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

1 tsp. tarragon, chopped

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tsp. capers, drained and rinsed (omit if salt sensitive)

For the glaze:

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. chives, chopped fine

1 tsp. tarragon, chopped fine

1 tsp. parsley, chopped fine

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. lemon zest

salt and pepper

1 - talapia fillet, divided into 2 portions

Preheat oven to 350'

Place the vegetables, herbs, wine and capers in a bowl and blend together. Season with black pepper. The capers are salty so there is no need to add more. Transfer to a medium sized casserole dish and spread in a single layer. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables start to become tender when pierced with a fork. There should still be resistance will pulling the fork out.

While the vegetables are cooking blend together the dijon mustard, olive oil, herbs and lemon zest for glaze. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Cut talapia in half along the natural line dividing the fish into two portions. Apply glaze to fillets in an even coat. Remove vegetables from oven and place the fillets across the top. Return to oven and cook for 12 to 18 minutes, or until the talapia is white and flaky and the vegetables are crisp tender. Cooking time can vary and depends on the thickness of the fillets.

Nutrition Facts

2 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 318.7

Total Fat 8.7 g

Saturated Fat 0.7 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g

Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g

Cholesterol 64.0 mg

Sodium 365.7 mg

Potassium 464.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate 12.0 g

Dietary Fiber 3.1 g

Sugars 4.3 g

Protein 30.5 g