Steak Au Poivre

Today, I will confess one of my deepest, darkest secrets. I am a happily married mother of three, but oh do I have a chef crush on Rocco DiSpirito! It is a little embarrassing. I mean, really, I am an accomplished 35 years old woman; but when it comes to Rocco I feel like a school girl with the latest copy of Tiger Beat magazine (chef's edition...hehe). Can you blame me??? The guy is HOT, he can cook, he's a runner, he's Italian, and his latest cookbook Now Eat This! is filled with delicious, low-calorie meals that don't sacrifice on taste. Seriously, whenever I think about my boyfriend Rocco I get big, red hearts in my eyes--not at all unlike Pepe le Pew. I even have an ongoing fantasy about a photo from page 162 of the cookbook that I will share with you...just don't tell my husband.

(Okay, my husband already knows. Any talk of this usually gets a yawn and an eye roll response from him.)

As I was saying...page 162. Rocco is seductively eating a spoonful of some sort of delicious concoction from an All Clad sauce pan and eyeing the camera with parted lips, posed in a 'ready to taste' stance. It's as if he is looking right at me and asking, "Jen,please come here and try my sauce...does it need more seasoning? Would it taste better if I took off my shirt?" At this point in my dream I usually laugh coquettishly, and...never mind. Is it warm in here???? Ahem. I can't give you all the details, but I will let your imagination take over from here. I will say that my fantasy does vary from time to time. I like to change it up by imagining different sauces. Some days it is a beurre blanc, other times it's a bordelaise...

"Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day!...Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day!...Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day!..."

Whew, I am okay now.

Anyway, here is the recipe for the steak. Oh, and we paired it with this Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan recipe. Holy yum!

Steak Au Poivre
From: Now Eat This! cookbook, by: Rocco DiSpirito

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon very coarsely ground black pepper
Four (4-ounce) portions lean filet mignon (about 1 inch thick)
Salt
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
1½ cups evaporated skim milk
1½ tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:
1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat.

2. Place the 4 tablespoons pepper on a small plate. Season the steaks with salt to taste, and dredge one side of each steak in the pepper, pressing down so that it adheres well.

3. When the pan is hot, spray it generously with cooking spray and add the steaks, pepper side down. Cook the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare. Transfer the steaks to a serving platter, and tent it with foil to keep them warm.

4. Add the brandy and the remaining 1 teaspoon pepper to the skillet. While the brandy is reducing, whisk the evaporated skim milk into the cornstarch in a medium bowl.

5. When the brandy has reduced by about half, whisk the cornstarch mixture into the skillet. Bring the sauce to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the steaks, and serve.



The Result:
On a serious note, this was such a fantastic and low-cal version of Steak Au Poivre. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the sauce turned out velvety and creamy...exactly right. The flavors were restaurant-quality, without the high fat/high sodium content of normal restaurant fare. I think each serving of steak and sauce worked out to be about 294 calories with only 8 grams of total fat. It was soooooo delicious, and did not taste at all like you would expect a "healthy" version to taste. I love low calorie meals that are totally satisfying; and Rocco was right on the money, once again. (It is no wonder why I heart him!)

Shrimp Roll with Cracked Pepper Potato Chips & Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese

I think I am just going to post my recipes for tonight without much commentary. I have a busy afternoon planned, but I didn't want to skip posting to my blog. By reducing the time I spend on the computer today, I work out a nice compromise to where I can fit all my planned activities into the ol' schedule. I will let you know how this meal turns out!

Shrimp Roll with Cracked Pepper Potato Chips
From: Ellie Krieger's So Easy cookbook

Ingredients:
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped scallion greens (about 1 scallion)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound cooked shrimp, cut into 1/3-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 whole-wheat hot dog buns (I am using whole wheat hamburger buns instead)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
If using regular yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with paper towel and set the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

In a bowl, stir together the thickened or Greek-style yogurt, mayonnaise, celery, scallion and lemon juice. Fold in the lobster meat and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to use. Just before serving, open the hot dog buns and brush the inside with olive oil. Heat a grill pan over moderately high heat and grill the bread, cut side down, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Fill each with 3/4 cup of the lobster mixture and serve immediately.

Cracked Black Pepper Potato Chips
From: Ellie Krieger's So Easy cookbook

Ingredients:
3 large russet potatoes (2 1/4 pounds total), sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:
Make chips: Toss potatoes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil, and pepper until well coated. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange potato slices in 1 layer on 2 cookie sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until chips are crisped and lightly browned. Remove from oven, season with salt and cool.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese
From: allrecipes.com; By: DannyBoy

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste (optional)

Directions:
Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.



The Result:
All three of these recipes were awesome, and (just as the cookbook title promises) SO EASY! The shrimp was a really tasty take on a cold shrimp salad, the chips were crisp and delicious, and the Swiss chard recipe is my new favorite thing to do to greens. YUM! My husband and I really loved this meal and it was surprisingly kid-friendly, too. My son ate most of his sandwich, all of his chips, and all of his Swiss chard! These are three keepers, that is for sure!!!