Romantic Dinner for Two: Beef Wellington

Dear Armida:

Help! I'm dating an incredible girl right now and everything is going great. She loves to cook and has invited me to her place for dinner a few times already and now I want to reciprocate...but I am not a good cook nor do I know what to cook in order to impress her. Do you have any suggestions? She's a total foodie and I so want to cook something she'll love.

Cookless in Seattle

Dear Cookless in Seattle,

Believe me, I know your dilemma. When I first started dating my [now] husband, he struggled at first when he tried to cook for me. I though it was such a wonderful gesture and I'm sure your girlfriend will think the same thing about you, even if your food is not perfect. However I found (and tested!) the following meal. It's incredibly romantic and it looks difficult, but it's quite easy. Just follow the steps.

First, you need INGREDIENTS

• Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 package of ready-sliced white mushrooms
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tablespoons Sherry or Marsala or Zinfandel Port wine
• 2 Filet Mignons, no more than 1" thick
• 1 package of Puff Pastry Sheets, take out one sheet and thaw it in the refrigerator
• Garlic powder
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• 4 oz of mousse pâtè (optional)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water
• A good bottle of red wine

First, start the following process one and a half hour before she arrives.

In a large 10" non-stick skillet, heat up one teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 1 minute. Then add the sliced mushrooms and the thyme and saute for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high and quickly remove pan from heat source, add the sherry to the pan then put it back on the heat. Cook until all the liquid evaporates and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Once your mushrooms are done, remove from heat and let them completely cool.

While your mushrooms are cooling, take out your two filet mignons. Coat each filet with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and rub it in gently. Season each filet with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Wrap each file in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

Once your filet mignons are done marinating, crank up the oven to 450°. Now it's time to sear the filet mignon.

Get a large non-stick skillet and turn on the heat to medium-high. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once pan begins to smoke, add one filet. Cook for 4 minutes per side. Do not move the meat while it cooks. If pan is too hot, reduce the heat a little. Once both sides are seared, set filet mignon aside and repeat with the other filet. When done, cool both filets. Now, place a large piece of plastic wrap on your cutting board and place your pastry dough on it. Slice the dough in half, lengthwise.

On one rectangle mound about 2 tablespoons of the mushrooms. If you are using the mousse pâtè, top the mushrooms with a small slice of pâtè then top that with the beef filet mignon (see picture above). Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash and wrap the dough up and over the meat, sealing it with the egg wash and tucking in the ends as you would a wrapped present. Repeat with the other beef filet.

Arrange the two Wellingtons on a baking sheet and brush the top of the completed Wellingtons with more egg wash. Bake at 450° degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove meat from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Plate the Beef Wellingtons individually with a side of green beans or pasta or your favorite side dish. A good red wine will go well with this dish such as a 2004 Da Vinci Chianti or a 2002 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

This dish will surely impress anyone!!! Give it a try.

Recipe from Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine