from Sloane Taylor
Spring is an amazing time of year and my favorite because that’s when the Earth comes alive. All sorts of beautiful things happen. Trees are budding, tender plants push through the ground, and romance is in the air and warm weather is just a few weeks away.
I am a romantic through and through. Always have been and with any luck I always will be. Romance is much more than a quick trip to tangle the sheets. It is about being with someone you love and doing little things to show them how much they mean to you. In my case I cook because I love it.
When summer arrives and the gardens are ablaze in color, I want to move the romance outside. So why not share a summer night with your someone special? What better way than with a sizzling romantic dinner, candles, wine, and music. You don’t need much to set the mood and turn your patio, balcony, or kitchen into a lover’s nook. Make your night special with great food because is the doorway to infinite possibilities.
A printed flat sheet is perfect for a festive tablecloth or set out placemats for the plates and serving dishes. Use plenty of candles in different sizes and a variety of holders scattered around the table to enhance the mood, but definitely avoid scented candles. Stemmed wine glasses sparkle in candlelight and add a festive feel to your dinner. Use your regular dishes or, for fun, mix it up with a number of different plates that don’t match but complement each other for the different courses. Experiment and have fun.
Now that you have the perfect location and setting for you and that right person, may I suggest you spoil yourself with an intimate dinner meant for lovers. It is easy to prepare, and leftovers make marvelous sandwiches. This recipe also works great in the oven.
Ask your butcher to dress the tenderloin. If he won’t, then you need to remove the excess fat and sliver out the silver strip along the side. Easy to do. Slide a sharp knife under the strip close to one end. Use a back and forward motion like sawing to ease your knife between the meat and the strip as you lift it away from the beef.
MENU
Marinated
& Grilled Beef Tenderloin
Potatoes
Baked on the Grill
Grilled
Asparagus
Sautéed
Mushrooms
Dry Red Wine – Valpolicella
Combine all ingredients in a long bowl or plastic bag
and a shallow pan. Marinade in fridge 2 – 20 hours. Seems like a strange time
span, but the longer the marinade the tastier the beef.
Remove meat from refrigerator 1 hour before grilling
or roasting in oven. Meat needs to be almost room temperature.
Grill Instructions
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Pat tenderloin dry. Discard
marinade. Add beef, close lid, and grill 15 – 20 minutes or until meat is done
to your preference. Be sure to turn meat several times to avoid burning.
Oven Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F (200°C).
Line a roasting pan with aluminum
foil. Pat tenderloin dry. Discard marinade. Add beef to pan. Roast 30 – 40
minutes or until meat is done to your preference. Save the juice to moisten he
meat when you serve.
Baked Potatoes on the Grill
1 russet potato per person
Olive oil
Aluminum foil
Butter
Sour cream
Chives
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat gas grill to medium-high.
Wash potatoes under cool water. Pat dry. Poke several sets of holes in each potato with a fork. This stops the potato from bursting as it bakes. Rub potatoes with a small amount of olive oil to keep the skin soft. Wrap each potato in a section of aluminum foil.
Place potatoes on upper shelf of grill. If you don’t have an upper shelf, then lay them at the outer edges of your grill.
Grill 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning every 15 – 20 minutes. Test if done by inserting a toothpick into the potato. It should glide in easily.
To serve, remove foil and then cut an X across the top of each potato. Using potholders squeeze the ends toward the center until the potato mounds.
Serve
with butter, sour cream, chives, and pepper.
Trim, then discard, the tough bottoms off asparagus with a sharp knife.
Combine oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, basil, and pepper in a glass or ceramic dish. Stir well. Add asparagus. Stir gently to coat the spears.
Set gas grill to medium-high heat. Poke a few holes in a piece of aluminum foil then set it onto the grate. Lay spears on top. Turn frequently to avoid burning.
Asparagus are done when they color to medium brown, about 5 – 7 minutes.
Arrange
spears on a dish and serve immediately.
Clean mushrooms
with a dry paper towel to remove bedding soil. Slice them in half lengthwise if
medium or into thirds if large.
Over medium heat, drizzle a small amount of olive oil into a medium-sized frying pan and add butter. Stir in onions and mushrooms. Sauté until almost tender, 3 – 6 minutes.
Pour vermouth or white wine over the mushrooms and continue to heat.
To serve, grind pepper across the top and spoon into a warm serving dish.
This dish is best cooked and served on the same day. Leftovers are soggy.
Sloane
Taylor's cookbooks, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Italian Style, Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available at all book vendors.
