The 14 Days of Valentines are over. The Pan-Seared Ribeye recipe that my brother suggested was amazing, especially paired with the Seared Scallops. I never did get to the creme brulee but the strawberries were sweet and really tasted good. I have enough ribeye and scallops in the fridge to recreate the meal on Saturday for the family (good thing since the older boys were grumbling about pizza when we had steak.) The only bad thing about yesterday: I forgot to take pictures of the meal!

I've received word from a few people that their spouses loved the 14 Days of Valentines. I loved hearing about all the creative ideas and have stored a few away to copy for next year.

Today the kids have the day off from school. DS#1 is off snowboarding with friends. Mr. Wonderful has to work. I'm thinking it is a great day for a movie date with the younger kids. I might call Mr. Wonderful to see if he can take off early from work.

Let me leave you with the two great recipes:



Pan Seared Rib Eye
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.
When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.




Seared Scallops
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

1 to 1 1/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.

Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.