Aphrodisiac Dinner-Main Course

As promised...

Filet Medallions-on-Israeli Couscous-with-Red Pepper, Shrooms, & Spinach

So... Umm... Yeah...

I'm not quite ready to give up on vegetarianism, but this dish makes a lifestyle deviation pretty fuckin' tempting.

Begin with some filets.  When you're at the butcher, go for the ones that are as tall as they are wide, look nice and soft and red and fleshy. (Eww.)

Place the pieces of dead animal on a cutting board or plate, and poke mercilessly with a fork.

Flip them over, and perforate the other side as well.

Stick the in a plastic bag, as shown, with your choice of marinade. I threw in splashes of:

Worchestershire-shi-shirr-shre sauce

Olive oil

Red wine (I think I used merlot, even though Miles from "Sideways" echoes in my head "I'm not drinking any fucking merlot!" every time I reach for a bottle.)

Also, some minced garlic and black pepper.

Let them marinate for as much time as you've got.

This is Israeli couscous, and this is your friend.

Just do what the box says to prepare it, and prepare your mind, as well, to be BLOWN.

It's like couscous and gnocchi had a lovechild in the motherland.

Grab some sizable heads of garlic. Figure about one for every four people. 

More, if you're like me.

Behead them, like so. You want each clove to be exposed.

Place them in some foil, drizzle olive oil on them, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wrap 'em up.

Next, julienne a red pepper and drizzle that with olive oil, too. We're gonna ROAST.

Place them in a hot oven, side by side.  Let's say 400 degrees. 40 minutes or so.

Just be mindful and check your oven. 

The peppers are done right as they begin to faintly blacken on the edges.

The garlic is done when it is golden and soft.

Now! Fetch your meat!

Give it a rub of black pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of sea salt, if you are so inclined.

Heat some butter (let's say 2 t. for every steak) over medium-high. When it's piping hot, stick the steaks in there.

Let each side brown, then remove. Don't count on this to cook the steaks, you're only searing them to lock in the bloody delicious muscle juices.

Place aside on a slotted pan, like this. Or, on your George Foreman. OR, if it's the summer, you best be usin' an outdoor grill or you're just a big fat dummy.

Begin to cook this (under the broiler, if in the oven) while you proceed with the next steps.

Now, in the same pan, throw another tablespoon of butter.  Saute some sliced or chopped mushrooms. I'd recommend baby 'bellas.  You can make these as soft as you like. You can also use as many as you like. I'm a shroom-lovah, but Zach, for example, is not. 

Okay, place them aside with your roasted garlic and red peppers. 

Chop some spinach, a LOT of it. Spinach has a knack for being deceptive in its volume.

Lightly saute your spinach in the steaky-shroomy pan. Don't overdo it.

But you'll see what I mean about spinach being a tricky fucker. 

You'll need way more than you think. 

Add the roasted red peppers and shrooms (not the garlic) to the spinach, and stir around a bit. 

Dump in your prepared Israeli couscous.

Toss that shit, baby.  It'll start to sizzle and smell like HEEEEEEEEEEAVEN.

Are your steaks done yet? 

These actually turned out a TAD overdone for my carnivorous taste.

I like medium-medium-rare, these were medium-medium-well-ish.

It's an art.

In a small saucepan, or in the microwave if you're a lazy-ass, combine 1 T. butter and 4 t. red wine per steak until they are a sauce.

Slice the filets into cute little discs of death, and arrange on a plate on top of the Israeli couscous mix.  Top with a few cloves of roasted garlic and the red wine-butter sauce. 

Shake'a'black pepper, Adam Sandler style, and you've got it.

Surround with "haricot vert" (some bitchy waitress condescendingly told me once that "Umm, those are green beans..."). Anyway, they look pretty around the plate.