Filet Mignons With Roquefort Sauce

Rated 5 stars this is our family's favorite specialty steak, but with the cost of Filets we don't fix it often. We still want to share it with you. It's from the Williams Sonoma French Cookbook.

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 filet mignon steaks, 6-8 oz. each
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup tawny port wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb. Roquefort Cheese, crumbled
2 t. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Liberally season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. Select a frying pan large enough to fit the steaks without crowding. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and sear on one side until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the steaks and sear on the second side until well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 135F for medium-rare, about 3 minutes longer, depending on thickness. Transfer to a warmed platter and cover loosely with foil.

Add the garlic and Port to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Boil until reduced to 1/3 cup about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream and return to a boil. Boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes longer. Add the cheese and whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the steaks to warmed individual plates and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish with the parsley and serve at once.

Posted by Debi

Ribollita - Italian Vegetable Soup

I made this for the first time last night for our Anniversary Dinner. It was wonderful - 5 stars!! I got it from the Williams Sonoma Italian Cookbook - enjoy!

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:
1 15 oz. can Cannellini beans
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 zucchini - sliced and halved
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 cup cauliflower, coarsely chopped
4 - 5 kale leaves (they recommended dinosaur kale)
1 cup shredded swiss chard leaves
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs: italian parsley, rosemary and sage
2.5 quarts chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 - 15 slices day old coarse country bread with crusts
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Drain beans and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute' until the onion is golden, 3 - 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the kale, chard, zucchini and potato (in that order) and cook stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add the mixed herbs and the beans to the pot. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook uncovered until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to tast with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Ladle enough soup into a 13 x 9 baking dish to cover the bottom. Top with 4 - 5 toasted bread slices, trimming them to fit if necessary, and then with a layer of soup. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers of bread, soup and cheese. Bake until heated through about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with olive oil.

Ladle the ribollita into warmed soup bowls and serve.

IMPORTANT NOTE: After making this last night I think I would make one change...spread olive oil on bread and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place under broiler until browned and cheese melts. Place one or two slices in individual bowls and ladle hot soup over - serve immediately. (If anyone tries this recipe with this revision, please let us know if it works.)