A Late Valentines Day Dinner

Michael and I spent Valentines Day evening at the Elks meeting.  He is the Past Exalted Ruler and I am the treasurer so we (or actually me) are committed to attending almost every meeting.  I was hoping that the meeting was either cancelled or postponed but we have by laws which lay out exactly when we must meet and it was time to nominate officers for the coming year so as they say "The show must go on".  It was a very productive evening with all the officers positions filled and we will vote at the next get together.  I will no longer be the treasurer (phew) but instead for some reason agreed to be a three year trustee.

 When we got home my beloved asked me what the difference was between being the treasurer and a trustee.  Let me tell you, there is a lot!  I do not mind handling cash at work but being the sole person responsible for an organization is a whole different ball of wax, besides the trustees do not have any where as much to do so if I have to miss a meeting to attend something else (like the Church Chicks) I will not feels as guilty as I would now.  Over the course of the past year I think I might have missed 2 meetings, one when I was ill the other for a special evening for a very special gal friend.  The Church Chicks meet on Tuesday's and invariably it is on the evening of the Elks meeting so off I go to the meeting grumbling and unhappy that I must miss something I really want to do.

Last evening was the night selected to celebrate Valentines day.  This year is a leap year so I was informed (by one of the guys at the Elks meeting) that the woman is supposed to do something extra special for her guy.  This in itself is funny since the women in Michael's office were asking him on Tuesday what he did for me, his question to them was, when did this become a woman's holiday?  I think that's a very good question, since when did the guys in our lives not deserve to be recognized on this special day of Love?  Why do we think all the love must come to us and not be returned?  We try to make it an equal opportunity holiday.  We exchange cards, Michael buys me a box of chocolates that he eats most of and I fix us a special dinner.  I try to make that a meal he requests and this year it was Surf and Turf.

My original plan for this special meal was the Shrimp Filled Crepes and asparagus.  I had already bought the shrimp from my favorite lady at Publix on Monday so all I needed was the turf and a recipe so..... off to the internet I went.  I had thoughts of some shrimp in a creamy, garlicky sauce.  Did I find such a recipe?  No.
What I did find (after looking at about a million recipes) was Steak and Shrimp with Mushrooms and Brie.  This interesting recipe was on Yummly.  The only problem was, I didn't have alot of what it called for beyond the steak, the shrimp, butter, wine, mushrooms, salt and pepper. 

In the past if I saw a recipe that interested me I would read the ingredients and if I didn't have something, I would just pass it by.  I couldn't see beyond what was called for, to know what could be left out or what could be substituted.  I didn't have the courage to go it on my own and make it mine!  I do now!  So here is my take on the original recipe..which I must say tasted pretty dern good other than the shrimp which get cooked ahead of time.  I think next time the shrimp will be sauted and not boiled since that part of the meal was pretty tasteless.

Steak and Shrimp with Mushrooms and Wine Sauce

Serves 2

1 medium size tender steak (I opted for something without a bone in it)
20 shrimp cooked and peeled
1/2 cup diced white mushrooms
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic chopped
1/3 cup dry red wine.
Salt and Pepper

Heat a heavy skillet over a medium heat until hot.  Rub the steak with the salt, pepper and garlic then place in the hot pan.  Cook 4 minutes then flip and cook an three additional minutes.  Add the shrimp and heat for an additional minute.  Remove steak and shrimp to a warm plate.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scrapping up all the good bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the mushrooms, butter and mustard.  Stir to blend let cook a minute or two.  Serve with the steak and shrimp.

We had this with Wasabi mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.  The sauce is to die for and tasted quite delicious on the mashed potatoes.  Both of us prefer our steak a bit on the rare side (okay a lot on the rare side) so if you like yours cooked more, cook it more!