Breaking the Valentine's Day Curse

It's become a joke between my husband and I that we suffer from a Valentine's Day curse.  When we first met, it was November.  As Valentine's Day got closer and closer, we both made the comment that hitting the drive through at Taco Bell would beat our previous Valentine's Day.  That's all it took to jinx us.  In the years that we have been together we have had a restaurant get overbooked and cancel on us on Valentine's Day, a restaurant close two days before Valentine's Day, and one that just wasn't good at all.  Last year was perfect...but then again...we didn't go out on Valentine's Day either, so that solved the problem right there.  We've always found a way to enjoy the night together, but it is comical how things just never worked out the way we planned them.

This year we decided to do things a little differently.  We went back and forth about restaurants we could go to or wanted to try, but our limited budget wasn't exactly working with those big romantic plans.  So we came up with an idea that was cost effective and still romantic.  A perfect combination for anyone, right?  We sent our little girl to spend the night at Nana's house and cooked together.  Now, this may be hard to believe, but we've never actually cooked together.  Sure my hubby's helped in the kitchen here and there when I ask him specifically to do something, but as far as both of us in the kitchen preparing a whole meal together, we'd never done it.  We planned the menu together, cooked together, and sat down for a wonderful dinner with a nice glass of wine.  After dinner we broke open a bottle of bubbles and cuddled up to watch...what else...Valentine's Day.  It couldn't have been better.  A nice quiet evening with good quality hubby wife time is hard to come by with two busy schedules and a little one running around, so this was just what we needed.  It was such a success, it may even become a tradition.  After all, we can't cancel on each other or close our own kitchen down, so it's guaranteed to break the cruse every year.  Of course, now that I've said that...something will happen.  Either way...here's what we made.  So mark a night off on your calendar to spend with your special someone and cook away.  You'll be glad you did!

Creamy Shirmp and Lobster Bisque
Makes 2 servings

1 lobster tail; shell removed and reserved, meat roughly chopped
2 T butter
1/2 onion; diced
2 stalks celery; diced
20-25 shrimp; peeled and devained (shells reserved)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp paprika
2 cloves garlic; minced
2 T tomato sauce
2 T brandy
1/4 c white wine
1 1/2 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c half and half; heated
1/4 c uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste

1- Heat butter in a large pot.  Add onion, celery, garlic, shrimp shells and lobster shell.  Sweat vegetables until the shrimp shells turn pink. 
2- Add bay leaf, thyme, parsley, paprika and tomato sauce.  Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3- Add brandy and wine.  Cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
4- Add chicken stock and rice.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5- Remove lobster shell.  Puree mixture (including shrimp shells) and strain.  Return the soup to pot.  Add half and half, shrimp and lobster.  Simmer for 5 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink.  For a completely creamy soup, add the shrimp and lobster to the soup 5 minutes before pureeing, or you can puree the soup again after the shirmp and lobster meat are cooked
6 - Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with paprika.

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce
Makes 2 servings

1 T butter
3 T shallot; minced
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms; stems removed
3/4 c dry red wine
5 oz beef broth
2 filet mignon steaks
1 1/2 t soy sauce
1 t cornstarch
1 1/2 t thyme
salt and pepper

1- Melt half the butter in a skillet.  Add shallots and mushrooms.  Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.  Add 1/2 c wine and 1/3 c beef broth.  Cook 3-4 miuntes, stirring often.  Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.  Continue to cook the liquid in the skillet another 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until reduced to 1/4 c.  Add liquid to mushrooms, keep warm.
2- Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
3- In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter.  Add steaks and brown for 3 minutes of each side.  Cook for an additional 1 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare (or longer for desired degree of doneness).  Remove steaks from skillet and keep warm.
4- Add remaining wine and beef broth to the skillet.  Stir to loosen the browned bits on the bottom.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute.
5- Combine soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Stir mixture into skillet.  Add mushroom mixture and thyme to skillet.  Bring to a boil, stiring constantly, boil for 1 minute.  Serve sauce over steaks.

Braised Collard Greens
Makes 4 servings

1 oz olive oil
4 strips bacon; diced
1/2 onion; diced
2 stalks celery; diced
2 garlic cloves; thinly sliced
dash cayanne pepper (more if you want spicy)
1 bunch collard greens; stems removed, torn into pieces
8 oz chicken stock
1 oz apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper

1- Heat olive oil in a large pot.  Add bacon and cook until bacon is rendered and crisp, 5-7 minutes.
2- Add onion and celery.  Cook 3-5 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic.  Cook for 1 minute.
3- Add cayanne pepper and collard.  Stir well.  Add stock and vinegar.  Stir well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir well.
4- Partially cover the pot.  Cook 30-40 minutes until greens are tender, stirring occasionally.
5- Season to taste.