Filet Mignon with Caramelized Onions

I served these with roasted fingerling potatoes. This would also be nice with a salad if you wanted to skip out on the carbs. My mom is watching her carb intake right now and I think this would be a perfect recipe for her to try. I know she loves steak and with the caramelized onions, this is so tasty. The seasoning gives the steaks a hint of spice. The caramelized onions would also be great for a topping for hamburgers or even quesadillas.

olive oil
1 to 2 Vidalia onions, vertically sliced (this is just depending on how much caramelized onions you would like and how many people you are serving)
salt
pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
filet mignon steaks

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix garlic powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Season steaks with this mixture. Drizzle steaks with olive oil and flip the steaks so they are completely coated in seasoning and olive oil. Let the steaks marinade while you make the caramelized onions.

In a medium sized non-stick sauté pan (oven safe), drizzle with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Once hot, add onions. Season with salt and pepper. You will want to frequently stir the onions until they are caramelized. This can take some time for them to get that nice deep dark color, but well worth it.

Drizzle with some more olive oil in the sauté pan. Once hot, place the steaks in the sauté pan. Let them cook until they start to brown on the side that is face down in the pan. About 3 or so minutes (depending upon how hot you allow your pan to get, ideally you want your pan really hot). Then flip and do the same thing to the over side. Once the last side is done, place the pan in the oven and finish steaks. You will want to keep an eye on this. Cook until your desired doneness. I prefer my steaks medium rare, so it really only needed about 5 minutes or so. Once you have reached your desired doneness, remove pan and let rest for a couple of minutes.

Top steaks with caramelized onions, serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing...........Malbec or Merlot.

Fresh Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza

I used Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough. This made two medium sized pizzas. I rolled the dough out to make these thin crispy style pizzas. If you like your dough thicker, make smaller pizzas and do not roll the dough out as much.

pizza dough
1 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced prosciutto
soft fresh goat cheese
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
pepper for seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes for seasoning
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out dough to your desired doneness. Lay rolled out dough on a pizza stone or greased sheet pan. Bake in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. You need to pay attention and start checking the pizza after about 5 minutes. You are looking for the dough to begin to start to brown. It can turn to a burn quite easily, so keep an eye on it.

Remove from oven and spread sauce evenly. Season with pepper and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Tear apart prosciutto into smaller pieces and arrange on top. Return to the oven and back for about 8 to 12 minutes. Start checking the pizza at about 8 minutes. You are looking for the cheese to bubbly, starting to brown and the prosciutto to be crisp.

Once cooked, remove and top with goat cheese (crumble over the top) and finish with basil. Let rest on the pizza stone or sheet pan for a couple of minutes before you slice.

Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing...........Zinfandel or Pinot Gris/Grigio.

2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District

This wine has a creamy texture with currant, mocha and espresso notes.  Also had a hint of mineral and flowers.  Deep ruby in color.  Full-bodied wine with a long finish.  Big, bold and chewy.