Date Night Dinner Menu
Cognac-Sauced Pepper Steaks Recipe
Caramelized Onion-Dressed Salad Recipe
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and I know a lot of people will probably be going out to dinner, but I thought I would give you an alternative if you wanted to spend the evening at home. It’s a simple menu that seems like a lot more work than it really is. Pepper steaks are served in a creamy cognac sauce, and to go with the steak, a caramelized onion salad. For dessert, a rich, dark chocolate mousse. Like I said, it’s a very fancy meal, but it’s easy to put together.
Since it can go in the refrigerator for a couple hours, I made the chocolate mousse first. I combined cocoa powder, hot coffee, and salt together to make a thin paste. In another bowl, I whipped heavy cream with powdered sugar and Kahlua until it started to thicken, and then added in the cocoa-coffee mixture. Once the cream formed stiff peaks (about 4 minutes total), I spooned the mousse into fancy goblets, sprinkled the top with shaved chocolate, and stored them in the refrigerator.>>
To make the salad, I toasted hazelnuts in a large skillet over medium heat. For me, it was easier than putting them in the 
oven. After they were toasted, about 10 minutes, I removed them from the skillet and let them cool. In another skillet, I sauteed onions in a little oil (I didn’t use the whole amount), until they were very soft and lightly browned. Then I added balsamic vinegar and a little water to deglaze the pan. Once some of the liquid evaporated, I transferred the onions to a bowl and whisked in more vinegar, mustard, and about 2 tablespoons of the oil. I poured the onion dressing over the spinach, tomatoes, blue cheese, and the toasted hazelnuts. The salad didn’t look very appealing, but I was committed to it at this point.
For the steaks, I seasoned them with salt and crushed peppercorns, and then placed them in a really hot skillet. I cooked them for 4 minutes on each side (medium doneness). Once they were cooked, I removed them to a plate and covered them with foil. In the same skillet, I added onions and garlic, and cooked them a couple minutes 
until they were soft. I removed the skillets from the stove (very important!), added the cognac, and lit it with a long stemmed lighter. After the flames went out, I stirred in cream and stock to the sauce, and cooked it for a couple minutes until it thickened up. I poured the sauce over the steaks, and sprinkled them with parsley.
The meal came together perfectly. The steaks were perfectly done, with a crisp and spicy coating on the outside. The cognac cream sauce really balanced out the spicy peppercorns. The salad, although it didn’t look very good, tasted amazing. The onions were really sweet compared to the spinach, and the hazelnuts added a nice crunch. And dessert? Perfectly creamy, rich chocolate mousse. It was the perfect ending to a great meal.
Cognac-Sauced Pepper Steaks Recipe