Filet Mignon with Rosemary and Mushroom Gravy

I think I should stop anticipating things. I was supposed to start a crown today... I was supposed to start the same crown a month back... I... I just don't know anymore. I hyped it up too much....one thing I learned is that my patient is notorious for canceling...last minute... sigh.. It was such a beautiful day. I wish I could have enjoyed it more. I'm going to the beach tomorrow, so I guess that's something to look forward to. I came home and dug through my freezer. My mom has been giving me nice pieces of filet mignon for years now that always go to waste.. and I'm always telling myself... save it for date night... save it for some day special... or someone special... well.. when the time came... I didn't defrost the filet ... I was too afraid of failing... so I always stuck to something safe and easy to cook. I also never had a recipe that worked out... and now I think I do!

Today... it was just me. I could only not impress myself, and that happens often, so no biggy. This recipe was easy, I cut the piece of steak in half... and followed the direction. I halved the sauce because i was going to be tossing it with some broccoli. I cooked the steak according to the recipe... and when it was time to cut.. it was still a bloody mess, I'd say, more medium rare ... I was impatient and super hungry so I just microwaved it for 30 seconds to get rid of some of the blood... yea.. that might have ruined it.. but I think it still tasted fine. Next time, I'll bake it for 20 minutes instead of 10... maybe my piece was too thick? I'll probably experiment on a higher temp as well. Anyway, this was amazing. I wish I could make more. I loved the sauce.... it worked out perfectly with the meat!

Weird colors because I microwaved it :/ Yes... I  know how horrible that is...
I was really hungry!!

Changes:
-Portion... I made a tiny piece... I probably had a 4 oz portion of filet
-used only cremini mushrooms
- used dried rosemary instead
- used merlot
-2 tsp cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water to make a slurry, instead of whisking in the flour
-omitted the butter

Filet Mignon with Rosemary and Mushroom Gravy 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/filet-mignon-with-rosemary-and-mushroom-gravy-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

Steaks:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 (8-ounce) filet mignon steaks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Gravy:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large or 4 small shallots, minced
• 2 cups (about 5 ounces) assorted mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake and button, coarsely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Steak: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a small baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside. Season the steaks with salt and pepper, to taste. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes for medium-rare doneness. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board.

Gravy: In the same skillet used for the steak, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beef broth and rosemary. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until half of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cutting across the grain, slice the steak into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange on a platter. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl and serve alongside the meat.