File Mignon & Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese - Second Attempt

by Amy

So... the last post was a failed meal. I almost didn't post it. I actually had another post drafted and was planning on using that. I'm glad I did, though. Honesty is therapeutic. And spectacular mistakes can be inspiring.

As Julie (reader) pointed out in the comments, it was colorless. A veggie lover like me doesn't really do colorless. Usually. I was focused on the meat. I was trying to make ingredients that aren't loved by various family members blend into something palatable for all. As I was reading Nancy's comment (see previous post) and reminded of Enid & Beauvoir, I realized I was also in Enid-mode.

So I stopped.

Reassessed.

I remembered that the point was remaking meals so they were a bit our own.

I'm in a better place now than I was the day I made the ugly colorless meal.

So, after an impromptu wonderful fifteen minute conversation with a friend I hadn't expected to run into today, some time spent in nature while son was horseback riding, and wearing yoga pants and very frizzy hair (it's been raining a lot lately), I looked ridiculous enough and comfortable enough to look perfect for cooking the pajama-day meal. Yey! That probably helped.



I stopped at the grocery store on my way home and grabbed some potatoes and German blue cheese... Went to the garden in the rain (gardens prefer rain to human watering, I'm sure)... And cooked myself a better meal.

I think it looks better AND tastes better than the previous one.

I seared the meat (little bit of butter), then used the same pan for the carrots and tomatoes and greens. The potatoes I sliced through (a little over halfway deep), added a sprinkle of salt and a bit of melted butter and baked for about 25 minutes, then added the cheese and baked for another 20. A bit of white wine (I know... probably should have been red, but I had a bottle of "green" Portuguese wine and no one to please but myself). Husband wasn't home. Son loved the meat, didn't have potatoes and tolerated the veggies. I thought it was perfect.

Much better. Sigh.

And thank you Lori (on facebook) & Julie (comments in previous post) for ideas on how they'd do it (or would have or have before). It gave me the push I needed to go back and redo the meal. Also, thanks to Nancy, I spent quite some time imagining Enid's ex-hockey-player's new husband. LOL!

Love you guys! And, because of you, I had a much better meal than I would have otherwise...