Beef tenderloin with dill - a grown up hors d'ouvre

Tonight's meal grew out of one of my staple entertaining hor d'oeuvres - beef tenderloin with mustard and dill. Normally, it is served in bite size pieces layered on bottom with a baguette, followed by gourmet mustard, then beef tenderloin and topped off with dill. Delicious as it may be on a baguette, I decided to graduate into a full sized portion and make a meal of it.

I started off with a prime cut of beef tenderloin fillet, butterflied. Next, I mixed up a mustard sauce by mixing a spoon full of gourmet, semi-spicy, mustard with a spoon full of mayonnaise. Mixed together with a dash of salt and cracked pepper, the sauce was perfect for coating the steak before going onto the stove top. I realize, I am addicted to my skillet.

With my steak gleefully cooking away on the stove, I started my sides which I admit, I cheated a little bit. Boxed couscous which is ready in 5 minutes. I love it though so no apologies from me on that one.

In addition to couscous, I attempted to make eggplant which I don't believe I had ever had before. I resorted to The Joy of Cooking to figure out how best to cook this large purple oddity. Ever so delicately, I sliced the fleshy vegetable, which is often substituted for meat I learned. Cooking the eggplant in a touch of oil (just like the good book said) I started to wonder if I had made a wise choice during my adventure at Whole Foods on Sunday. As it turns out, I am not really a fan of eggplant but at least I know that now.

Once my steak was perfectly medium done and the couscous was fluffed, I plated the meal and topped off with a drizzle of mustard sauce. Adding an ornament of dill atop the steak, it was complete! While I don't recommend eggplant, mustard sauce and dill paired with a fine cut of beef has never let me down. No matter how big the portions.