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Here's something I ginned up tonight, and it might just be a great meal to make for your sweetheart for Valentine's Day--

Beef Filet Mignon with Mango-Apple-Shallots-Habanero Chutney
Garlic and Basil Linguini with Fresh-Grated Ubriaco Cheese
Fresh asparagus sautéed in butter
Sliced fresh strawberries

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes, tops!

Take two medium-sized thick (2") beef filets wash and pat dry. Put the filets in a medium mixing bowl and dust with a heaping tsp of Mole Ultimato (spicestationsilverlake.com), or your favorite rub that has a bit of zip to it. Don't be heavy-handed, you just want the flavor of the rub to enhance the beef. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil onto the meat. Add a dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and cover and let it come to room temperature.

To make the chutney, you'll need a jar of mango jam and habanero powder. You can buy this and a whole bunch of other awesome condiments at Terrapin Ridge Farms (terrapinridge.com). Take two medium-sized shallots and slice them thinly. Quarter a Granny Smith apple, leave the skin on, and finely dice it. In a small sauce pan, melt one tbs. of butter, add shallots and apple and caramelize on med-high heat 5-6 minutes. Then add 4-5 tbs. of the mango-habanero jam and stir into shallots and apples. Stir fairly constantly for several minutes as the mixture thickens. Pull off heat and pour the chutney into a small bowl and let stand off to the side and cool.

Wash and pat dry asparagus and remove bottom two inches of the stalks, and then cut spears in half. Set aside on a paper towel.

The linguine that I used is the package of Garlic Basil Linguine Pasta (8 oz. dried) from Trader Joe's, but you may use whatever you like.

We bought a beautiful box of 2 quarts of strawberries the other day at Costco, and I just knew that a few of these beautiful berries sliced on the plate would be the perfect after-course.

Get your water going for the linguine, and heat a medium-sized sauce pan for the asparagus. When the pan is hot add a tbs. butter and when melted, the asparagus. Sea salt a fresh ground pepper to taste, rolling them around to coat each spear in the butter, salt and pepper. I like my asparagus somewhat al dente, so I keep the heat pretty low.

Take your favorite cast-iron skillet and get that bad-boy hot. Add a tbs. butter and 2 tbs. of grapeseed oil (it handles high heat without burning and buffers the butter). When the oil is essentially shimmering, gently lay each of the beef filets in the center of the skillet and leave 'em alone for the next 3 minutes, or so. After 3-4 minutes the meat will release and you can use a pair of tongs to flip 'em.

Meanwhile your water should be boiling, toss in the pasta and cook for about 4 minutes. Again, I like mine slightly al dente, but to each his/her own.

Plating--

Place a nice selection of the asparagus along one side of the plate; add a generous portion of the drained linguine on the side and top with some freshly grated Ubriaco cheese (an Italian red-wine soaked cheese--arguably one of the sexiest cheeses going!).

Smear a dab of the chutney on the plate and set the beef filet on it and then put a liberal tbs. of the chutney on top of the filet. I added some crumbles of Feta cheese too, but that is entirely optional.

Fan some of the strawberry slices on the side and serve. A bottle of red wine should accompany this meal quite nicely.

Buono Appetito!