Fashion  |  Recipes

A Sexy Surf N’ Turf Dinner + How to Pick a Healthy Steak

February 11, 2015  |  By: Whitney E. RD

Hey lovers! Got plans for Valentine’s Day?

If you were planning on dropping $200 + for a fancy schmancy dinner at an overpriced, unhealthy restaurant, I’ve got a better idea for you. Why not bring the romance home?

Making your man a healthy, delicious meal will cost you a fraction of the price and is WAY more intimate than being awkwardly sandwiched between other couples trying to feign happiness while the waiter up-sells you.

Am I right?!

This V-day I’ll be barefoot in the kitchen, rocking this hot dress from Anatomie and whipping up some tasty Surf N’ Turf.

My man loves a good steak and I love perfectly seared scallops so I thought I’d pair the two for the perfect lean protein combo.

I generally don’t eat red meat — partially for the its association with cardiovascular disease and partially because I just don’t really enjoy the taste. But red meat doesn’t have to be on your “bad foods list.” Eating it occasionally is ok, and with the right cut, you can get a lean, tender piece of meat that you will feel good about sinking your teeth into.

The first tip for picking a healthy steak is looking for the right cut. Typically, cuts like top sirloin and top round are leaner and have less saturated fat than T-bone, New York strip or skirt steak. However, those cuts will also be tougher. Luckily though, filet minion — the most tender and sought-after cut — is on the leaner side of the “sinful slab scale.” With about 6 grams of saturated fat per 6 oz serving, it is a much better choice than say a Rib-eye, which has 16 grams grams per serving.*

Your second tip for picking a healthy steak is evaluating how it was raised. Grass-fed and finished organic cuts will guarantee that your cow wasn’t force-fed grains to bulk up, and you’ll find these cuts have a considerably lower fat content — obvious just by looking at them.

Lastly, focus on portion size. Just because restaurants serve 6, 8 and even 12 oz. portions of steak doesn’t mean you should be eating that much. Try my method and split your steak with your Valentine and pair it with a lean heart-healthy protein like fish or scallops.

I served my healthy Surf N’ Turf with these insanely good Garlic + Parmesan Carrot Fries (recipe coming next week) and a simplified version of this red wine reduction sauce.

I’d give you a full on recipe for the steak and scallops, but it’s actually so easy, I’ll just describe it in a few sentences.

Heat a cast-iron skillet and a saute pan over medium high heat with about 1 tsp. of olive oil each.

Pat steak and scallops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear the steak in the cast-iron skillet for about 3-5 minutes per side (depending on thickness and preferred doneness) and the scallops in the saute pan for about 2-3 minutes a side, until golden brown.

That’s it — hence the reason for no recipe, and the reason that this makes an amazing Valentine’s Dinner!

The minimal effort in preparing this elegant meal leaves you time to for more important aspects of the evening — looking hot for your loved one!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, loved-filled Valentine’s Day!

For more info on this sexy dress, head over to Anatomie.com. Enter the code: LDLALovesAnatomie for 10% off your purchase.

PS: this hot number is already on sale for $99!

*These fat counts are estimates based on info from Men’s Health. Various websites list different calorie and fat content for filet mignon. All steaks will vary based on how the cows are raised and fed.

Weigh in: What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Do you like surf n’ turf? What’s your favorite cut of steak?