So tonight I'm making:

Filets mignons Au Poive
Parmesan broccoli (Couldn't be easier - steam broccoli florets and top with freshly grated parm. Totally easy but great.)
Garlic mashed potatoes (I'm actually going to buy these from the local gourmet shop)

So the only recipe of dinner tonight will be the filets mignons.

(You can do this with any cut of steak)

Let the meat come to room temperature. Heat olive oil a medium sized skilled over high heat. Sprinkle the steak with a pinch of salt and a very generous amount of pepper on both sides. The coarser the grind of pepper, the better (poive means pepper in french, so the pepper is the key ingredient).

Sear the steaks in the oil for approximately 5-6 minutes on both sides (for medium rare). They'll blacken; don't fret. Remove them from the pan and set aside, covered, to rest.

Lower the heat on the pan to about medium high. Add about 1 T. butter and 5 shallots, sliced. Saute the shallots until soft, about 4 minutes. Add approximately 1/2 brandy (or red wine, if you don't have brandy around) and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the bits on the bottom. Let simmer for about a minute. In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine 2 T. butter and 1 T. flour well. Add that mixture to the sauce to thicken it.

The steaks should be well rested and juicy now. Serve warm with the shallot sauce.

Total estimated time for this dinner: 25 minutes.