Date Night Dinner: Salad, Ribeye & Mini Cheesecakes with Caramel

All steps marked with (mise) can be done ahead of time.

**1. Prepare Salad Dressing (Mise):** In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of sliced tangerine, 1 tablespoon diced shallot, 1/4 cup of olive oil, juice and zest of one lemon, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Set aside.

**2. Prepare Steak (Mise):** Transfer a 1.5 lb ribeye to a resting rack and allow to sit in the fridge uncovered for an hour, up to overnight.

**3. Prepare Cheesecake Batter (Mise):** Preheat oven to 450°F. Add 1 lb cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar to a stand mixer. Using a paddle on medium-low speed, mix until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the speed to medium and stream in 3 eggs one at a time. Reduce the speed back to medium-low and add in 1 cup heavy cream, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Gently add in 3 tablespoons of flour and mix until just combined.

**4. Bake Cheesecakes:** Using muffin tins, butter squares of parchment paper and double line each mold. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the molds to the halfway point. Bake for 45 minutes or until dark and deeply toasted on top. Let cool.

**5. Make Caramel Sauce:** While cheesecakes bake, heat 1 cup sugar on medium heat, stirring constantly until all of the sugar has melted into an amber color (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in 6 tablespoons of butter (be careful, it will foam up a bit). Return to heat and slowly stream in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Cook down until thick and bubbly. Stir in 3 cake batter aphrodisiac chocolates and mix until combined. Once cooled slightly, the caramel will be ready for garnish.

**6. Cook Steak:** Remove the ribeye from the fridge, pat dry thoroughly, and season with salt and pepper. In a medium-high pan, add the steak fat side down and sear the fat for 1-2 minutes. For a medium-rare steak, cook on high heat, flipping every minute until a good crust forms, around 8 minutes total. Remove from the heat and rest for half the total cooking time (approximately 4 minutes).

**7. Assemble Salad:** In a large mixing bowl, add a few metric handfuls of arugula. Gently sprinkle the prepared tangerine mixture over the arugula, grate Parmesan cheese to coat, and gently toss to combine. Finish with additional salt, pepper, and more Parmesan to taste.

**8. Serve:** Garnish the cooled mini cheesecakes with the prepared caramel sauce. Serve the salad, steak, and cheesecakes as a complete date night dinner.