Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon with Crumbled Gorgonzola

Ingredients

• 2 Harter House Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon

• Kosher or sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons Gorgonzola, crumbled

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized oven-safe skillet.

Season filets with sea salt and cracked black pepper;

carefully add to hot oil, browning each side for 2 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast in pan for 12-15 minutes (medium-rare to medium). Remove from oven; let stand 4-5 minutes.

Top filets with a tablespoon each of crumbled Gorgonzola

and serve atop Pan-Roasted Cremini Mushrooms & Fennel Bulb. **

Serve with your

favorite Merlot

or Cabernet Sauvignon.

**Grilled Cremini Mushrooms and Fennel Salad Recipe

A fantastic winter salad featuring fresh fennel, grilled mushrooms, and a bright lemon basil vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Creamy Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

2 tablespoons prepared mayonnaise

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

1 lemon, cut in half and grilled, for garnish

Mushrooms:

1 pound cremini mushrooms, brushed clean of any grit

3 tablespoons canola oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

For the vinaigrette:

Combine lemon juice, zest, mayonnaise, honey, salt, pepper, basil and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Can be made 1 hour in advance and refrigerated.

For the mushrooms:

Heat the grill to high.

Place the mushrooms in a large bowl, add the canola oil and salt and pepper and toss to coat. Skewer mushrooms, 4 on a skewer. Place the mushrooms on the grill, until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from the grill to a cutting board and quarter.

Place the fennel and parsley in a large bowl, add half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine, season with salt and pepper. Top with the mushrooms and drizzle with more of the vinaigrette. Squeeze lemon juice over the salad and serve.

Quick Crispy Chicken Cutlets

This recipe is one of my favorites.  It comes from Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen.  It's an easy recipe, 4-6 servings.   About 1 hour and 30 minutes of prep and cooking.

Ingredients

(4) 9-oz boneless, skinless, chicken breasts split OR (8) Chicken Cutlets

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2/3 cup canola oil

1 large ripe avocado, sliced into wedges

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Lay the chicken out on a cutting board. Hold your knife parallel to the cutting board and slice the chicken breasts in half so one breast is now two cutlets. Lay the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound out with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper.

Set out three casserole dishes and add the flour to the first. Whisk together the mustard and eggs in the second. Mix together the panko, Parmesan, lemon zest and some salt and pepper in the third.

Dredge each cutlet first through the flour, then in the egg mixture and finally in the panko mixture. Put the chicken pieces on a clean baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Once hot, add the cutlets, in batches, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove to paper towels to drain and season again with salt. Put the chicken pieces on a clean baking sheet and place in the warm oven while you cook the second batch.

Serve the cutlets with avocado and lemon wedges.