Friday, February 22, 2019

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.

Monday, February 4, 2019

Simple Scones



Ingredients
2 Cups All Purpose Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 Cup raisins (or dried currants)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 large egg

Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

Cranberry-Orange Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cherry-Almond Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting dried cherries for the raisins.


Tip
Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.


This recipe comes from
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/79470/simple-scones/

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.



Quick Crispy Chicken Cutlets


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

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.