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.

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak is made with just one pound of
Harter House Ground Round and a few simple ingredients so it’s not only crazy good, budget-friendly too.
If you prefer ground chuck, that’s fine too but drain any excess grease from the skillet after you sear the meat.

Ingredients

Salisbury Steak:

• 1 pound ground round
• ⅓ cup Italian flavored breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped

Gravy:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter divided
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 2 cloves garlic grated
• 4 ounces mushrooms sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 package McCormick Au jus gravy mix
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl combine the beef, breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon and parsley.
2. Divide the meat forming 5-6 oval-shaped patties about 3/4" thick then season them with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Heat the oil and one tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties to the skillet, searing on both sides then transfer to a plate.
4. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté allowing them to lightly brown then season with salt and pepper. 
5. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. When the butter melts whisk in the flour and cook over low heat 1 minute then pour in the beef stock,  Au jus seasoning, Dijon, Worcestershire and thyme. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
6. Once the gravy thickens, nestle the Salisbury Steaks into the skillet including any leftover juices left on the plate. Cover and cook over low heat about 10 minutes or until the Salisbury Steaks are cooked through.
7. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary and if the gravy is too thick, splash in more beef stock 2 tablespoons at a time. 
8. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

This recipe comes from

http://www.agoudalife.com/best-salisbury-steak/

Easy Slow-Cooker Pork Tenderloin:

Delicious and lean, Hormel Marinated Tenderloins and Loin Fillets are on sale this week at 6 Harter House Supermarkets, Buy One Get One Free. (Sept 5 - 11, 2018)

I love recipes for my slow cooker. I can put it on early and have it ready when I come home.

What could be easier?

2 pounds of Pork Tenderloin

1 cup of water

1 pack of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

2 tbsp minced garlic

3 tbsp soy sauce

3/4 c red wine

fresh ground black pepper

Put pork loin in the slow cooker and sprinkle contents of soup mix over it. Combine all liquid ingredients and pour over meat–make sure to coat all sides. Spread garlic over top of meat–leave as much as possible on the top during cooking. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hrs. When done, pour drippings and juices into a bowl to use as a ‘gravy’.

Craig Claiborne's Beef Stew

Yield:  8 servings

Time: About 2 hours

It would be hard to find a simpler meal than Mr. Claiborne’s hearty beef stew, which goes beautifully with buttered noodles and a stout glass of red wine. A small scattering of cloves adds a floral note to the gravy, augmented by just a little thyme, and the combination pairs beautifully with the carrots you add near the end of the cooking process, to prevent them from going mushy in the heat. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the finished dish, of course, a nod to the past that rewards in beauty and flavor alike.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds lean, boneless chuck steak
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups water (or beef stock) 
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 6 sprigs parsley, tied in a bundle
• 6 large carrots, about 1 1/2 pounds, trimmed and scraped

Preparation

1. Cut the meat into two-inch cubes.
2. Using a large skillet, heat the oil and add the beef cubes in one layer. Add salt and pepper and cook, stirring and turning the pieces often, for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat the meat evenly.
4. Add the wine and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the water. Add the cloves, bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Cover closely and simmer for one hour.
5. Meanwhile, cut the carrots into one-inch lengths. If the pieces are very large, cut them in half lengthwise. Add them to the beef. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Serve the stew sprinkled with chopped parsley.

NOTES from other cooks

Trust your instincts on this one. Cook the beef in batches, cook the onions and garlic alone and then add the flour to the onions and cook to make a well browned roux before returning the beef to the pot. Allow most of the alcohol to cook off after adding the wine as it thickens. I went for adding rich flavor and used a cup of beef stock in place of the water.

I made the following changes to the base recipe:

I used 3 cups of wine (cab sauv) and 1 cup of beef stock

I let the alcohol burn off for quite a while (maybe 15+ mins)

I roasted some mushrooms and added them when I added the water

I cooked the whole thing about 30-60 mins longer than directed

I added potatoes and celery when there was 30 mins left

I added some extra thyme at the very end

Add fresh cranberry beans at the same time as the wine.

Add dumplings on top.

Serve this over mashed potatoes.

Add some tomato paste and more liquid if it's too thick.

Use a DASH of cloves, rather than whole cloves.

Enjoy!

from New York Times Cooking
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1321-craig-claibornes-beef-stew

Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese Sauce

Yield:  2 heaping cups, for about 6 servings and 1 1/2 pounds pasta

Time:  At least 4 hours

After the death in 2013 of Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed the way Americans cook Italian food, The NY Times asked readers which of her recipes had become staples in their kitchens. Many people answered with one word: “Bolognese.” Ms. Hazan had a few recipes for the classic sauce, and they are all outstanding. This one appeared in her book “The Essentials of Classic Italian Cuisine,” and one reader called it “the gold standard.” Try it and see for yourself.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ⅔ cup chopped celery
• ⅔ cup chopped carrot
• ¾ pound ground beef chuck OR you can use 1 part pork to 2 parts beef 
  (Harter House Boston Burger is 60% beef and 40% Pork)                
• Salt
• Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
• 1 cup whole milk
• Whole nutmeg
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 ½ cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds pasta
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table 

Preparation

1. Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.
2. Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well and cook until the beef has lost its raw, red color.
3. Add milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating -- about 1/8 teaspoon -- of nutmeg, and stir.
4. Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.
5. Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side.

Notes:  Lisa added garlic and basil and used San Marzano tomatoes. (San Marzano canned tomatoes are available at Harter House in the World Flavors section.) Those always make a difference when it’s not tomato season. It was delicious. I simmered it for a very long tine. Probably closer to 4 hours than 3.

Recipe from the New York Times Cooking 
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015181-marcella-hazans-bolognese-sauce?q=bolognese




  

Japanese Fried Rice

This will be your new favorite rice recipe.

4 servings

Ingredients

4 C. cooked rice or 1 cup uncooked rice

1 C. peas

2 Tbs. carrots, finely diced

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 C. onion, diced

1 1/2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. soy sauce

salt

pepper

Directions

1. Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat and simmer in covered saucepan for 20 minutes).


2. Pour rice into a large bowl to let it cool in the refrigerator.


3. Scramble the eggs in a small pan over medium heat.
   Separate the scrambled chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking.


4. When rice has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot, scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl.


5. Carefully toss all of the ingredients together.


6. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium/high heat.


7. When butter has completely melted, dump the bowl of rice and other ingredients into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper.


8. Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often.