Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Whipped Goat Cheese and Pesto

This is one of my favorite appetizers to serve my guests.

Ingredients

½ baguette, cut into ¼-inch slices (you should have about 25 slices)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

5 cloves garlic, divided

2 8-ounce pieces beef tenderloin

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

1/3 cup pesto of your choice

For the Whipped Goat Cheese:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces goat cheese, softened

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Start with the crostini. Arrange the baguette slices on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of the bread with olive oil (you’ll need about 2 tablespoons of oil for this) and sprinkle with a little salt. Place bread under the broiler for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly brown.
2. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and fresh ground pepper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steaks and cook for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. When you turn the steaks (after the first 4 minutes), smash 4 garlic cloves in their skins and add them to the skillet. Periodically use a spoon to baste the steaks with the oil/juices in the pan. Remove the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing them against the grain.
4. While the steaks are resting, make the whipped goat cheese.  Place all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.
5. Assemble the crostini! Spread each toasted baguette slice with whipped goat cheese. Top with a slice of steak and a small dollop of pesto. Serve immediately.

Preparing your Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Whipped Goat Cheese and Pesto:

Start with the crostini. Arrange the baguette slices on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of the bread with olive oil (you’ll need about 2 tablespoons of oil for this) and sprinkle with a little salt.

Place bread under the broiler for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly brown. Please pay attention while you do this, peeps, it is scarily easy to burn crostini.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steaks and cook for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. When you turn the steaks (after the first 4 minutes), smash 4 garlic cloves in their skins and add them to the skillet. Periodically use a spoon to baste the steaks with the oil/juices in the pan.

Remove the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing them against the grain. (Please don’t skip the resting step!!! You need to let all the beef’s glorious juices redistribute.)

While the steaks are resting, get going on the whipped goat cheese.  Place all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.

To assemble your crostini: Spread each toasted baguette slice with whipped goat cheese. Top with a slice of steak and a small dollop of pesto. 

My guests are going to enjoy this appetizer.

This recipe was revised just a bit from this website.

http://domesticate-me.com/beef-tenderloin-crostini-whipped-goat-cheese-pesto/#/

Basic Fresh Pesto

 

I love Fresh Pesto,  This is a tried and true recipe for sure.  ~Shelly

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)
2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
2 large cloves garlic
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp coarse pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Preparation

1. Chop up the basil, nuts and garlic really well first
2. Combine basil leaves, pine nuts or walnuts and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
   
   
3. With the machine running slowly dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.  
   Pesto is supposed to be a bit chunky, not super-smooth
   
   
4. Add the cheese and process very briefly, just long enough to combine. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
   
   
   

NOTES
Instead of 2 cups fresh basil, reduce basil to 1 1/2  cups and add 1/2 c fresh parsley leaves.

Pine nuts are traditional in pesto but they’re pricey. You can absolutely use walnuts or pecans instead. Whichever nut you choose, make sure you toast them first. Get out a small pan, add your nuts, put it over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until you can smell them.

Pesto freezes beautifully. You can go the ice cube tray route, if you have enough ice cube trays. Just fill the trays with pesto and freeze. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and seal them in a freezer bag. What I usually do instead of ice cube trays is to transfer the unfrozen pesto into a freezer bag. Lay it flat in the freezer and go and squeeze it around every hour or so. When it is nearly fully frozen, I break it into pieces inside the bag. Then those pieces are the future pesto portions. (If you forget to go in and break up the pesto before it freezes solid, don’t worry. Take it out and defrost it a bit. Then break it up and put it back into the freezer).

Creative Ways to Use Pesto

1. Creative Ways to Use Pesto. Stir a Scoop Into Soup. 
2. Spread on Bread. Sure, you can add a few leaves of basil to your sandwich, but pesto adds additional flavors that really take a sandwich to the next level. 
3. Use as a Veggie Dip.
4. Stir Into Mashed Potatoes. 
5. Stuff Chicken Breast. 
6. Enjoy with Eggs. 
7. Toss with Pasta.
   
   
   

This recipe comes from The NY times.