Individual Beef Wellington - Elegant and Easy!

Individual Beef Wellingtons

8 (4 or 5 oz.) filet Mignon

1 1/3 tsp. salt

1/4 plus a pinch of pepper

2/3 c. chopped onion

2/3 c. chopped carrots

2/3 c. chopped celery

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 tbsp. brandy, 1 c. red wine

3/4 tsp. fines herbs

1 1/3 tbsp. butter

Mushroom filling, recipe below

Pastry, recipe below

3 egg yolks

3 tsp. water

2 2/3 c. beef broth

1 1/3 tbsp. tomato paste

2 2/3 tbsp. cornstarch

1/3 c. Madeira or other sweet wine

Diced fresh mushrooms

Carrot curls

Celery fans

Fresh parsley sprigs

You may please feel free to use Pepperidge farm frozen puff pastry instead of making it from scratch.

Please note an additional 1 cup of red wine after brandy listing.

Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper, and place in a shallow dish. Saute onion, carrots, and celery in oil until tender. Add red wine, brandy and herbs. Pour mixture over filets; cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight. Drain steaks, reserving marinade. Saute fillets in butter in a skillet just until lightly browned on both sides. Place filets in pan; cover and freeze 10 minutes. Remove from freezer, and refrigerate 2 hours. Prepare mushroom filling; chill at least 2 hours.

MUSHROOM FILLING:

2 2/3 lb. fresh mushrooms, finely chopped

1/3 c. mince green onion

3 tbsp. butter

1/3 c. Madeira or other dry sweet wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Place mushrooms in a clean towel or cheese cloth and squeeze until barely moist, reserving juice. Saute mushrooms and onion in butter; cook over medium heat until all liquid is evaporated. Add salt and pepper. Prepare pastry; chill 2 hours.

PASTRY:

4 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

1 c. chilled butter plus 2 tbsp. cubed

1/3 c. shortening, chilled

1/2 to 2/3 c. ice water

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl; cut in chilled butter and shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle ice water evenly over surface; stir with a fork until all dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into a ball. Roll pastry into an 18 inch square on a lightly floured board or pastry cloth; cut into 8 (9 x 6 inch) rectangles. Spread each pastry rectangle with 1/3 cup mushroom filling; top with a filet.

Combine egg yolks and water; brush edges of pastry with egg mixture to seal. Fold pastry over, and pinch together. (Trim excess pastry is necessary). Place Wellingtons, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture; repeat after 1 minute. Roll pastry trimming cut into decorative shapes and arrange on top of Wellingtons, if desired. Brush with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Combine reserved marinade, reserved mushroom juice, beef broth, and tomato paste in a saucepan; simmer 1 hour. Dissolve cornstarch in Madeira; stir into broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Garnish with mushrooms, carrots, parsley, celery fans.

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What's for New Year's Eve?? Pan Roasted Moulard Duck Breast!

Pan Roasted Duck Breast
Ingredients

3 duck breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds) (we have La Belle Farm Moulard Duck Breast)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

With a sharp knife score the fat of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a heavy bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium heat.

Place the duck breasts, fat side down, in the skillet to render off the fat, about 6 minutes. Reserve rendered duck fat. Turn the duck breasts over and sear for 1 minute. Turn the fat side down again and place the skillet into the oven to roast for 7 to 9 minutes, until breasts are medium rare. Let the duck breasts rest for 5 minutes then thinly slice.

Serving suggestion: Potato Rosti and Blueberry Green Peppercorn Chutney, recipes follow
Special equipment: heavy bottomed ovenproof skillet

Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min
6 servings
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Total: 2 hr 20 min

Potato Rosti:

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Duck fat, for frying
Special equipment: a 6-inch cast iron pan

Grate the potatoes and squeeze out excess liquid using your hands. Toss the potatoes with the melted butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of duck fat in a 6-inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Press some of the potato mixture into the hot pan to make a 1/4-inch thick cake. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the rosti is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the rosti in the pan and add more duck fat. Continue cooking until golden and crisp. Place the finished rosti onto an unlined baking sheet and continue cooking the rest of the potato mixture. Reheat rosti in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Blueberry Green Peppercorn Chutney:

2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup minced onion
1/4 cup green peppercorns *
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
* * Can be found at specialty food stores.

Combine the brown sugar, raspberry vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar in a medium pot. Place over medium-low heat and stir to dissolve the brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the blueberries, onion, green peppercorns, lemon juice, and ginger. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

The chutney will keep for several weeks stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Yield: 2 cups

Recipe courtesy The Cookworks

Easy Dinner but Impressive! Osso Bucco Milanese!

Osso Bucco Milanese (Veal Shanks with Orzo)

1/4 c. oil

4 lb. veal shank, each cut 2 inches thick

1 lg. diced onion

2 celery stalks, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lg. can tomatoes

Chopped parsley

1/2 c. white wine

1/2 tsp. basil

Salt and pepper

Bay leaf

Brown pieces of veal in Dutch oven a few pieces at a time. Remove pieces. In drippings, cook onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Return veal to Dutch oven, add tomatoes and next five ingredients after all comes to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until fork tender. Serve with orzo (an Italian pasta) and vegetable of your choice.

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,148162-231196,00.html

Content Copyright © 2010 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

Get your order in today!! Crown Roast of Pork with Cashew Stuffing! A holiday stand-out!

Crown Roast of Pork with Cashew Stuffing
Crown roast of pork filled with a bread stuffing studded with bacon, peaches, raisins and cashews

Hands On: 1 hour | Total: 3 hours 30 minutes | Makes: 16 servings (1 rib (3 oz.) and 2/3 cup stuffing each)
Ingredients

*
6 pounds pork rib crown roast
*1 tablespoon Pure Wesson® Vegetable Oil
*1/4 cup Blue Bonnet®-stick (1/4 cup = 1/2 stick)
*2 large onion, chopped (2 large = 2 cups)
*1 cup chopped celery
*6 slices bacon, chopped
*1 can (15 oz each) sliced peaches in juice, undrained
*16 slices Healthy Choice® Whole Wheat Bread, cubes
*1/2 cup raisins
*1-1/3 cups unsalted cashew pieces
*2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves
*1/4 cup white wine vinegar
*1 large egg
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place crown roast, bone-tips up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Make a ball of aluminum foil; press into center of roast to hold open. Brush bone tips with oil. Bake, uncovered, 1-1/2 hours, basting occasionally with the pan drippings.
2. Melt Blue Bonnet in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and bacon; cook 6 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Spoon into large bowl. Drain peaches, reserving 1/2 cup of the juice. Chop peaches. Add to vegetable mixture along with the 1/2 cup reserved peach juice, the bread cubes, raisins, cashews, marjoram, vinegar, egg, salt and pepper; mix lightly.
3. Remove foil from center of roast. Spoon stuffing loosely into cavity. Place any remaining stuffing in casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover. Set aside.
4. Bake roast an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of roast registers 160°F, covering with additional foil, if necessary, to prevent over browning. Add extra stuffing in casserole dish to oven for the last 30 minutes of the roast baking time.

Dinnner!!! BEST STUFFED PORK CHOPS!

Ingredients – BEST STUFFED PORK CHOPS!

* 2 tablespoons chopped celery

* 2 tablespoons chopped onion

* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

* 1/2 cup seasoned stuffing croutons

* 3 tablespoons milk

* 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

* 1/4 teaspoon paprika

* 1/8 teaspoon salt

* 1/8 teaspoon pepper

* 2 (1-inch thick) boneless pork loin chops

* 3/4 cup beef broth

* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

* 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. In a skillet, saute celery and onion in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Transfer to a bowl. Add croutons, milk, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Cut a pocket in each pork chop; fill with stuffing.

2. In a skillet, brown chops in remaining butter. Transfer to a greased 9-in. square baking dish. pour broth into dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minute or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Remove chops and keep warm.

3. Pour the pan drippings into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into drippings. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with the pork chops.

A Christmas Tradition! Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Beef!

Instructions - Things You'll Need:

* 3 eggs

* 1 cup milk

* 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1 cup all purpose flour

* 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil

Making Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Beef

About 1 1/2 hours before the roast is done, make the pudding batter. In a large mixing bowl, or the workbowl of your standing electric mixer, beat the eggs until light and fuffy. While beating, add the milk. Whisk in the salt and flour by hand. Cover and refrigerate the batter at least 1 hour.

When the roast is done, remove it from the oven. Transfer the meat to a carving board and pour all of the drippings into a heat-resistant bowl. Return about 1/4 cup drippings to the roasting pan; it will form a layer about about 1/8-inch thick. Put the roasting pan back into the hot oven and bring it to 425 degrees F.

Remove the batter from the refrigerator, stir gently, then pour it immediately into the hot roasting pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the pudding is golden and puffed up high.

Remove the pudding from the oven, cut it into 6 or more pieces and serve immediately, alongside the roast and topped with plenty of gravy.

Yorkshire Pudding Without Meat Drippings

In a large mixing bowl, or the work bowl of your standing electric mixer, beat the eggs until light and fuffy. While beating, add the milk. Whisk in the salt and flour by hand. Cover and refrigerate the batter at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour the melted butter into a medium-sized baking dish and put the dish in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the batter from the refrigerator, stir gently, then pour it immediately into the hot baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the pudding is golden and puffed up high.

Remove the pudding from the oven, cut it into 6 or more pieces and serve immediately.