Smooth Sailing Through a Dinner Party: A Thanksgiving Special

In lieu of the Thanksgiving holiday I have begun to prepare my home and my mind for the festivities and the amount of work to come. This entry is all about the recipe of smooth sailing through a dinner party. Here are some simple steps you can follow for this Thanksgiving and any holiday party to come. These are the 10 steps I have followed and will follow this Thursday. I might be missing some steps that you might find helpful so please add them below in the comment section. Thanks!

1. De-cluttering your home. My house is spacey for two but cluttered for 18. Since we are having a few families and children over I want to get rid of any nick-knacks that make a clutter or are dangerous to the little ones. Get rid of any candle sticks, souvenirs, pictures, etc. that are in children and pet reach. Also anything fragile should be put away. Don’t leave the crystal vase your great grandmother gave you out in the open on such a cluttered day. My advice, get a big storage box and pile everything in there. Shove it in the close or on the balcony for the night and feel the space just OPEN up. Also if you have a small kitchen, like I do, get ride of anything on the countertop that isn't needed. You'll need as much counterspace as possible and the air in the kitchen for this day.

2. Prepare ahead what you can, in terms of decorations, tables capes, silverware, etc. I already curled up all my napkins and stuck some rings on them. I already printed out all the table seating cards and have them ready to go. I prepared my centerpieces and votives on a tray so I can get them to the table as soon as needed. These little things can be done a week ahead and just be there waiting for you.

3. As much as you are dying to use your fancy china and crystals leave those to small dinner affairs and invest in some beautiful disposable settings. I went to Amazing Savings and picked up everything from napkins, utensils, serving plates, plates and soup bowls for my big crowd. Yes it cost about $100.00 but the clean up with be quick and we will all have a ton of time to relax and enjoy our company. I don’t have a dishwasher so I really need this, but even if you do—use the dishwasher for the wine glasses, the large serving trays and the pots and pans. Trust me your clean up will be there with or without the real plates and cups.

4. Know your menu. Don’t try to come up with your menu the day of. Sit down a few days before and really map out your menu. Write down what you need and guy out a few days before to pick up as much of the goods as possible. Some things are better bought the day of, but don’t keep everything to the night before or the day of, chances are things will run out on such holidays or you’ll end up not finding what you need.

5. Don’t experiment too much with new recipes on such days. The last thing you need is 18 people NOT eating your food because you screwed up the recipe. If you have a chance, try the recipe before to make sure it’s good and that you know how to make it successful. Also, a holiday like thanksgiving is all about traditional foods so make things you’re good at and you know will come out successful. Also, don’t make a bunch of foods that have no connection and don’t make too much of the same thing. My mission is to make a little of everything so at the end of the night nothing is left over. I’d rather people get a taste of everything on the table than just eat once dish and then me have one huge bowl of cranberry jelly left.

6. When deciding on recipes, consider how many people you have to fill. If it’s a small crowd then it’s not an issue but if you are planning to feed 15-20 + people you want to be conscious of the foods you choose. Why? Because you don’t want food that will cost you an arm and a leg. I almost spent $20.00 on brussel sprouts today and was like um never mind I’ll go for the zucchini instead. Look at your prices and make some conscious decisions. Even simple things like buying spinach. You have bunches spinach, bagged spinach and boxed baby spinach- which one would you choose? I do an entire math calculation in my head to get my money’s worth and you should too. See how much you are getting per pound and see what’s a better value. Don’t just grab and go like many people do.

7. On the night before plan out what takes the longest to prepare, the longest to cook, etc. Plan out what to do first, second and third. Check to see if you have everything you need. If you still need to run to the supermarket in the morning for one last fresh ingredient make not of it so it can be your first run in the morning.

8. The night before would be a perfect night to set your table as well. Arrange your seating. This way if you realize you need more chairs, more cups, or an additional table you still have time to call a friend and ask them to borrow. (My cousin Raya does this and so I realized what a wonderful idea it is and stole it. Thanks Raya =)

9. An hour before your guests arrive make sure the kitchen sink is clear, the counter tops are cleared of clutter and that the garbage cans are empties and refreshed with a new bag. This will really help with the clean up during and after dinner.

10. Make sure to shower before dinner, do your hair and makeup. You want to be a part of the dinner and not the servant. This is why time management is key here. Thanksgiving lunch/dinner is typically done at an early time than typical dinner parties so you want to make sure you have time for yourself.

*Thanksgiving Recipes will be shared after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Chili and Garlic Take Over!

I wanted to see what can be done with one set of ingredients and a few different main ingredients. I decided to take the chili and garlic combination and apply them to vegetables, poultry and seafood. I served them all during dinner last night to see the reactions. They all work amazingly well together and apply to each of these foods. The chili paste is from the Asian supermarket and it is very strong and spicy. I do not use as much because I don’t want to burn my mouth. However, if you love the spice feel free to add more. It might seem that you are putting a lot of garlic, but it is indeed a chili and garlic dish so do not deny the garlic breath! Perhaps this isn’t a first date kind of meal, but once you all get over the garlic breath this is a delicious meal. With the shrimp, you want to try to serve it right away. Once it gets warm, it doesn’t have the same kick to it. It’s a very quick dish to make so once your guests arrive you can make it and in 15 minutes your meal is ready! I’d like to confess that I have NEVER ever cooked shrimp and it was an interesting experience. I didn’t know how to take the shells off, I wasn’t sure how to devein them and so I goggled it and saw a YouTube video which helped me a lot. So if you are a shrimp virgin like me, just goggle how to clean shrimp and it will take you some great information!

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Steamed Chili and Garlic

Cauliflower and Broccoli

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

1 Small head of cauliflower (about 3 cups)
1 small head of broccoli (about 3 cups)
1 large pot
About 1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of chili paste
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of salt to season steamed veggies
1 teaspoon of salt for sauce

Directions:

Cut off the stalks from both the cauliflower and broccoli. You want to leave very little to just hold the cali/broc together. Take these stalks and wash them and then cut them in even sizes. Layer them flat into a soup bowl. This bowl should be large enough to hold all the cauliflower and broccoli. Fill the pot up with water, enough to cover the stalks. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into mouthful sizes. Wash the cauliflower and broccoli. Place them in the pot sprinkling salt over each layer. Cover the pot and put it on medium heat. Allow it to cook for about 15- 20 minutes. You will see the cover begin to sweat. This is a nice easy method to steam your vegetables if you do not have a steamer. If you have microwavable steam bags, you can use those instead but I like this method. I like mine very crisp so I don’t cook them for too long but if you don’t like them as raw, keep steaming them till you like the texture.

At the same time, in a sauce pan, heat up the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, about 4-5 minutes place the rest of the ingredients (chili paste, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper). Mix all of the ingredients well and keep on a low flame. When you are vegetables are steamed to your liking, place as many as you can into the put and turn them I the sauce and then place them in your serving dish. Repeat till you have coated all of the vegetables. Once you are done take the remaining sauce and drizzle it over the vegetables.

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Chili and Garlic Chicken Wings

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 4-6 People

Ingredients:

14-16 chicken wings, tips cut off, washed and paper towel dried
2 tablespoon of chili paste
1/3 cup of olive oil
5 tablespoons of garlic, minced
2 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix all of the ingredients together. I would first put everything together and then throw in the chicken and mix the chicken wings in. Use your hands, don’t be afraid. I use disposable gloves to mix them so I don’t feel so icky. Take a flat baking sheet and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the chicken wings flat. Put in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 20 minutes or until a little crispy and golden brown. Serve with some sticky white rice or some steamed vegetables (or both!)

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Chili and Garlic Shrimp

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

¼ cup of olive oil
1 pound of large shrimp, tail on
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
½ teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of chili paste
6 tablespoons of garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash your shrimp and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat the pan for 4 minutes on high heat, then lower the heat to medium and add the ¼ cup of olive oil. Give it another 3 minutes and throw in the garlic. Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes till they begin to get a little brown. Add the chili paste, sweet paprika and smoked paprika and stir. Let it simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes allowing all the flavors to infuse. Add the shrimp and stir constantly. You are not drying to fry them, but rather sauté them. The shrimps will curl up and turn a solid white/pink color. Flip the shrimp back and forth making sure to cook both sides. This will be quick, about 5-8 minutes. If you are not sure, take out one shrimp and taste the texture. If it is still a little raw give it another minute and it should be ready. Do not overcook it, because you can’t go back and you will have hard chewy shrimp that are not so great to enjoy.

Making Some Sides

If you ask me what my favorite part of any meal is, I’d have to say all the side dishes and salads. I can eat them and skip the fish and meat part. Not even desert wins over the side dishes. Luckily, Thanksgiving is coming up and I do believe that we really don’t like the turkey- because it’s generally dry or not as flavorful as we like to make it seem… What we really can’t wait for is all the side dishes. Here are three side dishes you can enjoy that are really easy and pretty quick to make. Enjoy!
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Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 4 People
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

14-16 small white potatoes- skin on, washed and quartered
1 large pot of water, enough to cover the potatoes
1 tablespoon of salt, to season the water for the potatoes
1 large white onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced thin
1 pack of mushrooms, stems left on, washed, patted dry, and sliced thin
¼ cup of light oil (canola, vegetable or an olive oil)
1 stick of butter (you can use less to reduce calories, and instead add water to make it looser, but it’s not my favorite choice)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In the large pot of water, place the quartered potatoes in with the tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Once a fork easily comes off the potatoes they are ready. It will take about 12-15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a large frying pan with the 1/3 cup of oil. Let it heat for about 5 minutes. Place a handful of the mushrooms in and space them out. You do not want to crowd the mushrooms. Give them space to breath. This will insure crispy golden fried mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with a dash of salt and pepper. After 2-3 minutes, flip them over and give them another 1 or 2. Remove them onto a paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the mushrooms till you have finished all of them.
Afterwards, if you need a little more oil you can add it and let it warm up. If you have enough in your pot then don’t add. You will now fry your onions in the same manner. Take a handful of onions and break them up so they become loose. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper. Fry your onions till they are tender and brown. If the heat is right they will also get a little crispy at the ends of the onions, that’s good =). Just don’t burn them. Remove them to same paper towel and repeat till you have finished frying all of the onions.

Once your potatoes have come to a boil, drain them well and put them back into the pot. With a potato masher, mashed them to your desired texture. I like them chunky so I don’t work them too hard. Add the mushrooms and potatoes. Slice the stick of butter into a few pieces and throw them in. Mix your potatoes with a spatula, large spoon, or large fork. You don’t want to mash the potatoes to a puree because then the mushroom and unions will have nowhere to belong. Add salt and pepper to your liking. I add about a teaspoon of each. If you like a creamer texture you add about ¼ of a cup of whipping cream or milk. ***Also, if you like cheese as much as I do, I really enjoy putting this an oven safe pan and mixing in cheese and then topping it with cheese and baking it for about 15-2 minutes till it’s golden brown. It takes the mashed potatoes to a whole other level!

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Tomato Almond Salad

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 3 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

8-10 small red vine tomatoes (they sell mini ones in boxes now, too cute and tasty!) cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on the size even into 4 if they're real small.
½ cup of sliced almonds
¼ cup of balsamic vinaigrette
1/3 cup of dill, washed and removed from large stem parts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of salt

Directions:

In a small frying pan, put it on a low flame and add the ½ cup of almonds. Let them toast, watching them carefully so they do not burn. Stir them every minute for about 3 minutes. Once they are toasted remove from heat and turn off.

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, finely chop the dill, add the balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together will and put into your serving dish. Sprinkle all the almonds on top and serve!

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Couscous Salad

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

1 cup of fine couscous, prepared by package’s direction
½ cup of cilantro, washed, removed from stems and finely chopped
1 lemon
2 small plum tomatoes, chopped into small cubes
1 small red onion, finely chopped into small cubes
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black ground pepper

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the couscous, cilantro, tomatoes, red onion, salt, pepper, and squeeze in the juice of one lemon very well. You want to grate out any lemon pieces from the lemon but make sure to pick out any seeds that might have fallen in. Mix all of the ingredients, place them in your serving dish.

Kebab'n It Up!

I was told the greatest thing a man can tell his woman today. David told me that I am one of the best cook he’s ever known. Total Heart squeezer! Do you think he means it? I think so. Got to love him! Of course today’s meal inspired his comment because it was an innovative meal where I combined by love for balsamic and honey and our summer favorite beef kebab patties. Since we aren’t doing much BBQing these days, I figured I’d throw in a little twist to some favorites and make this amazingly easy recipe! This will definitely be a crowd pleaser and also something you can play around with. This is much easier if you have a mini chopper or food processor because you can throw in all the herbs and things for the kebabs and they are ready to fry in no time. I am also working really hard on presenting my food better. I’m not sure how to go about it, so I am trying and I hope you all bear with me. You need to have the right plate, the right shaped food and a steady hand. This plate display was okay but I really hope I can get better. It probably also doesn’t help that I am taking these pictures in my horribly lit kitchen and with my cell phone but it’s the best I got for now. I hope you enjoy this meal!
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Mini Beef Kebab Patties

with Onion and Zucchini

Glazed with Balsamic and Honey.

Serves: 3-4
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

1 lb. of ground beef (you want it to have fat in it, so look for one with lots of white spots)
2 small red onions
2 eggs
¼ cup of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of minced garlic (about 8 cloves)
¾ cup of finely chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
I tablespoon of chicken style consommé instant soup & seasoning mix powder
3 tablespoons of oil
3 medium sized red onions
1 medium sized zucchini
1 stick of butter
1 cup of balsamic vinaigrette and ½ cup extra for glaze
6 tablespoons of honey, eyeball it
A teaspoon of thyme leaves (Dried or two three sticks of fresh thyme)
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of corn starch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Take the 3 red onions cut off the top off leaving the bottom. The bottom will hold the onion together when you cut them in half. Cut the onions horizontally, straight in the center of the bottom creating halves. Peel off the first layer and place in an oven tray, inside part facing up. Take the zucchini and cut the bottom and top off. Cut the zucchini into 1-2 inch pieces, keeping them round. Place them flat onto the oven tray as well. Pour the cup of balsamic vinaigrette all over the onions and zucchini. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons of honey all over the onions and zucchini. Sprinkle the thyme over the vegetables. If you have a few fresh sticks just break them up and sprinkle them atop. Count how many pieces of zucchini and onion you have and cut that much butter slices. Put a slice on top of each piece. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Pop these in the oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, consommé seasoning mix, and pepper. You are not putting any salt because the consommé seasoning mix is very salty already. Add the ground meat and with your heads mush it all together till everything is well incorporated. Make 20 small round balls out of the kebabs and place them on a plate. You want the balls to be a little more than a teaspoon big. Like small little meat balls that you’d find in spaghetti. Heat a frying pan with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once its nice and hot, place as many of the balls in the frying pan. Do not crowd them. Do not move them until you see the sides start to brown a little. About 3 minutes. Flip over the balls and press down a little to flatten the round just a little. Be gentle so the meat doesn’t fall apart. Let it fry for another 3-4 minutes until the bottom is nicely golden brown. Remove and repeat till you finish all of the kebabs.

In a small sauce pan combine the balsamic vinaigrette, honey and 2 tablespoons of corn starch and stir with a wish or fork well. Make sure the corn starch has fully dissolved. Put this on a low flame on the stove top and allow it to simmer till it reduces to about ½ and it becomes nice and syrupy. This will be your glaze.

Plate your kebabs in the center and surround them with two pieces of onions and a few pieces of zucchini. With a spoon, drizzle some glaze all over the kebabs, onions and zucchini.

Delish! Enjoy!

Some Good 'Ol Soup for Lunch!

I have been sick the past two weeks and so I have been craving some really good soup. David was sweet enough to make me some chicken soup last week but it didn’t go so well. I ate it, because I love him. But he didn’t even eat it, so that has to say something about his cooking, ha ha. Today’s vegetable and bean soup was inspired, shockingly by Rachael Ray. I was watching her show, the one where she cooks one day for 5 days and she made this vegetable soup with white wine. I decided to make me some soup for lunch. She used vegetables and dumplings but I didn’t want the dumplings so I substituted some beans instead. I also didn’t have any white wine left so I used some red wine. It came out amazing. In David’s words, “It’s one of the best soups I’ve had.” He says that because he loves me but I sort of believe him, to an extent. It’s good, it’s very hearty and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Perhaps it’s the warmth of the red wine or perhaps it’s because it’s my recipe and I like to brag.

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 20
Minutes Cook time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic slice, sliced
1 can of beans (red kidney or mixed Beans)
1 can of chick peas
1 carrot, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
A few pieces of basil, left on its branch (I used two full branches)
¼ cup of dill, left on its branch
¼ cup of mint, left on its branch
1 mesh cooking bag OR you can use cooking string to tie the herbs together
½ cup of red wine (I used merlot)
6 cups of chicken stock
Olive oil
2 teaspoons of black pepper
3 teaspoons of salt
Dill, Cilantro and/or green onion (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

In a large pot (enough to hold all the ingredients) heat some olive oil at the bottom of the pan, just 2-3 turns of the pan. Once it’s nice and hot drop the onion and garlic to simmer a little. You just want it to get the onions and garlic soft, but not brown. After about 3 minutes, drop all of the vegetables into the pot and stir. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. Drain and wash the beans and chick peas and then strain out all the excess water. Drop the beans and chick peas into the pot and stir into the vegetables. Let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add the red wine, stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and then put the herbs in the bag or tied up in as well. Allow it to simmer on medium heat for about 20 more minutes. Garnish your soup with chopped cilantro, dill or green onion—or mix all three. If you are eating carbs., go for some freshly toasted soup dough or Italian bread. You can even make your own crotons and add them on the top of the soup.

Very simple and easy, and DELICIOUS!

*You can put any types of vegetables in here, tomatoes, squash, parsnips, etc.

OOooPPppAAaaa!

I have had this yogurt in my fridge for over a week now and had no desire to eat it for what it is—plain yogurt. I decided to play with my Greek look-a-like roots and see if I could really be Greek if I wanted too. Not many people would consider marinating chicken in yogurt but amazingly enough it is great and really makes your chicken tender and juicy! One thing I did mess up is putting TOO much ginger. Luckily, ginger is good for the immune system and I definitely needed the boost so I enjoyed it. I cut down the ginger for this recipe because I really didn’t intend for the ginger taste to dominate the flavor so a tablespoon isn’t needed but rather just a teaspoon. This was a very refreshing salad and it was delightfully fulfilling. I enjoyed it and I think that this is a great salad to make ahead and take to work/school! For those of you that are wondering why I started mixing my meats and dairy’s, I have to say that I just gave up. When I have my kosher friends/family over I’ll refrain but for now I really enjoy my yogurt and meats and I’ll eat it at my own discretion, sorry my fellow Jews, I’ll cook Kosher another day. (Well, at least I didn’t use Prosciutto, even though some day’s I wish I could!!!)

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Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Marinating Time: Minimum 1 Hour
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 thin cut chicken cutlets
½ cup of fresh dill, finely chopped or marinade
½ cup of fresh dill, finely chopped for dressing
1/8 cup of fresh basil, finely chopped
1/8 cup of fresh mint, finely chopped
Teaspoon of finely chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced for marinade
4 cloves of garlic, minced for dressing
½ teaspoon of black pepper for marinade
½ teaspoon of black pepper for dressing
1 teaspoon of salt for marinade
½ teaspoon of salt for dressing
1/3 cup of water for marinade
1/3 cup of water for dressing
1 cup of Greek plain yogurt (you can use any %) for marinade
1 cup of Greek plain yogurt for dressing
6 vine ripe tomatoes
3 cucumbers
2 small shallots
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed, air dried and cut into large pieces
½ cup of feta cheese either crumbled or a block cut into small cubes

Directions:

Take the chicken cutlets, wash them and pat them dry and place them in a large bowl. Throw in the dill, basil, mint, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, water and yogurt. With a tong, toss the chicken thoroughly in the mixture. Make sure both sides of the chicken are fully covered with yogurt. Once it is well mixed, cover and place in the refrigerator to marinade for at least one hour.
In a medium sized bowl, take the remaining cup of yogurt and water and mix will. Then you will put the remaining salt, pepper, minced garlic and dill in the yogurt and mix well. Allow it to sit in the refrigerator till it is time to serve the salad.

When you are ready to cook the chicken cutlets heat up a grill pan and spray non-stick cooking spray on it. Cook each side (with the yogurt on the chicken) for 5 minutes, or until you see fine grill marks and then flip over and repeat. Let the chicken cool for 10 minutes and then you want to cut each piece diagonally . You want to keep the pieces together for when you are placing them on the salad. So you want to cut each piece right before you are ready to place it over your salad.

This part is for individual servings. I will give the directions for 1 serving and then you would repeat it for the 5 others. Take one large plate, place the cut up lettuce in the middle. Take 1 vine tomato and cut into 8 wedges and place around and over the lettuce. Take ½ a cucumber and cut thinly and spread around. Take 1/3 of the shallot and cut very thinly and sprinkle around. Place the 1 piece of thinly cut chicken cutlet in the center over the salad. Take about a tablespoon or more if you like of the feta and sprinkle all over the chicken and salad. For the last step, bring out the dressing from the refrigerator and drizzle it over the salad. I love a lot of dressing but you might want to start with a little for your guests and then serve extra on the table.

If you do not need to make 6 salads, this is a great chicken and dressing to use throughout the week. Every time you are ready for a salad just cut up some veggies, slice up some chicken and drizzle some dressing and you’re ready to go. Enjoy!

It's Yummy To Be French.

I love French onion soup but since we are on a diet I can’t have the toasted bread and cheese all over the soup so I decided to take the delicious soup, condense it and serve it with some beef. David was really hesitant about this dish because he realized the recipe probably doesn’t actually exist—that’s what I loved so much about it. I will make history by creating my own recipe and soon Paula Deen will be using my recipes on her show =) that’s the plan at least! This seems like a long and tedious recipe but it’s really pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Everyone that ate it, LOVED it. The beef was so tender and juicy and a small piece of beef really filled you up, even though you wish you had room to have some more. If you have any questions about the beef preparation please let me know as it might sound a little confusing at first. Also, if you are aren't carb-phobic definitely toast some French bread, rub some garlic on it, and melt some cheese in the oven and serve it side by side--it will really seal the deal on this dish!

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French Onion Beef Tenderloin

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 ½ hours
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

1-1 ½ pound of beef tenderloin (if you can’t find this, look for a clean round piece of beef that is almost fat free and a nice bright red color or a flat long piece of beef that you can roll up)
1/3 cup of dried rosemary, plus a little more to sprinkle on
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for frying the garlic and to drizzle over tomatoes
18 cloves of garlic: 12 for beef, 4 for onions, and 2 for tomatoes
2 large white onions thinly sliced.
½ stick of butter
3 cups of beef broth
1 cup of dry white wine
4 vine tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking string

Directions:

Take the beef and cut it half way down the middle and across to create an opening in the meat. It should look like a flat thinner piece of beef. Drizzle ½ of the 1/3 cup with olive oil, sprinkle ½ of the 1/3 cup with rosemary, and mince 6 garlic cloves and spread into the meat. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt and pepper and rub it in. Roll the meat up and tie the meat with the cooking string. It does not have to be any fancy way just make sure you tie it a few times creating secure knots so it does not roll open. Take the 6 other cloves of garlic and cut in half. Poke holes into the meat and press the half of the garlic into the holes. Do this for all of the remaining pieces in even locations on the meet. Drizzle the meat with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the reaming rosemary; a few pinches of salt and pepper all over the beef (do not forget the bottom). In a deep skillet, heat some olive oil (a few turns of the pan) till it is very hot. Place the meat and sear it. By searing I mean, leave the meat to brown well so it looks like its burnt. It creates a nice crust. Do not worry about the black bit, that’s a good thing—the entire flavor is packed in these burnt bits. Sear all sides of the meat and the sides. Hold the opening sides in place while they sear. Each side should take 4-5 minutes. Once each piece is nicely seared remove the meat to a plate. The meat will not be fully cooked, that’s okay. It will finish cooking in the onion “soup”.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the top rack all the way to the top and the second rack all the way at the bottom.

Melt the butter in the same pan. With a wooden spoon scrub all the burnt pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the 4 garlic cloves minced to the butter and cook a little. Do not let them burn (about 2 minutes). Take the sliced onions and put them in the pan. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt and pepper all over the onions. Turn them a few times to coat them with the butter. Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, till the onions have settled and are nice and limp. Add the cup of dry white wine. Let the wine simmer with the onions for about 5 minutes. With a thong constantly toss the onions around making sure they are fully marinating in the wine. Once the liquid comes to a nice simmer, add the beef stock. Allow this to simmer, occasionally stirring. After 10 minutes, place the beef back into mixture. Put the beef into the oven. Every 15-20 minutes, go into the oven and flip the beef to another side. You can also pour the onions over the beef. The beef will most likely not be covered with the onion soup, and that’s okay.

Cook this for at least an hour and a half, but you can cook it up to 3 hours. The more you cook it the softer the meat will come out. However if you are going to cook it longer you should reduce to the heat to about 350 degrees.

Take the tomatoes and slice them in half. Mix the olive oil, minced garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper and a pinch of rosemary together and brush the cut open sides of the tomatoes with them. Bake them in the oven for about 20 minutes, until tender.

Bon Appetite!