Filets Mignons with Bourguignonne Sauce

Oh. my. goodness.  If you are looking for something amazing to make for a special occasion (or just want to try it because it sounds wonderful, like me in this case), this is it, hands down.  Even better?  It's not difficult or tricky :)

Original recipe here:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/filets-mignons-with-bourguignonne-sauce.html

As you can see, this recipe comes from one of my favorite recipe sites, Williams-Sonoma.  I had originally selected a different recipe on there; it required an ingredient that I was going to buy there (demi-glace), as I have a coupon to use there.  However, I foolishly expected the store to be open when I drove by, saw all the lights on, parked down the street, only to walk up at 7:15pm and see that that they closed at 7pm.  Silly me.  Slightly bummed, I continued on my way home and chose a different recipe I'd seen during my search.  This one also contained an ingredient to be purchased in the store: Cabernet Sauvignon wine reduction.  Hmmm, I thought...I've done wine reductions, I bet I could make my own.  Once again, Google happily provided; I got a quick recipe on the first hit of my query.  That recipe is in yesterday's post.

Ingredients:

4 (or 3, like I used) filets mignons, 6 oz. each, 1 1/4" thick
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 extra-thick bacon slices, cut in 3/4" pieces
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 T. bottled minced garlic
3/4 lb. cremini (or button, as I used), stemmed and quartered
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. beef stock
1/3 c. Cabernet Sauvignon wine reduction
1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced

Instructions:

1. Season the filets with salt and pepper on both sides.  Let rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

2. In a cast-iron skillet (or sauté pan, as original recipe suggests), heat 2 T. of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Cook steaks 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare.  Transfer to a plate to rest, tent with foil if needed to keep warm (I put mine at back of stove, which was plenty warm).

3. Reduce heat to medium and add the bacon.  Cook, stirring frequently, until just crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper-towel lined plate.

4. Reduce the heat just slightly and add onion and garlic.  Cook and stir frequently for 2 minutes.

5.  Add the mushrooms and stir.  If more moisture is needed, add remaining olive oil (I added around 1 T.).  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

7. Add the stock, wine reduction, bacon, and thyme, and any accumulated juices from the steaks.  After stirring to combine, add steaks back to pan and cook for 2 minutes.

8. Serve with generous portion of sauce and enjoy a lot!

Cabernet Sauvignon Reduction

This is very easy and I'm willing to bet it's similar to what is sold in Williams-Sonoma (no idea, since I didn't get the chance to buy any, and now, probably never will).  I forgot to get a final pic, so I'll have to add that in later.

http://winefolly.com/update/red-wine-reduction-sauce-recipe/

1 T. butter
1 small shallot, minced
1 T. flour
3/4 c. Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 sprig fresh rosemary
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add shallot and flour.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.

2. Add wine, vinegar, and rosemary.  Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer until reduced by half; this does not take long, so watch carefully (think it was 3-5 minutes at most for mine).

3. Add salt and pepper if desired (I did not, since I was using in another recipe).  Remove rosemary sprig and strain if desired (I did).

Easy Pseudo Chocolate Mousse

Real chocolate mousse is wonderful, but what if you want a similar flavor, less work, and something kid-friendly (read: non-alcohol version)?  Voilà...a recipe is below for just that :)  I'm not sure where I got this recipe, have had it in my box on a notecard for quite some time.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 T. water
2 tsp. vanilla extract (increase to 1 T. if you use regular Cool Whip)
1 tub vanilla flavored Cool Whip, thawed in refrigerator
1/4 c. powdered sugar

*note: when I made it this time, I used regular Cool Whip Lite instead; this does not give quite the same 'mousse-like' consistency, but still tastes good :)

Instructions:

1. Over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips and water.  Continue cooking and stirring until sauce is smooth.

2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.  Let mixture cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, whisk Cool Whip and powdered sugar together in a medium bowl.

4. Slowly add chocolate mixture and fold in.  Place mixture in refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes before serving.

5. Spoon some up and enjoy!

Broiled Chicken Drumsticks

You would think I had learned my lesson last time after the broiler + butter = smoke detector sounding, but no.  I wiped it down, it looked much cleaner, thought it would be alright...beep beep beep beep beep!  At least it was only once this time lol.  Anyhow, this recipe is worth it, too.  This one is a slight adaptation from one of the "Easy Everyday Cooking" cards I talked about in previous posts.  A great alternative when you are craving juicy chicken drumsticks but don't want the mess and time (and fat) associated with deep-frying them.

Ingredients:

~3 lbs. chicken drumsticks (or other bone-in chicken pieces)
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 T. minced bottled garlic
~2 tsp. herbes de Provence
salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil.  Place oven rack in lower third of oven and turn broiler on "hi".

2. Place chicken pieces on aluminum foil.

3. Combine butter, garlic, and herbes de Provence in a small bowl.  (I had to squish it together with my fingers because my butter wasn't as softened, which was fine, just messy :).

4. Spread butter mixture on top of chicken pieces as best you can.

5. Broil chicken, turning often (around every 5-10 minutes), for about 30 minutes total if you have smaller sized drumsticks, longer for large ones like I had (I think I went closer to 40 min. total).

6. Serve with desired side and enjoy!  (Pictured here are garlic and Gruyère stuffed mushrooms with the chicken.)

Provolone and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Since I didn't feel like a trip to the store, I decided to modify the recipe to fit what I had on hand.  I'd bought provolone the other day in case I needed it for a different recipe, but decided on another cheese instead, thus I sought out a recipe to use it up, along with something from my burgeoning freezer.  And while my version was good, I would like to try it next time with the original ingredients instead to compare, so I included those on here as well.  I served it with garlic quinoa and brown rice (from a cook-in-the-pouch).  Enjoy!

Original recipe here:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/provolone-and-pancetta-stuffed-chicken-breasts.html

Ingredients:

6 oz. bacon, cut into small chunks/pieces (original= 6oz. pancetta, cut in small chunks; think it would be better)
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic (or 2 regular cloves, minced; again, think this would be preferable)
1 T. minced fresh rosemary (original calls for sage; think you could use any herb you like)
3 oz. grated provolone cheese (I think I had slightly more than this)
3 large boneless chicken breasts, pressed to 3/4" thickness (original is for five 8 oz. breasts, pounded to 1/2".  I was afraid of not having a place to make the slit/pocket, thus I just pressed mine thinner by hand)
salt and pepper, to taste
flour for dredging
4 egg whites
2 1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs (original calls for 3 1/2 c. of toasted breadcrumbs; I doubt toasting would change much, so I did not bother.  You could also use panko here, I think)
1 1/2 c. olive oil

Instructions:

1. In a skillet over slightly less than medium-high heat, cook bacon until slightly crispy.  (If using pancetta, add 1 tsp. olive oil to pan).  Add garlic to pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.  Transfer bacon/garlic mixture to paper towel lined plate to drain.

2. Place bacon/garlic mixture in a small bowl and combine with rosemary.

3. Mix in the cheese.

4. Using a paring knife, make a slit into the thickest part of the breast at the top (the opposite of the pointy end).  Be sure to not poke through the top or bottom sides of breast!  (I made the slit, then used my fingers to open it a bit more.)  Stuff the cheese/bacon/garlic mixture into the pocket/slit and place breasts on wire rack on top of a baking tray/cookie sheet.  Place (uncovered) in freezer for 5 minutes. (You are also supposed to salt and pepper the breasts before putting in freezer, but I forgot, thus not pictured.  I did so after removing from freezer and that seemed to also work fine.)

5. Place flour, egg whites, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow pans/plates.  Dredge breasts in flour first, followed by egg white, and then breadcrumbs.

6. Transfer breasts back to wire rack and place (uncovered) in refrigerator for 15 minutes).

7. In a wide pan over high heat, heat the olive oil.  (If you have more than 3 breasts, you will need to do this step in batches.)  Fry the chicken until crisped underneath, around 5-6 minutes, then turn over and fry for additional 7-8 minutes to crisp other side.

8. Drain chicken on paper towel lined plate.  Serve with desired side and enjoy!

Boursin Potatoes Gratin

Yes, I was crazy enough to pair this with the over-the-top amazing beef tenderloin, which also has cream (I didn't have much else to eat that day, plus I went extra hard at the gym the next day, so it should all balance out, right? Right?)  It was partly due to my first recipe choice failing at the beginning.  I had originally chosen a gratin with leeks and Gruyère cheese; the first part is to cut up the leeks into rounds and then cook them in butter, covered, over medium heat.  Not sure what was wrong with this (apart from my reducing the original amount by half, as I did not need 10-12 servings (!)), but the leeks started carmelizing and then nearly burning, despite stirring occasionally as indicated.  The leeks had nearly disintegrated by the time I gave up on the idea and threw them out.  I searched quickly for a second choice of recipe; recalling that I had some Boursin that needed to be used up, I decided to search for Boursin gratin potatoes, wondering only briefly if it existed (nearly every combination of stuff like this that I have come up with in my head has yielded results, so I'm less surprised each time).  Sure enough, food.com came through, with a recipe that was simple and had great reviews:

http://www.food.com/recipe/boursin-cheese-potatoes-25266

Ingredients:
1 package (5 oz.) Boursin cheese (used garlic and herbs, think any variety would do)
1 c. 2% milk
1 c. heavy cream
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
~2.5 lbs. russet potatoes (or red potatoes, as the original uses), sliced

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F (I actually used my toaster oven on the turbo setting, so you may need slightly higher temp in traditional oven.)

1. Over medium heat in a medium saucepan, cook the cheese, milk, and cream, stirring until well-combined and smooth (there were still a few tiny chunks of Boursin in mine, which I discovered after I went to pour it).

2. In a glass 8" x 8" dish, make a layer of the sliced potatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste, then pour 1/3 of the cheese/cream mixture over them.

3. Repeat the layering 2 more times.

4. Place in oven, uncovered and bake for around 1 hour.  (It took about that long even on the 'turbo' setting, so you may need additional time.)  The top should start to brown a little about halfway through the baking.

5. Once potatoes are softened to your preference, remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes prior to serving.  Enjoy!

Beef Tenderloin with Shiitake Madeira Sauce

Otherwise known as "better than going to a restaurant" and "kind of expensive for home cooking but oh so very worth it", this is one of the most complex tasting dishes I've ever cooked and is completely worthy of being a celebratory meal.  Some women, they have a bad day/week and they go out to do 'retail therapy'; me, I choose cooking something exceptional, like this.
I went to the grocery store for an advertised meat sale; it was a very, very good one, too.  So much so that I ended up buying my first ever entire/whole beef tenderloin.  They are usually far out of my price range, yet I've saved many a recipe for them, thinking that one day, I'd splurge and go for one.  Oh, am I ever glad I did.  Being such a special item, I had to choose a recipe that seemed 'worthy' of such.  I selected two--one of them had bacon, but since I had just used that in a recipe the day before, I opted for the other.  Plus, this one gave me an excuse to do my kind of retail therapy: a trip to Sur La Table :)  I had to go there to get the demi-glace, as I have yet to make that myself/none on hand.  This may well be one of the most expensive recipes I've ever done, but again, I assure you, the taste was worth every penny and ounce of effort.  It's unusual and amazing--give it a try!

*note: this does have a strong orange note to it; it may be good to reduce or even omit the zest in the sauce, as it is well present from the marinade*

Original recipe link:
http://www.ferrari-carano.com/wine-and-food/rhondas-kitchen/beef-tenderloin-with-shiitake-madeira-sauce

Ingredients:

--marinade--
~2lbs. whole beef tenderloin, trimmed (I cut off a piece that turned out to be 1 lb 11 oz., which was plenty for 3 people)
1/3 c. hoisin sauce
1 T. oyster sauce
2 T. honey
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
Zest/peel of 1 orange, in strips
1/2 T. minced bottled garlic
a few sprigs each of fresh rosemary and thyme

--roasting--
~1/4 c. olive oil
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

--sauce--
1/4 c. demi-glace
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. Madeira wine (I used a decent quality, demi-sec one)
1 T. light soy sauce
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 c. butter (I used unsalted like the recipe says, but I think you could use salted, as I ended up adding salt at the end)
1 large shallot, minced
1 1/2 c. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Place beef tenderloin in a gallon plastic Ziploc-type bag.  Add the ingredients of the 'marinade' section.  Seal bag and toss together, making sure that everything is well-mixed and meat is coated all over.  Place bag in refrigerator and let marinate for a few hours or overnight (I went 3 1/2 hours in fridge and one on countertop for next step.)

2. Remove bag from fridge and set on counter to reach room temperature (as I said, I went an hour).

3. Once meat is room temperature, remove from plastic bag and discard marinade.  Tie roast at 2" intervals (I ended up with 3 total).  Heat oven to 425°F.  Add olive oil to a Dutch oven (or roasting pan).  Season meat with salt and pepper as desired/to taste.  Place Dutch oven/pan in oven and bake until desired doneness is reached (I went ~40 min, which put my meat just past medium rare.  However, I did not rotate while baking, which I think was a mistake, as the 'doneness' level was not uniform.  I shall change this for next time).  Use a meat thermometer to test; mine registered 135°F when I decided to take it out of the oven.

4.  Let meat rest for 10 minutes.  During this time, prepare the sauce.  In a medium bowl, combine the demi-glace, cream, wine, soy sauce, tomato paste, and orange zest.

5. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook until softened, around 3-4 minutes.

6. Add the cream mixture to pan and continue cooking until sauce is well combined and slightly thickened.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Slice up beef and serve with sauce--enjoy a lot!

French Chocolate Cake

I've made this cake many times now and really love it; it's quite rich and dense, definitely for chocolate lovers :)  The recipe is another one from the book French: Delicious Classic Cuisine Made Easy by Clements & Wolf-Cohen (yes, I really love this cookbook a lot).  The first few times I made this, I could not find superfine sugar where I lived, so I used regular/granulated sugar instead; it still turned out, but not exactly the same texture (still delicious!)

My YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/a6wAHp5E570

Ingredients:

3/4 c. superfine sugar, separated, plus some for sprinkling
10 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. unsalted butter, cut in pieces
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 eggs, separated
1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
confectioner's sugar, for dusting (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F.  Butter a 9 1/2" springform pan, then sprinkle with superfine sugar to coat, tap out excess.

2. Set aside 3 T. of the superfine sugar (taken from the 3/4 c.).  Place the chocolate, butter, and remaining sugar in a medium heavy saucepan.  Cook over LOW heat until the chocolate and butter have melted and sugar has dissolved.

3. Remove pan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Let mixture cool slightly.

4. Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture (I just stirred vigorously), then stir in the flour. (I put this in bold due to my oops while making the video!)

5. In a clean, grease-free bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are frothy.  Add the salt, increase the speed, and continue beating until soft peaks form.

6. Sprinkle the remaining superfine sugar over the top of the egg whites and beat until the whites are stiff and glossy.

7. Add 1/3 of the whites the to chocolate mixture and beat in carefully.  Fold in remaining 2/3 of whites (by hand).

8. Carefully pour mixture into the prepared springform pan and tap the pan to release any air bubbles.

9. Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes (I went 36), until well-risen and top springs back when lightly touched.

10. Transfer cake to cooling rack and run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any bits that may have stuck to the pan.  Remove the side of pan and let cool completely.  Note: the top of the cake will be crackly and the cake will deflate a bit while cooling.

11. The original recipe calls for removing the cake base at this point; I find that the cake is too fragile for this operation, so I just leave it on the base for serving.  Dust top of cake with confectioner's sugar if desired (I don't find this necessary, I like it as it is :))  Slice up and enjoy!