Filet Mignon Pot Pie

So tomorrow, I’m having a minor medical procedure done.

Yes my friends, my family is finally taking me in for that lobotomy.

I kid. I kid.

It really is nothing and it is completely routine, but I have to be put under with anesthesia.

Even though I have had a few other surgeries so I know what it’s like, it is always a little scary to have your life in other people’s hands.

But the scariest part to me is that my surgery isn’t till three in the afternoon.

And you can’t eat or drink anything for eight hours beforehand.

I am going to be awake and unable to eat anything for EIGHT hours. EIGHT.

If I could trade being poked with hot pokers for not eating for eight hours, I would.

Well maybe not hot pokers, but it’s still really bad.

So I decided to have an awesome last meal tonight.

And if this isn’t last meal worthy, I have no idea what is.

You will need…

1 lb filet mignon, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

2 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 ½ cup chopped Portobello mushrooms, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is very hot, but not smoking.

Add the filet to the pot and season it well with salt and pepper.

Cook the meat until it is browned on all sides. About 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the beef to a plate, cover and set aside.

Into the pot you just used, add in the onions, garlic, thyme, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add in the tomato paste and stir until all the veggies are coated and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the beef broth, potatoes, mushrooms and the bay leaf.

While you bring the liquid to a very low simmer, mix together the flour and butter in a bowl it creates a paste.

Add the butter and flour mixture to the pot.

Add the meat back into the pot and continue to simmer, covered for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often. Make sure that you don’t cook so long that you run out of liquid. You do want it to still be a little saucy.

While your beef is simmering, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lay out your thawed puff pastry.

When the filet is very tender and your potatoes are cooked through, pour the filling into a large dish or individual dishes.

Use your puff pastry to completely cover the dish you are cooking your pie in.

Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water and brush the mixture over the top of the puff pastry.

Pop the pies in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Filet Mignon Pot Pie

1 lb filet mignon, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

2 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 ½ cup chopped Portobello mushrooms, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is very hot, but not smoking.

Add the filet to the pot and season it well with salt and pepper.

Cook the meat until it is browned on all sides. About 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the beef to a plate, cover and set aside.

Into the pot you just used, add in the onions, garlic, thyme, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add in the tomato paste and stir until all the veggies are coated and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the beef broth, potatoes, mushrooms and the bay leaf.

While you bring the liquid to a very low simmer, mix together the flour and butter in a bowl it creates a paste.

Add the butter and flour mixture to the pot.

Add the meat back into the pot and continue to simmer, covered for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often. Make sure that you don’t cook so long that you run out of liquid. You do want it to still be a little saucy.

While your beef is simmering, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lay out your thawed puff pastry.

When the filet is very tender and your potatoes are cooked through, pour the filling into a large dish or individual dishes.

Use your puff pastry to completely cover the dish you are cooking your pie in.

Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water and brush the mixture over the top of the puff pastry.

Pop the pies in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Portobello and Split Pea Soup

I feel like cooking in my house has become something similar to grocery shopping with a small child.

There is a whole lot of “I don’t think I like (insert random ingredient here)” being thrown around.

Obviously, there are some foods that people just don’t care for. But I have found that for the most part, people who don’t like things just haven’t had them prepared well.

So it is no surprise that with my no-it-all personality, that converting people who don’t think they like things is my absolute favorite.

Last week when my dad asked what was for dinner and was told split pea soup he almost turned green. He protested for a good ten minutes about how horrible split pea soup is and how he wouldn’t be having any.

Then he saw and smelled the soup, and saw the delicious mushrooms go into the soup. The warm fresh homemade croutons were the icing on the cake.

Not only did he try the soup, he had multiple helpings.

And then had it for lunch the next day.

I may have had it for lunch the next two days.

But who is counting.

You will need…

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped  (I used shredded because I needed them for something else. Either will work.)

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leave

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

2 cups dried split peas

8 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 lb chopped Portobello mushrooms

2 cups homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot.

Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot and cook until the veggies begin to soften. About 7 to 10 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and add in the thyme, cilantro, bay leaf. Cook for an additional minute.

Then add in the split peas, the stock and the water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the soup to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook until the peas are soft, about 35 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining oil in a large sauté pan.

Add in the mushrooms and season them well with salt and pepper.

Cook the mushrooms down until they are very tender. About 10 minutes.

When the peas are very tender, remove the soup from the heat and remove the bay leaf.

Use a hand emersion blender to puree your soup. If you do not have a hand blender, you can blend in a blender or in batches in a food processor.

After the soup has been pureed, toss in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with a handful of croutons.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Portobello and Split Pea Soup 

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped  (I used shredded because I needed them for something else. Either will work.)

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leave

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

2 cups dried split peas

8 cups chicken stock plus

2 cups water

1 lb chopped Portobello mushrooms

2 cups homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot.

Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot and cook until the veggies begin to soften. About 7 to 10 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and add in the thyme, cilantro, bay leaf. Cook for an additional minute.

Then add in the split peas, the stock and the water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the soup to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook until the peas are soft, about 35 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining oil in a large sauté pan.

Add in the mushrooms and season them well with salt and pepper.

Cook the mushrooms down until they are very tender. About 10 minutes.

When the peas are very tender, remove the soup from the heat and remove the bay leaf .

Use a hand emersion blender to puree your soup. If you do not have a hand blender, you can blend in a blender or in batches in a food processor.

After the soup has been pureed, toss in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with a handful of croutons.

Grilled Bruschetta Portobellos

It is so funny how certain things really put the place you are in life in perspective.

I know I often joke that I don’t really feel like an adult. And truth be told, I really don’t.

Sure I’m almost all the way there, but I still live at home for goodness sake. I do have a couple things to accomplish before I can consider my self a full-fledged “grown up.”

You would think the fact that my closest friends are getting married, having babies and buying homes would make me feel like I was an adult. But, the thing that has made me feel most adult like is discussing my good friend Nicole’s guidance counselor job with her.

That’s right folks; she is a high school guidance counselor.

She councils people less than ten years younger than her.

She helps determine their future.

Adulthood is taking my friends and me by storm.

So here is a very adult dish. Fancy mushrooms always make me feel very adult.

You will need…

3 Portobello mushrooms

3 vine ripened tomatoes (2 if they are really large), diced

¼ cup chopped basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Top the mushrooms with the cheese and place them on the grill.

Cover the grill and cook the mushrooms until the cheese is nice and melted. About 15 minutes. You could also do this in your oven at 400 degrees F.

While the mushrooms are cooking, combine the tomatoes, basil and garlic in a medium bowl.

Season well with salt and toss well.

When the cheese is nice and melted, remove from the heat.

Slice the mushrooms and top with the tomato mixture.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Grilled Bruschetta Portobellos

3 Portobello mushrooms

3 vine ripened tomatoes (2 if they are really large), diced

¼ cup chopped basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Top the mushrooms with the cheese and place them on the grill.

Cover the grill and cook the mushrooms until the cheese is nice and melted. About 15 minutes. You could also do this in your oven at 400 degrees F.

While the mushrooms are cooking, combine the tomatoes, basil and garlic in a medium bowl.

Season well with salt and toss well.

When the cheese is nice and melted, remove from the heat.

Slice the mushrooms and top with the tomato mixture.

Serve hot.