Showing posts with label Dried Cherries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dried Cherries. Show all posts

Monday, November 11, 2013

Blue Cheese Stuffed Filets with Cherry Red Wine Sauce

When I went to the audition for the Food Network last weekend, I found myself waiting in a corner surrounded by raw food chefs. They all went on and on about energy cooking, Whole Foods vegan presentations and what they would do if they made it on the show and they had a challenge where they had to use meat.

I’m pretty sure I saw one of them flinch when I confessed that I eat red meat.

But you know what, I’m nothing if not myself. And I love meat. Nothing could keep me away from a perfectly prepared filet. Not all the energy in the world. I’m all about health and clean eating, but I’m also about everything in moderation and everything includes steaks like these.

You will need…

4 filets of beef tenderloin, about 6 ounces each
8 ounces blue cheese, sliced


3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped


2 garlic cloves, minced


8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped
4 sprigs thyme
8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons demi-glace


2 ounces cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. 

Make a large slit in each filet and stuff the hole with 2 ounces of cheese. Brush the steaks with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat the 3rd tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 


When the oil in the skillet is hot, add in the steaks and sear until there is a nice crust. About 2 minutes. Flip and sear the other side. 



Remove the steak from the pan and place it on a rack over a pan or rimmed baking sheet. Finish in the oven till the steak is 140 - 150 degrees F more rare to medium rare. 


When the steak is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 7 to 10 minutes. 


While the steak is finishing, add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions down until they are softened. 

Add in the cherries and thyme and stir to combine. 


Deglaze the pan with the wine and continue to slowly simmer the liquid until it reduces slightly. 


Whisk together the water and cornstarch and stir it into the sauce to thicken it. 

When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and demi-glace.  


Drizzle the sauce over the filets and serve hot. 


Love and Beer Floats
Angela 

Blue Cheese Stuffed Filets with Cherry Red Wine Sauce

4 filets of beef tenderloin, about 6 ounces each
8 ounces blue cheese, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped
4 sprigs thyme
8 ounces dried cherries, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons demi-glace
2 ounces cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. 
Make a large slit in each filet and stuff the hole with 2 ounces of cheese. Brush the steaks with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat the 3rd tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 
When the oil in the skillet is hot, add in the steaks and sear until there is a nice crust. About 2 minutes. Flip and sear the other side. 
Remove the steak from the pan and place it on a rack over a pan or rimmed baking sheet. Finish in the oven till the steak is 140 - 150 degrees F more rare to medium rare. 
When the steak is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 7 to 10 minutes. 
While the steak is finishing, add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions down until they are softened. 
Add in the cherries and thyme and stir to combine. 
Deglaze the pan with the wine and continue to slowly simmer the liquid until it reduces slightly. 
Whisk together the water and cornstarch and stir it into the sauce to thicken it. 
When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and demi-glace.  
Drizzle the sauce over the filets and serve hot. 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Baked Brie


It is really hard to not love your life when your best friend comes over for dinner dressed like this. Really, really hard.


Tuesday was pretty much a mess. Traffic getting to work was a disaster and I was late. Dinner at Shireen’s fell threw (don’t worry Shireen, we will make it happen). Work was a big fat messy mess. All in all, Tuesday was sucking. Tuesday’s aren’t allowed to suck!

You hear that Tuesday!? No more sucking!!!

It sucked, until Lindsey arrived with an amazing recipe and an even better Halloween costume.

I’m pretty great at remembering how I met people in my life. Examples here and here. But, I can't seem to remember how Lindsey and I met. I know it was in the fourth grade, but there is so much that pops out in my mind that I can't produce that ONE moment.

I can’t remember where I was or what I was doing when I first met Lindsey, but I’m so glad I did. Thanks fourth grade for helping me find my best friend. I owe you.


Linds, I have so much to thank you for, but I’ll start by saying thanks for this brie recipe. You can thank me for explaining to you the difference between a puff pasty and a pie crust.

Don’t worry folks, the baked brie was still good with a pie crust if you feel the urge to substitute it.



No cheese thread? Use some floss!




Eric's beautiful pumpkin.



Love and Beer Floats
Angela

*Lindsey did not buy this large of a cheese wheel. You can buy any size that fits your needs.
Ingredients
1 (7 to 8-inch) wheel brie cheese
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 sheets (12 by 18-inch) puff pastry
2 eggs, beaten
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a warmed sharp knife, or unflavored dental floss (See Cook's Note 1) cut the wheel of brie in half horizontally and separate the top half of the wheel from the bottom half. Sprinkle the bottom half of the brie with the dried cherries, toasted almonds, and brown sugar. Replace the top half of the brie and apply pressure to secure the stuffing. Working on a well-floured surface, roll out the puff pastry so that it will fully cover the brie. Place the brie in the middle of the puff pastry and fold the excess pastry around the wheel. Put the wheel aside. Roll out another piece of puff pastry and cut out a circle the same circumference as the top of the brie. Save the trimmings for decorations. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg on top of the brie in the puff pastry and place the circle on top. Brush the top of the circle with egg. Cut out decorations using cookie cutters or a small knife on top of the brie. Brush the entire top side of the brie with the egg and place the brie on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pastry begins to turn golden brown, then turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve on a pretty platter. See Cook's Note 2.

Cook's Note 1: Instead of using a knife to cut the brie, use a piece of unflavored dental floss. Make an initial cut half way down, along the outer side of the brie with a pairing knife. Then, take a long piece of dental floss and wrap it around both hands. Starting at the front of the wheel at the initial cut, work through the wheel with the floss, separating the top half of the wheel from the bottom.