Sweetheart menus
Tenderloin of Beef with Blue Cheese and Herb Crust
From the Culinary Institute of America’s Gourmet Meals in Minutes. Editors write: “Simple and elegant, this dish is a sure winner. Whether serving an intimate dinner for two or a number of guests, the delicious flavors of Madeira and blue cheese are a perfect choice with the beef tenderloin.”
3 tablespoons of butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
6 tablespoons Madeira wine
2 1/4 pounds beef tenderloin
1/4 cup bread crumbs
6 tablespoons blue cheese
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine the butter and flour.
Bring the beef broth and Madeira to a boil. Whisk in the butter and flour mixture until completely dissolved. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is thickened and reduced by half. While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the rack of a roasting pan with nonstick spray and place in the pan.
Slice the tenderloin into six portions that are approximately 3 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inches thick. Tie butcher’s twine around the beef medallions so they maintain their shape while cooking, if desired.
Combine the bread crumbs, blue cheese, parsley, chives and pepper to form a paste.
Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Sear the medallions until just browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. Arrange the medallions in a roasting pan. Coat the top side of each medallion with 3 tablespoons of the blue cheese and herb crust.
Roast until the crust is golden brown and the meat is cooked as desired, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, depending on the size of the medallions. If butcher’s twine was used, be sure to remove it.
Serve the medallions on a pool of warm Madeira sauce.
Yield: 6 servings
Afogatto Mocha
From epicurious.com. The recipe first appeared in Bon Appetit magazine. Try substituting Kahlua for the rum and topping with a bit of whipped cream.
1 pint chocolate ice cream
8 tablespoons finely chopped bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semi-sweet chocolate
8 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso coffee
8 tablespoons dark rum
Divide ice cream among four dessert bowls or coffee cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons each chocolate, espresso and rum over ice cream and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Prosciutto-Wrapped Cod with Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans
From “So Easy,” by Ellie Krieger
4 (6-ounce) cod fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
Cooking spray
1 recipe Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans (recipe follows)
Season the fish on both sides with the salt and pepper. Wrap one wide or two thin slices of the prosciutto around each piece of cod. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat it over medium-high heat. Add the fish fillets and cook until the prosciutto is crisp and the fish is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Serve with the pesto potatoes and the green beans.
Yield: 4 servings
Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans
1 1/2 pounds new red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons of store-bought basil pesto
Salt and black pepper to taste
Place the potatoes in a large steamer basket fitted over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for 6 minutes. Add the green beans to the potatoes in the steamer and continue to cook, covered, for another 4 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to a large serving bowl. Add the pesto and stir to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Dairyless Chocolate Mousse
From Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson. Start this recipe the night before you’re planning to serve it.
1/2 cup chocolate soy milk
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
12 ounces silken soft tofu
1/4 cup amaretto (almond liqueur)
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Fine grain sea salt
Pour the soy milk into a small saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Remove it from the heat and set aside to let cool a bit.
Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally in a double boiler. (You can cobble together a makeshift one by placing a metal bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water.)
Add the warm soy milk and silken tofu to the melted chocolate chips. Puree with a hand blender or transfer to a blender or food processor and process until silky smooth. Stir in the amaretto, almond extract and a generous pinch of sea salt. Taste and adjust the flavoring adding a bit more extract if needed.
Chill in a large serving bowl or individual bowls for at least 1 1/2 hours – the longer the better.
The mousse will set up nicely as it cools.
Yield: 6 servings
Chicken Piccata
From www.foodnetwork.com, courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add two pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other two pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
Reduce heat to medium low and add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.
Yield: 4 servings
Mini Cheesecakes with Strawberries
From “Comfort Food Fix,” by Ellie Krieger. Make this recipe the night before you plan to serve it. It needs at least four hours of chilling in the refrigerator.
12 graham crackers or three full sheets
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
6 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon gelatin powder
Nonstick cooking spray
6 small strawberries, thinly sliced
Move the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Place six cupcake liners in a cupcake tin.
Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until fine crumbs are formed. You will wind up with about 3/4 cup of crumbs. Add the butter, water, brown sugar and salt and pulse to combine. Distribute the crumbs evenly among the cupcake liners, pressing down to pack in firmly.
Bake until just set, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on medium high, beat together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Place the gelatin in a small bowl and dissolve completely in 1 tablespoon of boiling water. Allow gelatin to cool before combining it with the ricotta mixture. Spray the cupcake liners containing the baked crusts lightly with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the batter into each prepared cupcake liner on top of the crust. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely, at least four hours. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices.
Yield: 6 servings
Heart-Shaped Handpies
Tuck your family’s favorite fillings into a pie crust to make these savory pockets. We made heart-shaped pockets filled with ham and cheddar cheese for the boys at our house. If you have grown-ups to feed who might appreciate the more sophisticated flavors of ham, gruyere and onion or if you would rather not fuss with cutting heart shapes, consider the recipe that follows for “flipsides” from Dani Cone. I used the scraps of pie crust to roll out a few Sweetie Pie Pops, too (recipe follows).
Pie crust, store bought or your favorite recipe
Ham, diced
Shredded cheddar cheese
1 lightly beaten egg
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Roll out the pie crust and use a stencil or large cookie cutter to cut heart shapes from the dough. They should be roughly 4 to 6 inches in diameter.
Place a couple of tablespoons of ham and cheese in the center of a heart-shaped crust. Be careful not to overfill. Brush the edge of the dough with lightly beaten egg and place a second heart-shaped piece of dough on top. Use a fork to seal the edges of the dough. Poke each heart with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking. (We used a second smaller heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut a vent.)
Brush the top of the crust with the beaten egg and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for as many handpies as you would like to make.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is heated through.
Yield: Varies
Ham, Gruyere and Onion Flipsides
From “Cutie Pies,” by Dani Cone.
2 medium white onions sliced into 1/2-inch thick crescents
1/2 pound ham, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch white pepper
1 teaspoon firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
All-butter crust, your favorite recipe or store-bought crust
1 egg lightly beaten
Sea salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, or lightly spray with nonstick spray.
To make the filling, in a large frying pan cook the onions on high heat, stirring frequently, adding small amounts of water as needed until the onions are softened and light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the ham to the onions and continue cooking on high, stirring frequently until the ham begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Remove the ham mixture from the heat and toss with salt, pepper, brown sugar and Gruyere cheese. Set aside and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Cut 10 (6-inch) circles from the crust. Reroll the dough scraps to make all the circles, being careful to avoid overhandling the dough. Brush each circle lightly with the beaten egg, making sure to brush right to the edges.
Spoon the filling evenly onto the center of the 10 circles. Pick up a dough circle so that it is lying flat in one hand. With the other hand, fold the circle up (like a taco) and tightly pinch the edges together flat to seal the crust, starting at one corner and pinching around to the other corner.
Lay the circle down on the work surface and with a fluted-edge pastry wheel, cut around the outermost edge to give the crust a neat finish (this edge is for looks, not to seal the crust, so make sure you’ve thoroughly pinched the crust together).
Make three small slits in the top of the flipside and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process for each of the 10 flipsides.
Lightly brush the tops of the flipsides with the remaining beaten egg. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the crust is golden.
Yield: 10 flipsides
Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Whipped Cream
From “On a Stick,” by Matt Armendariz
16 small bamboo skewers
2 cups pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes (store-bought is fine)
2 cups strawberries, stems removed
For the whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Thread alternating pieces of pound cake and strawberries onto skewers.
Make whipped cream: Combine cream and sugar in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in vanilla. Serve alongside cake and strawberry skewers.
Yield: 4 servings.
Sweetie Pie Pops
From “Our Best Bites,” www.ourbestbites.com
1 recipe pie crust (or store-bought pie crust dough)
6-inch lollipop sticks (available at craft stores)
Small bowl of water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Coarse sugar or sprinkles for top
Canned pie filling, or homemade apple filling (below)
Cookie cutters
For the apple pie filling:
1 medium tart green apple, peeled and grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold butter, grated
For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1-3 teaspoons milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat if desired.
Roll out pie dough on a floured surface about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out heart shapes (or other shape of your choosing) and place them on your baking sheet. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling on one shape, keeping it at least 1/4 inch away from the edges. Place 6-inch lollipop stick in center of shape, with the top of the stick near the top of the shape. Wet your finger in a small bowl of water and wet the edge of the pie dough shape. Wet the edges of a second pie dough shape (one without filling) and place on top of the other. Press together gently with your fingers to seal the pieces together. Use a fork to crimp edges, being careful to seal edges around the stick. Poke a fork into top of pie one time so steam can vent. If desired, brush top of pie in melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. (Or leave plain to glaze after)
Bake pies for 15-20 minutes until barely golden brown. Cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. (Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth. Add milk until desired consistency is reached): If glazing, gently brush or spoon glaze over pies while still warm. Cool completely before packaging. If desired, place in cellophane bags and tie with ribbons and labels.
Yield: 16 to 18 (2-inch) pops