"I believe that kindness is the cure to violence and hatred around the world." ~ Lady Gaga
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It's my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian 'Quote Cup' passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Our family Christmas was at our son's last week… his son was thrilled to get 'top hat' cymbals for his drum set, and his aunt was glad it doesn't live at her house! My husband got a Periodic Table of the Elements throw as a reminder that one of the reasons he was well and celebrating with us was because he and grandkids were studying the Periodic Table together when he got his heart block. It was a time of thanksgiving… with my cousin and my husband's older brother and family also joining us for dinner.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Of course this week's recipe had to come from our Christmas dinner which our son so beautifully prepared! He decided to try Beef Wellington this year, and based it on a recipe from Lund's and Byerly's. The recipe below is to feed 4 people, he made adjustments accordingly. The original recipe called for individual fillets wrapped in pastry, but he wrapped the whole tenderloin and sliced for serving. He told me he learned later that cutting it with a bread knife gives cleaner cuts.
BEEF WELLINGTON
- 1/2 cup minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounce package mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4.5 ounce can liver pate, optional
- 2 pounds beef tenderloin
- 1/4 cup butter
- Dash salt
- Dash pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 10.5 ounce can beef consomme
- 1/3 cup Madeira wine
- 17.25 ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
Saute shallots in butter over medium heat until tender (4-5 minutes). Stir in mushrooms and parsley; saute until all liquid is absorbed (8-10 minutes). Stir in mustard, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cool. Stir in liver pate, if desired.
Saute tenderloin in margarine over medium heat until internal temperature registers 130 F-135 F. Remove and sprinkle with dash of salt and pepper; set aside.
Blend flour into pan drippings; cook 3 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in consomme and Madeira. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Stir 1 tablespoon sauce into mushroom mixture. Cover remaining sauce; refrigerate.
On lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry to 1/8" thickness. Spoon mushroom mixture onto center of pastry; top with steak. Fold pastry overlapping only enough to seal; trim if necessary. Pinch edges to seal, moistening lightly with water. Place seam side down on well-greased baking sheet. Refrigerate, covered, several hours.
To Bake: Combine egg and water; brush over pastry. Pierce top of pastry several times with wooden pick to allow steam to escape. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 400 F oven until golden (about 25 minutes). Heat remaining Madeira sauce; spoon over fillets, if desired.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - Minneapolis Realtor Who Cooks
