It's great having my little brother living near me. We haven't lived in the same city for the past 5 years and now he's recently moved to Victoria - only a 20 minute walk away from my place! He's a stubborn little guy (and by little I mean he's 27 years old and about 6'4" tall - he's not so little).... But he'll always be little in my heart. Having him nearby is so nice - we actually get to go for walks, watch movies, and cook and eat delicious food. I missed him so! Yesterday we walked circles around down town (mostly because we couldn't sort ourselves out in terms of direction and/or where we needed to be), but we meandered through the Winter farmer's market in Market Square, got some candy from Santa, and had some delicious sushi for lunch - it was the first time he ever ate sushi! I like to think it's akin to his first steps as a baby - only with fish. Yum! We also baked some seriously delicious (and somewhat troubling) sugar cookies with John (post to follow) and watched Little Shop of Horrors, a comedic musical from the mid '80's we used to watch as children. If you haven't seen it - it's a classic.
I guess the point of all this rambling is that I am glad to see my brother, Michael, and I missed him. Family (whether they be blood relatives or the family you create yourself) is so important this time of year - and I am pumped to spend this Christmas with those whom I love the most in this world. Awww, little brother bear!
So for dinner last night, we made something delicious! For the veggie-friendly version with portobella mushrooms (the original recipe) click here. See below:
Pine Nut Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Veg & Arugula
Ingredients (General):
8 3 oz (1" thick) Beef Tenderloin Medallions.
2 Bunch Small Carrots.
4 Medium Size Beets.
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled.
1 Onion, sliced.
Small Handful Sicilian Olives.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
2 Tbsp Butter + 1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
3 C Fresh Arugula, washed and dried.
Ingredients for Marinade:
8 3 oz (1" thick) Beef Tenderloin Medallions.
2 Bunch Small Carrots.
4 Medium Size Beets.
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled.
1 Onion, sliced.
Small Handful Sicilian Olives.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
2 Tbsp Butter + 1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
3 C Fresh Arugula, washed and dried.
Ingredients for Marinade:
1/4 C Green Onions, chopped.
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds.
1/3 C Soy Sauce.
1/3 C Vegetable Oil.
1/4 C White Granulated Sugar.
2 Tsp Garlic, minced.
Ingredients for Stuffing:
1 C Cow's Blue Cheese, crumbled.
2 Tbsp Rosemary, finely chopped.
1.5 C Pinenuts, toasted.
1/4 C Sundried Tomatoes, finely diced.
2 Lemons, for zest.
What to Do:
Next, prepare the topping. In a food processor add all the ingredients and pulse a few times to combine. Set aside.
For the veg, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Now, simply throw the carrots, beets, & garlic cloves together into a roasting pan with a few good glugs of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and cover. Roast for approx. 40 - 50 minutes or until tender but firm. Don't worry about the carrots turning a little purple from the beets - it's rustic and delicious!
Meanwhile, saute 2 Tbsp butter in a large oven-proof pan over medium heat (Again, as I've mentioned before, I love cast-iron). Add the onions, stir to coat. Turn down the heat to low and allow them to caramelize and get all gooey and brown and sweet and yummy. Once finished, set aside, wipe out the pan - you'll need it for your beef.
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds.
1/3 C Soy Sauce.
1/3 C Vegetable Oil.
1/4 C White Granulated Sugar.
2 Tsp Garlic, minced.
Ingredients for Stuffing:
1 C Cow's Blue Cheese, crumbled.
2 Tbsp Rosemary, finely chopped.
1.5 C Pinenuts, toasted.
1/4 C Sundried Tomatoes, finely diced.
2 Lemons, for zest.
What to Do:
First, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and add tenderloin medallions. Toss well to coat, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 3 hours, turning occasionally to ensure even marinating.
Next, prepare the topping. In a food processor add all the ingredients and pulse a few times to combine. Set aside.
For the veg, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Now, simply throw the carrots, beets, & garlic cloves together into a roasting pan with a few good glugs of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and cover. Roast for approx. 40 - 50 minutes or until tender but firm. Don't worry about the carrots turning a little purple from the beets - it's rustic and delicious!
Meanwhile, saute 2 Tbsp butter in a large oven-proof pan over medium heat (Again, as I've mentioned before, I love cast-iron). Add the onions, stir to coat. Turn down the heat to low and allow them to caramelize and get all gooey and brown and sweet and yummy. Once finished, set aside, wipe out the pan - you'll need it for your beef.
When you have about 10 minutes left on the roast veg, heat 1 Tbsp of butter & 1 Tbsp olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the medallions (make sure to pat them dry from the marinade first or you will end up with too much liquid in the pan!). Sear both sides for approx 4 minutes to lock in the flavor and crisp/brown the outside. Once you've flipped the meat, top with the crust. Place in the oven for approx 2-3 minutes to finish cooking - remove your veg to cool slightly.
*This cooking time will give you medium-rare medallions - the best temperature for beef tenderloin! If you want more or less cooked meat, adjust accordingly*Remove from the oven and set beef aside for about 5 minutes or so to rest - this allows the juices to redistribute through the meat. Yum! By now, the beets should be cool enough to handle - peel the skin off and cut into fourths.
Plating: Lay a handful of arugula on the plate, followed by 1 beet, a few carrots, and some onions. Throw on the meat and then a few olives for garnish (these will contrast the sweet/rich flavor of the crust and the veg).
No comments:
Post a Comment