Our final menu ended up being Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream, roasted fresh asparagus, peas (lol) and a twice baked potato casserole with feta, cheddar & cream cheese. Hubby's sister also brought this delicious organic seed/nut bread (which was part of my breakfast this morning!) For dessert we had a two layer Red Velvet cake with Creamy Vanilla frosting. It would have been a three layer if I had another pan and if I didn't intend to make cupcakes for the kids!
First the beef. Really easy recipe. I did buy the whole tenderloin from Sams so I had to trim the meat when I got home. I got maybe a 3 pound roast, two filet mignon steaks and a couple of pieces that I can use for stir fry or fajitas all for just over $50. The recipe called for 1/2 c. of cracked black pepper, but after reading the reviews I cut it in half (good choice) and because I don't have beef granules on hand, I used chicken instead. I put the rub on the meat and left it in the fridge on a rack with foil tenting over it (another good choice even though the recipe called for the rub to go on right before roasting.) The sauce was super easy. I roasted the garlic while I baked the cake (and it stayed in a oven a bit longer) and I reduced the cream right before I was about to put the meat into the oven and after mixing the sauce, I left it on the counter as many reviewers had said that it separated when chilled & reheated. Here is the recipe for the meat & accompanying sauce:
Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream
Sauce:
1 head garlic (1/4 pound; about 2 1/2 inches in diameter), left intact
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup drained bottled horseradish
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
For tenderloin:
1 (3-pound) center-cut beef tenderloin roast, tied
1/2 cup cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika (not hot)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Make sauce:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut off and discard top fourth of garlic head. Drizzle exposed garlic with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then wrap head tightly in foil. Roast garlic until tender, about 1 1/4 hours, then open foil and cool.
While garlic roasts, simmer cream in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
Squeeze garlic into a small bowl, discarding skins, and mash together with horseradish, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt using a fork.
Stir garlic mixture into cream, then chill until ready to use.
Roast tenderloin:
Increase oven temperature to 475°F.
Pat tenderloin dry. Stir together pepper, bouillon, salt, cornstarch, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Rub oil all over tenderloin, then sprinkle with spice mixture, rubbing it into meat. Put tenderloin on rack in roasting pan and roast 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 425°F and cook until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 130°F, 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare. Let beef stand on rack in pan 10 minutes before serving.
Cut beef into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with garlic horseradish cream.
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The potatoes don't really have a recipe. I just mashed some potatoes with feta, cheddar & cream cheese. Added some fat free plain organic yogurt, salt, pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic. I don't measure things that I'm comfortable with, but if I had to guess ratios, I would say maybe 10 russets, 1 cup of feta, 1.5 cups cheddar, 3/4 cup of cream cheese and 1.5 cups yogurt. The seasonings were just to taste. I put the potatoes into a pyrex pan, dotted the top with butter pats and baked it in the oven on the bottom rack while the meat was roasting above it.
Asparagus was divine. I ended up buying 5lbs from Sams and it was ALL gone by the end of the meal. I drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled it with salt & pepper and roasted it while the meat was resting after coming out of the oven. The peas were frozen...lol I warmed them on the stove top with a bit of water. ;)
Ok...onto the cake. First off, the cake itself was good. It really is a standard butter cake that takes two ounces of red food dye mixed with 3 Tbsp. Hersey's cocoa powder. Let's just say that I was thankful for wearing an apron and thankful that my counters are solid surface and don't absorb colors! Hooray for Silestone!! The frosting? OH MY... Let's just say that when I saw that it started with two full cups of butter I was a bit afraid. I'm NOT into heavy, sweet frostings. In fact my all time favorite frosting (before last night) was a whipped cream cheese frosting - Light & not too sweet. This frosting along with this cake was to die for. It was light and airy and not overly sweet. The only issue is that if you keep it in the fridge for any amount of time (like over 15 minutes), it will become a solid. All & all, a wonderful ending to an absolutely decadent meal. In fact, my mother in law (who is always very kind to my cooking efforts) told me that it tasted like something that came from a bakery. I have to laugh. It actually is a recipe from the Magnolia Bakery in NYC (which is famous - at least Epicurious seems to think so). I will add that I don't have cake flour. According to my 1956 Woman's Home Companion cookbook, 7/8 cup of regular flour sifted will work for 1 c. cake flour and that is absolutely what I did. I also don't buy buttermilk, but instead sour my own regular 1% milk with lemon juice. So without further adieu - here is said recipe:
Red Velvet Cake
3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 recipe Creamy Vanilla Frosting
preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting .
Creamy Vanilla Frosting
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
preparation
In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.
Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer—set a timer!). Use immediately.
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So that was our yearly sit down and it was worth every minute of prep. In fact, as I type this I am enjoying the leftovers (which was not much). Even better the second day & the garlic horseradish cream is even nice on leftover potatoes! :))))))))
