Tuesday, February 26, 2013

BEEF TENDERLOIN

Beef tenderloin is one of the top meals that I am always making for clients! When cooked perfectly, beef tenderloin just melts in your mouth & when properly seasoned and serve with some horseradish or dijon mustard, this piece of meat is perfect for any event!



I tried a bit of a new cooking marinade this past weekend for a client, and it was a complete hit! I will forever now use these seasonings when cooking beef tenderloin. I am going to share a great cooking technique for beef tenderloin, so that at your next event whether it be a family birthday meal, a buffet or a special treat for friends, you are ready! One tip, rest your meat. Resting the meat is so important as it allows all of the flavour and juice to absorb back into the meat ensuring that your meat stays flavourful and juicy!

BEEF TENDERLOIN 
Ingredients:
1 beef tenderloin (2-3kg in weight)
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 minced garlic cloves
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Pat dry the beef tenderloin and generously seasons with salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl mix together the mustard, balsamic and garlic until thoroughly combined. Rub all over the beef tenderloin.
3. Pre heat the oven to 500 degrees!! (make sure your oven is clean as this is a hot temp and will smoke any old food that is on the bottom of the oven)
4. Cook your beef tenderloin for 25-30 minutes. Do not open the oven!
5. When you remove the meat, cover in aluminum foil for at least 20 minutes.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

BE MY VALENTINE

Love in the air and cupid around the corner can only mean one thing, Valentines day!


I love Valentines - not  for the mushy gushy, but for the fun that you can having in cooking or baking for you family, friends and your main squeeze! When we were younger, Valentines was a big day in our house. We would wake up to a table that was covered in a pink or red tablecloth, smothered in chocolate kisses, cinnamon hearts & pink tulips. My mom would always have our favourite breakfast treats waiting (mine was always an almond croissant from Summerhill) as well as a cute Valentine's card & treat. 

For such a simple day my mom would go all out, and it is for that reason that I love doing the same on Valentines. Here are three fun things you can make tomorrow (or today) as a treat for those you love!!

1. Valentine's night appetizer, heart tomatoes & boccinicini: these would make for a great appetizer. Cut the cherry tomatoes on an angle in half and arrange on the skewer in the shape of a heart. Not pictured here but add a boccincini ball on and you have a great pre-dinner nibble!


2. Treats for all: these chocolate dipped pretzles are dead simple to make and would be a great gift to girlfriends, coworkers or kids friends at school. Since they are so simple, this is a great activity for kids as well. Melt some white chocolate in a bowl, have a few other bowls filled with your favourite red & pink sprinkles. Dip half of the pretzel into the chocolate and then straight into the sprinkles. Dust off and let harden. Put a handful into a see through bag, tie with a festive ribbon and you have a great Valentine's day treat!



3. Special Breakfast: jazz up those boring pancakes by putting in a little effort to ensure that they are heart shaped! For your kids - tint them with some red food dye! Serve with good quality Ontario maple syrup and a few strawberries or raspberries for that pop of red!


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

FRUIT&VEG SALAD

After a Christmas laden with heavy foods, I thought I would share a lighter salad recipe that can be easily transformed from lunch to dinner with the addition of a juicy nicely roasted chicken breast.

I had two girlfriends over for dinner last night, and this salad was inspired by the one that my friend brought for us!



A Refreshing Salad
Servers 4

Ingredients:
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 handful arugula
- 1 handful red or green leaf lettuce
- 1 green or yellow apple, diced (squeeze some lemon juice over the diced apple before adding it to the salad, this gives the fruit a nice tangy bite when you eat it!)
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 handful coloured cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 handful red and green grapes, cut in half
- nuts of your choice but I would suggest toasted pinenuts or toasted pecans
- Shaved parmesan cheese

For the dressing:
- 2 part good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 part rice wine vinegar (or white balsamic)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Wash and cut lettuce.
2. Wash and cut vegetables & fruit.
3. Shave the block of parmesan cheese by using a Y peeler
4. Toasts the pinenuts or pecans
5. In a glass jar, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and shake until emulsified.
6. Toss and serve immediately

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

TWENTY THIRTEEN

After a totally insane first Christmas as a caterer, I have welcomed the quiet January 2013 with open arms!


After indulging in great food all December and trying out different menu creations for the new year, I have a few inspirations to share as we head into our next few months of winter.

Here are my top three ingredients right now:

1. (DOVER) SOLE: After Christmas I spent a week in Florida where I ate fresh quality seafood all week long. I love eating fish when I am on a coast, it is super fresh and just tastes like the salty ocean. Dover sole is one of my favourite fish. You cannot always find Dover Sole in stores, but often they will have another type of sole. Sole is really quick to make, about three minutes a side. Pan sear and serve with a sauce composed of lemon juice, butter & parsley; a classic French sauce.



2. TRUFFLE HONEY: an absolute luxurious indulgence. With hints of the irresistible truffle flavour, truffle honey is a delicious accompaniment to cheese, sandwiches, & hors d'oeurves. The sky is the limit with this great product!



3. BARLEY: I am over mashed potatoes and plain old white rice! Barley is a great subsitute to your every day starch. Barley is a really great grain that contains 8 essential amino acids. Use in your next risotto, create a barley & wild rice salad. The opportunities are endless, as barley is a total vehicle for flavour combinations. It does however provide a nice nutty flavour on its own!