Mushroom stuffed Filet of Beef Tenderloin with Rich Morel Demi Glace

Difficulty: Moderate
Servings: 8

Nutrition Information
Calories: 700
Protein: 50g; Carbohydrates: 7g
Saturated Fat: 18g; Monosaturated Fat 24g;
Polyunaturated 3g;

About this recipe

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Fresh Morel Mushrooms, a spring delicacy add depth and a nutty richness to most any beef dish. Last week, my friend Lauren Manninen (studying Forestry at Michigan Tech) brought me a bag filled with fresh morels. She and her friend were out in the woods near Escanaba, and came home with (I'm told) hundreds of morels. This recipe can be made with any type of fresh mushrooms (shiitake, crimini, button, etc--or a mixture of several types). We teamed this crowd-pleasing entree up with Garlic Smashed Rosemary-Scented Redskins and Easy Grilled Marinated Asparagus.  You can read about the health benefits of Rosemary with grilled meats at another Beef Tenderloin Recipe HERE.   

Ingredients

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• 8 (8-oz) Beef Tenderloin Filets (preferably barrel cut filets)
• 1.5 - 2 teaspoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves (finely minced)
• 2 Large Cloves Garlic (pressed)
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Stuffing

• 1/2 Pound Fresh Morel Mushrooms (chopped)
• 4 Shallots (finely minced)
• 1 Clove Garlic (pressed)
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (crushed)
• 1 Tablespoon Cognac or Brandy

Demi Glace

• 1 32-oz Carton Low Sodium Beef Stock
• 2 Cloves Garlic (smashed with the broad side of a chef's knife)
• 1/2 Pound Fresh Morel Mushrooms (sliced or quartered)
• 1 Shallot (finely minced)
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary Leaves (finely minced)
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water)

Directions

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1. Infuse EVOO: Into a small dish, combine the EVOO and the 2 pressed garlic cloves. Set aside at room temperature for at least 1-hour (the longer the better) to allow the garlic to infuse the olive oil.
   
   
2. Reduce Beef Stock: Into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat add the beef stock, the two cloves of smashed garlic and a couple of grinds of fresh black pepper. Simmer uncovered until reduced to 1-1/2 cups (about 45 minutes). Remove and discard garlic cloves and set reduction aside. This can be done a day or more ahead (cover and refrigerate), or while preparing stuffing.
   
   
3. Prepare Mushroom stuffing: Into a saute pan set over medium high heat, heat EVOO and add the pressed clove of garlic and shallots. Saute until aromatic and garlic and onion begins to soften. Add the chopped morels, salt, pepper, and thyme. Saute until the mushrooms give up most of their liquid. Add the cognac or brandy and saute until all liquid has evaporated. Remove stuffing to a bowl and set aside.
   
   
4. Stuff and Prepare Filets: Using a small sharp knife, cut a 2-3 inch wide, by 2-3 inch deep slit into the side of each filet making a pocket. Stuff the filets with 2-3 teaspoons of the morel stuffing and secure opening with a toothpick. If you have leftover stuffing, it can be used in the demi glace. Brush both sides of the filets with HALF of the garlic infused EVOO from step 1 above. Include some of the garlic bits as well. Season both sides of steaks with salt and fresh ground pepper and the minced rosemary.
   
   
5. Preheat BBQ grill to medium-high.
   
   
6. Prepare Demi Glace: Into a medium saute pan set over medium-high heat, add the remaining infused EVOO and garlic bits from step 1 above, and heat until aromatic and garlic begins to sizzle. Add the sliced morels and shallot, season lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper and the teaspoon of minced rosemary leaves. Saute until the mushrooms begin to give up their liquid. Add both wines and reserved beef stock reduction. Boil and reduce 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, and whisk until sauce is rich and satiny. Reduce heat to ultra low and keep sauce hot until ready to plate.
   
   
7. Grill filets over medium high heat (about 4 minutes per side for medium rare). Steaks are medium rare when you first begin to see a pearling of juices form on the surface of the steak. Remove steaks to a platter and tent with foil. Rest 5-7 minutes before plating. Serve with a generous ladle of the morel demi glace.

Best Ever Spaghetti and Meatballs

Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

Difficulty: EASY
Servings: 8

Nutrition Information--excluding pasta
Calories: 452
Protein: 33g
Carbohydrates: 28g; Fiber 6g
Fat: mono 6g; poly 1g; sat 9g
(See pasta package for Nutrition Information)



About this Recipe

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Everyone loves good old-fashioned spaghetti and meatballs. These meatballs have a flavor similar to my Northern Italian Stuffed Pasta Shells and our family's homemade meat ravioli (recipe coming soon). For a quick after-work meal, cook this in your slow cooker--pair it up with a nice salad and maybe some whole-grain garlic bread, and you're good to go!

Ingredients

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Meatballs

• 1 Pound Ground Pork
• 1 Pound Ground Sirloin
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 4 Cloves Garlic (pressed or finely minced)
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Cup PACKED Minced Fresh Parsley

Sauce

• 5 Cloves Garlic (pressed)
• 1 (12-oz) Can Tomato Paste
• 4 (14.5-oz) Cans Crushed Tomatoes (or petite diced)
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil (crushed)
• 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano (crushed)
• 2 Dried Bay Leaves
• 1/4 Cup Dry Red Wine
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 (4-oz) Cans Button Mushrooms (stems and pieces are fine)

• 1 Pound (about 1.25 14.5 oz boxes) Barilla Plus Pasta (comes in a yellow box).  Or try your hand at HOMEMADE HIGH PROTEIN NOODLES <--recipe here

Directions

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1. Make Meatballs: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using clean hands, thoroughly mix together all the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Form mixture into 24 balls and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes until meatballs are nicely browned on the outside.
   
   

   

   Mix all Meatball Ingredients Together in a Medium Bowl

   

   Form Meat Mixture into 24 Balls
   Brown at 425 degrees F. for 15 Minutes

   
   
2. Make Sauce: Into a medium mixing bowl, stir together all sauce ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.
   
   
3. Cook Sauce and Meatballs:
   Method 1:  Place browned meatballs into a 5 qt. or larger dutch oven with cover, pour the sauce over, cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 2-1/2 hours.
   
   Method 2:  Place browned meatballs into a large slow cooker, pour the sauce over, cover, and cook at low setting for 6-8 hours.
   
   
4. Prepare one pound pasta according to package directions. Divide pasta among 8 pasta bowls, top with a generous ladle of sauce, and 3 meatballs. Garnish with freshly-grated Parmesano Reggiano Cheese.

Easy Oven Beef Bourguignon

Difficulty:  EASY EASY
Servings:  8 generous
Nutrition Information
Calories 365; Protein 42g; Carbohydrates 31g
Fat < 2g.  Fiber 5g






About This Recipe

---

The basis for this recipe comes from the cookbook "Frieda's Favorite Recipes".  The book was written by Frieda Guilbault, a Copper Country native, who not only was a great cook, but evidently knew a thing or two about healthy living and longevity--she died at the tender age of 100-1/2.  Frieda loved meeting new people and learning new things and still entertained with her wonderful cooking and superb hospitality--cocktails before dinner, a beautiful table and always a delicious dinner.

Her cookbook is still in print, and if you are interested in ordering a copy, you can email Frieda's son and daughter in-law, Rod and Deb Guilbault at rgbndgb@charter.net.  It's a nice collection of unique tried and true recipes, many of which have their origins in diverse ethnic groups--Cornish Pasties, French Tourtiere, Croation Povatica, and so on.

In her book, Frieda credits a woman named Sophie Ferries (mother of Olympic skiers Chuck and Barbara) for this recipe.  In my anabolic version, I have kicked up the flavor, antioxidants, and longevity ingredients by adding garlic, more herbs, more red wine (i.e. more resveratrol), replaced the sugar with organic honey, and added button mushrooms (a natural aromatase inhibitor).   This is an EASY EASY version of this all-time Bistro favorite.  It could also be made in your slow cooker--just put all the ingredients in at one time, and set it to low for the entire work day.

Ingredients

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• 2 Pounds Beef Steak cut into 1 inch cubes (I used top round steak)
• 4-6 Carrots cut on the bias into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 3 Medium Onions (quartered).  You can also use Pearl Onions (check frozen food section)
• 3 Stalks Celery cut on the bias into 1 inch pieces.
• 2 Large Cloves Garlic (pressed)
• 8 Ounces Button Mushrooms quartered
• 1-3/4 Pounds Baby Redskin or other small potatoes (scrubbed--Do not peel) then Quartered
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Thyme (crumbled)
• 1 teaspoon dried Basil (crumbled)
• 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary (crumbled)
  (If you substitute FRESH herbs, use 1 Tablespoon of each)

• 2 dried Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Raw or Organic Honey
• 1 Cup of Dry Red Wine (such as Cabernet)
• 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Can Condensed Beef Consomme Soup (undiluted)
• 3-4 Tablespoons Instant Tapioca
  

Directions

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1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
   
2. Into a large oven-safe dutch oven or casserole dish, place all ingredients except for potatoes, mushrooms, and wine.  Stir to thoroughly combine.  Bake for 2 hours.
   
3. Add potatoes, mushrooms, wine, and stir.  Bake an additional 1-1/2 hours until potatoes and beef are tender.

Honey Mustard Rosemary Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Difficulty: EASY
Serving Size 6 oz.
Nutrition Information
Calories:  290
Fat:  8g; Carbohydrates 7g; Protein 48g.






About This Recipe

---

Again with the Rosemary!  Adding it to meats before cooking reduces cancer-causing herterocyclic amines (HCAs).  A nice lean pork tenderloin, is an economical and healthy way to get that protein!  Pork tenderloins are often packaged two to a pack in the meat case.  Cook them both, they'll be back for more!

Ingredients

---

• 4-5 Lbs. Pork Tenderloin
• 1 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic (pressed)
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 2 teaspoons Good Dijon Mustard
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves (finely minced)
• Zest (yellow part ONLY) of 1/2 a Lemon (grated)
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions

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1. In a small cup or bowl combine, EVOO, garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, rosemary and lemon zest.  Stir to thoroughly combine and let it sit on your counter for 15 or 20 minutes so the flavors will infuse.
   
2. One hour before roasting, carefully trim the tenderloins of every single speck of silver skin, membrane, and most of the fat.  Place loin(s) into a shallow roasting pan and rub the seasoning mixture all over both sides of tenderloin, and generously season with plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper. 
   
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and roast tenderloins for 15 minutes. 
   
4. Lower oven temperature to 350 and continue roasting about 20 more minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 155 degrees F (or 160 at MOST!).  Who wants to eat dry pork?
5. Allow tenderloin(s) to rest under a tent of foil for 20 minutes before slicing.

Whole Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary Mushroom Bordelaise

About This Recipe

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Rosemary minimizes or eliminates carcinogens formed when meat is cooked.  Scientists at Kansas State University found that seasoning beef with rosemary before grilling or roasting can reduce cancer-causing substances called heterocyclicamines by 30 to 100%.  Danish scientists got similar results when adding rosemary to dough.  Acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic compound, forms in carb-rich foods when heated above 250 degrees F.  By incorporating 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary for each pound of flour, we reduced acrylamide by more than 50%, says Leif Skibsted, PhD, a professor of food chemistry at the University of Copenhagen.  He believes that the antioxidants in rosemary scavenge the harmful compounds.  

The White Button Mushrooms in the Rosemary Mushroom Bordelaise are a natural aromatase inhibitor.  Research as shown that White button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporous) are a potential breast cancer chemopreventive agent, as they suppress aromatase activity and estrogen biosynthesis.  For men, this also means that Button Mushrooms help to keep testosterone from converting to estrogen.  

Ingredients

---

For Roast

• 1 whole Beef Tenderloin (4-5 lbs) trimmed of all silver skin
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 4 Cloves Garlic (minced or pressed)
• 1 Tbsp. Finely Minced Fresh Rosemary Leaves
• Salt and Pepper

For Sauce

• 1 28-oz Carton Reduced Sodium Beef Stock
• 2 cloves Garlic (left whole and smashed with the back of a knife)
• 1 lb. White Button Mushrooms (cleaned and sliced or quartered)
• ½ Cup Dry White Wine
• ½ Cup Dry Red Wine
• 2 T. Cornstarch dissolved in ¼ Cup Cold Water
• 2 tsp. Finely Minced Fresh Rosemary Leaves
• ½ tsp. Salt
• ½ tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions

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1. One day ahead, combine 4 cloves of minced garlic and the 1/2 Cup of olive oil into a small cup or bowl.  Allow the garlic to infuse the olive oil at room temperature overnight.
   
2. Into a small saucepan combine the beef stock and 2 smashed garlic cloves and gently reduce over medium heat until liquid is reduced to 1-1/2 cups.  This step can be prepared a day or more in advance, and the reduced beef stock refrigerated in a covered container until ready to use.
   
3. Brush the beef tenderloin with HALF the garlic infused oil including half the minced garlic bits.  Sprinkle all sides of roast with the 1 Tbsp. minced rosemary leaves, salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper to taste.  Place roast diagonally in a shallow roasting pan.  Tuck the thin end under for even cooking.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Remove the roast from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes prior to roasting. 
   
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Roast for 20 minutes without disturbing.  Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting for another 12-15 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 135 degrees for rare.  Note that the thickest part of the roast will be rare, while the remainder of the roast will be more medium rare, and the thinner ends will be medium.
   
5. Remove roast from oven and tent with foil.  Allow the roast to rest 20 minutes before slicing.  If you don’t rest the tenderloin, when sliced, all the meat juices will end up on your cutting board and kitchen floor, rather than infused within the meat.  Your finished roast will be dry and ugly.  Always rest all cooked meats and poultry prior to slicing or plating. 
   
6. Make the sauce:    In a large skillet or sauté pan, sauté the mushrooms in remaining olive oil/garlic mixture from step  1, until the mushrooms begin to give up their liquid.  Add the wines and the reduced beef stock, rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a gentle boil, and then whisk in the cornstarch mixture.  Gently simmer about 5 minutes longer or until the sauce is slightly thickened and satiny. 

Garlic and Herb Roasted Loin of Pork

Servings:  10
Difficulty:  EASY
Nutrition Information:



 


About this Recipe

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This recipe contains Rosemary.  Rosemary (either fresh, dried, or in extract form) when added to meats prior to cooking, significantly reduces the amount of heterocyclic amines (HCAs)--the cancer-causing chemicals that form when meats are heated to high temperatures.  Rosemary is a source of two powerful antioxidants called rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid which are the components responsible for reducing HCAs from forming when meat is heated.


Ingredients

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• 1 Boneless Pork Loin Roast (about 5 lbs.)
• 6 Large Cloves Garlic (divided)
• 1/4 C. Fresh Dill Weed finely minced
• 4 T. Fresh Rosemary Leaves finely minced
• 2 T. Dijon Mustard
• 2 T. Dry Vermouth (or other dry white wine)
• 2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 lbs. fingerling or redskin potatoes (halved or quartered)
• 1 lb. organic carrots (cut into sticks)
• 1 lb onions (quartered)

Directions

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1. In a small bowl, mince or press 4 garlic cloves, add dill, 2 T. of the rosemary, Dijon mustard, vermouth, and olive oil.  Mix until thoroughly combined, forming a paste.  Set aside.
   
2. Slice remaining two garlic cloves into several small slices or slivers.
   
3. Place roast fat side up in a roasting pan.  Using a small paring knife, make 1 inch deep slits  over the entire roast and insert garlic slices, evenly distributing garlic slices all over the roast. 
   
4. Generously season roast on all sides with salt and pepper.  Evenly coat the roast on all sides with the seasoning paste from step 1.  Place into a roasting pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate roast until 30 minutes before roasting time—Preparation to this point can be done 24-48 hours in advance, the longer the better.
   
5. Remove roast from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
   
6. Combine vegetables, 3-4 T. oilive oil, and remaining 2 T. fresh rosemary.  Season with salt and pepper; stir until vegetables are evenly coated with olive oil and seasoning.
   
7. Arrange vegetables around roast.
   
8. Roast at 500 degrees for 20 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 350 and continue roasting 60-70 minutes longer, until meat thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 160 degrees. 
   
9. Remove from oven, tent with foil and allow roast to rest for 15 minutes before carving.