For dinner I made prosciutto wrapped beef tenderloin with a smokey horseradish mustard glaze. One of the best things I've ever made! I paired that with spinach artichoke orzo and a apple bacon brussel sprout salad. Then finally for desert I made a chocolate raspberry pavlova. Here are my recipes!
I'll start with the pavlova because it takes the most time so you'll want to start that before dinner. I can't take credit for this one, it's Nigella's recipe. Serves 4.
Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova
For chocolate meringue base you will need:
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened coco
1/2 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the topping you will need:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
raspberries(enough to top)
1-2 tablespoons grated bittersweet chocolate
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
beat the egg white until they form satiny peaks then beat in the sugar a little at a time. Sprinkle in the coco powder, vinegar and chopped chocolate and gently fold in.
Now simply mound the mixture onto your baking sheet in a flat round shape and smooth out the sides. The mixture won't puff up so what you put in is exactly what it will look like when you take it out.
Place in the oven and turn down temperature immediately to 300 and bake about 45 minutes for this small one or one hour or more for a larger one. Should feel crispy on the outside but springy underneath. Let cool completely before topping.
When you are ready for desert, serve on a large round plate. Whisk the cream until thick and pile it on top of the meringue. Now top with a thick layer of raspberries and grate a bit of chocolate on top. And that's it!
Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
You will need:
A good cut of beef tenderloin
1 package of prosciutto
Black pepper
olive oil
1-2 tablespoons diced shallot
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup stone ground horseradish mustard(kroger brand!)
1 clove garlic
fresh parsley
Directions:
Cut your tenderloin into small chunks. You'll be able to tell if they are too big if the prosciutto has trouble wrapping around it. Season with pepper only, since prosciutto is salty like bacon you definitely do not need to use salt or anything else here. Use one sheet of prosciutto per chunk of beef and place seam side down in a deep skillet with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan very well. I like mine medium rare so I let them cook just a couple minutes on each side on medium heat. Make sure to cook every side, not just top and bottom.
When your beef is done and you've removed it from the pan you should be left with some good greasy bits from the prosciutto and olive oil. You will use this to make the sauce. Throw in your diced shallot and garlic and cook a few minutes. Then add your chicken or vegetable stock, milk, mustard and parsley and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens. I forgot the parsley so as you can see I just pilled it on top. Pour your sauce over the meat and you're ready to go!
Spinach Artichoke Orzo
Orzo is just a tiny pasta, kind of looks like rice. So you could play with different things here like other pastas, rice or even quinoa.
You will need:
1 cup orzo
1 tablespoon butter
about 1/2 a block of cream cheese
1 cup cream or milk
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 8oz can artichoke hearts
salt and pepper to taste
shaved parmesan to top
Directions:
Cook orzo according to package. Meanwhile in a deep skillet , combine butter cream cheese, cream or milk, and garlic. Cook until the cream cheese has melted and add in your spinach, artichokes, parmesan, salt and pepper. Simmer on low until all ingredients are mixed, melted and thoroughly heated through. When the orzo is cooked and strained, add it to the skillet, combine all ingredients and top with shaved parmesan. serves 2-4.
Brussel Sprout Salad:
I am a huge fan of brussel sprouts! They can be cooked to many ways but a simple salad like this is great too. Plus, you get a lot more nutrients when you don't cook them down.
You will need:
2 cups chopped brussel sprouts
2 pieces of crispy fried bacon
1/2 large apple, chopped(I used 1 very small fuji apple)
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Combine your chopped brussel sprouts and apple in a large bowl. Crumble in your bacon and mix. In a small bowl, whisk together maple and vinegar then pour over the salad and toss. You could do this with so many things, cranberries, pecans, almonds, get creative!
So that's it! Let me know if you try any of these and what you think!
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