Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce

Time for some beef!

Steak is my favorite, and I must say that I'm a filet mignon kinda girl.  I love that it's lean, and cooks up soooo tender!

After a week of turkey and chicken I'm ready for some steak.  This dish is a little more involved since it features Bearnaise Sauce to top the steak.  It lends such a wonderful flavor, it's a great addition to the steak, and is worth the effort.  The Bearnaise sauce comes from Martha Stewart.  She sure knows her stuff and her recipes come out perfect!  She's my go-to source when I want the best of the best!

When cooking a filet mignon, the following cooking technique is recommended because of the thickness of the steak.  In order to cook the inside enough and not char the outside a quick sear on the stove top and finishing it up in the oven is the best way.  All you need for the steak is some good old salt and pepper plus a hot skillet.  One that's oven proof.  If your skillet is not oven proof you will need to transfer the steaks to an oven safe pan for cooking.

Turn your oven on to 350 degrees and let it preheat.  Prepare the Bearnaise Sauce (recipe below).  Once completed start on the steak and any side dishes you may like.  Salt and pepper your steak and then sear on each 2-3 minutes.  Place seared steak and skillet in oven and continue to cook about 6 minutes for a medium done steak.  More or less time to your liking.

Remove steak from oven and allow to rest about 5 minutes.  Serve with Bearnaise Sauce poured over the top.  

Enjoy the deliciousness of a fabulous steak!

Bearnaise Sauce

By Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1/4 cup very finely chopped shallots

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, more if desired

1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves

3 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon water

1/2-3/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft ( I've always used 1 1/2 sticks)

coarse salt

pepper, if desired

lemon juice, if desired

Directions

Combine vinegar, wine, shallots, black pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 5 to 10 minutes.  Add egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water to reduced vinegar mixture.  Whisk until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.

Set pan over moderately low heat and continue to whisk at reasonable speed reaching all over bottom and insides of pan, where eggs tend to overcook.  To moderate heat, frequently move pan off burner for a few seconds, then back on.

As they cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, then thicken.  When the bottom of the pan is visible in the streaks left by the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from heat.

By spoonfuls, add soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition.  As the emulsion forms, add butter in slightly larger amounts, always whisking until fully absorbed.  Continue incorporating butter until sauce has thickened to consistency desired.  Season with salt, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped tarragon and, if desired, pepper.

Turkey Havarti Hot Sandwich

Another weekend has gone by and another great sandwich was made.

Being that last week was Thanksgiving and there was left over turkey to be eaten I decided to make a hot sandwich.  I like hot sandwiches more than cold ones.  Not sure why, but I do.  Do you?

This is a quick put together sandwich that you can use deli meat or leftovers.  It would work well with chicken or turkey.  Both are neutral enough.  The special additions are some deli mustard.  You know the grainy type, as well as Havarti cheese. Choose any special deli mustard you like, brown, whole grain, they all work, but get some with a little zip.  The cheese?  It's a nice mild cheese that lends a burst of flavor.

That's all there is to it.  Add your favorite toppings such as lettuce, tomato...oh and don't forget to broil it open faced to melt the cheese.  We love cheesy gooeyness!

Enjoy!

Turkey Havarti Hot Sandwich

serves 1

1 French roll
1 1/2 T of deli mustard
2-3 slices of fresh or deli turkey
1 slice of Havarti cheese
toppings:  lettuce, tomato (optional)

Set the oven to broil and allow to preheat.  Split the French roll in half.  Place roll on a cookie sheet cut side up and broil for about 1 minute or until brown and toasted.  Remove from oven.

Spread each half with deli mustard.  Top bottom half of roll with turkey.  Layer on cheese.  Place back in oven and broil until cheese is melted.  About 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Remove from oven.  Top with any optional toppings, and the top half of the roll.  Serve.

Italian Chicken and Bean Soup

NOTE:  Southern Sundays will continue next week!

Baby it's cold outside....

Not really, once again it's warm in So. California.  The weather is up and down.  Very unusual this late in the year.  But I'm pretending that it's cold...I'm craving soup.  A nice hearty, meaty, Italian flavored soup!

This soup is that and more.  Full of flavors that you love about Italian cooking.  Such a great dish to make on the weekend or during the week if you want as it doesn't take long to make.  I was very pleased with the outcome, seeking for the right pairing of ingredients to make this tasty.  And it is!

Serve with a crusty Italian bread, such as ciabatta, and a salad of bitter greens, such as arugula, and you are good to go.

Enjoy a nice pot of homemade soup!

NOTE:  Southern Sundays will continue next week!

Italian Chicken and Bean Soup

serves 4

3 center cut bacon slices, chopped

1 large boneless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, partially drained

1 T dried oregano

1/4 t black pepper

2 cups water

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup uncooked orzo

1 (15-oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 T white wine vinegar

1/4 t salt

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat 7 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan; set bacon aside.

Add chicken to drippings in pan; saute 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomato, oregano, and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return bacon and chicken to pan. Stir in 2 cups water and broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Add orzo, and cook for 9 minutes or until al dente. Add beans; cook 2 minutes or until heated. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, vinegar, and salt.