Whole Filet Mignon Roast

Choose a Filet Mignon tenderloin roast. Mine was 5+ lbs., silver skin removed.

Preheat-heat oven to Convection Roast @ 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you uses a non-convection oven preheat to 450. F.

Place the roast on a rack in a large roasting pan.

Using your hands, rub the roast with Canola Oil or Mild Olive Oil.

Make a dry rub of Garlic Powder, McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning or Kosher Salt crystals & Ground Black Pepper. Using your hands, rub the roast with Canola Oil or Mild Olive Oil. Then, using your hands, coat the entire roast with the above dry rub.

Place roast in oven with temperature probe set for 130 degrees internal temperature. Probe should be placed in center of roast halfway through meat. The ends should be medium while the center sections should be medium rare. Since we made this roast way in advance of dinner, we took it out when the probe reached 120 degrees internal temperature and let it rest. Then, placed it back into the 425 degree oven to let the temperature come up to 130 degrees. Before serving, you must let the roast rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to be retained in the meat. We placed the cut slices of filet into a service warming tray next to heated gravy boat of beef au jus. Since the roast is cooked at such a high temperature, and we were feeding a large group, I opted for packaged au jus gravy to serve with it.

This was a collaborative effort with Kathy, Andy, & Christopher

Potato Casserole

serves 10

2 pounds frozen hash browns, julienne, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup white or yellow onions, chopped
1 pint sour cream
10 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine completely thawed potatoes plus 1/2 cup butter.
Mix soup, onions, sour cream, grated cheese, salt/pepper
Combine with potatoes.
Place in greased 9" x 13" casserole pan.
Mix crushed Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes with 1/4 cup melted butter.
Place Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes mixture on top of potato casserole.

Bake 45-60 minutes (Check @ 45 minutes for doneness) dish should be bubbling and topping crunchy.
Submitted by Kathy Revak from a recipe of Anna Dos Santos

Watergate Jell-O Salad

1 large can of Crushed Pineapple
1 small package of Lime Jell-O
1 small package of Jell-O Instant Pistachio Pudding
1 small container of Small Curd Cottage Cheese
1 small container of Cool Whip

topping:
3-4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise (optional)
Toasted, chopped nuts such as Pecans, Almonds, Pistachios, or Cashews (optional)

Empty large can of crushed pineapple into a bowl. Add Jell-o into bowl, mixing thoroughly. Do the same with the pistachio pudding. Stir in cottage cheese, Fold in Cool Whip (reserving a little Cool Whip to stir into the mayonnaise and "frost" the salad later). Pour the Jell-o mixture into a 8"x 8" baking dish. Chill overnight. Frost with the mixture of the reserved Cool Whip and mayonnaise. Sprinkle with chopped, roasted nuts.
Submitted by Kathy Revak from a found recipe of Lani Yoshimura's

Red Bell Pepper Relish

6 red bell peppers (cored and cut into chunks)

1 cup Heinz plain or Nakano brand white vinegar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt

Place prepared chunks into blender with vinegar and chop. Add sugar and salt. Simmer all ingredients in a pot for 45 minutes.

In a separate cup, whisk together 2 teaspoons of corn starch and 2 teaspoons of water.
Slowly drizzle corn starch mixture into red bell pepper relish, stirring with whisk until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and thickens a little.

Makes 3 batches. Place cooled relish equally in three glass jelly jars. It's great for gift giving and freezes well. Just defrost in the refrigerator overnight when you want to use one. Pour cold relish over a block of cream cheese and serve with various crackers.

edited by Kathleen Revak

Kathy's Orange Date Nut Bread*

In small saucepan on medium-low heat 10-15 minutes:
1 cup ground orange rind
½ cup water
2 Tablespoons sugar

Sift together following in a separate bowl:
2 ¼ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

In a mixing bowl, mix together:
2/3 cup milk
3 Tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs

Last, add:
¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¾ cup finely chopped dates

In advance, grind rinds of 3 oranges medium-fine (May take more than 3 oranges to make enough rind.) Measure 1 cup into saucepan, stir in water and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Cover and cook on low to medium heat 10-15 minutes, until most of water is absorbed. Cool.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl.

In another mixing bowl, place milk, butter, and eggs and whip with fork until incorporated.

Now, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Start electric mixer on low and slowly add dry ingredients just until smooth.

Stir in orange rind (minus any leftover orange liquid), chopped nuts, & finely chopped dates.

Quickly drop batter into greased & floured 9”x5”x3”inch loaf pans or 5 mini loaf pans.

If desired, now sprinkle tops with mixture of ½ teaspoon cinnamon & 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Bake @350 degrees F. about 65 minutes for large loaf pans or about 30 minutes for mini loaf pans. Bread is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack.

*Added to an Orange Nut Bread Recipe from The Nut Tree, Vacaville,CA@1970's

Kathy's Shaped-Cut Sugar Cookies

for Holidays & Special Occasions

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(1 teaspoon of food coloring is optional as per occasion)
3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, thoroughly cream together butter and sugar.

Beat in eggs, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. You may add 1 tsp.
food coloring at this time for specific holiday or occasion.

Add flour to creamed mixture, one cup at a time, slowly mixing until flour is
incorporated.

Divide dough into four equal parts. Wrap in plastic wrap or bags and refrigerate
overnight or until firm. After firm:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

On a floured surface, roll out dough one package at a time to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut into desired shapes. Remove excess dough before taking the cutter away.

Using a thin metal spatula, transfer shapes to lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar.

Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. CAREFULLY WATCH THEM, so that
they DON'T BURN!

Another method is to bake them bare and wait until they cool to add
decorating icing or Royal Icing* for drawing &/or flooding; fresh or powdered
egg whites brushed on and then sugared or sprinkled sanding sugar on those areas
of the cookie you want decorated.

*Royal Icing
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
2 large egg whites*, or more to thin icing
4 cups sifted confectioner's (powdered) sugar, or more to thicken icing
Juice of 1 lemon
3 drops glycerin (optional)

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar, lemon juice, and
glycerin (if using); beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add
more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar.

Kathy's Candied Citrus Peels

(Makes 2 ½ cups)

“To make candied citrus peel for baking, skip the final sugaring in step 5. To make candied citrus peel for garnishes, slice the whole citrus fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds, and proceed with step 2, skipping the final sugaring.”

Ingredients:

2 grapefruits, 3 oranges, or 4 lemons (I used 5 oranges & 4 lemons.)
4 cups of sugar
4 cups of water


Directions:

Using a pairing knife, make six slits along curve from top to bottom of each citrus fruit, cutting through peel but not into fruit. Using your fingers, gently remove peel. Reserve fruit for another use. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into 1/4 –inch-wide strips. Using a paring knife, remove excess pith from each strip, and discard.

Place strips in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat twice.

Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add strips to boiling syrup, reduce heat to medium-law, and simmer gently until strips are translucent, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, and let strips cool in syrup. (Strips in syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.)

Using a slotted spoon, transfer strips (that you want to sugar) to a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe off excess syrup with paper towels, then roll strips in sugar you’ve placed in a bowl. Arrange in a single layer on a wire rack, and let dry for at least 30 minutes. Sugared peels will keep, covered at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.”

You could dip the end of the peel in melted chocolate chips syrup and let dry, or use as garnish on cakes, pastries, etc. As noted above you could use the peel as garnish without the finally sugaring on meats, breads, sauces, as a flavor enhancement.

Copied and embellished from the magazine article in MARTHA STEWART Living, December 2008, Number 181, page 230.

Kathy's Vanishing Oatmeal-Raisin-Walnut Cookies*

Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
½ tsp. salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 cup of raisins (softened)
1 cup chopped walnuts,etc

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together butter & sugars until creamy.

Add eggs & vanilla; beat well

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt; mix well. (For High Altitude, increase flour to 1 ¾ cups)

Stir in oats and raisins (prepare raisins by adding a little boiling water to them to soften, then drain the water before adding to mixture).

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Bar cookies: Bake 30 to 35 minutes in ungreased 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan.

*Copied & embellished from the Quaker Oats Company @2005 box recipe. Kathleen Revak

Kathy's Baklava

(Greece)

Ingredients:

Layered Pastry with Walnuts & Honey Syrup
To make one 9- by 13-inch pastry (approximately 80, 1 ½”diamond shaped bars)
It’s best to have everything prepared in advance because the phyllo leaves dry out fast.
¾ pound, unsalted butter (3, quarter pound sticks), cut into ¼” bits
½ cup vegetable oil

40 sheets (filo pastry, each about 16 “ long & 12” wide (Athens Fillo (Phyllo) Dough, 1 box) defrosted in refrigerator for 2 days. Do not take filo leaves out of container and at room temperature until ready to place in 9”x13” baking dish. When placing the leaves in the dish, keep rest of leaves covered with a towel to keep them from drying out and disintegrating.

4 cups shelled walnuts pulverized in food processor with 2 oz. granulated sugar per cup plus a total of ½ tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp. ground cloves to the (The sugar allows the walnuts to pulverize without turning to walnut butter in the Cuisinart). Keep covered until ready to spoon on every second pastry leaf in the below process.

Directions:

Clarify the butter in a heavy saucepan by melting the butter slowly over low heat without letting it brown, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface. Remove the pan from the heat, let it rest for 3minutes, then spoon off the clear butter and discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and stir the vegetable oil into the clarified butter. Using a pastry brush coat the bottom and sides of a 13”x9”x2 ½” baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture.

Fold a sheet of filo in half crosswise, lift it up gently and unfold it into the prepared dish. Press the pastry flat, fold down the excess around the sides and flatten it against the bottom. Brush the entire surface of the pastry lightly with the butter and oil mixture, and lay another sheet of filo on top, folding it down and buttering it in similar fashion. Sprinkle the pastry evenly with about 3 Tablespoons of the walnut mixture.

Repeat the same procedure using two sheets of buttered filo and 3 Tablespoons of the pulverized walnut mixture each time to make 19 layers in all. Spread the 2 remaining sheets of filo on top and brush the baklava with all of the remaining butter and oil mixture.

With a small, sharp knife score the top of the pastry with parallel diagonal lines about ½” deep and one and one half to two inches apart, then cross them diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup of honey, 2 cups of water, a lemon peel. Bring all ingredients to a boil (watching carefully that it doesn’t boil over). Immediately turn down to the heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Strain lemon peel out and cool slightly. Pour warm syrup over baked baklava. Cool completely, cut and serve on cupcake papers. Makes about 88 pieces.

Syrup Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 lemon peel

Note: You do not need to use all the syrup if you like your Baklava less moist.

Recipes combined from Athens Foods Award Winning Fillo Dough Recipes Apollo, 13600 Snow Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44142 @1992 & RECIPES:MIDDLE EASTERN COOKING,FOODS OF THE WORLD, TIME-LIFE BOOKS, NEW YORK, @1969 TIMES, Inc. copied by Kathleen Revak