Dining Beautifully

One of my favorite things to cook is a lovely Beef Tenderloin. 

Don't be afraid of this, as it's actually one of the most simple things you can make

without too much preparation.  Because there is absolutely no waste, you have perfect beef with no fat. 

The following is my go-to recipe:

Marinated Beef Tenderloin with Merlot Sauce Recipe

 BEEF

1 beef tenderloin roast (3 lb)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Merlot Sauce

1 cup currant jelly
1 cup Merlot, Zinfandel or nonalcoholic red wine
1/2 cup Progresso® beef flavored broth (from 32-oz carton)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions:

1. Place tenderloin In resealable food-storage plastic bag or large glass or plastic dish.

In small bowl, mix remaining beef ingredients; pour over beef.  Seal bag or cover dish; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours, turning beef several times to coat with marinade.

2. Heat oven to 425ºF. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Place beef on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of beef.

3. Roast uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until thermometer reads 140ºF (medium-rare doneness). Cover beef loosely with tent of foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 145ºF. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5ºF and beef will be easier to carve as juices set up.)

4. In 1-quart saucepan, heat all sauce ingredients to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly reduced and syrupy. Cut beef across grain at slanted angle into  slices.

Serve with sauce.

NOTE FROM ME:  You can actually skip all the marinating process if you're short of time, as the beef will be extremely

tender.  Let the tenderloin come to room temperature, salt & pepper to taste, if you like the flavor of Hickory Smoke Sauce,

sprinkle a bit on the tenderloin.  Pop into your container & put uncovered into the oven.  In 40 minutes you will have delicious rare to medium rare beef ready to serve.  If you don't have a meat thermometer, don't worry.  The beef always comes out perfect.  If you like more well-done, cook for 5 more minutes ONLY.



AUTUMN TABLES & Stuffed Pumpkins

Celebrating Tablescape Thursday

with Susan @

Between Naps on the Porch

My 1st time to work on the blog in a significant way &

I searched for something simple, comfortable & beautiful for this event.

When you look at the runner you don't automatically think of Autumn,

but when everything comes together it looks lovely doesn't it?

loving the pears as place card holders,

so different, so inexpensive & so lovely   

 Baked Stuffed Pumpkin

with sausage, couscous & apples

    Choose miniature pumpkins like Small Sugar, Little Boo, or Jack Be Little

to act as individual casserole dishes in which to bake a mix of fresh pumpkin,

Israeli couscous, sausage, apples, onion, and cranberries.

The flavors and colors of the fall harvest

make this a dish you'll enjoy serving year after year.

• INGREDIENTS
• 4 ounce(s) sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup(s) chopped onion
• 1 (1 1/2-pound ) pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup(s) chopped Granny Smith apples
• 1/4 cup(s) white wine
• 1 cup(s) Israeli couscous, cooked
• 1/4 cup(s) dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon(s) fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon(s) fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) fresh ground pepper
• 4 small (1-pound) pumpkins, hollowed out

Directions

1. Make the stuffing: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Decase and crumble the sausage meat and place it in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the sausage until it is almost done -- about 8 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan, increase heat to medium, and add the onion and 2 cups of the chopped pumpkin. Saute until the pumpkin begins to soften -- 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chopped apple and sausage and saute for 3 minutes. Add the wine, cook for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and set aside. Combine the couscous, dried cranberries, olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add meat mixture to the bowl and toss to combine.
2. Bake the pumpkins: Evenly fill the hollowed-out pumpkins with the stuffing mixture and place the pumpkins in a shallow baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

recipe from Country Living 2008

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