Robyn's Recipes

Meal of the Week

"Gourmet" doesn't necessarily mean that a meal has to include a million different ingredients that you've never heard of, or that it should take all day to cook.  Celebrate the weekend with this very-easy-to-prepare entree.  It takes a little less than 30 minutes to cook, and will be pleasing to anyone who dines at your table.

Entree

Steaks Bathed in Wine Sauce

4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut about 1 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup beef broth (or 1/4 cup boiling water with 3 beef bouillon cubes, dissolved)
1/4 cup burgundy wine
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed

Trim excess fat from steaks.  If using the cracked pepper, press it onto both sides of the steaks.
In a large skillet, cook the steaks in hot butter over medium to medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until done to your liking, turning once during cooking.
Transfer steaks to a serving platter and keep them warm.
Reserve drippings in the skillet.

For the sauce:

Stir onion into reserved drippings in the skillet.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender.  Remove from heat.  Carefully add broth, wine, and marjoram to onion in skillet, stirring to scrape up any browned bits.
Return to heat.
Bring to boiling and then reduce heat.
Boil gently, uncovered for about 2 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
Serve sauce over steaks.

Makes 4 servings.

Side Dishes

Pasta with Mushroom-Cheese Sauce

6 oz. linguine
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup broccoli flowerettes
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook pasta and carrots in a pot of boiling salted water for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add broccoli flowerettes.
Return to boiling and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until pasta is tender and done.  The vegetables should be crisp-tender.
Drain everything, and keep warm.

Prepare the sauce:

Cook mushrooms in butter until tender.  Stir in flour, parsley and basil.
Add milk all at once.
Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
Pour sauce over pasta and vegetables.  Toss to coat well.

Makes enough for 8 side servings, but you can refrigerate and take the leftovers to work for an excellent lunch!

Cheese Bread

This bread is really simple to make.  It doesn't really take too much time since you start with store-bought frozen bread dough.  This will not be your typical loaf of bread, but, rather, will be rounder in diameter and a little flatter.  Your guests or family will enjoy this special bread and they'll think you were in the kitchen for hours!
(It'll be our secret.... shhhh!) :-)

1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen plain bread dough, thawed overnight.
1 lb. (16 oz.) Muenster cheese
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter

You should begin with the dough at room temperature on a lightly floured surface.
Roll dough into a 9 inch circle.
Continue to roll and pat dough until it becomes a larger circle, about 18-20 inches in diameter.  Let rest while making the cheese filling.

Filling:

Shred Muenster cheese into a large bowl.  Beat eggs in a small bowl; measure out 2 tablespoons;  reserve the 2 tablespoons of beaten egg.
Stir the remainder of the eggs, salt and sour cream into the cheese in the larger bowl.  Mix thoroughly.

Using butter, grease a 9-inch pie plate well.
Place dough loosely in pan, draping the excess over the edges.
Spoon the filling into the center of dough, making a large flat
circle with it.

Gather the dough loosely toward the center of the filling, turning pan as you go, pleating the folds.  Twist the ends into a topknot in the center of the pie.  Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Brush the top of the dough with the 2 tablespoons of beaten egg that you reserved.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.  If crust begins to brown too fast, lower temperature to 350 degrees.  Let cool slightly and cut into wedges.
Serve bread warm.

Don't forget the side salad!

Beverage Suggestion:

Grape Cooler

2 cups canned peach nectar
2 cups prepared white grape juice
16 oz. carbonated water or club soda

Combine peach nectar, white grape juice and carbonated water in a pitcher.  Stir to mix.
Pour into ice-filled glasses.

Dessert

This dessert is really very light, and the perfect ending to your meal....

Brandy Alexander Cream

1 teaspoon dry unflavored Knox gelatin
1/2 cup very cold half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup brandy (if you don't normally keep brandy on hand, you can buy the small airplane size bottles at your local liquor store)
1/4 cup creme de cacao
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 cup whipping cream (not whipped)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 oz. coarsely grated semisweet chocolate (about 3 tablespoons)

In a saucepan, mix the gelatin and half-and-half.  Let stand for 1 minute.
Add salt.  Stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves.

Place egg yolks in a small bowl.  Gradually stir gelatin mixture into the egg yolks until blended, then return mixture to the saucepan.
Cook and stir over low heat until mixture coats a spoon (but do
not boil!)
Place saucepan in a bowl of cold water and ice.  Stir egg mixture to cool quickly and stop the cooking.   Stir in 1/2 cup of the sugar, 1/3 cup brandy, and 1/4 cup creme de cacao.  Stir gelatin mixture until slightly thickened.  Remove saucepan from ice water.

In a small mixing bowl, at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy.  Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy.  Fold into the gelatin mixture until no white streaks remain.
Fold in whipped cream until blended.  Spoon into ten individual stemmed glasses.  Freeze at least 3 hours before serving.
About 15 minutes before serving, remove from the freezer.

*In a small mixing bowl at medium speed, beat 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff peaks form.  Spoon onto desserts and sprinkle with chocolate. 

Makes 10 half-cup servings.