Watercress Anyone? Grilled Filet Mignon with Herb Butter & Texas Toast

Now that I am retired I am able to take the time to go and do things that I haven't had the time to do in years.

My mother in laws farm has two running springs on it.  One has managed to stay running through the droughts we've had the last couple years.  I haven't been down there in many, many years, but I knew there used to be watercress growing at one of the springs.  So yesterday's adventure was going to the spring.  Here is what is found.

This recipe was taken from http://www.watercress.com/recipe.aspx

Grilled Filet Mignon with Herb Butter & Texas Toast

Servings: 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon whipped butter, slightly softened
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
3 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram, divided
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, divided
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 peeled and halved
1 pound filet mignon, about 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 portions
4 slices whole grain bread
4 cups watercress, trimmed and chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to high. Mash butter in a small bowl with the back of a spoon until soft and creamy. Stir in 2 teaspoons oil until combined. Add chives, capers, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and place in the freezer to chill.

2. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, rosemary and minced garlic in a small bowl. Rub on both sides of steak. Rub both sides of bread with the halved garlic clove; discard the garlic.

3. Grill the steak 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill the bread until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Divide watercress among 4 plates. Place 1 toast on each serving of watercress and top with steak. Spread the herb butter on top of the steaks and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 303 calories; 14 grams fat; 80 milligrams cholesterol; 15 grams carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 5 grams fiber; 438 milligrams sodium

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I decided that I need yet another cake pan.  This is what I decided on.

A cream cheese pound cake recipe with butter and vanilla.
Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups granulated sugar
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
6 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Prepare Pan with solid oil and flower.

Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening. With electric hand-held mixer on medium speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in cream cheese. 

Add flour, alternating with the eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or Bundt cake pan. Bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Cover with your favorite glaze.

This recipe had just a little too much dough for my pan.  If this happens to you, I would fill muffin tins with the excess dough.

Vanilla Pudding Baked Donuts with Vanilla Frosting

Makes 12 to 15

Ingredients

For the Donuts:
2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1- 4 oz box vanilla pudding mix (I used the cook and serve)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted

For the Glaze:
1/3 cup heavy cream add more for thinner glaze.
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Don't forget to spray your donut pans.  Do not overfill you tins.  Batter will spread over the top as it rises.

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all donut ingredients until well blended.

Fill a donut pan 1/2 full with batter. I like to put my batter in a large ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Makes filling the donut pan much easier (and cleaner). 

Bake donuts in a 325 degree oven for about 12-14 minutes. 

Remove. 

Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely before glazing.

While donuts are baking, mix cream and vanilla and slowly whisk in powdered sugar. 

To glaze donuts, either dip donut tops into glaze and immediately add sprinkles. Or, using a large spatula, spread glaze on top of donuts and add sprinkles, if desired. 

Allow to set, about 5-10 minutes.

LEMON THYME SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Bonnie Plants Recipe for Shortbread Cookies

Picture is from the Bonnie Plant Website.  No photo credits were mentioned.

Servings: 2 dozen
Ingredients
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Combine flour, thyme leaves, and salt in a small bowl, and set aside.

Process butter and sugar in a food processor until smooth and well combined, stopping to scrape down sides. Add vanilla; process 15 seconds.

Add flour mixture; pulse 10 to 12 times until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and forms a ball.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking. Cut with a 2-inch cookie cutter, and place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Place cookie sheets in freezer for 20 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.

Bake at 275 for 30 minutes or just until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

dreamsicle pie

I almost followed Kraft recipe shown at the bottom of the post.

I used:

1 graham cracker crust

8 oz cream cheese

4 oz. Jello-O Orange Gelatin (Dry)

1 tablespoon Vanilla pudding mix (dry)

1 teaspoon Orange Extract

12 oz. Cool Whip

Beat room temp cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Reduce mixer speed and add the Orange Extract, pudding mix and Orange Gelatin.  Mix until completely combined.

Next add 1/3 of the Cool Whip and mix completely.  Now add another 1/3 of Cool Whip but DoNot mix completely.  Leave streaks of Cool Whip running through the mix.

Smooth the mixture into pan.

Finally top with the last 1/3 of Cool Whip and either refrigerate or freeze.  If freezing after an hour in the freezer pre-cut pie for easier serving.

Enjoy!

Kraft
Makes: 8 servings Total Time: 8 hr 45 min
Submitted by: astewart8
Category: Desserts Sub Category: Pies

what you need
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup orange juice
4 oz. vanilla instant pudding (dry)
4 oz. Jell-O Orange Gelatin (dry)
12 oz. Cool Whip
1 (10") Honey Maid Graham Cracker Pie Crust
make it
Beat cream cheese on high till smooth. Add orange juice, vanilla pudding and orange Jell-O; beat till blended. Stir in 1/2 of the Cool Whip.

Pour in pie shell. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Chill several hours or overnight.
Note
s

Banana Coconut Muffins

This is my first try at roasting ripe banana's.  All the hype about the increased intensity of flavor is true.  400 degrees for 20 minutes does the trick.

 Baker Street Blog  has a list of different combinations, nuts, berries etc. that can be added to this basic recipe.  These have the roasted banana's, pecan's, mini chips and coconut.

Author: from epicurious.com
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (3/4 cup)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin cups with liners.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.
3. Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Recipe by Baker Street at http://bakerstreet.tv/2012/03/muffin-monday-banana-coconut-muffins/

Orange Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Wow!  These are WONDERFUL.  I too had to change a couple items due to not having the right stuff in stock.  I used the juice and zest from 1-Orange, 1-Lemon and 1-Lime.

Also, I didn't not have any yogurt, so I used 1/2 cup of Spin Blend.  Pretty crazy but it worked.

Sallys Baking Addiction


Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g) salted butter, melted*
juice and zest of 2 medium lemons*
juice and zest of 1 orange*
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (120g) non-fat or low-fat Greek or regular yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Try Land O Lakes® Butter w/ Canola Oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Spray 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice, and orange zest together until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Whisk in the yogurt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together until no pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix. The batter is extremely thick.

Spoon the thick batter into the muffin tins, filling them all the way to the top. Sprinkle each with coarse sugar. Bake for 5 minutes at 425F. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce oven temperature to 375F and continue to bake for 10-13 minutes longer until tops are lightly golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Top with additional lemon and/or orange zest if desired (optional).

Muffins stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Try them with a simple lemon glaze too!


*I have used salted and unsalted butter interchangeably in this recipe without changing the amount of added salt.

*1 medium-size lemon = approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest = 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

*My large orange yielded about 1/4 cup of juice and 2 Tablespoons of zest.

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