#30 :: Acorn Squash Apple Puree

**I'm doing 2 days worth of posts to catch up. We've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen!!**

I've seen everyone on Food Network make a sauce, gravy, puree, dressing or some other topping for their meal, so I thought I'd try my hand at it. I kept the meal simple, pork chops seasoned with salt and pepper and a boxed stuffing mix, and used the puree {with some applesauce on the side} to flavor the meal. It was definitely a different taste, but surprisingly good.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 pounds acorn squash (2 medium to large), halved and seeded
• 3 tablespoons, plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 2 Fuji or Gala apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the squash halves, cut sides up, in a large baking dish. Place 1 teaspoon of the butter in the center of each squash. Sprinkle the insides lightly with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan by about 1/4-inch (about 1/2 cup), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and roast until the squash is tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove the squash from the oven, uncover, and let sit until cool enough to handle. Using a spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash into the bowl of a food processor..

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is foamy, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add the apples, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the apple mixture to a food processor with the squash. Puree the mixture on high speed until smooth. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and serve warm.

Makes 6 servings of puree.

Recipe from The Essence of Emeril on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#19 :: Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I was a little nervous about this one. I was counting on Jamie's help, and then he called to say he was working 2 hours late. I had to do it on my own! My first problem was that I thought we had a beef tenderloin. Turns out it was pork. Not sure if that made it any better or worse, but the recipe definitely called for beef. Also, about halfway through the recipe I realized that we didn't have any twine to tie the tenderloin with. I had a quick panic attack. Then I saw the toothpicks. They seemed to do the trick, so I was able to finish the meal all by myself after all.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots or yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) beef tenderloin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Soy sauce, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter and cook the shallots or onion over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Let cool.

Butterfly the beef tenderloin by cutting the beef lengthwise down the center to within 1/2-inch of the other side. Set the beef aside.

To stuff the tenderloin, open the beef and sprinkle in the inside with salt and pepper and rub with soy sauce. Spoon the mushroom mixture down the center of the tenderloin. Bring the 2 sides of the tenderloin up and around the filling to meet. Using butcher string, tie the tenderloin together at 2-inch intervals. Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan.

Roast for 40 minutes for medium rare. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Recipe from Paula's Best Dishes on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#1 :: Mini Beef Wellingtons

So to start the blog, I'm going to cover our New Year's Eve appetizer spread. I was a little nervous cooking 4 new dishes that I had never cooked before, but they all came out amazing! I saw these 4 recipes on different Food Network cooking shows, and decided I could handle doing them all. It was a "big bite to chew" for my first project!

Here's the first dish... Mini Beef Wellingtons!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 24 (1-inch) cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 large *shallot, finely chopped
  
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

* I substituted 1 small bunch of green onions instead of shallots

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season all sides with salt and pepper. Quickly sear the beef on 2 sides only until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes total; do not overcook. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Add the mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown and release liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and continue cooking until mushroom mixture dries out, is golden brown and shallots are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat to the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

On a work surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry to a 10 by 14-inch rectangle. Put teaspoon-sized mounds of mushroom mixture on the pastry, evenly spacing them in 4 rows of 3. Top the mushroom mound with a piece of beef, seared side up. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry into even squares around the meat and mushrooms. Working 1 at a time, pull 2 opposite sides of pastry up over each beef piece, then fold the ends over the top to make a packet. Invert and arrange the packets seam side down on the baking sheet and press them lightly to seal the pastry. Repeat with the remaining beef, mushrooms, and pastry.

Bake the Wellingtons until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven to a serving platter and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 24 servings.

Recipe from 5 Ingredient Fix on Food Network.

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Reviews (the first thing people said when they tried it):

Chris - "Those are going to be gone."

Jeremy - "Wow!"

Jamie - "These are amazing!"