Trail Mix

   This should probably not even be a legal post as a recipe, but I've so loved making this fresh trail mix from ingredients at the Dekalb Farmer's Market!  I decided to share the ingredients and then specific directions inside the market for those who live close enough to shop there :)  If you walk in and turn right, there is a nut section just past the candy.  Turn down that aisle and get ready!

Diced dried pineapple bits   (on the left and the beginning)

Dry roasted almonds with conventional salt (on the right hand side towards the front)

Raw sunflower seeds  (on the right just past the almonds)

California raisins (on the left side towards the end)

Mexican peeled peanuts (on the right hand side across from the raisins)

This costs about $11-12 depending on the weights you get.  But it makes SO much.  Enjoy :)

Pasta Salad

  This is Sarah's recipe, I think!  I got it from Meaghan, who made it for Susan's bridal shower.  I made it this week and added shredded rotisserie chicken to it.  It was delicious!  I used mini bowtie pasta:  

Pasta Salad

 

One box of pasta, (bowtie, penne whichever shape you prefer)

One package of crumbled feta

One cucumber (seeded and diced up however)

Cherry tomatoes

Celery (optional)

Fresh basil leaves (just chop up a few of them and throw them in there)

 

They sell salad dressing shakers in the grocery store at the salad dressings and they come with a packet of zesty Italian dressing (Good Season, I think it's called) and you and follow the instructions on the shaker as for how much water, oil and use balsamic vinegar. Then add into that a tablespoon of spicy mustard (grey poupon) and shake that up real well and put half of the dressing on the night before and then add more the next morning.

Beef Tenderloin

  This piece of meat was so delicious.  We got a 7 lb beef tenderloin of certified Angus from the Dekalb Farmer's Market.  However, 5-6 lb would serve 8-10 people.  Leave it whole!

We sort of made up our own recipe for it:

one clove garlic, cut in half

fresh ground black pepper

kosher/sea salt

Rub the entire surface of meat with garlic clove, pepper it well and massage in.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Once you place the tenderloin in the oven, immediately turn it down to 300 degrees.  Let it cook for approximately 15 minutes per pound and continue to check meat thermometer.   We let ours cook to 125, though 130-135 would have worked, too.  Let it sit and cool with its juices 10-15 minutes and then cut just before serving.  

For delicious mushrooms on top:

4 T. butter

1 lg. clove of garlic, minced or pressed

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

pinch dried thyme

pinch dried basil

1 t. dijon-style mustard

1/2 c. dry red wine

1/4 c. beef bouillon

salt and pepper 

water + flour mixture if needed later to thicken it up

Melt butter, saute garlic and mushrooms until tender.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat about 20 minutes.  Thicken gravy and serve with tenderloin.  YUM.

Apple Turnovers

Meaghan made these for the dinner party, too!  And they were so scrumptious.  All the boys ate them with ice cream on top -- even better.

Apple Turnovers

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cups water
• 4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
•  
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.     Combine the lemon and 4 cups water in a large bowl. Place the sliced apples in the water to keep them from browning.

2.     Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain water from apples, and place them into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

3.     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4.     Unfold puff pastry sheets, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Trim each sheet into a square. Then cut each larger square into 4 smaller squares. Spoon apples onto the center of each squares. Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.

5.     Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned. Cool completely before glazing.

6.     To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or milk if necessary. Drizzle glaze over the cooled turnovers.

Orzo Salad

This recipe is from Isabel.  She made it for our dinner party last weekend and I've already made a big ole batch of it!  It's full of good, healthy stuff.  Enjoy.

Orzo Salad

Dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon of honey

½ cup of olive oil

 

6 cups of chicken broth

1 pound of orzo

Prepare as directed on the orzo package except boil in chicken broth. It usually takes 8 minutes- not too soft and not too hard.

 

Mix in:

2 cups of sliced grape or cherry tomatoes

1 ½ cup feta cheese

1 cup of thinly chopped basil

1 cup of green onion finely chopped

½ cup of toasted pine nuts 

I add bell pepper to give some color and flavor- orange and red are pretty. Green is not as sweet so I don’t use it.

Also, some times I will chop or shred some roasted chicken to make it a bit heartier.