For the Love of the Stove

I'd say this one was a hit.  Be sure to serve a loaf of bread on the side because the sauce is delicious and you'll want to mop it up with the bread.  I almost ate the leftovers for breakfast, but held out.  Usually when I get home from work I wait a while before I eat, but not when I had this waiting in the fridge for me.  I let the dog out and then ate immediately.  I couldn't help it. 

I went with their suggestion and made a tomato salad for the side - this I could eat by the bowlful.  It will be a summer staple for sure.  

Cuisine at Home
Makes 6 cups of stroganoff and noodles.
Total time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients
1/2 lb dry wide egg noodles
1/2 lb kielbasa, sliced
1/2 lb button mushrooms, quartered (I used pre-sliced mushrooms to save time)
1 1/2 lb chicken tenders (or strips of breast meat)
1/2 t each cayenne, paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, dried basil leaves, dried thyme leaves, and dried oregano leaves
2 T all-purpose flour
1 T tomato paste 
2 t garlic, minced
1/2 c dry sherry
3/4 c chicken broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c sour cream
Sliced scallions

Directions
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles.  Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
2) Saute kielbasa and mushrooms in 2 T oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until browned, 5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
3) Combine chicken with seasonings, tossing to coat, then dust with flour.  
4) Saute chicken in same saute pan in 2 T oil over medium-high heat until nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes.  
5) Push chicken to one side of pan.  Add tomato paste and garlic; saute for 1 minute.
6) Deglaze with sherry, simmer until nearly evaporated, then add broth, Worcestershire, and reserved kielbasa-mushroom mixture.  Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, about 5 minutes.  
7) Off heat, stir in sour cream.  Serve stroganoff over prepared egg noodles and garnish with scallions.  


Nutrition:  Per 1 1/2 c: 743 calories, 32 g total fat, 52g carbs, 1112 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 58 g protein


Tomato Salad
Makes 2 cups
Total time: 10 minutes


Ingredients
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T honey
1/2 t Dijon mustard
1/4 t kosher salt
2 T olive oil
2 c tomatoes, choped
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley


Directions
1) Combine lemon juice, honey, mustard, and salt in a bowl, then whisk in oil until emulsified. 
2) Place tomatoes in a second bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  
3) Drizzle dressing over tomatoes; garnish with parsley


Nutrition: 1/2 c: 94 calories, 7g total fat, 8g carbs, 133 mg sodium, 1g fiber, 1g protein

This guy is a genius, and awfully silly, which I find fun when watching a cooking show, it's a nice change of pace.  Once you have these, you won't make oven fries any other way, except maybe plain (meaning without the garlic herb butter, but only if you were in the mood to dip them in ketchup, or the 18000 Island Dressing.  Even leftover they were great.  I heated them for a minute in the microwave, and then into a 350 degree oven until they were hot and crispy again.  Five-ish minutes or so - I wasn't really paying attention so I'm guessing.  

Butter-Garlic Oven Fries with Herbs
Recipe courtesy Jeff Mauro, Food Network
Prep Time:                  10 min
Inactive Prep Time:    10 min
Cook Time:                 30 min
Level:                          Easy
Serves:                        4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
    3 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into about 12 wedges
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 tablespoons grated fresh garlic
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
    2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
    1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. (He preheated his oven to 550 degrees F so I'll try that next time.)
2. Soak the potato wedges in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and then fully pat them dry with paper towels or a lint-free dish cloth.
3. Layer a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Add the potatoes to the pan and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread them evenly in a single layer on the pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is golden brown, another 10 to 13 minutes.
5. In a small saute pan, melt the butter with the garlic and let the garlic gently cook over medium-low heat until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. When the potatoes are cooked, toss them with the garlic butter and fresh herbs.

Where to start with this one.  I doubt I will ever buy pickles again.  These were so delicious that I made a batch and then the next day made another batch and combined them.  I was afraid I'd run out.  Next, the 18,000 thousand island dressing is out of this world.  It's going on all sorts of stuff.  Now, the burger....superb.  You hear stories about never, ever pressing patties once they are on the heat....thumb your burger, make a well, and don't smoosh - well smoosh away.  These burgers were delicious and super juicy, even the leftover patties the next day.  And, the beef was 87/13 because that is what Costco happened to have that day.  No 80/20 meat for these and they were perfect.  We were tempted to say the Bobby Flay burger that we tried two weeks ago was the best burger....well, it was, until we made these.  Way to go Jeff!   Serve them with his Butter-Garlic Oven Fries with Herbs and you'll be in heaven.

Griddle Burger with 18000 Island Dressing and Quick Pickles
Recipe courtesy Jeff Mauro, Food Network

Prep Time:                 20 min
Inactive Prep Time:     10 min 
Cook Time:                 15 min
Level:                         Easy
Serves:                      4 servings

Ingredients
Quick Pickles:
    2 cups champagne vinegar (I couldn't find this so I used Colavita Aged white wine vinegar)
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
    1 tablespoon kosher salt
    2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
    1 bay leaf
    1 English cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch slices
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

18000 Island Dressing:
    1 cup mayo
    1/4 cup ketchup
    2 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapenos
    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
    Kosher salt

Burgers:
    1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
    8 ounces ground brisket
    1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
    4 sesame seed buns
    4 to 8 slices white American cheese
    Tomato slices, for serving
    Iceberg lettuce, for serving

Directions
1. For the quick pickles: Add the vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar, mustard seeds, salt, garlic and bay leaf to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved in the simmering liquid, add the cucumbers and dill to a heat-proof container and pour over the pickling liquid. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Chop 2 tablespoons for the dressing, and reserve the rest for serving.
2. For the 18000 island dressing: In a food processor add the mayonnaise, ketchup, jalapenos, chopped quick pickles, Dijon, garlic and some salt. Puree, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
3. For the burgers: Heat a cast-iron skillet or large heavy griddle pan over medium-high heat.
4. Combine the chuck and brisket and form into 4 balls with your hands.
5. Add the canola oil to the heated griddle. Place the burger balls on the griddle and sear for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Then, using a spatula, press the balls down, flattening them down as you spread them out. You want a thin, crusty burger and that's all about creating surface area, so press away. Let the burger get a nice char on one side, and then flip so they get nice and crusty brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
6. Butter and toast, or griddle, the sesame seed buns. Once toasted, add 1 to 2 slices cheese to each bottom bun. Place the burger on the bottom bun with the cheese. Top the burger with some tomato slices, quick pickles and iceberg lettuce. Spread some of the 18000 island dressing on the top bun and top the burger. Appreciate the old school classic.

Food Network Magazine, May 2012

I'm always looking for interesting side dishes and this has lots of my favorite herbs in it.  I ate the leftovers for a couple of days and when it was gone, I made it again.  I would actually get excited to go grab some out of the fridge.  I know, it's the little things.....

Ingredients
2 lemons
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 c long-grain rice
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 t packed light brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 Kirby cucumber, seeded and diced (my grocery store didn't have any so I bought and English cucumber and used half of that instead)
1/2 c chopped salted roasted peanuts
1/2 c fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 c fresh mint, roughly chopped
1/2 c fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed, leaves torn

Directions
1. Remove 2 wide strips zest from 1 lemon with a vegetable peeler.  Combine 1 strip zest with the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the edges of the zest turn slightly golden, about 5 minutes.  Let the lemon oil cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook the rice as the label directs, adding the remaining strip lemon zest to the water.  Transfer the rice to a large baking sheet and spread out, discarding the zest and fluff with a fork.  Let cool to room temperature.  
3. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Juice both lemons into a medium bowl.  Add the vinegar, brown sugar, 1 3/4 t salt and 1/2 t pepper and whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Discard the zest from the lemon oil, then whisk the oil into the dressing.  Add the onion slices and let marinate 15 minutes.
4. Add the carrot, cucumber, peanuts, cilantro, mint, basil, watercress and rice to a large bowl.  Add the dressing mixture and gently toss. 

Food Network Magazine, May 2012

Yet again, I read this and had to have it. (I think that seems to be my MO.)  I love asparagus, but adding bacon, what could be better??  If asparagus isn't your favorite, think again.  Now the recipe says to steam the asparagus, but I always roast my asparagus because I think it really enhances the flavor.  Your choice.

Ingredients
1 lb asparagus 
Salt and pepper to taste 4 strips of bacon, chopped
4 egg yokes
3 T water
1 T white wine vinegar
1 t dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne
Salt
1 - 2 T chopped chives (optional - I didn't add them because my grocery store didn't have them and honestly, I didn't miss them.)


Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 F.  Snap ends off of asparagus.  Lay on a baking sheet and spray with Pam (or coat with olive oil), salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 - 20 minutes depending on how big they are. 
2. Cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels, reserving the drippings.
3. Combine egg yokes, water, white wine vinegar, dijon and cayenne in a heatproff bowl set over simmering water; whisk until thick, 4 minutes.  
4. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 T of bacon drippings, and salt to tase.  
5. Serve over asparagus and top with bacon and chives.
 

from Family Circle

I was looking for something healthy to go with a lemon-herb rice salad and this sounded perfect.  Huge success and super easy.  I like the idea of having such a quick, easy, delicious and really affordable way to make fish.  I could definitely eat this once a week.  Different sides would really change it up and there are so many things that would go with this main dish.  Two thumbs up.

Makes 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes 
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes (My pieces were small so I went for a 400 degree oven.)

Ingredients
4 fresh or frozen tilapia fillets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
18 rich round crackers (such as Ritz)
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 T olive oil
3/4 t dried basil
2 T Dijon mustard
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional - but I thought added a great flavor to the fish)
Tartar sauce (optional - I can honestly say that I didn't read this part of the recipe but if you like tartar sauce it couldn't hurt for sure.)

Directions
1. Thaw fish if frozen.  Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels.  Heat oven to 425 F.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Place fish on prepared baking sheet.
2. In a plastic bag, crush crackers.  Add cheese, oil and basil; shake to combine. 
3. Brush top side of each fillet with about 1/2 t of the mustard and season with salt and pepper.  Press cracker mixture onto mustard coated side of fillets.
4. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  If desired, serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce. 

Big surprise, I was watching Food Network, one of Giada's shows and I watched her make this.  I had to make it.  It's a bit time consuming because you have to saute all the vegetables in batches but it smells divine! 


By Giada De Laurentiis
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Inactive: 8 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
10 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar


Directions
1. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Working in batches, add the zucchini and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. 
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to a baking dish. 
4. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 
5. Sprinkle half of the garlic, basil, and mint leaves over the zucchini.
6. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan. 
7. Add the carrots to the hot oil and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. 
8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried carrots to the dish of zucchini. 
9. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 
10. Sprinkle the remaining garlic, basil, and mint leaves over. 
11. Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat. 
12. Cool to room temperature. 
13. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. 
14. Allow the vegetables to come to room temperature before serving. 
15. Transfer the scapece to a platter. Serve with bread, fish or chicken.

Yum!  Perfect for a cold and/or rainy night!  My one change is that the recipe calls for diced tomatoes and then you have to blend the sauce.  That means an extra thing to clean and I don't ever notice a difference between diced and crushed.  Your call.

Fine Cooking
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 t crushed red pepper flakes; more to taste
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes 
3 T vodka
1/2 c freshly grated Parmegiano-Reggiano (I used already grated cheese)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 T heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb dried rigatoni (about 4 cups)

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it's just tender to the tooth, 10-12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the garlic and red pepper flakes in the oil over medium-high heat until they're fragrant and sizzle steadily for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the vodka, and bring to a boil.  
4. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook to intensify the flavors and reduce the sauce slightly (by about one-quarter), 10-15 minutes.
5. Stir in 1/4 of the Parmegiano, the parsley, cream, 1/2 t salt and pepper, and more red pepper flakes if you like (I added a little bit more and it was really spicy - make sure you taste it first)
6. Simmer to incorporate the cream and reduce the sauce slightly, about 5 minutes.  
7. Reduce the heat to low, cover and keep warm.
8. Drain well and return the pasta to its pot.
9. Add the sauce, set the pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, to let the pasta absob some of the sauce, 1 minute. 
10. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cups Parmegiano.


Also, I sauteed some shrimp and topped my portion with that.  I just sprinkled with garlic powder, salt and pepper and cooked on both sides until pink and curled.  Delicious. 

This was one of those recipes that I read and had to make, and had to make sooner rather than later.  Wow, is all I have to say, that and it's super spicy so consider this your warning. 
While I was cooking the risotto I realized that I didn't have any blue cheese dressing, but I just happened to have the ingredients to make some, so I did that in between stirring the risotto and ladling in more liquid.  (I'll include that at the end of this recipe.)
Cuisine at Home
 Ingredients
For the brodo, simmer:
4 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c hot sauce (such as Frank's)
2 T honey
1 T Worcestershire sauce
For the risotto, sweat:
1/2 c minced celery
1/2 c minced onion
2 T unsalted butter
1 c dry arborio rice 
Degaze:
1/2 c lager beer, hot, such as Stella Artois (I used white wine b/c that's what I had)
Stir in:
2 c chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie works great)
Garnish with:
chopped celery
blue cheese crumbles
blue cheese dressing
Directions
1.  For the brodo, simmer broth, hot sauce, honey and Worcestershire in a saucepan over medium heat.
2.  For the risotto, sweat minced celery and onion in butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until slightly softened, 3-5 minutes.  Stir in rice and saute until each grain is coated in butter.
3.  De-glaze the pan with beer and stir until completely absorbed, 1-2 minutes.  Add brodo to the pan in 1/2 c increments; simmer and stir frequently until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next, about 45 minutes total.  Stir in chicken and heat through.
4.  Garnish each serving of risotto with chopped celery, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing.  


Blue Cheese Dressing
2 1/2 ounces blue cheese
3 T buttermilk (or more if you want a runnier dressing)
3 T sour cream
2 T mayonnaise
2 t white wine vinegar
1/4 t sugar
1/8 t garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1.  In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and buttermilk together with a fork.  
2.  Stir in sour cream, mayonaise, vinegar, sugar and garlic powder until well blended.  
3.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.


 

It was a toss up between this recipe and buffalo chicken risotto....and this won, at least for this round.  Tough choice, but definitely amazing.  The directions for this is a little different than the original, but I'm going with it.  I don't stray that much from original - I do things like not skewer the shrimp and croutons, but just grill them on an indoor grill.  No worries, just go with it. 
Cuisine Tonight
Boil:
8 oz dry linguine (I used rotini because I think it's easier to eat than linguine)
Melt:
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 diced shallots
1 can anchovy fillets in oil, minced (2 oz.) - btw, no one at my dinner party had any idea these were in there and LOVED the dish so don't skip them, just don't tell anyone before they eat what's in the dish.
3 T minced garlic
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T minced lemon zest
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 t red pepper flakes (I used 1 t)
Off Heat, toss:
8 c chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 c grated Parmesan
Salt and black pepper to taste ( I never added these and it was delicious )
Boil:
Pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Melt:
butter with oil in saute pan over medium heat.  Add shallots and anchovies and melt, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Stir in lemon juice, zest, Worcestershire, and pepper flakes.  Toss pasta with sauce to coat. 
Off heat, toss romaine and Parmesan with pasta and season with salt and black pepper.  Serve pasta with Grilled Shrimp and Croutons

Grilled Shrimp and Croutons
Whisk:
1/2 c olive oil
1T EACH minced lemon zest and fresh lemon juice
1/2 t EACH kosher salt and black pepper

24 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on
24 cubes Italian baguette, 1-inch thick

Preheat: grill to medium.  Brush grill grate with oil.
Whisk: together 1/2 c to oil, zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
Brush: shrimp and bread cubes with lemon oil.
Grill: shrimp and bread, covered, 2-3 minutes per side.  Serve shrimp and croutons with Caesar Salad Pasta.

Note: The recipe calls for the shrimp and the croutons to be grilled on skewers.  Whatever is easier for you is best.

Helen Chen
Easy Asian Noodles 


I made this dish as a birthday dinner for one of my really good friends and it was delicious.  He LOVES spicy food.  You know when you go to a Thai restaurant and they ask you on a scale of 1 - 10 how spicy you want something, well he says 11.  Scary.  I'm more of a 5 or 6.  This made everyone happy.

Ingredients
1/2 pound wide, flat rice noodles, large 1/4 inch width
3 T oyster sauce
2 T plus 2 t dark soy sauce
2 T white distilled vinegar
1 T chili-garlic sauce or Sriracha chile sauce, to taste
2 t fish sauce
2 T sugar
2 t Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 t cornstarch
8 oz lean pork or chicken, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
3 T canola oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small carrot, thinkly sliced on the diagonal
5 oz yu choy, broccoli rabe or broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup canned straw mushrooms, or mushroom slices, drained
6 extra-large raw shrimp (16/20), peeled, deveined, and split in half lengthwise
1 scallion, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves or sweet basil, packed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, optional


Directions
1.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until al dente, about 3 minutes.  Don't overcook because they are going to be cooked again.  Drain, rinse in cold water , and set aside to drain again.
2.  In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 T of the oyster sauce, the soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, fish sauce, and sugar.  Stir well to dissolve the sugar.  Set aside.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 t soy sauce, wine and cornstarch.  Add the meat and stir well.
3.  In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat; do not let the oil smoke.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it sizzles.  Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will become bitter.  Stir the meat up again and pour it into the pan.  Cook, stirring briskly, until the pork or chicken is almost cooked, about 2 minutes.  Add the carrot, greens, onion, and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the greens turn a darker color and begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the shrimp and cook until the shrimp begins to turn opaque, about 1 minute.  Add the noodles and pour the soy sauce mixture over the noodles, loosening the noodles with a pair of chopsticks and stirring until they separate and are heated through and the sauce is well blended.  
4.  Toss in the scallion and basil and stir until the basil is wilted, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish with cilantro, if using, and serve immediately.

Food Everyday Light

Oh my....and this was my plan B.....WRONG...always should be plan A!  I included the recipe for the side that I served, below this one.  Enough said.....no, really, enough said. 

Salmon Burgers with Yogurt-Dill Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, finely diced
1 T prepared horseradish
1/2 t grated lemon zest, plus 1 T fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 T plain dried breadcrumbs (I used 3 T because the mixture was really wet - 4 would have been ok too - all depends on how moist the salmon is.)
Course salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used one small container of greek lemon yogurt)
1 T coarsely chopped fresh dill (I don't really like dill, seriously, but I really liked the dill with the lemon yogurt)
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted 
Romaine lettuce, for servicing (I didn't use lettuce on the sandwich because I served a salad on the side)


Directions
1.  Heat broiler to high, with rack 4-6 inches from heat.  In a medium bowl, combine salmon, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, egg, scallions, breadcrumbs, 1 t of salt, and 1/8 t pepper; mix gently with a fork.
2.  Form salmon mixture into four 31/2-by-1-inch patties; place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Broil without turning until browned on top and opaque throughout, 6 to 7 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, combine yogurt and dill in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Serve burgers on buns with yogurt-dill sauce and luttuce.  

Careful cutting:  To finely dice salmon without crushing it, start by thinly slicing the fillet with a sharp knife.  Cut the slices lengthwise into strips, then cut crosswise.

Spinach with Caramelized Shallots

Ingredients
1 T plus 1 t olive oil
4 large shallots, minced
Course salt and groud pepper
1 T water
1 t whole-grain mustard 
1 T red-wine vinegar
2 bags (10 ounces each) baby spinach
Directions
1.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium.  Add shallots and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the water and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet, until shallots are dark brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
2.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in mustard and 2 t vinegar.  Place spinach in a large bowl and pour warm shallot mixture over top.  Add remaining 1 t vinegar, toss, and serve. 

I love Good Seasons Italian Dressing.  One of the packets had this recipe on it, but of course, I had to doctor it up a bit.  I wanted some heat and using water seems like it wouldn't give it much flavor.  Plus, I thought the instructions could use some tweaking.  (The original recipe didn't call for sauteing the onions first, but I think that would enhance the flavors.)
Ingredients
1 chipotles in adobe, minced (I added this so feel free to omit)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, undrained, divided
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or a combination) - the original recipe called for water
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix
1 1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
Directions
1.  Heat 1 T of  olive oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat
2.  Add onions and chipotles to the oil and saute until translucent. 
3. Place 1 1/2 cans of the beans in blender, cover.  Blend until smooth.  Add to the onions once translucent.
4.  Add the remaining beans, the broth and salad dressing mix; stir until well blended.  Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
5.  Stir in rice.  Reduce heat to low; cover.  Simmer 5 - 10 minutes

If you think you don't like Brie, think again.  It is one of my favorites, so this was a no brain-er for me.  (The daughter of one of my friends turned her nose up at the brie, however, when Kiera had her first bite, her eyes rolled back in her head.  She announced that she really, really liked it.)  Anyway, this is one of those recipes that, when I read it, I immediately added it to the list of recipes to try, sooner rather than later.  I always have a 16 oz can of crab meat in my fridge.  I always walk through the seafood department when I shop to see what's on sale.  If the 1 pound cans of Blue Crab go on sale I buy one or two.  They are usually good for at least two years, though they definitely never, ever last that long.  Two me, that's a smart buy.  Not only did the recipe sound delicious, it didn't require too much fuss.  It takes some time to cook the onions for the cheese sauce - but that's the thing with onions, low and slow and totally worth it.  The most involved part was making the cheese sauce.  (By the way, this will be the base that I use going forward for any mac and cheese recipe, just substituting the Brie with another cheese.)  You basically stand and stir until the base is thick, then stir in the cheese.  I watched the Steelers game and talked to my friends while I stirred.  Before I knew it the sauce was nice and thick and ready for the cheese.  I altered just a couple minor things.  I didn't want to buy a loaf of bread for three pieces, so I used panko instead. The recipe calls for two 6 ounce containers of crab, but I buy the 1 pound size so I used it all.  (It definitely wasn't too much.) I don't have eight 14 - 16 oz individual baking dishes so I used a lasagna pan, which I didn't spray with the non-cooking spray only because I forgot.  (The game was getting exciting and I wanted to watch, plus I was really, really hungry.)  I did add a bit of extra salt at the end, but that was a personal preference thing.  Marie and I both agreed that it needed more.  I couldn't wait for this to come out of the oven....I was practically drooling, ok, so maybe I really was drooling.  I also totally forgot to make a vegetable, thankfully I always have a bag of lettuce (I'm partial to the butter lettuces) in the fridge and that was a perfect side. 
Macaroni and Brie with Crab
The Potluck Cookbook (200 Recipes for Every Gathering and Every Night)
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 pound dried medium shell pasta
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups milk (I used skim)
1 pound Brie cheese, trimmed and chopped (reserve 8 small wedges for topping, if desired)
2 6 - 6 1/2 ounce can lump crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed
3 slices firm white bread, torn into large pieces
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat eight 14-to 16-ounce individual baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside. In large skillet cook onion in butter over medium-low heat about 15 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook pasta in 4-quart Dutch oven according to package directions; drain and return to pan.
2. Add flour, salt, and pepper to onion in skillet; stir until combined, about 1 minute. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Gradually add chopped cheese; cook over medium-low heat until cheese melts. Stir into pasta. Fold in crab. Transfer to baking dishes.
3. Place bread pieces in food processor; cover and process to coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta mixture. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and crumbs are golden brown. If desired, add a wedge of Brie to each dish the last 5 minutes of baking time. Makes 8 servings.