Updating A Classic!

A new spin on a classic, a fun cocktail/mocktail and appetizer, and two great breakfast creations! Read on!

Beef Wellington is one of my all time favorite dishes. Beef tenderloin, mushroom duxelles, prosciutto, and all wrapped in puff pastry. But the problems are that the beff tenderloin tends to be on the pricy side and not everyone loves mushrooms. This past weekend, I created a delicious alternative with my Pork Tenderloin Wellington. Pork tenderloin is much less expensive but equally delicious, and for the mushroom haters out there, I replaced them with a cheesy spinach artichoke stuffing.

The first step was to make the stuffing which began with a diced onion sautéed in butter. Off to a good start already!

Fresh garlic can only make things better!

Once the onions were soft, I added ten ounces of fresh baby spinach and allowed it to wilt down. I added a cup of chopped artichoke hearts (canned works well), eight ounces of softened cream cheese, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and grated Monterey jack cheese. I combined it all and set it aside while I started on the pork.

I seared the tenderloins on all side in olive oil over high heat until golden.

I rolled out a sheet of puff pastry to approximately twelve by eighteen inches, and brushed the edges with egg wash.

I continued with a layer of prosciutto....

...followed by a layer of the stuffing...

...and one tenderloin. I rolled it up tight and sealed the sides and edges.

I vented the top, brushed with more egg wash, and sprinkled with salt and pepper before popping into the preheated 400 degree oven for twenty five minutes.

Ten minutes of resting time and we were ready to eat,

Scrumptious! And while we eagerly awaited the Wellingtons to finish, we enjoyed cocktail hour and this amazing homemade Pimiento Hummus with Toasted Chipotle Pita Chips. Earlier in the day, I boiled the chickpeas in water with a pinch of baking powder to help the outer shells come off, which made for a creamier hummus. I then combined the chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, chopped pimientos, salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth. I added a splash of water to achieve the perfect consistency. I cut the pitas into triangles and baked at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes or so, until crispy. As soon as they came out of the oven, I brushed them with melted butter and sprinkled with chipotle pepper and a pinch of salt. I garnished the hummus with more pimientos, smoked paprika, whole chickpeas, and marcona almonds. Beautiful, tasty, and healthy!

You cannot have cocktail hour without cocktails, right? How about these Ginger Marzipan Whiskey Sours?!?! Two ounces of bourbon, one ounce each of lime juice (lemon juice works well too) and ginger marzipan simple syrup*, and one egg white into an ice filled shaker, shaken for twenty seconds, and strained into a coup glass, garnished with Amarena cherries. As you can see, I added two drops of food coloring to each and although I was going for pastel colors for Easter, I admit they turned out to be more appropriate for Pride than Easter. These can easily be modified into virgin cocktails by subbing tea for bourbon, and the egg white can be omitted as well.

*For the syrup, I combined two cups of sugar, two cups of water, fresh sliced ginger, and a teaspoon of almond extract in a pot over high heat, and stirred until the sugar dissolved. I removed from the heat and allowed to steep for one hour before straining and refrigerating.

Fast forward to the next morning - Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and melted butter. What could possibly done with these?

How about popping open a can of crescent rolls.....

...filling each with bacon or sausage, egg, and cheese, brushing with melted butter, and sprinkling with salt and pepper? Hence Breakfast Crescent Rolls!

I had a few leftover rolls so I sprinkled them with brown sugar and raisins. I rolled them up, brushed with butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon for Cinnamon Raisin Crescent Rolls.

I could wake up to these every morning!

It was also a "clean out the fridge" meal as I used a bag of shredded potatoes which I crisped in the oven, sprinkled with the little bit of extra bacon and sausage, and used as. a bed for the crescents.

Now to start working on this weekend's menu!