The 9th Day of Christmas

Here it is the 9th Day of Christmas and we will be hosting our last party of the season.  This is only because I am leaving in the morning for California and I will not be here for the remaining days of Christmas.  So no more parties here unless Frank decides to go wild while I am gone.

This dinner party tonight is in honor of our youngest son, Tony, who was sick on Christmas so we didn't get to see him. When he got well he was back to work at his two jobs and today is his first day off. 

Since this is the last party of the season and since I am leaving and want my husband to miss me very badly I am preparing  a feast.  At least it looks impressive but it is actually pretty simple as you will see.

This is my Menu: French Onion Soup
                             Chopped Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese
                             Beef Tenderloin Bourguignon
                             Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
                             Cherry Pie Alamode

And these are the recipes I am using. 

French Onion Soup
adapted from Rachael Ray on Food Network

4 large Vidalia Onions, thinly sliced
1 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t. thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. dry red wine
8 c. Beef Stock
1 Baguette
3 c. shredded gruyere cheese.

Melt butter in oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add onions, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are carmelized.  Deglaze pan with the wine and add bay leaf. Add the stock, cover pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat until ready to serve.  At this point the soup can be refrigerated and reheated before continuing with next steps.

Cut baguette into desired amount of 1" slices and place on cookie sheet.  Cook at 400* until toasted.
You should have one toast for each crock of soup.   Place hot soup into small deep bowls or crocks that have been placed on a baking sheet.  Float a piece of toast  in each bowl and add a mound of cheese upon each toast.  Broil bowls of soup until cheese melts and bubbles.
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Chopped Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese

2 heads Romaine Lettuce, chopped into bite size pieces
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 Cucumber, Diced
1 pkg. Bacon Bits
1 container Blue Cheese

Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl.

1 c. Miracle Whip
1/2 c. Buttermilk
1 t. chives, chopped
1 t. parsley, chopped
1/2 t.  dried dill weed
1 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients.  Pour over Salad and toss.
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Beef Tenderloin Bourguignon
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

1 3-4 lb. Beef Tenderloin, cut into 1" slices
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 T. Olive Oil
4 slices bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. dry red wine
1 can beef broth
1 T. tomato paste
1 sprig Thyme
1 bag frozen pearl onions
1 bag baby carrots
3 T. butter, room temperature
2 T. flour
8 oz. package sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter.

Salt and pepper the tenderloin slices.  Heat oil over med high heat in a large heavy-bottomed pan.  Saute the filets in the hot oil in batches until browned on both sides but still very rare on the inside.  A couple of minutes on each side should do it.  Remove filets from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the diced bacon on med low heat until brown and crisp.  Remove bacon and set aside.  Drain all but 2 T. of fat from the pan.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about half a minute.  Add the red wine and deglaze pan over high heat, scraping all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the beef broth, tomato paste, thyme sprig, pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of fresh pepper.  Reduce heat to med high, bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve and return to pan along with the onions and carrots.  Simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced.

Mix the butter and flour into a paste and whisk it into the reduced sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. Add the sautéed mushrooms and bacon.  You can turn this off if you are not ready to eat yet.  I normally turn it back on to heat the sauce through while we eat our soup and continue with the last step while we eat our salad.

About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve dinner, return the filets to the hot sauce.  Cover and reheat for 10-15 minutes.  Err on the side of less time.  You don't want to overcook the filets.
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Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

1 3 lb. bag redskin potatoes
1 1/2 c. half and half
1 stick butter
1-2 T. horseradish
1/4 c.  parmesan cheese.

Gently boil potatoes in well salted water until tender. 

Heat cream, butter and horseradish in a small saucepan.

When potatoes are tender, drain and place in bowl of an stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix at low speed until potatoes start to break up and then start gradually adding the cream mixture and salt and pepper to taste.  Put potatoes into a greased casserole and sprinkle with
parmesan cheese.  Bake at 400* until top is browned.
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The weather here today is frightful and the roads are terrible so our dinner party was much smaller than we anticipated but we would much rather have our loved ones safe at home then risking their lives coming over here to see us.  Tomorrow Mom and I fly out to CA, weather permitting.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Good Night all.

It is April 27 and this was posted long ago, but it is salad week at the Inspiration Monday Party and I wanted to share my Chopped Salad.