Home for the Holidays

Happy Holidays!


We are back from break and ready to bust out some new recipes this winter/spring season. Here is a recap of items I made over my holiday break back home.


Bacon Wrapped Venison Tenderloin

The recipe linked isn't exactly the same one I used but follows the same process. It turned out medium well, juicy and full of flavor! I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds venison tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 bacon strips
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1-1/4 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

• Rub tenderloin with 1-2 teaspoons of oil and the garlic. Combine the
• flour, salt and pepper; sprinkle over tenderloin and shake off
• excess. In a skillet, brown tenderloin on all sides in remaining
• oil. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms
• until tender; remove and set aside.
• 
  
• Wrap bacon around tenderloin, securing the ends with toothpicks.
• Return to skillet. Cook over medium heat until bacon is crisp and a
• thermometer inserted into tenderloin reads 160°, turning
• frequently. 
• 
  

Poached Salmon and Warm Quinoa Salad

While this is not a fancy meal by any means it is an easy, quick, healthy meal. Poaching the salmon this way cooks it in mere minutes and the quinoa salad can be made ahead of time.

Ingredients

• Two 4-6oz salmon filet without skin
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1 medium English cucumber, diced small
• Chopped fresh dill to taste 
• Drizzle of olive oil

Directions

In a saute pan heat white wine and water to a boil. Place salmon in boiling liquid and poach until flesh of salmon is soft pink and internal color is medium (slightly flaky with a slightly darker red center). Cook further if preferred.

Cook quinoa as directed and toss with feta, dill, diced cucumber, and drizzle with oil.

A compound butter of dill, capers, lemon, salt and pepper can also be made and added to the salmon for added flavor.

Roasted Garlic and Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

This recipe was something my husband found and translated to me over the phone. Unfortunately I can not find the original so I am going to just post the recipe as I interpreted it.

Ingredients

• 1 1-1.5lb pork tenderloin
• 1 sprig sage, thyme, and rosemary
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 head garlic, roasted (see below)
• Olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove outermost papery layer of skin off garlic and place on a generous square of aluminum foil. Drizzle garlic with olive oil, wrap up in foil, and roast in oven for 40 minutes. Remove from foil and cut soft garlic from skin.

Cut pork tenderloin in half lengthwise and rub one side with roasted garlic. Lay sprigs of sage, rosemary, and thyme on top of garlic and sandwich tenderloin together. 

Wrap tenderloin with bacon and secure with toothpicks.

In hot saute pan heat olive oil and sear all side of wrapped pork tenderloin. 

Place in glass baking dish and cook at 400 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes or until desired cook is achieved. (I believe pork needs to around 160 degrees internally.)

I served this dish with roasted acorn squash glazed with molasses, olive oil, and salt.

Enjoy!

Tait