Velvet Cupcakes

Okay, these are supposed to be Red Velvet Cupcakes, but as you can see, they aren't red, so I had to change the name. Andy asked for these for his birthday; it's his mom's recipe. I had to buy red food coloring at the store and they only had gel colors, not liquid. I didn't think it would matter, but obviously it did. I used the whole tube of red gel color, but it only made the brown of the cocoa richer. Therefore, from now on, I will skip the red dye in this recipe. You might say that such a declaration is un-Southern of me, but it doesn't affect the taste of the cake. So why add artificial color when you don't have to? These are yummy, especially with the Cream Cheese Frosting. Mimi puts chopped pecans in her frosting, so feel free to add them. Enjoy!

Velvet Cupcakes
This makes 2 dozen cupcakes.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer until combined. Add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add in vinegar and vanilla.
2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into lightly greased muffin cups.
3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a pick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cool completely. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on each cupcake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (16-oz.) box powdered sugar

1. Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar.

Irish Soda Bread French Toast

For breakfast today, I decided to use yesterday's Irish Soda Bread to make French Toast. Andy is a Leap Year baby, so we're celebrating his birthday this weekend (though he has no actual birthday this year). French toast is one of his favorite breakfast foods, but I don't ever make it because I'm not a fan of mushy, spongy bread or eggy texture. For this recipe, I used only one egg and some milk to dip the bread in and then did so very quickly, which helped the bread retain its texture. Because the soda bread is only slightly sweet, the warm maple syrup was a good complement. Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread French Toast
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices Irish Soda Bread
Warm maple syrup

1. Combine egg and next 2 ingredients in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of bread slices quickly in egg mixture, allowing mixture to drain off bread. Cook bread on a hot grill pan or in a skillet on both sides until toasted. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Irish Soda Bread

This recipe was inspired by one from my mother-in-law. Mimi grew up eating Irish soda bread baked by her Irish-born grandmother in upstate New York. It's a favorite of Andy's because it reminds him of his childhood. I had never heard of Irish soda bread until l I joined their family, but I really like it. The texture is similar to an airy biscuit, and it has a touch of sweetness. I made a couple of tweaks to my m-i-l's recipe: I replaced 1 Tbsp. shortening with 2 Tbsp. butter because I didn't have shortening and I used dried cherries instead of raisins. Andy gave it two thumbs' up. Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into cubes
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dried cherries

1. Cut butter into flour until texture resembles coarse sand. Stir in sugar and next 3 ingredients. Combine buttermilk and egg; gradually add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in dried cherries. Pour batter into a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
2. Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done.

Product Spotlight: Milk Frother

This gadget isn't a multitasker in the kitchen, but I love the frothy milk you get on café au laits in fancy coffee shops. I had a gift certificate from Williams-Sonoma and decided to buy one of these gadgets. It is simple to use and makes perfect frothy milk (it makes skim milk taste decadent). Just heat the milk in a glass measuring cup in the microwave; pour it into the frother, and pull up on the plunger a couple of times. Pour the milk in your hot coffee. Enjoy!

Braised London Broil Sandwiches

For dinner tonight, I sliced the leftover Broiled London Broil into very thin slices and then heated the meat in a skillet with some of the au jus just until it was heated through. Next, I melted sliced provolone on my favorite French hamburger buns from Publix. Then we spread coarse-grained mustard on one side of the bun and layered the meat over the melted cheese. The result was yummy—a great new taste for leftovers. Enjoy!

Braised London Broil

I had never bought this cut of beef before, but it was on sale at Publix, so I thought we'd try it. This cut reminds me of flank steak and I considered grilling it. However after the super-tender braised short ribs we had on Saturday, I thought that technique would also work for London broil. After braising the meat in hoisin sauce, I served the meat with au jus, roasted vegetables, and steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

Braised London Broil
1 London broil
Montreal steak seasoning
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
2 to 3 cups beef broth

1. Sprinkle meat with steak seasoning on both sides. Brown meat in Dutch oven on both sides. Remove from heat; add soy sauce and next 2 ingredients to Dutch oven with meat. Pour in beef broth until meat is just covered.
2. Bake at 325° for 2 hours. Remove meat from marinade, and slice into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Polenta Pound Cake

This delicious recipe is from Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita cookbook. You use it as the base for Tiramisù, instead of the traditional ladyfingers. I love the texture of the cornmeal in this dense cake as well as the subtle lemon and vanilla flavors. I used a springform pan to bake it because my 9-inch cake pan doesn't have tall sides (the cookbook recommends at least 3-inch sides). You only need half a recipe for the tiramisù, so Andy and I had some for breakfast and then I froze the rest. Bake the batter in miniature loaf pans and you would have a terrific food gift for Christmas. Enjoy!

Polenta Pound Cake
6 eggs, separated
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup cornmeal (not cornmeal mix)
1 cup sour cream

1. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; set aside. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy; add in egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add lemon zest and vanilla.
2. Combine flour and next 2 ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently folk in egg whites. Pour into lightly greased springform pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Tiramisù

This recipe is also from Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita cookbook. The first time I made it, I didn't follow the recipe because I was a little concerned about the raw eggs that form the rich custard between the layers of Polenta Pound Cake. However this time I decided to make it just like the cookbook instructs. This is my favorite dessert from Bottega. For the eggs, I used cage-free, hormone-free eggs from Whole Foods. I won't lie and say this recipe is easy. It's true that it isn't difficult to make, but you spend a lot of time beating egg whites to form soft peaks, so it certainly takes a while. I don't have an espresso maker, so I bought two shots of espresso from Starbucks to mix with the coffee. Our supper club really enjoyed it and Andy said he liked it even better the next day. Enjoy!

Tiramisù
9 eggs, separated
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 (8-oz.) containers mascarpone cheese, softened
1/2 Polenta Pound Cake, cut into slices
2 shots espresso
1 cup strong black coffee (I used my current favorite: O'Henry's Jazzy Java.)
Shaved bittersweet chocolate

1. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy. Stir in the mascarpone just until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into mascarpone mixture.
3. Arrange a layer of cake slices in the bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Combine espresso and coffee, and spoon half of mixture over cake slices. Top with half of egg mixture; sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Repeat layers once. Cover and chill overnight.

Mini California BLTs

This was a brainstorm I had for an appetizer to serve at supper club. It uses two of my favorite ingredients: avocado and bacon—how bad could it be? I sliced a baguette into 1/2-inch-thick slices and toasted it just long enough to heat the bread but not make it too crispy. Then I mixed mayonnaise with a little lemon zest and crushed garlic and then spread the mixture on one side of each baguette slice. Then I layered Boston lettuce leaves; sliced roma tomatoes; chopped, cooked bacon; and chopped avocado. This is definitely a keeper! Enjoy!

Roasted Pear Salad

Introducing my new favorite salad! It's simple and looks impressive—the perfect combination! Tonight we were having soup from the freezer for dinner and I wanted to pair it with a fresh salad. I'm currently on a quest to empty out my fridge and pantry, so I looked through some cookbooks for inspiration for my on-hand ingredients. This recipe is based on one in Barefoot Contessa: Back to the Basics. I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand, and the result is terrific. Andy offered high praise by saying this is his new favorite as well. This salad will probably make an encore appearance at supper club this weekend. Enjoy!

Roasted Pear Salad
2 pears
2 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
1/3 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp. brandy
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Baby arugula
Chopped romaine or green leaf lettuce
2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut pears in half; use a melon baller to remove seeds and cores and to create a space for blue cheese mixture. Place pears in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine blue cheese and next 2 ingredients. Sprinkle into cavities in pears. Combine apple juice and next 3 ingredients; stir until brown sugar dissolves. Pour apple juice mixture over pears in baking dish.
2. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuces on individual plates. Top each with one pear half. Pour warm pan juices into a glass measuring cup, and whisk in olive oil. Drizzle over salads. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Cinnamon-Pecan Pancakes

Okay, this is obvious by now, but I never get tired of pancake variations for Saturday breakfasts. Today's version included toasted pecans and cinnamon—just the thing for a cold, snowy morning. Andy gave them two thumbs' up—high praise! I put a handful of pecan halves on my preheated grill pan while I was making the batter; after a couple of minutes I removed them from the heat. Toasted nuts are the perfect flavor enhancer. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Pecan Pancakes
This recipe makes 4 pancakes and can easily be doubled.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
Warm maple syrup

1. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Combine melted butter and next 3 ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and stir just until combined. Scoop batter onto hot grill pan; sprinkle with toasted pecans. Once bubbles form in batter, flip pancakes, and cook until golden. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Beef Stew and Cheese Grits

Today it actually snowed! We got about 2 inches—just enough to be really pretty, but not enough for power outages. I decided that Beef Stew served over Cheese Grits with steamed broccoli would be the perfect hearty supper. Mel, Russ, and the girls joined us. The stew came together in a snap and tasted terrific with the grits. I used stone-ground grits—these take 30 minutes (about the time it took to make the stew) to cook, but the taste and texture is totally worth it. If you haven't tried stone-ground grits, I highly recommend that you do. I buy McEwen & Sons, which are made in nearby Wilsonville, Alabama. Enjoy!

Beef Stew
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 (2.5-lb.) beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
2 shallots, minced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
5 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
2 cups beef stock
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
Cheese Grits

1. Sauté bacon in a Dutch oven until browned; remove from pan, reserving drippings. Add beef chunks to drippings, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned on all sides; stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove meat from Dutch oven.
2. Sauté shallots and next 2 ingredients in same Dutch oven for 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in red wine, stirring to loosen browned particles on bottom of pan. Add in beef, potatoes, beef stock and next 3 ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until stew is thickened and potatoes are tender. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Serve over Cheese Grits.

Cheese Grits
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1 cup stone-ground grits
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
4 oz. shredded colby-Jack cheese

1. Bring milk and next 2 ingredients to a boil. Gradually whisk in grits, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 25 minutes; stir in salt and pepper to taste, butter, and shredded cheese. Cook 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Warm Cider Vinaigrette

I love composed salads, especially if someone else makes them, and am always looking for new recipes. This one is from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. This salad stands out for its contrasts—creamy butternut squash, peppery arugula, sweet-tart dried cranberries, crunchy toasted pecans, and salty Parmesan cheese. The cold lettuce pairs well with the hot roasted butternut squash and cranberries. (The original calls for all arugula, but I balanced the peppery flavor with some chopped green leaf lettuce.) Next time, some smoky crumbled bacon would be a great addition. Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Warm Cider Vinaigrette

1 (1 1/2-lb.) butternut squash, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. dried cranberries
1/4 cup apple juice or cider
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. minced shallots
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 oz. arugula
3 oz. green leaf lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place squash on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and syrup; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Toss to combine.
2. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle cranberries on baking sheet, and bake 5 more minutes.
3. Combine apple juice and next 2 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook 6 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat; stir in mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
4. Place lettuce in a bowl; add butternut squash mixture, toasted pecans, and Parmesan cheese. Toss gently with a small amount of the warm vinaigrette. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional vinaigrette.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Dip

This recipe was inspired by one in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. The original calls for chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil. I didn't have those on hand, so I substituted my favorite sun-dried tomato pesto. I love the tanginess of the pesto and how well it pairs with the creamy dip. This takes no time to make—the longest step is letting the cream cheese come to room temp (you can always cheat and heat it for a few seconds in the microwave). Serve the dip with bagel chips, pita chips, sliced veggies, kettle chips, and Homemade Tortilla Chips. Enjoy!

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Dip
1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Stir together all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Roasted Tomato Sauce and Meatballs

My friend Jamie gave me a terrific cookbook for Christmas—Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller (of French Laundry fame). This 350-page book is filled with tons of yummy-sounding family-style recipes. We had some friends over for dinner tonight and I served Roasted Tomato Sauce and Meatballs over extra-wide eggs noodles, instead of the called-for pappardelle pasta (I couldn't find this type of pasta). This tomato sauce has a very concentrated flavor, almost like tomato paste, and I love it. This will now be my signature tomato sauce. In my opinion, the original recipe didn't make enough sauce, so I added an additional 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Next time I will use four 28-ounce cans. It takes a lot of time to make this sauce (allow an afternoon), but it's totally worth it. The egg noodles worked perfectly. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1 leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 cans whole tomatoes (The original recipe calls for 2 (28-oz.) cans.)
Pepper
1 Sachet

1. Combine oil and next 4 ingredients in a baking dish, and sprinkle with salt.
2. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir in brown sugar and vinegar. Bake for 20 more minutes. Remove from oven.
3. Drain tomatoes. Coarsely chop half of tomatoes; puree remaining half with an immersion blender. Add tomatoes to baking dish, season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Sachet. Return to oven, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Discard Sachet, and serve with meatballs and hot cooked egg noodles.

Sachet:
Combine 10 peppercorns, 3 thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth. Tie with kitchen string.

Meatballs
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground sirloin
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 16 cubes

1. Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2. Combine ground sirloin, ground pork, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in sautéed vegetables and salt and pepper.
3. Shape meat mixture into balls (yield should be 15 or 16 meatballs); place a mozzarella cube in center of meatball. Place meatballs on an oven-safe rack in a baking sheet.
4. Bake at 450° for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Serve with Roasted Tomato Sauce.

Apple Fritter Muffins

Breakfast today was inspired by an apple fritter recipe. Instead of frying the batter, I decided to bake it like muffins and serve them with warm maple syrup. The result: delicious! Fritters are predominantly fruit (in this case, apples) with just a little batter. This translates well to these muffins. You could also serve these topped with a little ice cream for dessert. (Each muffin has 2 points.) Enjoy!

Apple Fritter Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
1 Tbsp. cream
3 apples, cut into small chunks

1. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients. Combine egg and next 2 ingredients. Stir into flour mixture. Gently stir in apples (don't overmix). Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin cups
2. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

Roasted Cauliflower

This is a lighter version of my original recipe. For this version, I omitted the Parmesan and buttered breadcrumbs. Roasting cauliflower caramelizes this somewhat-bitter veggie and makes it delectable. I just used a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. (Each serving has 1 point.) Enjoy!


Roasted Cauliflower
Vegetable cooking spray
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Spread florets out on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes or until cauliflower begins to brown.

New York Strip Steaks With Blue Cheese Sauce

The grocery store had this cut of steak on sale a few weeks ago, so I bought some to try. It is really tasty—good marbling makes for great flavor. This may be my favorite steak (filet is in a class by itself). The ones I bought were about 1/2 inch thick, so it took me two tries to get the right cook time for the perfect medium. Tonight I served the steaks with Blue Cheese Sauce, a saucy take on our favorite Blue Cheese Butter; Risotto; and Roasted Cauliflower. Enjoy!

New York Strips With Blue Cheese Sauce
2 New York strip steaks
Montreal steak seasoning
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 shallot, minced
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
5 Tbsp. skim milk
1 Tbsp. whipping cream
Salt and pepper

1. Sprinkle steak seasoning on both sides of steak. Cook in a hot grill pan 4 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness.
2. Melt butter in a skillet. Sauté shallot in melted butter until tender. Stir in blue cheese and next 3 ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, until blue cheese begins to melt and sauce thickens. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Serve over steak.

Baked Apples

Apples and pork are terrific partners. This dish reminds me of my grandmother, who used to make baked apples for us from fruit that we picked in her backyard. I served them as a side, but you could also top them with ice cream for dessert. They are super simple but look impressive. I hollow out the center of the apples with a melon baller, leaving the bottom of the apple intact. (This has 3 points per apple.) Enjoy!

Baked Apples
3 Granny Smith apples, hollowed out
9 tsp. oatmeal
9 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. butter, cut into 6 small pieces
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup apple juice

1. Place apples in baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 tsp. oatmeal into each apple; spoon 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar into each apple. Top with 1 piece of butter, and sprinkle with allspice. Repeat layers of oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter pieces. Pour apple juice into baking dish.
2. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until apples are tender.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns

This recipe was inspired by one in the Birmingham Junior League's Tables of Content cookbook. My main change was to omit the bacon drippings that the potatoes and onions were cooked in to save on some calories. Because I served this side with Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Bacon, additional bacon seemed unnecessary (a shock coming from me, I know). The flavor of the sweet potatoes paired well with Pork Tenderloin With Pear Chutney. (This has 3 points.) Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Hash Browns
3 sweet potatoes, peeled
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in Dutch oven with water to cover. Cook 20 minutes (they will be undercooked). Remove from water, and let cool. Slice into cubes.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil 10 minutes or until onions begin to soften. Stir in sweet potato cubes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are cooked through and begin to caramelize. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste; stir in marjoram.

Pork Tenderloin With Pear Chutney

Here's another variation for cooking a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker. Tonight I substituted a jar of pear chutney for the orange marmalade in this version and omitted the country-style Dijon mustard. Any flavor of chutney would work; I had pear on hand that I purchased from www.boiledpeanuts.com, and it was the perfect complement to the meat. I served the sliced tenderloin with Brussels Sprouts With Bacon, Sweet Potato Hash Browns, and Baked Apples. Andy and his dad gave dinner two thumbs up. Enjoy!