Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

My mom wanted steak.

So I gave her steak! 

This was SO delicious, and this is how I made it! I based it off of Paula Deen’s Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

·         1 tablespoon light blue bonnet (or butter/margarine)

·         1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

·         1/3 cup yellow onion

·         3 cloves of garlic

·         1 (1 ½) pound beef tenderloin

·         Salt and pepper

·         Soy sauce

·         butcher string or just cotton string 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter/olive oil and cook the shallots or onion over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Let cool.

Butterfly the beef tenderloin by cutting the beef lengthwise down the center to within 1/2-inch of the other side. Set the beef aside.

To stuff the tenderloin, open the beef and sprinkle in the inside with salt and pepper and rub with soy sauce. Spoon the mushroom mixture down the center of the tenderloin. Bring the 2 sides of the tenderloin up and around the filling to meet. Using butcher string, tie the tenderloin together at 2-inch intervals. Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan.

Roast for 40 minutes for medium rare. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice about 1 1/2 inches thick.

WE LOVED IT!

It’s not exactly cheap. 1 ½ pounds of beef tenderloin cost me $20. But, considering 4 of us ate this, and there was leftovers, it’s still a MUCH better deal than going to a steakhouse. And we didn’t have to worry about getting glutened. 

It’s delicious! Try it! You won’t be sorry! 

-Anita

Light Cajun Chicken Pasta

Light Cajun Chicken Pasta

I wanted to make the Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta for the longest time! I never did because it just seemed SO unhealthy! Heavy amounts of cream, wine, and butter...those are not ingredients I would feel comfortable eating and serving to my friends and family!

So, I went on a (Google) search for a light and healthy Cajun Chicken Pasta, and I found the perfect recipe! I got it from Skinnytaste.

You've got it make it. It's delicious! 

You'll need 

• 8 ounces of long pasta noodles (I used De Boles gluten free spaghetti)
• 1 pound of chicken, cut into thin strips
• Cajun seasoning (1-2 teaspoon, or to taste) (I used Tony's Creole Seasoning)
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 1/3 cup of skim milk
• 1 tablespoon of flour (I used gluten free)
• 3 tablespoons of light cream cheese 
• salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste
• cooking spray

Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning.

Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.

Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes. 

Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with to taste with Cajun seasoning/garlic power/black pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet; adjust Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat.

What did I think? I made it, and we ALL loved it! I'm not exactly a master with my knife skills, so it took me awhile to prep all of the vegetables. After that, it went by quickly! 

I will definitely make it again!

Enjoy!