Tag Archives: tenderloin

the best of the belles…volume 1

14 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in belle maison, belle-icious, fashion forward, healthy belle

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To celebrate two years of this blogging business…and nearly 400 posts (yes, we have hit quite a milestone)…we thought it would be fun to list our favorite – and most talked about – posts (’cause we are really, really sweet, and we all need gentle reminders of stuff we need to do, buy, make, read…)

In the #belleicious category:


First up…The French Poodle Vinaigrette. This salad dressing is a constant in our homes. If you haven’t tried it, what are you waiting for?


Remember our foolproof Tenderloin recipe?  You’re welcome 😉

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Belles love barbecue…and grandmother’s BBQ sauce is the gold standard…

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This roasted okra puts a tasty spin on a veggie favorite…

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And in other “eat your veggies” news…you must try this tomato pie…

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Seems to be all about the kale lately…this kale salad is a winner every time…


And if we are gonna splurge on dessert, it better be worth it. These salted caramel blondies do not disappoint!
Some #fashionabelle reminders:

White jeans…yes, you can wear them after Labor Day!

Aquatalia boots…you won’t believe the comfort, style and practicality!  Every one is a real belle-ringer…


For the mindful belle…these BUDHAGIRL bangles totally make the cut…

For the belle-maison:

 

Remember when we suggested Perennials outdoor fabrics?  Well, they are still our go-to for beautiful, durable upholstered pieces!


We are still all about acrylic pieces to bring a little light to a room…


And this fretwork from FretworkDesigns is still one of our favorites…
And, last…but not least…for the belle-on-the-go:

We still start every day with The Skimm (and some giggles)..we encourage you to do the same


And we keep track of our running around with our FitBit Flex, made über-stylish with our Bezels and Bytes bracelets…


And there you have ’em, belles…our faves so far!

a&a

let’s get saucy…accessorize that tenderloin….

23 Tuesday Dec 2014

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We gave you our tenderloin recipe earlier in the month, and while it is plenty tasty on its own, we belles always love the added “extra”.  So we thought we’d share a couple of sauces that can be made ahead and used for spreadin’, dunkin’, dippin’ or spoonin’…

Bearnaise mayonnaise (several versions are out there…) is a particular favorite and we adore the fact that we can make it ahead…up to five days!!Whoop whoop!!

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photo from eatwell101.com

Bearnaise Mayonnaise

1-2 shallots , minced
1/2 t coarse pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 T white wine vinegar (or a tad more)
Coarse salt
1-2 T dry tarragon
1-11/4 cups mayonnaise Hellman’s (or Best Foods if you are a California belle)

Add shallots, pepper, wine and vinegar to a small pot. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup. Watch the dang pot or it will disappear and just be a crusty mess…we speak from experience…just sayin’

Let it cool a bit. In a small bowl mix cooked mixture with mayonnaise and tarragon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes we feel the the need to add a dash more vinegar…just depends what kind of mood the taste buds are in…

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Don’t just use it for special occasions, it works well all year round!!

The second sauce we are going to give you is a warm horseradish sauce. Without fail, every recipe that our belle friend, Janet, gives us becomes the next greatest thing in our repertoire…this one is always center stage.

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Photo from Highlands Ranch Foodie

Warm Horseradish Sauce

1/4 cup butter, melted
2t flour
1/2 t pepper (white if you have)
1/2 t salt
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 T horseradish (you can find it in the refrigerated section of grocery store)
1 t Dijon mustard

Whisk the flour into the butter to form a roux. Add cream, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add horseradish and mustard, and continue stirring and whisking on medium to medium low until thickened and reduced slightly. About ten minutes.

Try to put majority of the sauce in a sauce boat. This will be a difficult task as you will want to gobble it down…just sayin’.

Serve warm

Bein’ saucy can’t be a bad thing…not if you’re a belle!!!

a&a

foolproof tenderloin…a surprisingly easy hit for any occasion

11 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by in belle-icious

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Beef tenderloin…whether served for Christmas or other special-occasion dinner, served sliced with rolls for a cocktail party, or devoured as a leftover…is the ultimate hit for the meat-lover. However, we belles are often at a loss as to the best, most foolproof way to prepare this beefy delicacy…and at the price of an arm and a leg per pound, we certainly don’t want to risk ruining it!  (one belle in particular is pretty famous among her family for being very good at ruining dinner…it’s that adult-onset ADD kicking in…).

So…we went on a search about a year ago for a no-fail way to prepare a tenderloin to suit all tastes (super-rare to over-done) and came up with what we have found to be the gold-standard prep.  We have prepared it this way time after time with surprising success, and…not to brag…to rave reviews! We feel guilty taking any credit…we just follow the directions and the rest takes care of its tender, juicy self!

 

The Belles’ Foolproof Party Tenderloin 

1 beef tenderloin, trimmed (about 5 pounds)
1 bottle Allegro marinade
1 package Char Crust roasted garlic peppercorn rub

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Marinate beef overnight in bottle of Allegro (we use a giant ziploc bag…works perfectly)

Almost as early as you wish on serving day, heat oven to 475 degrees, with one rack set in the center. Remove tenderloin from marinade and seer all sides on a hot grill or griddle, giving it a quick coat of color.

Place tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan, then sprinkle evenly and thoroughly with the Char Crust seasoning, making sure to rub it in to coat completely.

Now, for the most important part…get a timer and follow step-by-step:

–  once oven is heated, place tenderloin in to roast for 15 minutes
–  without opening oven door, turn off the heat
–  let stand in the oven for another 15 minutes
–  remove pan and place on rack
–  cover loosely with foil and let stand at least 30 minutes before slicing

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At this point, we have left the tenderloin “resting” for a couple of hours…plenty of time to shower, set the table, put out fresh flowers, etc…

Just slice when ready to serve and bask in the accolades!!

We recently served this at a dinner party with The Barefoot Contessa’s Spinach Gratin (not a proper dinner party without Ina’s touch), goat cheese mashed potatoes, and a delish green salad. An excellent and belleicious way to spend an evening with friends…

Get cookin’, belles
a&a