HP NYE Recipes...(particuarly the FILET FONDUE SLIDERS!)

I wanted to share a link to some amazing recipes I found on Huffington Post to celebrate the new year...

My favorites (and ones I can't wait to try) include the Beet Hummus, Filet Fondue Sliders (YUM!), Focaccia with Carmelized Onions, Pear, and Blue Cheese, Feta Dip, Extra Tender Meatballs, New Years Eve Crack (dessert), Champagne punch, and the French 75...I included some of the recipes with links to their sources below...

Cheers to a happy, healthy, productive, peaceful, and WHOLE (see next post) 2014!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/30/new-years-eve-recipes_n_2340620.html

French 75 Cocktail (from Alexis Touchet)

A bit of controversy surrounds the origins of this gin cocktail, but whether its city of birth was Paris or New Orleans, this is a drink meant for celebrations. It's light, fizzy, and festive.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) dry gin
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
• Chilled champagne or other dry sparkling wine
• Cracked ice
• Garnish: lemon slice
• Equipment: a cocktail shaker and strainer; a 16-ounce highball glass

Directions

• Half fill the cocktail shaker with cracked ice, then add gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake the mixture vigorously, then strain it into a highball glass packed with cracked ice. Fill the glass slowly with champagne and give it a stir.

Filet Fondue Sliders (from How Sweet It Is Blog)

Filet Fondue Sliders (How Sweet It Is Blog)

Filet Fondue Sliders (How Sweet It Is Blog)

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/12/filet-fondue-sliders/

YIELD: SERVES 2 TO 4 (OR IS EASILY MULTIPLIED)

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

ingredients:

2 (4 to 6 ounce) beef tenderloin filets (petit filet mignon)
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups freshly grated gruyere cheese
1 1/4 cups freshly grated emmentaler cheese (or another form of swiss cheese)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon cherry brandy
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg nutmeg
2 cups fresh arugula greens
10 to 12 slider buns/dinner rolls

directions:

Season the beef with the salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once it's hot, add the filet and cover the skillet. Sear the filet on both sides until it's golden brown and cooked to your desired doneness. I like mine cooked medium, and that takes 2 to 3 minutes of searing when the skillet is covered. Once the beef is cooked, place it on a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it into 1/4-inch thick pieces.

Rub a fondue pot with the garlic clove. Chop the clove in half and mince it. Add a sprinkle of salt to the garlic and mash it with a fork and knife to create a paste.

In a small saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer over medium heat. Toss all of the grated cheese with cornstarch. Add the cheese to wine in batches, stirring constantly until smooth. Add the garlic paste and nutmeg and stir. Pour the fondue into a fondue pot (preferably one that is heated underneath) - use the fondue for dipping the sliders, or simply use it as a cheese sauce op top the sliders.

Add the arugula to a bowl and toss it with a drop of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. To assemble the sliders, toast the buns if desired. Add slices of the filet topped with the fondue and arugula.

Feta Dip (from Pip & Ebby Blog)

http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2013/7/15/feta-dip.html

In a medium bowl, combine:

1 1/2 cups feta cheese crumbles

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3 green onions, sliced then chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix well. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve with chips, crackers or veggies! 

New Years Eve Crack (from I Am Baker Blog)

http://iambaker.net/new-years-eve-crack/

New Years Eve Crack

Ingredients

• Approximately 1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup of holiday inspired sprinkles

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Arrange the crackers salt side down in a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the butter melts, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. (about 3-5 minutes) Remove from heat and carefully pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crackers on the baking sheet.
4. Bake the toffee crackers at 425 degrees for 3-5 minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over. Carefully remove the pan from the oven.
5. Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the hot toffee, and allow them to sit for one minute to soften and melt. Once softened, use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee as evenly as possible.
6. Cover with holiday inspired sprinkles.
7. Freeze the pan for about 30 minutes. Once set, break into small uneven pieces by hand. Store uneaten saltine toffee in an airtight container for up to a week.

Extra Tender Meatballs (from Food 52 Blog)

http://food52.com/recipes/21289-extra-tender-meatballs

By Merrill Stubbs

These fork-tender meatballs are great for kids, or atop pappardelle or wide egg noodles.

Serves 6 - 8

• Olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 pound ground veal
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauté pan, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has begun to soften and lightly caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until both the onion and garlic are soft and golden brown (be careful not to burn the garlic), about another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the egg. Stir it gently using two forks -- combine thoroughly but do not over-mix. Using your hands, gently work in the egg and the browned onions and garlic, until just combined.
3. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Brown the meatballs in a little olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat; then nestle them snugly into a large baking dish, cover with foil and bake them in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches about 145 degrees. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.