Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (52 page)

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 425°F and bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat.

Place a large skillet over high heat. Drizzle the meat sparingly with EVOO and season it with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot add the tenderloins and sear until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on the top and the bottom plus another minute for the sides. Reserve the seared meat on a plate and return the skillet to the stovetop.

Reduce the heat under the pan a bit and drizzle in a tablespoon of EVOO. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the spinach and toss with a pair of tongs until it wilts down, about 3 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

In a food processor combine the feta cheese, milk, and oregano and give it a zap to make a smooth puree. Set aside while you assemble the toga packets.

Lay down a sheet of phyllo dough on the counter and dot it with melted butter. Top that sheet with a second sheet of phyllo rotated about 25 degrees; you don't want the corners to line up. Add 2 more sheets of phyllo, dotting each with butter and placing each one at a bit of an angle.

Place a beef medallion atop the phyllo stack and top with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture, then some of the spinach. Brush the very edges with melted butter, then gather them up and twist the dough around the meat. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat, making 6 phyllo-wrapped bundles in all. Bake the bundles until the dough is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

While the toga-wrapped medallions are baking, salt the boiling water and add the orzo; cook it to al dente.

Return the skillet you cooked the greens in to the stovetop over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Toss the scallions into the pan and cook them until tender, 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss it in with the scallions. Stir in the parsley, lemon zest and juice, and pine nuts.

In a mixing bowl combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions, olives, and peperoncini. Toss with the red wine vinegar and the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the toga beef with a side of orzo and a scoop of cool, bright salad.

Brunswick stew is a southern country fave that can be made of squirrel meat or chicken. This is my “new” version of the classic recipe, a more northern take on the original—hold the squirrel.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place a heavy-bottomed sauce pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a drizzle of EVOO. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

While the bacon is cooking, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Combine the flour and poultry seasoning and sprinkle it over the meat, tossing it lightly to coat.

Remove the crisp bacon from the pan and reserve it on a paper-towel-lined plate. In two batches, cook the seasoned chicken in the same pan, adding 1 tablespoon EVOO to the pot, about 1 turn of the pan, with each batch. Cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the browned chicken from the pot and reserve it on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO to the pot and toss in the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and bay leaf. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, combine the biscuit mix, milk, 2 tablespoons of the chives, the smoked paprika, and reserved crisped bacon in a medium mixing bowl. Drop 8 biscuits onto a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet and bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. When the biscuits are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.

Once the veggies are softened, add the hot sauce, chicken stock, stewed tomatoes, and Worcestershire to the pot and bring up to a bubble. Add the reserved chicken, the butter beans, and corn to the pot, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the stew is slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Serve the stew topped with the remaining chives and with the sliced scallions, if using, and pass the biscuits.

Pork tenderloin is like a chicken breast—a lean, high-protein blank canvas. This stuffing paints a portrait of sweet, fragrant flavors, year-round. Serve this with the roasted vegetable of your choice.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Trim the tenderloins of any remaining silver skin, then butterfly them by cutting into and across but not all the way through each one. Open the tenderloins up like a book and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, then pound out to ¼-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Add the fennel, onion,
2
⁄
3
of the garlic, and the apple, season with salt and pepper and the thyme, and sauté until soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the apple juice to the pan and then the bread crumbs and mix thoroughly to form a stuffing for the tenderloins.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the egg noodles.

Divide the stuffing between the two tenderloins, spreading it in an even layer up to within 1 inch of each long edge. Roll the tenderloins up like a jelly roll and place them seam side down on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle some EVOO over the tenderloins and season with salt and pepper. Roast the meat for 30 minutes, or until the rolls have browned. When the meat comes out of the oven, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to settle.

While the meat is resting, salt the boiling water, add the noodles, and cook them to al dente. While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining tablespoon of EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic, stir for a minute or two, then add the spinach a handful at a time, adding more as each batch wilts into the pot and turning to cook evenly. Keep warm. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot they were cooked in. Toss the butter and parsley into the pot and toss to melt the butter and coat the noodles.

To serve, slice the tenderloins, divide among 4 plates, and serve the noodles and spinach alongside.