Wrap a tender beef roast in garlic, rosemary, and pink peppercorns and you’ve got a dinner party. Hint: You can roast the garlic a day or two ahead of time while you are grilling something else.
To make the paste: Remove the loose, papery outer skin from the head of garlic. Cut about 1/2 inch off the top to expose the cloves. Place the garlic head on an 8-inch square of aluminium foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over the cloves. Fold up the foil sides and seal to make a packet, leaving a little room for the expansion of steam. Grill over Indirect Medium heat until the cloves are soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool. Squeeze the garlic from the individual cloves into a small bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mash the garlic and oil together with a fork to form a paste.
Trim the tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin. Spread the paste on the tenderloin, rubbing it into the meat.
In a small bowl combine the peppercorns, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Mix well and press into the paste on the top and sides of the tenderloin.
Allow the tenderloin to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Grill over Indirect Medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium rare, 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature will rise 5°F to 10°F during this time. Cut into 3/4- to 1-inch slices and serve warm.
Rhubarb is the culinary equivalent of the groundhog. When its fuscia stalks emerge in the markets, you know that spring is nearly here. Luckily, rhubarb’s best friend, the strawberry, also make an early spring debut in California, jostling for attention with the well-established lemons and oranges crowding the supermarket shelves. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I’ve combined all of these seasonal goodies in this dessert recipe. Strawberries, rhubarb and lemon muddle together in this impossibly bright cobbler, while a crumbly sweet dough flecked with lemon zest attempts to keep a lid on the bubbling fruit.
Make the filling:
Combine all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Make the topping:
Combine flour, sugar baking powder, salt and butter in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until dough resembles coarse meal. Add cream and egg; pulse until dough comes together. Pulse in lemon zest.
Spoon strawberries into a baking pan or individual ramekins. Drop spoonfuls of the topping over the fruit. Bake until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The flavors will develop as the cobbler cools. Serve with creme fraiche.
In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make Traditional Sweet Potato Pie. This is great for the holiday season and a wonderful alternative to Pumpkin pie!
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (I used canned sweet potatoes, drained, and mashed them with a potato masher. You may cook fresh sweet potatoes in salted water until soft, and then drain, cool slightly, and mash, if you prefer.)
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¾ cup milk
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 tablespoon butter, melted
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
unbaked pie 9-inch pie crust (I used Sensational Sesame Seed Pie Crust, available in bettyskitchen.) whipped topping
In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1 ½ cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup milk, 2 well-beaten eggs, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Beat well, until completely blended. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Cover the top outer edge of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil to protect it from burning. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of each piece of pie, if desired. This is a gorgeous pie, and it tastes wonderful. It is a perfect addition to your holiday table! Enjoy! Love, Betty ♥
Cook 4 to 6 prepared carrots for 5 minutes. Drain and cut into thin pieces. (Cut into a style that is attractive.) Combine ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup white vinegar, ¾ cup water, 1 teaspoon mustard seed, 2 sticks cinnamon (broken), and 3 whole cloves. Simmer 10 minutes. Pour over carrots. Cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain well and place in a nice serving bowl to accompany a holiday (or other) dinner. We really enjoy Sweet and Sour Spiced Carrots with turkey, chicken, or ham. The carrots are very tasty! Enjoy!!! –Betty
In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make her Celestial Cheese-Rice Strata. This is a beautiful and tasty casserole that goes with almost any entrée. I hope you can use it over the holidays!
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked regular rice (Use 1 ½ cups rice, 1 ½ cups water, 1 teaspoonsalt. Cook, covered, for 14 minutes.)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz. diced pimiento, drained
2 ½ cups milk
4 eggs, well-beaten
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ to ½ teaspoon hot sauce (Use more, if you like it hot!)
½ teaspoon salt, optional (I omitted the salt, but the casserole will be better with ½ to ¾ teaspoons salt.)
Place half of the cooked rice into a lightly greased 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch Pyrexbaking dish. Top with half of the cheese and half of the pimiento. Repeat layers. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture over rice layers. Bake at 325 for approximately 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve immediately! This is a great addition to any table, and it is wonderful at holiday and potluck dinners! I hope you enjoy it! Have a Very Merry Christmas! Love, Betty & Rick ♥♥♥♥♥ ( This was made at Christmas 2010 lol)
In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make Pecan Pralines. This is a recipe that is composed of buttermilk, soda, sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, and pecans. The pralines are “soft,” as opposed to traditional sugary pralines. This has been one of my family’s favorite confections for many years, and we usually have these pralines during the holiday season. However, they are delicious any time of the year!
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoonbaking soda
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups chopped pecans
In a large pot, combine 1 cup buttermilk with 1 teaspoon soda, stirring until the soda is dissolved. Add 3 cups sugar, 1 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, and a pinch of salt. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage (236 degrees F). Remove from heat and let stand until lukewarm (110 degrees F). Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 cups chopped pecans. Beat until mixture begins to thicken and loses its gloss. Drop by tablespoonfuls (or size of your choice) onto waxed paper. Let stand until firm. Serve on a nice platter or in a candy bowl. You may store these in an airtight container. Or, you may freeze these and thaw when ready to serve. If you are having guests for New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, this is a gorgeous and luscious addition to your party. I hope you enjoy the pralines! Have a Happy New Year! –Love, Betty ♥
In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make Rich Chocolate Frosting. This frosting is composed of unsweetened chocolate squares, butter, eggs, half-and-half, confectioner’s sugar, and flavorings. It looks lovely and tastes decadent!
Ingredients:
(2) 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 egg (I used ¼ cup egg substitute—Egg Beaters.)
1 tablespoon half-and-half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
16-oz. package confectioner’s sugar
Place (2) 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate in top of a double boiler. Bring water in double boiler to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and heat chocolate until it melts. Set aside to cool slightly. Place ½ cup butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer. Add cooled, melted chocolate, 1 egg (or ¼ cup egg substitute), 1 tablespoon half-and-half, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice. Mix well with mixer. Continue to mix with mixer while slowly adding a 16-oz. package of confectioner’s sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. Spread immediately on cakes, cupcakes, etc. This is a beautiful frosting that is so easy to use. You can easily spread it over the top of Never Fail White Frosting on my Best Chocolate Cake with Double Frosting! Enjoy!!! –Betty
8-oz. package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
½ cup toasted finely chopped almonds (I used slivered almonds. I chopped them in an electric kitchen chopper and toasted them in a small skillet on the stove in ½ tablespoon olive oil, stirring constantly.)
¼ cup chutney
½ teaspoon curry powder
In a mixing bowl, mix together an 8-oz. package of softened cream cheese, ½ cup toasted finely chopped almonds, ¼ cup chutney, and ½ teaspoon curry powder. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Spoon mixture into a nice serving dish. Cover and chill for about 8 hours. Serve with dippers, such as apple slices, ginger snaps, and a variety of crackers. This cheese spread has a delicious taste, and you can make it diet-friendly by using fat-free cream cheese, and by serving it with apple and pear slices, and also some celery sticks! I hope you enjoy this recipe! –Betty
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups plain yellow cornmeal, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Add ¼ cup half-and-half and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Stir in boiling water, a little at a time, just until the batter is fairly thick, but still runny where the water pools a bit. The amount of water you will need to add will depends upon the type of cornmeal used. If the cornmeal is coarsely-ground, it will require more liquid. Pour peanut oil into a heavy skillet to about ¼-inch depth. Place over medium-high heat. When oil is heated, drop batter by ¼-cupfuls into the hot oil. Fry, about 3 minutes on each side, until fritters are golden. Remove from oil and drain on paper toweling. You may need to fry several batches, depending on the size of your skillet. When you are finished frying and draining the corn fritters, place them on a nice serving plate and serve with fresh butter. Yum! I hope you enjoy this recipe! –Betty
Wrap a tender beef roast in garlic, rosemary, and pink peppercorns and you’ve got a dinner party. Hint: You can roast the garlic a day or two ahead of time while you are grilling something else.
