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Two Sisters Cook: Celebrate Father’s Day

 

2020 has been the strangest of times, but don’t forget Father’s Day, June 21, is on the horizon. Make it a festive celebration. Let’s honor Dad with some delicious recipes. A warm summer day will provide the atmosphere for an outdoor get together with safe, social distancing.

Linda: In a normal year, Father’s Day often seems to get little attention, sandwiched between graduations and weddings. This year it should be a stand out holiday. And I know we have the perfect recipes to celebrate Dad.

Lucy: I think we should start with tenderloin steaks. I love the recipe you gave me years ago that starts with a cast iron skillet on the stove top.

Linda: That makes a tasty, perfect steak. My friend Pam, in Golden, Colorado, served this one beautiful Rocky Mountain evening when she invited us to dinner. I immediately demanded the recipe.

Lucy: A mushroom sauce can easily be added that complements the tenderloin perfectly. It’s quick and simple to make, while you keep the steaks warm.

Linda: Scalloped potatoes would be delicious with steak. I have a recipe from “Bon Appetit” called “Potato Gratin with Boursin”, which sounds gourmet and challenging. But I renamed it and call it “Very Easy and Very Good Scalloped Potatoes”.

Lucy: I love those potatoes and you’re correct. They would be the right addition to the tenderloin steaks. I think you included this recipe in the family cookbook we made years ago for a reunion. Now let’s think about dessert. The marbled, sour cream bundt cake is a favorite.

Linda: It is a favorite and can be served with strawberries. Strawberries have been juicy and sweet this year and are still available for a few more weeks. I found it in a cookbook by Sandra Lee called “Semi-Homemade”. She describes her recipes as “70% ready-made with 30% fresh ingredients and you take 100% of the credit”.

Lucy: Let’s get our recipes together and hope for a sunny, warm Father’s Day so families can celebrate Dad.

 

Pam’s Cast Iron Seared Tenderloin Steaks

Select premium tenderloin steaks. Plan one steak per person you are serving.

1. Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 425. Turn on exhaust fan. This process can get smokey!
2. Heat cast iron skillet on stove for five minutes. Add oil to hot pan; sear filets well on one side for five minutes. Resist the urge to move the filets! This creates a deep brown crust that’s key to meat’s flavor and texture. The ticket to searing is a very hot pan. Now, the second step. Turn them over and place pan in oven and roast to desired doneness:

Rare: Roast five minutes; remove and rest five minutes

Medium-Rare: Roast seven minutes; remove and rest five minutes

Medium: Roast nine minutes; remove and rest five minutes

 

Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1-1/2 cups mushrooms cut in half

1/4 cup minced shallots

1-1/2 cups beef broth

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Directions

While steaks are resting:

Heat butter in same skillet over medium heat until melted. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook and stir three to five minutes or until mushrooms are tender and browned. Add beef broth and thyme to skillet, stirring until browned bits attached to bottom of pan are dissolved; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl; stir into mushroom mixture. Cook two minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve steaks with sauce.

 

Very Easy and Very Good Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream

1 (5 ounce) package boursin cheese (sometimes I use Rondele or Allouette as it can be cheaper)

3 lbs red potatoes, peeled,thinly sliced

salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter 9×13 baking dish with 2″ high sides.

Stir cream and boursin in heavy saucepan over medium heat until cheese melts and mixture is smooth.

Arrange 1/2 of the potatoes in baking dish, season and pour 1/2 of the cream mixture over.

Repeat Bake until top is golden and potatoes are tender.

About 1 hour.

 

Sandra Lee’s Marbled Sour Cream Cake

Ingredients

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 package yellow cake mix

4 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease Bundt cake pan with butter and dust with flour.

Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute on high. Stir and continue to microwave until chips are melted and smooth. Set aside.

Cake

To make the cake batter, in a large bowl combine yellow cake mix, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, water, and sugar. Mix until very well combined. Spoon 2 cups of cake batter into melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Alternately spoon chocolate and plain batter into a greased 9-cup bundt pan or round tube pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a butter knife can be inserted in the middle of the cake and comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before trying to turn pan upside down and remove cake.

If desired garnish with fresh berries or powdered sugar.

 

Both pics are of the same cake. Use whichever one you like.