Rania's Recipes: Southern-Inspired Dishes
Rania Harris stopped by PTL to make some delicious southern-inspired dishes from one of her favorite cookbooks: "Shrimp, Collards and Grits."
Mint Julep Iced Tea
- 8 mint leaves
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 lime, sliced
- 1 cup bourbon
- 3 cups cold sweetened tea
- Crushed ice
- Springs of mint for garnish
Directions:
Combine mint leaves, sliced lemon and lime in a two-quart glass pitcher, pressing with the back of a spoon to crush mint.
Stir in bourbon, tea and crushed ice. Add sprigs of mint in each glass to garnish, and serve.
Beef Tenderloin Bruschetta
- 3 (12-inch) baguettes
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 3 pounds beef tenderloin (recipe follows)
- 2-3 baskets red and yellow cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 3 shallots
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 5 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Directions:
Slice baguettes at an angle into ½ inch slices. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast lightly under the broiler.
Chop tomatoes, garlic, basil and shallots. Toss with lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Layer each baguette slice with a slice of beef tenderloin and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola. Serve warm from the oven or cool.
Beef Tenderloin
- 3 pounds beef tenderloin, center-cut, silver skin removed and tied at even intervals
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make sure tenderloin is at room temperature before roasting. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Pat tenderloin dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Brown tenderloin on all sides, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke, about 10 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the center registers 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn roast halfway through roasting time.
Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest 30 minutes before slicing into ¼ inch pieces.
Brown Sugar Bacon Party Bites
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup mild grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 scallions, trimmed and chopped fine
- 1 whole grain baguette
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the bacon, place a wire rack inside a large baking sheet and arrange bacon slices in a single layer. Bake until bacon begins to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. During the final few minutes of cooking, remove the pan from oven and drizzle a little brown sugar and maple syrup over each bacon slice. Sprinkle with pepper.
Bake until sugar caramelizes and bacon is golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined platter to cool. Crumble bacon, reserving some crumbles for garnish. Sprinkle with pepper.
Slice baguette at an angle into ½ inch slices.
In a bowl, combine bacon, cheeses, mayonnaise and scallions. Spread on bread slices and place on a large baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until toasts are golden brown and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes.
