Rania's Recipes: Christmas Feast
If you're preparing a Christmas feast, check out these recipes from Rania Harris!
Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Salad with Toasted Pecans, Blue Cheese, and Chile-Mustard Vinaigrette
- 20 medium spears asparagus, trimmed
- 1 pound assorted mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces mesclun greens
- Chile-Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Spread out the asparagus and mushrooms on separate baking sheets and drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on the bottom rack of the oven, and the asparagus on the top rack. Roast the asparagus until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on size. Roast the mushrooms, stirring once, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Combine the mesclun greens and mushrooms in a large bowl and toss with about half of the dressing. Mound the mixture on 4 plates and top each with 5 asparagus spears. Drizzle with more of the dressing and sprinkle with the blue cheese and pecans.
Serves: 4
- Chile-Mustard Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup canola oil
Directions:
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, ancho chile powder, honey, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.
Makes about ¾ cup
Beef Tenderloin with Orange Horseradish Sauce
For Beef:
- 1 (4-lb) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For Sauce:
- 2 cups crème fraîche
- ¼ cup white horseradish
- Grated zest of ½ orange
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Season the cleaned tenderloin all over with the salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic. Cover the meat and refrigerate for at least two hours and preferably overnight. Let it come to room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.
Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan and roast the tenderloin, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 degrees. Allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
In a small bowl, whisk the crème fraîche, horseradish, orange zest and crushed red pepper. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for a few hours so the flavors can assimilate.
Serves: 8 to 10
