Author: Northerly Nosh

I’m a married mother of 3. Who loves living in Minnesota, prep ahead cooking, and couldn’t live without them now. No more worries about the age old question “What’s for Dinner?”. I am also transitioning my family into the slow food and clean eating movement. I believe it’s best if we can eat food in it’s most natural state. I love to share the information I have been gaining through this whole experience. I’m also a trained personal chef. Cooking is a passion and hobby of mine. Hope your are enjoying the content of my blog.
Posted in Side Dish

Side Dish ‘n’ Saturdays: Broccoli Salad

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

Broccoli Salad

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Servings 8

1 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vinegar
2 bunches of broccoli
1/2 lb. Bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 cup Raisins
1 Small purple onion, chopped
1/4 cup Sunflower seeds, if desired

Prep Day: Put the mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip), sugar and vinegar in a bowl and stir with a spoon until it’s well-mixed. Even though it’s mixed well, you will still be able to feel the grittiness of the sugar. Set it aside for about 20 minutes. Stir again, and the sugar should be dissolved and you can’t feel the grittiness anymore.

To Freeze: Put the mayonnaise mixture in a rigid container or freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze. Keep the rest of the ingredients on hand, or purchase later.

Serving Day: Thaw the mayonnaise mixture overnight in the refrigerator. Cut the florets off the broccoli stalks into a colander. Rinse with cold water to wash. Drain, and cut the florets into bite size pieces. Put the pieces into a large bowl. Add the bacon, raisins, onion and optional sunflower seeds. Stir to mix. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the salad ingredients in the bowl. Stir until everything is evenly combined. For the flavors to blend, cover and chill in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving. Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Posted in - Red Meat

Fine Cooking Fridays: Filet Medallions with Port Wine Mushroom Sauce

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

Filet Medallions with Port Wine Mushroom Sauce

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Servings 4

1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloins, sliced into medallions
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, coarse ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon oil, (divided use)
1 1/2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon flour, all-purpose
1/3 cup Port wine or use any sweet red wine in place of the port wine, if desired
1/4 cup shallot, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon rosemary, fresh, (or pinch dry)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
water, (if necessary)

Note: Medallions can be three 2-ounce or two 3-ounce portions per person. Thinner, smaller pieces will require less cooking time and may not get as brown as a larger piece. Please keep this in mind when cooking the medallions or the meat may not come out to the temperature desired.

Prep Day: Mix together the black pepper and kosher salt. Season the medallions with the pepper and kosher salt mixture, pressing it into the meat (as desired). Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. In two batches, sear both sides of the medallions in the oil (about 2 to 3 minutes per side) until the meat is a very nice medium-rare. (You may cook the meat longer if you or your client desires a medium-well or well-done steak.) Remove from heat and cool.

In a bowl, combine the mushrooms with the flour, and toss well.

In a medium skillet, combine the wine, shallots and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture is thickened (about 3 minutes). Reduce heat to medium. Add the broth, Worcestershire, tomato paste and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute. Add the mushroom mixture and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the Dijon. Cool the sauce. Add a little water to thin the sauce (if necessary) if it is too thick for freezing.

Place the medallions overlapping slightly in the containers. Top with the sauce, covering the exposed meat completely. Cover, label and store in freezer (or refrigerator).

Serve Day: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Heat in the microwave on medium power for 3-4 minutes or until the meat is hot throughout. Be careful not to overheat or use too high a power or the meat may become tough.

Posted in Dessert

Tasty Treat Thursdays: Carrot Cake

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

Carrot Cake

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1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup walnuts

Prep Day: Mix the sugar and vegetable oil together. The sugar will start to dissolve and add the vanilla then add the eggs one at a time. This is much wetter than creamed butter and sugar together and helps make the carrot cake moist.

Next add in the flour, salt, baking soda and powder and your spices. After those are combined mix in the nuts and grated carrots.

You can grate the carrots by hand or with a food processor. Peel them and cut off the top and bottom before grating for the cake. I usually grate by hand because the food processor grates the carrots finer than I like.

Bake at 350 Farheinet in a 9×13 pan about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake is firm to the touch.

Wrap the cooled cake in freezer quality materials. I use plastic warp to keep it air tight and keep the carrot cake moist and aluminum foil as an outer layer. If you freeze it in a pan make sure it’s freezer safe, some glass pans can shatter in the cold.

If you frost the cake before freezing put the cake, uncovered, into the freezer for one to two hours until the frosting is frozen solid. Then wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

Serve Day:

Thaw your unfrosted cake in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours.

To thaw a frosted cake first remove the wrapping. Then put the cake in a covered cake tray or use toothpicks to hold the plastic wrap up above the frosting. Cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated so let the cake thaw in the fridge overnight.