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Holiday
Open House
Easy
&
Elegant
Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches,
Nutty Herb-Cheese Spread,
Carmelized Onion Relish,
Chocolate-Covered Cherries and
Cherry Brie Appetizer
 (Family Features) - This holiday season entertain your family and friends with
an extra special open house. The menu is simple, beautiful
to the eye and so delicious. Each dish is unique with an
unexpected (but easy) twist on flavor and presentation. For
starters, a round of Brie cheese is filled and topped with
dried tart cherries; a beef tenderloin is stuffed with a
savory sun-dried tomato spread; maraschino cherries are
swirled in luscious semisweet and white chocolate for a
simple dessert.
A selection of Trinity Oaks wines tingle the taste buds and
excite the palate, so set out the Chardonnay, Merlot and
Cabernet Sauvignon. Guests can then help themselves to wine
and food.
Holiday Entertaining Wine Guide
- One 750ml bottle of wine will yield approximately five 4-
ounce glasses. One case (12 bottles) will yield
approximately 60 glasses. For a dinner party, count on one
bottle per couple.
- Buy wine in advance, but store it in a cool dark place.
- Offer a choice of red and white varietals, no matter what
you're serving. Some people do enjoy Chardonnay with
Châteaubriand! Trinity Oaks offers Chardonnay, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
- Red wines should be served at "cellar temperature"-about
55°F. White wines should be chilled in a refrigerator for at
least four hours before serving.
- Serve wine in clear glasses to let the brilliant color of
the wine come through.
For more wine pairing information, visit
www.trinityoaks.com.
Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches
Total preparation and cooking time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
1 center-cut beef tenderloin roast (2 to 3 pounds), not tied
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato spread
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Assorted breads and rolls
Nutty Herb-Cheese Spread (recipe follows)
Caramelized Onion Relish (recipe follows)
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Make horizontal cut through center of
beef roast, parallel to surface of meat. Cut to, but not
through, opposite side. Open meat so it lies flat.
2. Combine sun-dried tomato spread and parsley. Spread
lengthwise on 1/2 of meat. Fold other 1/2 of meat over to
form original shape of roast. Tie at 1-1/2 to 2-inch
intervals with kitchen twine; trim off excess twine.
3. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert
ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest
part of beef, not resting in sun-dried tomato filling. Roast
in 425°F oven 35 to 40 minutes for medium rare.
4. Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 135°F.
Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum
foil. Let stand 10 minutes. (Temperature will continue to
rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare.) Refrigerate
roast for several hours or until chilled. If desired, roast
can be wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and refrigerated up
to 2 days. Carve roast into 1/4-inch thick slices.
5. Assemble sandwiches as desired with breads, spread and
relish. Makes 30 to 35 appetizer servings.
Wine Pairing: Pair either the spicy fruitiness of Trinity
Oaks Cabernet or the medium body, herb and fruit aromas of
Trinity Oaks Merlot with the rich flavor of roast beef
tenderloin.
Nutty Herb-Cheese Spread
1/2 cup salted shelled pistachios or slivered blanched almonds
1 container (6-1/2 ounces) garlic & herb cheese spread
Half-and-half
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread nuts in single layer in baking
pan. Bake in 350°F oven about 5 minutes for pistachios or 8
minutes for almonds or until lightly toasted; cool slightly.
Coarsely chop.
2. Combine cheese spread and nuts. Stir in enough half-and-
half to thin to spreading consistency. Makes 1 cup.
Caramelized Onion Relish
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups (about 3 medium) thinly sliced onions (1/8 inch thick)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until
hot. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper; cook 30 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Stir in brown sugar and vinegar; cook
and stir until liquid has evaporated. Makes 3/4 cup.
Beef Roast Basics
Holidays wouldn't be complete without a beef roast as the
menu star. For more information about selecting, cooking and
serving the perfect roast, visit www.beef.org.
Cherry Holiday Helps
Cherries are great additions to holiday menus in appetizers,
side dishes, breads and desserts. For additional
information, serving suggestions and delicious recipes,
visit www.usacherries.com.
Chocolate-Covered Cherries
Total preparation time: 55 minutes
2 (10-ounce) jars maraschino cherries with stems
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet or white chocolate chips
1. Drain cherries well.
2. Melt chocolate according to package directions; keep
warm. Holding by the stem, dip cherries into melted
chocolate; swirl to coat completely. Place on waxed paper-
lined baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature (or
refrigerate) about 30 minutes to set chocolate. Store in
refrigerator up to 2 days. Makes 4-1/2 dozen cherries.
Cherry Brie Appetizer
Total preparation time: 30 minutes
1 (5-inch) wheel Brie cheese (15 to 16 ounces)
1/4 cup cherry jelly, preserves or spread
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
Water crackers or French bread slices
1. Refrigerate Brie until chilled and firm (or freeze 30
minutes). Cut Brie in half horizontally.
2. Place jelly in a small microwave-safe container.
Microwave on High (100 percent) power 25 to 30 seconds or
until melted. Combine melted jelly, cherries, pecans and
orange peel; mix well. Reserve 1/4 cup.
3. Spread remaining cherry mixture evenly on cut side of one
piece of Brie. Top with the other piece, cut-side down.
Lightly press together. Microwave on High (100 percent)
power 40 to 50 seconds or until cheese is soft, but not
runny. Lightly press top section into cherry mixture.
4. Top Brie with reserved cherry mixture and garnish as
desired. Serve with crackers or bread. Makes about 20
appetizer servings.
Tip: Cherry mixture can be prepared in advance; store in
refrigerator 1 to 2 days. Spread cherry mixture on Brie just
before serving.
Wine Pairing: The fruity and citrus flavors of Trinity Oaks
Chardonnay complement the dried tart cherry filling of the Brie.
SOURCE: Cherry Marketing Institute
National Cattlemen's Beef Association & Cattlemen's Beef Board
Trinity Oaks
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