Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 6 large sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups white (or brown) sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Directions

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into slices.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the sliced sweet potatoes.
3. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cover the sweet potatoes with sugar mixture and stir. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low and cook for about 1 hour or until potatoes are "candied". They should be tender but a little hard around the edges. Also the sauce will turn dark. You will need to stir occasionally during the cooking. Stir in the vanilla just before serving. Serve hot.

From: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9209/southern-candied-sweet-potatoes/print/?recipeType=Recipe&servings=12

Filet Mignon

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (8 ounce) filet mignon steaks
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt (maybe 3 tsp)
• 4 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ( 1 stick divided)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) softened butter with the minced garlic, the chopped herbs and the lemon zest. Form into a log and refrigerate.
2. Wrap bacon around Filet if desired; secure with toothpick
3. Generously season the filets with salt and pepper, approximately 1 teaspoon of seasoning per side.
4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
5. Heat the remainder 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) and the olive oil in a cast iron skillet to a screaming hot temperature (not burn you house down hot, though). Sear the filets in the hot pan for about 2-3 minutes per side or until a nice brown crust has formed. Once they're down, don't move them around.
6. While the steak is searing, continue to spoon the residual butter in the pan on top of the meat while it's cooking. Once both sides are seared, carefully place the entire skillet with steak in the center of the preheated oven for about 6-8 minutes, depending upon how thick your steak is.
7. In the last minute of cooking, take the log of compound butter and slice a thick piece to place on top; set aside.
8. Your steak will be ready when it is approximately 135 degrees in the center, or when you push lightly on the top center of the steak and it gently and slowly bounces back. Watch carefully especially if your steaks are thinner. Top with reserved compound butter.

From: http://www.food.com/recipe/restaurant-style-filet-mignon-487364

Steak Doneness	Remove from Grill at this Temperature	Final Cooked Temperature
Rare	130 to 135°F	130 to 140°F
Medium Rare	140°F	145°F
Medium	155°F	160°F
Well Done	165°F	170°F

Protein Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
2. Blend oats, cottage cheese, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a blender until creamy.
3. Ladle batter into preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer directions and cook the waffles until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Repeat until entire batch of batter is used.