Cripsy Potatoes, Venison with Herb Butter, and Clean Green Beans

Now I don't eat beef for many reasons, but I love venison...especially the tenderloin...I'll eat that until the cows come home (I crack myself up sometimes). My dad is a hunter and always has been. I am an only child, so obviously, as a girl, I always have more in common with my mom--cooking, crafts (when I was younger...I since have realized I have no artistic ability), shopping (neither of us are shop-aholics, but a mother always understands a shoe/bag fetish). I wanted  Dad to feel like there was something we could do together that Mom wouldn't enjoy, and I remember buying camouflage sweats and fleece  and hoping that Dad would take me hunting. That was in vain, as I have still never been hunting, and that's perfectly fine with me, as long as I reap the benefits of his hobby. There are plenty of other bonding activities Dad and I can do together--like cooking, and eating, and cooking, and eating, and skiing.

This deer season, things were looking pretty grim, because Dad hadn't gotten a deer yet--thank goodness we weren't relying solely on Dad for dinner! Eventually, he came home with the goods, and that is what we brought out of the freezer on this very night. This was one of those last-minute, what-do-we-have-on-hand dinners.


Venison is wonderful when simply seasoned and cooked medium rare. We roasted the loin with a simple seasoning salt (admittedly, it needed more salt this night) for about 20 minutes per pound. Let it rest for about 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven so that the juices settle down and don't run all over the plate. Your meat will be juicy, tender, and flavorful--well worth the wait. Tenderloin is delicious all by itself, BUT anything can be made better with butter, DUH! This simplistic butter is a real treat for dinner roles or atop any cut of meat.

MMMMMM

You all have seen the green bean recipe before, but I just wanted to let you know how popular these simple, simple beans are.

You may notice that I used similar herbs in multiple dishes. I think that makes the separate dishes come together to make a meal. Sometimes you can do this with a simple spice or herb, and sometimes you need to layer more than one.

For the potatoes:
5 medium-sized baking potatoes
1 T fresh rosemary
1 T fresh thyme
3 T olive oil to drizzle
1/2 c Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the potatoes so that they are larger than shoestring fries but not as large as potato wedges. Toss them in olive oil and sprinkle lightly with seasoning salt or plain ole salt and peppa. Add the thyme and rosemary, Make sure everything is evenly distributed. Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes (the time may vary depending on your oven). Mix around occasionally to ensure that all sides brown and crisp and that the potatoes don't stick.  For the last five minutes, top with cheese and take it out when it's nice and melted.

For the herb butter:
8 T butter, softened (1 stick)
1 t fresh thyme
1 t fresh rosemary
2 T sliced green onion (the darker green parts)
1/2 t seasoning salt

If the butter is softened, mash it around by itself so that it becomes creamy. This will make it easier to add the other ingredients. Now, mix everything else into the butter. Chill until you're ready to serve.