a holiday party

Pesto Tenderloin Crostini

1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices
1 cup purchased basil, cilantro or sun dried tomato pesto
6 to 8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef tenderloin (see recipe below) or thinly sliced deli roast beef
1/2 cup Dijon Aioli
Chopped chives (optional)

Spread pesto onto baguette slices (crostini) and top with thin slice of beef tenderloin. Transfer aioli to squeeze bottle or small self-sealing plastic bag. Snip off small corner of bag. Squeeze a thin line onto each crostini in a decorative pattern on top of beef. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours before serving at room temperature. Top with chopped chives, if desired. Makes 24 to 28 crostini.

Dijon Aioli: In small bowl, stir together 1/3 cups Dijon-style mustard, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 clove minced garlic and 1 dash bottled hot pepper sauce. Cover and chill for up to 4 days.  Use as sandwich spread or decoration on open-faced sandwiches.  Makes 1/2 cup.

Roast Beef Tenderloin: Marinate a 1-1/2 pound beef tenderloin roast in 3/4 cup of your favorite marinade for 1 to 2 hours in refrigerator. Remove roast from marinade; discard marinade. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Preheat oven to 425°F. For medium rare, roast, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135°F on an instant-read thermometer.  Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. The temperature of the meat will rise about 10° while standing. (For medium, roast uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes or until meat reaches 150°F. Cover and let stand as directed above.)  Cover and chill overnight.  Thinly slice meat. Use as directed above. Makes 1-1/4 pounds roast beef tenderloin.