Bacon Wrapped Filets and Spinach Cakes With Pinot Noir Sauce

Bacon Wrapped Fillet Mignon on

Spinach Cakes With Pinot Noir Sauce

Tuesday morning I took another class with my favorite cooking instructor, Phyllis Carey. Her classes are delivered with such a relaxed style but so creative. We get to sample the recipes of the day and needless to say, dinner was lighter than usual. The interesting method Phyllis used with preparing the fillet was that the bacon was wrapped not around the circumference of the fillet but the top and bottom. When you taste the fillet, you too agree that it does make a very tasty fillet. This menu will make a great holiday choice. Serves 4

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Ingredients:

Spinach Cakes:

2-10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg beaten

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

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Directions:

Defrost spinach and squeeze dry; place in a medium bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick skillet and cook shallots over medium heat until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add to spinach along with bread crumbs, cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Combine mixture with a fork and then make into 12 small flat patties.

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To cook spinach cakes, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and cook spinach cakes for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through. Keep warm. TIP: When removing from skillet, place on a cooling rack over a baking sheet for any oil to drain, but keep warm until serving.

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Steaks:

Ingredients:

4 thin slices of bacon (thinnest possible)

4 fillet mignon steaks,

1 1/2 inches thick

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup Pinot Noir

1/2 cup beef stock or broth

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap bacon slices over the top and around the fillets with overlap at the bottom. Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat; set steaks in pan, bacon seam side down. Sear 4 minutes per side or until well browned on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet, bacon/seam side down and roast 8 to 10 minutes.

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While steaks are in the oven, pour off any excess fat from the skillet and melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and then wine and finally the broth; bringing to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, cooking until thickened.

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When the steaks are ready, reheat the sauce, shut off the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 small cakes per plate over lapping in a circle on each serving plate. Set one steak on top and spoon sauce over all; serve immediately.