Roast Beef Bites

I know I just posted about the mini pancakes and I happened to "google" them and low and behold they have a pretty cool site. They have a newsletter, products and even a blog. Oh, they have recipes too - but pancakes aren't just for breakfast any more... Entrees, desserts and yes even appetizers. One intrigued me enough that I just had to try it for myself.

Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.dewafelbakkers.com/appetizers-roast-beef-snackers.html

Ok so I cheated a little bit - I had some leftover Prime Rib Eye steak that I had grilled earlier in the week so I sliced it on the bias and used it, and (shame on me) I had prepared remoulade sauce in the fridge but I have to tell you don't think those little pancakes won't work for this.. They were GREAT!

Trying things that don't sound like they would go together makes this fun.... Sometimes they work - sometimes they don't but this one is a definite winner.

"Have I Got a Deal for You..."

OK so I'm not trying to sell you a used car but I do want to share with you a pretty good food item we found - kind of by accident and the while Ike really doesn't have anything directly to do with this in a round about way he does... Here's the backstory.

Because I have gotten so many pheasant from our annual trips to South Dakota and the various training trips to Hickory Grove etc., our freezer was getting full. So when my lovely and coupon clipping crazy wife saw this deal at our local Jewel that said buy a small freezer for $150 and get $150 in food coupons to fill it... So, as is her way, she did her research and decided this would be a win win for all. She would get her freezer back for "ordinary" frozen food like pizzas and pork chops and I could put all my "wild animals" in my freezer so she didn't have to see them looking back at her :). So we pulled the trigger (pun intended).

Now to the "rest of the story"... The first item we purchased - and readily admit we wouldn't have even thought about this without the coupon were two bags of mini pancakes FOR FREE. They are made by De Wafelbakkers and are little silver dollar size pancakes pre-cooked, flash frozen and packaged in a big bag of 60 (2 30 count bags each inside). Microwave 8 of them on "high" for 40 seconds and they come out perfect, hot and taste just like they came off the griddle.

I think for families with small children, these would be a very handy thing to keep around for a quick and no preservative breakfast and really, what little kid doesn't like pancakes!!

Happy Valentine's Day

From all of us at Ike's house to all of you and yours...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Pheasant puzzle

As part of what my dad does to pass the time during the winter months, he (as well as a number of my cousins, visitors and his grandchildren) puts together jigsaw puzzles of various scenes - Many reminding him and us of various parts of our life growing up in rural America. Old John Deere tractors and a depiction of a Big Family Garden are just two of the puzzles dad has done. For Christmas this year he had them framed and gave them to the kids and grand kids as presents. Mine was not yet framed at the time so I got it yesterday. They showed me the picture on the box and it was very colorful and very appropriate. I think you may agree...

I think the colors and the detail really capture the beauty of the way it used to be.... Thanks Dad.

Veal Saltimobcca

Hi everyone;

Finally getting back to posting a little bit - it has been a very hectic first month of the year - boy I hope it slows down a little. The subject of this post is going to be something that I have had many places but the best was in a little restaurant in Hartford with my friend Maryann and her husband Ike (no relation to my Ike :)). It has since closed but when ever I have that recipe that is the standard I judge it against. Well, I haven't tried to make it myself, until now. My brother Stan made some home cured Prosciutto and I wanted to use that as well as some veal I was able to get at Costco... I combined a couple recipes so here goes:

Ingredients:

4 Veal Scallops pounded thin

6-8 slices of Prosciutto

8-10 Fresh Sage Leaves

4 -6 slices thin Sliced Provolone or Fontina cheese

1 stick unsalted butter (could use less)

1 cup (perhaps a little more) dry white wine

1 cup (perhaps a little more) Low Sodium Chicken Broth

6-8 oz of Spaghetti

1/4 cup Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic - chopped fine

Fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/2 cup Flour

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

1 lemon

First season flour with onion powder and black pepper (at least a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper - could us whatever seasoning you like here I guess - just think I would stay away from salt)

Dredge veal in seasoned flour and set aside to rest

While resting heat couple of tablespoons of olive oil in skillet - I like to add a little butter here too.

Prior to frying in oil place sage leaves on one side of veal and then cover with prosciutto. Here is where I deviate - I also place the cheese on the veal/ham/sage side and then roll it up securing with a toothpick. You could leave flat and fry this way being careful not to dislodge the ham when frying - I know my limitations I was afraid I couldn't do it. Either way place in heated oil and fry until golden brown.

Start water on to boil to cook spaghetti until al dente.

Place browned veal on plate, tent with foil and place in 250* oven to keep warm while you complete the sauce.

To complete the sauce:

Chiffonade some of the remaining Sage leaves, and the chopped garlic and place in the remaining oil. Saute, careful not to burn the garlic. remove 2 tablespoons of garlic/sage oil and drizzle over the warm spaghetti - seems to add a deeper flavor to the noodle.

De glaze pan with White wine, using wooden spatula to get all the brown bits up from the skillet. Add chicken stock stir and if you would like to thicken, mix a slurry up of the corn starch and some water turn down the wine/stock mix to a simmer and pour in the cornstarch slurry. bring heat up to medium and add a squeeze of Lemon juice. Continue to stir until the consistency you would like. You can use up to 3/4 stick of butter here added 1 COLD pat at a time to add a nice gloss to the sauce but be careful too much and the sauce would break - but remember- it will continue to thicken so I would only get it to a point it will coat the back of a spoon.

Pour the liquid from the plate where the veal was warming back into the sauce plate over a nest of the Spaghetti - drizzle sauce over the veal and noodle and enjoy with some garlic bread and wine...

OK not as good as Jack's in Hartford but pretty darn good