Arlene Visits the old “Top of the Triangle” Restaurant in Pittsburgh!

• Make pasta according to package directions in salted water, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute vegetables with salt and pepper. After vegetables begin to soften slightly, add garlic and continue cooking until vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add cooked noodles to skillet and heat through. If noodles seem dry, add a little bit of reserved pasta cooking water, on Tbs at a time. Serve immediately and garnish with basil strips. Enjoy!

• In a pot of boiling water, blanch tomato for 30 seconds, then rinse under cold water. This should loosen the skin of the tomato so it can be easily peeled. Peel tomato and dice into fine pieces.
• In a skillet saute tomato, onion, and garlic in 1 Tbs of oil over medium low heat. Add salt and basil leaves, and continue to stir and saute.
• Turn heat up to medium-high and add scallops to man. Saute vegetables and scallops together. Cook until scallops reach 130 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer. Serve with cooked buttered rice and satueed or steamed vegetables like snow peas, carrots, and yellow squash. Garnish with dill, chives, parsley, and lemon. Enjoy!

• In a food processor, chop mushrooms into a fine paste, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of the bowl to make sure everything is chopped evenly.
• Scrape mushroom paste into cheesecloth, and wring out tightly over sink, squeezing excess liquid from the mushrooms. Over low heat, melt butter in a nonstick skillet. Sautee squeezed mushrooms in butter. Add salt and pepper.
• In empty food processor, puree onion chunks into a wet paste. Add to skillet with mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently. Cook until liquid evaporates and pan begins to dry.
• Add wine, stirring frequently and using liquid to help scrape and brown bits stuck to pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until the alcohol from the wine evaporates. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mixture will combine into a stiff paste. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool. Mixture can be refrigerated and used as a filling for roasted meats. Enjoy!

Beef and Filling

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp boning knife, trim excess fat from beef tenderloin. Carefully cut down the middle of the tenderloin, not cutting the whole way through, and butterfly the meat, so that if can be unfolded.
• Using a meat pounder or mallet, gently pound beef to 1/4" to 1/2' thick so that it forms one large, flat piece. Spread mushroom duxelle evenly over beef, leaving a half-inch clean space around border. Spread marinara sauce on top of duxelle. Layer blanched spinach on top of sauces. Then layer red and yellow peppers on top of spinach.
• Starting at one wide end, tightly roll up beef, packing in all the filling as you go. Fold in loose ends to keep it neat and prevent filling from spilling out. Using butcher's twine, tie loops around beef roll every 2-3 inches. Trim excess string with kitchen scissors.
• Place tenderloin in an uncovered roasting pan and bake at roast at 350 degrees for around 1 and 1/2 hours, depending on your oven. Using a meat thermometer, check the thickest part of the beef and stop cooking when it reaches your desired temperature Rare: 125°, Medium Rare: 135°, Medium: 145°, Medium Well: 155°, Well Done: 160°.
• Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into thin pinwheels and serve with sauce, asparagus, and potatoes. Makes 8-12 servings. Enjoy!

Sauce

• Pour butter and oil into a small saucepan. Over medium heat, saute peppers, onion, and carrot with a pinch of salt and pepper until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken stock and white wine, and stir. Continue to cook at medium heat until it reaches a fast boil.
• Reduce sauce for 5 minutes, then add heavy cream. Reduce for another 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree vegetables and liquid into a smooth sauce. (You can use a jar style blender, but be careful to not overfill jar, as hot steam will expand and blow the lid off.) Once sauce is smooth, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with beef.