Nice supper!

Last night, I fixed a great supper. We had stuffed filet minions, Parmesan polenta in roasted red peppers and spinach sauted with butter and leeks.

Got this information from one of my favorite sites:

How to Roast (or Just Peel) Red Peppers

There is a little bit of confusion out there in the cooking world. Do you want peeled peppers or peppers that are actually roasted?

Either way, the process starts the same. If you have a gas cooktop or other open flame, you can place the pepper right over the flame. Hold it with tongs or just rest it on the burner grate. If you cook with electricity, put it on a baking sheet under the broiler. Turn the pepper frequently. You want to blacken the skin all over, but you don’t want to char the flesh. Once it is black, put it in a paper bag and close it, or cover it with a kitchen towel for five minutes. Then rub off the blackened skin, and core, cut, and seed the pepper, if you like.

At this point, you have peeled pepper, possibly a peeled, cored, cut, seeded pepper. But you do not have a roasted pepper. To roast the pepper, put the cut pieces in a baking dish with a little oil and pop it into a 400°F (205°C) oven, until tender and slightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Most recipes that call for roasted peppers just want peeled peppers. You’ll have to look at the context of the recipe to see if you are actually supposed to roast them.

The beef recipe came from The Culinary Net. It was suprisingly good...

Beef Tenderloin With Prosciutto & Pinot Noir Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 center-cut beef tenderloin roast (about 3 pounds)
  
• 6 thin slices prosciutto
  
• Sauce:
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
  
• 2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped
  
• 1 thin slice prosciutto, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  
• 2 cups Sutter Home Pinot Noir
  
• 1 cup canned beef consommé
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• Salt

Preparation
Total preparation and cooking time: About 1 hour

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Wrap 6 prosciutto slices over beef roast, overlapping pieces as needed to cover roast. Tie roast at 1-1/2 to 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine.

2. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat. Roast in 425°F oven 35 to 40 minutes for medium rare; 45 to 50 minutes for medium doneness.

3. Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium.)

4. Meanwhile, heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, celery, carrots, prosciutto, garlic and thyme; cook and stir 8 to 12 minutes or until onions are lightly browned. Add wine and consommé; increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Strain vegetables and skim fat from sauce, if necessary. Return sauce to pan. Cook over high heat about 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 1-1/2 cups. Stir in butter and season with salt, as desired. Carve roast into thick slices; serve with sauce.

Cook's Tip: To tie a beef roast, use pieces of kitchen twine or butcher's string. Tie each piece of string firmly, but not tightly, into a knot against the meat. Trim off any excess string. When tying a stuffed roast, some of the stuffing may press out. Tuck it back into the tied areas with your fingers.

Wine Notes: Whenever wine is used in a sauce, it helps to bring the two together by serving the same wine, or a similar one. This most tender of beef cuts calls for a soft red wine with smooth tannins such as Pinot Noir or Syrah.