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Makes  1 Sandwich

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1/2 an apple – I really love a crisp green apple in this, but I only had some galas at the cottage.  You could also sub in a pear.

2 slices grainy, nutty, rustic bread, buttered

1/2 a round good quality Fontina

2 tsp honey, pref organic

2 tbl toasted walnuts, broken up

dash salt and pepper

Slice up your cheese.  Thick or thin, depending on how much goo you prefer.  Take 1 slice of your buttered bread and layer on cheese.  Cover with other slice of bread and place in pan like you were going to make a grilled cheese.  Toast over medium heat until cheese begins to meltFlip over and continue to toast other side.  Toss in walnuts so they can toast at the same time.  Once toasted, break upOnce your ‘grilled cheese’ is done, remove from heat and pull apart.  Cheese should be melted and gooey and come apart easily.Add sliced apples and toasted walnuts.  Drizzle with honey.  Add dash of salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Your done!  Pure deliciousness.  Cut in half and serve immediately.  This is also superb served with a frosty beer.  Try it! 

Serves 2 Generously

Ingredients

• Two 2 ½-to-3-inch-tall pieces beef tenderloin (filet mignon), about ¾ pound

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 6 ounces finely-chopped baby bella mushrooms

• 1/3 cup finely-chopped sweet onion

• 1 large clove garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

• Freshly-ground pepper, to taste

• ¼ cup dry sherry

• 1 large sprig fresh thyme

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• 1 sheet (1/2 box) puff pastry

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• Egg wash (1 beaten egg + 1 tablespoon milk)

Directions

Heat a stainless steel pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the vegetable oil and heat until just starting to smoke. Rub the meat generously with salt and pepper. Once the pan is very hot, sear the two filets very briefly on each side. You don’t want to cook the interior of the meat at this point, so it shouldn’t be more than a minute or two per side.

Remove the filets from the pan and place on a plate in the freezer while you make the filling. Let the pan cool slightly and turn the heat down to medium.

Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic to the pan, and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Cook until the mushrooms release all their water and the onion is translucent. 

Add the sherry and thyme. Cook until the sherry evaporates. Taste for salt and pepper, and season as necessary.

 Remove from the heat and refrigerate until cold, then stir in the chopped parsley. 

Roll out one puff pastry piece and cut in half, so you have two rectangular strips of dough.

 Remove the steaks from the freezer and brush with the Dijon mustard on both sides.

 Put a quarter of the mushroom mixture in the middle of one piece of the puff pastry.

Top with one steak, then add a quarter more of the mushrooms. Repeat with the other steak, puff pastry piece and mushrooms. 

Fold the long sides of the pastry over the steak, tucking in and tightly sealing all the edges so the juice doesn’t escape. Wrapping it all in plastic wrap can help! .Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan.

While the oven preheats, put the wrapped beef in the freezer. Once the oven is hot, remove the beef from the freezer and put on the lined sheet pan.

Coat with the egg wash.  Bake for 25 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the steak reads 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (medium-rare) and the pastry is a deep golden brown. 

.Cut in half so you can see the intersection of steak, pastry and mushrooms, and serve.

SERVES 4

Mushrooms:

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 8 ounces (250 grams) brown mushrooms, sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

• Salt and pepper, to season

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 8 slices mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 large cloves garlic minced or finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1-1/2 cups half and half or use reduced fat cream or evaporated milk*

• 1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper, to your tastes

• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons of water (OPTIONAL FOR A THICKER SAUCE)

• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C or 400°F.

2. Melt butter in a large (over 12-inch or 30 cm) oven proof pan or skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add in mushrooms, salt and pepper (to your tastes), and parsley. Cook while stirring occasionally until soft. Set aside and allow to cool while preparing your chicken.

3. Pat breasts dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder and dried parsley. Rub each piece to evenly coat in seasoning. 

4. Horizontally slice a slit through the thickest part of each breast to form a pocket. Place 2 slices of mozzarella into each breast pocket. 

5. Divide the mushroom mixture into four equal portions and fill each breast with the mushroom mixture (leave the juices in the pan for later. If there are any left over mushrooms, don't worry. You'll use them later). Top the mushroom mixture with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese per breast. Seal with two or three toothpicks near the opening to keep the mushrooms inside while cooking.

6. Heat the same pan the mushrooms were in along with the pan juices (the garlic butter will start to brown and take on a 'nutty' flavour). Add the chicken and sear until golden. Flip and sear on the other side until golden. Cover pan and continue cooking in preheated oven for a further 20 minutes, or until completely cooked through the middle and no longer pink.

7. Serve, with pan juices and any remaining mushrooms, on top of pasta, rice or steamed vegetables.

8. (To make the optional cream sauce, transfer chicken to a warm plate, keeping all juices in the pan.)

Sauce:

1. Fry the garlic in the leftover pan juices until fragrant (about 1 minute). Reduce heat to low heat, and add the mustard and half and half (or cream). 

2. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and add in any remaining mushrooms and parmesan cheese. Allow the sauce to simmer until the parmesan cheese has melted slightly. (If the sauce is too runny for your liking, add the cornstarch/water mixture into the centre of the pan and mix through fast to combine into the sauce. It will begin to thicken immediately).