Debbie Dance Uhrig
It feels like the last two weeks of our lives have been extremely busy! I suppose I can take credit for all of the excitement. A week ago I was on the way home from spending time with my friend, Terry, in Neosho, Missouri. After much girl talk I finally hit the road for Branson West about 8:10pm. We had spent the day placing pictures in her new home and just hanging out. Somewhere around 8:30 in the evening I hit ‘something’ in the road. Couldn’t swerve due to oncoming traffic, etc. Then ‘poof’ the light came on telling me I had lost complete tire pressure. Of the road I went, onto the next county road. The tire was all the way down with no damage to the rim. To continue with all the points of the story would take at least 2 more paragraphs! So, I’ll cut to the chase and tell you that (3), not just one person stopped to help me. Within 20-25 minutes I was back on the road headed home at 45mph, on my donut tire. Wonderful people stopped to help me, and for some reason I didn’t get to flustered about the entire affair. Must be age!
So, this started this busy week of tire research, price comparisons and finely the purchase of the tires. Then going to another shop for alignment. And lastly, we closed the week with new brakes and rotors. It was not only a busy week but an expensive one. There’s always something good to be said about all of these occurrences. As I leave for McPherson, on Friday, of this week I will feel safe and secure.
Speaking of the show in McPherson, it’s a little over half full. Make sure you call the Cook’s Nook, in McPherson, Kansas, and make your reservation for this coming Saturday, February 11th. I’m cooking up quite a variety of new recipes ranging from appetizers to main entrees and desserts. You can call the Cook’s Nook at 629 241 7180. Class cost is $35. And I promise enough food to fill the bill for lunch. Start time is 10am. Allow plenty of time for shopping at the store, it’s one of my favorite cooking stores of all times. If you’ve never been to McPherson come spend a beautiful weekend with me in the heart of Kansas. McPherson has several motels, one which just opened a few weeks ago. Wichita is close and so are several Mennonite communities. McPherson is a strong community with a downtown shopping area that is truly delightful from unique shops to clothing and shoe stores.
My dish today is one of my favorites of all times. I believe I last shared it about 3 years ago with my readers. Originally I was thinking this would provide a bit of a temptation/segway into attending class this coming Saturday.
Bruschetta, this type of dish goes from appetizer to main entrée in the blink of an eye. For the meat this week, at The Cook’s Nook, I’ll be using a cut from what we Ozarkians call a ‘Tri-Tip’. Usually you’ll find most of us grilling tri-tips however there are other options, particularly when it’s a bit cold for grilling. For the bruschetta recipe I’ll be searing the meat on top of the stove and then cooking it on about 275 degrees for 4-5 hours, covered, fat side up. If you are fortunate enough to have a cast iron skillet big enough to hold the tri-tip, this is definitely the best choice. Allow the meat to cool and slice into thin pieces.
I have frequently reminded readers that another acceptable cut would be a tenderloin or brisket. If you travel north of here to Kansas City, Missouri, a tri-tip is an individual steak cut.
Play with the foundation spread, for the beef. When I make it I always have plenty left over. This leads into using it for hot beef phillies, of all sorts!
My family stays behind this weekend as I head to McPherson. My assistant, Bonnie, is traveling with me. Poor thing, I hope she can tolerate me for 6 hours of road time each way! When it comes to assistants, I got the cream of the crop!
Hope your Super bowl Sunday was filled with fun, good food, and excitement. Start planning now for the Daytona 500, Sunday, February 26th at 1pm. This usually means a party at Grandma and Grandpa’s house for our family.
Simply yours, The Covered Dish, www.thecovereddish.com
Beef Tenderloin Bruschetta
1 loaf of fresh bruschetta or French bread
1/2 pound thinly sliced beef tenderloin or shaved roast beef
3-4 ounces Gruyere Cheese, shaved/shredded
Roasted Red Pepper, chopped fine
Butter flavored vegetable spray
Filling
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1//8 cup horseradish, ground
1/8 cup finely minced onion
Slice bruschetta into 12 nice slices. Place on a lined cookie sheet and spray lightly with vegetable spray. Place in the oven under the broiler 3-5 minutes and remove. Mix together the filling ingredients and spread a small amount on each slice. If the filling has been refrigerated and is not at room temperature consider warming it slightly before the meat is placed on top. Layer on thin pieces of cooked tenderloin or roast beef. Shred the cheese and sprinkle over the meat with a light dash of roasted red pepper. Return to the broiler and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Times will vary depending upon how close the oven shelf is to the broiler, etc. Monitor the bread it should be around 5-7 minutes. You may also choose to bake the bread until crisp at 350 degrees instead of broiling.
In the Ozarks a grilled tri-tip shaved thin would be a nice meat choice.
Makes 12 appetizers
