Eggplant and Tenderloin

For dinner tonight, I decided to make an eggplant dish that I saw first on a blog called Cooking by Sight, but then found a less healthy version elsewhere, and a steak dish that I got from a Pillsbury e-newsletter.

Eggplant Roulade

Ingredients:

• 2 italian (or 2 small almost seedless american) eggplants
• 1/3 cup oil for frying
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for rolling

Filling:

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1/2 tablespoon sour cream
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon walnut (optional)

Serving: 3
Or you can use: chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic, chopped cilantro, minced garlic
Directions

1. Trim eggplants and cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Put slices in salted cold water for half an hour to remove bitterness and prevent excessive oil adsorption during frying.
2. Remove the slices from water and dry them with paper towels. Roll the slices in flour until coated.
3. Place the eggplant slices in a skillet of preheated oil. Fry until crisp and golden brown (big heat) on both sides. Check the tenderness of the slices with a fork.
4. Remove from skillet and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
5. For filling: mix mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic and cilantro in a small bowl.
6. Spread 1 teaspoon of filling on each eggplant slice and roll up the slice, enclosing the filling. Make the remaining roulades in the same way.
7. Garnish with cilantro.

I think that this dish had a lot of potential, but, in my opinion, it needs more filling for each eggplant slice. It could be that I bought eggplants that were just too big, but they were the smallest ones available at the store early this morning. They had graffiti eggplants that were smaller, but I wasn't sure how the flavor would be affected.

Wrapped Tenderloin with Gorgonzola-Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 beef tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (4 oz each)
• 1/2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
• 4 Pillsbury® Grands!® frozen buttermilk biscuits (from 25-oz bag)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (4 oz)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 jar (4.5 oz) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In 8-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Pat steaks dry with paper towel; sprinkle both sides with steak seasoning. Add steaks to skillet; cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steaks from skillet; place on plate.
2. Place 2 biscuits on microwavable plate. Microwave on High 30 to 40 seconds, turning biscuits over halfway through microwave time, until soft enough to press into rounds. Repeat with remaining 2 biscuits.
3. Spray cookie sheet or 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. On cookie sheet or in baking dish, roll or press 2 of the biscuits into 5- to 6-inch rounds. Place 1 steak on center of each flattened biscuit. Press remaining 2 biscuits into 5- to 6-inch rounds; place over steaks. Flute or crimp edges with fork to seal. In small bowl, beat egg yolk and water with fork until blended; brush over top biscuits. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, mix cheese, pepper, whipping cream and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. Stir in mushrooms. Keep warm over low heat.
5. Serve half of mushroom gravy over each wrapped steak; sprinkle with parsley.

This dish was really tasty, and Tom loved it. It was a version of Beef Wellington, which I've only ever had at the Tidewater off of the banquet buffets, and they aren't really fabulous. Tom liked the biscuit surrounding the beef much better than the phyllo dough that the Tidewater uses. I think the phyllo is the best part of the Tidewater's banquet Beef Wellington. The Gorgonzola-Mushroom Gravy was surprisingly good, too.