BEEF TENDERLOIN MILANESE WITH SPINACH AND CUCUMBER SALADS

Steps:

• Slice the beef tenderloin thinly and pound each slice with a meat mallet. Season the beef slices with salt and pepper.
• Beat the eggs and pour them into a shallow bowl or baking dish. Put the flour in another shallow dish. Stir the breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning together in a third shallow dish.
• Dip a beef slice in the flour and shake off the excess flour. Then dip in the eggs, then in the bread crumbs and place on a plate. Repeat with all the beef slices.
• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add a few beef slices to the pan and cook until golden brown on each side, about 1 minute per side. Drain the beef slices on paper towels to drain the excess oil. Repeat with all of the beef slices.
• To make the salad: In a bowl, combine the cucumber and onion together. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the lemon and lime juices. Toss to coat and let sit for 5 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine the spinach and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat.
• Lay the beef slices on a platter and top with the spinach and tomatoes and then with the cucumber salad. Serve with Red Hawk Potato Gratin and Sunday Bread.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with softened butter.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute.
• Pour a small amount of the onion-cream mixture on the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Crumble 6-ounces of cheese over the bottom. Layer the potatoes, overlapping them a bit, on top of the cream and cheese. Season with salt, and pepper, to taste.
• Pour more onion-cream mixture on top of potatoes and sprinkle with a handful of grated Parmesan. Top with 6-ounces more of Red Hawk cheese. Repeat this step until all the potatoes and onion-cream has been used up.
• Sprinkle the top of the gratin with the reserved Parmesan cheese. Cover the gratin with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil then bake for 30 to 45 minutes more, or until the cheese on top is golden brown and the gratin in bubbling.
• In a bowl, stir together the water and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• In a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, mix the flour and salt. Pour the yeast into the flour and add the honey. Mix slowly until the mixture is just incorporated and the dough is formed.
• Remove the dough from the mixer and knead by hand on a lightly-floured surface. Knead for 1 minute.
• Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and roll into a loaf shape. With kitchen scissors, or a sharp paring knife, cut 6 notches into the dough at a 45-degree angle. Take one piece of dough and pull it left, the next piece of dough, pull right. Repeat with all pieces until you have a shape that resembles leaves on a branch. Transfer to a baking sheet and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a fork, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and brush the egg wash onto the top of the bread. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, or until golden and baked through.