Wonderfully Rich and Flavorful Roasted Red Pepper and Red Wine Sauce

Last nights dishes were fabulous if I say so myself.  I wanted to do something different this week and came up with a winner.  The sauce for the beef was full of flavor and richness.  I could also be used on a London Broil, or some other cut of beef.  Due to the richness of the sauce, I don't think it would pair well with chicken.  I wanted something to serve with the beef that was different and came up with the idea for a savory bread pudding.  When I was shopping for the pudding I was looking for a crusty bread then I saw the dark rich pumpernickel bread and knew that was what I needed to use.  I didn't take the pictures last night but someone else has them.  As soon as I get copies, I will add them to this posting.

Petite Beef cubes in Roasted Red Pepper and Red Wine Sauce

1 ½ lbs lean beef bites

5 Fresh Shitake mushrooms (2-3inch)

3 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

1 pkg More Than Gourmet Red Wine sauce

1 16 oz jar of Roasted Red Peppers

2T Basil Pesto

Add the garlic to a pan and sauté until lightly brown.  Add the beef and cook until nicely browned and the juice is caramelized.  Add 2 oz red wine to the pan and reduce the wine to half it's original volume. Purée the roasted red peppers. Add 1 cup pureed roasted red peppers and one container red wine sauce and cook until it slightly thickens. Add the beef back in to the pan along with the sliced mushrooms and cook on low until the mushrooms are done.  Salt & pepper to taste.  This can be served over the bread pudding (recipe below) or noodles.

Savory Black bread Pudding with vegetables and red pepper and avocado puree

6 slices toasted Pumpernickel bread

3 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

1 ½ c milk

¾ c Romano cheese shredded

2T Basil Pesto

Chopped onion

Garlic

Shitake mushrooms chopped

Fresh spinach

3 small colorful sweet peppers chopped

¾ c Snow peas chopped

Shredded carrots chopped

1 granny smith apple chopped

1 cup pureed roasted red peppers

Sun-dried tomatoes

1 Haas Avocado

To a pan, add olive oil and onions, garlic, peppers, apple, snow peas and carrots.  Cook until tender then remove and set aside.  Add more olive oil to the pan and add the mushrooms, pesto and chopped spinach cook until slightly soft.  Cut the bread into ½ inch pieces and put into a greased  8 or 9 inch baking dish.  Add the vegetables and toss until the mixture is well distributed.

In a separate bowl add the eggs and whisk until mixed.  Add the milk, heavy cream and cheese.  Stir then pour the mixture over the bread and vegetables.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until all the moisture is absorbed.

Sauce

Puree the roasted red peppers and avocado in a food processor until smooth if it needs more moisture use the juice from the peppers. Add 2T basil pesto.  Add Salt & pepper to taste. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes.  Pour over the warm Bread pudding.