Serves 4

For the mushrooms:
4 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz. small button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup Madeira
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced

For the puree:
2 cups baby arugula
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, slightly crushed

For the beef:
4 beef tournedos (6 oz. each)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

To serve:
Wilted spinach
Oven crisp potatoes
*Recipes follow

To make mushrooms, put the porcini mushrooms in a saucepan with the madeira and bring to boil. Simmer until the wine is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the cream and slowly bring to a boil. Add the salt and pepper and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. in the meantime, saute button mushrooms in butter and oil with shallot until golden. Drain porcini mixture through a fine strainer, reserving the porcini mushrooms. Roughly chop all of the mushrooms and return to strained mixture. (Mushrooms can be made several hours in advance. Lay saran wrap on top of mixture to prevent it from getting a “skin”). Make the arugula puree by placing all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Cover puree until ready to use. Brush the beef with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Saute them in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest 10 minutes. While beef rests, steam the spinach.

To serve: Slice the mignons in half horizontally. Place the bed of steamed spinach on plate. Put one beef disc on top of spinach, spoon warmed
mushrooms mixture over it and then place second mignon disc. Surround with potato crisps (to look like a flower) and arugula puree.

Oven Crisp potatoes: 2- 29oz cans whole new potatoes - 1 stick butter - Salt and pepper, to taste

Open cans of potatoes and drain thoroughly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise and place in large metal baking pan in a single layer. Dot potatoes generously with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 450 degrees oven about one hour until crisp and browned. Check after 30 minutes and turn potatoes to brown evenly.

Wilted Spinach: 2 lbs. fresh spinach

Discard and yellow or rotting leaves from the spinach and remove any long stems. Rinse spinach with water, the shake off excess. Put the spinach, with water clinging to the leaves, in a heavy pan (not aluminum). Cover and cook over medium heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain excess water and serve.