Beef and Asparagus Puff Pastry Slices

Every month or so, Kevin's office holds a potluck and I always love to test new recipes on them.  :)  The theme this month was soups.  Others in the office already had chosen soups and breads, so I thought I would make something that could be served on the side with them.

I have made this appetizer in another variation for them and it seemed to go well.  The last time, I made it with ham and cheese.  Though it looks like it would be slightly cumbersome to make, it is rather easy to assemble.

The slice roast beef and horseradish sauce are a natural combination that works well together.  The addition of asparagus and Swiss cheese puts this appetizer right where it needs to be.  Amounts used in horseradish sauce are subject to your own tastes.

Going by the two 2-inch squares that were brought home as sacrificed leftovers, I would say everyone enjoyed it~!

Beef and Asparagus Puff Pastry Slices

1  box puff pastry sheets; thawed overnight in the refrigerator
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup creamy horseradish sauce
1 tablespoon horseradish mustard; or dijon will work
salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces sliced roast beef (lunch meat works fine)
12 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 pound asparagus spears; cut into 1-inch pieces and blanched
1 egg; beaten

1.  Lightly flour work surface and first piece of puff pastry.  Roll out to approximately 12x17.  Lay on foiled baking sheet.  Repeat for the second layer and put to side.

2.  Mix the sour cream, horseradish sauce, and mustard in bowl; add salt and pepper to taste.  Spread a thin layer on the puff pastry leaving 1-inch space around edge to seal.  Reserve the remaining sauce for topping when serving.

3.  Add roast beef slices; overlapping slightly to cover the puff pastry.

4.  Scatter the asparagus pieces over the top of the roast beef.

5.  Add Swiss cheese slices; overlapping slightly

6.  Brush the 1-inch edge with beaten egg.  Lay the second piece of puff pastry over the top and press the edges to seal.

7.  Cut a few slits in the top piece of puff pastry for steam to escape.

8.  Brush the top sheet with egg mixture and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes; or until golden brown.

9.  Serve warm or room temperature.  Serve with horseradish cream sauce on the side.

Southern Comfort Bundt Cake

Today, we had some new friends over for the Packer game and an afternoon of cribbage.  The Packers played San Diego so we tried to go with a southern California, mexican theme.  Turkey avocado wraps with a zesty cheese soup was just the thing. 

For some reason, a bundt-type cake always reminds me of fall. So, I started to search the internet for something that would be different enough.  This recipe was found on allrecipes.com.

The addition of Southern Comfort gives this cake an almond-like flavor, spicy flavor.  The cake was made extra moist by the addition of instant vanilla pudding.  The powdered sugar glaze was made with powder sugar, a few tablespoons of Southern Comfort, and a few tablespoons of milk.  Remember to make the glaze thick enough so it is not runny.

Southern Comfort Bundt Cake

1    18.25 ounce package yellow cake mix

1    3.5 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix

4    eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Southern Comfort liqueur

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray one 9-inch bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  Combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, eggs, milk, oil, Southern Comfort and chopped walnuts. Beat for 2 minutes. Then pour batter into the prepared pan.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. 


4.  Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake dish and enjoy.