What was dinner?
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:43 am
My menu from tonight...
Endive/Apple/Walnut/Gorgonzola salad
Sauteed Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Fennel, Orange, and Olives
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Tasty Pinot noir that was purchased on a wine-tasting trip in Solvang
Speckled Creme Brulee
...yep, it was really good. And *mostly* healthy. (Had to plan it that way so the Creme Brulee was acceptable!)
For the salad:
2 tbsp. good balsamic vinegar (I used Fig balsamic)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. walnut oil (or extra light olive oil)
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves (maybe 1/4-1/2 c.)
4 Belgian endives
1 medium eating apple (I used Fuji)
Juice of half a lemon
3/4 c. walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
4 oz. crumbled gorgonzola
Whisk vinegar, salt, oil, honey, and mustard until it comes together... add pepper to taste and set aside.
Place parsley in large bowl. Thinly chop endives, discarding core... add to bowl. Chop apple into quarters, remove core, cut into slices around 1/8" thick, then cut again crosswise... add to bowl. Toss endives and apples with lemon juice (to prevent browning). Add walnuts, gorgonzola, and dressing... toss to coat. Serve.
(YUM)
For the pork:
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into medalions about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
and...
1 more tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium fennel bulb, root end and core removed, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice from one orange (I used a blood orange)
2/3 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 c. pitted green olives, sliced
Heat oil in a large skillet until it shimmers. Add pork in batches... don't crowd. Lightly brown both sides... it takes very little time. Maybe 90 sec. to 2 min. per side. All you want to do is cook it until you don't see any more pink on the outside. Don't worry, it won't be underdone. Put cooked pork on plate, set aside.
Return pan to medium heat and add remaining oil. Add fennel and cook around 2 minutes, until it softens and starts to brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. (Doesn't take long. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC.) Add the orange juice and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the juice cooks down so that it's just glazing the fennel. Increase heat to high. Add chicken broth and any juices accumulated on the pork plate... cook down until it's around the consistency of maple syrup.
Decrease heat to medium. Return pork to pan (all of it), turn over to coat both sides. Stir in orange zest, parsley, and olives. Cook 2 minutes, or until the pork is heated through and the flavors are blended.
Tasty.
For the vegetables:
Carrots and Parsnips, any amount.
Peel carrots and parsnips and cut into whatever size you want, taking care to keep the sizes fairly similar throughout (so everything cooks evenly). Toss on baking sheet with enough olive oil to barely coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper, and a generous amount of herbs de provence (or any other dried herbs you have on hand... basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, etc.) Roast at 350 for 25 minutes... toss the vegies around and turn the pan, roast another 25 minutes or until done.
People love these vegetables. If you've never tried parsnips, you are seriously missing out!!
And now, for the finale...
Speckled Creme Brulee
Note: I had never made Creme Brulee before. It turns out it was REALLY easy to do. Wanna impress someone? Do this. Just don't eat too much of it... RICH
2 1/3 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. half and half
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate shavings
raw/turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 300.
Heat cream, half and half, and vanilla in heavy saucepan until it just comes to a boil. Take pan off heat and set aside to steep for 10 minutes.
Whisk sugar into egg yolks until just combined. SLOWLY whisk hot cream mixture into egg yolks, taking care to whisk well while adding the liquid so as not to cook the eggs. (If you do this slowly, you will slowly increase the temperature of the eggs... they will not curdle.)
Just in case you cook some yolk (and to remove the vanilla bean), strain mixture into large measuring cup. Place 4-6 ramekins in a pan (i used a 13x9 sheet pan) and divide custard among them. Divide chocolate shavings and sprinkle over each ramekin. Add nearly boiling water to the pan, fill to about half-way up the ramekins. Place in oven (carefully) and bake 30-40 minutes. Custard will be just beginning to set along the outside, it will still be jiggly on the inside. It will finish cooking while it cools. Remove ramekins from water bath and let cool for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, wrap each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap... be sure not to let the plastic touch the custard. Place in refrigerator, let chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat broiler. Place ramekins on sheet pan. Cover the top of each custard completely with raw sugar (make sure it's covered but don't make it too thick). Broil for 2 minutes, remove and let sit for 1 minute... serve.
Seriously, it's really really really easy!
Endive/Apple/Walnut/Gorgonzola salad
Sauteed Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Fennel, Orange, and Olives
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Tasty Pinot noir that was purchased on a wine-tasting trip in Solvang
Speckled Creme Brulee
...yep, it was really good. And *mostly* healthy. (Had to plan it that way so the Creme Brulee was acceptable!)
For the salad:
2 tbsp. good balsamic vinegar (I used Fig balsamic)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. walnut oil (or extra light olive oil)
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves (maybe 1/4-1/2 c.)
4 Belgian endives
1 medium eating apple (I used Fuji)
Juice of half a lemon
3/4 c. walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
4 oz. crumbled gorgonzola
Whisk vinegar, salt, oil, honey, and mustard until it comes together... add pepper to taste and set aside.
Place parsley in large bowl. Thinly chop endives, discarding core... add to bowl. Chop apple into quarters, remove core, cut into slices around 1/8" thick, then cut again crosswise... add to bowl. Toss endives and apples with lemon juice (to prevent browning). Add walnuts, gorgonzola, and dressing... toss to coat. Serve.
(YUM)
For the pork:
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into medalions about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
and...
1 more tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium fennel bulb, root end and core removed, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice from one orange (I used a blood orange)
2/3 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 c. pitted green olives, sliced
Heat oil in a large skillet until it shimmers. Add pork in batches... don't crowd. Lightly brown both sides... it takes very little time. Maybe 90 sec. to 2 min. per side. All you want to do is cook it until you don't see any more pink on the outside. Don't worry, it won't be underdone. Put cooked pork on plate, set aside.
Return pan to medium heat and add remaining oil. Add fennel and cook around 2 minutes, until it softens and starts to brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. (Doesn't take long. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC.) Add the orange juice and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the juice cooks down so that it's just glazing the fennel. Increase heat to high. Add chicken broth and any juices accumulated on the pork plate... cook down until it's around the consistency of maple syrup.
Decrease heat to medium. Return pork to pan (all of it), turn over to coat both sides. Stir in orange zest, parsley, and olives. Cook 2 minutes, or until the pork is heated through and the flavors are blended.
Tasty.
For the vegetables:
Carrots and Parsnips, any amount.
Peel carrots and parsnips and cut into whatever size you want, taking care to keep the sizes fairly similar throughout (so everything cooks evenly). Toss on baking sheet with enough olive oil to barely coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper, and a generous amount of herbs de provence (or any other dried herbs you have on hand... basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, etc.) Roast at 350 for 25 minutes... toss the vegies around and turn the pan, roast another 25 minutes or until done.
People love these vegetables. If you've never tried parsnips, you are seriously missing out!!
And now, for the finale...
Speckled Creme Brulee
Note: I had never made Creme Brulee before. It turns out it was REALLY easy to do. Wanna impress someone? Do this. Just don't eat too much of it... RICH
2 1/3 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. half and half
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate shavings
raw/turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 300.
Heat cream, half and half, and vanilla in heavy saucepan until it just comes to a boil. Take pan off heat and set aside to steep for 10 minutes.
Whisk sugar into egg yolks until just combined. SLOWLY whisk hot cream mixture into egg yolks, taking care to whisk well while adding the liquid so as not to cook the eggs. (If you do this slowly, you will slowly increase the temperature of the eggs... they will not curdle.)
Just in case you cook some yolk (and to remove the vanilla bean), strain mixture into large measuring cup. Place 4-6 ramekins in a pan (i used a 13x9 sheet pan) and divide custard among them. Divide chocolate shavings and sprinkle over each ramekin. Add nearly boiling water to the pan, fill to about half-way up the ramekins. Place in oven (carefully) and bake 30-40 minutes. Custard will be just beginning to set along the outside, it will still be jiggly on the inside. It will finish cooking while it cools. Remove ramekins from water bath and let cool for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, wrap each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap... be sure not to let the plastic touch the custard. Place in refrigerator, let chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat broiler. Place ramekins on sheet pan. Cover the top of each custard completely with raw sugar (make sure it's covered but don't make it too thick). Broil for 2 minutes, remove and let sit for 1 minute... serve.
Seriously, it's really really really easy!
