Last night's elegant dinner looks as if I spent hours and hours. The truth is quite the opposite. Everything you see in this post is easy and non-time consuming.
The star of the menu was my Cajun Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Wine Sauce. Let me tell/show you how easy this is to make.
Pork tenderloin is one of the best cuts of meat that you can buy because it is juicy, tender, difficulty to mess up, and very forgiving. I started by coating both tenderloins with a liberal amount of Cajun seasoning (store bought), salt, and pepper. Nothing more. Then I seared them on all sides for just a few minutes in an oven-safe skillet before popping the skillet into a 375 degree oven for 15-25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat read 150 degrees. I took the pan out and removed the meat to a plate, and then I covered with foil to rest. (This step is so important because if you cut the meat immediately, the juices will run out and the meat will be dry. It's the only instance where a pork tenderloin will not be forgiving!)
While the meat rested, I made the sauce in the same pan (being careful not to burn myself on the handle since it just came out of the oven) by deglazing with about a quarter cup of white wine, scraping up all of the brown bits (major flavor). You can also use lemon juice instead of wine. Once the wine had mostly reduced, I added a few tablespoons of Dijon mustard, a half cup of heavy cream, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. After the meat rested, I sliced it and poured over the sauce. EASY enough for anyone to make and impress!
Store-bought crescent rolls are a weakness of mine. They are buttery, flakey, and there is just something about popping the tube open that is always so satisfying! Last night I decided to seriously elevate them by making Garlicky Cheesy Crescent Roll-Ups. I unrolled the dough but instead of separating by the perforations, I took a rolling pin and rolled the entire piece into a rough 14X9 rectangle (it does not have to be perfect). Then I took two heads of roasted garlic* that I had made earlier, squeezed out the garlic and made into a paste with some kosher salt, and spread it all over the dough. Then I added a layer of garlic butter and parmesan cheese.
*Roasted Garlic - Take two heads of garlic, slice the top off to expose the cloves, place on a large piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, seal the foil packets, and roast at 400 degrees for about thirty minutes, or until the cloves are very soft and slightly brown.
I added a layer of fresh prosciutto, mozzarella cheese, and then I rolled it up from the bottom to form a log, trimming off the rough edges. I cut the log in half, and then each half in half twice to make eight equal portions.
I put the rolls, meat/cheese side up into a greased muffin tin, and baked at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until they were golden and puffed. EASY enough for anyone to make!
I don't know about you, but I've never met a rice that I did not love. This next dish may now be one of my absolute favorites - Smoky Red Rice. Smoked ham and smoked paprika are what helps make this so smoky and delicious. I started by sautéing a diced sweet onion with a diced red pepper and ham steak with some salt and pepper in a little canola oil until soft and starting to brown.
Then I added two 6-ounce cans of tomato paste, two tablespoons of smoked paprika, a heaping tablespoon of sugar (to balance the acidity of the tomato paste), a few teaspoons of garlic powder, and two cups of parboiled rice, which I had rinsed thoroughly. The final step was to add two cups of vegetable stock (or any stock, or water) to cover the rice. Then I covered the dish, baked at 350 degrees for thirty minutes before fluffing the rice and cooking for five more minutes. I topped with parsley and served out of the dish. EASY enough for anyone to make!
The flavor was insane!
Finally, it was so hot yesterday so I decided to make Vichyssoise which also sounds fancy, yet is so simple. If you have never tried a cold soup, I highly recommend it. I started by sweating (cooking at low temp to soften) four chopped leeks that had been washed and dried (always full of sand) with a big pinch of salt, and then I added three small peeled and diced russet potatoes. I poured in about a quart of vegetable stock, brought it to a boil, and then simmered, covered for about an hour, or until the potatoes were soft, stirring often.
After that, I used an immersion blender (a regular blender or food processor works too) to puree until smooth. The final step was to add heavy cream, buttermilk, lots of salt and pepper, and then into the fridge. If you are not a fan of cold soup, this is just as delicious hot.
If the soup gets too thick and gloopy in the fridge, you can thin it out with more vegetable stock and/or milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Don't forget to adjust for seasoning. I garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh chives from my garden.
Every good dinner needs a good cocktail and last night was no exception - Red Grape-Strawberry Frozen Sangria. Red seedless grapes, frozen strawberries, a bottle of red wine, a quarter cup of brandy, a big pinch of sugar, and ice cubes. Blend, serve, and garnish with some extra grapes.
Next week, @wegoodatfood hits the road and heads to Seattle and Alaska. While there will not be any cooking, there may be some posts on some of the local cuisine. At the very least, lots of great pictures can be expected!
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