Category Archives: Entertaining

Desserts, Entertaining, Grains and pulses, Middle Eastern food, Pork

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin on Grape Tomatoes, Middle Eastern Couscous with Saffron, Green Beans, and Lemon Bars

Regretfully, I forgot to take a picture of this dish. Trust me, it looks as good as it tastes. The colors are amazing. Frankly, it smelled too good for me to wait even 5 minutes to snap a blog-suitable photo of it. So you get a picture of dessert instead, taken at leisure after dinner was finished.

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite meats to cook. It cooks quickly, stays tender, and can be used in a variety of dishes. Though I try to keep a tenderloin in my freezer for quick weeknight dinners, this stuffed preparation would make an impressive dinner party offering. No one will guess how easy it is to make. For the green beans, simply boil or steam them for a few minutes until they are tender.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin on Grape Tomatoes
adapted from More Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin

Serves 4

4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 bunch (about 12 oz/340 g) fresh spinach, washed, dried and stems removed
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large pork tenderloin (about 1 1/2 lb/680 g)
about 3/4 cup (90 g) grated cheddar cheese
1 box grape tomatoes (about 12 oz/340 g)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over a high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach, pushing it down into the skillet, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a medium heat for about 1 1/2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Remove the lid and cook, uncovered, until the liquid from the spinach has evaporated. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool.

Trim the tenderloin of any fat and silver skin. To butterfly the tenderloin for stuffing, lay it flat on the cutting board so one end is close to you and the other end is near the top of the board. Holding your knife so the blade is parallel to the board, cut through the long side of the tenderloin, stopping when you are about 1/2 inch from the other side. Turn the tenderloin so the uncut side is closest to you and make another parallel cut below the first one, again stopping about 1/2 inch before you reach the other side. Open up the butterflied tenderloin and pound it a little to extend it to about 12 inches long by 7 inches wide.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Arrange half the spinach mixture down the center of the butterflied tenderloin and top with the cheese. Add the rest of the spinach, fold in the sides, and roll the tenderloin back and forth to evenly distribute and encase the filling. Wrap 4 pieces of kitchen twine, each 6 to 7 inches long, around the tenderloin to secure the stuffing inside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet. Sprinkle the outside of the tenderloin with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Place the tenderloin carefully in the skillet and brown it, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Bake the tenderloin in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, when it will be slightly pink in the center. Carefully remove the kitchen twine from the tenderloin. Transfer the tenderloin to a plate, cover, and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the tomatoes (the pork will continue to cook as it sits).

Add the tomatoes and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper to the skillet in which you browned the tenderloin and sauté over high heat for 2 minutes, until just softened. Divide among 4 warm plates. Slice the tenderloin crosswise into 8 medallions and arrange 2 slices in the middle of the tomatoes on each plate. Serve.

***

Middle Eastern Couscous with Saffron
adapted from More Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin

Serves 4

2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup (about 20 g) pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron pistils
1 1/2 cups (225 g) Israeli couscous
1 3/4 cups (415 ml) chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat and add the onion, pine nuts, and saffron. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the couscous and mix well. Add the stock, salt, and pepper, mix well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes longer to dry the grains and make them fluffy.

***

Lemon bar

Lemon Bars
from Gourmet, March 1999

makes 24 bars

These bar cookies will keep, covered and chilled, for 3 days.

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup/170 g) unsalted butter
2 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (340 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175 ml) fresh lemon juice (I used the juice from 2 lemons and 2 limes)
1/3 cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Cut the butter into 1/2‑inch pieces. In a food processor, process all ingredients until the mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle the mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2‑inch baking pan and with a metal spatula press evenly onto the bottom. Bake the shortbread in the middle of the oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

While the shortbread is baking, prepare the topping. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until combined well, then stir in the lemon juice and flour. Pour the lemon mixture over the hot shortbread. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) and bake in the middle of the oven until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan and cut into 24 bars. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the bars before serving.

Beef, Entertaining, Grains and pulses, Middle Eastern food, Miscellaneous, Salads

Beef Kofta Kabobs, Tzatziki, Tabouli Salad, and Vegetables in Foil

This menu is best suited for a weekend or other day off work as you will need to start the kofta and tabouli a few hours before serving. I love to make this on a Sunday and then have leftover tabouli salad for lunch the next day with pita. A food processor will cut down on the prep time immensely, especially for chopping the parsley. A special thanks to my aunt-in-law, Holly Fortier, for her fabulous tabouli salad recipe. It has become one of our favorite dishes.

Beef Kofta Kebabs
adapted from Food Network Kitchens Cookbook

Serves 4

4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1 lb (450 g) ground beef chuck or lamb
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil, for brushing the grill

Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste (or crush in a mortar and pestle). Mix the paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt with the meat, onion, parsley, and spices.

Divide the meat mixture into 6 rough balls. Mold each piece around the pointed end of a skewer (if you use wooden ones, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading them), making a 6‑inch oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. Lay the skewers on the pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Heat a grill pan over a medium heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Working in batches, grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until brown all over and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki and pita.

***

Tzatziki

Makes about 2 1/2 cups (600 ml)

4 cups (960 ml) plain yogurt (whole milk preferably) or 2 cups(480 ml) Greek-style yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved, and seeded
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

If using regular yogurt, line a colander with cheesecloth. Put the yogurt in it, set it over a bowl, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Discard the expressed liquid and put the yogurt in the bowl. This will create a Greek-style yogurt.

Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into another bowl. Using a rasp or other fine grater, grate the garlic into the cucumber. Alternatively, make a paste of the garlic by smashing the garlic, sprinkling with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mashing the mixture to a coarse paste (or crush in a mortar and pestle). Stir the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper into the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

***

Holly’s Tabouli

Serves 8

1 cup (190 g) bulghar wheat
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon and/or lime juice
1 teaspoon crushed, fresh garlic
1/2 cup (20 g) chopped scallions (include greens)
1/4 cup (60 ml) good olive oil
1 cup, packed (20 g) freshly chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 14 oz (400 g) can garbanzo beans, drained
feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish, about 1/2 cup (60 g)
Kalamata olives, for garnish, about 1/2 cup (225 g)

Combine the bulghar, boiling water, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes or until the bulghar is chewable and the water is mostly absorbed.

Add the lemon juice, garlic, scallions, olive oil, parsley, and black pepper and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Just before serving, add the tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Garnish with feta and black olives.

***

Vegetables in Foil

Serves 6

We throw vegetables on the grill all summer long in foil packets. It’s quick and cleaning up is a breeze. Feel free to experiment with other vegetables. Mushrooms are an especially nice addition.

1 zucchini
1 summer squash
1 onion
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the outdoor grill.

Cut the zucchini and summer squash lengthwise then slice into half moons (about 1/2 centimeter thick). Peel and slice the onion into thin half moons (about 1/4 centimeter thick). Cut the bell pepper into 1/2 centimeter-wide strips. Place the vegetables onto aluminum foil (preferably heavy-duty foil). You will need enough foil to completely wrap up the vegetables, about 18 inches or so.

Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Crimp together the foil over the vegetables, starting with the short sides then folding over the long sides. You will end up with a rectangular-shaped packet. The foil should be secure enough to remain closed throughout the grilling process.

Place the foil packet on the grill and cook over indirect heat for about 10 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the vegetable slices and the heat of the grill). If vegetables are not tender, reclose the foil packet and cook for a few more minutes.