There's Nothing Wrong With a Little Dessert for Dinner

Let's give it up for Amy Quinn ladies and gentlemen.  Her and her uncanny knack for finding the very best recipes on allrecipes.com  I love Amy beause everytime I visit her home, she has prepared a full on, Delsa-inspired meal.  I just love that Amy.

All right now, this particular dinner is a little sweet, but when my friend tried to make the pork with a different side dish, she was met with the disappointed eyes of her husband asking, "What about the coconut rice?"  So trust me, make the pork and the rice.  

MENU

Peppered Pear Salad

Brown Sugar Pork Loin

Coconut Rice

Summer Vegetable Gratin

Rolls  

Peppered Pear Salad

Salad Ingredients

1 large head of Romaine Lettuce

1 to 2 medium sized pears

1/2 cup candied peppered almonds

Candied and Peppered Almond Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup blanched almonds

1/2 T coarse pepper

Almond Instructions

Put sugar into saucepan on high (watch closely).  When sugar just starts to melt, add almonds and pepper.  Stir until almonds toast (pan will smoke, but you must continue to mix and turn the nuts).  Remove from heat when completely toasted and spread out in glass dish to cool.  (Do not oil dish).

Dressing Ingredients and Instructions

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup blue cheese

5 T balsamic vinegar

Brown Sugar Pork Loin

The glaze baby.  The glaze.  When the pork is done cooking, save the glaze and then poor it all over everything.  Everything.  If I keep repeating everything, will it make you do what I say? 

Rub Ingredients:

2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1 t ground cumin

1 t chili powder

1 t cinnamon

2 pork tenderloins (2 1/2 lb. total)

2 TB olive oil

Glaze ingredients:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 TB finely chopped garlic

1 TB tabasco

Prepare pork:

Preheat oven to 350.  Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.  Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat util just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total.  Leave pork in skillet.

Make glaze and roast pork:

Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat on top of each tenderloin.  Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140, about 25 minutes.  Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes.  (Temp will rise to about 155 while standing).

Coconut Rice

It looks like regular rice, it sounds like regular rice, but it sure doesn't taste like regular rice.

Ingredients

1 c jasmine rice

2 c coconut milk

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c milk

Instructions

First rinse the jasmine rice with cold water until your water is clear and not white.  Put the rinsed rice in a medium pan and combine with sugar, milk, coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and then down to low.  Cover and cook for about 25-35 minutes.  Stir rice and milk every 5-10 minutes.  Rice is done when milk is absorbed and rice is tender.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Serve warm.   

Summer Vegetable Gratin

This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated.  I won't lie, it's a little time intensive, but it's good and you can always make it the day before.  

Ingredients

6 T olive oil

1 lb. zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 lb. yellow summer squash, ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 t table salt

1 1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes (3 to 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and sliced thin pole to pole (about 3 cups)

3/4 t ground black pepper

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 T minced fresh thyme leaves

1 large slice white sandwich bread, torn into quarters

2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush 13-by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.

Toss zucchini and summer squash slices with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; transfer to colander set over bowl.  Let stand until zucchini and squash release at least 3 tablespoons of liquid, about 45 minutes.  Arrange slices on triple layer paper towels.  firmly press each slice to remove as muc liquid as possible. 

Place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes.  Place second double layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onions, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and dark golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  Set onions aside. 

Combine garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in small bowl.  In large bowl, toss zucchini and summer squash in half of oil mixture, then arrange in greased baking dish.  Arrange caramelized onions in even layer over squash.  Slightly overlap tomato slices in single layer on top of onions.  Spoon remaining garlic-oil mixture evenly over tomatoes.  Bake until egetables are tender and tomatoes are starting to brown on edges, 40 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, process bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds.  (You should have about 1 cup crumbs.)  Combine bread crumbs, remaining tablespoon oil, Parmesan, and shallots in medium bowl.  Remove baking dish from oven and increase heat to 450 degreees.  Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture evenly on top of tomatoes.  Bake gratin until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with basil and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.  

Dinner To Go

If I know you, and you have had a baby or been sick, chances are good I have brought you this meal. It's easy to make, easy to transfer, and I know you will tell me how wonderful I am after you eat it. No stop, really.

One friend, who shall remain nameless, called me an confessed that after sneaking a bite of the salad, she couldn't stop herself and ate the whole thing before her husband got home. Ha! Made my day. As for the enchiladas, I am going to come right out and say it is my favorite recipe of all time. That's right, you heard me. My favorite of all. Here's the menu.

Menu
Stacked Enchiladas
Fiesta Salad

Stacked Enchiladas

My college roommates may have a feel a wave of nostalgia when they see this picture. Mostly because it was the only thing I knew how to make. So on the rare occasion that I made dinner, this was the masterpiece they got to partake of (if I didn't hog it all to myself that is - I know it's a lot of sour cream, don't judge me).

This just in:  Apparently Ann Arbor's own Kathy Diehl is responsible for tthe blessing of these enchiladas in my life, so a shout out to the RS prez.  

Ingredients:

6 Corn tortillas

2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 (10 oz) can of red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso medium)

2 cups cooked chicken pieces

1 cup sour cream

1/4 c chopped green onions

1 tsp. cumin

Instructions:

Combine sour cream and cumin. Add chicken and green onions and set aside. Dip 1 tortilla into enchilada sauce - don't drain excess. Place tortilla in round casserole dish. Top with 1/6 of the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup of cheese. Repeat layers. Before adding last cheese, pour any remaining enchilada sauce over all. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.