dinner tonight – Page 4 – From My Table…to Yours

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

So, I was watching the “The Next Food Network Star” marathon a couple of weekends ago, and… stop. Yes, I watch all sorts of stupid reality TV shows, even ones as insipid as this. I wish I could use my obsession with food and cooking as an excuse, but I really can’t. The ‘chefs’ on this show are terrible! They overcook eggs, and over-salt their food. They burn the pine nuts and undercook their pork. I am no professional chef, but I swear I could do better than these goons.

Which brings me to this dinner. On one episode, a 19 year-old crybaby just out of culinary school made his ‘signature’ roast pork tenderloin, which was a super-simple preparation that looked pretty good. Pork + more pork = goodness. However, the challenge required the ‘chefs’ to put together a beauty shot for the camera, which would showcase their presentation skills. The pork he put up was dark red — raw as all get-out. Now, I am no proponent of cooking your pork until it is white and feels like sawdust in your mouth, but you just can’t serve it raw — sorry to tell you, boy.

However, the idea stuck with me. Pork + pork. Yessss…. it could work…. (insert rubbing of the hands and shifty eyeball look). So I went to the store, grabbed some pork and more pork, and cooked it up. Mine was really, really good. Therefore, I dub myself “The Next Food Network Star.” I already have a show title: “From My Table to Yours” and an angle – I make the same dishes as other chefs, just better. Enh… maybe I’d rather spend my time on the couch and criticizing from a distance, without the hot lights, time limits, and high-definition cameras zooming in on my pores.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
(serves 4)

One pork tenderloin
1/4 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto
olive oil
1/2 c. white wine or vermouth
1/2 c. chicken stock
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage (or to taste)
2 tsp. butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Dry the surface of the pork tenderloin with paper towels. If your butcher has not already done so, take your slices of prosciutto and lay them on a long piece of plastic wrap or wax paper, overlapping the slices along the long edge. Space the slices of prosciutto so that when they are all laid out, they form a rectangle that is the same length as the pork tenderloin. Place the pork tenderloin at one end, perpendicular to the direction of the prosciutto slices, like so:

Use the plastic wrap to press the slices of prosciutto into the tenderloin, and to tightly wrap the pork up fully, like so:

pork-wrapped If you have the time, refrigerate the pork like this, in the plastic wrap, with the ends of proscuitto underneath the weight of the pork, for 30 minutes or more.

Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Place the pork in the hot pan, preferably placing the side where the ends of the prosciutto slices meet down first. Let cook on this side approximately 5-7 minutes or until a nutty brown color. Turn to cook the other side for another 5-7 minutes.

Pork in the pan

With the first cooked side facing down again, place the whole pan with the pork in the oven again. Roast until the internal temperature of the pork is 140 degrees, approximately 25 minutes. Let the pork rest on a cutting board, under foil, for 10 minutes before slicing. This will allow the pork to finish cooking, and the juices to redistribute.

Meanwhile, take the pan with the pork drippings to the stove and place over medium heat. Add the wine and stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Let the wine reduce to a syrupy consistency, then add the chicken stock. Stir and reduce for approximately 3 minutes. Add the chopped sage and the butter, stirring until melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Slice the pork and serve with the pan sauce.

pork-plated

Orzo to Make You Say “YES!”

Cheesy Orzo

When RJ proposed to me in June of 2007, I was blown away. Not completely surprised, but quite overcome with the enormity of the step we were taking. He brought me out to the southern most point of the beach in the town where we met. The sun was just beginning to set and the ocean was in our ears when he asked me to be his wife. I just happen to have a painting of the moment (my wedding present to him) if you’d like a visual:

painting

After I said yes and started crying, etc. etc. we went out to dinner. The idea was to enjoy a few moments together before we started calling all of our friends and family. But I was so excited and nervous that it was very difficult for me to concentrate on food. I could barely hold my champagne flute steady! I had ordered the Chicken Statler, and though the chicken was good, I merely picked at it. The orzo on the side, however, was a different story. Despite my shaky mental state, I devoured it! On the menu it was called “Asiago Mac and Cheese” and with those clues, I resolved to recreate the dish in my own kitchen. And every time I do, I am taken back to that wonderful night – and to the memory of the proposal too!

Asiago Mac and Cheese (or Cheesy Orzo Risotto)
Serves 3-4

Toasting orzo 3 c. home-made chicken stock (you can, of course, use the box or can from the grocery, but for the best version of this dish, you have to use the rich, home-made stuff)
2 Tbs. butter
1 large or 2 small shallots, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
2 c. dried orzo pasta
3/4 c. grated asiago cheese (you can substitute parmesan, or a mixture of the two, for a slightly different flavor)

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a separate medium to large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic, stirring to coat. Cook 3-5 minutes, allowing the shallots to become translucent and fragrant. If they begin to brown, turn down the heat.

Add the pasta and stir to coat with the butter. Allow pasta to toast for about one minute. Pour in the simmering chicken broth, and stir to combine. Over medium high heat, boil the orzo in the chicken broth according to the orzo package’s cooking instructions (usually around 10 minutes). If, after that time, the orzo is tender but the stock has not completely absorbed into the pasta, drain what is left of the liquid from the pot (it doesn’t have to be completely dry, though. I usually just tip the pot and drain the excess – holding the pasta back with a slotted spoon – rather than using a colander). Stir in the grated cheese, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have reached a taste and consistency that works for you.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Now that we have the cake and the cookies and the other holiday indulgences past us, I thought it time for one of those ‘right-healthy-like’ meals. The kind that come together easy and don’t sit like a rock in your stomach for days. Something that feels good for you without seeming to be a sacrifice. As I wrote that sentence, I asked myself if shrimp, the featured protein in this dish, was actually healthy. Sometimes I think something is healthy, and then find out it is terrible for me. Quite a let down.

Thankfully, however, shrimps are as they appear – low in calories – and even have a little bit of hidden goodness – rich supplies of selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 (all nutrients that are often deficient in the US diet). I think that’s why this tasted so good. Right!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo, from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

(Serves 4)

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 tsp. salt, plus additional as needed
1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 c. dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves
3 Tbs. chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil leaves

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve over cooked pasta.

Carmelized Onion and Brie Stuffed Chicken

Brie Stuffed Chicken

chick-onions Since my last chicken post was kind of a bust (no offense, honey, it just wasn’t really a recipe. And besides no one can fry those Tyson tenders like you can – it can’t be taught!), I have a really really good one for you today. This recipe was given to me by a friend who is taking a Healthy Cooking class out in Brookline, MA. She shared with me some of the dishes she had already made, and I of course weeded through all the really healthy ones with such forbidden items as vegetables, tofu, and whole wheat flour, to find the only one my husband would eat. And, boy, did he ever! We are huge fans of this recipe, even more so when I have caramelized onions already on hand to make this even easier! In fact, may I recommend to all of you that you always have some caramelized onions on hand? They are great for stirring into risotto, topping on baked potatoes, adding to an omelette, layering into a vegetable gratin, incorporating into hors d’oeuvres or for any number of other possibilities. And they do keep, especially if you freeze them this way.

Pounded Chicken Breasts In any case, this dish just really tastes good. I’ve made it with both grocery store President-brand brie and with the really good Brie de Nangis that my local cheese shop, Joppa Fine Foods, regularly stocks. The good stuff does make for a richer and more flavorful result, but if you don’t have access to any, the grocery brands work fine. Also, if pounding out chicken doesn’t sound all that fun to you, I would guess that you could make this recipe by cutting a deep slit into the side of a chicken breast (but not through to the other side) parallel to the cutting board, and stuffing the cheese mixture inside that way. Close up the slit with a toothpick and proceed with the recipe. You might not get quite as much filling, but it is more exciting than straight chicken!

Brie and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Chicken Breast, adapted from Cooking Light May 1997

Onions and Wine 1 Tbs. and 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 c. sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white wine or dry vermouth
2 oz. Brie, cut into small pieces
1 Tbs. fresh sage, chopped finely
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1/2 tsp. olive oil in large oven-proof pan (meaning no plastic handles) over medium heat, add sliced onion and cook 3 minutes, until browned. Add sliced garlic and saute until golden brown. Stir in 1/3 cup white wine and cook five minutes or until liquid is evaporated.

Filled Chicken Spoon onion mixture into bowl and let cool. Once cooled, stir in Brie, sage and salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, place one chicken breast into a large plastic bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin or heavy sauce pan, using firm glancing blows, until chicken is approximately 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with all of the chicken breasts. Salt and pepper each piece to taste.

Place a dollop of stuffing mixture onto the chicken, roll up and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. In the same skillet you used for the onions, add a bit more olive oil, and brown the chicken roll-ups on all sides.

Put the whole pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. At this point, you can dig in and enjoy, or you can remove the chicken from the pan, and pour into the pan about a 1/2 cup of white wine and some minced garlic, stirring to pull up the browned bits. As it starts to get thicker, stir in a couple teaspoons of butter, then pour over the chicken for a nice and easy sauce.

chicken-final-2