We had the LDS missionaries over for dinner Monday night, along with Mark's brother Anthony and a friend, Josh. With Mark and me that made 6 for dinner - and I knew time was going to be tight because of work - and we had another obligation that night where we needed to be out of the house by 6:15 p.m.
Here's the menu:
Pork tenderloin
Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes
Gravy
Steamed carrots
Fresh rolls
Chocolate cake
It all came together FAST - literally less than an hour - and tasted great. And we were out of the house by 6:15. Not bad.
Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1/4 cup Dijon whole grain mustard
1 TB dried rosemary (or 2TB fresh)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
4 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
Balsamic vinegar
In a bowl, combine apple juice, mustard, rosemary, garlic, and pepper. Put pork tenderloins in a 1-gallon ziplock bag, add marinade, seal tightly. Place in a bowl in the fridge and marinate at least 3 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally (every 60-90 minutes).
Drain and discard marinade from the meat. Place meat in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. (I used 2 9 x 13-inch pans.) Drizzle roast with balsamic vinegar (about 2 TB total drizzled over the 4 tenderloins). Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until meat reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
NOTE: Don't be alarmed by the amount of mustard in the marinade. I know it sounds like a lot, but the final product doesn't taste like mustard.
Gravy
3 TB vegetable oil
2 TB butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 1/2 cups cold water + additional water if needed
1 1/2 tsp beef base
1 1/2 tsp chicken base
Drippings from baked tenderloins
Heat vegetable oil and butter in saucepan until butter is melted. Add flour and continue to cook and stir about 90 seconds or until mixture is almost starting to brown. Add apple juice and water and stir with a whisk. Add beef base and chicken base. Cook and stir over medium heat until gravy thickens. When the tenderloins are done, add the drippings from the roasting pan(s) to the gravy and stir to incorporate. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more water to desired consistency.
(Cooking tip from a chef: Add COLD liquid to hot roux for lump free gravy. I've never had a problem with it.)
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, white potatoes, or red skinned potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper
Rinse potatoes and cut into chunks. Put potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread in a shallow baking pan (I use the large cookie sheets with a 1" side). Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Stir about half way through baking time.
Diane's Rolls
This is my go-to recipe for rolls in a hurry. They always taste great, they can be put together quickly, and I always have the ingredients. It takes less time to make the rolls and form them than it takes to go to the grocery store. Literally. Let the rolls raise while the meat is cooking, then pop the rolls in the oven while the meat is resting. Wah-la! Fresh rolls for dinner. NOTE: I'm including the instructions for the way I make the rolls using instant yeast. If you just have regular yeast, let me know and I'll send you the standard instructions (or refer to the instructions in the family cookbook).
2 cups very warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4-6 cups flour
2 TB instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
In mixer bowl, add ingredients in order: water, sugar, oil, eggs, 4 cups of flour, and yeast. Mix until smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt and mix to form soft dough. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour or as needed. The dough will be soft. Knead (I use the dough hook on the mixer) for about 5 minutes. Let dough rest 20 minutes. Form dough into 36 rolls and place on baking sheets. Cover with a towel and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
NOTE: I use parchment paper on my baking sheets and spray the parchment with cooking spray. Also, flour amounts and baking times seem to be slightly different in NY than in Utah. I think it may have something to do with the humidity, altitude, and possibly the flour itself. Start wtih the amounts and times listed, and increase if needed.
Chocolate Cake
1 chocolate cake mix, made according to package directions
Before baking the cake, sprinkle with:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
No frosting needed!
I'm estimating the cost for dinner for 6 people at around $20.00.
No comments:
Post a Comment