Pork Tenderloin - A Quick and Easy Option for Sunday Supper

I grew up with a family that ate a meal together every Sunday.  It wasn't typically fancy, rather, it was usually an "Americanized" version of stir fry with chicken, vegetables, and rice.  But what was important is that everyone in the family came together and shared this communal meal, concluding with watching "60 Minutes" and then going off to our respective favorite places within the house. For those hours leading up to the meal and the time spent sharing, we were a cohesive family unit.

I am a huge fan of the Sunday supper.  In our busy lives, many times on weeknights there is no time to sit down for a meal. This one day gives us the opportunity to connect and share.  To me, I also believe you can make food of love.  My labors on a nice Sunday meal tell my family I care enough to try and to make something special.  In this vein, I tried out two "modern" recipes with traditional heritage-based roots. Many of us grew up having some type of roast - pork, beef, etc. and a potato dish to accompany. Since I'm trying to cook a little lighter and change up the routine a bit, I decided to make a pork tenderloin rubbed with rosemary and garlic plus a version of a layered potato dish called pommes anna made in muffin tins!  It's thinly sliced potatoes, usually fanned out to look pretty.  Definitely something that you would want to make for a holiday.  Since it was made in a muffin tin, talk about portion control!  The first recipe was found in Sunset Magazine and the latter in my November Bon Appetit.  The pork tenderloin hit all the right notes - fresh rosemary and garlic are a perfect pair and some ground cumin adds a citrusy punch. Browned in a pan and baked in the oven, it's literally ready in 30 minutes! Though I didn't use mushrooms in my dish, I have included them in the recipe below.  I will definitely serve mushrooms with this pork next time!

While I would not say the pommes anna was an epic fail, it just didn't wow us.  If I have to slice a bunch of potatoes on a mandoline, THEN mix with butter and fresh thyme, cut little parchment paper circles to ensure they won't stick in the muffin cups, THEN carefully layer them in the individual muffin cups, cook them until they are soft, THEN risk burning myself by having to turn them out and bake more on a sheet pan, it had better be the best version of pommes anna I've ever tasted.

Yeah, not so much.  Oh well, not every recipe will take me to the stratosphere and back. But the pork tenderloin is worth making, whether paired with potatoes and green beans for a Sunday Supper or quick weeknight meal.  This could become a new classic in your kitchen. Happy eating!

Easy and elegant pork with pommes anna and broccoli

Rosemary and Garlic-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms

(adapted from a recipe in Sunset Magazine)
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
8 oz. mixed mushrooms, sliced (baby bella, shitake, button, etc.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut pork tenderloin in half crosswise. Mix garlic, rosemary, cumin, 1/2 tsp. of salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper and rub mixture all over pork. Let rest on the counter while mushrooms start to cook. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms and remaining salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms until they are softened and give off their liquid, around 8 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Add remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil to pan and add pork. Cook, turning as needed, until outside is completely seared, about 3 minutes total.  Scatter mushrooms around pork and place pan in oven.  Roast pork until done the way you like, about 10 minutes for medium (150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).  Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serve with the mushrooms.

Baked Chop Suey Casserole - A Dish the 50's Housewives Loved

With fall temperatures finally here, it's time to return to my Gramma's recipes.  With two hungry boys and a husband, her food was hearty and substantial.  Living in the North where the temperatures were chilly most of the year, this worked well.  Down here, where temperatures stay mild almost all year, it's not as appetizing to eat heavy.  With the return of fall, my taste for vine-fresh tomatoes and cool cucumbers morphs to want more assertive food.

Thumbing through her cookbook, I came across a recipe for baked chop suey,  which is considered an Americanized adaptation of a Chinese dish, but is actually originally attributed to Guangdong Province in China.  I grew up eating a pressure cooker version of chop suey made with pork, but this recipe used ground beef and reminded me of a spicy tofu recipe with a ground pork sauce.  I promise, no tofu in this recipe! :)

I know this recipe had to have originated 30+ years ago since it called for Minute Rice, which made lives easier for a housewife in a hurry.  I have to say, I don't usually have any in the house, preferring traditional rice, BUT I do keep their brown rice in my pantry since regular brown rice takes forever to cook.  I'm in favor of making recipes healthier anyway, so brown Minute Rice it was!  My other concession to the modern cooking era is using super-lean ground beef (96% lean/4% fat) versus my Gramma's typical ground chuck (80% lean/20% fat).  I would also consider adding in sautéed mushrooms, but stuck to the original recipe's canned.

Cooking it was simple - browned ground beef, onions, and celery (chopped water chestnuts would be a great addition as well!), then added in the 50's homage.  This meant canned products - a can of chopped mushrooms (drained), a can of cream of mushroom soup (I use the lighter version), a can of French onion soup, and a soup can of water.  The "authentic" flavor came from the addition of soy sauce.  Before baking at 350 for 1 hour, I added in the rice.

I covered the dish and it came out soupy, but letting it sit after baking for about 30 minutes allowed the rice to absorb the liquid.  I would probably bake it uncovered next time to solve the problem. The verdict?  It's a hearty meal with the Chinese flavors we all love!  Happy eating!

Chow mein noodles and parsley top a hearty casserole

Baked Chop Suey

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup water chestnuts, diced (optional)
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 soup can of water
1 cup Minute Rice brown rice
1/2 package chow mein noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saucepan over medium heat, saute ground beef, onion, and celery until beef is cooked through and vegetables are softened, about 8 - 10 minutes.  Add in mushrooms and water chestnuts (if using).  Cook 2 - 3 minutes more.  Add in the soups, soy sauce and water.  Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.  Mix in the rice and pour the mixture into a large casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes to 1 hour until most all of the liquid is absorbed.  Dish out and top with chow mein noodles.

A Love Letter to Church Society & Community Cookbooks

Dear spiral-bound church and community cookbook collection,

I know that you feel neglected and taken for granted.  I admit, I get seduced by fancy cookbooks from famous authors and Food Network chefs.  In my love for these shiny new objects, I've often put you and your regionally popular recipes aside when searching for something to cook.  And yet, your recipes reflect what people actually EAT around here!  I'm not going to cook a fancy 3-course dinner for my friends (Okay, sometimes I get fancy, but that's the exception).  I'll throw a potluck and make recipes that don't involve bizarre ingredients or 50 different steps.  How else can one feed 30 people on a budget or take people back to the foods they remember from childhood? 

I promise to consult you more often and make recipes that celebrate the unique tastes and styles of the bygone era.  I promise to honor my heritage and enjoy good food with commonly available ingredients.  I promise to learn forgotten recipes and techniques within your yellowed pages.  Thank you for keeping your faith in me all of these years.

Sincerely,

A Wayward Cook