The Menu
Sauteed Pork with Garlicky Spinach
The Reluctant Gourmet's Basic Mustard Vinaigrette
PARMESAN POTATO GRATIN
MINI COCOA CAKES
The Recipes
Sauteed Pork with Garlicky Spinach
Serves 4.
4 boneless pork chops, ½-inch thick
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
About 4 cups ready-to-cook baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add pork.
Cook 3 minutes, turn, add garlic to the pan and cook 3 more minutes. Remove to individual plates.
Salt and pepper cooked sides. Remove skillet from heat and add spinach and vinaigrette. Toss well. The leaves should be warmed but still firm. Spoon over pork.
The Reluctant Gourmet's Basic Mustard Vinaigrette
http://www.reluct antgourmet.com/mustard_vinaigrette.htm
1 glove of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5-6 tablespoons oil (vegetable, corn, canola, olive or some combination)
pinch of dried parsley
pinch of dried thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a clean jar or small bowl, add the vinegar, garlic, mustard and mix well. Slowly add the olive oil while either whisking or stirring rapidly with your fork. Add the parsley and thyme, salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings.
Simple, you bet, but this straightforward recipe will blow away any store bought salad dressing on the market. Start experimenting with your own ingredients and you will have Paul Newman getting nervous.
PARMESAN POTATO GRATIN
Makes 4 servings of potatoes.
1 pound potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbs each chopped shallots or onions and butter
1 tsp tarragon, chopped
1 tbs chives, chopped
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp each garlic powder and dry mustard
1 1/4 cups each heavy cream and low sodium chicken broth
HEAT oven to 375ºF.
In skillet, cook shallots in butter 1 minute or until tender. Stir in cream, broth, garlic powder, and mustard, bring to a boil. Add potatoes and salt. Reduce heat, cook 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add cheese, chives and tarragon.
SPOON potato mixture into greased 2 quart oven safe baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with tarragon or chives, if desired.
SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
MINI COCOA CAKES
Makes 8 servings of cakes.
3 egg whites
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 egg yolks
3 tbs safflower oil
HEAT oven to 400ºF. Grease 8 ramekins.
In bowl, combine applesauce, oil, vanilla and yolks and 1/4 cup brown sugar until blended.
IN SEPARATE BOWL, whisk together flour, cocoa and baking soda, stir into applesauce mixture. Beat egg whites, salt and remaining brown sugar until stiff peaks form.
FOLD into flour mixture. Divide batter among 8 greased ramekins, place on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until done. Let cool 1 minute. Remove cakes from pans. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired, THEN SERVE.
Sauteed Pork with Garlicky Spinach
The Reluctant Gourmet's Basic Mustard Vinaigrette
PARMESAN POTATO GRATIN
MINI COCOA CAKES
The Recipes
Sauteed Pork with Garlicky Spinach
Serves 4.
4 boneless pork chops, ½-inch thick
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
About 4 cups ready-to-cook baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add pork.
Cook 3 minutes, turn, add garlic to the pan and cook 3 more minutes. Remove to individual plates.
Salt and pepper cooked sides. Remove skillet from heat and add spinach and vinaigrette. Toss well. The leaves should be warmed but still firm. Spoon over pork.
The Reluctant Gourmet's Basic Mustard Vinaigrette
http://www.reluct antgourmet.com/mustard_vinaigrette.htm
1 glove of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5-6 tablespoons oil (vegetable, corn, canola, olive or some combination)
pinch of dried parsley
pinch of dried thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a clean jar or small bowl, add the vinegar, garlic, mustard and mix well. Slowly add the olive oil while either whisking or stirring rapidly with your fork. Add the parsley and thyme, salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings.
Simple, you bet, but this straightforward recipe will blow away any store bought salad dressing on the market. Start experimenting with your own ingredients and you will have Paul Newman getting nervous.
PARMESAN POTATO GRATIN
Makes 4 servings of potatoes.
1 pound potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbs each chopped shallots or onions and butter
1 tsp tarragon, chopped
1 tbs chives, chopped
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp each garlic powder and dry mustard
1 1/4 cups each heavy cream and low sodium chicken broth
HEAT oven to 375ºF.
In skillet, cook shallots in butter 1 minute or until tender. Stir in cream, broth, garlic powder, and mustard, bring to a boil. Add potatoes and salt. Reduce heat, cook 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add cheese, chives and tarragon.
SPOON potato mixture into greased 2 quart oven safe baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with tarragon or chives, if desired.
SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
MINI COCOA CAKES
Makes 8 servings of cakes.
3 egg whites
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 egg yolks
3 tbs safflower oil
HEAT oven to 400ºF. Grease 8 ramekins.
In bowl, combine applesauce, oil, vanilla and yolks and 1/4 cup brown sugar until blended.
IN SEPARATE BOWL, whisk together flour, cocoa and baking soda, stir into applesauce mixture. Beat egg whites, salt and remaining brown sugar until stiff peaks form.
FOLD into flour mixture. Divide batter among 8 greased ramekins, place on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until done. Let cool 1 minute. Remove cakes from pans. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired, THEN SERVE.
