For a Special Dinner
*These recipes were found when I wanted to make John a special dinner for his birthday back in April. He dubbed this as, "probably his favorite meal of all time." I also made these same bread bowls for Mother's Day Lunch with my whole family. They're quite the hit; very simple to prepare & bake.
Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
*Recipe from Epicurious.com which is originally served with baby carrots. I only had green beans on hand, so I substituted those separately from this meal as our vegetable.
Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/4 Pound Pork Tenderloin
*the recipe calls for two, but unless you're cooking for a large group, one tenderloin is enough for a meal and leftover
2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Preparation
Preheat your oven to a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange your pork tenderloin on a rimmed baking sheet (I like to cover mine with foil for easy cleanup).
In a small bowl, stir your oregano, cumin, ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, & one teaspoon coarse salt together; once well mixed, rub the ingredients all over the pork. Heat your olive oil in a large non-stick skillet (we love our Simply Calphalon Griddle Pan) over medium-high heat. Add the pork to your skillet & cook until all sides are browned which should take approximately five minutes. Now return the tenderloin the your rimmed baking sheet.
Roast pork uncovered in the oven for about eighteen minutes (center of pork should register one hundred forty-five degrees on your meat thermometer). Let the pork rest for about five to ten minutes.
Once settled, transfer the tenderloin to a sturdy cutting board, so that you are able to cut crosswise into half inch-thick slices. Place pork on a large platter for serving and drizzle remaining pan juices overtop. Or if you need time to prep the rest of your items or your guests have yet to arrive, place pork back onto rimmed baking sheet in order to keep warm in your oven until you are ready to serve.
Grilled Green Beans
Ingredients
Desired amout of green beans per number of guests you plan to serve
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
Preparation
Place beans on the same griddle pan that you used for the pork (I don't even rinse it in between uses; this way you don't need to add any olive oil or non-stick spray to the pan for your vegetables). Add pepper, salt, and garlic powder to taste as green beans brown on your pan; add more seasoning if making a significantly large batch of beans. Flip & rotate beans until they're as firm & crispy as you like them. If you're not ready to serve these yet then add them to the rimmed baking sheet to warm in your oven with the tenderloin.
Baked Spinach Mini-Bread Bowls
*Recipe from Picky Palate as a suggested Super Bowl Party food which is a great idea. Eat this as an appetizer or with your meal like we did. Makes ten mini-bread bowls.
Ingredients
13.3 oz roll of refrigerated french bread loaf (Simply Pillsbury is best)
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cups Baby Spinach (Coarsely Chopped)
1 Clove Fresh Garlic (Minced)
3 ounces Softened Cream Cheese (I like Phildephia 1/3 less fat)
1/2 Cup Light Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/8 Teaspoon Ancho Chile Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/3 Cup Shredded Mozzerella Cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to three hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. Spray ten muffin cups with non stick cooking spray. Unroll package of french bread loaf & slice into ten equal size slices, about one inch thick. Press each slice into about a three inch round. Press into the bottom & up sides of the muffin cup; set aside prepped pan aside.
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook & stir spinach until wilted, about three minutes then add garlic, cook & stir for another minute then turn heat off.
Place cream cheese, sour cream, cooked spinach & garlic, parmesan cheese, ancho chili powder, garlic salt, salt & pepper into a medium bowl. Mix until well combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dip into each of the centers of bread bowls. Top each bowl evenly with shredded cheese & bake for fifteen to seventeen minutes until just turning brown on edges. Remove and let cool for three to five minutes before removing from oven.
