Good Morning, everyone! I hope all of you had a lovely weekend, and if you live in the Northeast like we do - I hope you all survived this little heat wave. It's the week after a holiday weekend, which means nothing is ever on sale that is "fantastic", so we opened the freezer, defrosted a pork tenderloin, and went to work on an easy, delicious menu that everyone will love! (And we officially welcome our good friend, Bobby Flay, to summertime again! We love cooking his recipes, so prepare to see a slew of them going forward!)
Cocktail - Pineapple Cocktail
Vodka, pineapple juice, cointreau, lime juice, splash of amaretto. Delicious! (If you use vanilla vodka, by the way, and a little heavier on the amaretto - you may a Pineapple Upside Down Cake Martini... just saying.) And don't forget that sugared rim!!!
Appetizer - Cold Cucumber-Avocado Soup
Make it in advance, let it sit in the fridge, and you are good to go! Jennifer made this in the morning, and at first thought it was fantastic without the sour cream. She went back and forth on whether adding it would ruin the flavor - so she compromised and added "light" sour cream, and only half of what was required. It made a huge difference! Rich, creamy, decadent! A perfect cold soup for a hot day!
Appetizer Wine - 2012 Aime Roquesante Rose
This French rose is great for summer drinking! It's a light salmon color, with a nose of grass and mineral. On the tongue, it has savory and sweet fruit, but its full-bodied with a refreshing acidity. Lovely drinking wine!
Entree - Grilled Chile-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Tamarind-Pineapple BBQ Sauce and Fried Onion Rings
I know what you're thinking. Oh, geez... Bobby Flay recipe. Break out the grocery list and stock up on the spices, this is going to be a long day of cooking. NO! This was disgustingly easy. (And yes, we absolutely chose it because of the fried onions rings.) Let's talk pork first. Do nothing to it. Let it hang out in the fridge, and then right before cooking, just rub a little ancho chile powder on it. We chose to grill it, by the way, but that's personal preference. The BBQ sauce - make it in advance. I did all the parts and then brought it to John&Jenn's house, let it sit in a sauce pan and reduced it another half hour. The reducing is necessary! It needs to thicken and develop the flavor. The onion rings - let them soak in the buttermilk for a few hours. Then light dusting of flour and drop them in the deep fryer. Perfection! We did a simple salad on the side for color and palate cleansing with a little pineapple balsamic vinaigrette that Jenn whipped up using what was lying around. Delicious, easy meal!
Entree Wine - 2011 Trumpeter Cabernet Sauvignon
This Argentinian red was a lovely wine! It had aromas of juicy fruit and berries, and a hint of vanilla, oak, and cocoa on the finish. It was well-structured with light tannins and a rich flavor. Not a "heavy" cabernet like some, but a nice one meant for lighter food and outdoor dining!
Dessert - Mini Pineapple Cakes
Look how cute it is!!! We added some coconut gelato (from last week) and it was perfection! These little cakes were moist, full of flavor, and delicious! Do keep in mind - this recipe does not call for enough of the pineapple. As written, we only were able to make 4 "good" cakes with lots of pineapple as you see here. So if you are making for a crowd, I suggest doubling up!
Aperitif - Pineapple Coconut Wine Smoothie
Our friend Glenn gave these to John and Jenn as a gift - so I can't tell you where to find them, but they are awesome. It's a mixture of wine, cocoa, and natural flavors. If you ever find these along your travels - grab!!
So overall, a satisfying meal that will please any palate! We hope you enjoy and we are excited to kick off the summer with some fantastic food! Next week is special! My teller line is coming back for another CS dinner, and we are super excited! We're doing build your own pizzas - tons of sauces, toppings, etc!
Next Week - Rotisserie
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