Oops, I Packed the Pantry!

I've been kind of busy this past month. Moving into a new house leaves little time for fun and fancy cooking. Though you can have 'Pioneer Woman' adventures if you pack everything except a skillet, a knife and a wine opener (the essentials) and live off what's in your fridge! Oops, I packed the pantry!

Seeing as I am still living out of boxes my meals recently have consisted of take-out, restaurant dining and easy re-heatables from my mom and my mother-in-law. So really I'm daydreaming about what I will cook when my new little house is in order. I have a dining room now and am especially looking forward to packing it full with my friends and family. Below I've included two recipes, one I managed to make before the kitchen got packed up and the other, a dish I plan to make as soon as everything kitchen has been set free from their cardboard prisons.

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins with Cider Pan Sauce
Serves 6

ingredients
1 lemon, zest grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper

preparation
1. Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast the tenderloins for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 135 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it's just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with a simple cider pan sauce.

Cider Pan Sauce:
2 cups apple cider
2-4 Tbl cold butter

My cider pan sauce is an easy “recipe” and I air quote recipe because I pretty much wing it. Basically you want to use the pan you’ve been cooking your meat in and while the meat rests make your sauce. Bring the cider to a boil and reduce by half. Lower to a simmer and gradually (by the tablespoon full) swirl in the butter until well incorporated. Sauce should be slightly thick, thinner than a gravy though.


Chicken with Olives, Carmelized Onions and Sage
Serves 8

*Note: This would make a lovely Thanksgiving Day recipe if you want to go with alternate poultry.

ingredients
2 3 1/2- to 3 3/4-pound chickens, each cut into quarters, backbones removed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground corriander
2/3 cup olive oil
1 1/4 pounds white onions, thinly sliced
1 1/4 pounds red onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine, divided
9 large fresh sage leaves
8 large shallots, peeled
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
3 Turkish bay leaves
3 cups assorted brine-cured Mediterranean olives (such as Kalamata and picholine)

preparation
Rinse chicken; pat dry. Arrange on foil. Mix cumin, salt, paprika, and corriander in bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Let stand while preparing onions. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all onions. Sauté until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Mix in honey. Sauté until onions are deep brown, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Tilt skillet, pushing onions toward top and allowing oil to pool at bottom. Set aside 1/3 cup onions for pilaf. Using slotted spoon, spread remaining onions evenly in large roasting pan. Reserve skillet with oil.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Heat oil reserved in skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown chicken, about 5 minutes per side. Arrange chicken, skin side up, in single layer atop onions in roasting pan. Remove skillet from heat.
Add 1/2 cup wine to hot skillet. Let stand until bubbling stops. Add remaining wine. Place skillet over medium-high heat; boil until reduced to 2 cups, scraping up bits, about 9 minutes. Tuck sage, shallots, garlic, and bay leaves among chicken quarters. Sprinkle with pepper. Spoon wine mixture over.
Cover pan tightly with foil and bake chicken 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle olives over chicken. Baste with juices. Return to oven, uncovered, and continue baking until chicken is tender, basting 2 more times, about 35 minutes.
Transfer chicken, vegetables, and olives to platter. Serve with pan juices.