Asian Pork Tenderloin with Spinach and Sugar Snap Peas

 

"What's for dinner?"

 

When strung together, those three words can strike terror into my heart.

Sometimes I just don't know what to cook.

 

Does that every happen to you?

 

Do you flip through old magazines, hoping a recipe will catch your fancy?

 

 

One rainy day, while watching Food Network, I was fascinated by the way Chef Anne Burrell put together a sublime dish--grilled pork tenderloin with an Asian marinade and a mirepoix of spinach and sugar snap peas.

By the time she'd plated the food, I'd already made a grocery list.

Asian Pork Tenderloin with a Spinach and Sugar Snap Pea Mirepoix

 

                                                               Source: Chef Anne Burrell,  Food Network.

 

Marinade:

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

fresh ginger -- 1-inch, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

Zest of 1 orange

 

Main Dish:

2 to 4 lb pork tenderloin

2 tablespoons coriander seeds (ground)

 

Mirepoix:

1 lb fresh sugar snap peas

1/2 pound baby spinach

1 scallion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1-inch piece of ginger, chopped

 

Optional:

(my addition) 1 box Thai kitchen's Pad Thai Noodle Kit

 

Prepare marinade by combining first 6 ingredients. Place pork in a deep bowl

and add marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 hours.

Remove meat (reserve marinade) and sprinkle coriander over the pork.

Pour marinade into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reducing liquid somewhat.

As Chef Anne says, the liquid absolutely must be boiled vigorously (read her recipe HERE). I was a bit scared at this point, but the aromas from the pan soon calmed me down.

 

Remove pan from heat and set aside. This will be the sauce for the pork.

 

Prepare the grill.

Add pork to rack and sear on all sides. Scoot the meat to the edge of the grill and continue cooking. Chef Anne advised 7 to 10 minutes. But I just had to cook it a bit longer because I am chicken when it comes to pork.

 

Remove tenderloin from grill and let it "rest" for at ten minutes or so.

Meanwhile, remove stems from the sugar snap peas. 

Remove stems from spinach.

 

You'll need:

Sea salt (or Kosher salt)

Ice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger

1 scallion, sliced

 

Put salt and ice in a large bowl and set aside. This is your "water bath" to blanch the peas.

Place peas in a pan and boil for 4 minutes. Put peas in water bath. Remove peas, drain, and set aside.

 

Coat a pan with EVOO and add ginger, garlic, and scallions. Sautee until the scallions are soft and translucent. Add sugar snaps, tossing in the seasoned oil. Add spinach and keep tossing until the spinach wilts.

Remove from heat.

 

Prepare noodles. I only followed the 1st step of the directions, eliminating the egg, etc. I cooked the noodles, drained them, and returned noodles to the pot. Add Thai sauce and mix.

 

Slice the pork, arranging it on the mirepoix of spinach, sugar snaps, and noodles.

 

Drizzle with (boiled/reduced) marinade.

 



It sounds complicated. A hand-wringing sort of meal.

But it's really easy.

The fragrant marinade will wing its way from the grill to your kitchen, scenting the air with ginger.  Best of all, for at least twelve hours, you won't have to face the age-old question:

What's for supper?

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The Legend of the Villa della Luna

 

 The Novel Bakers have been busy this week.

On Monday, the NB were in southern France, exploring a tucked-away farmhouse called Pistoulet.

 

Today, we  packed up our pots and pans and visited Villa della Luna in Italy.

Villa Della Luna is the sequel to Pistoulet.

 

It opens after Mademoiselle J. has left the farmhouse in southern  France and has traveled to Paris.

She still has moments of melancholy.

(But who doesn't?)
 

A visit to a tea room brings a glimpse into her future and news of another unexpected journey.

 

She has been invited to Italy, but she will need her passport.

 

 

 

And she needs another cup of rose tea to settle her mind. 

Can she muster the energy to pack her bags again?

If she can't find joy in Paris, why would she find it in Italy?

 

Maybe she should stay home and eat chocolate.

When a woman is sad or hurt,

her heart can resemble a turtle's shell.

Hard.

A bit cumbersome.

Impossible to remove without causing discomfort.



 

It's been said that our thoughts--positive and negative--can literally rewire our brains.

 

We will live longer and be happier if we train ourselves to look for silver linings.

 

Sometimes we must travel within.

 

Sometimes a change in geography will set off an inner change.

 





Mademoiselle arrives at Villa della Luna.
It is the most beautiful place she has ever seen . . . yet it possesses a wildness.

An untamed, unpredictable element.



So very different from Mademoiselle J.'s buttoned-up, orderly world.

 



 

She needs to remind herself that another journey must start with letting go of the past.

 

 

The first order of business is comfort food: Risotto.

 

 



 

 

 [Note: I'm cooking corn-and-pea risotto tonight for my husband's 63rd birthday. Just for fun, he's getting a peanut butter and chocolate cake. ]

 

 

Next, Mademoiselle took a hot sudsy bath, with a splash of gardenia oil.

 

 

 

 

The menu at Villa della Luna is extraordinary, nourishing the soul, mending our rough places, and helping us find simple pleasures.

Mademoiselle is served "Minestrone of Memories and Reflection."

 

 This unusual soup summons memories of people who shall not be forgotten.

 

 

 

Another lovely meal: "Pasta Vivante: For those who are afraid of the Passion of Life."

I made two types of pasta--both were delicious.

Farmhouse Linguini with Organic Tomato Sauce

 

Ingredients:

shallots

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

garlic

organic tomato sauce

basil

fresh mozzarella or your favorite Italian cheese
fresh  Buitoni pasta

 

Preparation:

1 shallot, chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 

Cook for 3 minutes until translucent/clear. Salt and pepper.

 

Add three cloves of garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

 

Add 1 -15 ounce can of organic tomato sauce (no salt added--add your own sea salt to taste)

Roll 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves into a log and slice (or chop). This method helps prevent the basil from turning dark. Add to sauce.

 

In a separate pan, bring salted water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Toss in 1 package of Buitoni fresh linguini.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain pasta and add to sauce.

Add finely chopped, fresh mozzarella or your favorite cheese.

Garnish with more basil.

Pasta Vivante is hearty fare, with pancetta and penne.

 

 

 

 

No meal is complete without the "Focaccia of Forgiveness and Release:

For those who need to let go of an emotional burden."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Luna" wine is served with each meal.

 

If you are very quiet and very, very lucky,

the enchanted ducks of Villa della Luna will visit.

 

Sometimes you must read between the lines to discover

more unusual items on the menu.

 

Blood orange liqueur is a staple at the villa, but you must search for it.

 

[Note: I poured a bit of liqueur into a delicate blue glass, and when I

rearranged an orange, the fruit tumbled and knocked over my glass and splashed
onto the bottle.]

There's a lesson here.

 

I, like Mademoiselle, must learn to leave the oranges alone.

Embrace imperfection, and maybe I won't spill Italian liqueur, or worse.

 

 



Mid-afternoon snacks at the villa include cherries.

But Mademoiselle is still all neat-nicky and asks for a place to discard the pits.

An ancient box appears at the table.

(If you need a vial for tears, just ask and one will be provided.)



 

Some meals at the villa are downright fanciful.


 

But everyday meals are Mademoiselle's favorite.

 

 

Mademoiselle J. discovers a few truths about life and herself:

a little wildness never hurts a house, a recipe, or a person. Everything works to the positive--in moderation, of course.

 

Except when you dance in the moonlight.

 

 "Mademoiselle picked three crimson roses, and despite the increasing power of the wind,

she turned and began to make her way to the lighthouse."

Someone is waiting.
Waiting for her.
And she has been waiting for him.

Waiting her whole life.
 

I have only touched on a few of Mademoiselle J's adventures. Many more await you.

Visit the Novel Bakers for recipes, foodie fun, and deliciousness from Villa della Luna:

a quiet life,

Home Is Where the Boat Is,

and Once Upon a Plate.

 

The Novel Bakers will return on Foodie Friday, June 28th, with
A Circle of Kindness.

Resources:

 The trilogy was written and illustrated by Jana Kolpen,
and the books were designed by Mary Tiegreen.
 

The Secrets of Pistoulet (book 1)

The Legend of Villa della Luna (book 2)

 

Jana Kolpen's Studio

 

Pistoulet Tableware



Shared at Let's Dish, Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits and Tablescape Thursday.