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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 2, Saturday

Warm Stuffed Endive Salad
Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Reduction
Potato Feta Cakes
Braised Red Cabbage

Cooking time: 60 minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

         We'll make the red cabbage with this dinner and eat it twice more during the week  Plus it freezes well.  We'll use more feta during the week. 

Warm Stuffed Endive Salad

Total time: 25 minutes
    The endive is cooked until tender, then the stem end hollowed.  Fill it with creamy eggs and finish with a lemony mayonnaise for a late winter warm salad.

 Ingredients:

• 2 Belgian endive
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
• 2 eggs
• 2oz (60gr) ham or bacon
• 1 tbs dried chives
• 1 tbs Greek or plain yogurt
• Lemon Mayonnaise:
• 3 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried chives
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

 Instructions:

• The endive: 
• Rinse endive and remove 2 or 3 outer leaves as needed.  Trim the stem end.  Cut each endive in half the long way through the stem. 
• Heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the endive flat, in one layer. 
• Add endive, cut side down, and sauté until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. 
• Turn and sauté the other side. 
• Add chicken stock, cover and simmer until the stem end is tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 10 minutes longer. 
• Remove endive to a plate, cut side up.  Reserve stock for another use.
• With a sharp knife cut a long, shallow, v-shaped wedge from the stem end to about halfway to the tip.  Discard cuttings.  Set endive aside.  
• The Eggs: 
• Lightly whisk eggs, chives and yogurt. 
• Heat 1 tsp oil in skillet.
• Add ham or bacon and sauté until lightly browned (if using bacon, until crisp.  Drain excess fat). 
• Reduce heat to low and add eggs. 
• Stir once or twice, remove from heat and allow them to finish cooking off heat, stirring occasionally.  They should be very moist when done. 
• Lemon Mayonnaise:
• Mix all ingredients for mayonnaise, set aside until needed.
• To finish: 
• Arrange the endive on 2 plates. 
• Divide the eggs and spoon onto the hollowed end of the endive, mounding high. 
• Spoon Lemon Mayonnaise on the side and serve.

Peppered Pork Tenderloin in Red Wine Sauce

Total time: 30 minutes
    Remember that, while adding a lot of flavor, pepper can be quite hot.  Be a bit careful, particularly if you are grinding fresh peppercorns, as these will be hotter than the old stuff in the can in your pantry....

 Ingredients:

• 12oz (360gr) pork tenderloin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) red wine

 Instructions:

• Mince the garlic.
• Slice the tenderloin into 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick slices.
• Sprinkle the pepper evenly over each side of each piece, pressing it in. 
• Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the pork and sauté for 5 minutes per side.
• Add garlic, marjoram, mustard, tomato paste, stock and red wine to pan, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Uncover and remove pork to a small platter, cover to keep warm.
• Increase heat and boil sauce, for 2 minutes.   It should reduce and thicken a bit.
• Spoon a bit of sauce over the pork and serve, remaining sauce on the side.

Potato and Feta Cakes

Total time: 40 minutes
   I like Potato Cakes well enough that I don't always wait for leftover mashed potatoes to make them. The potatoes only take about 12 minutes to cook, and they are a bit drier than traditional mashed, letting the cakes stay together well, even with the feta.

 Ingredients:

• 2 medium potatoes, (12oz, 360gr)
• 3oz (90gr) feta cheese
• 2 tbs dried chives
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp milk
• 1 tbs olive oil

 Instructions:

• Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. 
• Cook in rapidly boiling water until very tender, 12 - 15 minutes. 
• Drain the potatoes and mash with a fork or potato masher. 
• Spread the mashed potatoes on a plate to cool for 5 minutes. 
• Cut or crumble feta into small pieces (pea size).
• In medium bowl whisk egg, milk and chives. 
• Add potatoes and mix well. 
• Stir in feta. 
• Divide into 4 equal portions. 
• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet.  Add potato portions, forming into patties in the skillet, about 1/2" (1.25cm) thick. 
• Fry until brown on one side, about 7 minutes.
• Turn and brown the other side.  Remove and serve.

Red Cabbage

Total time: 60 minutes
     This is a wonderful, colorful side dish for fall and winter.  Red cabbage is the perfect, and traditional, accompaniment to game, roast goose and duck.  I also think it goes beautifully with pork.  This will make enough for 2 or 3 meals (maybe more, depending on the size of the head).  It freezes well if you have more than you want for this week.  Just thaw and reheat!

 Ingredients:

• 1 medium - large head, red cabbage, 2 1/2 - 3lbs (1250  - 1500gr)
• 1 apple, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith
• 3oz (90gr) bacon, 3 - 4 slices
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) red wine
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) red wine vinegar - or cider
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) apple juice
• 2 tbs brown sugar

 Instructions:

• Slice the bacon into thin strips.  Sauté bacon over medium-high heat in a large saucepan, Dutch oven or soup pot, big enough to easily hold the all of the cabbage. 
• Chop the onion and add to the bacon. 
• Shred the cabbage by cutting a slice off of the side of the head, lay the slice cut side down and cut into 4ths, then, cutting across, slice 1/8 inch thick.  Do not use the core of the cabbage - you'll recognize it when you see it.  
• When bacon is brown and onion tender add everything but the apple.  Stir well. 
• Cover, reduce heat to low after about 5 minutes and simmer for 30 minutes. 
• Peel and chop the apple and add to the cabbage.   Simmer another 15 - 20 minutes or until cabbage is very tender.  It can be kept, covered, over low heat until needed, up to an hour longer.

Cooking Schedule: 60 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, heavy pot or Dutch oven with lid, small skillet, 2 medium skillets, one with lid, large nonstick skillet Slice all bacon Sauté bacon for cabbage Chop onion Start to slice cabbage Add onion to bacon, sauté Finish slicing cabbage Add cabbage to bacon and onion Add wine, vinegar, stock, juice, sugar Stir well, bring to a boil, cover, simmer Peel, cut potatoes, boil Trim endive, cut, sauté Make Lemon Mayonnaise Turn endive, sauté Slice pork, press in pepper Add stock to endive, cover, simmer Chop apple, add to cabbage

Drain potatoes, mash, cool Whisk eggs, yogurt, chives for endive Mince garlic Crumble feta Sauté bacon for endive in small skillet Whisk eggs, yogurt, chives for potatoes Add potatoes, feta, stir In large skillet make and sauté potato cakes Check endive, when done remove, allow to cool Sauté pork Trim endive, arrange on plates Add eggs to bacon, stir, cook, remove from heat Turn pork Turn potato cakes Reduce heat under potatoes to very low or off Add remaining ingredients to pork, cover and simmer Spoon eggs onto Endive, add Mayonnaise, serve Done? Finish Potato Cakes, turning up heat as needed Remove pork, reduce sauce, spoon over pork Serve all

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