Menu Review

It took me until Tuesday night to make this week's menu. I was feeling very uninspired. I am not creating anything new this week, but I did want to review a couple of the things that were on last week's menu.

I made an Apple-pork tenderloin that EVERYONE liked. I kept a friends kids in the afternoon, and fed them dinner. They liked it. The Misses liked it. My husband liked it (despite the applesauce), and our friends liked it (I had so much that I sent dinner home for the parents). This is definitely a keeper on the menu. YUM! And you couldn't even taste the applesauce.

I baked Fabulous Potato Fans to go with the tenderloin, and wasn't too impressed. The Misses didn't like them, nor did the neighbor's kids. The parents all liked the garlic flavored fans, but that was about it. I didn't like the outside. It seemed tough, and almost dried out. They did look very pretty on the plate though. I will try these again, but bake a little less time to see if I like them better.

Golden Chicken Nuggets got mixed reviews. Dad and I thought they were pretty good. The Misses were not so impressed. They ate the nuggets, but still prefer the ones from their favorite fast food joint. Argh. I also made my own shoestring fries that night, and those did get a good review. I liked making them myself so that they were fresh. I was informed that they would be better without the peel. Can't blame a Mom for trying!

I did not make the Best Ever Roast Beef or the Island Sweet Potatoes. I simply could not justify buying meat at $13.99 a pound for an average weekday dinner. For a birthday, yes, but not for a weeknight. So ... the beef recipe has been tabled for a while. I do hope to make the sweet potato fries soon though. I just have to find the right thing to pair them with.

Fabulous Potato Fans

6 medium potatoes
2 Tbsp margarine, melted, divided
1/8 tsp black pepper

Onion topping
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp minced onion

Herb Topping
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp mixed dried basil and oregano

Spice Topping
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a shallow 2-qt baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each potato. Place cut side down on a work surface. Lay a wooden spoon on work surface parallel to potato. With base of knife on spoon handle, thinly slice each potato crosswise without cutting all the way through.
3. Place potatoes in prepared dish. Fan slices. Brush with 1 Tbsp melted margarine. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake 1 hour.
4. Prepare desired topping. Mix well. Sprinkle top evenly, and drizzle with remaining margarine. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Apple-pork Tenderloin

1 2-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

Glaze:
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine or apple cider
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. To prepare glaze, saute onion and garlic in oil in a small skillet over medium heat, about 4 minutes.
2. Place onion mixture in a small bowl. Stir in applesauce, soy sauce, wine, ginger, and pepper. Mix well.
3. Place tenderloin in a shallow baking dish. Brush some glaze over tenderloin. Roast until instant-read thermometer registers 170 F. Baste meat every 15 minutes with remaining glaze.
4. Transfer tenderloin to a carving board; let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and place on serving plates. Serve immediately.