Pork Cordon Bleu & Other Yummies

Playing recipe catch-up again, a round-up of dishes I've made in the last month. First up, a delicious variation on chicken cordon bleu, using pork tenderloin. I served it with mashed potatoes & applesauce.

Pork Cordon Bleu
1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices Swiss cheese, halved
4 slices ham, halved
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. sage

Slice pork diagonally, across the grain, into 8 thin slices. Pound to 1/8" thickness. Season. Lightly dredge in flour. Heat oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Cook the pork about 3 minutes in the oil. Turn & top each slices with a slice of ham & a slice of cheese. Carefully pour wine & broth into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sage & serve with sauce in the pan. A twist of lemon is nice, too. Serves 4.

One night when Jeannene was out of town, I made an adaptation of my friend, Diane Carpenter's Szechuan chicken pasta salad. I call my version "Asianish chicken pasta salad." It was yummy indeed even before the recommended overnight chill.

Asianish Chicken Pasta Salad
1 lb. thin noodles, cooked (I just used spaghetti)
3/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. peanut oil
2 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon
1/4 c. sesame oil
2 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless), cooked & diced
6 thinly-sliced scallions
2 chopped carrots
1 chopped red pepper
8 oz. sliced water chestnuts
6 oz. mini corn, sliced
1/2 lb. snow peas, julienned
Lightly toasted sesame seeds
Szechuan chili oil

Toss noodles with 1/2 c. soy sauce, then peanut oil. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to make sure pasta is well-coated. Mix mayonnaise, Dijon, sesame oil, 1/4 c. soy sauce, chili oil to taste. Add chicken, scallions, carrots, red pepper, water chestnuts, & mini corn to noodles. Mix with sauce. Chill overnight. Add snow peas just before serving. Garnish with sesame seeds. This makes a ton, so if you have cousins living nearby, stop by their place late on a rainy night to drop off leftovers & have a good visit.

My friend, Suzanne Evans, who is a fantastic life coach, gave me a recipe for her corn frittata, which is out of this world. I served it with my friend Kira's herbed potatoes, a stunner of an heirloom tomato salad, & my almost-grandma's boozy fruit.

Suzanne's Corn Frittata
3 ears sweet corn
Cooking spray
Salt & pepper
5 egg whites
2 eggs
1/4 c. chopped basil
1/4 c. grated smoked mozzarella

Preheat broiler. Cut corn off the cob. Sauté in sprayed skillet with salt & pepper for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Lightly beat the egg whites & eggs. Add basil & half the cheese. Add corn. Spray an oven-proof skillet and add egg mixture. Cover & cook 5 min. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese across the top & broil until bubbly & browned. Serves 4.

Kira's Herbed Potatoes
1 1/2 lb. small red potatoes
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
6 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp. white wine
2 1/2 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash & halve the potatoes. Put 1/2 c. of potatoes on each of 6 squares of foil. Divide the rest of the ingredients evenly among the foil packets. Seal, place on a baking sheet, and bake 1/2 hour. Let cool 5 minutes before opening. Serves 6.

Heirloom Tomato Salad
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 lb. haricots verts, trimmed
1/4 lb. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. minced chives
2 tsp. minced thyme
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 lb. assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut in big chunks
1 small head fennel, cut in 1/8" slices
2 c. arugula (I subbed baby spinach after discovering my arugula had keeled over)
1/2 c. finely-chopped red onion
6 oz. crumbled gorgonzola

Bring a pot of water to a boil with the salt. Cook haricots verts in it for about 2 minutes, until just tender, then plunge into an ice bath. Whisk oil, vinegars, herbs, salt to taste, pepper, & garlic together. Add tomatoes, arugula, & onion. Toss to coat. Divide among 8 plates & top with cheese.

Much more pedestrian, but still yummy, was the tuna noodle casserole I threw in the crockpot one day. Good with a green salad with plenty of crunch---peppers, cucumbers, radishes...

Crockpot Tuna Casserole
2 large cans tuna, drained
2 c. uncooked egg noodles (macaroni would be fine, too, or shells)
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 c. finely-chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (reduced-fat works great)
1/4 c. hot water
2 oz. jar chopped pimientos (unless you are serving this to my auntie, or someone like her, who is horrified by them)
8 oz. frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp. parsley

Spray the slow cooker with butter-flavored cooking spray. Mix everything together & cook it on low for 4 hours. Serves 4-6.