Quote:
Originally Posted by Tower
Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?
|
I posted a recipe for pork tenderloins for you. Try this salad as an accompaniement. The pears in this salad go perfectly with pork.
SPINACH SALAD WITH ROASTED PEARS AND BACON
Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup apple, red currant or pear jelly, melted until liquid
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp each of salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and very finely grated
2 Tbsp liquid honey (or to taste)
3/4 cup oil
Salad:
6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup pecans, toasted
3/4 cup sun dried cranberries
3 medium sized pears, such as Bosc or red D”anjou, quartered and cored
3/4 cup shaved Manchego cheese
8 rashers thick sliced bacon, naturally cured
toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl. Whisk vigorously until emulsified. Put in a jar with a tight fitting lid and let cool to room temperature. Taste and adjust for more honey or salt if necessary.
Preheat oven to 350F. Place the pecans in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until the pecans are lightly toasted but not dark brown. Remove from oven and cool.
Place the pears on a rack in a baking dish, put in the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, just until the pears have softened somewhat but are not soft and mushy. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Alternatively, you could brush the pears with a bit of oil and either grill or broil for around 2 minutes.
Fry the bacon just until lightly crisped. You could also do this in a microwave. The bacon should be chewy and just a bit crisp. Drain well on paper towels. Tear into bite sized pieces and cool and set aside.
Divide the spinach among 4 serving plates. Divide both the pecans and cranberries into 4 portions and sprinkle over the spinach. Arrange 3 pear quarters over each plate of spinach. Divide the bacon pieces into 4 portions and sprinkle over the salads. Next divide the shaved Manchego cheese into 4 portions and sprinkle over the salads. Finally, drizzle each plate of salad with dressing and serve immediately. If using the pumpkin seeds, sprinkle a few over the top of each salad.
Serve extra dressing on the side.
Note 1: This recipe makes a lot of dressing. It keeps for a long time covered in the refrigerator. Whisk each time before using.
Note 2: I use my own homemade crabapple jelly for the vinaigrette in this recipe. When I make the jelly, I add some cinnamon sticks during the cooking stage. I would recommend adding a dash of cinnamon to the vinaigrette.