What’s for dinner tonight?

Dinner tonight is a lil’ complicated.  As much as I love my fish, the rest of my family doesn’t appreciate it as much.

Secondly, my mission is to try a new ingredient I’ve never cooked with or eaten before and or dislike, at least two meals a week.  And i’m not a big fan of vegetables. But i’m now giving all ingredients, veggies or not, the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure my mother in law will enjoy this! But today I decided to be clever and include in my dinner 2 veggies I’ve never tasted or cooked before. WISH ME LUCK!

So for dinner tonight we’re having: Pan- seared Pork fillet OR Salmon with a citrus, cayenne sauce,  sautéed Kale and red onions, Brinjal discs, sweet Potato hash and Carrot purée.

 

Ingredients-serving for 3

– fresh Kale leaves- chopped into 3 handfuls.    – Brinjal(aka. Egg plant)- cut into 9 discs

– sweet potato- 01 medium sized( peel)                – Red onion – 01- cut into rings

– 2 peeled and roughly chopped carrot.                – Pork fillet OR Salmon

– cream- 50ml roughly.    – orange and or orange juice.   – dry white wine- 1/4cup                 margarine   – olive oil.  – cayenne, tumeric, cinnamon, salt & pepper

 

Method

1. The Kale- Add a tbs of olive oil in pan, then add onion and soften, add kale with salt and pepper. Sauté in pan for 5 min, then remove from heat.

2. The Carrot purée- Add chopped carrot onto pot with water( just above the carrot), salt. When soft add pepper, cream(25ml) and Purée.

3. Brinjal- Sautéed in dry hot pan for 01 min on each side, then remove from stove. RED onions- sautéed in a lightly oiled pan for 2 min.  Better to do these last- easy to cook and get cold quickly.

4. Sweet potato hash- peel and cut into discs a medium sized sweet potato and 01 medium normal potato ( to counter balance the sweetness) boil in water with 1/2 tsp of salt until almost soft, then drain water. Cut into small squares, then in a hot pan, sauté in a tbs of oil until brown- be careful not to burn it.

5. The Pork fillet- dry rub with cayenne pepper, cinnamon, salt, pepper. Pan- sear in olive oil and tsp of margarine. 2 min on each side( until nice and brown, not black!) . Then put into 230 deg oven- bottom tray for 5 min. Take out and let it rest for at least 5 min before slicing. This is a medium rare preparation. Leave for extra 2 min in oven for medium.

6. The Salmon- rub with salt and sear skin side down first for 01-02 min ( until crispy), turn on other side for 2-3 min and out the pan.

7. The Sauce- deglaze the pan you’ve cooked your salmon on with dry white wine, quarter cup, wait till sizzle comes down then add orange juice or squeezed orange. Add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, tumeric( for that beautiful color) salt and black pepper, 25 ml of cream for thickening. Take off pan, sieve through the sauce and zest with an orange.

Take a few moments to put it all together, however you want to present it. You have beautiful colors to work with; the green,red, white, orange and the eye catching Pink from the Salmon or the medium rare Pork Fillet.

And Bon Appetit!