Alternative Holiday Menu

Out of desperation and sheer ennui, I attempted to develop a menu that would wake up the jaded taste buds in my household over the holidays. To my great delight, this creation was retweeted today by the LA Times Food section!

Roast Pork Tenderloin
with Balsamic Cherry Sauce

Ingredients
1-1 1/2lb. pork tenderloin
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 shallots, minced
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup dried Bing cherries

Directions
Marinate tenderloin in vinegar about ten minutes. Remove from marinade and set marinade aside. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in oven-proof pan, brown tenderloin on all sides. Place pan in preheated 350°F oven and roast uncovered until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 160°F.

For sauce, melt remaining butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add shallots, and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Add broth, cherries and reserved marinade; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Simmer until cherries are tender and sauce is slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pork to platter and slice; top with sauce.

Butternut Squash Gratin

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tsp. dried sage
2/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Toss squash with cream, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in half of cheese and sprinkle remainder on top. Roast, uncovered, until squash is tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving (cream will thicken).

Rainbow Chard with Garlic

Ingredients

2 bunches rainbow chard, washed, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Wash chard carefully, leave wet. Heat olive oil in deep pan and add garlic; cook one minute until golden. Add chopped chard by handfuls, cover and reduce, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until wilted.