Last Night's Dinner #12: Roast Pork & Buttermilk Panna Cotta

Roast Pork and Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette
Dessert: Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Tropical fruit



Roast Pork and Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette
Recipe from Real Simple
Difficulty: Easy


1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (do not slice up yet)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
3 shallots, cut into small wedges
1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Heat oven to 400° F.

Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the pork with 1/4 tsp each of the salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast 18 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, place the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Scatter the shallots over the top. Drizzle with 1 tbs of the oil, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and roast until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.



In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and the remaining oil. Divide the pork and asparagus among individual plates and serve with the vinaigrette.



Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Tropical fruit
Difficulty: Easy

(Karen, I shot this at night when all the natural light was gone - not as nice)

1 envelope of unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz)
1 C of heavy cream
2/3 C of Cane sugar (you can substitute regular white sugar)
2 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract (as good as you can get)
Vegetable oil for ramekins (Canola would be good too)
2 Kiwis & 1 riped Mango (I used Golden Kiwis)

Combine gelatin and 1/4 C of water in a small bowl or mug.
Heat up heavy cream and sugar until all of the sugar dissolves. No need to boil it, just warm it up a bit. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin/water mixture.
In a separate bowl (fairly large), combine buttermilk and vanilla.
Stir in the cream and sugar mixture little by little.
Lightly oil the ramekins or whatever you'll be using to form. Shot glasses would work well too. Fill up ramekins and refrigerate covered at least 3 hours (can be overnight).

In the meantime, cut up mangos and kiwis or whatever you can get your hands on that sounds "tropical" for the topping. Mango and kiwi are both good choices because they have a certain tartness that balances and cuts down the sweetness of the pudding.

Carefully run a knife around the edge and invert onto plates and top with fruit.

Enjoy!