Elegant & Easy Dinner Party Menu
Pork Tenderloin, Risotto and Cheddar Cauliflower Make the Meal
Host a warm, winter dinner party for six with a menu that's easy to make and impressive for your guests.
Pork tenderloin is so easy to make. It's best grilled, but when weather doesn't allow outdoor cooking, try this recipe for roasted herbed pork tenderloin.
This menu also brings to your table one of the best salads you've ever tasted, a wonderful risotto, and cheesy cauliflower.
Menu
Pear Gorgonzola Salad
Herbed Pork Tenderloin
Risotto
Cheddar Cauliflower
Pear Gorgonzola Salad
Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, stir the oil and cheese together with a fork. Stir in the vinegar, salt and shallot.
Peppered pecans:
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- 1 cup pecans
In a small bowl combine sugar, salt and pepper and stir together. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat until it’s hot enough to vaporize a bead of water. Add pecans and toss for 1 minute. Add sugar mixture and toss until sugar melts. Turn on to baking sheets and spread nuts apart.
To serve:
- 1 large head Boston lettuce
- ½ large head red lettuce
- 2 large ripe pears peeled and sliced
Arrange lettuces in individual salad bowls, and top with pears and peppered pecans. Pour dressing over and serve.
Herbed Pork Tenderloin
- 1 3-pound pork tenderloin
- Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon rosemary leaves
Brush top and sides of pork with mustard. Sprinkle garlic evenly over pork. Sprinkle thyme and rosemary evenly. Bake at 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees, about 45 minutes. Slice and serve with some of the pan juices poured over it.
Risotto
- 1½ cups risotto rice
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4-6 strips bacon, chopped
- 4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped and soaked in water
- 1 cup portabella mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Chopped parsley
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 2¼ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup white wine
Sauté bacon and shallot in the bottom of a pressure cooker until bacon is crisp. Drain bacon grease. Add drained sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and olive oil and sauté for a few more minutes. Stir in risotto. Meanwhile, mix white wine and chicken broth. Pour liquid into rice, cover and seal lid of pressure cooker. Turn heat up to medium-high. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure cooker top to start rocking; continue cooking for 10 more minutes. When rice is done, add chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Stir and serve.
Cheddar Cauliflower
A unique way to serve a vegetable
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½-1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1½ cups grated cheddar cheese
Wash the cauliflower and remove side leafy pieces. Slice the bottom so the whole head can sit flat on a pan. Steam whole head of cauliflower for 15 minutes, until barely done. Cool slightly. Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and tarragon. Spread mayonnaise mixture over cauliflower. Pat cheese onto mayonnaise-coated head of cauliflower, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool a few minutes to let cheese set and then slice into 6 wedges.
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